INDEPENDENT NEWS

Revival Radio : Lorna Farrell interviews Duncan Williams

2011-09-29T14:21:00.000+01:00

Lorna Farrell is an accomplished sports journalist and is now a presenter at REVIVAL RADIO. Here she asks publisher Duncan Williams about his Christian faith and his recent lobbying work within the media.

Lately, Williams has been campaigning hard to restore ethics to tabloid journalism and has been instrumental in pushing the Weekly Sport towards genuine news commentary in preference to its associated former sensationalism and soft porn editorial.

Williams explains how he has been a lifelong Christian and how he has much gratitude for the firm bedrock provided by his early church influences and background.

LORNA FARRELL:

Tell me about your background and how you first came to a Faith?

DUNCAN WILLIAMS: I grew up in a positive and very loving church background. My paternal Welsh grandfather was a rural C of E vicar. He had a great, engaging speaking voice and communicated a strong message to both his family and our local community. (He also had a fine sense of humour and was able to retain the attention of even the most stubborn and wilfully drifting mind ... )

LF: What impact does it have on your professional life - and has it
always been like this?
DW: Good news and a positive message can be beneficial, interesting and fun.

LF: What are the aims of the venture you are involved in now?
DW: To offer good news, truth, revelation and fun in a various accessible media formats ...

LF: What kind of response have you had to this ethics driven approach?
DW: Readers and advertisers seem in agreement that a new era of ethics is much needed in the UK press.

LF: Is sport worth all the advertising/coverage/time it's given ,
especially for Christians?
DW: Sport can be a very positive way to feel part of a group. Loyalty through ups and downs, support when it is needed. Respect for team leaders. Praise and joy during times of victory. Yes, I think sport has very many positive parallels that Christian groups can benefit from.

LF: What kind of response /support have you had from other Christians?
DW: Christian and faith groups have been amazingly positive in relation to all my many media endeavours over the years. Most recently theMediaNet afforded me the opportunity to serve on their Steering Committee during their first year of launching. I met so many positive people of faith and God led conviction who work in the media. I cannot express just how valuable this has been to me and I hope theMediaNet goes on to grow and inspire other people for very many years to come!

LF: What kind of response/support from NON CHRISTIAN , INDUSTRY
PROFESSIONALS?
DW: Sadly, the secular media industry has not always as treated me as positively. I suppose as a publishing company owner and shareholder, I have found rival media companies to be less and less inclined to offer their media outlets and communication channels to be fully supportive our titles' endeavours. The recession has made this more prevalent; obviously, good business sense dictates a need to ignore highlighting the virtues of a competitor's output or products ... This is unfortunate but, I guess, inevitable.

LF: Is this shift in moral / ethical fibre apparent in other aspects of
our culture?
DW: We are living in an interesting period of huge change and major shifts. Spiritually, economically and politically we are evolving to embrace a new era and the media has a chance to relay these patterns.

LF: How can people get involved or support you in your work?
DW: Without spending a penny, maybe you can follow me on twitter or join one of my newspaper or magazine facebook pages..! Or more profile of our work and aims in your local news media.

LF: Whats next? ...
DW: To give more back; to continue to use proceeds from my many media business portfolios to fund social education, rehabilitation, lobbying and expand new training opportunities in communities throughout the UK.

LF: What advice would you give to folks burdened to see change in areas
that they might think are too "big" to tackle?
DW: Get into like-minded groups, work together. Learn to communicate well and know each other well. Be clear on your group aims and purposes. Focus on minimising launch costs and maximising output. However big the obstacle , if your aims are worthwhile, you will eventually succeed in overcoming your barriers and burdens ...

LF: How does God give you the guidance and encouragement you need to
keep going?
DW: I pray regularly and seek counsel from close friends. God steers, I row. As a result, I remain strong in the arm and get a canny sense of direction...

=================

2011 (c) Copyright, Revival Radio

You can listen to Lorna Farrell at REVIVAL RADIO on; http://www.revivalfm.org/

CityLife Magazine : Issue 20

2011-09-29T12:27:00.001+01:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More careers

Local media can help to unite Britain's broken communities!

2011-09-22T16:36:00.007+01:00

Faith in the future

Helping people and being kind to others are great reasons to live, but there are always those who are opposed to that. While some will always work hard to build a better future, some will seek to destroy and harm. Small and large business owners affected by the recent riots will read this and understand.

Out titles aim to unite communities through positive news and helpful editorial. We have been attacked, even mocked in some quarters, because of our open affiliation and desire to work with community faith leaders and church groups.

We have never advocated one religion in preference to any other, for that is a very personal choice, we simply believe, wholeheartedly, that these organisations offer the tools and real ability to unite broken communities in ways that other organisations cannot.

Politically, economically and spiritually, our media group wants to support these builders of the future. We want to be a part of the healing process, reporting the local news in your area. It is what positive media is all about. It is how regional publishing can serve you best, and your involvement is vital to making this process work.

City life really can be all about breathing new life into your city, about leading by positive example.

The future direction of your town, really is, your choice.

Thank you for supporting our magazines.

Yours faithfully,

Duncan Williams

Editor-in-Chief of
Your Town Your Choice and CityLife Magazines

Keep British Media British Owned - says Duncan Williams

2011-09-22T10:50:00.000+01:00

With our national press and most influential newspapers now in the corporate hands of James Murdoch and Alexander Lebedev, one small regional UK publisher speaks out.

"Any country which sells its own media sells it's own voice, ultimately it sells its own soul. Whether they be Russians or Americans. Keep British newspapers owned by British people," says Duncan Williams.

Any Old Sport in a Storm?

2011-09-15T10:43:00.003+01:00

Why support the Weekly Sport...

In light of recent events such as the phone hacking scandal within the British tabloid newspaper industry, which have raised questions about the ethics of tabloid journalists, the subsequent closure of the News of the World, as well as the closure of the Daily and Sunday Sport, and an increasing public feeling of animosity towards Rupert Murdoch and his media empire, tabloid journalism could be said to be in a state of flux, with critics divided over where its future lies.

Some feel that the British public has lost faith in tabloid newspapers and that the recent scandal has undermined these publications to such an extent that it could signal the ‘death of tabloid journalism’ or, more damningly, the death of journalism altogether. Some believe that the proposed regulation to attempt to combat would have a stifling effect on freedom of the press, thus ending the role of journalists as we know it. Others argue that these revelations will have little bearing over the future of the red top newspaper- such is their popularity amongst British readers and the financial power possessed by the corporations that own them.

Someone who takes a slightly different, more optimistic, view to these, however, is established media figure Duncan Williams. He believes that ‘the red top must either evolve or die’. The evolution of the tabloid news publication will occur in two different ways: firstly through stronger, more efficient regulation of the printed word, and secondly through the creation of new publications, which seek to alter the negative reputation that the tabloids have. One such example of the latter of these is the new publication, the ‘Weekly Sport’, published by Williams’ company Independent News Ltd. It was set up by a team of journalists who wanted to create a tabloid which was suitable for the whole family, and as such, in contrast to the now-discontinued Daily and Sunday Sport, whose attentions were focussed on negative journalism, scandalous celebrity stories and soft-core pornography in spite of their titles suggesting that sport was their primary focus, the Weekly Sport, true to its name, aims to deliver serious and reputable coverage of sports news. It also hopes to replace the pornographic adverts found in lower-brow tabloid publications with high end, leading brand advertisers. As Williams puts it: "The move away from negative press, lies and soft selling pornography, is both ethical and a very wise evolutionary move forward following a wave of public scandal within the industry". This ties in with Williams’ philosophy on media ethics in general, and as such he strives to make sure the Weekly Sport is focussed on positive and beneficial stories.

However, in spite of the optimistic vision held by those involved with the Weekly Sport, some argue that there is not enough advertising support for a publication dedicated solely to sport. In evidence of this, the example of Trinity Mirror's proposed sports title is cited. The group aimed to put out the twice-weekly paper in the wake of the News of the World; however, the idea was pulled, with sources attributing it to the lack of advertising potential. Because newspapers find it notoriously difficult to convince media companies to place adverts on sports pages, a newspaper devoted entirely to sport would, in the opinion of some, find it incredibly difficult to find the support of advertisers.

