#Local publisher Dorset

[village-magazine12]

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Magazine Publishers in Dorset

Selling magazine publishers in Dorset can be a challenging but rewarding endeavor. In this article, we will explore the best ways to sell magazine publishers in the Dorset area. By implementing these strategies, you can maximize your sales potential and reach a wider audience.

Understanding the Market

Before diving into selling magazine publishers in Dorset, it's crucial to understand the market dynamics. Conduct thorough research to identify the target audience and their preferences. By understanding the market, you can tailor your approach to meet the specific needs of the audience.

Leveraging Digital Platforms

In today's digital age, leveraging online platforms is essential for reaching a wider audience. Utilize social media, digital marketing, and online publishing platforms to promote and sell magazine publishers in Dorset. Engage with potential buyers through captivating content and visually appealing advertisements.

Building Strong Relationships

Building strong relationships with potential buyers and partners is key to selling magazine publishers in Dorset. Network with local businesses, community organizations, and influencers to create mutually beneficial partnerships. By fostering strong relationships, you can gain valuable insights and support for your selling efforts.

Showcasing Unique Value Proposition

Highlight the unique value proposition of the magazine publishers in Dorset. What sets them apart from other publications? Whether it's exclusive content, stunning visuals, or insightful articles, emphasize the unique selling points to capture the interest of potential buyers.

Providing Exceptional Customer Service

Exceptional customer service can set you apart in the competitive world of magazine publishing sales. Be responsive to inquiries, provide personalized recommendations, and ensure a seamless purchasing experience for buyers. By delivering exceptional customer service, you can build trust and credibility in the market.

Hosting Engaging Events

Hosting engaging events such as book fairs, author signings, or magazine showcases can create buzz and attract potential buyers in Dorset. Engage the community by organizing events that showcase the magazine publishers and provide opportunities for interaction and sales.

Embracing Print Distribution Channels

While digital platforms are crucial, don't overlook the power of traditional print distribution channels. Explore partnerships with local retailers, newsstands, and events to ensure the availability of magazine publishers in physical locations across Dorset.

Conclusion

Selling magazine publishers in Dorset requires a strategic approach that combines digital marketing, community engagement, and a strong value proposition. By implementing these best practices, you can effectively sell magazine publishers in Dorset and establish a strong presence in the market. Visit more information for your website

[mudwerks]

(via Cerne Abbas Giant is a depiction of Hercules | Ars Technica)

A major attraction of Dorset, England, is the Cerne Abbas Giant, a 180-foot-tall figure of a naked man wielding a large club carved with chalk into a hilltop. A pair of historians offers a strong case that this figure was originally meant to represent Hercules from Greek mythology, perhaps to inspire West Saxon armies, who could have used the site as a muster station. They outlined their arguments in a recent paper published in the journal Speculum. The authors also found a possible early reference to the giant in texts dating back to the mid-11th and early 12th centuries, a period in which the carving may have been reinterpreted as representing Saint Eadwold of Cerne.

“It’s become clear that the Cerne giant is just the most visible of a whole cluster of early medieval features in the landscape,” said co-author Helen Gittos, an early medieval historian at the University of Oxford, told The Guardian. “I think we’ve found a compelling narrative that fits the giant into the local landscape and history better than ever before, changing him from an isolated mystery to an active participant in the local community and culture.”

As reported previously, the Cerne Abbas Giant's generously sized erect phallus has earned it the nickname "Rude Man," which undoubtedly contributes to its popularity as a tourist attraction. Archaeologists have long speculated about exactly when and why the geoglyph was created.

[blueiscoool]

Medieval Grave Slabs Recovered From Historic Shipwreck

Maritime archaeologists from Bournemouth University have recovered two medieval graves slabs which have been lying at the bottom of Studland Bay for nearly 800 years.

The slabs, carved from Purbeck marble, were amongst the cargo of England’s oldest historic shipwreck, which sank off the Dorset coast during the reign of Henry III in the thirteenth century.

The site has been named the “Mortar Wreck” because other items in its cargo included a large number of grinding mortars, also made from Purbeck stone. Details of the discovery will shortly be published in the journal Antiquity.

Divers and archaeologists led by BU brought the slabs to the surface on 4 June in a two hour operation from a depth of around seven metres where the stones lay.

One immaculately preserved slab measures one and a half metres and weighs an estimated 70 kilogrammes. The other, much larger slab is in two pieces, with a combined length of two metres and a weight of around 200 kilogrammes.

Both have carvings of Christian crosses which were popular in the thirteenth century and the research team believe they were intended to be coffin lids or crypt monuments for high status individuals in the clergy.

“The wreck went down in the height of the Purbeck stone industry and the grave slabs we have here were a very popular monument for bishops and archbishops across all the cathedrals and monasteries in England at the time,” explained Tom Cousins, a Maritime Archaeologist at Bournemouth University who led the recovery. “Examples have been found in Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral, he added.”

The slabs will now be desalinated and conserved by the Bournemouth team until they can be put on public display along with the other recovered artefacts in the new Shipwreck Gallery when Poole Museum reopens next year.

The site of the Mortar Wreck was first discovered as an ‘obstruction’ in 1982 but was assumed to be a pile of rubble on the seabed. Its significance was not realised until 2019 when Tom and a team from the University dived the site on the suggestion of local charter skipper Trevor Small and uncovered the secrets lying under the sand.

The continued recovery of the artefacts, such as the mortars and grave slabs, will allow the Bournemouth team to learn more about thirteenth century life and the ancient craft of stonemasonry.

“Although Purbeck marble was quarried near Corfe Castle there has always been a debate about how much work was done here and how much was done in London. Now we know they were definitely carving them here, but they hadn’t been polished into the usual shiny finish at the time they sank so there is still more we can learn,” Tom said.

The team will continue to explore and protect the wreck over the coming years which they hope will include an operation to record the timber frames of the ships hull which are still well preserved in the sand. Tom is also planning to use this as a training opportunity for his students at the university.

“The future aim of the project is to train the next generation so that they get the same opportunities I had. We’ve already started teaching our second-year students to dive and as they get into the third year we’re going to take them out to sea and teach them their first steps to becoming maritime archaeologists,” he said.

[charliethomascoxuniverse]

In the Footsteps of a Saint

FAITH TODAY：MAY 2011

Catholic actor Charlie Cox is making waves across the Atlantic – and he’s about to hit the cinemas in his native UK playing a saint in a new movie.

FAITH TODAY went to meet him.

How does it feel to be a saint?  That’s something no-one alive can ever really know, since sainthood is only acknowledged after death: but up-and-coming actor Charlie Cox knows more about it than most. Cox, 28, is the star of There Be Dragons, a new movie about the early life of St Josemaria Escriva, the Spaniard who founded Opus Dei.  So – given that he’s a Catholic himself - how did it feel to Cox to walk in a saint’s shoes, and to portray his holiness on screen?

