NEWS 14

The #BringBackOurGirls of 2016: what will dominate Africa's Twittersphere this year?

SUMMARY:

Hashtags have become a key way to measure how millions of people react to the biggest news events and debates of the day. They’re also where some of the best jokes are made. Mapping this trend, satirical news site YesiYesighana and digital bloggers Circumspecte have just released their list of the most influential topics debated by Africans on Twitter (#AOT) in 2015.

FACTS:  

From #BringBackOurGirls which, on 6 December, marked 600 days since the schoolgirls of Chibok were abducted by Boko Haram

“If African Twitter was a bar then the year 2015 would have been one of those memorable nights out,” YesiYesighana said.

 “Noisy drinkers would be eating jollof while debating xenophobia, everyday sexism and everything in between.”

Newsquest/Gannett forced to change policy over remote subbing

SUMMARY: 

Remote subbing appears to work in many places across the world but, evidently, not at Newsquest/Gannett’s UK-based production hubs. HoldTheFrontPage reports that more than 80% of the headlines written by subeditors at the publisher’s centres in Newport and Weymouth have been changed by editors in local newspaper offices. So Newsquest has announced a change in policy. According to an email sent to regional editors and managing directors by group production director Leighton Jones “headlines, subheads and straplines on stories will no longer be written in the copy-editing hubs.”

FACTS:

“create a more efficient workflow and address the concerns of some of you that you change 80% or more of the headlines that are supplied.”

The NUJ warned loudly and clearly that producing local papers hundreds of miles away would hit quality.