Despite this claim, the Weekly Sport seems to be evading the problems faced by the aforementioned sports title; one notable company which has expressed interest in the Weekly Sport is the trading exchange Bartercard, through which the Weekly Sport has won a sizeable advertising revenue agreement. Regional representative of Bartercard Scott Clancy believes that this support and involvement of mainstream advertisers is ‘just what an exciting title like the Weekly Sport needs’. The fact that this agreement is being put into place at a time of economic hardship is even more useful for Weekly Sport; with other such publications finding it difficult to secure any significant advertising, the backing of mainstream advertisers that this deal will create could be exactly the thing to give Weekly Sport a leg up on its competitors. With this in mind, figures at the Weekly Sport hope that the backing of advertisers should in turn help this publication compete against not only other publications operating on a similar level, but also eventually the top tabloid names.

Amongst the additional media being offered by the Weekly Sport are the digital Weekly Sport bulletins. These are broadcast during matches and feature commentary from top journalists who offer in depth sports coverage, and Duncan Williams states that it has already had thousands of people interested and signing up. This is in keeping with Williams’ beliefs with regard to technology and the media, arguing that if technological advancements are not made within tabloid journalism then it will die out. And Williams, as well as everyone else involved with this up-and-coming publication, will hope that this wave of popularity, combined with the potential created by the modern techniques it is employing, as well as the support of Bartercard in gaining advertising revenue could spell bright things for the Weekly Sport.

From a purely moral and ideological perspective, one would think that if the Weekly Sport can make some inroads in the ever-competitive field of tabloid news, it could signal a decline in the sleazy and unethical brand of journalism for which tabloids have become so renowned. Contributing towards the decline of this genre of media has been an ambitious aim of Williams’ ever since he turned his back on his former career as an investigative journalist for the tabloids, and with the Weekly Sport, he hopes to have found a publication with the potential to create a stir. Given the promising start that it has made, there is a good chance that the Weekly Sport could be, amid all the bad news, a real success story.

Duncan Williams - visionary British publisher of the new Weekly Sport tabloid

WEEKLY SPORT: Weekly Sport - news bulletin!

2011-08-30T12:50:00.000+01:00

WEEKLY SPORT: Weekly Sport - news bulletin!: ...

WEEKLY SPORT - a new tabloid winner?

2011-08-18T08:42:00.000+01:00

Could the Weekly Sport be a red top winner

in an age of tabloid crisis?

Creating a proper sports focused red top, providing real sports news rather than soft porn or that familiar 'loony tune' editorial, the Weekly Sport has attracted some leading UK advertisers, as well as some much needed credibility.

Weekly Sport is owned and published in the UK and Eire by Independent News Ltd.

The title was launched by a team of journalists keen to create a tabloid suitable for all the family.

As such, the Weekly Sport aims to provide genuine sports news coverage throughout the Olympic year and to offer our readers intelligent editorial commentary on current news.

"We aim to bring positive and beneficial news to all our readers and profits to our all advertisers," says publisher Duncan Williams. "Already we have thousands of readers signed up to our digital Weekly Sport bulletins which are accessed during live matches and contain valid sporting commentary from some of the very best journalists working in the UK."

Advertisers certainly do seem reassured by the stats.

Reading your news on an iPhone or iPad is certainly nothing new, but ousting porn advertising in favour of attracting leading brand advertisers, keen to be associated with a title that is paving the way for digital journalism, is a revolutionary move for the tabloid media.

"From a moral perspective too," insists Duncan Williams. "The move away from negative press, lies and soft selling pornography, is both ethical and a very wise evolutionary move forward following a wave of public scandal within the industry."

"Frankly, the red top must either evolve or die. And by this I mean both technically and content wise. I believe I have the team and resources to do this."

Williams is certainly no stranger to a challenge and boasts a 20 year career in the newspaper industry. His passion for media is evidenced during the many detailed lectures he has given on the subject of British media.

He certainly won no friends within the American based Rupert Murdoch camp when he was one of the first to assert that British media ought to be owned by the British. He has been vocal in objecting to News Corp's stranglehold on the British media industry for decades and was vehemently opposed to James Murdoch's bid for BSkyB.

Only a growing readership and advertising will finally tell if the Weekly Sport will gain a foothold in the cut and thrust world of the tabloid.

Those subscription figures do seem very favourable.

It is hoped that this will continue to expand as a long term positive media project, and help to restore the lost integrity of the red top and its central part in our popular British culture.

# # #

Show you care!

'Like' us on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/weeklysport
Follow us on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/weeklysport

Why British Media Ought to be Owned by the British

2011-07-31T11:55:00.008+01:00

"Why British Media Ought to be Owned by the British," says Duncan Williams

In recent years, there has been an increasing trend towards the takeover of British media by foreign corporations, in particular British newspapers. Virtually every British newspaper is now owned either by Rupert Murdoch’s News International, or another massive global media corporation, a fact which has been particularly in the spotlight in the wake of the recent News of the World phone hacking scandal.

Some figures within the media world, such as chairman and CEO of Independent News Ltd, Duncan Williams (pictured above), argue that this recent scandal is by no means coincidental; he argues that the phone hacking scandal is indicative of a wider trend of deterioration of media ethics. Whilst the case of the News of the World hacking into mobile phone messages to attain information and thus potentially jeopardising a police investigation is an extreme case, it nevertheless demonstrates how unethical the world of tabloid journalism is. Williams argues that the style of tabloid journalism brought about by foreign-owned media has created a culture of sensationalism, whereby stories are focused on scandal and negativity. This has a detrimental effect on British people and communities, and can in turn allow for events such as the phone hacking scandal to occur. Williams contends therefore that “it’s far healthier for Britain to have its press and media owned by British people”.

Williams believes that, whilst he is someone who holds business-orientated values, “when making money is detrimental to freedom of speech, something’s gone wrong”. He also puts forward the argument that, whilst investigative journalism plays an important role in the way the media operates, citing the example of journalists’ exposure of the Watergate scandal, and that preventing media companies from carrying it out would impede freedom of speech,allowing them to use techniques such as the interception of phone calls and so forth is also a violation of this right. Therefore, in his view the correct balance needs to be addressed so that journalists are capable of unearthing important stories in ways which are ethically sound, as when media companies have both the power and the intention to invade someone’s privacy as a means of obtaining information for a story, something is not right.

It is not only the tendency towards sensationalism produced by foreign-owned tabloid newspapers which provides a reason why British media should be owned by the British however; Williams argues that the foreign takeover of newspapers naturally leads to their content losing touch with British people and British life. This, in the view of Williams, also has a negative impact on British society. It is on this notion that his company, Independent News Ltd, operates. They aim to focus their reporting on positive stories about British communities and people, thereby providing journalism which affects British society in a positive way. Williams states, for example, that Independent News may run articles about stories such as successful marriages or pay homage to war veterans who have recently passed away. In keeping with Williams’ philosophy on the ownership of British Media, Independent News is backed solely by British investors. As Williams puts it: “Our company is owned by British investors, which we feel is very important when you are providing news for people who are reading it in Britain”.

In the wake of the News of the World scandal, Williams argues that people are losing faith in the brand of tabloid journalism perpetrated by such publications, and that “it’s an opportunity for positive, British owned media companies (such as his) to gain a voice”. While tabloid newspapers and global corporations such as News International become seen as being disreputable, British publications will have the opportunity to win favour with the public, which in Williams’ view can only be a good thing.

In conclusion, as recent events in particular have shown, the current trend of foreign-owned media publications has proven to have a negative effect on the British media as well as British society in general. If British media were to be owned primarily by British investors, and newspapers sought to represent British interests to a greater degree, there is no doubt that it would have a positive impact on British communities, British society and media ethics, as companies such as Independent News have tried to demonstrate through their positive style of journalism.

