Specialist lawyer Jonathan Coad is claiming that the Reynolds qualified privilege defence to a defamation action is bad for individuals who are defamed by media organisations - and bad for society.
Jonathan, a partner at law firm Swan Turton, told the IBC Defamation Conference that an individual's right to reputation was part of his rights under Article 8 of the European Convention and yet the effect of Reynolds was "simply to bin that right".

The April issue of Journalist - the National Union Journalists' monthly magazine - is only available online. The union said, as a one-off experiment, an edition would not be published and mailed to members to test the move's popularity.
If the change becomes permanent, it could save the NUJ around £120,000 per year. To download a copy and feedback on the experiment visit the NUJ's website.

A six-month contract is up for grabs with The Times in its annual Young Photographer of the Year competition. It's open to any UK or Republic of Ireland resident aged between 19 and 25.
Entrants must shoot pictures for three categories - sport, reportage and lifestyle/fashion. Closing date is May 10 – for more information visit The Times website.

Courts face a growing number of applications from would-be defamation claimants who want to make internet service providers disclose the identities of anonymous participants in online discussion groups who have posted what is alleged to be defamatory material, Richard Parkes QC told the IBC Defamation Conference.

A photographer who covered events throughout Wales for the Daily Post for almost 30 years has died. Ron Broster was born in Rhuddlan, north Wales, and after completing his National Service, he joined Rhyl-based Castle Studios.
He then went to work for the North Wales Press Agency in Prestatyn before joining the Daily Post in 1967. At that time he was the paper's only staff photographer based in north Wales.

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