Your Noon Briefing: The Falkirk Herald, Terry Murden, etc

THE weekly newspaper, The Falkirk Herald, is today commemorating the unveiling of the new, local tourist attraction, The Kelpies, by publishing three different front pages.

Writes the paper’s Chris McCall: “[Today’s] edition of Scotland’s biggest-selling local weekly newspaper will be prefaced by pictures of the gigantic equine sculptures, by chief photographer, Michael Gillen.”

It’s the first time the paper has published three different front pages.

McCall adds: “The Falkirk Herald has also produced an eight-page commemorative pull-out supplement to be included in tomorrow’s paper, which tells the story of how the sculptures, which stand next to the entrance to the Forth and Clyde canal adjacent to the M9 motorway, came to be.”

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BEGINS The Herald: “One of the architects of the UK’s new press regulator will step back from the new system once it is established, he will tell newspaper executives [today in Scotland].

“Lord Black of Brentwood, a former director of the Press Complaints Commission, who has been a central figure in the construction of the Independent Press Standards Organisation, is expected to tell a conference of the Scottish Newspaper Society [this afternoon] he will play no further role once the regulatory bodies are at work.”

The Scotsman newspaper also reports the story.

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THE business editor of The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday newspapers has published his debut novel.

Says the blurb to Terry Murden’s Invisible Lies: “A complex story of betrayal and broken trust in which a former crime reporter uncovers a cybercrime ring led by a woman tortured by war and seeking revenge.”

Murden has spent more than 25 years in financial journalism, including almost ten at The Sunday Times.

He says: “Every journalist believes they have a book in them. This has been a labour of love for some years and in particular the past year.”

Invisible Lies is priced £9.99 and available here.

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A COMMUNICATIONS assistant is being sought by Historic Scotland/RCAHMS – as advertised here and repeated on twitter.com/allmediajobs.

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FOOTBALLERS speaking ‘openly and honestly’ to the Scottish Press? The Daily Record’s David McCarthy recalls four instances during the last week or so and is obviously liking what he is hearing.

For example, he writes: “[Rangers FC’s] Nicky Law kicked it all off last Tuesday. The media went along to the PFA Scotland press conference to unveil nominees for the League One Player of the Year and expected the Rangers man, one of four on the list, to say something like: “I’m delighted to have been selected by my fellow players. It means the world to me.”

“That’s the kind of stuff we’ve heard a million times, trotted out by guys with a far-away look in their eyes, desperately trying their best to say nothing that makes a headline.

“What they didn’t expect was Law to spill his guts on…”

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DO you report property? Commercial or residential? If yes, or are simply interested in property, you might want to begin following the newly-launched twitter.com/allPropertyPR.

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SOME familiar names on a new funding body for new Press regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

The board of directors of IPSO’s regulatory funding company includes DC Thomson’s Ellis Watson and former Scotsman editor, Mike Gilson, as explained here by The Guardian’s media pundit, Roy Greenslade.

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BEGINS Greig Cameron, in The Herald: “The chief executive of STV hopes its soon-to-launch city television service can break even in its first year of trading.

“Rob Woodward told the ­company’s annual general meeting [yesterday that] running costs of £1.5 million had been allocated to the stations for Glasgow, which starts in June, and Edinburgh, which will begin broadcasting in December.”

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AND, staying with The Herald, Scott Wright begins: “Glasgow-based ­marketing entrepreneur, Oli Norman, has slimmed down his Dada public relations agency to focus resources behind Itison, his fast-growing daily deals website.”

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