“Sources close to the minister.” “Government sources.” We quote them all the time. I’ve been guilty of it myself. Sometimes, the only way to get information is to protect a source. And sometimes, that protection is cover for a handler to control the message while remaining safely anonymous. I’ve been thinking about this since I… Continue reading In confidence
Tag: public relations
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A Labour party delegation proposed the introduction of shorter US-style political advertisements in place of the staid party political broadcast format during a meeting with RTE Executives in the dying months of the last government. “We feel that there is merit in shorter more frequent broadcasts. This is something that would be worth examining in… Continue reading This message was brought to you by…
All’s fair in love and PR
Yesterday, I asked the twitter machine for examples of Valentine’s Day themed press releases, just to see what the public relations industry was up to. The results are laid out below. A postal campaign by SPARK, sending letters containing matchsticks to welfare minister Joan Burton, who “ignited the spark” in single parents across Ireland. They… Continue reading All’s fair in love and PR
Ripped from the headlines
BBC News carries a story about a ‘Jack the Ripper manuscript‘, discovered in a museum two years ago and about to be published in book form. But the ‘confession’ as described in the article sets off several alarm bells, not least that the purported author, James Carnac, seems never to have existed. Two sections of… Continue reading Ripped from the headlines
Knowledge based economy
Ireland is dotted with small groups (sports clubs, community groups, fund raising committees, parish councils) all working on a small scale. These groups are voluntary, with limited budgets. There’s a a chairman, a treasurer, a secretary, a PRO, perhaps two or three others. Trouble is, the PROs are often at a loss what to do.… Continue reading Knowledge based economy
How to turn your blog into a Press Agent
So you want to get the word out? Maybe you’re a political party, or an advocacy group, and you’ve got an opinion you want others to hear. But it’s a crowded market, so how do you get your voice heard over the others? Well, you could start with a blog. No, this isn’t an argument… Continue reading How to turn your blog into a Press Agent
Liar Caught Lying
Ryanair got some cheap publicity over the last few days. The latest idea from the not so cut price airline was to announce plans for “standing seats”. Naturally, this led to lots of coverage, much to Michael O’Leary’s delight. And when someone from a European air safety authority said the idea wasn’t going to fly,… Continue reading Liar Caught Lying