A journalism blogger and academic has been rated as more influential than the editor of the UK’s top-selling regional daily in a new media ‘power list.’
Academics at Birmingham City University drew up a list of the top 20 people they believe are currently doing most to shape the West Midlands media landscape.
In a list that seems certain to spark lively debate, they rated one of their own staff, journalism blogger Paul Bradshaw, as more influential than Adrian Faber, editor of best-selling daily the Express & Star.
They also awarded first place on the list to the new chief executive of Bimingham Post and Mail publisher Trinity Mirror, Simon Fox, who is based in London rather than the West Midlands.
As well as Adrian, the list also contains two other senior regional press journalists, Birmingham Mail executive editor Stacey Barnfield in 11th place and Coventry Telegraph editor Alun Thorne in 13th.
However it omits to include the man both Stacey and Alun report to, Birmingham Mail editor-in-chief David Brookes.
Second place on the list goes not to a media personality but to the politician Tom Watson, who helped spearhead the investigation into phone-hacking at defunct tabloid the News of the World.
And a second BCU staff member and hyperlocal blogger, Dave Harte, squeezes onto the list at number 20.
The list was based on contributions to BCU’s ‘Rethinking Regional Media’ blog and deliberations by a four-strong panel of judges.
Chair of judges Marc Reeves, the former editor of the Birmingham Post who now runs his own public affairs consultancy, admitted the list had thrown up “a number of surprises.”
Said Marc: “According to our powerlist the most influential individuals in the West Midland’s media world are the London-based chief executive of a newspaper group, a rebel MP and a TV programme-maker fighting hard to keep the television drama flame alive in the region.”
“After much feedback from contributors to our blog and the deliberations of our judges we have at last produced a list which we hope will help to continue the debate initiated by Birmingham City University’s ‘Rethinking Regional Media’ event in October.”
The full BCU Media Power 20 list is as follows:
1 Simon Fox, chief executive, Trinity Mirror
2. Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East
3. Will Trotter, head of drama, BBC Birmingham
4. Phil Riley, chief executive, Free Radio
5. Ashley Tabor, executive director, Global Radio
6. Paul Bradshaw, reader in online journalism at BCU and journalism blogger
7. Adrian Faber, editor, Express & Star
8. Ed James, presenter, Heart FM
9. Jonnie Turpie, Maverick TV
10. Adrian Goldberg, presenter, Radio WM
11. Stacey Barnfield, executive editor, Birmingham Mail
12. Nick Booth, social media advocate and blogger, Podnosh
13. Alun Thorne, editor, Coventry Telegraph
14. Adil Ray, broadcaster, scriptwriter and programme maker
15. Dean Lovett, MD, McCann Erikson, Birmingham
16. Bob Warman, presenter, ITV Central
17. Nick Owen, presenter, BBC Midlands Today
18. Jon Griffin, business correspondent, Birmingham Mail
19. Lis Lewis Jones, chief executive, Liquid PR
20. Dave Harte, course leader of MA social media at BCU and hyperlocal blogger
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This feels more like a club than a list to be taken seriously. How can a deputy editor be on a list when his boss, who is in charge of all the TM newspapers in the West Midlands, is not? The irony of a former editor of the Birmingham Mail not including the man who replaced him, and became responsible for all editorial in the Midlands, shouldn’t be lost on anyone here.
I know media is more than just journalism, but how can a head of drama at the BBC be on the list when the local head of news for the BBC isn’t? Influence must surely be drawn from the number of lives you have impact on, so the person deciding what BBC WM sounds like should be on there too.
Does Tom Watson really have an influence on the regional media? He might come across as the man who tried to change journalism, but he’s really only ever hung on to The Guardian’s coat-tails. By that logic, Alan Rusbridger should be on the list too.
To have the chief executive of one company on the list, because he makes the decisions in the end, is odd too. Why not the chief exec of the company which owns the Express and Star? Or the new director general of the BBC? The smell of ignorance, cronyism and stupidity whiffs large through this
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Errr … BCU list puts BCU lecturer near the top.
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Instead wasting time on the who’s who of powerful people it would be more prudent to research and discover more ways of creating and sustaining jobs, jobs, jobs for common people!
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What a pity that the people involved in this pointless exercise couldn’t have used their time on a more useful project.
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