Tales from a redundant journo: Day 7

Late last week, I went to register in person with a media recruitment agency that put me forward for a job and says the employer is keen to interview me next week. Not a dream job, and will be really tough too, but it’s a journalism job that could take me onto the newswires, so I can’t knock it. And it’s not like the offers are flooding in at present.

Then, home again, I fired off three job applications. One journalism, one half-journalism and one completely-not-journalism.

And guess which replied first? Of course it’s the completely-not-journalism one, and I’ve got an interview for it. To top it off it pays dreadfully, but I guess I’ve reached that stage where I have to just admit it – I urgently need some income, any income now, rather than nothing. Moreover, while I’m stupidly over-qualified for it, I’m also over-qualified for an Asda job, which is an alternative I may have yet to consider, and this other job is at least better than that. I hope.

Otherwise, it was completely unheard of for me to get a response so quickly. It was literally a matter of hours.

Actually that may help you job hunters out there. I asked the recruitment agency what the market is like at the moment, other than just being very quiet. Apparently employers are taking far longer to make decisions now, safe in the knowledge that they’ll get hundreds of applicants so they just sit and wait for a good one to come along. I had figured as much. They also told me that they’re advising everyone to just take the first job offer they get, being so few and far between these days.

I certainly am already in that mindset – so if any of you are sitting on a job offer, just take it - and count your lucky stars.

The Chap turns to charity

Oh no. No sooner has one magazine appealed to the generosity of its readers in a last-ditch bid to stay afloat, than they're all at it.

The Chap magazine has launched a 'Save the Chap' campaign, to stop its June issue being its last (oh, and preserve the nation's eccentricity, sartorial integrity and the institution of afternoon tea while they're at it).

We wish The Chap the very best, of course, even if it's not really our kind of thing. But as a profession, we need to figure out a solution better than this...

Tales from a redundant journo: Day 6

People are currently digging up the road directly outside my front door. The drilling is doing my head in and the only thing that rivals it is a 20-page job application I filled in recently.

Yes that’s right, 20 pages – PLUS covering letter! And to top it off, it’s not even for a journalism job.

I nearly lost the will to live whilst doing it – these sample questions will explain why.

Despite spelling out all my duties in all my past employment, there were 12 questions to answer, and you had to give three examples of when you’d demonstrated each of the 12 requirements.

Try finding three un-inane examples to illustrate these:

1. You must be educated to degree level.

2. You have a good level of spoken and written English.

You may also have lost the will to live just reading that. But the job was well-paid and easy – what more could you ask for in an interim job?

I also have to admit that what these application forms do give you a chance to do is to be…well, creative is one word. Someone else might use something ruder. And what I’ve discovered is quite a few of the more old-fashioned application forms have very similar questions, which means a lot of simple copying and pasting.

So, I admit, grudgingly mind you, that it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

The Sun: Recycling 'news' from 2007

Not our usual subject matter, but there's something that particularly irks us about celebrity/entertainment journalists who think they can just get away with printing any old pap. They're a disgrace to the profession.

And so to the The Sun's Stuart Pink, who on Thursday wrote a 'story' about Christina Aguilera's performance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The story is written carefully. It never actually says when the performance took place - only that Christina has 'taken a bit of a step back from the industry since giving birth to her first baby Max in January last year.'

What the story doesn't say is that Christina Aguilera didn't perform on the Tonight Show this week. Or hell, even this year. The story and the pictures actually predate the birth of her baby - they're from a performance on 1 February 2007.

Does it matter? Probably not. To most readers, a sexily dressed pop star is a sexily dressed pop star, and that's that. But it matters to us. It's not celebrity journalism. It's not even celebrity PR. It's just embarrassing.

Why Americans could learn a lot from Fleet Street

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs got a little personal yesterday, responding to a question about a Daily Telegraph report claiming that the new suppressed set of Abu Ghraib photos 'show rape'.

The full clip's above, but after denying the reports, he said:

'I want to speak generally about some reports I’ve witnessed over the past few years in the British media. In some ways, I’m surprised it filtered down.'

‘Let’s just say if I wanted to look up, if I wanted to read a write-up of how Manchester United fared last night in the Champions League Cup, I might open up a British newspaper. If I was looking for something that bordered on truthful news, I’m not entirely sure it’d be the first pack of clips I’d pick up.'

FleetStreetBlues loves America, and still pines for the days when it worked as a journalist Stateside. So we know of what we speak - and think we're quite entitled to tell you to politely go screw yourself.

There are lots of problems with British journalism. We often get it wrong. But we don't need some foreign PR to tell us about it. Fleet Street may occasionally overstep the mark - but the problem with American media is they never get anywhere near it. Why isn't the New York Times or the Washington Post interviewing Major General Antonio Taguba, the Telegraph's source and the former army officer who conducted originally conducted an inquiry into Abu Ghraib?

The truth is, with the odd honourable exception, American investigative journalism is still dining off Watergate thirty years on. State of Play was a great film, but it was fiction. British fiction.

Tales from a redundant journo: Day 5

I've been learning new things about myself.

My visit to the recruitment agency opened my eyes in more ways than one.

Other than my nimble keyboard fingers, I also discovered that I sound like a fat layabout on the phone.

The recruitment consultant didn’t say so in so many words, but my other half has, cruelly, confirmed it.

Before we met, I’d spoken to the consultant over the phone a number of times over the previous week, and when we finally met in person, she revealed that I wasn’t what she imagined I’d look like, going by my voice.

'What did you think I looked like?' I asked, slightly perplexed.

'Well, slightly taller and larger,' she began, trying to look diplomatic, and my jaw dropped. It was a first for me, being neither tall nor fat.

She said it might have something to do with my laidback voice, and suggested I try smiling when on the phone to potential recruiters.

Just a few months ago, feedback I received from one of the interviews I went for also described me as a ‘cool customer’. I wasn’t really sure what this meant, but I wonder if the two are related.

