Global Media Insight

Omar be coming

2010-08-25T18:47:00.006Z

A word cloud analysis of a Facebook poll, generating more than 2,000 responses, reveals a clear winner of users' favorite member of “The Street” in The Wire. It also highlights how useful word clouds can be to quickly interpret (and illustrate) a large amount of data.

How Sexualisation Entered the Public Lexicon

2010-08-09T19:01:00.008Z

In today's Guardian Laurie Penny of the 'Penny Red' blog states: "The word [sexualisation] wheedled its way into the language of women's liberation like a semiotic sleeper agent. It was seen in headlines as early as 2007, but after the Home Office report on the sexualisation of young people last February, it was suddenly everywhere, with David Cameron wooing middle-England voters on a platform of "stopping the sexualisation of children", and Mumsnet launching their Let Girls Be Girls campaign against the "sexualisation" of children by clothes retailers."

I've tracked all mentions of the use of the word 'sexualisation' during the last 18 months across mainstream and social media coverage. As a result, this analysis focuses on Anglo-reporting (UK, Australia and Canada) of the word as it excludes the Americanised 'sexualization'.

The analysis reveals a strong correlation (0.78) between mainstream reporting and subsequent mentions by the public on social networking sites.

In addition the findings suggest that once a phrase, word or meme is used in mainstream news reports they quickly become a part of the public's lexicon.

Early peaks in mainstream coverage were driven by a boy who became a father at the age of 13, with subsequent regional media reports discussing the 'sexualisation of children' in the UK (February 2009 - 38 articles); an Australian senate hearing into the 'sexualisation of media' (August 2009 - 16 articles); Pru Goward's comments in Australia and a Brooke Shields photograph (both October 2009 - 17 articles).

However, it was the widespread reporting of Linda Popadopoulus's report on the "sexualisation of children" in February 2010 (102 articles) that really pushed the word into the wider public consciousness (1,025 social media posts). This resulted in the Mumsnet protest against the "sexualisation of prepubscent girls" which prompted the withdrawal of a child's padded bra from Primark (816 social media posts in April 2010).

By May 2010 (55 articles), a number of different stories (including M&S bra tops, the Amy King campaign group on Facebook and coalition promises), reported by various mainstream media outlets, were using the word to report younger girls becoming aware of sexuality too young.

Google Insights for Search reveals a sharp rise in 'sexualisation' in March 2010 as the public searched for Popadopoulus's report. However, searches quickly fell away the following month reflecting a drop in interest. The fact the word remains in frequent use on social media sites suggests it has now become etched into everyday language.

Lindsay and LeBron dominate news searches

2010-07-14T20:27:00.011Z

According to Pew Research Center's latest weekly News Interest Index, interest in the Gulf oil leak has started to see a fall in the percentage of the public following the story closely.

An analysis of news searches across the last four months reveals a very similar pattern:

However, Pew's findings for the most popular news items reveals a marked difference to the most searched for stories.

In relation to its sampling methods, Pew states that "in addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls".

However, a quick look at the most searched for news stories, suggests respondents may in fact be attempting to appear somewhat more highbrow when speaking to Pew researchers.

In contrast to the oil leak and the immigration law debate, LeBron James move to the Miami Heat and Lindsay Lohan's 90-day jail sentence dominate online news interest.

According to Pew, large majorities actually said that news organizations gave too much coverage last week to Lohan’s legal woes (71%) and James’s announcement (61%).

With interest in Spain winning the World Cup third in online news searches, it seems that America is not quite ready to admit to an interest in either soccer or celebrity.

Adidas gains search boost from World Cup sponsorship

2010-07-12T19:30:00.005Z

According to research from NM Incite, a Nielsen and McKinsey joint venture showed, in the build-up to the World Cup Nike claimed 30.2% of World Cup-related online buzz, twice as much as its rival and official sponsor, Adidas.

However, an analysis of the share of global search behaviour since 2004 reveals that of Adidas's top 10 most successful weeks, five occured during the 2006 World Cup in Germany and five were during this year's tournament in South Africa.