- the FOODologist arrives at Pylewell Park

2011-07-26T09:28:00.020+01:00

The weekend of 23rd-24th July saw the FOODologist magazine proudly sponsor the first ever Pylewell Park Food and Drink Festival, in what event organisers hailed as a “huge success”.

Set on the 80 acre Pylewell estate, with beautiful views overlooking the Solent and down to the Isle of Wight, the Pylewell Festival saw thousands of people enjoy the many activities and events on offer.
Attractions included wine tasting, cookery demonstrations from Celebrity Chefs, Horticultural and Garden displays, Farmers Market Producers, Clay pigeon shooting, and much more.

The food festival was the brain child of Simon Scutt, driving force behind the Marina Jaks restaurant chain and also a leading local chef in his own right.

Amid resounding applause from a gathered crowd, Simon announced : "It is the ambition of all of us organisers to make the festival continue as an annual, must-attend event, for food suppliers, caterers and connoisseurs of food, the length and breadth of the nation. This ambition is highly likely to be realised with the ongoing support of the FOODologist."

The FOODologist is a food and drink magazine…with a twist. Unique and quirky insights into the world of food and drink are offered, in what proves to set the publication aside from the rest.

For FOODologist magazine publisher, Duncan Williams, the restaurant business is about so much more than just feeding people.

It is about spirituality, about making people feel good, about looking after people, and just spreading a bit of good old love around.

He likes to refer back to a quote made by restaurant inspector, Fernando Peire, during a recent FOODologist profile feature on catering professionals:

“This business is all about feeding people not only food but also spiritually and that means looking after people, customers are coming in to get a bit of love” Peire stated.

Williams agrees.

“The restaurant business is all about men and women who are gifted and skilled in food preparation - serving men and women (and little ones) who want to enjoy good food and be cared for at the same time” said Williams.

This unique and inspiring view on the restaurant business is conveyed in Williams’ FOODologist publication.

The FOODolgoist first started as a magazine in March 2010 and it now has an online version, thus spreading its reach to food lovers around the country.

What makes the FOODologist different from your typical food and drink magazine, is the fascinating insights offered into other aspects of the dining experience that go beyond just food and drink.

Experts from various different areas of fine dining, each provide their own intriguing inputs:

The Health and Beauty section explores the use of food, spices, and herbs in beauty and medicinal products; beautiful photographic contributions are provided by art director, Thor Haley, whom also explores other aspects of food in art, and vice versa; and a resident gardener looks at the modern ‘kitchen garden’ and what to grow in it.

The FOODologist also has a resident wine expert and an upcoming celebrity chef.

The latest in modern technology is also being embraced, with a special iPhone App that gives users on the go access to the latest reader reviews and discount vouchers.

The iPhone App, along with the printed version and the online version of the publication, means that readers really can now consume the FOODologist in whichever format that they wish.

A new special members card is also being introduced, along with restaurant discounts, prizes and family days out, thus further enhancing the FOODologist’s reputation as offering a unique service to food lovers.

The FOODologist also proudly supports their charity of choice, The Even Keel Project, which supports the disadvantaged to learn new freedom and skills through the activity of sailing.

The support provided to The Even Keel Project and the recent Pylewell Food and Drink Festival, show that the FOODologist really is more than just a food and drink magazine…it is an integral part of the community.

More info :

http://www.foodologist.co.uk/

Dark Arts Out, Good News In

2011-07-08T12:00:00.010+01:00

"Dark Arts Out, Good News In!"

Recent weeks have given exposure to a number of revelations about the world of tabloid journalism, in particular the investigative techniques employed by the News of the World newspaper, branded the ‘dark arts’.

These include, most notably, the hacking of mobile phones as a means of obtaining the information journalists desired to put together their stories. Said scandalous revelations reached their pinnacle when it was revealed that journalists from the News of the World hired a private investigator to hack into the voicemail of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s mobile phone. The subsequent deletion of messages between the time when she was murdered and when her body was discovered gave her parents the false hope that she had deleted the messages herself, giving possibility to the idea that she may have been alive. Not only this, but the messages’ deletion could have potentially destroyed valuable evidence the police needed in bringing her killer to justice.

These revelations have cast serious doubt over the ethicality of both News International (a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s conglomerate News Corporation) and of tabloid journalism in general. They have led to the closure of the News of the World, and what many hope will be an opportunity for positive, British media companies, such as Independent News Ltd, to gain a foothold. Such publications seek to report on stories which may impact on British communities in a positive way, and this sits in stark contrast with the sensationalist style perpetrated by tabloid newspapers such as the News of the World, which seek to create scandal and negativity in order to engage their readers and sell newspapers. Tabloid newspapers, in the view of many, sacrifice objectivity and truthfulness in favour of a style of journalism whose aim is simply to increase readership. In these cases, stories do not serve the public interest and are obvious examples of sensationalism. As Independent News Ltd’s CEO Duncan Williams puts it: “Too often the story is scurrilous or gossip, and it’s hard to claim interest.”

Whilst this style of journalism was previously very popular with British readers, some hope and believe that the phone hacking scandal may have undermined what they see as an unethical and unhealthy media culture. The closure of the News of the World proved an initial triumph, and the independent inquiry set up by Prime Minister David Cameron also showed a commitment to creating a more ethical media culture. The ethics of tabloid journalism, as well of News Corporation, were also put into doubt when another of News Corporation’s tabloids and Britain’s most widely circulated newspaper, The Sun, was also accused of using unethical methods of investigation. These allegations included that The Sun hacked into the phone of Andy Gilchrist, as Scottish trade union leader, in order to publish negative stories about him. The Sun also allegedly illegally obtained medical files containing information about former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s son’s cystic fibrosis.

CEO of Independent News Ltd, Duncan Williams, has called the situation these events have created an “opportunity for positive, British owned media companies to gain a voice”. Many see the root cause of the phone hacking scandal as being the sensationalist culture of tabloid newspapers which demands scandalous, personal stories for which journalists must acquire personal information. This, combined with improper regulation of global media outlets such as News Corporation means that newspapers such as the News of the World have the capacity and the intention to use unethical techniques, or ‘dark arts’, to get the stories they require. Such has been the public outcry against this improper conduct of tabloid publications during this time, figures such as Williams believe that it is a chance to replace the existing media culture with one which takes a more positive outlook and is intent on affecting British society in a positive way.

Williams maintains, however, that he is not opposed to investigative journalism, providing it is used to uncover valid stories which are in the public’s interest. He also states that he is not someone who is opposed to business values, and recognises the importance of businesses being allowed to generate a profit. To what he is opposed is the impediment of freedom of speech that an outlet such as News Corporation is allowed to carry out. By hacking into private phone calls, Williams argues that the action of the News of the World (and any other publication which uses similar investigative practices) is detrimental to freedom of speech. Therefore, Williams contends that a balance must be addressed, and correct regulation must be put in place so that freedom of the press is maintained without individual corporations holding the power to carry out actions such as the phone hacking scandal.

However, Williams and many others feel that a wholesale change needs to happen in the British media so as to make newspapers more ethical, as well as more beneficial to British communities. In order for this to happen, he maintains, publishers such as Independent News Ltd who provide positive news stories need to be allowed to gain a foothold in the British media.

News International and the death of ethics in journalism

2011-07-06T12:52:00.018+01:00

Fresh allegations that private investigators paid by the News of the World hacked into the phones of families of victims of the 7/7 bombings as well as relatives of the girls killed in the Soham murders have plunged British journalism deeper into crisis.

The phone hacking scandal escalated on Monday when The Guardian reported the phone of murdered teenager Milly Dowler had been hacked and some of her messages deleted by an investigator hired by the News of the World while she was still missing.

Now, the Metropolitan Police have contacted the families of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who were murdered by Ian Huntley in Soham in 2002, the same year as Milly Dowler, to say their phones might also have been accessed by the tabloid newspaper.

The House of Commons was due to discuss the developments in an emergency debate today (Wednesday) as a campaign for a public inquiry is launched in the House of Lords.

