Exeter’s Express and Echo has been shortlisted twice in the first Press Gazette Environmental Press Awards.

The Northcliffe daily is up for campaign of the year and the judges’ prize for its ‘Green Shoppers’ campaign.

The paper’s fight to get local shoppers to ditch using plastic bags took editor Marc Astley to Downing Street and last month won the daily the World Association of Newspapers’ Young Readers Award. Marc collected the award yesterday in Amsterdam.

Also shortlisted is the Evening Chronicle, Newcastle, for its series of ‘Go Green’ initiatives alongside national press writers.

The other categories are journalist of the year, which has a £1,000 cash prize for the winner and story of the year.

Plans to exclude the media from some military inquests which may involve sensitive security information have been put on hold.

For several months the Ministry of Justice has been debating whether to allow coroners to ban the media as part of the Counter Terrorism Bill.

The proposals, which have come under fire from many sections of the media, have been removed from this Bill and instead included in the Coroners Reform Bill – aimed at reforming the entire coroner system.

The Coroners Reform Bill is due to be included in the next session of Parliament and will be announced in the Queen’s Speech next month.

St Albans and Harpenden Review editor Martin Buhagiar has been promoted to Deputy Group Editor of Newsquest Hertfordshire and Middlesex.

Martin will still edit the St Albans newspaper and its sister paper the Welwyn Hatfield Review, but will take on a more central role in the Watford office on its paid-for title, the Watford Observer from 27 October.

The 31-year-old joined Newsquest in January last year.

He said: “I am delighted. I am really looking forward to facing the challenges ahead and playing an important role on our multimedia newsdesk.”

Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Andy Burnham will be the guest speaker at the latest Newspaper Conference lunch next Wednesday.

The confererence, currently chaired by Yorkshire Evening Post politcial editor Mark Hookham, is made up of around 20 regional political journalists based in Westminster.

The Regional Press Club is holding a fundraising quiz at the Mindshare Bar in Central London from 7pm next Wednesday.

The club, made up of regional press and agency staff, organises regular events to raise funds for charity.