So, despite being a naturally dry, cynical and rather lugubrious character, I’ve been trying to smile and act happy while on the phone to people. I’ll have to let you know how I get on with that one.

Sub Editor - Scarborough Evening News

The Scarborough Evening News - either on a bit of a hiring spree at the moment or else filling all its vacancies internally - is recruiting again, looking for a sub-editor.

They want an experienced sub, but also one aware of 'the importance of digital developments in a multimedia news operation'. Willing to sub web stories, then.

Send your application and CV to the editor, Ed Asquith, at ed.asquith@yrnltd.co.uk. Deadline next Friday 5 June.

Paying for it

We'd had our doubts, and as predicted, a resounding 81% of readers in our highly unscientific poll have no intention of paying for FleetStreetBlues.

The verdict is clear - although to be honest, we're more surprised by the 18% who said they might. Pay for a blog? Are you crazy?

Quote of the Day: 29 May 2009

We don't really know what it's all about, and it might be more newsagency than journalism. Maybe they just do things differently Down Under. But you can't deny that the new Mag Nation blog, about two self-styled 'magazineologists' struggling to make a living from print magazines, has a certain turn of phrase:

'We are faced with massive hurdles. The odds predict we won’t be around in even 2 years time. Last month we had five days of cash left in our accounts until new capital came into the company. I was frequently changing my underwear.'

Reporters (x2) - Eastbourne Herald

The eastern region of Sussex Newspapers, part of Johnston Press which includes the Eastbourne Herald and Gazette series and the Hastings Observer, is recruiting two reporters.

The first vacancy is for a senior reporter based in Eastbourne, and you'll need an NCTJ or equivalent. The second is an entry-level position for a trainee reporter in Hastings. There's not much to the ad otherwise - you'll need to be willing to write for the papers' rather-cluttered website as well as print, but that goes without saying really.

Email editor-in-chief Keith Ridley at keith.ridley@sussexnewspapers.co.uk. Deadline Friday 12 June.

Tales from a redundant journo: Day 4

Don't forget the contacts... and hopefully they won’t forget you.

As soon as I knew I was jobless, I started to let friends, family and acquaintances know of my new situation - and my availability to do anything.

But I didn’t stop there. I’ve always been good at keeping in touch with people, usually a couple of people at least from every place I’ve worked/done work experience, and even if there aren’t any job offers immediately available, the moral support I’ve received has been great. Believe me, you need it to keep you going through the job applications.

However, what I also recommend is going through your work contacts book. While I never met with anyone in my contacts book on a social level, there were some people I could think of immediately with whom I had good working relationships and who I knew would not only be sympathetic to my situation, but were also well-connected.

Again, they won’t necessarily hand me jobs on a plate, but the important thing is they will have dealt with me on a professional level and know of my work enough be able to recommend me where possible.

I can’t divulge too much about how this is going yet – but what I can say is that there’s been enough activity on this front to make it worthwhile, and I highly recommend it. After all, in the incestuous world of journalism, you never know when you might cross paths with your contacts again.

Journalists turn to the begging bowl

An email arrives from blogger/journalist Simon Owens, alerting us to a piece he's written on American music magazine Paste. (Dave Lee apparently received a very similar email...)

You won't have heard of Simon Owens, and you won't have heard of Paste magazine, but the story's an interesting one, and here's why.

Earlier this month, Paste was in dire straits - recession biting, falling revenues, the usual story. But rather than lay off staff or fold, it hit on a novel solution - appealing to the generosity of its readers.

In a heartfelt plea launching the 'Campaign to Save Paste', the magazine threw itself on the mercy of its 200,000 subscribers:

We appreciate all of your support so far—everyone who’s subscribed, given a gift, or even read a story online or opened a newsletter. It’s all enabled us to make it this far. Now, we humbly ask you to consider giving a little more.

It doesn’t take much. Every little bit helps and you can be a part of continuing our efforts to help you find signs of life in music, film and culture. If $1 (yes, one dollar) came in from everyone on our e-mail lists (or $10 from 10% or $100 from 1%), we’ll reach our goal and emerge from this recession as a stronger magazine and website.

It's an astonishingly bold approach, and one which has apparently paid dividends - they've raised more than $175,000 so far, well on the way to their $300,000 target.

It's humiliating, of course, for popular, once-profitable magazines to have to quite literally beg for their life. And it's certainly not a sustainable business model for the future of journalism.

But for a one-off cash injection to keep a much-loved publication afloat, to help it weather the recession and somehow figure out a long-term solution - well, charity might just be the answer.

Trainee Reporter - Leigh Reporter

A rare trainee reporter vacancy on a smaller regional free paper, the Leigh Reporter.

You'll need an NCTJ pre-entry qualification, plus knowledge of online journalism, including how to use a video camera. And local knowledge is preferred.

In return, they're offering full NCE training, and as well as writing for the Leigh Reporter you'll have the chance to work on bigger local titles in the same newspaper group, the Wigan Evening Post and Wigan Observer.

Email CV and covering letter to group editor and director Gillian Gray at gillian.gray@lancspublications.co.uk. Deadline soon, next Tuesday 2 June.

Sub-Editors - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

The Northampton Chronicle & Echo is hiring subs - one full-time sub editor and a part-timer working three days a week.

For both roles, you'll need to be good on Quark Xpress, creative with good design skills, and willing to work some weekends and nights. You'll also be working on a number of different titles and some magazines and supplements.

Send CV and covering letter to Lucy Bell, PA to the editor, at lucy.bell@northantsnews.co.uk.

Council-run paper apologises over Evening Standard jibe

A sharp spot from Journalism.co.uk a couple of days ago - Your Croydon, Croydon Council's free community paper, got a little personal on Twitter about an Evening Standard journalist at a press event with Esther Rantzen.