“What has happened is News International has built up a surveillance system that is more potent than anything the police have available. I’m very distressed by what’s happened, it’s appalling. It’s even worse that it has taken since 2002 to come to light,” says Duncan Williams, chairman of Independent News Ltd, the regional newspaper and magazine publishing company which operates a positive news editorial policy.

“Something has gone wrong and people are actually appalled by the latest allegations. It’s an outrageous abuse of the privilege of working in the media.”

In an exclusive interview with Seeker News’ online video channel, Mr Williams highlighted the serious implications for British journalism.

“The media today is going through huge changes, but this kind of activity is actually detrimental to freedom of speech. There’s nothing wrong in investigative journalists unearthing valid stories, without that we’d be an even more censored society, but it’s how that story is treated and relayed to the reader, the citizen or the viewer. Too often the story is scurilous or gossip and it’s hard to claim interest.”

Police have reportedly widened their investigation to include every high profile murder of a child since 2001.

David Cameron’s former director of communications Andy Coulson resigned earlier this year amid allegations that phone hacking was rife at the News of the World during his time as editor. His predecessor, Rebekah Brooks, who was editor during the Soham murders and Milly Dowler cases has said it was “inconceivable” she knew Milly Dowler’s phone was hacked and has refused to step down.

“Ford has already pulled its advertising from the News of the World and other companies like Halifax, Orange, nPower and T-Mobile are reviewing their position, this is having a major commercial effect on News International,” says Seeker MD Steve Cook.

“Newspapers need quality journalism, but they also need the support of advertisers and if they’re losing major clients then maybe it’s about time our newspapers had a close look at how they operate. When the Washington Post journalists Woodward and Bernstein broke the Watergate scandal they were acting in the public interest, ultimately protecting American democracy from a President who was lying.

“What possible comparable public interest is there in hacking the phones of murder victims and their families?”

Reprinted from the Business Page of SEEKER NEWS, 2011 (c) copyright.
----

View the full length interview online. Photography by Steve Cook.

2011-06-22T10:43:00.000+01:00

Cross plot : mapping out your career dreams as a Christian in media

2011-06-15T13:56:00.008+01:00

Once again a conference held at the Hayes Centre in Derby by the Church and Media Network on the 13th - 14th of June has proved to be a resounding success.

"It can sometimes be a lonely place, working in a media environment and holding faith to one's core beliefs," said one young delegate. "The conference offers support and reminds me I can map out a good career for myself and am not alone."

Far from it; the annual Church and Media Conference is become a real oasis for all Christians working in media, it continues to offer a place to meet, exchange ideas, listen, plot and plan future dreams.

Speakers this year included big hitters such as BBC controller, Danny Cohen, who proudly announced; "'Songs of Praise' is celebrating its 50th year and I'm very conscious of that anniversary. I think it is the longest-running
religious programme in the world."

Other past speakers have included Duncan Williams, the regional magazine and newspaper publisher, rumoured to be behind a recently attempted 'ethical consortium buyout' of the Sport Media Group.

Williams described the Church and Media Conference as; "One of the most inspiring events I have attended. Life changing!"

So, is Britain actually regaining it's Christian voice; is this being reflected in powerful changes of attitude within the media industry?

"I think we still have a very long way to go," admitted a regular attendee. "But this Conference is certainly doing more than a little to help map a pathway."

For more info : http://www.mediafutures.info

THE WEEKLY SPORT

2011-06-10T09:48:00.001+01:00

www.weeklysport.co.uk

Vision Talk -

2011-06-08T12:49:00.005+01:00

VISION TALK -

a report from the Alpha International Conference by Duncan Williams.

Nicky Gumbel was in engaging form at the Alpha International Conference, held in London at Holy Trinity Brompton from the 6th to 10th of June.

This was the first time I had heard the evangelical reverend speak in person; and was immediately impressed by a gift for simple delivery coupled with a powerful message.

Nicky's welcome to the many Catholics who had attend end the Conference for the first time was heartfelt, as was his introduction to his Vision Talk that openly acknowledged the benefits Christianity had gained from last year's Papal visit to the UK.

Through focus upon a reading from Isaiah 61:4; The Vision Talk went on to encourage those of us working in the media to inspire and unite and rebuild the communities, people and religions of the world. Using our media skills to build a bridge of communication towards a better understanding and peace.

Media is a message bearer, and the minds and spiritual vision of thousands can be enhanced by taking active responsibility for its appropriate use.

I was reminded that we are in a most privileged position to encourage transformation.

"They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastate; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations" - Isaiah 61:4

Why Positive News Is Good For Us All

2011-05-11T14:24:00.005+01:00

Why Positive News Is Good For Us All

Independent News Ltd. buys previously loss making newspapers and turns them into profit making entities that improve communications with local communities.

This is all done with the power of positive news. Positive news sells. Companies would much rather have their product or service advertised alongside an uplifting article that puts the reader in a good mood than an article about doom and gloom.

Positive Stories

What kind of stories do you like to read in the news?

Stories about success and celebration? Or stories about tragedy and the misfortune of others?

Most people would surely prefer to read uplifting stories that are well written and that aim to educate and inspire.

But unfortunately, when you take a look at your daily newspaper each morning, you may notice that the main headlines all focus on negativity.

Nowadays, column inches seem to be packed full of the woes of celebrities, the failures of politicians, the depressing overview of the economic climate. Even worse, these stories of gloom are often reported with an amount of glee on behalf of the journalist. The articles are often poorly written and do not educate nor inspire positive change in the life of the reader or society in general.

But wouldn’t it be nice to be greeted with an uplifting story about achievement, about something to celebrate, about something optimistic to get you in a good mood as you take on the day?

This is exactly what Duncan Williams, a Director on the board of Independent News Ltd., aims to achieve. He really does believe in the power of a good story.

“A good story does as it says on the tin; It reports a truthful, inspiring message. Maybe sheds a little light on some gloom... or draws attention to somebody or something worthwhile. The story's power lies in the fact that through its reporting it seeks to encourages more of the same” said Williams.

Improving Society With Positive Media

Duncan Williams hopes to increase the well-being of society with positive media.

“Marginalised elements of society often find it hard to access or express views in the mainstream media. Broadly speaking there is a trade in sensationalism and death. A tragic killing gets a mass of column inches and airtime, whereas the celebration of a human life gets far less. A birthday of a 100 year old citizen deserves as much, if not more attention, than the gleeful reporting of yet more doom and gloom. Coverage should always aim to be personal and real. Profiles of people should aim to help readers identify and feel a part of the story rather than apart from it. Ten years of revised media attitudes could have a remarkably beneficial effect upon society.”

A good story does not necessarily have to be an uplifting story of celebration. A tragic story can also be a good story.

In the reporting of a tragic story the reader demands that there be a point and a purpose to the way the story is told. From a tragedy people can still learn something that will help them in life. A tragedy often brings out the best in people and highlights the inner strength of human beings, with communities pulling together during times of adversity.

Whether it be about a tragedy or a success, a good story is always about the celebration of human life.

“It's human nature to want a good motive to override a bad one; it's what best assists group survival” states Williams.

Good Stories Sell

A good story is also advantageous from a business perspective. Good stories sell.

With Independent News Ltd., Duncan Williams has found a winning business formula of purchasing previously loss making regional newspapers and fast tracking them into profit. By doing this he has built up a portfolio of titles launched specifically at improving communication within local communities.

Independent News Ltd. uses what is known as value advertising to turn the newspapers into profitable entities.

The concept of value advertising is to increase the number of positive and uplifting stories in newspapers to make it more appealing for companies to want to purchase advertising space alongside such articles.

Duncan Williams believes that advertisers would much rather have an ad for their product displayed next to a positive story than alongside a story full of gloom and negativity. An uplifting story will shed the product in a more positive light. The reader will also be in a more positive mood as a result of the story and thus more receptive to advertisements on the page.

“If you were a newspaper advertiser would you want to promote your product or service next to an article about something dark and negative or positive and uplifting? Positive wins through.” he said.

