Newspaper news from 30 June 2009

OK! owner 'paid $500k for Jackson shots' (Media Guardian)
Richard Desmond's titles secure rights to Michael Jackson photos in UK and USOK!

Harvey Levin and the rise of TMZ.com (Media Guardian)
It had the celebrity scoop of the decade when it broke the news of Michael Jackson's death.

The Time Must Finally Be Now For Grassroots Media (paidContent:UK)
You don’t need to be reminded of the crisis facing local newspapers; after a brutal year of cutbacks, many are being emasculated or dropped enti...

Michael Jackson tribute magazine hits newsstands (Press Gazette)
A one-off commemorative magazine dedicated to Michael Jackson and produced by the editorial team at Reveal hit newsstands today just five days after t...

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A decent start but the Tories must be bolder (Daily Mail)
DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A decent start but the Tories must be bolder...

Trinity Mirror condemns "irresponsible" NUJ Midlands ballot (Press Gazette)
Relations between the National Union of Journalists and the UK's biggest regional newspaper publisher were looking strained today as journalists in th...

Trinity Midlands staff to vote on strike (Media Guardian)
NUJ to hold ballot following claims Trinity Mirror is planning to close titlesThe National Union of Journalists is to ballot around 150 of its members...

Johnston Press wins breathing space (Media Guardian)
Lenders agree to defer testing debt covenants until 31 August as 'constructive negotiations' continue with newspaper publisherRegional newspaper publi...

In praise of ... William Cobbett (Media Guardian)
Two hundred years ago today William Cobbett published an article that had profound effects both for his own freedom (he was jailed for two years for s...

Two new regional editors for press watchdog (Hold the Front Page)
New industry representatives appointed to PCC...