The University of Salford will have a new director of journalism and communication from April.

Angela Birchall joins the north-west centre from Edge Hill University where she is the journalism programme leader.

She will work alongside former Manchester Evening News reporter Steve Panter.

Entries are now being accepted for the annual awards run by the Association of Professional Photographers.

This year it features a new online entry system and the cost of entry has been reduced.

To take part you must be a full or provisional member of the AOP but this year a category for non-members working in advertising, design and publishing has been introduced.

Deadline for entries is 28 March – for more details visit the awards website.

The Campaign for Freedom of Information is running the following half-day training course in the summer.

The subject will be ‘Information Commissioner and tribunal decisions – What do they mean in practice?’.

The course is aimed at those with a good working knowledge of Freedom of Information legislation and will cover significant decisions that have been issued since the group’s last course in November.

It takes place in London on 7 June – for fees and booking details visit cfoi.org.uk.

Two students from Reading University landed first and second prizes in a competition run by Bournemouth-based journalism training centre Up To Speed.

Biology student Georgina Mills, 20, came first and politics undergraduate Marcus Greenslade, 18, came second, winning £250 and £100 respectively. Third prize of £50 went to Robin Morgan of Cardiff University.

All entrants had to work for their university’s student newspaper and their submissions were about the impact of the noughties.

Rebekah Brooks, former Sun editor and chief executive of News International, will be giving only her second ever public speech later this month.

Following last year’s Hugh Cudlipp lecture, Rebekah will be speaking to the networking group Woman in Advertising and Communication London on 23 February.