Creating A More Positive Society

Independent News Ltd. is about more than just profiting from uplifting stories. Duncan Williams believes that by offering more positive media, we can build a more positive society.

“When all focus is placed relentlessly upon the negative, true vision, faith and hope all get eroded. A new pair of glasses can remind people that the world can still be a very beautiful place even in the most difficult of times. Modern media can be that powerful.” he states.

Duncan Williams wants to see more stories about the celebration of human life. Stories that help readers identify and feel part of the story rather than apart from it. He believes that ten years of revised media attitudes could have a remarkably beneficial effect upon society.

The Future Of Positive Media

As Independent News Ltd. continue to turn around the fortunes of magazines and newspapers, the amount of quality content in the media is only going to increase.

In 10 years’ time you may well get to take a look at your morning newspaper and read a good story that not only informs you, but educates you, and inspires you, and enriches your life. Wouldn’t that make a nice change?

Plymouth media business owner is bowled over by Bartercard

2011-05-09T09:28:00.003+01:00

CityLife Magazine : Issue 18

2011-04-10T13:27:00.002+01:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More bartercard

__________________________

Epicurian Mag party

2011-03-29T17:49:00.000+01:00

The Boat Race 2011

2011-03-27T17:15:00.000+01:00

2011-03-15T15:29:00.000Z

Duncan Williams : Christians and Finance

2011-02-23T14:29:00.020Z

CHRISTIANS AND FINANCE: A new force for good?

"The successful multi-dimensional media project needs financial profitability, as well as a beneficial message, as a key ingredient... To invest means to increase outlay, to have faith and to encourage expansion and return. In monetary terms this ought to be investing money for good willed purposes so as to reap further dividends of the same. Money and goodwill need not, and must not be alien. The alignment of the two is the right use of financial expertise. Money is, after all, only a proxy for actual goods or services, and it can be an active and very potent energy for good works."

Duncan Williams - Christian Media Investor and member of Christians in Finance
Speaking at UPLOAD : Standing Together - Christians in Journalism and theMediaNet.org held at All Souls Church, Langham Place, London, February 19th, 2011.

More details of UPLOAD are attached at this link; www.box.net/shared/ygfilrypvr
__________________________

Marios Schwab A/W 11

2011-02-23T14:19:00.000Z

A La Disposition A/W 11

2011-02-23T14:13:00.000Z

The Good, The Bad and The Unfunded

2011-02-23T13:34:00.015Z

Organised jointly by theMediaNet and Christians in Journalism, there were certainly some bemused faces at BBC Radio's spiritual home, All Souls Church in Langham Place, on Saturday morning of February 19th.

"It is time we were all weaned from the begging bowl and started to earn our keep," began the wake up call.

"The tyranny of positive thinking is definitely not what is required from Christian do gooders in this age of economic austerity. Compulsory funding, grant stalking and donation dependence are all things of the past. It's time we learnt to stand on our own two feet..."

So proclaimed radical media investor Duncan Williams at the recent UPLOAD: Standing Together conference held in Central London.

Mammon and God have never been easy bedfellows and in the provocative talk by Williams which followed, entitled simply, "Money, money, money!", there were sure to be a few ruffled feathers amongst a flock of Christians all too used to receiving donations and charity for their good works and public service.

Williams stormed in with the suggestion that; "Go to any beauty contest and what do you hear the contestants proclaim?... That they want to help the poor, educated underprivileged children and work toward world peace... So what? We all want to do that!" he snapped. "The real skill is in being able realistically actualise and FUND that vision."

"Creating worthy projects and charities that do not have a self funding dimension in this age is simply contributing to the problem. All too often you unwittingly or otherwise are designing a debt machine which is not a public service at all, whose primary function is leak a salary to a small clique of, so called, 'charity' workers or employees."

By this point a stunned silence had broken out. Then suddenly questions were being fielded thick and fast. Even event co-ordinator Andrew Graystone felt compelled to remind the speaker that donations, service and giving freely were cornerstones of the Christian faith.

Undeterred in making his point, Williams insisted that; "The genius of someone like Bob Geldof is that he saw a problem and had provided a workable answer. Creating an offshoot of good works in the process. Good causes that do not have a sound and sensible business plan in order to successfully raise their funding source are redundant and ultimately damaging."

One voice spoke up at the back. A fitting comment considering the location; "What about the BBC? That is a public service that has successfully found a way of providing funding for itself..."

Another moment of uncomfortable quiet. At a time of multi-channel, multi-platform, multi-everything media, the justification of a compulsary licence fee is being seriously questioned.

Andrew Graystone himself had been employed by BBC religion for over a decade.

Duncan Williams is known to advocate the introduction of commercial funding and pay per view faith channels.

Perhaps this debate would be better held at another time and in another place? Hallowed ground and within earshot, criticism of BBC funding is still regarded as a sacred cow.

(Pictured at top: Duncan Williams and Andrew Graystone )

Christian Blanken A/W 11

2011-02-22T15:04:00.000Z

THE SON - Christian tabloid newspaper

2011-02-22T09:53:00.001Z

Open publication - Free publishing - More the son

Belle Sauvage A/W 11

2011-02-21T14:27:00.000Z

Bernard Chandran A/W 11

2011-02-21T14:14:00.000Z

Georgia Hardinge

2011-02-21T12:32:00.000Z

Charlie Le Mindu A/W 11

2011-02-21T10:40:00.000Z

John Rocha A/W 2011

2011-02-21T10:23:00.000Z

What Makes a Good Media Business?

2011-02-19T20:01:00.011Z

Want to be your own boss?

Back in September, we reported that the City University of New York (CUNY)was opening a centre of 'entrepreneurial' journalism at its Graduate Journalism School. The idea of entrepreneurial journalism, as opposed to a more traditional model of journalists working through large, established outlets, doesn't seem to be going away. As many media professionals find themselves made redundant by shrinking papers and production companies, the idea of setting up a business is becoming more and more mainstream. But what is a good idea? Adam Westbrook, author of '10 New Ways to Make Money in Journalism' has kindly let us reproduce his top tips.

Fill a gap

Any concept (entrepreneurial or otherwise) has to service a need that a large enough group of people have, in order to survive and thrive. So a good place to start is to ask ‘is there a product or service which is not being provided right now?‘ Murdoch’s much anticipated iPad only newspaper The Daily can be viewed in these terms. The iPad’s been around for just over a year, and yes, there are plenty of magazines and publishers with their own iPad apps…but there is no single dedicated iPad news product. It’s a gap. And News International appear to be trying to fill it.

Scratch an itch

Great business ideas ‘scratch an itch’, by which we mean solving a problem that a group of people have. The best place to identify an itch is on your own body. What’s bugging you right now? What do you see which can be done faster? Cheaper? More accurately? More locally or more beautifully? TheBusinessDesk, a successful online news startup in the UK, clearly scratched an itch its founders had: there was no good source for regional business & finance news. They scratched their own itch, and in doing so created a thriving business. Scratching your own itch has a big advantage: because it’s your itch, you are best placed to tell whether your solution is scratching it properly.

Improve something

If that doesn’t work, why not try improving on someone else’s idea? There are plenty of magazines, websites, services we all use which get us grumbling. “This coverage stinks!” “Their infographics are rubbish” “They could have done that website so much better!” If there’s something out there which is not up to scratch – make your own, improved, version.

Begin with you

Instead of looking for a business idea straight away, start with you and your strengths and passions. What do you love doing? If you could wake up tomorrow morning and commit one act of journalism, what would it be? Designing? Writing? Data interrogation? Once you’ve identified that, you want to wrap a business around it. Look for markets for your passion, and build a business from there. This philosophy sums up the approach taken in my book Next Generation Journalist, which starts with a look at your real interests. After all, there’s no point in pursuing a business idea you’re not interested in, just because it looks like a workable idea. I have a brilliant idea for an environmentally friendly kettle. But am I going to make it? No. Because manufacturing, retail and, err, kettles, don’t do it for me right now.