What struck him most, says Cox, is that ‘there seemed to have been no single moment when Josemaria was saintly... instead, what people who knew him spoke about and wrote about was a lifetime of consistently good decisions and a dedication of his entire life to God’.  So in fact, he explains, portraying him meant being very human – and yet aware that decisions often had to be made that weren’t directed at other people, but were directed at God. Playing Josemaria is the latest step on a path that’s fast feeling like the road to the big-time: Cox first appeared on the showbiz radar in 2007 when he got the role of Tristan Thorne in the movie Stardust, and he went on to play the Duke of Crowborough in the ITV drama Downton Abbey.  And just a fortnight before we meet, he’s filmed his first episode of HBO’s prohibition drama Boardwalk Empire, the flagship programme of the new Sky Atlantic channel, in which he plays an immigrant from Northern Ireland with ties to the IRA.  Cox says he’s loving the part: Steve Buscemi, who recently won a Gold Globe award for his portrayal of Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson in the series, is one of his all-time heroes, and he can hardly believe his luck in being cast with him.

’Working with Steve feels amazing, I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been,’ he says, as we chat over coffee at a Madrid hotel on the morning of the premiere of There Be Dragons.  He jetted in this morning from New York – he’ll be there filming Boardwalk Empire through the summer and, he says, he can’t imagine a better way of spending the next few months. ‘They’re the nicest bunch of people – and everyone is so confident about how good the series is, so there’s a great buzz about it.’

Working on Boardwalk Empire has taken him a long way from his Sussex roots.  He grew up in Hearst Green, the son of publisher parents – and he was raised a Catholic, like his father, although he was educated at a non-Catholic independent school, Sherborne School in Dorset.  ‘Only about 70 out of 700 boys were Catholics. We had to get up early on a Sunday to go to Mass at a local girls’ school... it would have been easy to skive off it, but actually we never did.  I’ve always loved churches – even now, in a strange city, I’ll often wander around looking at churches.’ There was no history of acting in the family – bar a grandmother who had been at RADA before the second world war – but even as a youngster, Cox was smitten with the idea.  ‘My mum and dad had a fantastic attitude to it,’ he says.  ‘The school wanted me to go to university, play it in safe mode, have a back-up plan.  But my parents came to see me act, and afterwards my dad sat me down and he said: ‘I think you’d be a fool not to pursue this’.  And I don’t know whether I’d be here now if it hadn’t been for that one comment...’ Despite living in the US at the moment, and the fact that his parents spend most of their time these days in France, Cox says Britain will always be home – and he’s very close to his family.  He has a brother, and three half siblings from his father’s first marriage, and his parents have flown to see him in Madrid while he’s over for the premiere of There Be Dragons. After school, he spent a gap year working for a photographer – and even before he could take up a place at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he’d landed the role of Theo in the movie Dot the i.  ‘An agent took a punt on me and put me up for the part,’ he says.  ‘I’ve been incredibly lucky, and that was just one of my lucky breaks.’

But it’s not just luck – Cox is immensely likeable, and he’s obviously genuinely passionate about acting.  He’s also been smart enough to realise that he can learn a huge amount from more seasoned actors – so he saw acting alongside Robert de Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer in Stardust, for example, as a fantastic opportunity to soak up knowledge.  And he’s learnt lots more, too, from Roland Joffe, director of There Be Dragons, who was also the film-maker behind The Mission (about the early Jesuits in south America) and The Killing Fields (about the murderous Pol Pot regime in Cambodia), both of which were Oscar nominees.

‘I didn’t think twice about taking the part of Josemaria, and that was down to Roland,’ he says.  ‘He’s such a great director – he really understands the processes that actors have to go through to give their best.  I learnt so much from working with him.’

Given the subject-matter of There Be Dragons, Cox also spent time in the run-up to filming learning about Opus Dei, which has the status of a ‘personal prelature’ within the Catholic Church.  ‘I visited several Opus Dei houses, and I went on a retreat and had a lot of help from an Opus Dei priest, Fr John Wauck.’

Before he made the film, he admits, he’d never heard of Josemaria – and all he knew about Opus Dei was what he’d read in Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code.  But researching Josemaria, he says, what struck him most was the saint’s humanity – and his ability, examined in the film, to forgive.  ‘It was an example I had to put into practice, because one day when we were filming I returned to my trailer to find someone had broken in and cleaned the place out completely,’ he says.  ‘They’d even taken my computer, and the charger, and even my clothes.’ ‘The following day I was due to film one of the big scenes in which Josemaria shows how he can forgive, and I remember thinking: this is really interesting.  And the thing is that I did manage to forgive the guy who nicked my stuff.’ ‘And what I realised, through that incident, was that – though we think of forgiveness as something very moral and impressive, it’s actually something that works totally in your own favour.  Because if you don’t forgive then you’re angry inside – and that anger doesn’t hurt the other person, but it really hurts you.’ Since filming finished for There Be Dragons, Cox has been working on another movie – Moby Dick, due to be released later this year – and now Boardwalk Empire.  It all suggests, I tell him, that fame – which he’s told previous interviewers frightens him – could be beckoning. ‘It’s tricky,’ he says, candidly.  ‘I’ve got friends who have gone on to extraordinary fame, and what I’ve realised through them is that it’s never quite as appealing as it promised to be. ‘On the other hand, like everyone else I want recognition.  I like people to think I’m good at what I do. That’s human nature, isn’t it?’

~*~

[scotianostra]

On 28 May 1926 Sir James Cantlie, the Scottish physician, died.

Cantlie, was born on 17th January 1851 at Keithmore Farm, Dufftown, Banffshire, the eldest son of William and Janet Cantlie.

His early education took place at a local school in the village of Drummuir and at Milne's Institution at Fochabers, Speyside. He graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1871 with an MA in natural science before training in medicine at the same institution and graduating MB and CM with honourable distinction in 1873.

Cantlie was appointed instructor of anatomy at Charing Cross Hospital, London, in the same year. He became an instructor in the St John Ambulance Association and in 1882 he joined the London Scottish Volunteers as a surgeon. In 1883 he played a part in the establishment of the Volunteer Medical Staff Corps, volunteering later that year for service in Egypt, where he developed an interest in tropical diseases.

Cantlie was interested in the physical condition of the urban poor and wrote a paper entitled Degeneracy among Londoners which was read at the Parkes Museum in 1885. In 1887 he moved to Hong Kong where he practised medicine and established a medical college for Chinese students, the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese which later became the University of Hong Kong. One of the college’s first students was Sun Yat-Sen, who became the first president of the Chinese republic in 1911. In 1886 Cantlie was appointed advisor to the India Office when an epidemic of bubonic plague broke out in Bombay.

