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For an industry accustomed to delivering predominantly bad news, journalism has taken more than a mouthful of its own medicine this year.

There was a time in not-too-distant memory when it was possible for regional journalists to move between jobs to escape a particularly tyrannical news editor, a punishing shift system, the grimness of doing “death knocks” on recently-bereaved families, or even advance their career.

Things are not looking so good now. But Sarah Hartley, blogger and journalist at the Manchester Evening News, has captured some positive vibes for journalism in 2009.

To borrow from Oscar Wilde: “The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything. Except what is worth knowing. Journalism, conscious of this, and having tradesman-like habits, supplies their demands.”

And long may it be so!

Credit: cartoon care of Attack Cartoons.

The recent launch of Manchester’s Social Media Cafe (#smc_mcr) brought like-minded people together to debate social media’s present and future.

Two of the people instrumental in Manchester’s burgeoning social media scene, Chi-chi Ekweozor of Real Fresh TV and Sarah Hartley, Head of Online Editorial at the Manchester Evening News (MEN), spoke to Staniforth after the event and we’ve captured it for you here on film.

Chi-chi considers the value of the Social Media Cafe concept, the growth of podcasts and video along with comparisons and contrasts between UK and US social media activity.

Sarah looks at the origins of her interest in digital media, the development of the MEN web presence and how journalists are integrating with new media.

The new media world of Manchester’s bloggers came face to face with 140 years of newspaper heritage at the Manchester Evening News (MEN) last night.

But even a paper that began life in a “dingy office in Brown Street” has had to change with the times. Now housed in shiny offices, the decor is not the only thing that’s changed.

Assistant news editor, Paul Gallagher, explained how the MEN’s print, online capability and tie-up with Manchester TV station, Channel M, means that decisions on news are very much based on its suitability for the medium, though the paper tends to time the release of online news with the hard copy, so not to compete with itself.

What’s also changed is the way content comes together, combining old fashioned news hounding with readers’ online comments, video taken on reporters’ mobile phones and the work of citizen journalists. As Paul says: “The benchmark for a good story hasn’t changed. But you just have more people contributing to it.”

And the days of the “death knock” - visiting the homes of the recently bereaved in search of a story and, vitally, a photo - may be numbered with newspapers like the MEN turning to online tribute sites for the material they need.

Head of online editorial, Sarah Hartley, described the paper’s move to greater online content and gave a sneak preview of the live blogging and Twittering planned for the Labour Party Conference in Manchester, which starts this Saturday in Manchester.

Still, it was great to see some relics from the past remain, such as the MEN’s hard copy reference library (see pic).