FleetStreetBlues is away

Most of FleetStreetBlues is off learning to ski next week, so although the site may not close down entirely, posting is likely to be intermittent at best.

We return in force on SUNDAY 5 APRIL.

Features editor - Metro

The Metro in London is recruiting an 'InFocus' features editor to cover nine months maternity leave.

You'll be responsible for writing four pages of InFocus copy every week, and also work on other feature writing projects and supplements as required.

You need a degree, journalism qualification and 'significant previous experience of journalism' - they're offering up to £35k pro rata, so they're not messing around and clearly want someone who can slot right in. You'd be based in their High Street Kensington offices and they promise various other benefits as well, including an on-site gym and subsidised restaurant.

Send a CV and covering letter to the wonderfully-titled Stephanie Carey, who is 'Talent, Culture and Admin Assistant', at opportunities@ukmetro.co.uk. Deadline next Friday 3 April.

Twitter takes over - resistance is futile

FleetStreetBlues remains divided about Twitter.

On the one hand, it is becoming an increasingly useful, if time-consuming, way to get stories. One of our trade journalist co-correspondents came across a geniune real-life story - as opposed to self-indulgent tech feature - on a Twitter feed yesterday. And the sheer number of users means there has to be someone somewhere saying something important.

On the other hand, it is a colossal waste of time.

But even if it is a useful communication tool to add to the set you already possess - blogs, emails, texting, telephone and, er, meeting people - then this is frankly ridiculous.

Gorkana reports:

The Guardian's technology editor, Charles Arthur has announced he will only receive pitches and PR through his Twitter account due to the large volume of irrelevant emails he receives. Arthur can be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/charlesarthur.

We checked out Charles' twitter feed and he's at it non-stop, writing about everything and nothing throughout the day. Constantly.

Part of us is impressed - here is a tech journalist who really practices what he preaches. But part of us is bemused. When does he have time to do anything else? Isn't that kind of stream of consciousness writing draining? Or does he just file 140-character stories?

Work Experience - At Home

Another of the increasing number of work experience opportunities now on offer, but we should clarify, you won't be at home, you'll be at At Home, a woman's consumer magazine.

Based in their offices in Whetstone, north London, you'll be doing research, uploading features to the website and admin work, plus they promise 'the possibility of writing short features'. Not just the NIBs then.

It's unpaid, but they do at least offer travel costs, and they're looking for someone from one to two weeks, particularly over the Easter break. Ideally you'll already be on a media-based university degree course and interested in women's consumer magazines.

Email a CV and the dates you're available to carly@emp.plc.uk. (Via Gorkana, no direct link).

Sub Editors - Peterborough Evening Telegraph

If you get this job you won't just be working for the Peterborough Evening Telegraph - the ominous phrase 'centralised subbing operation' appears in the job ad, and it turns out you'll also be working on titles such as the Stamford Mercury and Bury Free Press.

Still, subs can't be choosers in today's market, and Johnston Press are not only hiring one... they're hiring several. So if you're a fast, accurate sub with a 'proven track record' and an in-depth knowledge of the finer points of Quark, this could be for you.

Contact Nick Woodhead, head of subbing, at nick.woodhead@jpress.co.uk. Deadline Monday 6 April.

Deputy Editor - Gay Times

OK, so first off, let's address the elephant in the room. We've checked the ad, and it definitely doesn't say anywhere that you have to be gay. But you do have to have 'a good understanding of the gay market'. And let's face it, if you're not gay, you're quite unlikely to actually get this job.

But if you are gay - or just don't believe in labels and are determined give it a shot anyway - you're also going to need to be an experienced music/arts journalist with section editing experience.

As deputy editor on Gay Times you'll be doing all the usual deputy editing things - acting up for the editing, commissioning and overseeing the editorial team. You'll also be co-editing the GT website and heading up the blogging side of things. Full details on Gorkana (not linkable directly).

Email CVs to joseph@gaytimes.co.uk. No deadline specified.

Adrian Monck: Why I teach journalism

Journalism professor and veteran war correspondent Adrian Monck doesn't normally come across as the self-doubting type. Certainly not according to his students at City University.

But his thoughtful post on why he decided to leave television news and teach, instead of practice, journalism is well worth checking out. As is the reason itself - the story of Richard Wild.

Reporter - Horticulture Week

Horticulture Week, apparently the 'UK's oldest first fully paid for professional news magazine', is looking for a news reporter. You'll need to like gardening.

Not being particularly green-fingered at FleetStreetBlues, it's not an area we know much about. But the ad sells itself as very much being about hard news reporting and beating the nationals.

