Former financial reporter Anya Schiffrin is giving a talk at the University of Stirling about the role of the media in the financial crisis.

The journalism academic,from Columbia University in New York, will deliver a seminar entitled ‘The Press and the Economic Crisis: Challenges and Lessons’ next Thursday.

Anya is a former editor-in-chief of the Istanbul-based daily newspaper The Turkish Times and has worked for Reuters in Barcelona and The Industry Standard in New York.

It starts at midday in the Pathfoot Building, room A96. All staff, students and the public are welcome to attend.

The third annual media awards run by north-west website How-Do are now open for entries.

The deadline is 5 March and there are 14 prize categories including best newspaper, media website, TV programme and radio station. This year’s guest speaker will be Robert Shrimsley, managing editor of FT.com.

The awards ceremony is being held on 29 April at the Palace Hotel, in Manchester. For more details and to enter visit How-Do.co.uk.

Photographer Willie Urquhart was named journalist of the year at the Highland and Islands Media Awards.

It is only the second time in the award’s history that a photographer has picked up the top prize.

It was revealed at an awards ceremony in Nairn where Willie, from the West Highland Free Press, also picked up the photographer of the year prize.

Freelancer Ian Abernethy received a lifetime achievement award – click through to see the full list of winners.

University of Kent journalism student Daniel May has been named as the Sky News Bob Friend Memorial Scholar for 2010.

He will formally receive the award from Sky News’s editorial development manager Rob Kirk on 3 March at the Bob Friend Memorial Lecture, to be delivered by BBC director general Mark Thompson.

Dan will have his first-year tuition fees paid for by Sky and will spend four weeks in the broadcaster’s newsrooms over the summer.

The Dartford Messenger has celebrated its tenth birthday.

The KM Group weekly has won several awards since its launch including top paid-for weekly at the EDF Energy London and South of England Awards in October.

To commemorate the publication of the first issue in February 2000, reporter Nick Lillitos wrote a reflective feature and readers are being invited to share their own memories and thoughts of Dartford over the past decade.

The paper will also feature special promotions throughout the month.