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Wait! That can’t be right….

pmurricane — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:53:21 +0000

It’s unbelievable isn’t it, how long you have to wait at Passport Control to get into the UK? Three hours at least! Er… yes it is unbelievable. According to the Immigration Minister Damian Green in the House of Commons yesterday average waiting times were within the targets of 25 minutes for EU residents and 45 minutes for non EU on practically every day they looked. So that’s all right then. But according to the Opposition it was quite possible to be born, grow up and die in the queue at most of our major airports. Okay at Heathrow then. And thereby hangs the problem. Politicians once again being selective with the facts to exaggerate and therefore they assume, win their point. It won’t wash. The public aren’t interested in explanations (you say explanation, I hear excuse). The public aren’t interested in who is right or wrong (we assume correctly that they’re both wrong.) We’re only interested in what is being done about it. When you have a crisis, misinformation will flourish like bindweed in a garden. Blame will fly around in all directions, and you could be caught in the crossfire. But if you stick to the facts, no matter how unfortunate or uncomfortable, you’ll be seen as a beacon of reason in a confused situation. If you stick to being the person of action who’s sorting it out… you’ll be surprised at how the accusations of blame slink away in search of an easier target. Oh, and welcome to London for the Olympics. Better start queueing to get in now.

No Hiding Place

pmurricane — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:56:41 +0000

The Costa Concordia disaster has shown once again that the only possible way to handle bad news is be completely honest …because the truth will get out there faster than your version of what happened. Even before captain Francesco Schettino had formulated his statement that they’d hit a rock not marked on the chart, pictures of the stricken vessel on its side just metres from the shoreline were available around the world. Even before the cruise company had issued their statement saying that the evacuation procedure had been carried out with professionalism and efficiency, phone footage of panic and hysteria (which proved to be completely justified) showed the reality – it might be 2012 but the Titanic experience is still very real. Costa Cruises who own the ship got it right – Acknowledge Concern, Control Information, Take Action. They immediately acknowledged the scale of the disaster, expressed their shock at events and sympathy for the victims and their families, made it clear that most of the information was rumour and hearsay, and said they were concentrating on the rescue operation. By doing that they positioned themselves as the organisation responsible for dealing with the situation. But the hapless Captain Schettino found himself in the position he should have done everything to avoid – being the first, the most prominent, and easiest person to blame.

It’s the soundbite, stupid

pmurricane — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:10:28 +0000

So – what’s The Iron Lady biopic all about? For that we have to look at the soundbites. Never think a soundbite is dumbing down. The papers have been full of wrong answers in the last few days. Feminism? Nope. Class war between a lower middle class woman with ambition and upper class Tory toffs with a false sense of entitlement? Wrong again. A woman with the backbone and balls to pursue her convictions brought down by a Cabinet ignored? Er… no. The reason The Iron Lady is getting such attention is nothing to do with the incendiary story of one of the most admired and hated political figures in recent decades. It is about today’s story….dementia. Director Phyllida Lloyd has cleverly steered every interview away from the politics (of which there is very little in the movie) on to the universal issue that places it firmly on today’s news agenda. The end we all face – the loss of faculties, the temporary nature of everyone’s life. That’s been picked up by the movie’s star Meryl Streep; “It’s Lear for girls!” A great soundbite that says in four words exactly what this movie is – Shakespearean in scope, feminist in intent, current in its relevance. And nothing to do with wearing a hat in the Commons – though that apparently is something the movie got right, too.

Highlights from New Start Scotland

pmurricane — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:22:16 +0000

Down at New Start Scotland this weekend and we’ve been videoing the exhibition. Have a look at some of our videos highlighting Scotland’s largest business support event, New Start Scotland.

GPs Beware – The Press Are On Your Case

pmurricane — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:08:04 +0000

I read in the latest edition of the NHS staff paper Pulse that the Daily Mail has been door-stepping GPs in their hunt for the so-called ‘Super-GP’, said to be earning around £770,000 a year. The Mail found themselves with a scoop on their hands through the simplest means – they merely put in a Freedom on Information request about GP pay. On the list was one GP in Kent with an annual salary of £770,444 and another in Birmingham paid £665,000 a year. The next, and entirely legitimate step, is to track them down. Which is why Daily Mail journalists have been turning up on the doorsteps of the most obviously affluent GPs to see if they’ll admit to being one of the new breed of Super GPs.
Since the recent massive upheaval in the NHS (not in Scotland) the media clearly see inexperienced medical staff as a perfect source of unguarded comment. Hence swift action by Glynis Alexander, associate director of communications and engagement at NHS Kent and Medwaywho emailed: ‘This message is just to warn you about this in case you are similarly approached. If you need support from our communications team please feel free to contact me, or refer the journalist to me.’
Perhaps she should have removed the word ‘if’. Medical staff always need the support of their Trust’s press teams, Experienced media handlers know that you mustn’t refuse to comment. You don’t need to say much at all, but every word will count in preserving your reputation.