It promises: 'On one day you'll be scooping the nationals on Defra's decision to spend £25 million tackling plant disease Phytophthora ramorum, and the next you'll be reporting on world firsts such as Kew's creation of a cross between a day-blooming and night-blooming water lily, or the impact of climate change on the production of key horticultural crops.'

Qualifications? Well, they want some knowledge of the subject area, and say that you'll ideally have a degree in life sciences or horticulture. But they also want a journalist's journalist - 'a dogged and determined approach to uncovering news is the primary requirement for this role' and they also require experience of weekly or daily news reporting.

It's a Haymarket publication, so you'll be based in Hammersmith, west London, and need to apply online. Deadline Monday 6 April.

Trainee Reporter - Exmouth Journal

The Exmouth Journal, so the ad claims, is a paid-for newspaper 'bucking the trend by growing circulation'.

Good for them, and the reason probably why they're one of the few papers in the country able to hire a new trainee reporter at the moment.

You must have attended an NCTJ reporting course and have at least 80wpm, and a driving licence and car is 'vital'.

And that's, er it. Exmouth is on the south Devon coast, by the way. CVs to editor Phil Griffin, phil.griffin@archant.co.uk. Deadline tomorrow Tuesday 24 March.

Form an orderly line please people.

Adfero and the comments

So on Saturday we put up what seemed like a fairly innocuous posting for an internship at Politics.co.uk, and the hating started again.

Politics.co.uk is, of course, owned and run by the online news provider Adfero. So, as with two previous Adfero jobs that we've put up, this posting attracted instant negative comment suggesting that the position would be entirely to Adfero's benefit and the successful candidate would gain little by way of real experience.

The commenter also asked in passing why we had taken down the two previous Adfero posts, both of which had a string of angry, detailed and quite probably libellous anonymous accusations attached to them.

Well, the clue's in the word libellous.

FleetStreetBlues has no desire to stifle debate, and it is fair to say that the word on the street - and the word on the web - about Adfero is that young trainee journalists looking for their first big break should be clear about exactly what the job entails before they sign up. But then, that is sensible advice which applies to any new job.

But when Adfero contacted us about the previous postings and asked us, journalist-to-journalist, whether we felt we could substantiate anything in them, we had to hang our heads and say, well, maybe not.

It may be there's an in-depth investigation waiting to be done into the working conditions and practices of young journalists at a range of different companies out there - but FleetStreetBlues isn't the place to do it. We do jobs, comment and scurillous gossip, not worthy investigative pieces. Enough of that in the day job.

So, new rules re the comments. Anything you write, be prepared to substantiate it in court. And before it gets published, we need to be prepared to defend it in court too.

Sounds harsh, but you're journalists. Should come naturally.

Internship - Politics.co.uk

Politics.co.uk, a website which does exactly what it says on the tin, is looking for an intern.

You'll be carrying out interviews, writing stories and uploading them to the website. All good experience - it is however unpaid, with no specific mention of expenses even, and they do want you to commit for between three and four months.

You'll need writing ability and a good knowledge of politics, plus 'excellent time management, organisational and communication skills.'

Apply with a CV and covering letter to nathan.coyne@adfero.co.uk. Deadline Tuesday 31 March.

When is recycling not recycling?

The freesheet Metro has apparently launched an anti-litter campaign, encouraging readers to properly dispose of their copy when they're done reading it.

According to publishing group Daily Mail and General Trust, it is 'not acceptable' to leave behind a copy of the Metro on public transport.

'Leaving your Metro behind is littering,' they are telling readers. 'Please take it away and recycle it.'

By which they mean take it away and throw it away, rather than letting the next person to get on the tube pick it up and reach it as well. Some recycling...

Sub-editor - Insurance Times

The weekly trade magazine Insurance Times is recruiting a sub-editor (no direct link as the ad's on Gorkana). You'll be based at the Insurance Times offices in the City of London and be doing all the normal sub-editor things.

They want proven experience on a newspaper or business magazine, strong subbing skills, proficiency in Quark and a 'flair for features'.

Email your CV to the editor Tom Broughton at tom.broughton@instimes.co.uk. Deadline Friday 10 April.

An email from America

Exciting news arrives in the inbox this morning. FleetStreetBlues has an American cousin. Who knew?

The site, CubReporters.org, has a jobs section strikingly similar to our own, although you'll have to pick your way through a fair number of jobs in Pennsylvania, California and Florida before you find any from this side of the pond. (However FleetStreetBlues has first-hand experience of having worked as a journalist in the States and it comes highly recommended...)

