Posted by Axegrinder on 22 December 2011 at 10:30
Tags: Journalism
‘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 Council chiefs and representatives from [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 7 October 2011 at 09:10
Tags: Journalism
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 a fairly reasonable question by [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 6 October 2011 at 16:36
Tags: Journalism
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 said:
“In my experience there has [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 27 September 2011 at 07:02
Tags: Journalism
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 at plans to build a [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 21 July 2011 at 07:06
Tags: Journalism
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 stuff. Here it is, complete with spelling [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 15 July 2011 at 07:53
Tags: Journalism
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 - until you get to the [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 1 June 2011 at 14:18
Tags: Journalism
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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 Weeks Notice, which has just [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 20 May 2011 at 09:36
Tags: Journalism
Unfortunate headline of the week comes from the website of Archant weekly Cambridge First.
Continue ReadingPosted by Axegrinder on 19 April 2011 at 11:08
Tags: Journalism
Newsdesk demands for every more stories about Kate Middleton and the Royal Wedding may be pushing hacks to breaking point.
As evidence, I cite this piece from The Independent from Monday about a jellybean resembling Kate Middleton which is being sold on ebay.
Check out the url, which presumably was penned by whichever online news functionary was [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 11 April 2011 at 10:49
Tags: Journalism
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 out that MacKenzie hasn’t been [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 4 February 2011 at 14:03
Tags: Journalism
With hindsight, the subs on the Gloucestershire Echo probably realised they could have come up with a different headline for this story about Cheltenham Ladies’ College.
I had to read it once or twice before realising that smutty-minded folk might get the wrong end of the stick with this one.
Posted by Axegrinder on 25 January 2011 at 13:35
Tags: Journalism
Guardian media commentator Roy Greenslade gave it to The Sun with both barrels this morning  over its “failure” to run the news that Sky sports pundits Richard Keys and Andy Gray had been axed in a row over off-air sexist comments.
“…the editor, Dominic Mohan, got it hopelessly wrong. By ignoring the story, he tends to [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 12 January 2011 at 10:11
Tags: Journalism
The Guardian has taken up its pursuit of the News of the World with admirable vigour in recent weeks following news that assistant editor Ian Edmondson has been suspended amid new allegations of phone-hacking.
News reporters excitedly tell readers how each bit of “explosive new evidence” threatens to engulf the News of the World in scandal, [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 16 December 2010 at 09:28
Tags: Journalism
Word reaches me from last night’s News International Christmas party where James Murdoch frolicked with Page Three Girls as a disused building at the old Wapping print plant was transformed into a booze-fuelled winter wonderland. Trebles all round indeed.
Here’s a report from my fly-on-the-wall:
“News International’s ‘Wapping’ Christmas bash out-did itself last night with even more [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 6 December 2010 at 10:23
Tags: Journalism
It was only a matter of time before someone did this.
Axegrinder’s sympathies go out to Today programme presenter James Naughtie who got culture secretary Jeremy Hunt’s name very wrong this morning.
Posted by Axegrinder on 6 December 2010 at 10:19
Tags: Journalism
Press Gazette’s recent survey of showbiz journalists revealed that glamour model Jordon has not exactly endeared herself to Fleet Street’s finest - and Axegrinder can see why.
Word reaches me that Katie Price has sparked controversy by repeating a message on Twitter that the she used her Twitter site to retweet a fan’s suggestion that she should [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 22 November 2010 at 13:51
Tags: Journalism
Another exhibit for Axegrinder’s dark museum of production howlers - this time from Northcliffe’s ThisisGloucestershire website. It’s got the lot: dummy headline copy, pic up the wrong way round and mistakes-a-plenty in the caption.
Sadly, this has been a year of regional press production cock-ups. And it can be no coincidence that it has also been [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 9 November 2010 at 07:39
Tags: Journalism
It’s early November, so the law states that everyone appearing in front of a UK TV camera must wear a poppy except Jon Snow.
On his blog he has again complained about the ‘poppy fascism’ which compels all TV presenters to wear their poppies whatever the circumstances.
Axegrinder is inclined to agree. Apparently the BBC has sent [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 2 November 2010 at 12:30
Tags: Journalism
Experienced newspaper readers will know that when the headline ends in a question mark, the answer is always no.
So Axegrinder held on to his hat when he saw today’s ‘i’ front page headline stating: Has a cure been found for the common cold?
But then as ‘i’ claims to be targeting a new generation of time-poor [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 27 October 2010 at 14:01
Tags: Journalism
The ‘revelation’ that Nick Clegg smokes the odd fag, in his appearance on Desert Island Discs, prompted a flurry of stories in the Sundays and further reports through this week.
Such as the Daily Mail - “Nick Clegg has talked for the first time about being a secret smoker” .
But was it really such a great [...]
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