On average, Adidas saw a 6 percentage point weekly lift during the two World Cups suggesting that the sponsorship deal was paying dividends.

Video Game Searches Match Sales

2010-07-08T20:48:00.006Z

According to industry tracker NPD, sales of video game software and equipment in the United States fell 5 percent in May.

An analysis of product searches within the Video & Games category on Google Insights for Search also reveals a corresponding 5 percent decline in May.

In contrast product searches rose in May 2008 and stayed fairly flat in May 2009, suggesting this is not a seasonal trend.

Red Dead Redemption, the top game in May 2010 with 1.5 million units sold, was also the fastest rising search - up 1,150% month-on-month.

Nintendo Co Ltd's Wii was the top-selling home console in May, followed by Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Within product searches however, the Xbox was marginally ahead of the Wii, with the PS3 third.

Brand Rooney suffers

2010-06-28T20:19:00.011Z

According to Opta's statistics Wayne Rooney has lost the ball by being tackled in possession more often than any other player at this year's World Cup.

A comparison of his performance in the opening match against USA and final game with Germany reveals a quite dramatic deterioration in his passing accuracy too.

The bad news for brand Rooney is that, not only are there more eyes on him than ever before, global interest is also higher than it has been since his disappointing World Cup in 2006.

Predicting Big Brother Using Search

2010-06-24T21:32:00.008Z

There have been a number of blog posts about using social media buzz to predict the results of reality TV shows, but what about search?

Looking at the final series of Big Brother in the UK, we can see two names dominating searches - Rachel (actually spelled Rachael) and John James.

Participants about whom the public feel fairly neutral are unlikely to attract much interest so we can probably say with some confidence these two are either very popular or very unpopular.

Whilst interest in the former resulted in her being the first to be evicted from the house, the widespread activity around the latter suggest the smart money would be on him to win.

Search and Twitter closely entwined

2010-06-24T20:19:00.007Z

You can have data without information, but you cannot have information without data. Sometimes, however, the data speaks for itself...

USA success over Algeria leads to search mania

2010-06-23T18:19:00.006Z

With the first nine searches on Google Hot Trends (possibly 10 if the final search is Americans looking for World Cup tickets), this confirms the fact the USA is definitely very interested in soccer right now...

It would appear that the fear of supporting an unsuccessful team was all that was holding back the US.

Predicting Cigar Sales Using Search

2010-06-22T20:07:00.006Z

"If you can predict the future better than other people, you will soon become rich. If you can know better than other people what is happening right now, that is almost as good. After all, if no one else finds out the truth until a month after the fact, the present might as well be the future — nobody knows it." Steven D. Levitt (Author of Freakonomics)

Habanos SA, a joint venture between Cuba and Imperial Tobacco Group, registered an 8% fall in overseas sales of Cuban cigars in 2009. Consultants Bain also report an 8% decline in sales in the UK, France, Germany and Switzerland.

Highlighting the effectiveness of using search volumes as a tool for predicting the present, global searches also fell 8% in 2009.

Using Google Insights for Search forecasting tool we can predict that Cuban cigar sales will fall a further 7% in 2010.

водки поиски продолжают рост

2010-06-22T18:07:00.009Z

("Vodka searches keep on rising")

The Guardian today reports that using "sensationalist adverts, steep price rises and bombastic rhetoric, Russia is pulling out all the stops to curb the national love affair with vodka that is estimated to cause 500,000 deaths a year, especially among men", adding: "A series of haunting ads broadcast round the clock on state-run television show in graphic detail the damage that the drink can do. Viewers follow a gulp of the spirit down a man's throat – vodka is blamed particularly for premature deaths among men – from where it travels to his heart, lungs, brain and liver, causing explosions akin to bomb blasts."

Unfortunately for President Dmitry Medvedev searches for 'водка' (vodka in Russian) have climbed steeply each year, with 'vodka price' (водка цена) the main driver of searches. Moscow, St Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg lead the way in search volumes.

