Newsbrands Scotland July newsletter

News about Scottish news publishing

Scottish editors ask for controversial rape case ruling to be reviewed by IPSO code committee

The Newsbrands Scotland editors’ committee has written to the Independent Press Standards Organisation to ask for a recent ruling on coverage of an Aberdeen rape trial to be referred to the Editors' Code of Practice Committee for a review of its guidelines.

Last month the regulator found that Aberdeen Live’s report on the trial has breached Clause 4 (Intrusion into grief or shock) because the level of detail included about the victim’s reaction was “deeply personal and with the clear potential to be extremely intrusive.”

The ruling sparked criticism that it could inhibit the reporting of proceedings in open court and was a threat to free speech, a concern shared by Newsbrands Scotland editors.

The information which was the subject of the breach was contained in a copy filed by a freelance agency, and was edited out by other news organisations, including the Press & Journal and BBC.

But writing to IPSO chairman Lord Edward Faulks, Newsbrands Scotland editors’ chair, Scotsman editor, Neil McIntosh said, “Our committee was unanimous in its view that the offending passage should not have been published, and the ruling was fair, but we do think further clarification about what is permissible may be necessary.

“The best forum for this to be discussed is the Editors' Code of Practice Committee, and we would ask that the case be drawn to its attention for consideration.”

An IPSO spokesperson said: “The Editors’ Code of Practice has always been clear that editors must exercise judgement in relation to the publication of material heard in open court, for example by limiting details of suicide methods. Similarly, the Code requires journalists and editors to handle cases sensitively to avoid intruding into grief and shock.

“This was an unusual case. The Complaints Committee deliberated on the complaint carefully and concluded that the article contained details which went beyond reporting of the crime which in this particular case were not justified.”

Courts service to publish open justice paper

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service is set to publish a report next week on developing open justice policy and practice.

The paper due out next Friday (July 12) follows a ‘Think Tank’ event in Edinburgh’s Parliament House in April, attended by some of Scotland’s most senior legal figures, including the Lord President Lord Carloway, and media representatives, communications specialists and legal academics.

National World and Reach unveil new partnership to sell national advertising

National World has announced a new strategic partnership with Reach plc, to sell national advertising to UK media agencies.

From this October, Reach Solutions Limited will represent National World’s print brands for display and public notice advertising to all leading regional and London-based agencies.

The company’s daily newspaper brands, including The Scotsman, will join Reach’s highly successful "Big City" package which combines the Mirror titles and its leading regional dailies, including the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo and Birmingham Mail.

Alongside the enhancement of its print advertising operations, National World is establishing a joint venture with Axiom Media Holdings Limited, which already handles National World’s video inventory, to market its digital assets to advertisers.

Titled Axiom Media Alliance (AMA) and led by Axiom’s Chief Executive, Jeremy Lawrence, AMA will market the National World’s content and audience reach to high-quality advertisers.

And as part of its strategy to create a transparent marketplace for its advertisers, it will move its digital assets to a new platform provided by Auth, with market-leading innovative technology using Artificial Intelligence to enrich the reader experience.

“Media partnerships such as those we have announced help publishers to become more efficient, improve their pricing power and offer a one-stop-shop for advertising customers” said Chief Operating Officer, Mark Hollinshead (pictured above).

“Where possible, it is essential for print titles to increase their efficiency so that resources can be directed at the journalism and content creation our audiences desire. Similarly, dedicated digital resources are an essential component for any growth-orientated news publisher.

“Reach Solutions is the market leader in its sector and the addition of National World’s print brands will further enhance the "Big City" package, creating compelling solutions for advertisers. Similarly, we’re delighted to be expanding our relationship with Axiom which we believe will create a compelling offer for National World's rapidly growing digital portfolio."

Times Scotland backs Fringe By The Sea Festival

The Times and Sunday Times Scotland are delighted to be the media partner for this year's Fringe By The Sea Festival.

Taking place in North Berwick - recently named the UK's best place to live in The Sunday Times annual guide - the ten-day event showcases the best of comedy, music, literature and more.

Festival goers will be able to rub shoulders with top writers from The Times and Sunday Times, including Caitlin Moran and Hugo Rifkind, as they promote their new books.

A new event for this year will see The Times Scotland's John Boothman reviewing the Sunday papers with guest panellists.