October 2009

Xchangeteam are launching their Freelancer of the Year Awards 2009 and they’re looking for entries across the spectrum of Marketing, Media and Communications.

Since their first incarnation back in 2003, the awards have been recognising the work of freelancers in these mediums across the UK.

Nominations can come from peers, colleagues, an appreciative manager or from the freelancer themself so if you know an exceptional freelancer, or indeed if you are one, get in touch. To date the highest number of nominations for the awards are 350 but Xchangeteam are looking to beat that in 2009.

You could be an experienced journo looking to update your skills, a poverty stricken graduate or just after a career change, there's a new training scheme going by the name of inFUZE, that will make things a whole lot easier for struggeling hacks and those looking to break into the industry.

InFUZE was developed in conjunction with  the BBC and the University of Central Lancashire's Meld team, will be launching on Wednesday 21st October and is set to improve the fortunes of journalists of all levels.

Included in the course are seminars, technical training and a 12 week placement at various news offices across the north of England. The course will provide 10 journalists in the region with up-to-the-minute skills across the spectrum of online, TV, radio and mobile.

Figures released from the Internet Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) bi-annual online advertising expenditure study, carried out in partnership with Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC), makes for enlightening reading.

For the first time in the UK the internet has surpassed TV to become the single biggest advertising medium in the country.

Online adversiting spend overtook TV to become the UK's biggest advertising medium in the first half of 2009. It grew 4.6%, to £1.75 bn in H1, giving it a record market share of 23.5%.

Even as advertising experienced a 16.6% decline overall, online's ability to engage audiences, its measurability and a sturdy ROI is keeping the sector above water, where TV and other mediums have floundered and sunk.

A Twitter investor has hinted at charging for mobile as the future of Twitter.

Joi Ito, an investor in microblogging site Twitter, has hinted that he sees the future of the site's profitability in charging for mobile use.

This has been added to by co-founder Biz Stone's announcement that Twitter will not start using ads this year and that immediate goals were to improve the search function and create a paid-for commercial account.