Mikhail Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign was reported to have contributed to a rise in his unpopularity. With the presidential election just one year away, a similar effect on Medvedev's ratings could be just the tonic Vladimir Putin needs for his much-anticipated return to power.

America doesn't care about soccer?

2010-06-19T22:33:00.011Z

Maybe they didn't, but they do now.

If even the Cameroon v Denmark match is registering as the fourth hottest search in the US, and is trending highly on Twitter (62% US-based users), perhaps we can finally put an end to this oft-repeated claim?

Of course not everyone is interested, but that's why ESPN is trying to make you watch.

William Hill promos drive World Cup searches

2010-06-17T19:14:00.005Z

Amongst the high street bookmakers, William Hill appears to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the World Cup so far with UK searches up 38% in the last week.

Normally closely tracking rival Ladbrokes throughout the last year, William Hill has pulled away in the last seven days June thanks to a series of 'free bets' promoted in the mainstream press.

Ladbrokes is up just 22% in comparison.

Paddy Power, however, has seen searches surge 88% week-on-week - although from a much lower starting level. In contrast, Coral has barely registered any increase in interest.

More misery for Rob Green and ITV

2010-06-17T17:27:00.009Z

The most searched for news items in the UK over the last seven days sees Robert Green and the England v USA game top the table - both up more than 5,000% on the previous week, according to Google Insights for Search.

The start of the World Cup dominated news searches, accounting for six of the top ten.

A series of negative headlines surrounding ITV's failure to broadcast the first England goal of 2010 tournament and sacking of Robbie Earle ("Will ITV deliver another World Cup cock-up?" - The Daily Mirror, 17th June) sees it place third with searches up 600% week-on-week.

Away from the World Cup, the launch of the iPhone 4, the Xbox 360 motion sensor and the final Big Brother series were all to the fore of public consciousness.

FTSE set to rebound?

2010-06-15T19:01:00.006Z

“It is not a case of choosing those [faces] that, to the best of one’s judgment, are really the prettiest, nor even those that average opinion genuinely thinks the prettiest. We have reached the third degree where we devote our intelligences to anticipating what average opinion expects the average opinion to be. And there are some, I believe, who practice the fourth, fifth and higher degrees.” (John Maynard Keynes, General Theory of Employment Interest and Money, 1936).

By Keynes logic, people price shares not based on what they think their fundamental value is, but rather on what they think everyone else thinks their value is.

With more than half of all Internet users beginning any session with a Google search and 76% of the UK online, Google Insights for Search arguably provides us with an opportunity to gage the behavourial habits of 20 million members of the British public.

Can we use Google Trends to see if the average person thinks the FTSE has reached a low? With the FTSE 100 down 3.6% across the last 12 months and 6.7% in the last three months, the resulting surge in searches for 'buy shares' in the UK in the last week suggest now may be as good a time as any to buy in.

Less interest in 2010 World Cup for England fans

2010-06-09T19:37:00.008Z

Not surprisingly interest in the World Cup within host nation South Africa has soared, with search volumes for May 2010 up almost 500% on the same period in 2006.

However, the UK has seen an 18% dip in interest; perhaps a reflection of reduced expectations amongst England fans. As former captain Terry Butcher recently commmented: "This time, there seems to be a little less hype about England, and expectations seem a little more realistic. Perhaps in 2002 and 2006 it was a bit over the top and it got to the players."

Having qualified for the first time in 32 years last time round, it is actually more of a surprise that Australian search volumes haven't dipped more.

Finally, US expectations of qualifying for the second round are high ("American fans are thinking we should advance out of the group, and I like that. I like how they’re thinking. We feel confident as well that this is a group we can get out of,” said captain Carlos Bocanegra after the draw) and this is reflected in the 42% increase in searches on 2006.

Lost finale creates opening for Catholicism

2010-06-08T19:56:00.006Z

The recent Lost finale contained the revelation that the "flash sideways" universe was actually purgatory.