There's also more to the site than just jobs - it boasts a dizzying array of links, guides to getting internships, fellowships and going freelance, and expert advice from top journalists on how to get ahead in journalism.

All in all an excellent site, although (thankfully) very US-focused. We're taking notes...

Backstage at the Today programme

Oh no. The Today programme's gone all creative and viral and down with the kids and shit... It is funny though, in a Comic Relief don't-you-all-love-Auntie kind of way. And John Humphrys' wardrobe is the highlight.

Courtesy of Ben Spencer's Media Notes.

How will the trade press weather the recession?

The subject of an interesting column in the Evening Standard by Roy Greenslade. With difficulty, it seems...

Editor - Premier Newspapers

Premier Newspapers, a newspaper group covering south Bedfordshire and Luton, and including such titles as the Luton News and the Leighton Buzzard Observer, is looking for an editor. (The full list of titles covered by Premier is here, although it's not immediately clear if you'll cover some or all of them. Some, we think).

You'll need experience of newspaper editorship or senior editorial management, a proven track record and outstanding leadership and communications skills.

Email a CV and - we love this - 'anything else you think will serve as a calling card' to group editor John Francis at john.francis@jpress.co.uk. Deadline Friday 3 April.

Internship - Time Out

Very urgent, this one, as apparently there is a last minute opening at Time Out for an intern starting March 30. Which is, er, a week Monday.

It's full time, 10-6 5 days a week for three months, and there's no pay, but unusually for this kind of gig they do promise that your byline will appear in the magazine every week and they'll pay travel and lunch expenses. You'll be based in their Tottenham Court Road offices in central London.

You need to be a 'bright and confident graduate' to research and write listings and support the Shopping and Style team.

Email your CV to Dan Jones, Deputy Style and Shopping Editor, at danjones@timeout.com.

Reporter - Trinity Mirror Southern

Trinity Mirror Southern's West London & Bucks newspaper group (you can read the full list here) is looking for a reporter. (Well, actually they claim to be recruiting a 'Multimedia Journalist', but then we've covered their slightly irritating habit of using exotic job titles before.)

You'll need 100wpm shorthand and to have passed the NCTJ or equivalent qualifying examinations in order to apply. And the job itself will see you be the very picture of a modern multi-tasking journalist.

You'll be 'working remotely' for both print and online, 'mainly alone under your own intitiative.' You'll be expected to be photographer as well as reporter (hence the multimeeja bit) and will need no social life, partner or other interests 'a can-do attitude with a flexible approach to working hours.'
Sound depressing? It's the future, people.

Email a CV and covering letter to multimedia content manager Adrian Seal at adrianseal@trinitysouth.co.uk. Deadline next Monday 23 March.

OK! magazine jump the gun

Ever wondered what it would be like to read your own obituary? Well, poor Jade Goody can, thanks to OK! magazine's spectacularly poor taste issue out this week.

Not content with almost entirely fabricating the front cover of their last issue, they've now gone one step further, promising Jade's 'final words', badging the 'Jade Goody Official Tribue Issue' 'in loving memory'.

In a way, you could argue OK! has been true to its tabloid instincts - it does, after all, promise to be 'first for celebrity news.' But for many readers, even those used to celebrity 'journalists' bending the rules and making up their own ones, it will be too much.

And here's why. As the OK! team sit down at conference to plan another week of celebrity exclusives, they'll all be secretly wondering... What if Jade makes it another week?

Managing Editor - Penguin News

We try hard not to be too London-centric. It's an inescapable fact of life that the bulk of journalism jobs, at least those not on local papers, are in the Big Smoke. But every now and then we come across one significantly further afield, and we like to redress the balance when we can.

Well, consider the balance well and truly redressed. Because for this position you'll have to relocate to... wait for it... the Falkland Islands.

The Falkland Islands' weekly newspaper, the delightfully named Penguin News, is after a managing editor to do all the usual editor-type things. Return international flights will be provided and salary is 'commensurate with experience', but really, we're guessing a willingness to live on a big rock in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean is the major job qualification here.

If you're up for it, firstly, are you sure? Really sure? OK then, email a CV and covering letter to Karen Lee, chair of the Penguin News' Media Trust, at karen.wkfi@horizon.co.fk. Deadline Monday 30 March.

Find a workie - for free!!!

You may already have spotted the plug at the top right, but in case not... paging all news editors.

Looking for someone to open the post and write the NIBS? Look no further. FleetStreetBlues is read by dozens of eager young trainee journalists every day... and they could be yours.

