News providers of the year revealed | Dyson vs Mirror latest
And some good news for professional media when it comes to information about science
Good morning and welcome to your daily media news briefing on Friday, 24 November, brought to you in association with Bauer Academy.
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The prospect of The Telegraph becoming the Man City of UK newsbrands is at once exhilarating and worrying.
The Man City parallel is made by the Daily Mail today as it reports on concerns over UAE-backed IMI Redbird taking control of the Telegraph.
Part of me thinks investing in quality journalism is not the worst way to spend excess oil billions, provided cast-iron guarantees of independence and press freedom are provided.
But I can see why the prospect of another massively subsidised competitor in the UK news market does not fill News UK and DMGT with joy. They already have to contend with the BBC.
And what a news market it is.
Today we bring you the British Journalism Awards News Provider of the Year shortlist. They are the six newsbrands who, in the view of the British Journalism Awards judges, have done the most to change the world for the better over the last year with outstanding investigations and campaigns.
The winners will be announced at the London Hilton on 14 December (a few tickets are still available).
Today we also report on some encouraging news about the role of professional news media in our national debate. Polling by the Science Media Centre reveals that the vast majority of Britons still turn to journalists for information about science.
Dyson brought his £1m lawsuit over the words: “Kids, talk the talk but then screw your country and if anyone complains, tell them to suck it up.”
It was a reference to Dyson’s decision to move vacuum cleaner production overseas.
Reach is fighting the inventor because a win would likely have huge ramifications for the honest opinion defence in UK libel law.
I’m hoping the billionaire is forced to suck this one up. The alternative could be vastly tamer comment pages in future.
Have an excellent weekend when you get there and thanks for reading.
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New from Press Gazette
British Journalism Awards News Provider of the Year 2023 shortlist
Six newsbrands are shortlisted for the News Provider of the Year prize for 2023.
Mirror article accusing James Dyson of ‘screwing country’ was ‘vitriolic’, libel trial told
The publisher argues an honest person “could self-evidently have held the opinion”.
Traditional news media remains crucial for science information in social media age
Science Media Centre celebrates results of poll showing continued importance of regulated journalism.
Podcast 60: How to make local news pay with Newsquest CEO Henry Faure Walker
Last year UK regional news giant Newsquest made £40m in pre-tax profits on turnover of £190m.
This year it is tracking to have ad revenue broadly flat over two years.
CEO Henry Faure Walker spoke to Dominic Ponsford about how the publisher of 200+ titles is bucking the trend on both audience and advertising revenue decline. He also shed light on some fascinating experiments using generative AI in the newsroom.
News in brief
Could The Telegraph become the Man City of UK news publishers? Mail Online reports on concerns over Sheikh Mansour for Dubai taking ownership of the title via Redbird IMI. (Mail Online)
The BBC Radio 4 Today programme's Christmas guest editors this year will include: Andrew Malkinson, wrongly jailed for rape for 17 years, Ellie Goulding, James May, GSK boss Dame Emma Walmsley, and NASA head of science Dr Nicky Fox.
Sun political editor Harry Cole has been named chairman of the Lobby for 2024. As his former employer Guido pointed out Cole once told PG Lobby rules made for “morally bankrupt” journalism after his 1st bid to join the Lobby was "very snootily" turned down. (Press Gazette)
Former Sunday Times deputy editor and Sunday Times Magazine editor Sarah Baxter has joined IPSO's complaints committee. Baxter, currently director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting, joins a group that is majority lay members with no connection to the industry.
Desmog analysis has claimed that of 171 Telegraph opinion pieces in the six months to 16 October that dealt with environmental issues, 85% were "anti-green" meaning "attacking climate policy, questioning climate science and ridiculing environmental groups". (Desmog)
The 13 Reach local websites being closed have been confirmed by HTFP. They are the Live sites for Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Sussex & Wiltshire. (HTFP)
B2B publisher William Reed has published info on how it will use generative AI, including that it may use it to suggest headlines, pull out trends from large datasets and summarise long reports but not text generated by AI. It may also explore story ideas (William Reed).
Protections stopping journalists' phones from being hacked by the state, and ensuring media independence and plurality, in European Media Freedom Act have been diluted. (The Guardian)
Previously on Press Gazette
Data privacy and advertising: How marketers are ‘killing democracy’
How Bloomberg Media got to 500,000 subscribers – and how it plans to reach a million
Latest Google updates have led to massive traffic changes for news websites
Publishers are mad as hell and they’re not going to take this any more
Explained: Why Telegraph sale has been paused after RedBird IMI deal with Barclays
Failings in police-media relations exposed by Nicola Bulley review
