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The feral beast: Demolition job on City AM

Sunday 18 January 2009 01:00 GMT
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All papers have their problems, but spare a thought for 'City A.M.', the London freesheet. On Friday, staff were forced to move offices after their building was demolished around them. New London Bridge House, a Seventies tower block, is being flattened to make way for a development to be known as the Baby Shard. 'City A.M.' was one of two companies still there as workmen blasted off higher floors. The Beast hears the paper had problems finding a new home but has now moved to Cannon Street.

Telegraph's relatively bad move

'The Daily Telegraph' is keen to shrug off its fogeyish image and attract a hip young audience. So like all newspapers it will be falling over itself to interview Florence and the Machine, a hot new band tipped by critics – including its own Neil McCormick – as the next big thing. What an own goal then that the paper should have sacked its star columnist Craig Brown (right) weeks before Christmas – he happens to be Florence Welch's uncle.

Fear of taking the gloss off Matt

Can we ever have too much of a good thing? The 'Telegraph' has taken to occasionally printing two cartoons by Matt. This follows news that Charles Moore has negotiated to file two columns per week for the same pay rather than take a cut. But should execs resist the temptations of too much Matt? "In the early days, we sometimes used several of his drawings in a single issue of the paper," recalls former editor Max Hastings in his book, 'Editor', "Then we realised that we had a talent beyond price, and must not abuse it."

Not so green pastures new

Might Jason Cowley regret taking on the 'New Statesman'? Last week I revealed the mag is axing jobs and merging desks to cut costs. Now Cowley has been told his plans for an ambitious redesign must wait, much to his annoyance. Cowley joined the Staggers after only a year editing 'Granta', where he enjoyed good relations with deep-pocketed proprietor Sigrid Rausing.

'Beware the Daily Mail'

Anyone with ambitions to work at the 'Daily Mail' may wish to head to the Hen and Chickens in Highbury on 1 February to see 'Bridget Christie's Daily Mail Hell', a one-woman comedy rant. "Before I was married and had a child, I worked for the 'Daily Mail'," says Bridget, "I sat next to a Jewish lady called Helen (who had a weak sphincter) and I met lots of famous people – most of whom hated my lying, Nazi guts."

Out of the mouths of babes

Roy Greenslade may not be held in quite the high esteem he deserves by his City University students. Seizing on his habits of name-dropping and referring to his 'Guardian' columns, an article in the student mag 'City Rat' reveals: "Roy Greenslade has declared an affiliation to the 'Guardian' newspaper in conversation with a large number of very important people, an investigation has revealed." It goes on: "In lectures recorded covertly, Greenslade said: 'I blog for the Guardian – that's the Guardian online, the future of journalism – but I also write columns for the Guardian, the declining present of journalism, as it were ... [etc ad nauseam]'." Full marks all round.

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