Journalism student Alistair Richardson has won a Leicester Mercury award for reporting. He was named Reporter of the Year at Leicester De Montfort University’s postgraduate journalism course, and won a £100 from the Mercury.
Last year’s winner, Gary Mitchell, was given a job as a reporter at the Mercury on the back of his achievements on the course.

The British Library is launching Make the Front Page, a competition to coincide with its major exhibition Front Page: Celebrating 100 years of the British Newspaper (1906 – 2006).
There are three categories of journalism, photography and layout design, open to three age groups: under-16s; 16 to 19; 20 and over, with winners in the two older age groups having the chance to work on a national newspaper for a week, alongside the country’s leading journalists, photographers and graphic designers. Under 16s can win digital equipment to help them on their way to a career in the media industry.
For further details on how to enter and full terms and conditions see www.bl.uk.

A Brussels MEP has been recruited by the Selby Times to write his own daily blog direct from the European Parliament.
Labour’s Richard Corbett agreed to write for the North Yorkshire-based newspaper’s new blogstoday website to help give selbytoday visitors an insight into the functions of the often misunderstood EU institution. So far he has pondered the issues of misleading food labelling, the Eurovision song contest and an independent review of European football.

Long-serving village correspondent Vernon Godman, (84), has retired from the Biggleswade Chronicle. He has provided news for Southill since the end of the Second World War.
Editor Jim Stewart paid tribute, saying: “It is through the efforts of people like Vernon that the Chronicle has thrived for generations.”

An Educating Tomorrow’s Journalists event featured high profile media figures as part of the International Press Institute world congress this week.
Sarah Smith, presenter of More 4 News, chaired the session which explored how the next generation of journalists are being trained and educated. Panellists included Rob Brown, senior lecturer in journalism at Napier University, and Hugo de Burgh, who began his career with Scottish Television and is now Professor of Journalism at the University of Westminster and director of the China Media Centre.

A former freelance photographer who went on to cover mayoral events around Chorley, Lancs, was given a surprise send-off when he stepped down from his unofficial role.
The former Fleet Street man was presented with a silver plate at a ceremony attended by several former mayors in recognition of his selfless work, which often raised money for city charities through donations of pictures.

Scholarships worth £3,000 each are available to UK students on the International Photojournalism, Documentary and Travel Photography MA course at the University of Bolton.
The scheme is for students starting the course next year in either the UK or China, with the bursaries available through the European Social Fund.