http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:16:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 'Tis the season for PRs to send out any old tosh - and sometimes even get it into print. This press release has just landed in Axegrinder's in-box from the University of York and really needs no further parody. Any further festive contributions are welcome: The University of York, City of York ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/12/22/festive-press-release-tosh-york-council-holds-ideas-sandpit/ As Alexander Lebedev can testify, there are few things more undignified than the sight of middle-aged men brawling. So Axegrinder was dismayed to see former News of the World editor Phil Hall make the verbal equivalent of a Lebedev-style assault on media commentator Roy Greenslade after being asked what seemed like ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/10/07/axegrinder-at-leveson-phil-hall-does-a-lebedev-on-roy-greenslade/ Axegrinder had to pick his jaw up off the floor while listening to former News of the World editor Phil Hall's words of advice to the opening seminar of the Leveson Inquiry into phone-hacking. Speaking in the Last Chance Saloon Room of the QEII Conference centre in Westminster, PR man Hall ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/10/06/axegrinder-at-leveson-former-editor-phil-hall-celebrates-the-copy-approval-culture/ There are grumblings of revolt at the Leicester Mercury where journalists and the commercial team have now reportedly been squeezed on to one floor in a bid to save money. Fair enough, we all have to tighten our belts in this age of austerity. But journalists have apparently drawn the line ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/09/27/hello-deep-throat-can-you-call-back-please-advertising-are-having-their-weekly-prize-giving/ You slaughtered their district reporters, savaged their marketing budget and then axed all their sub-editors - but for the love of God leave them their towels. Leaked email of the week comes from Canary Wharf, where tough trading conditions have led to the ending of free towels for Mirror staff. Here ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/07/21/trinity-mirror-throws-in-the-towel-on-gym-perks-at-canary-wharf/ Who says that the millions police forces spend on PR is a waste of money? Axegrinder has been sent this hilarious press release sent out from North Yorkshire Police force's answer to the Ministry of Truth. Stop the presses, apparently crime has gone down in the county. Rejoice, you might think - ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/07/15/police-pr-department-explains-how-up-is-down-when-it-comes-to-crime-figures/ Tweet Actor Hugh Grant has become something of a campaigner in favour of privacy for celebs and against the pernicious influence of the tabloid press in recent weeks. So Axegrinder was surprised to read this excerpt from an in interview he gave to the BBC in 2003 to promote the film Two ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/06/01/how-hugh-grant-once-sang-a-different-tune-on-privacy/ Unfortunate headline of the week comes from the website of Archant weekly Cambridge First. http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/05/20/headline-of-the-week-body-found-in-cemetery/ Newsdesk demands for ever more stories about Kate Middleton and the Royal Wedding may be pushing hacks to breaking point. As evidence, I cite this piece in The Independent from Monday about a jellybean resembling Kate Middleton which is being sold on Ebay. Check out the url. Was it penned by whichever online ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/04/19/kate-middleton-jelly-bean-follow-up-pushes-independent-online-hack-over-the-edge/ Comments from former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie dismissing journalism academia as "make-work projects for retired journalists" stirred up the world of hackademia nicely on Friday. His words appeared as a picture bylined article in the Viewspaper section of The Independent - an unusual place to find a MacKenzie byline. It now turns ... http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/axegrinder/2011/04/11/independent-commits-byline-banditry-with-use-of-kelvin-mackenzies-hackademia-attack/