As a result, searches for 'purgatory' (normally at a fairly consistent level) were up to almost five times normal levels (with buzz on blogs also up 700%).

Searches for the definition of the term were also up 160%, with the US, Canada and the UK the most curious.

Occupying the second and third positions on a Google search for purgatory, the Catholic Church may be amongst the more unusual beneficiaries of the Lost phenomenon.

James Avery and Twitter

2010-06-06T17:14:00.010Z

James Avery ('Uncle Phil' from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air) is presently the fastest rising search on Google and ranks number seven on Twitter trends.

A false rumour he had died was widely re-tweeted and spread quickly amongst users.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this is the speed at which this meme transferred so quickly from Twitter to searches on Google.

Whilst the micro-media site is still comparatively niche with regard to active users, 50% of the public start any Internet session with a Google search.

This arguably demonstrates the fact that while Twitter is clearly widely 'read', social media is still not a trusted source of information for good reason.

Liberal Democrat Coalition Backlash?

2010-05-19T20:07:00.007Z

Prominent left-wing blog Liberal Conspiracy recently called for "left-liberals to join Labour" and Alastair Campbell also tweeted that it was "good to see Lib Dem defections to Labour still going - keep 'em coming".

Does Google confirm this trend? For the first time, in the week to 15th May, searches for 'join Labour' has generated enough volumes to begin trending in the UK. As a comparison, I've run it against 'join Facebook' and fascinatingly more people have been searching for 'join Labour' this past week.

Is the worst of the Facebook privacy backlash over?

2010-05-19T19:09:00.006Z

Although this chart suggests that the peak for people searching for how to delete their Facebook profile has passed, in reality searches for the site always dip on Sundays and Mondays (after peaking on Fridays and Saturdays) so we'll need to wait until next weekend to see if the climb down has had any effect.

Meanwhile, unless people are using radically different search terms on the two sides of the Atlantic (and even looking at 'join Facebook' illustrates the same pattern), a comparison of people searching for 'Facebook sign up' against 'delete Facebook' suggests the problem is much bigger in the US than the UK.

The beginning of the end for Facebook?

2010-05-16T20:23:00.007Z

Concerns over privacy issues have engulfued Facebook in recent weeks and the widespread media coverage has seen searches for the site in May fall for the first time in its history.

The past week has also seen a dramatic surge in people searching for 'delete facebook' (courtesy of Google Insights for Search). Unlike MySpace and, even email sites such as Hotmail and Gmail, for whom delete searches have remained relatively stable once they first start trending, Facebook has seen a sharp increase in searches for 'delete facebook' since the end of 2008.

Confirming this is a global problem, searches for 'effacer facebook', 'löschen facebook' and 'cancellare facebook' have all followed a very similar pattern (although the latter actually peaked in February) on Google Trends.

Meanwhile, underlining its rising popularity, 'delete twitter' is barely registering in comparison (although it did begin trending in the US in April 2009 and, like MySpace, has remained stable - albeit at much lower volumes since).

Twitter Exit Poll - 10pm

2010-05-06T20:59:00.008Z

With a final total of 1,052 tweets at 10pm I'm going against the exit polls indicating a hung parliament and calling it for the Conservatives with a majority of 74 seats!

This social media analysis of the 2010 election was based on a (quick and rather unscientific) analysis of tweets stating for "just voted" in connection with all the parties or their respective leaders.

Election 2010: Social Media Analysis - 8:45PM update

2010-05-06T19:51:00.007Z

Following on from my earlier post and with the sample size up to a marginally more representative 823 posts, the Conservative lead has been cut back to 100 seats - largely due to gains from other parties (including the most recent tweets from XROBOX - "Just voted, SNP. McGovern out you scumbag, Would also prefer a torrie majority than labour staying in power"; CHMP4Z - "has just voted UKIP"; and DAMBNRY - "Just voted. Was a toss up between Labour and Green but I went with Green.").

Labour are still languishing in third with regard to percentage share (22.8%) but would be up 11 seats to 180.