In 1896 Cantlie returned to London to take the chair of applied anatomy at Charing Cross Hospital. Soon afterwards, he was instrumental in obtaining the release of Sun Yat-Sen after his abduction by Chinese agents and detention at the Chinese legation in London.

Cantlie was a co-founder of the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, which published its first edition in August 1898, and was its editor for the following 23 years. He also played a part in the establishment of the London School of Tropical Medicine which opened in 1899 and where he was the first surgeon and lecturer in tropical surgery. Cantlie’s book Physical Efficiency was published in 1906. He continued his involvement with St John Ambulance and was an adviser to the War Office on the establishment of the medical section of the Territorial Force (later the Territorial Army), formed in 1907.

Sir James Cantlie and his wife Lady Cantlie were commandants in the British Red Cross Society during the First World War. They founded a College of Ambulance and a humanitarian corps to aid those in medical need or poverty. Cantlie was appointed knight of the British Empire in 1918 and received an honorary LLD degree from the University of Aberdeen in 1919.

Sir James passed away few years after her, on this day 1926 at Dorset Square, London, and was buried at Cottered cemetery, Buntingford, Hertfordshire.

[barkingbonzo]

Chris Foss Cover Art, The Clockwork Traitor

Christopher Frank Foss (born 1946) is a British artist and science fiction illustrator. He is best known for his science fiction book covers and the black and white illustrations for the original editions of The Joy of Sex.

Born in 1946 in Guernsey, Channel Islands, Foss started working there as an artist in his teens, creating signage for local companies. He went to a boarding school in Dorset; his master encouraged him to train for an art scholarship. While studying at Magdalene College, Cambridge, he started pursuing professional magazine commissions, including the then recently launched Penthouse magazine.

Books featuring Foss illustrations include the 1970s British paperback covers for Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, several of Edmund Cooper's novels, and E. E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman and Skylark series. Some of the art he did produce was specific to the stories and some examples of this are the covers he did for the Grafton publications of the Demon Princes novels by Jack Vance in the late 1980s, Star King, The Killing Machine, The Palace of Love, The Face and The Book of Dreams.

Not being a fan of science fiction, Foss typically did not read the books he illustrated, preferring to paint scenes entirely from his imagination.

In 1975, Foss was hired by director Alejandro Jodorowsky for an intended film version of the science-fiction novel Dune by author Frank Herbert. He delivered several conceptual studies published in the book 21st Century Foss, ISBN 90-6332-571-1, containing a foreword by Jodorowsky. The project failed. In 1977 Foss worked for several months on studies for the movie Alien (not being used in the movie) and also did some designs of the planet Krypton for the movie Superman. Some of his crystal structures for the planet were realised in the movie, although they were used as ice-structures.

During this period Chris Foss illustrated the sleeve of the album Clear Air Turbulence for the Ian Gillan Band.

Painter Glenn Brown controversially appropriated individual space scene paintings by Foss and in the one case copying and altering it (Exercise One (for Ian Curtis), 1995) and in the other, leaving it entirely unchanged (Dark Angel (for Ian Curtis), 2002).

Chris Foss created much of the colour concept art for Sweetpea Entertainment's Traveller franchise, as produced by Imperium Games. He produced 12 pages of artwork for the new Traveller edition's first supplement, Starships (1996). He also illustrated a number of covers for Imperium's Traveller.

In contrast, Foss's numerous illustrations for the sex manual The Joy of Sex are done in a soft, natural style. The illustrations were based on photographs taken by Chris in his studio in Fulham, London.

[systemtek]

Cyber Security Playbook launched in the UK

The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) has this week launched the alpha Secure Connected Places Playbook for local authorities, a new resource offering practical and accessible support to improve the cyber security of their connected places, or ‘smart cities’, across the UK. Connected places are communities that integrate information and communication technologies, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, to collect and analyse data to deliver new services to the community and enhance the quality of living for citizens. These improvements feature across a wide array of areas, including key public services such as transportation, utilities and wider infrastructure. Given the large amount data they collect, the interconnected nature of their systems, and the potential impact on local infrastructure, connected places can be attractive targets to hostile actors. This Playbook will help local authorities set a foundation to protect themselves against would-be cyber threats. Created in collaboration with a group of local authorities, the alpha Playbook provides practical cyber security support as communities increase their use of innovative solutions, such as automated traffic and waste management systems, and smart environmental monitoring. Minister for Cyber, AI, and Intellectual Property, Viscount Camrose, said: Connected places offer enormous benefits for the entire country, not just through improved public services for our communities, but through new innovations which will unlock better-paid jobs and grow our economy. We are already world leaders in cyber security, as demonstrated by through pioneering measures such as the Product Security Regime. It’s vital that this expertise carries over to the development of our connected places. This Playbook will help do exactly that – offering practical and accessible support to local authorities as we work collaboratively to grow secure and sustainable connected places across the UK. Designed to be accessible for those without a technical background, the alpha Playbook will help local authority teams who are working on connected places projects to get their cyber security foundations right and set a strong security culture in the process. The alpha Playbook addresses several key cyber security challenges which local authorities face in the deployment of connected places technologies, including a resources on cyber security governance, risk management, procurement and supply chain security, as well as guidance on how to conduct threat analysis. A diverse group of local authorities has contributed to its creation, ensuring it can address the diverse practical needs of communities across the country. The contributing authorities were: - Bradford Metropolitan City Council - Westminster City Council - Dorset Council - Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council - The South London Partnership - Perth and Kinross Council DSIT is committed to continuing its work with local authorities to ensure that the alpha Playbook continues to work for their practical needs. Today, DSIT is inviting applications from local authorities to participate in the next phase of the project, beta testing the alpha Playbook. This will involve an expanded cohort of 12 local authorities who will receive dedicated cyber security support to apply and refine the advice in the alpha Playbook. This will inform a beta version of the Playbook targeted for publication next year. Feeding into the government’s National Cyber Strategy and complementing existing guidance published by the National Cyber Security Centre, the playbook helps cement the UK’s place as a global leader in secure and sustainable connected places. Read the full article

[creativinn]

Urban art exhibition planned in Weymouth to celebrate 'Banksy boom' | Dorset Echo

The showcase, called 'GREED', will be on display at 11 St. Nicholas Street from Friday, April 7 until Monday, April 10.

The exhibition will comprise of subversive and urban art created by more than 70 renowned artists on a 14 metre wall. 

'GREED' is being organised by a newly-formed art collective based in Weymouth, whose aim is to create a grassroots art scene whilst shining a spotlight on local and international artists. 

It will feature paintings, photography, film, brandalism, sculptures, performances and public live art, with orgamisers wanting to celebrate 'revolutionary and alternative' culture.