Advertise your work experience positions this summer - for free. Email us today at fleetstreetblues@hotmail.co.uk

We'll write about her charity work instead, OK!?

We've blogged before about the frankly insulting standards of some celebrity journalism - but this snippet, courtesy of Popbitch, sets a new low.

>> Not OK <<

Photograph, coverlines, story faked

OK! Magazine has apologised to Victoria Beckham for faking a front cover photo which showed her out with Cheryl Cole. The doctored photograph appeared on the front cover under the headline - Cheryl & Victoria – "There's no feud, Victoria's an incredible woman."

But let's not stop there on the "faking it" front. Any reader would think the coverline was a quote from Cheryl Cole. And yet neither Cheryl nor Victoria were interviewed for this article. "There's no feud" - is a quote from "a close pal of the singer". (Or possibly a OK! journalist?)

"Victoria's an incredible woman" appears nowhere in the article. Not even on the lips of a "close pal". As OK! go on to say in this article, "Of course Cheryl knows how simple quotes can be deviously twisted."

It goes without saying that even celebrity magazine journalists shouldn't make up quotes. But if you're going to make it up for the cover, at least make sure you remember to include it in the article too.

OK! have apologised now, of course. But we can't help noticing that if you go to the OK! website, the lead story is a prominent puff piece about Cheryl Cole's role in Comic Relief. Part of the deal?

Internship - New Statesman

The days are getting longer, the sun is getting warmer and the skirts are getting shorter. Yes, it's spring time, when a young man's thoughts turn to love. And a news editor's thoughts turn who's going to make the tea, take messages and write the NIBs all summer long...

FleetStreetBlues doesn't morally approve of desperate, unpaid trainee journalists being exploited in this way. But we know that a lot of you would actually not mind being exploited so long as it's a decent gig. And besides, we served our time, so why should we deny others the chance to do likewise?

First out of the gate then is this internship placement at the New Statesman. You'll mainly be doing research for the editorial team and admin, although you 'also be welcome to pitch articles'. You need a degree, a strong interest in politics and be willing to work for two months, working 10-6 and longer on press days, based in the New Statesman's Victoria offices.

It's unpaid but they do offer expenses in London zones 1-3. Email with your CV to alyssa@newstatesman.co.uk.

Sub-Editor - Trinity Mirror Southern

FleetStreetBlues has never stopped calling assistant referees linesmen, and so we see no reason to change what we call sub-editors either. But at Trinity Mirror Southern, they are currently recruiting for the position of, ahem, Multimedia Journalist Production (Copy).

You'll be working in a hub alongside five other Multimedia Journalists Production (Copy) and ten Multimedia Journalists Production (Design), reporting to a Multimedia Production Manager. You'll be subbing news, lesiure and sports pages on both paid and free titles across West London, Middlesex, Surrey and south Buckinghamshire.

Ideally you'll be an experienced sub-editor already, and knowledge of Quark, as you might expect, is essential.

Email a CV and covering letter to chief sub Multimedia Production Manager Mike Hawkins at mikehawkins@trinitysouth.co.uk. Deadline Tuesday 17 March.

Greenslade does it again

Roy Greenslade is at it again. Not content with picking a fight with subeditors, he's found a fresh target close to home - local journalists on unpaid titles.

His blog yesterday ('Losing local freesheets does not spell the demise of journalism') , in which he described free papers as a 'pretence' and claimed 'their departure will be no loss to democracy', provoked outrage in the comments.

One, former student of his at City University and now a reporter on the under-threat Salford Advertiser, started: 'I am so angry with Mr Greenslade, I could scream.'

Now, Roy Greenslade is a an august Professor of Journalism, former national newspaper editor and journalist of 41 years experience, so far be it from FleetStreetBlues to contradict him. He had a point on the sub-editing thing, and maybe even on this too.

But timing is everything. And at a time when journalism is withering, local newspapers are dying and hundreds of journalists are being made redundant or clinging to their jobs, well... this may not be the right time.

Deputy News Editor - Swindon Advertiser

An opportunity here for an experienced senior reporter to make the step up to the newsdesk as Deputy News Editor at the Swindon Advertiser, a regional daily.

The ad is pretty standard in every respect really for the deputy news ed role, and not big on detail - they don't explicitly require any qualifications but they do say you'll need to have been a senior for at least two years.

And you'll be living in Swindon. Home town of, er, Billie Piper. And Melinda Messenger.

Send a CV and covering letter to the editor Dave King at editor@newswilts.co.uk. Deadline Friday 20 March.

News Editor - Mobile

Mobile magazine, the weekly trade magazine for the mobile phone industry, is looking for a news editor.

