Welcome to the weekly Wrap from How-Do - media news for the North West.

The Wrap's guest editor this week is Darren Fowler.

 Fellow How-Do’ers will be aware of a variety of developments this week in the fields of publishing and journalism in the region. News of the new BA course in Digital Journalism at Oldham was met with some reservation, particularly with concern to the quality of journalism taught on the course.  However with online media consumption rising as rapidly as the uplift in digital ad spending and with more people being exposed to news through blogs, online content, social media and digital editions, this could be a timely move for future journalists aiming to stay in - or simply obtain - work!

There has also been lots of hype this week about rate cards dropping in response to a sceptical market.  With the planned launch of City AM leading to many animated readers concerned about how many business titles the region can sustain, the announcement has once again sparked off the age old debate of advertising v editorial (i.e. a sustainable business model v great journalism, substance and riveting content).

It’s certainly a buyer’s market for advertising at the moment with budgets tightening and advertisers demanding more for their money. Some of us see this challenging environment as an opportunity to highlight the increasing potential of digital publications with live web-links, rich media content and full stats packs giving advertisers a better overall package. The success of Creative Lancashire’s Digital Reach event reiterates the tremendous interest that’s taking place right across the North West.

This week we’ve also heard about Anna Woodhams of Aintree Publishing and its launch of new property title On The Move. Anna admits the timing is "mad" but with the decline of other similar publications, this could all become part of its marketing strategy so good luck to them.

Darren Fowler is European operations director of the US-owned NXTBOOK Media

Elsewhere on How-Do this week: 

• Sally Sykes appointed HSE communications director
• MBO at The Printing House in Crewe 
• Anna Beaumont of ICE ranked among UK's leading young PRs 
• London business newspaper City AM plans Manchester launch 
• Ricky Hatton's Nuts deal gets WKD 
• Channel 4 dramatises shooting of Thomas Hurndall 
• Unions meet ITV to negotiate Border redundancies 
• Key 103 to amend its image to reflect its Mancunian heritage
• City Talk launches "Talking Taste" with Liverpool restaurants 
• Television legends hit In The City 
• Listed mail order company Flying Brands appoints McCanns
• MEN and LEP win big at Newspaper Society awards
• Crain's cuts ad rates in response to market conditions 
• Regional radio stations look to P&M awards success 
• GMG Radio wants more pitches from indies for its £1m production fund
• Corrie's 'Celtic bias' incenses fans, changes script 
• BBC Merseyside reveals acts for Electric Proms 
• Paul Crone & co see 'raunchy' calendar banned 
• Three regional youth projects win £85k from Mediabox 
• Digital agency CTI adds four staff 
• True North to create new physical environment for Auto Windscreens 
• SLAM North to provide Squash England with media support
• Artemis PR wins UK media business of Stiebel Eltron
• Aintree Publishing launches 27,000 circulation property title
• Radio City launches outdoor campaign to encourage listener requests 
• BBC N/W political editor position up for grabs 
• Manchester United drinks to Budweiser - again 
• Lancashire's Hyphen follows Digital Reach with Innovation Cash
• Vivid and Redmond help Environment Agency with short film competition
• Leisure operator Serco appoints TBWA and Staniforth
  
• Imperial War Museum awards Hemisphere with exhibition project
• GAP unveils rugby star Stuart Fielden as face of Max Skincare 
• Creative Lynx quits the Northern Quarter for more space 
• TheBusinessDesk recruits dep ed Birtwistle from Crain's 
• Ten Alps wins sales contract with The Retailer
• Rock Radio signs sponsorship deal with The Manchester Phoenix 
• Radio City DJ Kev Seed in court on drink-driving charges
• BOC's Matt Walmsley picks up environmental marketing gong
• Man City's comms supremo Tyrell leaves with £100k pay-off 
• Co-op tackles obesity and CO2 emissions with new game by Drumbeat 
• TBWA plans major Christmas push for Co-op Food
• McDonalds Liverpool prompts Macca boycott 
• Freedom Finance appoints the Raft for UK support 
• IAS B2B wins PR acount for Lloyds TSB Autolease 
• playboy.co.uk awards sales contract to w00t!media 
• Davidson Scrap Metal to sponsor Key 103's football  
• DJ Hardy to leave Dune for Wire FM 
• North West editors judge North East journalists
• PHD North grab Grand Prix at Fresh Media awards
• Hemisphere reveals design for new Metrolink trams 
• Manchester International Festival announces new creative fund 
• RM plc insists 3T Productions will remain in Cheshire 
• Rippleffect adds Man City to its collection of football clubs
  

How-Do! 

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