Nick Clegg: Word Cloud Analysis

2010-05-06T17:53:00.011Z

The Daily Mail has recently accused Nick Clegg of disguising his past views - does an analysis of the words used most commonly in his major speeches from 2007 to date indicate any shift in emphasis?

After winning the two-month contest to succeed Sir Menzies Campbell in September, his appetite for change and ambition to lead the party to greater heights is apparent...

While his first conference speech as party leader in September 2008 illustrates how focused he was on the Labour government, rather than his own party's policies...

His speech to the Autumn conference in September 2009 sees a shift back to change and more focus on the Conservatives than Labour...

However, launching the manifesto in April 2010, Clegg is much more interested in his own party and establishing a fairer Britain. The theme of change appears to have been dropped in order to differentiate himself from Cameron and the City is for the first time a focus of attack.

While the TV debates clearly buoyed support for the party, this word cloud analysis also highlights how focusing on his own party's policies (rather than Labour or the Conservatives) has helped the Liberal Democrats to carve out a larger share of support through clearer messages that resonate with the public.

Facebook Fans: Clegg v Cameron

2010-05-06T17:31:00.003Z

As previously reported here first, it wasn't until as late as 18th April that Nick Clegg first accumulated more fans on Facebook. However, in the three weeks to election day he has soared ahead of Cameron to claim at least one victory on May 6th.

Election 2010: Social Media Analysis

2010-05-06T17:10:00.009Z

Using the admittedly rather unscientific research technique of analysing tweets for "just voted" in connection with all the parties or their respective leaders signals, as of 6pm, the Conservatives would be heading for a majority of 140 seats.

Considering the supposed left-wing bias of Twitter this makes for interesting reading or is perhaps a reflection of the fact right-wing voters are more likely to vote before work...

Here is how the electoral map of the UK would look:

Clegg mania continues

2010-04-17T22:08:00.030Z

UPDATE: As of 21:33 on 18 April, Clegg now has more fans than Cameron on Facebook, having gained more than 10,000 since Thursday night

Confirming the difference a televised debate can make, the surge in media coverage around Nick Clegg has also resulted in a dramatic rise in online searches for the Liberal Democrat leader. Mentions of Clegg have also risen almost exponentially across all social media, driven largely by Twitter.

Almost twice as many users are now following Clegg on Twitter as a result, making him the most followed British politician on the micro-media site.

At the time of writing, Clegg has also seen his fanbase on Facebook rise by more than 10,000 to 23,458 - marginally behind David Cameron on 25,478.

Surpassing the volume of searches when Clegg was elected leader of the party in December 2007 for the first time, visits to the party's website are also up 170% on last month and more than double any point in the past two years.

Underlining the fact that Clegg must differentiate himself from Cameron in the eyes of voters, almost 50% more voters subsequently searched for Cameron than Gordon Brown and 5.6% of visitors to the Lib Dem website came from Conservatives.com, as opposed to 3.6% from Labour.org.uk.

The ITV debate also saw Clegg overtake his two rivals in search volumes for the first time since Brown called the election on April 6th and move further ahead the following day. Although this may be largely down to the fact that many viewers had never heard of him, the increased traffic to the party website suggests voters may now be more open to switching allegiances after the debate than prior to it.

'Nick Clegg wiki' was also a prominent search, highlighting the fact that many voters are looking to find out more about his background - attacking his record as a career politician may be next line of assault for the Tories and Labour.

Meanwhile, searches for Clegg's wife was the biggest rising search term - perhaps the most depressing reality of the 2010 election.

Fleet's Street influence on the 2005 Election

2010-04-14T20:16:00.008Z

Continuing on from the previous post analysing the media's influence on the election across the last 65 years, I've created a visualisation of newspaper support for the three main political parties at the 2005 election (the size of the bubble corresponds to circulation).

