Your Noon Briefing: Anne Johnstone, CIPR Scotland annual general meeting, etc

A FORMER chief leader writer on The Herald newspaper has been awarded a life membership of the National Union of Journalists.

Anne Johnstone received the accolade last night following 40 years’ membership of the union.

Said Paul Holleran, the NUJ’s Scotland Organiser: “Anne worked as a journalist for over 38 years for The Herald titles. She was 26 years-old when she joined the company who were then part of the prestigious George Outram Ltd stable of publications.

“Having served her time as a reporter Anne progressed to become one of the most respected journalists in Scotland. She was known for her columns and hard-hitting features before rising to the dizzy heights of chief leader writer for The Herald, one of the most influential jobs in the Scottish media.

“Anne has always been a member of the NUJ and a stalwart member of The Herald chapel which then became the Newsquest group chapel [to reflect its current owners]. She showed her true mettle after being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, not only fighting that serious threat to her health, but standing her ground, taking on the company to demand a better deal covering her situation including pension and severance figures.”

She left The Herald last year, taking a voluntary redundancy package.

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AND the Scotland office of the National Union of Journalists is hosting training on both advanced internet research and an introduction to film editing.

The courses are both being held next month, the advanced internet training one on the tenth and the film editing one on the 14th.

Says the NUJ Scotland’s training manager, Joan Macdonald: “The priority for this funding is ‘new’ learners – learners who have not attended a funded opportunity in the current project – from 1 April 2014 to date – and places will be allocated on a first come basis.”

For more information, email joanm@nuj.org.uk or telephone 0141 248 6648.

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BEGINS an announcement yesterday on a website launched recently by the former business editor of The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday, Terry Murden: “Daily Business, the news website focusing on the business, economic, consumer and money markets, has today unveiled a partnership with crowdfunding company, Lending Crowd.

“The two Edinburgh-based businesses, which launched towards the end of 2014, will work together on a number of joint ventures, including events such as conferences and workshops. They will use various cross-marketing and promotional tools and services.”

Read more, here.

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A COMPLAINT made against The Scotsman newspaper has been rejected by the press watchdog, the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

Reports IPSO (here): “Reiner Lukyen complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that The Scotsman had breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 2 (Opportunity to reply) of the Editors’ Code of Practice in an article headlined “German journalist slams ‘Hitler moustache’ Scots”, published on 10 October 2014.”

The story is picked up, here, by The Guardian, which begins its report: “The newspaper watchdog has rejected a complaint from a German journalist living in Scotland about a story claiming local people had worn Hitler moustaches and marched past his house.

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BEGINS the STV website: “Original artwork featuring iconic characters from DC Thomson comics – including The Broons, The Dandy, Oor Wullie and The Beano – feature in this expo which runs at the Skypark [in Glasgow] from today until April 9.”

Read more, here.

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The annual general meeting of the Scotland division of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations has been set for the 24th of next month.

It is being held in Edinburgh, as noted, here.

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