Don't point that fireman at me ...

This story from the Roscommon Herald, about a DJ dressed as Osama Bin Laden pointing a gun at two men tending sheep in a field, raised a smile. It certainly succeeds in building a vivid picture in the readers' minds. But it gets even funnier in column 2. The policeman who made the arrest told the court. "He said he hadn't a licence for the gun. It looks extremely real and, in terms of weight, it felt like a fireman." A fireman? Blimey. How, I wonder, does the garda know what a fireman feels like. I think we should be told.

The strange case of the cutting-edge valise

The Mail trainee subs had a good afternoon with executive night editor Andy Gregory. Andy, once a Northern Echo colleague, gave a real insight into the way the Mail subs desk operates. He also touched on elegant variations. The phrase was coined by Fowler in his Dictionary of Modern English Usage, to refer to unnecessary synonyms. Fowler said: "It is the second-rate writers, those intent rather on expressing themselves prettily than on conveying their meaning clearly and still more those whose notions of style are based on a few misleading rules of thumb, that are chiefly open to the allurements of elegant variation. The fatal influence is the advice given to young writers never to use the same word twice in a sentence or within 20 lines or other limit."
Newspaper subs regularly encounter writers who don't like to use the same word twice, so seek elegant (or as the Americans call them, inelegant) variations. Some subs desks refer to them as povs, which stands for popular orange vegetable, a phrase supposedly edited out of an article about carrots. I have a story about a cow causing chaos on a motorway which I often give to trainee subs as an exercise. It is fascinating to watch the cow change into an animal, a beast and finally into a farmyard creature. In Andy's 30 years of subbing he has been collecting the examples that have crossed his desk at both the Express and the Mail. 
He shared some with the trainees today. See if you can work out what they are:
The popular fish-eating mammal
The tin-legged flying ace
Single-lens accessory
Love-it or loathe-it condiment
One of the world's best-loved insects
Red leather orb
Tasty bread-based snacks
The cutting-edge valise
Fantastic. They would make a great stocking-filler book. The answers are below. If you have any more examples, I would be delighted to receive them.
Answers: Otter; Douglas Bader; monocle; Marmite; bee; cricket ball; sandwiches; suitcase on wheels.
    

Amos made 'bigger impact' than Sir Harry Evans

I have just about recovered from Mike Amos's retirement party at the weekend. Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, said Amos had made a bigger impact on the Echo than any other journalist - including former editors WT Stead and Harold Evans. High praise indeed. My musings on the weekend are here. 

Steve Jobs: Tributes and memories

Inevitably there are hundreds of tributes to Steve Jobs kicking around  this week. Here are some that caught my eye.

The Sydney Morning Herald uses an iPad frame


There have been lots of adaptations of the logo. This is one of the best.

Sums up one of the issues nicely

Here is PA's interactive timeline on Apple's history from its inception in 1984 to this week - with a close look at what happened to its share prices.

I can't claim to be a Mac User since 1984. I first dabbled in 1988 when I used to stand in for Mike Brough, the graphic artist at The Northern Echo, on his day off to change the weather map and football chalk boards. This video on how it all started brings it all back. And if you never tire of hearing the Jobs' philosophy this is worth a watch (and not just because it's a CEO delivering a keynote lecture in shorts). The advert on the crazy ones is particularly pertinent. 

And finally, here's the cover of Time, simple but effective.

Hat tips to @K1989B @charlesapple and @parkgraeme
Selection of quotes and tributes also on @TomDavenport website  

Have a crack at the newsquiz - 17.5 to beat

In Howden again this week and, apart from doing headlines, layout and design with the Telegraph trainees, I found myself refereeing a game of football in the park and in the dark. It was a competitive match with tackles flying in. The Daily Mail, with two sports trainees, were determined not to lose to the 'broadsheet lot'. And so it proved ... the Mail (plus international guest) beat the Telegraph (plus international guests) 5-3. Despite some robust challenges there were no major injuries, just a ball in the face for one of the girls and lots of aches and bruises the next day. As the Telegraph trainees are off to the law courts in Newcastle tomorrow, we had to do the quiz earlier this week. It was the highest scoring week so far with the Telegraph's Jess Winch edging it with 17.5 and three others (Jenny O'Mahony from the Telegraph and Lottie Young and Tom Clarke from the Mail) all on 17. Is it easier this week or is it, as I prefer to believe, that everyone is paying closer attention to the detail in the news stories?  
There are a possible 21 points. See how you get on:

1. Who said: "You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."?

2 Why was Maya in the news?

3.  Which country has introduced a 'fat tax'?

4. Jessie J won four categories at the MOBO awards. What does MOBO stand for?

5.  How much is a dog licence?

6. The London based Irish Post will be back on the streets after being bought by Elgin Loane. Loane owns which other publication - which he bought from the Daily Mail and General Trust last year?

7. Soham killer Ian Huntley was attacked in prison. Give the name of the prison and the city in which it is based (half a point for each).