The Journalism.co.uk article clearly prompted a few eyebrows to be raised. The comment (we really can't bring ourselves to start using the word 'Tweet') in question was deleted, and now an apology of sorts has been posted instead.

So, let's get this straight. We poor taxpayers weren't paying for a council employee to send offensive electronic messages about journalists to the public. We were paying for a council employee to send offensive electronic messages about journalists in private. That's OK then.

Tales from a redundant journo: Day 3

There's an emotional curve to redundancy.

After I got over the initial shock of being made redundant, the next emotion was anger at the unfairness of the situation, quite closely followed by depression.

I was just a few days into the depression stage, however, when a little spark of hope landed my way - in the form of a freelance commission. On a subject I knew nothing about, but journalism work nonetheless.

Although I’d been unemployed for about just a week by this stage, it’s hard to describe quite how happy I was to be calling people up to interview them for the article.

Mundane as this may seem once you’ve got a journalism job, it also seemed the most natural thing for me to do (after all, it’s what I’ve been doing on a daily basis for the past two years) and it made one thing really clear to me – I’ll never be able to give up journalism for ever. Or at least it will be hard to give up without a fight.

Senior Reporter - Scarborough Evening News

The Scarborough Evening News is recruiting a senior reporter.

Other than being a qualified senior, there are no specified requirements in the ad - they simply want someone who is 'keen and well organised'. So it's a chance to dust off the more original parts of your CV and really sell yourself.

Send your application, with CV, to the editor, Ed Asquith, at ed.asquith@yrnltd.co.uk. Deadline Monday 29 June.

Trying out t'nuke

An absolute classic clanger here from Radio Five Live, spotted by broadcast journalist Adam Westbrook.

Web Editor - Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal's website WSJ.com is looking for a web editor to oversee a new part of its website which 'will explain and contextualise the day's economic, business and markets news for our influential audience.'

If that sounds weighty, then that's because it is - they make no bones about it being 'a senior appointment for an experienced journalist.' You'll need to already have a successful track record covering the Wall Street Journal's key areas, and be able to 'tap expertise across the Dow Jones'.

You'll also, unsurprisingly, need to be extremely switched on when it comes to digital journalism. Specifically, they expect that you will already be demonstrating your 'knowledge and understanding' on a 'web blog', and want you to include details of said 'web blog' in your application.

To apply, send a CV, covering letter and details of your blog to emearecruitment@dowjones.com. Deadline Saturday 20 June.

Tales from a redundant journo: Day 2

So last week, I wowed the world with my WPM.

'Are you sure that’s your typing speed?'

'Er, I think so…I did those online typing speed tests.'

'But are you sure? Most people are 70 words per minute, but 90 words per minute would be super-duper fast [yes, her exact phrase] - legal secretary fast.'

'Er…'

'Come in and we’ll register you and while we’re at it, we’ll test your typing speed.'

So that’s how I ended up at general recruitment agency number one. And OK, I didn’t wow ‘the world’, but I managed to surprise myself and the agency by proving that I have a touch-typing wpm of 95.

In yo face, recruitment agency.

Reporter - Maktoob Business

There have been a spate of features recently in various nationals about how the Dubai bubble has burst - but if you're looking to move overseas and up for an adventure, there are still plenty of journalism jobs out there.

Maktoob Business is a business-focussed wire service based in Dubai and covering the wider Middle East, and it's looking for a new reporter.

They want someone who already has experience working for a major newswire, and knowledge of the Middle East is an advantage, but not essential. Salary, you're promised, will be 'attractive and tax free.'

Full details on Gorkana (not directly linkable). Email your CV to David Westley, director of Maktoob Business, at david.westley@maktoobgroup.com.

More twittered at than tweeting

We predicted that resistance was futile, and so it came to pass - FleetStreetBlues has joined Twitter.

There is, however, a catch - we don't intend to actually use it to send messages, not yet, anyway. For the time being, we're simply using it to listen in, follow journalists as they use it and look out for story ideas.

Follow us if you like, but there's really not much point, as we spend enough time throughout the working day on transmit as it is. Instead, if you're a journalist or trainee journalist who twitters regularly, let us know where you are and we'll follow you instead. Leave your address in the comments, or alternatively email it to fleetstreetblues@hotmail.co.uk.

The digital revolution is coming to FleetStreetBlues. Very, very slowly.

Alistair Campbell: My topless bathing shock

FleetStreetBlues has long admired Alistair Campbell (not pictured), both as tabloid hack and granddaddy of spin. While it was no fun being on the wrong end of one of his lobby briefings (as Bill Blanko recalls this week), he can be a geniunely nice bloke.

But he is very much a bloke, used to the rough-and-tumble of the news agenda and the more cynical side of Fleet Street - so we were slightly surprised to hear a rather puritannical tone enter his blog after a recent visit to the Reuters UK website.

... what amazed me was the list of 'most popular stories' on Reuters UK.

1. Australian topless bathing ban urged.

2. Indian models dare to bare.

3. Bar Rafaeli designs perfect bikini.

4. Japan's latest bra push.

1, 3 and 4 are basically about women's breasts, 2 about women's bodies more generally.

On Reuters? I was shocked.

I shouldn't be. What a few years ago would have been seen as purely tabloid stories, or maybe an ITN News at Ten 'and finally' slot, are now regularly most viewed/read on tabloid, broadsheet and broadcast websites.

He's right of course - except that it was actually a list of most popular videos rather than most read stories. Which, though it shouldn't, makes all the difference.

Remember the lesson from a keynote speech after the Kosovo War, with the speaker one A. Campbell? 'No pictures, no news.'

Reporter - ReNews

ReNews, which bills itself as the 'leading UK renewable energy news publisher', is looking for a reporter. (ReNews has an interesting business model - subscription-only and online, but via a fortnightly electronic newsletter rather than pay wall website).

