Over 6,700 readers have downloaded a free application for the Apple iPhone to follow the latest updates from the Manchester Evening News.

There are sections for news and show business, among others, while fans of Manchester United and Manchester City can keep in touch with dedicated sections for the two teams.

The application is one of the first in Britain for a regional news publisher and has been downloaded at a rate of over 900 times a week since its creation.

---

The Press Complaints Commission is now undertaking its annual review of the Editors’ Code of Practice, the voluntary code which newspapers commit to adhere to.

The PCC welcomes suggestions from the public and industry on how the code might be revised to improve the system of self-regulation.

Suggestions should be sent no later than 31 January to Ian Beales, code committee secretary, PO Box 235, Stonehouse, GL10 3UF or emailed to [email protected].

---

Publisher Johnston Press has appointed Geoff Iddison as a non-executive director from 1 January.

Martina King, who has been a non-executive director of the company for six years, has decided not to seek re-election at the Company’s AGM in April.

Geoff is currently global head of e-commerce and m-commerce for Mastercard and was previously chief executive of online games developer and publisher Jagex Ltd.

Johnston Press chairman Ian Russell said: “His experience will be a very considerable asset to the company and will complement the existing experience of the board. Martina has made a great contribution to Johnston Press…..she will leave with the board’s very best wishes for the future.”

---

Belfast Telegraph publisher Independent News and Media has sold its 49pc stake in German website Verivox for £16.6m.

The deal is part of a disposal programme being run by the publisher to reduce its debts.

Verivox is a price comparison site for telecommunications and energy services and INM’s stake has been purchased by a private equity group called Oakley Capital.

---

The Guild of Motoring Writers presented a total of more than £20,000 worth of prizes at its annual awards in London.

The UK journalist of the year award went to Ray Massey of the Daily Mail. The full list of winners can be found on the Guild’s website.

---

The Press Association has decided to scrap its correspondent role based in New York.

Current incumbent Matt Williams will not be replaced when he returns to Britain at the end of December.

The news agency has had an office in NYC since 2001 and sends a reporter there on secondment every year.

PA said it would continue to have a journalist based on the American west coast but it would be ending its representation in Brussels by 2012.

Comments

All Subbed Out (11/12/2009 09:10:57)
Johnston Press’s newest non-executive director is ‘global head of e-commerce and m-commerce for Mastercard’. So yet another newspaper boss who neither understands or cares how newspapers actually work – and definitely not what sub-editors do…

Roger Jones (11/12/2009 17:40:23)
Well done Ray Massey of the Daily Mail. Remember where you trained…back in a place called Bed’uth.