Press Gazette

Not directly related to the subject of this blog but to the wider issue of news management is an article by Graham Holliday in 'tomorrow's' Press Gazette which looks at the increasing problem of separating advertising and editorial online. This is an issue which has already been mentioned in the Mediated Politics book in relation to the competitive pressures on the media and in the tactics politicians use to target voters.

On the same page there are also a few snippets of online comments regarding the speed with which mobile footage of Saddam Hussein's hanging appeared on Google and YouTube. Further clear evidence that the days when governments and / or newsrooms could control what information is released are over. The Iraqi government's PR debacle of the execution can perhaps also be seen as further proof of the need for sophisticated news management. A story can quickly turn against you if you're not organised!