The job description otherwise looks fairly standard for this kind of trade job - working a specific beat, either in a specific technology or region, building contacts in the industry and in Government, and chasing exclusives. It looks if anything pitched towards junior rather than senior reporters - there are no specific requirements as far as qualifications or experience, and the salary bracket is £16k - £20k. You'll be based in Winchester.

To apply, send a CV, covering letter and clips to ReNews' publisher Dan Rigden at dan@renews.biz. Deadline Friday 12 June.

Tales from a redundant journo: Day 1

A couple of weeks ago, we told you how a regular contributor to FleetStreetBlues had become the latest casualty of the recession. After a few days to take stock, the job hunting is beginning in earnest - and she's going to share her experiences in a daily column for this blog.

I've been unemployed for ten days.

It’s Bank Holiday Monday and thankfully, the sun is not shining. This is because I don’t have the luxury of being employed and enjoying such benefits as bank holidays.

Technically every day of unemployment is a holiday, but the major downside is that my other half is breathing down my neck to get a new job so I have no choice but to get on with applying. My dreams of being a lady who lunches are yet to be fulfilled. During this recession at least.

Like everyone else, we’ve got our bills to pay, which means that in an industry where a suitable, good new job comes by once in a blue moon, I have had to cast my net further afield.

At first, the thought of going to the dark side, of PR, appalled me. My stomach churned at the thought of proactive PR in particular. But after nearly two weeks of job hunting, I must confess – those jobs are starting to look rather appealing. And it’s not just the pay.

It took me a couple of days to figure out what else I was qualified for, having wanted to be a journalist for most of my life and having work experience in little else, and to find out where to look for alternative jobs, having lived on Gorkana and Journalism.co.uk for the past three years. But it seems that if nothing else, I’d make a great office assistant.

Don’t mock too much – admin assistants get paid even better than journalists in a lot of cases, and if you’re looking for a stop-gap job to bring home the bacon while you keep an eye out for that lucrative journalism job, why not do something that requires little brain effort, therefore allowing you to save your energy for those applications for jobs you actually would want?

Intern - Elle

Elle magazine is looking for an intern for its fashion department.

To be honest, the job sounds like a total nightmare, but then we suspect we're not the target audience - check out this paragraph from the original ad (on Gorkana, not directly linkable) in all its divaesque, Devil-Wears-Prada glory.

Your responsibilities will include assisting the fashion team on research, calling in clothing samples, sample requests as well as dealing with clothing inventory and thousands of returns. You must be extremely efficient and well organised and must be able to think on your feet; ‘Call me in a selection of fascinators in berry colours, 50’s style underwear and 17 Balmain style jackets, we’re packing in 1 hour!’. You will be responsible for elements of shoot production, price and credit requests, doing carnets as well as trips to starbucks for the whole team when they are stressed and still in the office at 9.30pm. You will help to organise fashion week requests, which is an exciting but demanding responsibility.

If that doesn't put you off, then you'll need to be willing to work for a whole year (apparently unpaid?) and be ready to start in August. Oh, and you already need previous magazine experience, including 6 months at a fashion magazine, and 'a wide knowledge of designers and trends.'

Email a CV to fashionintern@hf-uk.com.

Journalism 1, Dark Side 0

Long-time readers may remember a short post in February about the curious case of North Lanarkshire Council, who in recruiting a new head of communications managed to spectacularly blunder its, erm, communications, and post the entire list of failed job applicants on its website.

Well, Journalism.co.uk has an update. Thomas Little, deputy editor on the Scotland on Sunday, had been offered the job - but turned it down. Now he has found a new job. He's the new editor of the Edinburgh Evening News.

It may or may not pay as well, but it's a senior job and he's still a journalist. All's well that ends well.

Football reporter - Leicester Mercury

The Leicester Mercury is looking for a football reporter. (Following the sad events at Villa Park this afternoon, FleetStreetBlues has decided football's a rubbish game anyway and can't understand why anyone would want to read about it ... but apparently some people do).

So, you're going to need experience. They want someone who has not only an in-depth knowledge of football but also has a 'proven track record' in reporting it. You need to be able to build and maintain excellent contacts and secure the paper a steady stream of exclusives.

The cherry on the cake? Local club Leicester City have just been crowned champions of Division One and will be in the Championship, fighting for promotion to the Premiership. They'll have to wait in line.

Apply with clips, CV and covering letter to deputy editor Richard Bettsworth at richardbettsworth@leicestermercury.co.uk. Deadline Monday 1 June.

Will Lewis: the man with an eye for a story

The Observer has an interesting profile this morning of Daily Telegraph editor Will Lewis, mastermind of the MPs' expenses scandal.

Bizarrely, though, they've headlined it - online at least - 'Will Lewis: the man with an expense account'. It's the most misleading of headlines.

The idea behind the piece was clearly to expose the Telegraph's own expense account procedures, dig up some dirt and show the apparent hypcrocisy of the paper who, at the end of the day, beat them to the story. If there is dirt, they didn't find it.

The importance of a second source

The Mail on Sunday has been forced to apologise and pay 'substantial damages' to Labour minister Tom Watson, after a column by Tory blogger Iain Dale falsely accused him of being copied in to the infamous emails from spin-doctor Damian McBride.

So far, so Westminster bubble. But in a lengthy apology on his blog, Iain Dale explains how he got it wrong. He writes:

I got it wrong. I was acting on information from a good source which I had no reason to believe was unreliable. But that's immaterial. I got it wrong.

Sorry, but that doesn't wash. Carl Eve (who, a little light Googling suggests, may have been a reporter on the Southend Echo), takes him to task in the comments.

I hardly need remind you Iain, this is why some news organisations insist on double sourcing questionable (and actionable) information before printing/broadcasting it.

Whilst many on the right (and some on the left for that matter) criticise organisations like the BBC for it's slow response, whilst praising Sky to the, well, sky, it does mean there's a bit more likelihood that the info is correct.

