NewsNow appoints new MD to strengthen focus on ‘healthy news diet’

NewsNow, the independent news discovery platform has appointed a new MD to help drive its mission to provide a ‘healthy news diet’ to readers.

The new MD, Paul Evans, is an accomplished leader who brings a wealth of strategic, operational and technical knowledge and experience to the role, plus a rich understanding of the media landscape and a lifelong commitment to editorial standards and media plurality.

Paul has worked across newspapers, magazines, websites and video in a media career spanning two decades, most recently heading up his own editorial-led content agency, Fourth Estate Creative. His appointment marks a redoubling of NewsNow’s commitment to promoting credible, independent and public interest journalism.

The company, which has been providing news aggregation with a focus on breadth and quality of sources since the early part of the dotcom era, last year teamed up with journalism charity the Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) to help tackle the problem of local news gaps in the UK by creating dialogue with the underserved communities themselves.

NewsNow Founder and CEO, Struan Bartlett said: “I founded NewsNow in 1997 to democratise the market for news. In the 25 years since, we’ve grown to a global top 50 news website with millions of loyal readers, but we’ve never lost sight of our goal to make news serve readers better. We’re delighted to be welcoming Paul to NewsNow’s leadership team. His appointment will be pivotal in our drive to bake our public interest mission into everything we do.”

The website also recently rolled out the biggest redesign in its history, including several features aimed at providing readers more context around the news, an article information panel with more context on certain publishers and an ‘all sources’ tab showing ‘news from all the angles’ with access to the same story covered by different outlets - as well as adding an alternative grid view to supplement its famously unembellished list view.

Evans said: “I’m delighted to be joining NewsNow at this exciting point as it ramps up its emphasis on healthy news consumption. Throughout my career, I have been focussed on the problem of how to get good, well-researched, original and honest work in front of readers, and in tackling the many obstacles that stand in the way of doing that. 

"From my first conversations with Struan and the NewsNow team, I could see they were driven by the same challenge. NewsNow is an organisation with a purpose beyond profit and it’s a purpose that I care about deeply. We have lots of initiatives we are developing to help our own readers better appreciate the provenance and context of the news they’re reading - and to support others who, in one way or another, are working towards improving people’s access to trustworthy news that serves readers above all.”

https://www.newsnow.co.uk

(Image courtesy of Michael Bußmann from Pixabay)

No news is good news? Unions call seven day industrial action and silence Number 10

The UK’s two largest Public Relations unions, the Federation of Online Lobbyists and the Association of Public Relations and Information Lobbyists today announced a week of industrial action designed to highlight their grievance over working conditions for their members and their treatment by the press.

From Sunday, the PR industry’s 50,000 UK professional practitioners including lobbyists and spin merchants will down tools. Analysts predict newsrooms throughout the land will grind to a halt as striking PRs fail to email press releases, research story angles or insert interview slots into spokespeople’s diaries. No news at all is expected from Downing Street, headed by former Carlton PR executive, David Cameron, until midday 8th April.

The dispute centres on a ‘complete lack of respect’ for the vital role PRs have in delivering factual news to ever-growing readerships, broadcast audiences and Social Media followers. The week-long protest comes in the light of weeks of nationwide ridicule by journalists and bloggers which included a ‘Wall of Shame’ and a derisory Twitter meme (#prsongs) which saw the microblog misused for open mocking of the PR profession which contributes to the UK economy.

Avril Lefou, founder of the Association of Public Relations and Information Lobbyists, reasoned: “Recent events have forced this unprecedented move by our members. For too long, our members have pitched some of the most unique fodder to ungrateful newsgatherers.

"Some of these so-called professionals frequently ignore perfectly newsworthy yarns. While perfectly happy to accept press trips and samples, our comrades in news are not putting pen to paper, finger to tablet or phone to ear as we believe they should. We have no option, but to retaliate and withdraw our labour.”

Local protests have been planned up and down the country which will see the printing presses of Manchester grind to a halt, the IPad screens of Hoxton blank and even the world famous BBC flagship Today programme without its trademark shouting matches – a move some predict will see the early retirement of Splott-born John Humphrys.

There is however some good news, rival unions, the Foundation Openly and Objective Lobbying [FOaOL] estimates a saving of electricity from reduced latte consumption, as well as much faster download times for Facebook, Pinterest and other vital PR-related websites. Follow it on #prstrike


(EDITOR: This is, of course, an early April Fool stunt by some PR executives with a very good sense of humour!)