The four-day event will also see performances from bands, poets and musicians along with a series of talks, workshops, activities and film screenings.

All of work on display acts as social commentary and marks what is known as the ‘Banksy boom’ which has spawned a wealth of artists and activists who want to respond to a wide range of subjects, from the cost-of-living crisis to gender politics.

Included in the exhibition are world renowned artists Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives, Foka Wolf, Subvertiser, My Dog Sighs, Wefail, Frank Riot, Haus Of Lucy, Hats Richardson and Guy Denning along with local artists Bod and Sock Oven and street photographers, Paul Russell and Si Jubb.

Artist BOD, who will be displaying work at the exhibtion and is one of the organisers of the event, said: "Since moving to Weymouth four years ago, I've been completely overwhelmed by the vacuum of culture here.

"There's a couple of galleries with 'safe' art but the more interesting art around here has been hidden away on social media mostly.

"So I decided to pull together a large group of artists for four days in Easter as a kind of 'exposure therapy' for this dormancy in the hope of inspiring others to do more challenging art in the area.”

Andy Smith, an artist and activist who is involved in the Weymouth project, added:  "Art has always acted as a mirror to the world; as we continue our descent into apocalyptic consumer capitalism and political greed we’re going to see more and more artists reflecting the social struggles we’re all increasingly facing on a day to day basis."

This content was originally published here.

[archivist-crow]

On this day:

HIDDEN HARVEST

On May 22, 1983, in Dorset, England, farmer Simon Drake was in his field of freshly planted Golden Promise barley when he found a promise of gold. Drake discovered the legendary treasure he had spent years looking for in his youth. Shimmering in the recently plowed soil, a partially uncovered gold coin reflected the sunlight into Drake's eyes. Over the next few months, with the help of a metal detector, Drake unearthed 100 coins in the same field. They were more nobles and half-nobles, from the fifteenth century, covering the reigns of English monarchs Henry V, Henry VI, and Edward III. They were in mint condition, having been buried in a pottery container, which was broken open from the plow. In May 1985, ninety-five coins of the treasure trove were auctioned off at Christie's in London for $100,000.

Another British farmer discovered treasure while plowing in Mildenhall, England, in 1942. The plow blade struck and got stuck in a metal object, which proved to be the first of thirty-four pieces of a stunning hoard of Roman silver dating from AD 370. It had probably been buried to be kept safe from the raiding Saxons and never reclaimed. The plowman, Gordon Butcher, had been hired by the field's owner, Sydney Ford. For four years Ford kept the treasure to himself until a local doctor happened to see it. He then reported the find. The prize piece was the Great Plate of Bacchus; measuring eighteen inches in diameter and weighing twenty pounds, it had a relief depicting a drinking match between Hercules and the god of debauchery. The treasure was turned over to the British Museum, with the exception of one silver goblet, "five inches high with intricate decoration and four legs," which mysteriously went missing.

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

[jaydeemedia]

[ad_1] With such a breathtaking stretch of coastline, you’ll want to find the best place to stay on the Jurassic Coast. Whether you are a hiker, a beachgoer, or a do-nothing-er; this guide helps you choose your perfect spot. By: Paul Healy | Published: 12 Apr 2024 span box-shadow: none !important; filter: brightness(1) !important; ]]> With 95 miles of coastline and 185 million years in the making, the Jurassic Coast is a geological marvel, a scenic refresher and a hiker’s paradise. Finding where to stay on the Jurassic Coast is just the start of a great escape to some of the best coastal activities the UK has to offer. Spend an afternoon in rejuvenation mode either hiking along rugged white clifftops or lazing on pebble beaches below them. Take in the Jurassic Coast light via a sunrise excursion to a decaying castle, or under the exposed lightbulbs of a hipster brewery producing artisanal ales. The Jurassic Coast is a 2-hour drive from one end to the other, so it’s important to understand where you want to stay. Pick from a stylish clifftop hotel staring, a shepherd’s hut, a cool treehouse or a traditional pub in a remote location. Whatever accommodation you are after, our guide to the best hotels on the Dorset Coast includes all the regions along the Jurassic Coast to help you plan your next long weekend in the UK. 1 – PURBECK PENINSULA Best place to stay on the Jurassic Coast for superb hikes and dramatic scenery The Purbeck Peninsula is a sixty square mile patch of England, jutting out into the English Channel and bordered on three sides by water. Nowhere along the Jurassic Coast is the scenery more dramatic than in the Purbeck Peninsula. Towering white cliffs and mighty stacks of rock drop precipitously to the sea. Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Old Harry Rocks – the iconic sights of the south of England – are scattered across the peninsula, connected by scenic hikes on the Jurassic Coast. Just inland, the exceptionally photogenic Corfe Castle and several abandoned villages, add to the remote feel of the region. There are some great Dorset Coastal hotels on the Isle of Purbeck. Remote pubs all alone on the southwest coastal path, grand hotels in charming market towns or a bit of luxury along the bay in Studland. OSMINGTON MILLS SMUGGLERS INN The remote pub with traditionally furnished rooms perched right on the coastal path has stunning views over a rugged stretch of the Dorset coast. BOOKING.COM WAREHAM PRIORY HOTEL A grand hotel in the charming town of Wareham, the Priory Hotel is set within 4 acres of beautiful English cottage gardens. BOOKING.COM | HOTELS.COM STUDLAND PIG ON THE BEACH A gem of a 16th-century manor house on Studland Bay with a commitment to local produce and quality service. BOOKINGS STUDLAND COSY COTTAGE This cosy 3-bedroom cottage sleeps 5 and is ideal for families with all the facilities you’ll need for a Dorset coastal getaway. It’s a lovely 10-minute walk to the beach. VRBO.COM 2 – LYME REGIS  Best place to stay on the Jurassic Coast for a hip and welcoming seaside town There are a few seaside towns along the Jurassic Coast, but the pick of the bunch is Lyme Regis. Unlike some of the tourist-driven towns on the coast, Lyme Regis capitalises on the character of the area. Independent shops stocked with local produce line the high street beside quality restaurants and surprisingly good coffee.  The Lyme Regis micro-brewery perched over a tiny brook is a secret worth knowing about. Down on the front, the part shingle, part sandy beach bends in an arc backed with colourful huts and cute townhouses. It’s a lovely, authentic town with a working harbour that still clamours with activity in the early hours as fishermen head out to sea.   A little further afield, take part in a fossil-hunting expedition at Charmouth or enjoy a circular walk around the weird rock formations of West Bay. The barrel-vaulted, 14th Century Chapel at Abbotsbury is as traditionally English as you could h

