Removing all trace of appearing in a vox pop … or why using the ‘right to be forgotten’ is an own goal

What sort of person contacts Google to make the most of the ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling which entitles people to demand the search engine remove any results about themselves which they think are ‘outdated’ or ‘irrelevant.’? This week, publishers began to find out who was making the most of the opportunity served up by

FOI FRIDAY: Jail smuggling, brand conscious police, cost-saving consultants and golden hellos for paramedics

‘Golden Hellos’ for new paramedics < Eastern Daily Press The East of England Ambulance Service paid the incentives to 59 qualified paramedics in 2013 to try and resolve the organisation’s staff shortage. However, five of the new recruits had to repay the £2,000 golden hello payments after leaving the trust, according to new figures. The

20 great storm photos which show us how journalism is changing

The recent storms – which are continuing as I write this – have dominated many local news websites and their associated newspapers. Great images have not been in short supply. This isn’t meant to be a ’20 great images’ post, but a collection of images which tell us something about how we cover big weather

FOI Friday: Tasered animals, council zero hour contracts, overpaid NHS staff and missing library books

Back from a summer break to make even an MP envious, here’s the return of FOI Friday. Thanks to several students on the PA Training course in Newcastle for giving me a nudge by saying they enjoyed it… 1. Tasered animals < Lancashire Evening Post Police officers had to use tasers on animals on 13

FOI: The council which wanted to keep the location of Jubilee street parties a secret. Really

Councils, for as long as I can remember, have always been keen to play up the importance of community spirit. Indeed, community cohesion was a buzzword which many authorities used repeatedly for a number of years to – depending on your point of view – meddle in areas which went beyond on their remit or

FOI Friday: Councils investing in tobacco, sheep worrying, posh cars and NHS exit packages

From the amount councils invest in tobacco firms through pension schemes to the rise in cases of sheep worrying – 10 stories made possible thanks to the Freedom of Information Act

FOI: The council which likes to help naughty shopkeepers

Oxford. A city of spires, universities … and an apparent guarantee that if you’re busted by county’s trading standards, they’ll do their best to keep you out of the paper. Really? According to the Oxford Mail, that certainly appears to be the case. The Mail’s Oliver Evans used FOI to ask Oxford County Council for

FOI Friday: 999 attacks, bin fines, obese babies and plastic surgery

Area-by-area crime rates – and how many are solved (Oxford Mail) There’s been a lot of debate about how valuable, or otherwise, the police crime maps are. They tell you about crime a month later, aren’t that accurate when it comes to naming the location and won’t tell you if the crime has been solves.

FOI Friday: 10 things we’ve learnt this week thanks to the Freedom of Information Act

Rentacops Befordshire Police ‘rented out’ its officers to no fewer than 33 organisatons, reports Luton Today, thanks to and FOI request, including town centre committees, the local hospital and a parish council. The FOI went to the local police force. Reveal a babycare scandal You’d like to think if an organisation such as the Royal