The ad's a bit vague on who whether you'll actually have any reporters working under you, and if so, how many, but it seems fair to assume they want you to do a decent amount of reporting yourself - there's major play of the need for 'exclusive stories', 'major scoops' and 'high-quality investigations'.

In other words, you may be writing about cellphones, but you'd better be a damn good journalist. With experience, too.

Apply with a CV and covering letter to managing editor Soheb Panja at soheb.panja@nhmedia.co.uk. Deadline Sunday 12 April.

Advice for redundant journalists

It's written in American, but then, as this excellent tracker shows, they need this kind of advice even more than we do right now.

If you've been laid off and are wondering what next - or if you fear you might be next - have a look at Mark Potts' Top Ten Tips For Suddenly Unemployed Journalists.

A word on deadlines...

Seeing as the poll on who you lot are is revealing a preponderance of trainee and student journalists desperately seeking jobs, this might be useful.

The rule when applying for journalism jobs is always apply early, apply often - but with the ridiculously competitive market we're now in, that's more than ever the case.

One so-so job advertised just a few days ago (not here, but one of the popular job sites) has apparently already attracted more than 120 applications, and while the nominal deadline is still a way away, the editors have effectively decided to stop looking at new applications. There's only so many covering letters you can read before they all start to look the same.

So while we do always post a deadline at the end of job ads (where one is available), so that you know when to give up entirely, you really do need to apply as soon as you see an ad. Apply early, apply often.

James Chapman to replace Ben Brogan

If Paul Dacre helps run the country, then the job of Daily Mail political editor should be at least a Cabinet-level position.

As tipped by the Independent's Media Diary, the plum role has fallen to Ben Brogan's number two, James Chapman.

Tory blogger Iain Dale - who speculated at length on the possible candidates - has some of the reaction...

Reporters - Infrastructure Journal

Not quite sure about this one - the original ad is frustratingly vague and we've had to do a fair bit of Googling to try and pin down exactly who you'll be working for. But if it's hard to track down, that may narrow down the number of applicants too. You'll mainly be battling it out against your fellow FleetStreetBlues readers.

So anyway... Infrastructure Journal, an Emap brand which is apparently a daily online news service for the global infrastructure investment market, is looking to hire not one but two reporters. Both will be based at Emap HQ near Mornington Crescent in north London.

The first vacancy is for a 'motivated and independent' reporter - read you'll be on your own - to cover Public-Private Partnerships. The second is for a 'highly motivated' reporter - read extremely hard-working - to cover a brand new sector, Infra Funds (no, us neither...).

Apply by emailing jobs@emap.com, with IJ in the subject line and including salary expectations. Deadline Thursday 19 March.

Senior Reporter - Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph

The Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph, a daily paper in the Midlands, has placed an ad for a senior reporter.

Job description is vague and pretty standard - you must be a senior but no specific mention of qualifications.

It is interesting, though, to compare with a similiar ad for a similar role (it's not clear if it's the same role) back in October. Back then, they were after someone who can handle a video camera - in the current ad, all mention of multimeeja has been dropped, and instead they focus on 'plenty of experience' and the ability to build contacts.

Email a CV and covering letter to Jan Evans, secretary to the editor Jeremy Clifford, at jan.evans@northantsnews.co.uk. Deadline Saturday 21 March.

Quote of the Day - 10 March 2009

Yesterday's Guardian interview with Piers Morgan should have been full of potential quotes of the day - and of course, it was. (FleetStreetBlues has always had a sneaking admiration for the man. Say what you like, but he's a tabloid hack's tabloid hack).

He blamed the Security Service for losing his job at the Mirror ('I became utterly convinced it was an MI5 plot'), put in a bid to edit the Sunday Times ('The idea of firing Clarkson and AA Gill could be irresistable') and is upfront about why is he hated by Guardian-readers ('I've got a Tory background and used to edit a tabloid. Go through a checklist of what Guardian readers despise. I would be top of the tree.'

But rather than choosing a quote from Morgan himself, one of the comments below the online article seemed more apt.

'If he was an ice cream, he'd lick himself'

Yes 'Quandry', he probably would. And no doubt compliment himself on another terrific scoop...

Energy Correspondent - Reuters

A hardcore financial job this one, but if that's the field you're already in - and you can understand the acronyms better than we can - it may be of interest.

Thomson Reuters' London energy desk is looking for a reporter to cover the 'over-the-counter European oil swaps market', which makes it sound a bit like Top Trumps but I'm sure is far more complicated.