Start making something – right now

Finally, once you’ve got an idea – or maybe if you still don’t – start creating, right away. Ideas are one-a-penny, but they don’t count for anything until you’ve turned it into something tangible. So if you’ve got an idea for an online magazine, get the webspace and domain, upload a WordPress theme and get creating. Why? Because you’ll only know if your idea is any good once it’s real. If you don’t have an idea yet, then start creating anyway. Whatever it is you feel like. If you think you’d like to start a business making infographics but aren’t sure what gap it would fill or itch it would scratch, keep going. Start designing infographics and put them online. See what the feedback is. Are people biting? This way you can develop your business idea organically. Only once you’re making something can you know whether it’s got legs.

Have you got a business idea not you're not sure where to go with? Would you like to link up with others and play with ideas? Then come along to UPLOAD//Standing Together on the 19th February and attend the strand session 'Money Money Money: Being Commerically Christian'. You could also contact other members through their profiles, write a blog asking for input or contact your sector connector.

"The successful multidimensional media project needs financial profitability, as well as a beneficial message, as a key ingredient... To invest means to increase outlay. In monetary terms this ought to be investing money for good willed purposes so as to reap further dividends. Money and goodwill need not, and must not be alien. The alignment of the two is the right use of financial expertise."

Duncan Williams - Christian Media InvestorSpeaking at UPLOAD : Standing Together - Christians in Journalism and theMediaNet.org

More details of the 'Money, Money, Money' strand of UPLOAD and a full list of the contact information is attached in the link below:

www.box.net/shared/ygfilrypvr
__________________________

2011-01-30T16:36:00.000Z

London Calling - The Son reaches the capital!

2011-01-24T10:17:00.003Z

"Join us in beating a path for tabloid reform," says Duncan Williams

The Son has been successfully distributed throughout one of London's major boroughs during the winter period.

Warmly received by all Christian churches in the local community following a brief presentation of the visionary tabloid title at Holy Trinity Brompton's acclaimed Alpha Course, demand to stock the paper at neighbouring churches quickly grew in momentum.

"It really has been great to see this positive news redtop so well received by our community," says local churchgoer and Christian media campaigner, Duncan Williams. "Particularly in the wake of the demand for ethical reform engulfing the popular press in the UK, I feel that The Son really is beating a path for a change for the better."

In addition to copies going out in Catholic, C of E and Methodist Churches all across the Royal Borough, Christian outreach services, such as The Trust and the Salvation Army, have also reported favourable responses to the good news tabloid.

"It's a welcome breath of fresh air," says retired Corporal Roy Turner of the World's End Estate's Salvation Army group. "I think people are getting very tired of negative stories and need a little bit of uplifting news."

Patients at the nearby Chelsea and Westminster Hospital also appeared to agree. When copies of The Son were distributed throughout the wards by the Chaplaincy team over the Christmas period, the general was hugely favourable. One nurse even saying to the team; "Thank you to The Son this is a real tonic for people who are unable to celebrate their Christmas at home and need a little bit of uplifting news."

The Son - We Love Him!

http://www.theson.org.uk/

THE SON - why not become a reader... or even a Partner?

2010-10-27T10:26:00.003+01:00

THE SON - Additional tabloid evangelists are required to help bring about more positive news in our papers.

Plymouth born media entrepreneur Duncan Williams said he was 'immensely impressed and delighted' when he discovered a radical new red-top being produced in his home city.

Says Duncan; "As a former tabloid hack it really was an instant hit with me! The Son is a welcome broadside shot at all those negative news stories that seems to dominate our British press. I simply love this paper's outlook!"

Duncan and his company Independent News Ltd. have pledged to get hundreds of copies of The Son distributed on London streets in time for Christmas...

"This is a really great little paper and I hope more people will get to read it!"

Read All About It!

The Son is a proactive, provocative and uncompromising newspaper which aims to put Jesus back at the centre of society. Written and presented in an easy to read tabloid style, based on the UK’s biggest circulation newspapers, The Son is an ideal tool to reach believers and unbelievers as well. As well as exclusive news, showbiz and sport from the paper, we bring you some groundbreaking exclusives and insight from The Son’s brilliant team of columnists.

Mission Statement

We have a simple goal at The Son:

"To use what God has given us, to share him with others."

The Son doesn't belong to us… or even to you! It's God's and we will humbly obey him and serve him in this ministry for as long as he wants. If you love the Lord and The Son, get involved.

Son Evangelists Required!

If you think The Son is awesome and you want to get involved, here's how you can become a partner.

This is your paper and we’d love to offer you the opportunity to get more involved. We are looking to set up a network of people that can get involved in this growing ministry by promoting The Son in their church, village or area.

People ask us, “How can we get involved?” – well here’s 3 ways:

Prayer

We believe this is a great ministry that enables people to read about the Christian life in a relevant, interesting and non-patronising way. Please pray for those involved in writing, producing, promoting and financing this project.

Buy It!

The Son is currently quarterly but our readers would like it monthly. For £30.00 per issue (plus postage) you can buy 100 copies. Some people buy them and stick them through letterboxes, others give them out at libraries, cafés, businesses, etc. Be creative! It’s a great way of sharing great news! If you'd like to buy copies of The Son, call us on 01752 225623.

Sign Up!

Just click here and complete the contact form. Don’t worry, you’re not signing your life away. As a Son Partner* you will be informed about news and events as well as developments and future plans.

If you have any questions (or ideas!), please give us a yell on 01752 268635 or email theson@cornerstonevision.com

*I agree to be a Son Partner. This commitment has no binding or legal consequences. It simply means I am keen to be involved in supporting this ministry and I’m happy to have relevant information sent to me. If I have signed up as a Church, I have permission to do so from the Church leadership.

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Shaka Zulu

2010-10-22T11:42:00.000+01:00

News in Brief

2010-09-23T09:27:00.000+01:00

ZUTONS: The lead singer of Liverpool
rock band The Zutons, who broke a
man's nose after his girlfriend was
insulted, was convicted of assault on
Wednesday. Dave McCabe, 29, headbutted
Peter Appleby during an alcoholfuelled
row outside a nightclub in February,
Liverpool Crown Court heard.
McCabe, who wrote the hit song Valerie
which was covered by Amy Winehouse
and Mark Ronson, reacted after one of
Mr Appleby's friends mocked his girlfriend's
fur-collared coat, saying it
looked like she had a beard. The rock
star denied assault occasioning actual
bodily harm and claimed he had acted
in self-defence. The Zutons formed in
2001 and have released three albums.

GREENPEACE: Greenpeace activists
have occupied an oil drilling ship
anchored off the Shetland Isles to push
for a ban on deepwater drilling in the
North Sea, the environmental group
said on Tuesday. Two activists used
speedboats to reach the 228-metre
long "Stena Carron" ship and climbed
up the rungs of the anchor chain before
hanging off the side in tents suspended
on ropes. One of the Greenpeace protesters,
Anais Schneider, said: "The
Shetlands are so beautiful and an oil
spill here could devastate this area and
the North Sea. "It’s time to go beyond
oil. Our addiction is harming the climate,
the natural world and our
chances of building a clean energy
future." US oil giant Chevron, which
operates the ship, accused Greenpeace
of endangering lives and appealed to
the group to immediately stop the
protest.

STOCKS: London shares fell at the end
of trade on Wednesday after a downbeat
economic outlook from the US
Federal Reserve, raising doubts over
the health of the world's largest economy.
The FTSE 100 index shed 0.44
per cent to close at 5,551.91 poiints.

HAMSTER: A British court sentenced a
man to nine weeks in prison on Wednesday
after he killed his favourite pet
hamster by cooking it in a microwave
during a drunken row with his girlfriend.
Unemployed Anthony Parker, 29, was
also banned from keeping any animals
for five years after he admitted causing
unnecessary suffering to the rodent resulting
in its death. Parker told police
after his arrest in Hartlepool in northeastern
England: "I didn't mean to kill
her. She was the best hamster I ever
had. She was called Suzie."