ope to find. LYME REGIS CLOVELLY GUEST HOUSE  Great value guest house in the centre of Lyme Regis with help-yourself breakfast and very friendly hosts. The perfect Dorset welcome. BOOKING.COM LYME REGIS COVERDALE A comfortable and spacious 1 bedroom apartment located just 450 metres from the beach, this is a great choice if you’re planning on making the most of the beach. BOOKING.COM LYME REGIS THE PILOT BOAT  The recently refurbished beautiful rooms at the Pilot Boat are complete with finishing touches including robes, slippers and free beer. BOOKING.COM | HOTELS.COM 3 – DORCHESTER  Best place to stay on the Jurassic Coast for a charming market town with easy connections If you want to explore all the things to do on the Jurassic Coast then Dorchester is a great option. Centrally located between the Purbeck peninsula and Lyme Regis, it’s a great base to explore most of the main attractions on the coast. But as the capital of Dorset, Dorchester has its own appeal as well. The High Street is lined with grand and imposing architecture, excellent restaurants and museums. Perhaps more importantly, there’s good coffee at Coffee Saloon. As a major centre, it has a good range of accommodation from top quality B&B’s to grand Jurassic Coast hotels in landmark buildings. Dorchester is a great option for accommodation on the Dorset coast. In less than an hour’s drive you can be at many of the best spots anywhere along the coast.   DORCHESTER DUCHESS OF CORNWALL Classic market town hotel with a Georgian theme, modern amenities and beautiful decor. The Duchess of Cornwall is a classy stay on the Dorset coast. BOOKING.COM 4 – DESTINATION STAYS  Best Jurassic Coast hotels and innovative stays which are the attraction in themselves The Jurassic Coast has its fair share of quirky accommodation; places so good it hardly matters that you’re also in one of the most scenic parts of the country.   Go off-grid in a well-equipped and cosy Shepherds’ Hut set in the Dorset countryside, or unwind in stylish, quirky accommodation overlooking the sea. For something completely different, escape to the outdoor luxury accommodation of a treehouse; a unique stay on the Jurassic Coast and a memorable way to unwind. BURTON BRADSTOCK THE SEASIDE BOARDING HOUSE Stunning clifftop views from this stylish hotel with an on-site restaurant serving some of the best food in the area. BOOKINGS THANKS FOR VISITING // WHERE NEXT? A BIG THANK YOU We’ve been providing free travel content on Anywhere We Roam since 2017. If you appreciate what we do, here are some ways you can support us. Thank you! Paul & Mark FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM USE OUR RESOURCES PAGE [ad_2] Source link

[village-magazine12]

Magazine Publishers Dorset Is Your Worst Enemy. 5 Ways To Defeat It

It seems like you're looking for ways to overcome challenges faced by magazine publishers in Dorset. Here are five strategies to help you defeat common obstacles:

Embrace Digital Transformation: In today's digital age, magazine publishers face stiff competition from online platforms. Embrace digital transformation by offering digital editions of your magazine, developing a strong online presence through websites and social media, and exploring digital marketing strategies to reach a wider audience beyond Dorset.

Focus on Niche Audiences: Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, focus on serving niche audiences with specialized interests relevant to Dorset. Identify specific topics, themes, or local events that resonate with your target audience and tailor your content to meet their needs and preferences.

Community Engagement: Strengthen your connection with the local community in Dorset by actively engaging with readers, businesses, and organizations. Organize local events, collaborate with community groups, and feature stories that highlight the unique culture, history, and people of Dorset.

Diversify Revenue Streams: Relying solely on magazine sales may not be sustainable in today's market. Diversify your revenue streams by offering advertising opportunities, hosting sponsored content, organizing events, selling merchandise, or even offering subscription-based services such as exclusive content or membership programs.

Invest in Quality Content and Design: To stand out in a crowded market, invest in high-quality content and design that captivates readers and keeps them coming back for more. Prioritize original, engaging, and visually appealing content that reflects the interests and aspirations of your target audience in Dorset.

By implementing these strategies, magazine publishers in Dorset can overcome challenges, stay relevant in a rapidly changing media landscape, and position themselves for long-term success. Visit more information for your website

[acrossthewavesoftime]

Adding some of my own favourite people have always been people stories:

A medieval university professor ranting about how his students are lazy party-people who only carry a book around to look smart, and always arrive late and unprepared. (I wish I could tell off the top of my head when and where this was from; I think it was from a 15th century central European source, I might have it in my old notes somewhere)

The Dominican friar Felix Fabri (1438/1439–1502) completed two pilgrimages, on which he kept a journal, which was later published. He surprised his European travelling companions when, renting donkeys from a local businessman for, if I recall correctly, a guided tour to Mount Sinai, the donkey driver-guide recognised him from his first pilgrimage a few years prior. He kissed Felix on the cheek, tried to make conversation with him (Felix had a limited knowledge of Arabic) and showed him preferment throughout the tour by continously giving him a fresh donkey to ride, sharing his water with him and trusting Felix with his whip. Felix, moved by the trust and affection shown to him, recorded the encounter for posterity. The name of the donkey driver was Cassa, an enslaved person. We still know Cassa's name, and can read about his incredible kindness to a near-stranger today.

Mary Henrietta Stuart, Princess of Orange (1631–1660), upon realising that her infant son, the future William III, was not a healthy child whose physical development seemed to be delayed, nicknamed him her "Piccinino" after the 15th century Italian mercenary captain who rose to military fame despite having been of low stature and impeded by a limp and generally poor health.

Justine Siegmund (1636–1705) became an accomplished midwife and gynecological practitioner who published a manual on midwifery in 1690. She chose her profession after having had a possibly traumatic experience having been wrongfully diagnosed as being pregnant by a midwife at 20 or 21, wanting to improve future conditions during pregnancy and childbirth for other women. In a dispute over Siegmund's practices with her former supervisor, a doctor and professor at the university of Frankfurt an der Oder, his colleagues sided with her.

Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset (1688–1765) proving that kids will always be kids when he, aged about 3, did what no adult dared to and interrupted King William III in his study to tell him tea was ready, and the Queen already waiting for him. The encounter ended in William putting down his pen straight away, and lifting Lionel into his toy cart, pulling the little boy, presumably at quite some speed, through the gallery.

Samuel Graves (1713–1787), an admiral in the Royal Navy, very likely helped protect his niece's best friend from an arranged marriage. Mary Anne Burges's (1763–1813) parents were intent to marry her off in her late teens, stating that the family money could not support all their daughters in the event of her father's death. While there was a proposal later in life (which Burges turned down), it appears that she had no sexual or romantic interest in men, and was not particularly secretive about that. Burges went on to spend prolonged "holidays" living with her best friend Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim's family, her aunt and uncle Graves, where the girls could be, by all accounts, carefree teenagers. Graves, who appears to have shared his wife's beliefs in women's rights, particularly in their choice to marry or remain single to a significant degree, grew to be a paternal figure in her life. Burges, a published author, remained single for life and later designed Graves's memorial in the local church.

