Accrington Observer trainee Simon Thacker has forced magistrates to lift reporting restrictions which had prevented the paper from naming a 16-year-old who broke his anti-social behaviour order.
In court Simon referred to a similar case and argued that because the boy had been named when the order was first imposed, the paper should be able to name him again. His editor, Mervyn Kay, said: “For someone so early in their career, Simon did well to stand up and argue the case in court which is often a nerve-wracking experience.”

PA Entertainment, part of The Press Association Group, has appointed Ben Falk as its Los Angeles correspondent.
The newly created post is part of the company’s commitment to expanding its coverage of celebrity and showbiz news in North America and follows January’s appointment of Mark Sage as PA Entertainment’s correspondent in New York.

Matt Ross, the finance director of Central Independent Newspapers, is to be promoted to the role of assistant managing director from April 1.
Matt has been with CIN, based in Tamworth, for three years and prior to this worked at the Stoke Sentinel. He will retain his position as finance director, but will take on an expanded role across the CIN group.

The Journal in Newcastle has launched a new reader club – Culture Club – the first of its kind for a regional newspaper title.
Twenty-six high-profile partners, such as the Arts Council, have signed up to support Culture Club, whose primary aim is to drive audiences – to get more people to attend more events, more often – bringing The Journal readers the best of what the region has to offer.

Employees could be more likely to learn of company redundancies through heresay or newspapers and other media than from their employer, according to new research commissioned by leading business adviser Croner.

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