ROYAL MAIL: Employees at Royal Mail
will receive at least ten per cent of
shares following privatisation, Business
Secretary Vince Cable announced on
Wednesday. "This will be the largest
employee shares scheme of any privatisation
for 25 years in terms of the number
of workers who will benefit second
only to the privatisation of British Telecom
in 1984," Cable said as he
addressed the annual Liberal Democrat
party conference.

__________________________

News in Brief

2010-09-22T12:27:00.001+01:00

DAVID IRVING: British historian David
Irving, who was jailed in Austria for
denying the Holocaust, said on Tuesday
he was in Poland to lead a tour of World
War II sites, including the former
Treblinka death camp. Holocaust survivors
and anti-racism groups have
slammed Irving's plans, even calling on
Polish authorities to ban his visit which
is also scheduled to take in a visit to the
former local headquarters of Hitler.

PAKISTAN POLICE: A 70-year-old British
man has been held in a Pakistani
jail for nearly a month after being arrested
in the lawless tribal belt on a journey
to Afghanistan, officials said on
Tuesday.

GREENPEACE: Greenpeace activists
had occupied an oil drilling ship
anchored off the Shetland Isles to push
for a ban on deepwater drilling in the
North Sea, the environmental group
said on Tuesday. Two activists used
speedboats to reach the 228-metre long
ship and climbed up the rungs of the
anchor chain before hanging off the
side in tents suspended on ropes.

CAIRN ENERGY: Cairn Energy,
renowned for a major oil find in India,
said on Tuesday that it had discovered
pockets of oil and further evidence of
gas in offshore Greenland. The group
said it had found two types of oil after
drilling in the Baffin Bay Basin.

FTSE: London shares ended slightly
weaker despite a strong start to the
week and ahead of a key meeting of the
US Federal Reserve expected to shed
light on the outlook for the US economy.
The FTSE 100 index fell 0.47 per cent
to 5,576.19 points.

ALZHEIMER'S: The number of
Alzheimer's sufferers worldwide will
double within 20 years to more than 65
million, according to a study published
on Tuesday to mark World Alzheimer's
Day. The cost of the disease and other
forms of dementia will cost one percent
of global gross domestic product this
year and the problem is set to grow
massively in the next two decades as
people live longer.

FERRY INSULT: The Dutch director of
Stena Line apologised on Tuesday for
calling British sailors "fat and covered in
tattoos" after a furious union boss
demanded that he retract his comments.
Pim de Lange also claimed it
was hard to find British crew who were
young and fit enough for the job.

MI6: The UK's foreign intelligence
agency MI6 published the first authorised
history of its early years on Tuesday,
revealing the exploits of both reallife
James Bonds and its worst ever
traitor. "MI6" was written by Keith Jeffrey,
a history professor at Queen's University
in Belfast who was granted
access to unseen archives from the
shadowy agency's creation in 1909 until
the start of the Cold War in 1949.

__________________________

Ashley Isham at London Fashion Week, September 2010

2010-09-21T17:12:00.000+01:00

Jasper Conran at London Fashion Week, September 2010

2010-09-21T16:26:00.000+01:00

Charlie Le Mindu at London Fashion Week, September 2010

2010-09-21T15:59:00.000+01:00

Thousands Turn Out To Welcome Pope In London

2010-09-17T12:07:00.006+01:00

Thousands of people have turned out in London to welcome the Pontiff as he continues his Papal tour of the UK with a series of public events in the capital.

The west London suburb of Strawberry Hill near Twickenham has been turned into a riot of colour as schoolchildren and members of the clergy descend on the area.

But the huge security operation surrounding the visit has led to unusual scenes outside a college where Pope Benedict XVI will address thousands of children.

Streams of bemused nuns waited in long queues to go through security scanners at St Mary's University College.

Their veils were inspected and rosary beads removed from handbags as they negotiated security.

One monk looked on incredulously as his crucifix was inspected and his habit frisked by police.

The Pope began the second day of his official Papal Visit with a private mass in Wimbledon after flying into London last night.

He then travelled to St Mary's University College, where he performed a special service for young people in an event to celebrate Catholic education.

Protests have also been planned to coincide with the Pope's visit to south west London, with humanist groups planning to demonstrate outside the college.

Among those gathered, some held banners reading "Holy Joe Ratzinger" and "From Hitler Youth to Papacy".

Later the Pontiff will head to central London, where he will address the Houses of Parliament and meet the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

In the evening Pope Benedict will attend Evensong at Westminster Abbey.

Yesterday, his Holiness was greeted by an estimated 125,000 well-wishers in Edinburgh who lined the streets for a glimpse of the head of the Catholic Church.

Shortly after his arrival in the UK, the Pontiff gave a speech in which he said the UK remained "a key figure politically and economically on the international stage".

"May it always maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural expressions that more aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or even tolerate," he said.

"As we reflect on the sobering lessons of atheist extremism of the 20th century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus a reductive vision of a person and his destiny."

The Pope also took time on his earlier flight from Rome to speak of his "sadness" over his church's handling of child abuse scandals.

Source (c) Sky News 2010

__________________________

Anonymous bullies target famous Cornish Hotel, increasing local media interest!

2010-09-13T19:45:00.020+01:00

Nobody likes a bigot. The recent anti religious rantings of Pastor Terry Jones, on the anniversary of 9/11, attests to this. His words and threats were reviled by good people and faiths the world over.

But an anonymous bigot is a different breed of creature altogether.

Too cowardly to openly voice their diatribes, too wretched to sign a name to their hateful cant.

Sadly, the internet can often be abused by those who bare ill will. Victims for slander can be easily targeted by cowards.

With these thoughts in mind, and because of the ongoing vitriolic attacks, by bigots, towards a tourist hotel and many people resident in the small town of Tintagel in Cornwall, our media company is restating our support.

Our own Director of Publishing, Duncan Williams, who was himself brought up in the North Cornwall area, is said to be appalled by the lies and accusations that are set to 'damage Tintagel' irreparably if left unchallenged.

"What good is achieved for this town?" says our publisher. "Particularly during a period of recession, by badmouthing its largest hotel? What gain is there for the community?"

Hysterical internet postings, over many weeks now, have centred upon John Mappin, his Kazakhstan born wife, Irina, and a resident painter named Ted Stourton, who are each co-owners of Tintagel's famous Camelot Castle Hotel.

John says; "At Camelot Castle we have a business policy of trying to use local Tintagel traders and to buy locally wherever possible. We are all learning this week what it might mean to our village to lose an important business. Once the heart of a village dies it can be very hard to breath life back into it."

However, the roots of this controversy seem to centre around the Mappin's involvement in the mysterious Scientology 'religion'. Itself often accused of bullying tactics towards its own members.

Unrelenting web outbursts and a cruel hate campaign by email, attacking the owners of the clifftop resort, their friends, business associates, and even their foreign employees, have all been swamping the internet for weeks now. It is clearly having an adverse effect on business.

"Bigotry like this is totally unacceptable," insists Duncan Williams. His independent news company has even been accused, quite wrongly, of 'bribery by the American Church' in order to support their corner in print. "There is no prejudicial bias in any of our publications. It goes against everything I believe in."

Williams, whose grandfather was a local C of E vicar, goes on to say; "Cornwall has always been a place where all kinds of people are welcomed, from all walks of life, wherever they are from and whatever their faith may happen to be - and no matter how eccentric it might seem to others..."

It would be a sad day, indeed, if this were ever to change. A sad day for Tintagel. And a sad day for Cornwall.

"Standing up to bullies is never easy," laments John Mappin.

Standing up to an anonymous bully, perhaps harder still.

But, as anyone working in the media knows only too well; words that can be used to hurt can equally be used, with truth and time, to heal.

And all bullies and bigots must, and will, be brought to heel.