Henry Clinton (1730–1795) fell in love with Mary Baddeley (1756-1820), whom he employed as his housekeeper while stationed in Boston in 1775. Knowing she had previously experienced sexual harrassment, he initially kept his feelings to himself out of respect for her needs. The two eventually became a couple following a one-year separation, shipwreck, and the birth of her son John by her rakish husband. Clinton treated John like a child of his own, and even had wanted to be present for the birth, which an order to march south mere weeks before the likely due date however prevented. John named some of his own children after his quasi-step-siblings from Clinton's marriage to his wife Harriot (d. 1772) and in time also became a loving father and husband to a large family.

litany against the GOTification of history.

[charliethomascoxuniverse]

Charlie Cox: Star turn

Charlie Cox is taking a break from Hollywood to bring Pinter to London's West End. And the experience has proved to be truly terrifying, he tells Charlotte Cripps.

Tuesday 29 January 2008 (X)

I'm watching a preview of the Harold Pinter double bill at the Comedy Theatre on the night before I meet Hollywood's newest star, Charlie Cox, when I encounter his fan club in the row behind me. The girls gasp collectively at how good-looking he is, especially at the end of The Collection, when he strips off to a pair of tight white boxer shorts.

The English public school-educated 25-year-old is not only converting teenagers to Pinter, however; he also holds his own with his more experienced co-stars, Timothy West, Richard Coyle and Gina McKee.

The young star has just played the lead in the blockbuster family film Stardust, alongside such Hollywood luminaries as Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert de Niro, Sienna Miller and Claire Danes. Cox's character was the earnest, genuine Tristan, who transforms from boy to man on his quest for true love. In real life, too, the actor is growing up fast as he finds himself, right at the beginning of his career, rubbing shoulders with the acting elite. Although he had picked up some good roles – performing opposite Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice and in Casanova alongside Heath Ledger – the actor was relatively unknown until a few months ago. Nowadays Cox, with his boyish, wide-eyed good looks, gets recognised wherever he goes.

When we meet the morning after the Pinter previews, the actor is cleaning his teeth in his dressing room at the Comedy Theatre. As he welcomes me inside, he takes off his porkpie hat to reveal a mass of bouncing, newly cut hair and clear brown eyes. His dressing room, which has the feel of a miniature flat, is nevertheless smaller than those of the other three members of the cast, because, he says as if he is still at boarding school, he is "the new boy".

His costumes for the character Bill – who in The Collection is accused by a husband (Coyle) of having a one-night stand with a married woman (McKee), despite being in a gay relationship with Harry (West) – are hanging tidily over a camp bed. There is a ‘Just For Today’ meditation book on the table – a 12-step recovery tool – because the actor no longer drinks. He has already begun pinning things neatly to the white walls, to create a collage that will document his four-month run in the play. So far it includes a line of fizzy vitamin C sachets, a Nurofen Cold & Flu packet, even three different Starbucks coffee cup sizes. He points out everything to me – "I will remember the bad cold I had at the beginning of the run" – but it is only day four. He is still warming up in his first proper job on a West End stage. "I am far out of my comfort zone. I am trying to keep up with actors who are consistently brilliant, not like me, this Disney kid Cox from Stardust."

Cox lives in World's End, Chelsea, above an art gallery, with his best friend, Ned, and dog, Ralph. He speaks with passion and maturity about his job, and has a calm presence as well as heaps of energy, which he uses both positively and negatively. "I am incredibly self-deprecating. It stems from self-doubt. With every job I watch, I can't find peace with what I've done. It's never good enough in my mind. I will never be happy if I'm in that mindset, unless I get a review that starts: 'once in a generation'," he says, laughing. "Fame terrifies me. I can say that with honesty. You're terrified that, when people know the real you, they won't like you."

The actor was born in 1982 and grew up in East Sussex with his publisher father, Andrew, his mother, Trisha, and his older brother, Toby. He also has three much older half-siblings, Ollie, Emma and Zoë, who were all leaving home by the time he was born. At the age of eight, he was sent to a local prep school and then to Sherborne School in Dorset. He won the school's Gerald Pitman Award for Drama twice, before leaving school for London at the age of 18.

He got a supporting role in the film Dot the I opposite Gael Garcia Bernal, before starting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School at 19 years old. It was a miserable experience. "They start picking holes and I took it all too personally." Auditioning for roles was banned while pupils were still at the school, but after his first year he secretly auditioned for Pacino's The Merchant of Venice. "I remember feeling really panicked. I was meant to have learnt to play the recorder for the class nativity play when I got the call from my agent telling me I'd got the role. The next thing I knew I was hanging out in Luxembourg with one of my idols. Deep down I knew I'd never go back to Bristol. To slot back into my class after that would have been entirely weird."

He then played a warrior in an unwatchable Spanish film, Tirante el Blanco. "To call it a flop is an understatement. The film made no sense. It hadn't been translated properly. I wasn't even invited to the premiere." He returned to the UK to perform for no wages in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore to packed houses at Southwark Playhouse. The production, directed by Edward Dick, received rave reviews. "None of us got paid for it but it ended up being one of the shows to see in London."

This was the first time that the actor had a difficult decision to make, as he had already been offered a role in a big feature film when the Pinter play came up. "It really threw a spanner in the works because there is a pressure to continue to do films. If you disappear for a little while, they just lose interest. But if I want to be still acting when I'm older, the Pinter play is the kind of work I need to be attached to. The theatre is where I'm learning my trade," says Cox. "In Tim's [West] day he did years of rep theatre. Today we are in a manic rush to be rich and famous. None of us young stars has had time to learn our trade. There is a horrible misconception that you can either act or not. But experience is everything."

It is a challenge for Cox, playing a lead role in The Collection – one of the two rarely performed Pinter plays, the other being The Lover, which are being revived at the Comedy Theatre under the direction of Jamie Lloyd, who recently directed The Caretaker for Sheffield Theatres. "Harold [Pinter] has been involved in the production, but he hasn't told us whether my character Bill really did sleep with Stella or not. He is the only one who really knows. Gina [McKee] and I made a decision that we think helps us, but we are keeping that decision a secret." Bill is a million miles away from his Stardust role of Tristan, who wore his heart on his sleeve. "What is certain about my character Bill is that he lies all the time. Whether Bill did it or not, he still gives different versions of the story. He is a bit of a spoilt brat who doesn't think of what other people want. He just wants a bit of a drama. He craves power and manipulates people for his own amusement. He annoys Harry for no reason at all other than to entertain himself."