Take some advice from a reporter: if you think someone can sue over something you've written, get a second source. For the record, I'm not gloating. But I have pointed out to you before - and you've sniffily boasted - that you're not a journalist.

Perhaps being a proper journalist is not something to be sniffed at and you will, in future, do the old carpenter trick... measure twice, cut once.

Good point, well made.

Sub-Editor - Harpers Wine & Spirit

William Reed Business Media's Drinks Group is looking for an experienced sub-editor, to work not only on Harpers Wine & Spirit but also Off Licence News and other projects and supplements.

The full ad's on Gorkana (not directly linkable) but it doesn't really say much more than that. It's worth knowing though that William Reed Business Media are based in Crawley, West Sussex (and there is apparently a free shuttle service to the nearest train station if it helps with the commute planning).

Email a CV, covering letter and salary expectations to recruitment@william-reed.co.uk.

Deputy Chief Sub-Editor - Derby Telegraph

The Derby Telegraph is looking for a deputy chief sub.

You'll need team-leading experience and to be a 'great designer who can produce eye-catching pages at speed', and for good reason - in addition to working on the Derby Telegraph you'll have a key role in Northcliffe's regional production centre in Nottingham, helping with an eye-watering three daily and 29 free titles covering between them more than a million readers.

They are offering an excellent salary and pension scheme plus a tempting 33 days holiday a year.

Apply to head of production Peter Pheasant at peter.pheasant@eastmidseditorial.co.uk. Deadline Monday 15 June.

Senior Reporters - Oxford Mail

The Oxford Mail is looking to 'beef up its news team' by recruiting one or more experienced, ambitious reporters.

There's no specific talk of qualifications required, shorthand speeds or multimeeja dexterity. Instead, they want gumshoe reporters, journalists 'obsessed' with accuracy who will be able to make contacts at every level and dig up stories which can make a real difference to people's lives. Amen to that.

To apply, email the editor Simon O'Neill with your CV and also telling him how you would go about the job, in particular giving examples of some of your best exclusives. Email jackie.parker@nqo.com. Deadline Friday 5 June.

Reporter - London Media

London Media - new to us, but apparently an 'award-winning press agency' and 'stepping stone to the nationals' based in, you guessed it - is hiring a new staff reporter.

They ask for some regional paper or press agency experience, so it's not entry-level, but there's no specific requirement as far as qualifications or shorthand, and they state: 'Most importantly we want candidates with drive and ambition.'

Apply with CV to info@london-media.co.uk. Deadline Wednesday 3 June.

'Finally, it's Watergate'

OK so it's not really journalism as such, but it is Friday. Check out the Daily Show for an international perspective on MP' expenses and moats...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Scamalot
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

(Spotted over at Plenty2Say)

Poll: Would you pay for FleetStreetBlues?

By popular demand (sort of), we thought we'd put it to the vote. Look up at the top right and let us know what you think.

Two caveats. One, the result does not determine the future of online journalism. This is a blog, not journalism. And two, it's not a binding contract - we won't actually be hunting you down because you 'promised to pay'.

That said, we're curious. Would you pay a small sum, say £20 a year, to subscribe to FleetStreetBlues? Or would you just yawn and click 'Next Blog'?

Editor - European Voice

European Voice, which if you're not already aware is an English-language newspaper covering European affairs and owned by The Economist group, is looking for a new editor. (Ad on Gorkana, not directly linkable).

You will be based in Brussels, and need to come to the role with an existing and extensive network of EU contacts, along with a thorough understanding of the legislative process there. You'll need to have management experience, and be a senior journalist at EU level already. And you'll need fluent English, good French and/or Dutch as well as another language as well if possible.

The ad also, somewhat bizarrely for such a senior role, specifies that you must have a university degree in Journalism or Communication, although we can probably safely disregard that as the product of an HR person's overactive imagination.

Email your CV and covering letter to annemarchadier@economist.com.

The Sindy goes fishing

Sometimes, the best way to get a story is to take a targeted approach, hear a tip and then ruthlessly run it down until it's fit to print. And then sometimes, you can rustle something up simply by going fishing.

Iain Dale reports that Brian Brady, Whitehall Editor of the Independent on Sunday, has definitely opted for the latter approach this week. He's emailed the following to MPs (and are we wrong to speculate Iain's source might be Nadine Dorries MP?):

PRESS INQUIRY: MPS’ EXPENSES

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

The Independent on Sunday is preparing continued extensive coverage of the MPs' allowances and expenses issue, for publication this week. You will be aware that some details of expenses details claimed over the past four years have been revealed by the Daily Telegraph in recent weeks.

However, rather than rely on that newspaper for information on MPs' claims, we are compiling our own details of expenses and allowances claimed over the past four years. In the interests of balance, we would be grateful if you could provide full details of your claims during this period, or indicate where the information is already available – for example, in a local newspaper. Do you believe the expenditure detailed within them is reasonable, and that you represent good value for money for taxpayers? Are you satisfied that you can justify every item included in your claims? Please specify, in the light of current concerns, any items you now consider to be questionable.

If you have any queries about the above, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Brian Brady, Whitehall Editor, Independent on Sunday

It's the kind of email that's a high risk strategy. On the one hand, it only takes one MP to volunteer something vaguely new and you can whip up next Sunday's splash. On the other hand, most will ignore it and a few will no doubt be quite angry. It won't win any friends in Westminster, that's for sure.

It's the one MP, of course, that makes it worth it. But it's not really fishing. It's trawling.

Freelance reporter - Heritage-Key

Shorthand, media law, knowledge of financial markets, languages - these we see in jobs ads as minimum requirements all the time. But it's not every day you're told you need to have strong interest in archaeology and the ancient world.

So Heritage-Key.com, a new web community devoted to all things archaeological, is looking for a part-time freelance London correspondent. Your job will to be research, visit and report on everything from an archaelogical site or museum exhibition to new books and artefacts.