Barking Back at Watchdog – Or Barking Up The Wrong Tree?

pmurricane — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:04:36 +0000

Pontin’s took a pasting on last week’s Watchdog programme on BBC 1. Reporter Chris Hollins took his five dwarfish friends Filthy Grimy Dusty Shabby and Stinky to several Pontin’s resorts, and they found and filmed, disgusting conditions, outraged parents, and distressed children. His conclusion? Not the Magic Kingdom…more the House Of Horrors. At first, Pontin’s declined to comment. But just hours before transmission Britannia Hotels who own Pontin’s put up their spokesperson Eileen Downey. Ms Downey took an unusual approach – fight fire with fire. Looking thunderous she attacked Anne Robinson. Her face set in anger, she pointed out that they’d only owned Pontin’s for 26 weeks, and they needed customer’s money because the alternative would be to lay off staff. Rome wasn’t built in a day (no Mrs Downey but as my first editor told me it was sacked in a day and so could you be). Her fury was so unrestrained that La Robinson was struck dumb. So, she won the battle. But – and here’s the point – she lost the war. Anne Robinson wasn’t her audience. She wasn’t talking to Robinson, but to millions of families watching. Millions who won’t go near Pontin’s, for fear that someone as terrifying as Mrs Downey might be at the entrance ready to welcome them.

Media Prove Again They Alone Get To The Truth

pmurricane — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:41:08 +0000

CNN’s world exclusive pictures of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the only man convicted over the Lockerbie bombing, in what is obviously a near-death state, have done more than anything to cease the political wrangling over whether or not he should be extradited back to prison in the UK. Governments on all sides have not been able to back up their arguments with hard evidence of his condition. The man’s family forcibly ejected journalists who’d tried to track him down to his luxury villa in the suburbs of Tripoli. Yet when persistent journalists refused to give up, and finally got the picture they wanted of the convict on his death bed, we could all see that here was a man in no fit state to move, or be moved, anywhere. Will Governments and minders learn the lesson, that an open and free media is essential to stability and democracy? Probably not. But CNN have done everyone involved – the US Government, the Foreign Office, the Libyan NTC and the dying man himself – a big favour. One they could easily have done for themselves.

Jargonistas In The Morning

pmurricane — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:58:41 +0000

Journalists tend to become journalists because they have a natural ability to express complex ideas in the sort of language that everyone can understand. It is a constant source of bewilderment to journalists when highly intelligent and successful people find it impossible to do the same. It’s literally a non-meeting of minds, and can usually lead to conflict – neither side can understand the other’s point of view and both assume, usually wrongly, that they are being deliberately awkward.
This morning’s Today programme on Radio 4 was a perfect example. Natasha Bishop, head of family recovery at Westminster Council in London is passionate about a government scheme to help 120,000 problem families which allows charities and companies to invest in social bonds that are repaid if the projects they finance are successful. She is the sort of person who can make a huge success of this. She also has an engaging voice on radio. But when Evan Davis asked her to describe how she would pitch for the money – his actual words were “how do you tell them: this is what we do, give us the money and we’ll deliver your results”?
She answered using phrases such as as “practical intervention” to achieve “validated outcomes”. And..aargh – she offers a ‘one stop shop’. For me as a listener an irritating but quite definite barrier went up. When I buy food I don’t say I’m making a practical intervention with the aim of deriving a validated outcome which will place a value on hunger mitigation. By speaking plainly, Natasha Bishop could also inspire many others to follow her example. But nobody is ever inspired by the language of the social services.

Norway Judge Was Right To Ban Media

pmurricane — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:21:16 +0000

Norwegian judge Kim Heger’s courtroom media ban was the right call – Anders Behring Breivik must never earn a platform for his insane views through his murderous actions. Sometimes the oxygen of publicity must be denied. That is why in our view it is right for Norwegian citizens to boycott media who have reported Breivik’s views. Anyone interviewed by a journalist on this story is right to feel at least uncomfortable and at worst angry that their views will share space with that of another human being who carried out (by his own admission) the single biggest multiple murder of all time. What Norwegians are doing quite rightly is entering into a period of national and well publicised grief for the young victims, and refusing to even think about the wretched perpetrator of their national tragedy. There is always important and undeniable work for journalists to do. In this case it is to tell the world about the achievements and potential of the young people whose lives were so suddenly cut short. To examine how Norway can maintain its liberal, humanitarian future when almost the entire generation of young people poised about to step into that political role has been removed. Not to fuel fascination and horror at the actions of a lone maniac who represents nobody but himself.

Does Murdoch know the Ten Day Rule?

pmurricane — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:22:41 +0000

Has the tide turned? Has Hackgate begun to lose its heat? I detect that it may have. The sight of an eighty year old man being very, very ‘umble did Mogul Murdoch no harm at all. The reason? He was being grilled by MPs. And MPs hold no moral high ground at all in the eyes of the public, and more importantly the media. So yesterday’s Commons Committee grilling failed to ride the public wave of disgust, because in the back of everybody’s mind, seeing MPs holding a powerful man to task, was a sense of hypocrisy that proved impossible to shake off.

His PR advisers from America spotted what perhaps nobody here had, that the fate of the entire Murdoch empire relies upon the attitude the media takes. The media hate MPs even more than the public do…. And lo and behold, today the papers are full of praise for Walloping Wendi, reports on News International’s share price hike, and even more significantly, emerging coverage of a new Euro crisis. I sense that the media’s attention has begun to wander away from Hackgate. The prospect of a second economic tsunami heading our way has made their eyes swivel round to a new story.

As David Cameron shakes the African dust from his bespoke footwear he should well bear in mind a piece of political wisdom from Alistair Campbell. If a politician in trouble can hang on for ten days without being sacked, he or she will survive. Well, the current storm has lasted ten days or so…and I think the huffing and puffing is beginning to run out of steam.