With coronavirus case rates rising by the day after the outbreak of the new Omicron variant, the nation is once again gripped by developments unfolding in relation to the virus. But November was rife with other journalistic developments on top of Omicron, which Empoword Journalism look back on in this round-up. 

Murder convictions in the cases of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson

Nationwide media attention turned to the case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, the six-year-old boy who died of a head injury in Solihull in June 2020. At Coventry Crown Court, his father, Thomas Hughes, and his partner, Emma Tustin, were found guilty of killing the child. Tustin, who shook Arthur and banged his head on a hard surface after poisoning him, was convicted of murder, whilst Hughes was convicted of manslaughter, with both also receiving child cruelty convictions. An upsetting case involving graphic details, the jury held a minute’s silence for Arthur following the delivery of the verdicts, before being excused from jury service for life. 

Just weeks after the conviction of Arthur’s killers came a verdict of murder in the case of sixteen-month-old Star Hobson, in which Savannah Brockhill was found guilty of murdering her partner’s daughter. The court described the injuries inflicted on Star by Brockhill as ‘catastrophic’, involving weeks of physical abuse before the fatal assault that caused her death. Star’s mother, Frankie Smith, was also convicted of causing or allowing her death. 

Arthur’s case prompted the launch of a major national review into the issue of child neglect and abuse in the UK, with the coronavirus lockdown thought to have played a role in the increased number of abusive incidents. The review will involve four inspectorates (civil or military bodies tasked with inspecting and reporting on an institution in its specialist field), covering social care, health, police and probation. It will also seek to ‘identify the lessons that must be learnt from Arthur’s case for the benefit of other children elsewhere in England, led by the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’.

Midlands Correspondent Phil Mackie gave comment on this matter: 

“The circumstances surrounding Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’s death are truly shocking. No-one can be blamed for what happened other than the people who were supposed to be looking after him – Emma Tustin and Thomas Hughes. 

However, there were opportunities when – if the agencies involved had intervened – Arthur might have been saved. This will be the subject of a serious case review which is expected to be published next year.”

The Guardian reaches 1 million digital readers

black smartphone

Image credit: Viktor Bystrov on Unsplash

The Guardian has announced that, as of the end of November, it has become the first news organisation in Britain to reach 1 million paying digital readers. 

The paper had previously ranked 10th in Press Gazette ranking of news organisations by digital subscriptions, and follows other English-language news outlets such as the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Gannett and Athletic. It has also now overtaken the Economist and Financial Times in its paying digital readership.

The Guardian differs from many other platforms in that its website is free to access, with subscribers paying a fee for extra benefits including apps, as well as the choice to donate via a single or recurring contribution, to ‘protect the independence’ of the paper, aiding it in delivering ‘quality journalism that’s open for everyone around the world’.

Downing Street Christmas Party Scandal 

As cases of the Omicron variant continue to rise, much of the nation was furious to learn of various parties allegedly taking place in and around Downing Street during the Christmas period of 2020. 

Despite Boris Johnson’s adamant assertions that no such parties took place during a grilling PMQ session on 8 December, images have since emerged of several leading Conservative figures, such as Shaun Bailey and Nick Candy, engaging in festive celebrations whilst the nation was forbidden to mix between households. 

Many have suggested that the Conservative Party have reached an all-time-low in their popularity and public confidence. After a damning defeat on Thursday 16 December in the North Shropshire bi-elections, Tory MPs are thought to be discussing whether it is possible for Boris Johnson to remain in power for much longer.

The most recent development comes as Cabinet Secretary Simon Case removed himself from his role in leading the Whitehall review into such claims of parties, as he was revealed to have had knowledge of a separate party occurring in his own office in December of last year.  

As this latest government scandal continues to dominate the front pages, alongside the evolving circumstances surrounding the Omicron variant, we’re certain to see plenty more journalistic developments unfold across the course of December. 

Featured image courtesy of Markis Spiske on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image. 

Final year BA English student at University College London. President of Pi Media, UCL's student publication. Arts, culture and current affairs writer and aspiring journalist.

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