You'll need to know the field already - experience in oil markets is 'preferred' and you'll need 'the ability to explain complex energy markets to a wide business audience.' Any Top Trumps analogies will, it's safe to say, lead to automatic disqualification.

The key duties in the ad (unlinkable to but on Gorkana) should prove the acid test. They are: building solid contacts in the oil derivatives community; developing more frequent, deeper coverage of OTC oil swaps down the curve; regularly breaking news about OTC derivative oil trading trends and practices; assisting in other EMEA energy reporting duties as required.

Understand that lot and you're in with a shout. Email applications to both barbara.hm.lewis@thomsonreuters.com and camilla.reed@thomsonreuters.com. No deadline listed so get cracking...

New polls - who are you lot?

So, your views on the redesign (needs more work) have been duly noted. We'll get on it shortly.

But in the meantime, not one but two brand new polls. Look over at the top right and in two swift clicks tell us why you're here and who you are.

And don't worry, if you're a PR, you can say so. It's totally anonymous...

Gordon Brown is a what now?

Guido Fawkes has spotted a truly memorable URL...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/4961897/Gordon-Brown-is-a-cunt.html

Web editor's editorialising or a legacy of the hacking of the Telegraph website earlier this week? You decide...

The credit crunch hits home

While not entirely escaping the wave of recent redundancies, magazine journalists are generally considered - quite unfairly, of course - the spoilt cousins of the journalism family. Long hours, generous pay, cushy deadlines... what's not to like?



Not any more. Word has reached FleetStreetBlues that journalists at Property Week and other CMP Information titles have just been hit by the full force of the impending recession.

The on-site Indian head massages and acupressure treatments hard-pressed hacks could previously enjoy every week at just £13 a pop have been slashed - and will now only be available every fortnight. The change has been prompted by 'falling demand', the magazines' staff were informed, but will be 'kept under review'.

Massages only available fortnightly? Listen up people. This credit crunch just got real...

Reporter - Digital Spy

If you're the kind of person who has been to three screenings of Watchmen since it came out last week, this could be for you. If you don't know what Watchmen is, then maybe not so much.

The giant entertainment website Digital Spy, which boasts more than 80 million monthly page impressions, is hiring a new reporter, and the successful candidate will be working on the 'Cult' area of the site and the forthcoming 'Comics' section.

So the first job requirement is that you have a good working knowledge of Doctor Who, Lost, 24, Heroes and Merlin. Not something your average news editor will test you on...

You also need to know about English-language comics and graphic novels, be able to write well, fast and accurately, and use the in-house article management system.

You'll be working 9-5 out of Digital Spy's Marble Arch offices in central London, with some evening and weekend events to cover.

To apply, send (deep breath) a covering letter, CV, one cult TV show article and one comics-related news story both in Digital Spy style, plus a 200 word summary of which particular shows interest you and why, to the editor Neil Wilkes at jobappcult0309@digitalspy.co.uk.

And breathe... Deadline Tuesday 31 March.

Trainee Reporter - Brighton Argus

There's been a sharp fall in the number of trainee vacancies lately suitable for graduates fresh from journalism school - which makes ones like this all the more valuable.

The Brighton Argus is recruiting a trainee reporter - nothing particularly flashy, but a welcome opportunity to learn the trade on a decent regional paper.

Perhaps a sign of the times, their requirements seem more stringent than similar regional ads in the past. Where once it might have been enough to have an NCTJ Pre-Entry Certificate in Newspaper Journalism, they're now asking for 'all the NCTJ qualifications', 100 wpm shorthand and 'the ability to pull in front page splashes from your first day'.

Email your CV and covering letter to News Editor Lee Gibbs at lee.gibbs@theargus.co.uk. Deadline Tuesday 10 March.

Every second counts

It's been shown everywhere by now, but this video of Peter Mandelson getting gunked doesn't get old.



There's so much to get out of it. The shocking lack of security. The fact that he opens his own car door. The unpixellated registration of his ministerial car. The terribly British response. 'Keep away!'

And best of all, the news crew hovering in the background, just behind Mandelson's car. Watch the reporter on the left as the incident happens. His camera may not have been rolling, but he knows what he's just seen. With 24 hour rolling news, every second counts.

And nine - count 'em, nine - seconds after the gunk was first thrown, he's talking to the newsdesk. What a pro.

Police, camera, action

FleetStreetBlues doesn't normally go in for all the we're-living-in-a-police-state nonsense - but the Guardian's story just out on police filming and keeping secret files on law-abiding journalists is geniunely shocking.