8. Portsmouth Pub landlady Karen Murphy won a European Court of Justice ruling that allows her to air Premier League football without subscribing to Sky. What is the name of her pub?

9. Amanda Knox is now back at home in which American city?

10. The Daily Mail and Sun online were among those who wrongly published that Knox had been found guilty of murder. The confusion apparently arose as Knox was found guilty of another charge. What was that charge?

11. Charlie Gilmour says he didn't realise he was swinging from what?

12. Which singer has been forced to cancel a US tour due to illness

13. Why was Jessica Palmer in the headlines?

14. The Defence Secretary has been accused of putting national security as risk by allowing a former flatmate access to the MoD. Who is the Defence Secretary?

15. The Great British Bake Off - the TV series which has become a big hit for BBC 2 - caused a stir by showing an explicit picture of what?

16. If England beat France in Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarter final they will meet the winners of Quarter Final One in the next round. Name the two teams (that they might meet in the semi-final). Half a point for each team.

17. Who, according to the Palestinian leadership, has 'become of no use at all'?

18. What do Israeli Professor Daniel Shechtman, Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer and US physicist Saul Perlmutter have in common?

19. Michael Le Vell has been arrested on suspicion of a sexual offence involving a young girl. What is the name of the character he plays in Coronation Street?

20. Boris Johnson impressed many journalists with his performance at the Conservative Party conference and on Newsnight this week. Johnson is, of course, a journalist himself but which magazine did he edit from 1999-2005?

And for a bonus point, which magazine does his younger sister, Rachel Johnson, edit?
Answers are here.

Valedictory columns mark Mike's final week

I am really looking forward to Mike Amos's retirement bash at Hardwick Hall in Sedgefield on Friday. We have been promised lots of old faces, real beer and Taylor's pies and then it's off to Shildon versus Bishop Auckland on Saturday. As he counts down his final days as a staffer, after 46 years, the Echo is running a series of valedictory columns. Lovely stuff ... an enjoyable read for anyone who worked the North-East patch or, indeed, anyone with fond memories of the way newspapers used to be.

A rule would have helped ... but not much

I was talking to the Daily Telegraph trainees about the perils of placing headlines next to unrelated photographs yesterday. Libel by juxtaposition is rare - it is more likely your page will be pinged around on Twitter and widely ridiculed. So I am grateful to @subedited for drawing my attention to this front page from Canada's Sudbury Star. Very timely. A rule might not mean much in law, but it would have helped a little ... and don't get me started on the headline shape. Today the trainees are looking at pictures and captions - any contributions gratefully received.

Tom wins this week's newsquiz - 15 to beat

Another good week for the Mail and Telegraph trainee journalists in Howden. Trainers this week included Mike Brough, Brian Page, Andrew Glover, Chris Gregory and Lindsay Hodgkinson from the Mail legal department. As usual we finished with the newsquiz. Congratulations to Telegraph trainee Tom Rowley who is this week's winner with a very impressive 16 points out of 21. Question 21 was a local one that only the trainees would know, so I have only included 20 here. If you get 15, it would be impressive. 

Ed Balls and Andy Burnham line up a free kick against the lobby journalists - but what was the final score (Q4). Pic from TheFA.com

1. Which city hosted the last bullfight in the Catalan area of Spain?

2. Yvette Cooper's conference speech impressed many (including the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts).  What is her position in the Shadow Cabinet?

3. Yvette Cooper's husband Ed Balls led his Labour Party team at the annual Labour Conference game versus the lobby journalists at Liverpool Soccer Centre. What was the score?

4. It's the turn of the Conservatives to hold their party conference next week. In which city?

5. What is the name of Michael Jackson' personal physician who is on trial accused of killing the star with an overdose?

6. England and Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand lost his High Court privacy action against which newspaper?

7. The Communities Secretary has announced a £250m fund to ensure local councils restore weekly bin collections. Who is the Communities Secretary?

8.  A miner died at Kellingley colliery near which North Yorkshire village?

9. Who did Alan Graham tell to cover-up?

10. Which Premiership footballer has been suspended by his club while allegations of sexual assault and drugs possession are investigated?

11.Which TV programme is celebrating its 50th birthday?

12. The Government is proposing to to increase the speed limit from 70mph to 80mph. When did it increase from 60 to 70mph (1pt if you get it spot on and half a point if you are one year out)

13. An inquest was told that 17-year-old schoolgirl Grace Ford fell to her death from a window after trying to climb into a hotel room in which resort?

14. Which country was denounced by the UN Security Council for "the continued grave and systematic human rights violations" by its authorities?

15. Why was Michael Cohen in the headlines?

16. Who is the outgoing chair of the Press Complaints Commission?

17. Mark Bradford allegedly throttled a 13-year-old boy after being beaten by him in an online PlayStation game. What was the game?

18. Christine Hemming, on trial for burglary, claimed in court this week that her MP husband had been unfaithful at least how many times?  

19. The creator of the television comedy Dad's Army died this week. What was his name?

20. According to researchers from the University of California, doing what means you are trustworthy?

How did you do? Check the answers here.