As previously noted, despite Lord Mandelson's protestations to the contrary, The Sun's defection to the Tories looks set to have a significant effect on the outcome (even if it is just conformation the tide of public opinion has turned against New Labour - rather than its own influence on voters) and we could conceivably see press support shape up like this in 2010:

Liberal Democrat Manifesto: Word Cloud Analysis

2010-04-14T19:18:00.005Z

The Liberal Democrats have now launched their election manifesto. In the absence of a Wordle cloud analysis on today's Guardian Data Blog here is the result.

Besides the obvious theme of a fairer society, there is interestingly a noticeable absence of opposition mentions.

The Guardian's original comparison of Labour and the Tories can be found here.

Believe the e-hype: this is a Net election

2010-04-14T18:04:00.006Z

Although quite correct in highlighting the fact that its role as a game changer has been over-hyped, Roy Greenslade’s withering assessment of the role of social media in this year’s election is wrong in its assertion that it has no influence.

Like many commentators he provides a straight comparison between mainstream and social media, mistaking direct reach as the sole barometer of influence (a quick tally of Sarah Brown’s followers on Twitter and the circulation of the Evening Standard provides an obvious illustration of how even this measure doesn’t always work in the favour of many newspapers).

Social media is not a direct challenge to mainstream media and perhaps part of the problem lies in the name. Social media is primarily a means of communication – it makes as much, if not more, sense to compare a tweet to a letter as a newspaper.

The reason it is influential in this election is the fact it has reduced the role of two gatekeepers – mainstream media and polling companies. Not only can politicians easily communicate more directly with the electorate but, perhaps more importantly, the electorate can easily communicate more directly with them.

Greenslade claims the mainstream media sets the agenda but then goes on to state that “David Cameron believes in internet power because he has shown enormous enthusiasm for the web [and] put considerable effort into [his] YouTube offerings”. However many people view the video, is this not a sign that the Internet has influenced the agenda for no less than the next possible Prime Minister?

The media’s role as a gatekeeper has changed too. Whereas once an editor picked a handful of letters to illustrate public reaction, now people can comment directly on a story on a newspaper’s site. This may highlight the fact that, in most cases, mainstream media is still setting the agenda but the comments below the article also represent social media in action.

All those comments, tweets and blogs also provide a wealth of data to analyse too.

No longer is YouGov or ComRes in sole control of determining the views of the public based on a questionnaire of 1,000 people. As the recent ‘Ask the Chancellors’ on Channel 4 illustrated, tools like Twitter offer the public an instant way in which to offer their opinion and anyone can harness all the data that subsequently becomes available.

Social media won’t change the result of this election but it has already changed the way in which we communicate with politicians. Perhaps more significantly though, it has fundamentally changed the way in which we gauge public opinion.

The Most Dangerous Football Grounds in the Country

2010-04-13T18:20:00.006Z

Piling on the misery for the clubs most likely to be relegated from the Football League, Darlington and Grimsby Town are revealed to be the two most dangerous clubs to visit in the country.

Using statistics on football-related arrests and banning orders from the Home Office and factoring in average attendance figures, Darlington has the most troublesome fans in England. Despite an average crowd of less than 2,000, Darlington has 28 banning orders against risk supporters.

Not surprisingly Millwall, Cardiff City and Leeds United all feature in the bottom 15, with FA Cup finalists Portsmouth the worst Premier League offenders in 13th place. As of 30th October 2008 Leeds had the most fans with banning orders (152), ahead of Cardiff (136) and Millwall (117).

1 Darlington
2 Grimsby Town
3 Millwall
4 Chesterfield
5 Tranmere Rovers
6 Lincoln City
7 Cardiff City
8 Leeds United
9 Scunthorpe United
10 Hartlepool United
11 Shrewsbury Town
12 Port Vale
13 Portsmouth
14 Plymouth Argyle
15 Coventry City

The safest grounds in the country sees Accrington Stanley and Milton Keynes Dons top the list, with Fulham's Craven Cottage the safest Premier League ground for travelling fans in fifth. Arsenal are the only other Premiership club to feature in the top 15 in 12th place.

