Post-graduate Journalism student, Sandra Juncu, from Edinburgh Napier University, reviews today’s papers for media tales….
In The Herald (page 15), Anne Simpson writes about the dangers of being a journalist. Under the headline, 'Casualties mount in pursuit of the truth', she comments on the latest warning signs raised by press freedom body, Reporters sans Frontieres. The international organisation says dozens of journalists covering the Middle East turmoil have been attacked, robbed or had their rights violated by the authorities. The article goes on to discuss the current problems the free press face in Russia, where the murder of journalist and human rights activist, Anna Politkovskaya, still remains unsolved.
Reporters sans Frontieres also notes that the overall number of kidnapped journalists has increased, from 29 in 2008 to 51 last year. Furthermore, 2010 was a year in which 57 media workers were assassinated worldwide, mainly by hired hitmen, militias or traffickers of various kinds. The journalists were killed in different locations, but Columbia, Mexico, Somalia and Russia are top of the list.
Also in The Herald, (page 2), the death of the newspaper’s golf correspondent, Douglas Lowe, is reported. As noted yesterday on allmediascotland, during his 34 year career at The Herald, Lowe was a news reporter and sub-editor before switching to sports in 1998. He became golf correspondent in 2003.
The Scottish Daily Express (page 2) reports that Lord Sugar has become non-executive chair of YouView, the online TV service – backed by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. The set-top box package is expected to cost around £200 and will owners the power to watch and record full series, previous editions of shows and pause live TV.
The Scottish Sun, meanwhile, features a two-page article (pages 34-35) about Laxmi Kathuria, the TV psychiatrist in Channel 4’s Beauty and the Beast: Ugly Face of Prejudice. The Scottish star talks about her role in the show, her brief appearance in River City a few years back and her personal past battle with bulimia and anorexia. While she admits that working on the Channel 4 show can be difficult at times, Laxmi told the Sun that her secret is being sincere: “It’s about being as honest as possible. I try to get across that it’s OK to be yourself,” she is quoted, saying.
Elsewhere, the Business Herald, (page 5) reports that ITV claims STV has admitted to owing them £37 million after dropping network shows such as The Bill and Doc Martin. With STV having its own claims on ITV, both sides are reported to be insisting on settling the matter before the official court date this May.
And finally, Scots TV presenter, Jenni Falconer, used twitter to break the news that she's pregnant. The former GMTV host, who was born in Glasgow, wanted her online followers to be the first ones to know the good news – Scottish Daily Mail, page 35.
