Howzat! Cricket beats Libyan foreign minister defection and nuclear disaster for coverage

Coverage of the Cricket World Cup got more national coverage than the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan and the defection of Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa, in the week ending Sunday 3 April, according to journalisted.

Covered lots were the Cricket World Cup, with India winning the final by 6 wickets against Sri Lanka, which generated 312 articles; Fukushima nuclear plant, with Japanese officials scrapping mission to save its crippled reactors as seawater radiation levels rise, 199 articles; Gaddafi defector, Moussa Koussa, denied UK immunity amidst public scrutiny of his alleged role in the Lockerbie bombing, 141 articles.

Covered little, according to journalisted were former Springbok player Joseph Ntshongwana, accused of murdering 3 people in a revenge attack for the rape of his daughter, 8 articles; Libyan law student Iman al-Obaidi, facing defamation charges after bursting into a Tripoli hotel to tell journalists she had been raped by pro-Gaddafi soldiers, 5 articles; former president Mubarak, and his family, placed under house arrest by Egypt's military council, 4 articles.

Guardian 'Newspaper of the Year' in Press Awards

The Guardian was named Newspaper of the Year at the Press Awards for its WikiLeaks coverage, described as the biggest leak in newspaper history.

But there was consolation for the News of the World which won Scoop of the Year for its exposure of the cricket bet fixing scandal and its investigations specialist Mazher Mahmood took the Reporter of the Year award.

The NoW's Fabulous magazine was named Best Supplement of the Year and the paper's Stephen Moyes was Showbiz Reporter of the Year.

Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger (pictured top) admitted that the paper's relationship with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had become difficult but described him as "a brilliant man". He urged the US government to think carefully about its approach towards Assange and Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of leaking classified informations to WikiLeaks, who is being held in a military prison.

Rusbridger said he hoped the US administration would not "go for " Assange and would treat Manning properly.

He also revealed that the Guardian had gone with the New York Times on the WikiLeaks story because of the protection offered by the First Amendment in the US, which he said was the "gold standard for free speech".

Video and results at The Press Awards

NUJ says 14 jobs to go at Newsquest in the North

The NUJ says journalists at three Newsquest centres were today told the company plans to centralise sub-editing operations in the North of England with a loss of 14 jobs.

The union says members reacted angrily at Darlington and York, after they were told production jobs there would disappear and work would be transferred to Bradford where four new positions would be created.

Under the plans, according to the NUJ, editorial production of the free weekly titles in Darlington and York, as well as the paid for weeklies and magazines at Darlington and York, would go to Bradford over the next six months. Sub-editing of the dailies would remain at the existing locations.

The move comes, the union says, just weeks after management at Darlington finally completed a painful reorganisation of editorial production that combined weekly and daily subbing operations, costing a number of jobs as part of a cost-cutting programme. This time round the company wants to complete consultation over the planned redundancies in 30 days or less, despite some parts of the reorganisation not taking place until September.

NUJ northern and midlands organiser Chris Morley said: “Our members in Newsquest are punch-drunk from the continuous stream of highly damaging cuts that issue forth from this discredited management in Newsquest.

“We have seen all over the country where editorial production is centralised, impossible demands are made on journalists who choose to stay and within a year or two they are broken up and return to the local centres with massive damage done to staff morale and reader confidence.

“This move by Newsquest is a one way ticket to oblivion. We will defend our members with all powers at our disposal.”

Exclusive: NoW journalists arrive at Press Awards

Pic Exclusive: Press Awards at the Savoy

The scene outside the Savoy after the Guardian wins Newspaper of the Year.

NUJ seeks legal advice over Sport Media collapse

The NUJ says it is taking legal advice over the collapse of Sport Media Group, publisher of the Daily and Sunday Sport, after the workforce – including around 25 journalistic staff - were made redundant with no notice.

Administrators were called in last Friday by Sport Media Group. The NUJ says managing director Andrew Fickling told employees this week that the company had run out of money despite desperate attempts to keep it afloat.

The collapse leaves workers with no immediate income and will mean claims will have to be made to the government to secure rights to statutory payments including redundancy, lost wages, notice payment and holidays.

However, the NUJ says it is now investigating the possibility of lodging employment tribunal claims for NUJ members for a protective award to compensate them for the lack of consultation surrounding the loss of their jobs.

In addition, the union is appealing for freelance members who may be owed money to contact the NUJ so that their claims can be pursued with the administrators now in charge of the company’s affairs.

Manchester-based NUJ negotiator Lawrence Shaw said: “We are determined that we will fight to get the best possible outcome from the wreckage for NUJ members. We demand a full investigation into what provoked the company’s failure.”

New Media Street software apps for hyperlocals

Media Street Apps, the online publishing company, has announced the latest release of its “Media Street” software application used to run hyperlocal websites.

The latest release of the app now includes business specials so local business owners can showcase unlimited offers and events for readers on their business page.

The software release is currently being pushed out on Media Street’s flagship and case study King's Road website and also other selected clients. Example pages include Sophie’s Steakhouse ,Bluebird Chelsea and The Chelsea Day Spa .

Using Media Street’s Online Marketing Pack, local business owners can run campaigns aimed to reach a wider audience and drive sales. Through the app, Media Street is able to track the success of each campaign.

Jonathan Lloyd, co-founder and publisher of Media Street, said: “This is the first part of the business specials release and will enable us to get our local client campaigns up on their business page for readers to find and redeem.

"At the moment, readers view the local specials online and the next part of the release will enable readers to download the offer to their email account or smart phone. For our local business owners this is really exciting because they’re able to showcase what they run in store, online and reach more people.”

• In January 2011 Media Street was invited through to the next round of the Knight News Challenge, an initiative which awards up to $5 million a year for innovative community projects. Media Street also added Yelp reviews to its local sites in the New Year and plans to add new features including local news.