# # #

More information can be found at;
http://www.whyweprotest.net
http://www.camelotcastle.com

# # #

Independent News Ltd. - Established publisher of UK regional newspapers and magazines. Offering distribution and marketing opportunities in key locations throughout Great Britain.
__________________________

Doing The Work You Were Born To Do

2010-09-06T09:48:00.002+01:00

By Catherine Trebble

Have you ever felt like you were born to do something in particular with your life? Maybe you don't really understand why, but you feel yourself pulled in a particular direction and feel like if you don't do it now, you will regret it.

You might very well have a job right now that isn't so bad. Maybe you enjoy the people you work with and you get joy out of it. But it's still not what you really want to be doing with your life. It could be that you ended up in the job that you are in now because you took a wrong turn somewhere in your life, or maybe it's just because you've just never mustered up enough courage to take whatever leap you need to take to do what it is that you know you want to do.

As a person who has always had that feeling inside me, I can tell you from my own personal experience that if you feel yourself being pulled in a certain direction when it comes to your career, don't ignore it. Even if you feel right now is the worst time possible for you to just drop everything and pursue the job of your dreams, you can at least stop ignoring your calling and start working on a plan to get you from where you are right now to where you want to be.

When we're little, we always have an idea of what we want to be when we grow up. More often than not, we miss the boat and don't always get to realize our childhood dreams. As we grow older, not only do our interests change, but our realities change as well. But that doesn't mean you've missed the boat entirely.

There are many opportunities awaiting you out there. It all starts with working out what's right for you and then designing a plan that will help you get from where you are right now to where you want to be.

This plan will not only help make the transition from your comfort zone to your new career environment a lot smoother and easier to navigate, it will also help you achieve the happiness you want and deserve in your life.

There is a lot of truth in the saying "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." When you do what you love, your entire outlook when it comes to work changes. Stress is minimized, your confidence and self esteem rises, and life is more enjoyable and fulfilling all around. When you love what you do for a living, you will find it easier to give more of yourself and to be the best at what you do. Because when you care about what you are doing, your heart is in it!

In life, there are no guarantees. You may think that you can pursue your dreams later, but if you continue to put things off, you may run out of time and there may be no later. We all know people who never 'got around to it'. So act now-even if the first step is to simply acknowledge what it is you want to do with your life. After that, it's all about making a plan and taking the steps, no matter how little or big, to launch you into doing what you know you were born to do.

The era of the 'new media baron' dawns at Camelot Castle, Cornwall

2010-08-21T10:11:00.004+01:00

Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel, Cornwall, plays host to celebrities, business owners and media leaders; where talks are held, sometimes late into the night, to uphold the values of positive news reporting

The names John Mappin and Duncan Williams are synonymous with local media.

Both men have strong links to Cornwall, and both have been pioneers of positive news reporting; pledging to use media as a tool to improve understanding, communication and peace.

Lately, John Mappin is just as well known for his remarkable restoration of Tintagel's Camelot Castle Hotel; now an international focal point for members of the celebrity and media worlds. In fact, Camelot has once again become a global round table where decisions are made.

Nicolas Cage, Kate Winslet, Buzz Aldrin, Donald Pleasence, the Emir of Quatar, key business leaders, politicians and even a Russian Oil Oligarch, have all enjoyed visits and talked into the small hours at Camelot Castle.

Williams himself recalls his first memorable visit to the hotel, some years ago, when it was being used as a movie set for a big budget adaptation of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'.

"Some while later John Mappin and I were working together on a small newspaper," says Duncan. "Which, at the time, was one of the very few in this country to make a brave stand against the pressured political cries for an invasion of Afghanistan."

Under Tony Blair, most major newspapers and indeed old school 'press barons' toed the line and printed the lie. Now look at what has resulted!

Duncan Williams went on to form his own ethical publishing company, printing 1000s of copies of a successful self help book, then created a series of regional newspaper and magazine titles.

Mappin and Williams hold the view that society and survival are in grave danger when false reporting or incorrect data are used to justify an unsound government agenda.

Media then has a duty to report the truth. Positive reporting is ethical reporting. Transmitting a fact without recourse to negative spin.

"It is sad to read so much negativity about the work that goes on at Camelot Castle," says Duncan. "John Mappin, his wife Irina and resident artist Ted Stourton all contribute a huge amount to Cornwall. They offer their home as a base for debate about issues concerning local and national media."

And these are issues that still concern us all ...

To find out more about the real Camelot Castle Hotel follow these links below;

http://www.camelotcastle.com

http://vimeo.com/13887539
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Independent News Ltd. - Established publisher of UK regional newspapers and magazines. Offering distribution and marketing opportunities in key locations throughout Great Britain.

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WRITERS WANTED!

2010-08-19T08:14:00.007+01:00

How do I get a break into the competitive world of journalism?

We are regularly asked if we 'have any vacancies for journalists on our newspaper and magazine titles?'

The answer is; yes! ... We are always on the lookout for genuinely talented people. YOU are the lifeblood of future reporting and the news industry depends upon your input.

But first of all we need to know that you can develop the same high standard we have come to expect from our team of writers?

To give you a chance to shine as a scribe we select interns who can trial for a period as 'guest bloggers' on one of our publication's websites; working on established regional newspapers and magazines that go out in key areas throughout the UK.

In this way you get a chance to put your news and views across direct to our readers, 1000s of them, often gaining you an immediate following and linking your name, as a brand new journalist, with one of Britain's most successful and prolific regional publishing companies.

So, if you are really interested in making an impression and possibly joining our professional team of bloggers for a 12 week period of free training, please read the five tips below and then do get in touch with us...

Five Tips Every Guest Blogger Should Know

One of the best ways to increase your visibility is to become a guest blogger at a popular blog. This is a chance for you to gain exposure to a new audience and credibility by being associated with highly-respected bloggers with major followings. Guest blogging is a win-win situation for everyone if done right: the blog gets excellent and free content to use while the guest blogger gets increased exposure for their blog, brand or products.

Of course, there are many other people who want to become guest bloggers for the same reason it might make sense for you to do the same. In order to get the prime guest blogging spots on the top sites you need to make yourself and your content stand out from the pack. Here are five tips on how to make that happen:

1. Read and Understand the Blog: It's amazing how many people contact major blogs wanting to be guest bloggers without fully understanding what the blog is all about. Each blog has its own topics that are of interest to the owners and their readers. If you suggest content which is not appropriate your guest blogging request is going to be denied.

Instead, read through the past two to three months of blog posts to see what topics the blog is focused on. You'll want to avoid pitching topic ideas that have already been covered, but at the same time you might be able to pitch a rebuttal to a previous post or a different take on a popular theme. This will also give you a strong sense for the tone of the blog.

2. Know the Guest Blogging Guidelines: Not all blogs accept guest bloggers, so you'll want to make sure they do before you pitch them with your idea. If they do accept guest posts, chances are that they'll have specific guest blogger guidelines published on their site. It's important to review these rules before you contact a blog. You don't want to break any rules at the start which might anger the blog owners and make it harder for you to convince them to let you be a guest blogger. If you seem uninformed about the guidelines of the blog, it's tough to convince a blogger that you will provide great content.

3. Write the Blog First: If you are dealing with a very popular blog, chances are that the site's owners and editorial team are extremely busy. Taking the time to establish a rapport with the blog's management, pitching a story idea and then working through the details is time-consuming. In many cases, it's better to just write a blog on a topic you feel confident will work and send it to the blog. If they like it, they can publish it without having to jump through hoops. If they reject it, you can take it to another blog.

4. Prove Yourself: It's important to provide your credentials when sending over a guest blog in order for the bloggers to understand that you are an expert in the field. A guest blog written by a savvy industry professional is going to carry more weight than one written by a random person. Explain to the blog why you are the right person to discuss a certain topic with their audience and what perspective you bring that can't be found anywhere else.

5. Write a Compelling Headline: A great headline can do more than bring readers to your blog -- it's also the perfect way to grab the attention of the owner or editor of a blog. Much like readers, the people you contact with a request to guest post might only skim to the title of your proposed post. If it's interesting and engaging, they'll want to read more; if it's boring or stale, they'll move on. One great tip is to write a headline that proposes a question you will answer in your article.

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