Category Archives: Newspapers

‘Suspicious death’ of Rwandan journalist prompts calls for investigation

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Two weeks on from the death of government critic John Williams Ntwali, police have failed to answer questions over the alleged road accident in which they say he was killed

Calls are growing for an investigation into the apparent accidental death two weeks ago of a prominent Rwandan journalist and government critic.

John Williams Ntwali, a regular critic of the authorities, was found dead on 18 January. According to reported police accounts, he was killed when a speeding vehicle rammed a motorcycle on which he was riding pillion in the capital, Kigali. A US senate committee said he had been “silenced”. Human rights organisations have joined other activists in raising doubts about the cause of the death of the 44 year-old editor of The Chronicles newspaper.

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National security bill may have ‘chilling effect’ on investigative journalism in UK

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Guy Black, deputy chair of Telegraph newspapers, says draft legislation sets too low a bar on what constitutes spying

The UK’s proposed national security bill could have a “chilling effect” on investigative journalism because it sets too low a bar on what constitutes spying, the deputy chair of the Telegraph newspapers has warned.

Guy Black told the House of Lords that he was concerned the draft legislation could “potentially criminalise” reporters and whistleblowers because it says simply that a crime is committed if it “may materially assist a foreign intelligence service”.

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Hopes rise for press freedom in Tanzania as number of censured journalists falls

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Media council reports progress under progressive stance of President Suluhu following years of repression by former regime

The number of journalists being censured for their work in Tanzania has fallen slightly, raising hopes that press freedom is improving in the country.

Last year, 17 “press violations”, which include threats, arrests, denial of access to information and equipment seizures, were reported in the east African nation, the Media Council of Tanzania told the Guardian. This compares with 25 in 2021 and 41 in 2020.

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‘Pelé eterno’: what international front pages say about the death of the footballing great

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The Brazilian star makes the front pages of newspapers around the world on Friday, as they mourn a legend of the game

The death of Brazilian footballing virtuoso Pelé, at the age of 82, makes headlines in newspapers all over the world on Friday.

The Guardian carries an image of the star sat upon the shoulders of his teammates and fans after Brazil’s victory in the 1970 World Cup final in Mexico City.

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Sussexes dismiss Sun apology for Clarkson column as ‘PR stunt’

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Paper’s apology followed piece in which columnist said he ‘hated’ Meghan

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has said an apology by the Sun over a column in which Jeremy Clarkson said he “hated” Meghan is “nothing more than a PR stunt”.

The column has become the Independent Press Standards Organisation’s (Ipso) most complained about article, with more than 20,000 people contacting it over the piece, according to Ipso.

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The Sun apologises for Jeremy Clarkson’s column on Meghan

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Paper says that ‘as a publisher, we realise that with free expression comes responsibility’

The Sun has apologised for Jeremy Clarkson’s column, in which he said he “hated” the Duchess of Sussex, but has not stated whether any action has been taken against him.

Last week’s column has become the Independent Press Standards Organisation’s most complained about article, with more than 17,500 people contacting it over the piece as of Tuesday morning.

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Jeremy Clarkson condemned over Meghan column in the Sun

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Outcry after presenter writes he is ‘dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets’

A Jeremy Clarkson column in the Sun about the Duchess of Sussex has provoked outcry online, with social media users labelling it “vile”, “horrific” and “abusive”.

In an article for the paper published on Friday, Clarkson wrote that he loathed Meghan “on a cellular level”. He said he was “dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”.

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Washington Post chief announces job cuts – and refuses to answer questions

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Publisher Fred Ryan described as ‘embarrassing’ after walking out of meeting following revelation that up to 250 jobs could be lost

Turmoil at the Washington Post has intensified after a contentious town hall meeting on Wednesday in which the newspaper’s publisher, Fred Ryan, astounded staffers by announcing substantial job cuts to come, then quit the meeting, refusing to answer questions.

“This is embarrassing, this is embarrassing,” one staffer was heard saying as Ryan made his hasty exit, according to video footage posted on social media.

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Emma Tucker to become first female editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal

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British editor of the UK Sunday Times, which is also owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, will take the position in early 2023

Emma Tucker, the British editor of the UK Sunday Times, was named on Monday as the new editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, and will become the first woman to lead the 133-year-old business title.

The move, announced by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, will happen in February next year when Tucker, who will also run Dow Jones Newswires, will succeed Matt Murray, who will depart after a four year tenure.

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New York Times poised for first mass staff walkout in 40 years

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Daylong action comes as union and management clash over wages and remote work

The New York Times is bracing for a 24-hour walkout on Thursday by hundreds of journalists and other employees, in what would be the first strike of its kind at the newspaper in more than 40 years.

Newsroom employees and other members of the NewsGuild of New York say they are fed up with bargaining that has dragged on since their last contract expired in March 2021. The union announced last week that more than 1,100 employees would stage a 24-hour work stoppage starting at 12.01am on Thursday unless the two sides reached a contract deal.

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Daily Mail seeks to delay court allegations of high-profile breaches of privacy

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Lawyers for group including Prince Harry, Doreen Lawrence and Elton John filed claims two months ago

The Daily Mail has sought to delay the publication of potentially damaging court allegations about its journalism made by Prince Harry, Doreen Lawrence, Elton John and others.