Not that it should make any difference, but they aren't just keeping tabs on marginal 'journalists' who are really part of the protests they're there to 'cover'. Those reportedly targeted include an ITV News crew and Sky News cameraman.

Quite apart from the civil liberties implications - and really, they are shocking - shouldn't the police have something better to be doing with their time. Like, say, guarding Cabinet Ministers?

The strange case of the surveillance media

FleetStreetBlues has always had a bit of a thing about David Aaronovitch.

Well, not a thing as such. That would be wrong. But we've admired his work - especially since once reading all the articles he'd ever written in a single afternoon on Lexis Nexis, waiting to be given something to do while on work experience.

So his latest column this week is very much worth a read. Nominally a quixotic investigation into the truth behind surveillance statistics, it's actually a step-by-step study in how the media, working in a frenetic rivalry 24 hours a day, is slowly eating itself.

How did a completely made-up statistic - that 'the average Brit is caught on security cameras some 300 times a day' - come to be an accepted truth everywhere from the Daily Mail to the BBC?

Aaronovitch investigates in detail the academics behind the claim. What he ought to do next is, Nick Davies-style, is investigate the journalists who peddled it.

Business Reporter - The Newcastle Journal

NCJ Media - the Newcastle-based published of The Journal, Evening Chronicle and Sunday Sun - is looking for 'an experienced business journalist'.

Well, that's what the ad says, at least, but on closer inspection, experience in business seems less important than training in all things multimeeja. It states:

The ideal candidate will be a trained multimedia journalist who has worked on a daily regional newspaper business desk or a general news reporter who is keen to specialise in the field of business. An interest in personal finance would be an advantage.

You also need a driving licence.

Apply in writing to Andrew Hebden, Head of Business and Business Development, at andrew.hebden@ncjmedia.co.uk. Deadline tomorrow Friday 6 March.

News Editor - New Scientist

Top news editor vacancy alert. The New Scientist is hiring...

It won't be for everyone. For most would-be candidates, I suspect, the biggest hurdle is that you shouldn't even think of applying unless you have a good science or techonology degree. That and all the usual news editor skills, of course.

But the best indication of the credibility of this job is simply the sheer size of the readership. According to the ad, there are more than 700,000 print readers every week, and more than 3 million unique website users a month. In other words, this is basically a job on a national - albeit a national for science geeks.

The New Scientist is an RBI publication, so you'd be based in Sutton, a 20 minute train ride south of London, and the perks etc are good - full details here.

Apply via the website or email a CV and covering letter to jobs@rbi.jobs (no need to check that email address, I did already and it's right). Deadline Saturday 4 April.

The death of journalism

Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

If we think it's bad in Britain, journalists in America have it so much worse right now.

Legendary publications such as the Chicago Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle are on their last legs, while regional dailies in other major cities - Philadelphia, Tuscon, Minneapolis - also face the axe.

You can read all about the state of the industry - and some of the reasons behind it - in this BBC feature.

But perhaps more informative is to look at one such closure. One of Denver's two big papers, the Rocky Mountain News, closed last week just 55 days short of its 150th birthday.

Its editors wrote:

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to you today. Our time chronicling the life of Denver and Colorado, the nation and the world, is over. Thousands of men and women have worked at this newspaper since William Byers produced its first edition on the banks of Cherry Creek on April 23, 1859. We speak, we believe, for all of them, when we say that it has been an honor to serve you. To have reached this day, the final edition of the Rocky Mountain News, just 55 days shy of its 150th birthday is painful. We will scatter. And all that will be left are the stories we have told, captured on microfilm or in digital archives, devices unimaginable in those first days. But what was present in the paper then and has remained to this day is a belief in this community and the people who make it what it has become and what it will be. We part in sorrow because we know so much lies ahead that will be worth telling, and we will not be there to do so. We have celebrated life in Colorado, praising its ways, but we have warned, too, against steps we thought were mistaken. We have always been a part of this special place, striving to reflect it accurately and with compassion. We hope Coloradans will remember this newspaper fondly from generation to generation, a reminder of Denver’s history – the ambitions, foibles and virtues of its settlers and those who followed. We are confident that you will build on their dreams and find new ways to tell your story. Farewell – and thank you for so many memorable years together.

The FSB makeover

So reaction to the makeover so far has been decidedly mixed - some loving it, more hating it, most thinking it's OK but needs a bit of tweaking. Readers, you overestimate FSB's web-editing skills.

Still, we can have another crack at it. But in the hope of a late surge saying actually, they love it just as it is, a last reminder to let us know what you think in the poll at the top right of the page.

