By Kevin McCauley
DEADLINE CLUB MEETS WITH NYPD CHIEF
Members of the governing board of The Deadline Club, New York City’s Society of Professional Journalists’ chapter, recently met with New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to discuss tense relations between reporters and the 35,000-member police force.
Kelly and PR man Paul Browne heard complaints about reporters either being restricted from covering or arrested during reporting Occupy Wall Street protests. Reporters also complain about hold-ups in renewing press passes.
Kelly said it was sometimes difficult for cops to distinguish reporters from protesters during OWS. He denied any plan to exclude the press during the “clean-up” of Zuccotti Park.
The commissioner appreciates the job reporters do, but also wants them to report on police activities to help “get their story out.”
Browne told the delegation that officers are not trained to restrict photojournalists from covering events in any public space. He urged photographers to report any harassment to the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information’s office.
The NYPD agreed to participate in workshops with reporters to better acquaint both sides and determine the roles of each. The Deadline Club plans work with the NYPD to organize the first session.
MURDOCH DENIES MISLEADING PARLIAMENT
James Murdoch, deputy COO at News Corp., rejects media reports that he resigned his News International post and relocated to New York because he knew about “voicemail interception or other alleged criminal wrongdoing.”
In a March 12 letter to John Whittingdale, chairman of the House of Commons’ culture, media and sport committee, Murdoch does accept a “share of responsibility for not uncovering wrongdoing earlier.”
He denies trying to hide any wrongdoing.
Murdoch gave up his executive chairman of NI post to “focus on further development of News Corp.’s international TV business, which has been my primary focus over the years and to continue to strengthen the operational performance and risk management processes in our companies around the world.”
The timing of his exit from London was his own move and “follows the successful launch of a Sunday edition of The Sun and significant progress and governance reforms at NI.”
The son of CEO Rupert Murdoch told the committee that in running a large organization, “it is reasonable, necessary and indeed appropriate to rely on experienced senior executives, who have direct responsibility for certain matters, to handle these matters and to tell their bosses what they need to know.”
The “truth is that incomplete answers and what now appear to be false assurances were given to the questions that I asked.”
CONDE NAST PRO TO NAT JOURNAL GROUP
National Journal Group has named Jessica Perry digital VP/general manager as part of its "digital-first" initiative.
Her responsibilities include audience development/engagement, content/business partnerships, social media/video products and monetization.
Perry was VP product planning and development for Conde Nast Digital, overseeing brands such as The New Yorker, Wired, Vanity Fair and Glamour.
Earlier, she was at the Dow Jones Online post of senior VP-marketing & business development for its Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch and Barron’s digital properties.
Perry starts at NJG on March 19.
HBO DOWN ON ‘LUCK’
Time Warner’s HBO cable programmer has canceled its “Luck” horseracing drama featuring Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte after the deaths of three horses.
"While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won't in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision," HBO said in a statement.
Two horses died last year during races filmed for the program that debuted in January.
Another died this week after it was injured during a barn accident.
The horse has just passed an American Humane Assn. inspection. The AMA issued a statement to say the accident was “in no way a result of any mistreatment or negligence on the part of HBO.”
There are two completed episodes set to air.
WAPO’S GOO LEAVES FOR PEW
Sara Goo, real estate editor for the Washington Post, is shifting to Pew Research Center as senior digital editor. The Post will hire a replacement.
The 11-year veteran of the Post joined as business reporter in its Prince George’s bureau.
She covered airport security and the creation of the Transportation Security Administration in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Goo helped launch financial and tech blogs for the paper before being assigned tehsenior news director slot on the universal desk.
She exits the Post on April 6.
|