The First Post

"The First Post" is a daily online news magazine published in the UK and based in London. It was launched in August 2005. It publishes news, current affairs, lifestyle, opinion, arts and sports pages, features an online games arcade and a cinema featuring short films, virals, trailers and eyewitness news footage. There are also quick-read digests of the UK newspapers' news, opinion and sports pages.

In January 2008, Dennis Publishing acquired The First Post for an undisclosed sum. [ [http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/10/dennis-publishing-buys-the-first-post Dennis Publishing acquires The First Post] ]

Contributors

"The First Post" has no discernible political bias although its articles are decidedly pro-Christian when referencing Islamic issues. Regular writers include left wing Alexander Cockburn commenting on US politics and Sir Peregrine Worsthorne, generally perceived as a right-libertarian, writing on UK and international issues. Contributors are based in a wide range of countries. It is edited by Mark Law, [ [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/atoz.php#law Mark Law] ] former comment editor of "The Sunday Telegraph".

Robert Fox is defence correspondent for "The First Post". In 2007 15 Royal Navy Personnel were kidnapped by Iranian Special Forces. On their release the Defense Minister Des Browne granted permission for the 15 to sell their stories to the newspapers. Senior members of the Royal Navy were very unhappy about this decision and contacted Robert Fox. The article [ [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=1&subID=1304 Mutiny? The fleet’s all fired up] ] he wrote for "The First Post" was the first to alert the public to the disquiet within the Navy and formed the basis for coverage by the BBC flagship programme Today.

Coverage of 2007 anti-government protests in Burma

"The First Post" provided extensive coverage of the 2007 anti-government protests in Burma. In a December 2007 press briefing, in the state-run daily The New Light of Myanmar, Burmese information minister Kyaw Hsan singled out "The First Post" for its negative reporting of events.

Moses Moyo

Moses Moyo is the pseudonym of an independent Zimbabwe-born journalist based in Harare, who reports exclusively for "The First Post". In October 2007 documents leaked to Moses by an operative in Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation uncovered a plot to assassinate former Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube. [ [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?storyID=8792 New plot to quash Ncube] ] This coverage forced Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to suspend attempts to silence critics of his regime. [ [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?storyID=9517 Panic in Mugabe’s bunker] ]

Chinese Censorship

In March 2008, shortly before the Olympics were due to be staged in China, The First Post ran a story in which the head coach of China's badminton team admitted to fixing a match at the 2004 Games in Athens [ [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/?storyID=25252 Beijing Games: another shuttlecock-up] ] . Attempting to access this story from within China resulted in the user being redirected to an error page that simply read "The connection was reset". This is the same message that users attempting to access the BBC News website have encountered and is thought to be the result of state censorship by the Chinese via the Golden Shield Project [ [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/?storyID=25548 Great Firewall gives and takes away] ] .

Design

"The First Post" has more the appearance of a print publication with a grid. It commissions shorter pieces with the stated intention of avoiding scrolling. [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1553119,00.html The Observer/Guardian media profile of The First Post] ]

Publishers

"The First Post" is backed by an investment group, The First Post News Group, [ [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/?sectionID=6 News Group] ] who also publish "Zimbabwe Today", which carries personal accounts of life in the country under the Mugabe regime, and "Media Circus", a student guide to getting and sustaining a career in the media.

Awards

"The First Post" was nominated and singled out for special commendation in the Best Editorial Team category of the 2007 Awards given by the Association of Online Publishers. [ [http://www.ukaop.org.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/news/article.html?uid=1633 Association of Online Publishers] ] The site also received a nomination for a Yellow Pencil Award for Outstanding Achievement in Viral / Animation & Motion Graphics at the D&AD Global Awards 2007 [ [http://www.dandad.org/awards2007/category.asp?category_no=22 D&AD Global Awards 2007] ] and was voted one of their Top 50 Secret Websites by PC Pro magazine. [ [http://www.pcpro.co.uk/misc/PC%20Pro%20Top%2050%20Secret%20Websites.html PC Pro review] ]

External links

* [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk Official website]
* [http://www.zimbabwetoday.co.uk/ Zimbabwe Today]
* [http://www.jointhemediacircus.com/ Media Circus]

References