For Cox, who has been living out of a suitcase for so long, starring in the West End allows him something of a normal routine. He can walk his dog and hang out with the small group of friends whom he has known since childhood. Fame has not changed him, and he doubts it ever will. None of the older actors has ever sat him down for a pep talk either, but Pacino offered him some words of wisdom. "Al said, 'You're not an actor until you've got a leather jacket.' I took it very seriously and asked my parents to buy me this brown leather jacket for my 21st birthday. It's worn really well, hasn't it? Then Al rang me on the day to wish me happy birthday while I was in the middle of having a small party. Answering the phone to him was one of the most bizarre things that has ever happened to me."

Now Cox has another offer to star with Pacino, in Enclosure, a black comedy about a Jewish family. He has already finished filming Stone of Destiny, based on a true story, in which he plays Ian Hamilton, a committed Scottish nationalist who in the 1950s led a raid on Westminster Abbey to bring the Stone of Scone back to Scotland. The actor talks about his career with the excitement of somebody who is living his dream. In promotional TV interviews for Stardust he looked almost startled, but since he's been at home he seems to be more at ease. "It's so easy to become obsessed with the film industry and recognition that we can forget that we are not saving the world. We are just actors trying to entertain people. Doing this play, in front of a live audience, has reminded me of that."

~*~

[theweeklynews]

How regional newsrooms can use AI to protect the ‘lifeblood of local journalism’

Regional journalism experts appear optimistic generative AI can help their snowed-under newsrooms.

By João Santos for Press Gazette 

A WAN-IFRA survey has found that half of newsrooms are already deploying generative AI in some form or another.

Large language models quickly garnered the attention of Reach, Buzzfeed, Conde Nast and other publishers across the globe over the past six months for its potential to streamline editorial processes.

In particular the free-to-access ChatGPT has fast shown its potential to reinvent the way content is produced and journalism is done. But in local news outlets hard-pressed for time and staff, is the adoption of AI likely to be an opportunity or a threat?

AI vs the humans in local journalism

A number of UK regional news publishers have already realised that AI-generated news stories could free up journalists to concentrate on more meaningful reporting.

Duncan Williams, the managing director and proprietor of Pulman’s Weekly News in south east Devon, said: “AI has got huge advantages to help journalists, particularly in the regional sector, but it’s not yet at a level where it’s going to be able to write nitty-gritty stories.”

Rather, he said he believes the more in-depth stories produced by human journalists will carry increased significance. He wrote an op-ed in his newspaper last month emphasising the importance of human bylines for trust.

“As an editor, I would not dream of publishing a story by someone I did know the name of or who was not a trusted and credible human source,” he said. “Bylines not only protect my readers, but they also hold journalists accountable for their work.”

Dr Joy Jenkins, an assistant professor of Journalism at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, has worked extensively on how new technologies can be sustainably introduced into local industries.

She said: “AI can be used on more basic types of reporting in order to free up journalists to do the more investigative, in-depth types of stories they’d like to do but don’t always have the time and resources to produce.”

Eliz Mizon, a media writer and communications lead at Bristol Cable, believes AI could help local journalists carry out important “institutional accountability and community cohesion” roles, potentially reversing a trend that has seen around 300 local newspaper title closures since 2005 and left others hanging by a thread.

Will AI help or hurt regional journalist numbers?

A recurring worry that crops up in discussions of AI and news is whether the technology will end up replacing journalists, particularly in light of the economic headwinds that have encouraged many publishers to lay off staff in the past year.

Jody Doherty-Cove, Newsquest‘s special projects editor, is currently at the forefront of developing, coding and implementing AI tools for over 180 newsrooms across the UK, having just helped the Gannett-owned publisher establish its first AI reporter positions.

He explained: “A common misconception in the public discourse is the notion that AI, like some malevolent force, is poised to supplant human journalists in a ruthless bid to cut costs.

“Local journalism is a craft that requires investigation, relationship building, and nuanced understanding – elements that no machine, no matter how sophisticated, can truly replicate.”

Dr Jenkins agreed, explaining that AI should be seen as a “really affordable and helpful” tool which, if used properly, can be an “extremely effective way for local journalism to maximise its resources”.

Pulman’s owner Williams added: “It would streamline both the numbers of staff required to run our titles in an economic fashion and also the actual revenue streams that are the lifeblood of local journalism.”

This is the approach that Kallum Gethins, managing director at Dorset News and editor at View From Weymouth, has taken when incorporating AI into the running of both publications.

“If we find a story, we gather the facts, make a short sentence and then bring that into the AI software which produces a three to four-paragraph article, we proofread it and publish it,” he said. “The whole process takes about ten minutes.”

Much like the advent of social media and citizen journalism, AI could therefore lower the barrier of entry into the industry, making quality and consistency more affordable.

Gethins said: “I think that all organisations should implement AI because it could help their business massively, especially if the organisation is brand new and can’t afford journalists. For instance, we probably won’t be using AI-originated content in the long term and will look for potential journalists to join our franchise.”

The challenges ahead for AI in local journalism

As automation seeps into the media industry, the utility of AI in local journalism could be as far-reaching as the industry demands.

As well as editorial tasks, Dorset News’ Gethins has begun using different AI software engines for administrative work, for example producing email templates suited to potential investors and creating budget plans.

Automation could magnify the results of advertising campaigns and help integrate local papers more fully into social media, something which, Dr Jenkins explained, has been a historical struggle for many publications.

However there are considerable challenges to overcome before AI can be fully integrated into journalism in a way that is both ethical and practical.

Doherty-Cove said: “We must ensure that AI-generated content does not escape the watchful eyes of human editors who, with human oversight and rigorous fact-checking, can ensure AI-generated content meets their exacting requirements.”

Chatbots such as ChatGPT rely on what the user feeds into it, as the data on which they were trained is in some cases out-of-date. This means the fundamental newsgathering framework which leads to a fully-fledged story is, for the moment, outside the purview of generative AI programmes.

But as Dr David Ryfe, a professor and director at the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin, put it: “Clay Shirky wrote over a decade ago that it is much faster to lose something than to build something else to stand in its place. That is what is happening to local journalism.”

[pulmansweekly]

How regional newsrooms can use AI to protect the ‘lifeblood of local journalism’

Regional journalism experts appear optimistic generative AI can help their snowed-under newsrooms.

By João Santos for Press Gazette

A WAN-IFRA survey has found that half of newsrooms are already deploying generative AI in some form or another.

Large language models quickly garnered the attention of Reach, Buzzfeed, Conde Nast and other publishers across the globe over the past six months for its potential to streamline editorial processes.

In particular the free-to-access ChatGPT has fast shown its potential to reinvent the way content is produced and journalism is done. But in local news outlets hard-pressed for time and staff, is the adoption of AI likely to be an opportunity or a threat?