The ad specifies clearly what you'll be expected to produce each month - including 6 articles, 4 blogposts, a multimedia slideshow, a number of short summary pages and some social networking on the side. It's about 7 to 10 days' work a month, they reckon, for which they're offering a quite tight £350 - £650.

You'll need photography skills, web skills, writing skills - and of course know your Angles from your Saxons.

Send a cover letter and CV to content manager Rebecca Thompson at rebecca@heritage-key.com.

Reporter - Peterborough Evening Telegraph

The one thing the journalism jobs market needs more than anything at the moment is jobs like these - decent reporter positions at regional dailies, a chance for trainee hacks to cut their teeth and learn the trade, while the previous incumbent moves onwards and upwards. They've been in short supply.

So, the Peterborough Evening Telegraph is looking for a reporter. You'll need to be NCTJ or NCE-qualified with some experience of working in a newsroom, though they don't specify how much. Other than that, all they ask for is 'bags of ideas' and a willingness to 'embrace the challenges of operating in a multimedia news operation'.

Send a CV and covering letter to the editor, Mark Edwards, at mark_edwards@peterboroughtoday.co.uk. Deadline Friday 29 May.

Retirement planning

A reader writes (in response to our plea that someone please figure out a way of making online journalism pay):

I know how to make it pay - charge for it :D I like this blog, I would gladly pay £20 a year to subscribe to your words of wisdom.

We're flattered, of course. And visions of pound signs are also dancing in our heads. But somehow, we think our new favourite reader is probably in the minority.

Making micropayments work

Among people who know about this sort of thing, micropayments are being touted as the Next Big Thing in the never-ending quest to make journalism profitable.

Frankly, it all goes a bit above our head - we just want someone to figure out how to earn money so we can keep on doing what we do best. But the excellent Dave Lee - back blogging furiously after a far too long hiatus - has tackled the subject in detail, with a list of 20 practical ways to make micropayments work.

The Oyster-style capping in particular is a really good idea, and there are other useful suggestions, but some of the others got a bit, well, complicated, with different payment plans and options customised for different demographics.

Choice is fine. But paying for a newspaper shouldn't be rocket-science. If it is, no one will.

Poll results: charging for online content

They're still going at it hammer and tongs in the comments (our favourite quote being 'you can't blog on thin air, can you?') but the votes are in and... it was a dead heat.



A fair result, of course, reflecting the geniune division down the middle of journalism at the moment. But division isn't going to save any jobs.

Will somebody please figure out a way to make online journalism pay?

Staff Writer - Pageant Media

Here at FleetStreetBlues, we try to be quite discriminating when posting jobs. No PR gigs, no communications officer-ing, no newsletter writing. This one though, we decided to let through - basically on the grounds that it is journalism, sort of, it might lead to something else and there isn't a whole lot else out there at the moment.

So... Pageant Media - independent publisher of magazines such as Captive and ART Review, Hedge Fund Manager Week and eGaming Review - are looking for a staff writer. But it comes with a major health warning - you'll be working mainly on 'sponsored editorial'.

There's an exhaustive job description over at Journalism.co.uk, but basically it boils down to this - you'll be doing writing and editorial assistant-type work mainly on financial publications. Chasing copy approval will feature prominently in your working day, and the ad cheerily advises: 'Marketing contacts at major banks can be particularly demanding when it comes to approving advertorial copy!'

If you can stomach that, then you'll need good grammar and writing skills, excellent time management and a postgraduate certificate in journalism. Though God only knows why.

Apply to reports editor Tony Griffiths, at t.griffiths@pageantmedia.com. Deadline this Friday 22 May.

Twitter ye not

The Wall Street Journal's rules of conduct on how journalists should use social networking media such as Twitter and Facebook has caused a bit of a kerfuffle on both sides of the Atlantic.

As Press Gazette reports, the rules instruct journalists to separate the personal from the professional, and warns:

'Don’t discuss articles that haven’t been published, meetings you’ve attended or plan to attend with staff or sources, or interviews that you’ve conducted'.

No word yet on which if any British newspapers will be adopting the same policy. But FleetStreetBlues was slightly amused last night to read the latest Twitter update from Guardian digital guru Emily Bell.

Way to break three rules in one, Emily. Clearly the Guardian won't be following suit...

Reporter - Grimsby Telegraph

The Grimsby Telegraph, a Northcliffe Media Group paper, is looking for a newly qualified senior reporter.

In addition to normal reporting duties, you'll be expected to train as a video journalist, if you haven't already, and there is the promise of newsdesk experience within your first six months, to cover maternity leave.

Apply to the editor Michelle Lalor, at michelle.lalor@gsmg.co.uk. Deadline Thursday 28 May.

Who's the daddy? Not Alfie Patten

It was a topic of national debate for days and one of the iconic front pages of the year... but it was all made up.

The Sun - all pie-eyed innocence this evening - reports:

THE schoolboy alleged to have become a dad aged just 13 is NOT the baby's father, The Sun can reveal.

'Alleged' to have become a dad? Sounds like there was some uncertainty about it, when the 13-year old whose voice hadn't yet broken first claimed to be a father. Funny how the 'alleged' never made it into the original story.

Reporter - Metal Bulletin

Tony Blair used one of his final speeches as Prime Minister to launch an attack on the feral media (of which FleetStreetBlues proudly considers itself a part)... but here's a chance to become part of the ferrous media.

Metal Bulletin is a publication covering the global ferrous and non-ferrous metals industries, and they're hiring a reporter. Gorkana has the details, but the job requirements are fairly exacting, so it's really not worth looking at unless you meet the following criteria.

Firstly you need Russian language skills - and no, compare the meerkat impressions don't count, they need to be excellent Russian language skills.

Secondly, you need two years' experience reporting on a business or finance-related industry. And they also say that 'experience of reporting on a merchant-trade market and compiling prices suitably robust to serve as indices' is preferable.