Oh, and if you want it tweaking, some comments on how it should be tweaked would make the job a whole lot easier...

Trainee Sub-Editors - Daily Mail

If you want to be a sub, and you're job-hunting in this climate, then this should be like manna from heaven.

The Daily Mail run a one-year subbing traineeship scheme, which will see you placed with PA, on a series of big regional papers and with the Mail itself. You get paid a competitive salary. And the ad even promises to set you on the road to 'challenging long-term career opportunities'.

It's a bold promise in today's post-sub world, but if anyone can deliver on it, it's probably the Mail.

It's open to graduates, post-graduates and trainee journalists already working on regional papers. Apply with a CV and examples of your work to:

Michael Watson

Daily Mail Course

The Press Association

292 Vauxhaul Bridge Road

London SW1V 1AE

Deadline this Sunday 8 March.

Deputy Online Editor - Which?

Which? magazine, a household name if ever there was one, is recruiting a Deputy Online Editor to help run its website.

There's a lot of web editing involved, certainly - you'll be doing search engine optimisation and 'ising web analytics to identify high traffic'. But there's also a fair bit of journalism. You'll be commissioning reports and producing online content, for news stories, how-to guides, podcasts, videos, RSS feeds and emails. FleetStreetBlues feels exhausted just writing out that list.

The one obvious downside is that it's a six-month contract, and there's no talk of 'possible extensions' that you might hope to see for this kind of position. But it's good pay - £35k pro rata - and if you have a particular interest in green issues, which you'll apparently be focusing on, this could be just the ticket.

Apply online via the Which? website. Deadline Thursday 5 March.

Internships at the Guardian: posh people only please

Following the Comment is Free rant about the social ills of unpaid work experience yesterday, a FleetStreetBlues correspondent suggested we check out if the Guardian practices what it preaches.

One Google-search later and we come across the following link - an appeal for student journalists and new graduates to do one- and two-week internships on the Guardian's website.

It's not quite clear when it was posted, but from the date stamp, it looks like it was just last year, and the ad asks more what interns can do for the Guardian (apply with two suggestions for the website and three feature ideas), than what the Guardian can do for interns (there's no mention even of lunch or travel expenses).

And what about living expenses? After all, didn't the Comment is Free article warn that 'the cost of living in London is notoriously high' and that 'this state of affairs means that internships are de facto open only to the wealthy'?

Well, the internship ad is clearly aware of this point, and in fact addresses it directly:

'You will need to find your own accommodation in the London area.'

Poor kids need not apply.

Reporter - News Team International

News and photo agency News Team International is looking for a reporter to join its newsdesk in Birmingham.

You need a full clean driving licence, and ideally an NCTJ Pre-Entry Certificate in Newspaper Journalism plus 80wpm shorthand. Salary is dependant on experience, and you'll be doing all the things reporters working for regional news agencies do - chasing down stories for the nationals and copy to accompany photos mainly...

If you're interested, email a CV to news.desk@newsteam.co.uk. Deadline this Thursday 5 March.

The darker side of work experience

Journalism's a fickle industry. Editors and veteran reporters are all too quick to trumpet the value of work experience. 'It was good enough for me in my day,' they say. 'Made me the journalist I am today.' And nowadays, making the tea at the Independent on Sunday or doing vox pops for the Enfield Advertiser isn't an extra line in the CV - it's a necessary rite of passage, without which you're never going to score a proper job.

(It's also fair to say that some publications now rely to some extent on unpaid work experience - it helps keep many overworked news teams afloat.)

But there is a downside - one which anyone who's currently seeking that elusive first job will be all too aware of. Today's Comment is Free article about unpaid internships pricing less well-off graduates out of careers in politics, law, and yes, journalism, says very little that's new - but much which bears repeating.

Paul Sagar writes:

The vast majority of internships are offered in London, with interns receiving expenses for lunch and travel at best. Yet the cost of living in London is notoriously high, and the cost of renting accommodation the highest in the country.

This state of affairs means that internships are de facto open only to the wealthy. Only those with family in London that they can stay with for free, and who are economically supported during months of unpaid work, can enter the present system. Given that most top-end middle class professions now demand periods of unpaid interning, it doesn't take a genius to see this is a recipe for social immobility.

Editors and publishers may wax lyrical about the formative experience gained through being a workie. But they know, in their heart of hearts, that the 'recipe for social immobility' bit is true too.

Journalism is a fickle industry.

FSB gets a makeover

Yes, it's very much a work in progress... and betrays FleetStreetBlues' pedestrian web-editing skills. But let us know what you think, courtesy of the swanky new poll at the top right...