News blackouts

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/apr/20/celtic-newspapers
I have to disagree with Roy over the agreement of Scottish media outlets to take part in a news blackout on the sending of IEDs to people linked with Celtic.
If the editors have been told, as I suspect they have, that not reporting this yet will aid the investigation in finding the culprit/s, then surely lives are being protected and conversely lives could be out at risk by breaking the blackout.
That’s usually the case with such blackouts, which is why they’re called for so rarely and usually complied with readily.
As long as they’re used properly, they have right and proper place in the toolbox of news management.

Councils’ advertising deals make sense

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/apr/06/council-run-newspapers-advertising
The resolution of the conflict between several councils and the publishers in their area over the publication of statutory notices and vacancies in council publications, rather than the publishers’ titles, seems to be a win-win.
While using their own titles to publish these essential pieces of information which council tax payers need to be aware of may have saved the councils money, a broader analysis might well have shown that using local established commercial titles might have led to them being read by more residents because the amount of time spent reading established papers was likely to be higher than that for council-produced ones. So it’s better for local democratic accountability.
It also won’t harm the relationship with the local press, to the benefit of both parties.
My one reservation is deals which give all the advertising to one group. It should be split among more than one, where possible, to ensure the messages reach as many residents as possible and ensure there’s no perception of favouritism and a cosy relationship with one title or group.
Helping to maintain local accountability through sustaining a free and independent local press isn’t a bad thing either.