Still fit the bill? Then email your CV to pprice@metalbulletin.com.

The story behind the story of the year

The big MediaGuardian splash this morning looks, as you might expect, at the story of the year so far, the MP-expenses-gate, and how it came to be.

They don't have an answer, of course - if they did, it would be leading every news bulletin in the country by now. But there are some interesting nuggets:

- the 2 million files spirited out of Westminster on a portable hard drive were hawked round other papers including The Times and the Sun first

- they were never offered to the Mail or the Mail on Sunday

- the source was apparently also the source for the Sunday Express' Jacqui-Smith-porn-gate scoop

- the intermediary for the source has been named by various other papers as John Wick, a former major with the SAS and director of private security firm International Security Solutions Ltd

- best of all, when it came to approaching the Telegraph, the seller took the most direct approach, simply calling the newsdesk

FleetStreetBlues would like to add one clue of its own - the source needed the money, reportedly £150,000.

It's an important clue, because it's not as obvious as you might think. In leaking the Damian McBride emails, blogger Guido Fawkes was forced to turn down any payment because he was advised that having profited directly from the story would obviate any public interest defence if the leak ever made it to court.

That's not the case here. Maybe the source was confident that the material was so strong that there was never any doubt of its public interest. Maybe they were desperate, and had bills to pay.

Or maybe, like in the movies, they just wanted to cut and run. They're sitting somewhere far, far away on a beach, drink in hand, admiring the sunset. Good luck to them.

Quote of the Day: 17 May 2009

Investigative journalist par excellence Heather Brooke, on why the MPs expenses scandal ultimately emerged via an illegal leak rather than under the Freedom of Information Act:

'... we painstakingly trawled through the public records. This is the kind of journalism I like doing. But it's almost impossible in this country. There is so little public information made public.'

Should journalists be charging for online content?

Normally, when we run a poll, it's a foregone conclusion one way or the other, but this really seems to have divided opinion (and generated some controversy in the comments as well).

The poll's at the top right - 12 hours left to vote...

Work Experience - Utopia Kitchen & Bathroom

Everyone should have a bit of comedy in their CV - something you can look back on fondly.

FleetStreetBlues, for example, may in the distant past have worked in a Bacardi bottling plant and written a series of articles on dog grooming. It shouldn't be a long-term career option, mind, but it's nice to have something you can bond with the interviewer over.

And so, with the greatest respect, to this opportunity at Pro Publishing Ltd. They're offering work experience placements out in Colchester, doing the usual kind of thing - editorial assistant work, research and admin. It wouldn't stand out and wouldn't be worth the trek to Colchester but for one thing - you'll be working on the brilliantly-named Utopia Kitchen & Bathroom magazine.

So, for that priceless line in your CV alone, it's worth giving it a shot. You'll need your own transport, due to the location of the office, and they're offering two-week placements. Email mario@propub.co.uk.

Deputy Editor - ES Magazine

The newly-relaunched Evening Standard's ES Magazine is looking for a deputy editor.

The ad over at Gorkana keeps it brief - this is a relatively senior role, with the implication being if you're a potential likely candidate, you'll already know you fit the bill. But for what it's worth, they're after someone with a 'strong news sense', 'plenty of editing experience' and 'great contacts with subjects and freelancers'.

Apply with CV, covering letter and 'three ideas that would be right for the new ES' to karen.deeks@standard.co.uk.

Oh, and just as a footnote - if you clicked through the link above you'll notice that, relaunch or no relaunch, ES Magazine has possibly the world's most annoying and difficult-to-use website. E-paper? WTF?

+ + + 1,880 journalists on the dole + + +

No, we didn't make that figure up, it's actually true. The Press Gazette reports the number of journalists claiming Jobseeker's Allowance has risen by 144 percent in the past year.

Of course, it's against a background of global recession, and yes, there is a question about how exactly an unemployed person is classified as a 'journalist'.

But the real question is this: next time you apply to a random job off Gorkana, exactly how many of those 1,880 job-seeking journalists are you going to be up against?

How investigative journalism could save the Standard

So on Monday, FleetStreetBlues picked up a copy of the relaunched Evening Standard on the way home. It was free, part of a promotional giveaway on the first day of the relaunch.

It was impressive. Not being a regular reader, it was hard to tell exactly what had changed (the Media Guardian has a point-by-point analysis). But compared to the usual evening commute glance at thelondonpaper or the London Lite, it was a breath of fresh air. Strong, new, news. In-depth comment and features. Sport which you actually wanted to read. It was great.

So what happened on day two? I walked right past the Evening Standard with an armful of free papers. Sorry, but 50p? For a distraction on the tube, when I've been reading news websites all day and have the internet at home? Blame it on the credit crunch...

In reality, despite the high-profile 'Sorry' ad campaign, the Evening Standard's declining circulation is a problem for the publisher, not the editor. Rival media, the rise of the free papers, the global recession and distribution headaches - these are outside editorial's control.

But if a highly professional redesign and relaunch can't do the trick, then the question remains, what can editorial do to help win back readers?

It's easy to be an armchair editor, but for what it's worth, here's our suggestion...

There are two kinds of readers editorial may be able to win back. One is those facing a long commute, who want something more substantial than the free papers, something they can work their way through and which lasts longer. The redesign seems to have taken care of this, although the emphasis should be on keeping it hefty and including lengthy features as well as plenty of news (the piece by Tom Wolfe was excellent in this regard).

And the second? It's about hard news. The only thing which would make me buy the Standard on impulse, as I'm walking home, would be a geniunely startling headline, one that I haven't already seen online before leaving work, and one that I can't ignore.

Remember the days when newspaper vendors would shout improbable headlines followed by a cheeky 'Readallaboutit', and readers would just have to grab a copy. (No, us neither, but we've seen it in films). That should be what the Standard is aiming for.