AI vs the humans in local journalism

A number of UK regional news publishers have already realised that AI-generated news stories could free up journalists to concentrate on more meaningful reporting.

Duncan Williams, the managing director and proprietor of Pulman’s Weekly News in south east Devon, said: “AI has got huge advantages to help journalists, particularly in the regional sector, but it’s not yet at a level where it’s going to be able to write nitty-gritty stories.”

Rather, he said he believes the more in-depth stories produced by human journalists will carry increased significance. He wrote an op-ed in his newspaper last month emphasising the importance of human bylines for trust.

“As an editor, I would not dream of publishing a story by someone I did know the name of or who was not a trusted and credible human source,” he said. “Bylines not only protect my readers, but they also hold journalists accountable for their work.”

Dr Joy Jenkins, an assistant professor of Journalism at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, has worked extensively on how new technologies can be sustainably introduced into local industries.

She said: “AI can be used on more basic types of reporting in order to free up journalists to do the more investigative, in-depth types of stories they’d like to do but don’t always have the time and resources to produce.”

Eliz Mizon, a media writer and communications lead at Bristol Cable, believes AI could help local journalists carry out important “institutional accountability and community cohesion” roles, potentially reversing a trend that has seen around 300 local newspaper title closures since 2005 and left others hanging by a thread.

Will AI help or hurt regional journalist numbers?

A recurring worry that crops up in discussions of AI and news is whether the technology will end up replacing journalists, particularly in light of the economic headwinds that have encouraged many publishers to lay off staff in the past year.

Jody Doherty-Cove, Newsquest‘s special projects editor, is currently at the forefront of developing, coding and implementing AI tools for over 180 newsrooms across the UK, having just helped the Gannett-owned publisher establish its first AI reporter positions.

He explained: “A common misconception in the public discourse is the notion that AI, like some malevolent force, is poised to supplant human journalists in a ruthless bid to cut costs.

“Local journalism is a craft that requires investigation, relationship building, and nuanced understanding – elements that no machine, no matter how sophisticated, can truly replicate.”

Dr Jenkins agreed, explaining that AI should be seen as a “really affordable and helpful” tool which, if used properly, can be an “extremely effective way for local journalism to maximise its resources”.

Pulman’s owner Williams added: “It would streamline both the numbers of staff required to run our titles in an economic fashion and also the actual revenue streams that are the lifeblood of local journalism.”

This is the approach that Kallum Gethins, managing director at Dorset News and editor at View From Weymouth, has taken when incorporating AI into the running of both publications.

“If we find a story, we gather the facts, make a short sentence and then bring that into the AI software which produces a three to four-paragraph article, we proofread it and publish it,” he said. “The whole process takes about ten minutes.”

Much like the advent of social media and citizen journalism, AI could therefore lower the barrier of entry into the industry, making quality and consistency more affordable.

Gethins said: “I think that all organisations should implement AI because it could help their business massively, especially if the organisation is brand new and can’t afford journalists. For instance, we probably won’t be using AI-originated content in the long term and will look for potential journalists to join our franchise.”

The challenges ahead for AI in local journalism

As automation seeps into the media industry, the utility of AI in local journalism could be as far-reaching as the industry demands.

As well as editorial tasks, Dorset News’ Gethins has begun using different AI software engines for administrative work, for example producing email templates suited to potential investors and creating budget plans.

Automation could magnify the results of advertising campaigns and help integrate local papers more fully into social media, something which, Dr Jenkins explained, has been a historical struggle for many publications.

However there are considerable challenges to overcome before AI can be fully integrated into journalism in a way that is both ethical and practical.

Doherty-Cove said: “We must ensure that AI-generated content does not escape the watchful eyes of human editors who, with human oversight and rigorous fact-checking, can ensure AI-generated content meets their exacting requirements.”

Chatbots such as ChatGPT rely on what the user feeds into it, as the data on which they were trained is in some cases out-of-date. This means the fundamental newsgathering framework which leads to a fully-fledged story is, for the moment, outside the purview of generative AI programmes.

But as Dr David Ryfe, a professor and director at the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin, put it: “Clay Shirky wrote over a decade ago that it is much faster to lose something than to build something else to stand in its place. That is what is happening to local journalism.”

[systemtek]

Broadband boost for 380,000 rural premises as UK Government investment reaches £1.3 billion

Hundreds of thousands of remote homes and businesses across the UK will be able to benefit from lightning-fast broadband, as new figures show a record £714 million has been invested in the broadband rollout so far this year. New data published today reveals that since the start of 2024, the UK Government is boosting access to fast and reliable internet at an unprecedented speed, putting nearly 380,000 rural premises in line to access a better broadband connection. The upgrades will give rural communities access to the fastest internet on the market, helping to grow the economy. Households will be able to download high-definition films in under one minute, stream and download entertainment and shop online across several devices at once. Full fibre broadband will also make it easier for rural residents to set up businesses, increasing local productivity and delivering long-term growth for a brighter future. Areas set to benefit include Yorkshire, The Isles of Scilly and Dorset, with the funding forming part of the UK Government’s flagship £5 billion Project Gigabit programme. The funding brings the total invested so far to £1.3 billion. Nearly 82% of properties across the country can now access lightning-fast broadband, up from just 7% this time five years ago. It comes as the UK continues to rollout Gigabit broadband faster than any other EU nation, ensuring everyone, no matter where they live or work, can thrive in the 21st century. Minister for Data and Digital Julia Lopez said: Connectivity has never been more important for people and businesses. It is increasingly the enabler for so many services that we rely on every day, from using maps to doing business. The figures published today demonstrate just how rapidly we are getting higher quality, gigabit broadband to every part of the country - even some of our most remote, rural areas. Whether that be to a business on the coast of Cornwall or the hills of the Peak District, patchy and poor connection should never be a barrier to economic growth or somebody’s life chances. As part of this year’s investment, the UK Government has today also announced £165 million in contracts to build full fibre networks in areas spanning South Yorkshire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Herefordshire, the Forest of Dean, the Peak District, Dorset and Somerset*. Almost 90,000 premises are set to benefit from the contracts, with full fibre connections capable of delivering speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second. This is up to 30 times faster than superfast connections relying on traditional copper cables. Over one million rural homes, businesses and public buildings have already been upgraded to gigabit-capable networks thanks to UK Government investment. Properties connected through Project Gigabit are in hard-to-reach rural locations, where residents and businesses previously would have struggled to perform basic online tasks because of poor and patchy connection. On top of this, the Government has awarded separate contracts to connect up to 800 primary schools in England, jointly funded through Project Gigabit and the Department for Education. The Schools Gigabit Connectivity Project will help students and teachers access the latest digital technology in education. Read the latest update on Project Gigabit here. Read the full article