Lawyers acting for the group of high-profile individuals claim they have “compelling and highly distressing evidence” they have been the “victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy” by Associated Newspapers over many years.

The hiring of private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside people’s cars and homes.

The commissioning of individuals to surreptitiously listen in to, and record, people’s live, private telephone calls while they were taking place.

The payment of police officials, with allegedly corrupt links to private investigators, for sensitive inside information.

The impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information from private hospitals, clinics, and treatment centres by deception.

The accessing of bank accounts, credit histories and financial transactions through illicit means and manipulation.

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Senior media figures call for law to stop oligarchs silencing UK journalists

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Editors urge ministers to end ‘endemic’ use of Slapps – legal cases designed to hinder investigations

A coalition of senior journalists and editors from across the political spectrum are calling on the justice secretary, Dominic Raab, to back a proposed law to tackle the global super-rich’s use of “abusive legal tactics to shut down investigations”.

More than 70 newspaper editors, publishers and media lawyers wrote to Raab on Tuesday demanding that the government take urgent action to stop oligarchs and kleptocrats from using their fortunes to exploit British courts, intimidating and silencing investigative journalists with strategic lawsuits against public participation (Slapps).

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Rogue employee who hacked New York Post apologizes for ‘utmost betrayal’

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Miguel Gonzalez, 25, blames ‘my own stupidity’ for tantrum that led him to post fake sexist and racist headlines on paper’s website

The New York Post employee who was fired after publishing a slew of phony, sexist and racist headlines on the newspaper’s website and Twitter account has apologized for what he described as a tantrum and the “utmost betrayal”.

“I let my own stupidity get the best of me,” Miguel Gonzalez told the Daily Beast’s Confider newsletter in a piece published late on Monday. “I deserved to get fired for a very volatile, irresponsible and disgusting action and an utmost betrayal of the New York Post.

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Phone hacking: Mirror Group to pay damages to ex-partner of Kerry Katona

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David Cunningham wins apology and ‘substantial’ damages over articles published in 2005 and 2006

A former partner of Kerry Katona has won an apology for phone hacking and “substantial” damages from the publisher of the Mirror.

David Cunningham, an engineer, brought a claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which also publishes the People and the Sunday Mirror, over 36 articles published in 2005 and 2006 while he was in a relationship with the former Atomic Kitten singer.

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Government urged to investigate report Liz Truss’s phone was hacked

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Breach discovered during Tory leadership in summer but details suppressed, the Mail on Sunday reports

The government has been urged to launch an urgent investigation after reports that Liz Truss’s phone was hacked.

The breach was discovered when Truss, then the foreign secretary, was running for the Tory leadership in the summer, but details were suppressed by the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson, and the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, the Mail on Sunday reported.

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‘Sunak’s crisis cabinet’: what the papers say after prime minister’s reshuffle

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UK front pages offer their assessments of the prime minister’s new cabinet and outline the scale of the challenges ahead

Rishi Sunak’s sudden return to the top of British politics and the unveiling of his new cabinet dominates the UK front pages on Wednesday.

The Guardian headlines “PM’s reshuffle gamble on first day in charge” and leads with an image of Rishi Sunak meeting King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

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‘Bojo: It’s a no’: what the papers say as Johnson pulls out and Sunak surges ahead

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The UK newspaper front pages cover the latest in twist in the Tory leadership battle

Boris Johnson’s sudden exit from the Tory leadership race fills the UK front pages on Monday.

The Guardian goes with, “‘Not the right time’: Johnson out of race to lead the Tories”. The paper writes that the “Former PM struggled for backing” and that his “withdrawal leaves Sunak as frontrunner in battle for No 10”.

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‘Surely … not again’: what the papers say about Johnson and the Tory leadership race

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Former PM Johnson and ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak dominate front pages as the contest for the Conservative party’s top job intensifies

The Conservative party leadership race fills newspaper front pages with a focus on the possible return of Boris Johnson to the top job.

Rishi Sunak, whose backers claim he has passed the threshold of 100 MPs needed to get on the ballot paper, also featured prominently as the contest intensified.

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Rightwing papers backpedal after helping Liz Truss reach No 10

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Outgoing PM won Tory leadership after weeks of supportive stories in the Daily Mail and other outlets

Liz Truss’s hopes of becoming prime minister looked thin in early July. The then-foreign secretary was running a distant third in the Conservative leadership election, with Rishi Sunak and a surging Penny Mordaunt on track to make the final ballot that would be sent to Tory party members.

Supporters of Boris Johnson were not happy. They believed this outcome would pave the way for the coronation of Sunak, the same man who had dethroned Johnson by resigning as chancellor. Interested parties included Paul Dacre, the former Daily Mail editor who had been promised a peerage by Johnson, which he is still hoping to secure.

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‘Utter chaos’: what the papers say as Suella Braverman quits and Liz Truss faces more turmoil

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The UK newspaper front pages cover a tumultuous day in politics with accusations of bullying in the Commons and the home secretary’s resignation

A highly chaotic day in parliament and the resignation of home secretary Suella Braverman dominate UK front pages on Thursday.

The Guardian says “Braverman’s bombshell puts Truss on the brink”, after a “chaotic fracking vote brings fresh revolt from mutinous Tories”.

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