It already breaks more than its fair share of stories, and thanks to its timing, geniunely helps set the wider news agenda. But why not take that to the next level? Why not completely scale back its general news coverage, relying more on wire copy for the stories that readers will already have seen or heard about elsewhere anyway, and put all its spare resources into investigative journalism?

Teams of reporters would be dedicated to digging up unlikely scoops in all sorts of fields, from politics to celebrity journalism, along the lines of a Sunday paper. The stories would be need to be tied closely to the current news agenda, of course - commuters would have little patience for left-field Independent-style splashes. But every day the newspaper vendor's sandwich boards would be plastered with one jaw-dropping expose after another - so jaw-dropping that there and then readers would be willing to part with their 50p.

Could it work? Probably not. Probably the Standard already does as much as it can to break new stories, and can't scale back wider news coverage any more. Probably readers wouldn't care anyway, and wait to read the scoop in the next morning's Metro.

But it would be nice to think that in the struggle to somehow make newspapers profitable again, investigative journalism could be part of the solution rather than the problem.

Sub-editor (part-time) - Western Telegraph

Newsquest is looking for a senior sub-editor/designer to work, part-time and only for maternity cover, on the Western Telegraph, Milford Mercury and Pembrokeshire Farmer.

The ad states: 'The successful candidate will have a strong news sense, good use of English, an eye for detail and demonstrate strong page-design skills to tight deadlines as part of a busy, successful team.' Be a sub, in other words.

The biggest job requirement is actually that you already live in Pembrokeshire, in west Wales - you'll be based in Haverfordwest, and while no salary is stated, a part-time maternity cover subbing job is unlikely to pay enough for you to up sticks.

If you do live in the area though, you can call chief sub-editor Lisa Soar for an informal chat about the role on 01437 763 133, or download an application form from the website. Deadline Friday 22 May.

Why journalists need to share the wealth

The MPs strike back. Well, not an MP actually, but Labour peer Lord Foulkes yesterday made waves during a live BBC interview when he asked the presenter Carrie Gracie how much she earned. Clearly he's yet to get this whole interview malarkey straight. You're supposed to answer the questions, Your Lordship, not ask them.

But Ms Gracie did answer the question, and apparently she - a middle-ranking BBC morning presenter, let's remember - earns a whopping £92,000 a year.

Now, FleetStreetBlues in no way wishes to denigrate Ms Gracie, who no doubt does a fine job. (To be honest, we'd never even heard of her until this morning and probably still couldn't pick her out in a crowd).

But £92,000? For reading the news every morning? Her CV is impressive, but she's not a 'name', she's no Jon Snow or Jeremy Paxman.

And she's not alone in earning a very decent wage. We've already covered Paul Dacre's £1.6 million salary, while Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee nets a more modest £106,000. In truth, lots of the more senior journalists on nationals and at the BBC in particular are handsomely rewarded.

Of course, to a certain extent, this is to be applauded - it gives us all something to aim for, and hope that we might not have to one day jack it in for PR.

But in a world of across-the-board layoffs, and local paper reporters struggling to make ends meet on £14k a year, something doesn't quite add up. Some of the generous wages available in the upper echelons of journalism need to trickle down to us grunt reporters. Share the wealth, people.

How not to spend it

Sometimes, there's nothing wrong with an article at all, it just has to be spiked to avoid an entirely unrelated diplomatic incident.

A co-conspirator of Guido Fawkes, currently cock-a-hoop over the MPs' expenses shenanigans, asked yesterday:

Why has a regular Times T2 columnist had a piece called ‘How Not To Spend It’, which was due to be published today, pulled by The Times. The reason? Might be sensitive, given MPs spending habits. The columnist?

The columnist, Guido suggests, was Sarah Vine - also known as Mrs Gove, wife to the Tory MP who spent £7,000 on furnishing his London home before 'flipping' his allowance to a home in his constituency. Diplomatic incident avoided.

Features Editor - Insurance Times

Insurance Times is looking for a features editor.

The ad (Gorkana, not directly linkable) says you'll be directly managing the magazine's several features sections and supplements, and need to be a dab hand at commissioning, copy-editing and more creative sides of the job such as developing 'hard-hitting' covers.

You also need to be willing and able to represent the magazine at a senior level, for instance at industry events. You'll need 'relevant experience in business journalism.'

It's initially a six-month contract, with a view to being extended. Apply to deputy editor Ellen Bennett with a CV and 'three features of which you are particularly proud' at ellen.bennett@instimes.co.uk.

Do readers care about MPs' expenses?

The Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog had an interesting post last thing Friday. They compared the BBC News 'most read' with the Telegraph's 'most read' for the day, and found that while the Telegraph, which had broken the story originally, had lots of readers interested in the latest MPs' expenses scandal, over at the BBC, where expenses had also been the day's main story, they weren't that bothered.

In fact, swine flu, Kate Winslet, the new Terminator movie, a pitch invasion, Richard and Judy and a bulletproof turban for Sikh policemen had all generated more interest.

Over the weekend there have been a number of developments which have actually made the story far more interesting - and the Telegraph's scoop again this morning about Tory expenses has certainly upped the ante.

But part of what makes MPs' expenses such a durable story for Fleet Street is that it's an easy one. It's easy to tell, with manageable figures, and an easy-to-understand storyline - 'corrupt politician' is a dynamic familiar even to the Daily Star demographic. MPs themselves are an easy target - easy to ridicule, less likely to sue. And politicians being politicians, it's a story which will run and run - not least because they naively believe that what they spend taxpayers' money on should be their own business and nobody elses.

None of this, of course, is to deny that it is a good story. After all, the MPs now shamefacedly revealing their expenses were the same MPs who a few months ago were laying into investment bankers with relish.

But for Fleet Street there is the question too. Are we giving such extravagant coverage to Gordon Brown's cleaning bill because readers want to read it? Or because we want to write it?