The Press Association has appointed Clare Johnston to a newly created role of editorial director (Scotland and Ireland).
Based in Edinburgh, Clare will represent the agency to wire customers of The Scottish Press Association and The Press Association of Ireland. She will also be responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities, across all media platforms in both traditional and new markets. This includes promoting commercial services such as contract publishing, digital services and information for business to clients in the political, corporate and government arenas.

The Bristol Evening Post has become the first regional newspaper in the country to print the famous football cartoon strip, Striker, which first found fame in The Sun.
It is the creation of former Bristol journalist Pete Nash, who used to work for the Western Daily Press as a reporter in Bristol, Bath and Yeovil, before turning to sub-editing. His cartoon idea finally took shape after he landed a job as a design sub at The Sun.

A new edition of a booklet designed to help journalists monitor their government’s performance as signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is being published this month.
The Media and Children’s Rights has been produced by the Bristol-based media ethics charity MediaWise on behalf of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF. The original edition, commissioned in 1999 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the UNCRC is in use in more than 20 countries and has been translated into a dozen languages.

Kentish Times Newspapers has raised £6,500 to keep an animal ambulance on the road with stories, interviews with celebrities, and good old-fashioned campaigning prompting donations from readers and businesses.
Group editor Melody Ryall said: “All the campaigns we have run on behalf of local animals and wildlife have proved a huge success. The Willow Wildlife Appeal showed just how much the British love their animals.”

The Birmingham Evening Mail has welcomed Government moves to introduce tougher jail terms for killer hit-and-run drivers.
The Newcastle Chronicle is also hailing new legislation that increases the maximum penalty to 14 years. New legislation answers the papers’ calls for action in their Josh’s Campaign and Justice for Rebecca campaigns, both launched after youngsters were killed by hit and run drivers.