Your Noon Briefing: Wyvex Media appointments, The Ferret, etc

THE publisher of a number of local newspapers and magazines across Scotland, including The Oban Times and Scottish Field, has made a number of senior appointments within the past week.

Keith McIntyre joins as group operations director at Wyvex Media, reporting to group MD, Alister Bennett.

McIntyre has held senior management roles at a number of publishers, having previously been MD at Tweeddale Press – owned by Johnston Press – as well as marketing director for JP’s Scottish division.

Most recently, he was publishing director for Romanes Media Group, where he also held the role of MD of the group’s business in Berkshire. Keith left Romanes after its recent acquisition by Newsquest.

Meanwhile, Nicky Murphy rejoins Wyvex Media as advertising director designate of their newspapers, having previously been head of advertising before leaving to work on a number of her own projects. Nicky takes up her role on Monday.

And company accountant, George Graham, has also been promoted to the role of group finance director and takes up his role with immediate effect. George has been with Wyvex Media for over 18 years.

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AN investigative journalism website recently set up by a group of Scots journalists has been nominated in a prestigious media competition run by the trade title, Press Gazette.

The Ferret has been shortlisted in the British Journalism Awards, in the category, Digital Innovation.

The website is joined, among the nominees, by BBC Scotland’s The Dog Factory (made by Liam McDougall, Sandeep Gill and Samantha Poling), which has been shortlisted in the Investigation of the Year category.

And BBC Scotland’s Mark Daly is also shortlisted, this time in the Sports Journalism category, for his part in ‘Catch me if you can’, an investigation into doping.

Meanwhile, Simon Johnson and Peter Dominiczak get a nod in the Breaking News Award for ‘Sturgeon’s secret backing for Cameron’, in The Daily Telegraph.

Say the organisers: “Launched in the wake of the hacking scandal and the Leveson Inquiry, the Press Gazette-organised awards are now in their fourth year and recognise journalism that is both interesting to the public and in the public interest.

“This year, there was a record number of entries, with more than 300 submissions for the 15 categories.

“The awards are open to all journalists producing work for a UK audience. This year there were entries from every UK national newspaper group as well as the major broadcasters.

“The shortlists were compiled by a panel of 24 judges chosen for their experience and independence.”

The winners will be announced on the first of next month.

Read more, here.

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BEGINS an announcement issued by the football club, Airdrieonians: “Airdrieonians chief executive, Iain King, has joined the club’s board of directors.

“The 48 year-old former Scottish Sun head of sport moved to the Diamonds in July after chairman, Tom Wotherspoon, bought a controlling interest in the club.

“Now, Iain has taken the next step in cementing his ties with Airdrieonians as he looks to the many challenges ahead.”

Read more, here.

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TWO vacancies are being advertised on the allmediascotland.com media jobs board – by Edinburgh-based Consolidated PR.

Check them you here.

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A SECONDEE from long-term investment savings specialists, Standard Life, has returned to his role following four months as a PR and marketing officer at The Big Issue magazine.

Lorne Finnie is a calculation analyst at Standard Life and his input was hailed by Big Issue outreach worker, Rebecca Pringle, who told allmediascotland: “For The Big Issue, the secondment provided an unique experience to share the success stories of our vendors with a wider audience and let people know what The Big Issue is about.”

Added Lorne: “This role wasn’t for the fainthearted – to succeed, you need to immerse yourself in all aspects of the task at hand and let yourself be pushed outside your comfort zone.

“I feel privileged to have been part of an incredible team and I am proud of all of our achievements and shared successes.”

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BEGINS the trade website, holdthefrontpage: “Two regional journalists will find out next week whether they have been successful in winning awards for financial reporting.

“Bristol Post assistant editor, Gavin Thompson, and Simon Bain, who serves as business correspondent at The Herald, Glasgow, have both been nominatedin the Santander Financial Media Awards.”

Read more, here.

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