=1 Accrington Stanley
=1 Milton Keynes Dons
3 Gillingham
4 Wycombe Wanderers
5 Fulham
6 Yeovil Town
7 Norwich City
8 Dagenham & Redbridge
9 Brentford
10 Macclesfield Town
11 Reading
12 Arsenal
13 Cheltenham Town
14 Northampton Town
15 Ipswich Town

What do Guardian readers think of US foreign policy?

2010-04-12T21:27:00.004Z

An analysis of more than 300 Guardian readers' comments on US foreign policy, reveals that the issue of the Iraq war is almost twice as prominent as Afghanistan, despite the escalating violence in the latter.

JackCoyle76 said that he believes Iraq is "on the brink of civil war and violence escalating exponentially", whilst jigen stated that "Iraq is a mess because it was important to the cloudy-eyed business leaders of today; they seek profits not stability".

'WMD', 'Oil' and 'interests' were all to the fore, with Bush appearing three times as frequently Obama. Hoof1 typified the anger of many in posting: "Bush's administration, led by Cheyney, saw an opportunity to exploit security concerns to bolster 'US strategic interests' (oil) in the middle east by creating a client state in Iraq. The fact that Haliburton could make millions from controlling the basic infrastructure of Iraq post the invasion was a nice bonus for Cheyney."

Political Party Blogs - Word Cloud Analysis

2010-04-11T18:07:00.018Z

Running feeds of the three major political blogs through through Wordle (a word-cloud generating tool), omitting nongermane words, provides an interesting perspective into their current media strategies.

Here is Conservative Home:

Labour List:

Finally, Lib Dem Voice:

This does appear to suggest Labour is more focused on the opposition, instead of its own policies, with 'Tories' very prominent. Interestingly, Osborne appears to be more of a focal point of posts than Cameron - suggesting the party does perceive him to the be the weakest link to target.

Conservative Home, whilst more focused on Cameron and its own party, on the surface does appear to be lighter on policy specifics than the other two blogs.

Whilst Lib Dem Voice appear to be the most policy driven blog, the Labour government does feature prominently. This contrasts to most of Cable's recent press appearances, in which the Conservatives have been the focal point of attack, including the most recent poster (which Cable was heavily taken to task over by Jon Sopel on The Politics Show this morning).

In addition, the fact that no words are as prominent as the other two blogs, perhaps highlights the fact the party isn't drumming home its core messages as effectively as its opponents - underlining the fact the vast majority of the public still doesn't know what Clegg really stands for.

So to conclude (admittedly slightly disingenuously), Labour = too negative, Conservatives = policy light and Lib Dems = confused public.

Will it be The Sun wot won it again?

2010-04-10T13:44:00.019Z

Does Fleet Street influence the election? A look at the charts below illustrates the fact that newspaper support does correlate closely with the subsequent result.

The significance of The Sun is illustrated in the table below which reveals that the paper's readers are the only one's to back the winner in the last four elections (something both Blair and Campbell were fully aware of).

I expect we'll see Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph reader support for the Tories return to 1992 levels this time again - whilst I wouldn't be surprised to see the majority of Daily Star readers defecting in their droves to the Tories for the first time.

Whether the press is leading or merely following the tide of public opinion is a matter of debate, but the decision by The Sun to switch their support to the Conservatives would mean a Labour victory would have to dramatically buck a 65-year trend.

Data courtesy of the Guardian Data Store

Is Cable an asset or liability?

2010-04-09T20:55:00.010Z

A look at the share of search term volumes across the last 12 months between the three party leaders and their (shadow) chancellors highlights how closely Nick Clegg must share the public limelight with Vince Cable...

Focusing on the trend in search volume patterns across the same period reveals that Clegg has enjoyed a recent surge in interest amongst the British public (even overtaking Gordon Brown) - suggesting he has benefitted from Cable's recent performance on Channel 4's The Chancellor's Debate.

Of course voters are already very familiar with both Brown and David Cameron so naturally search volumes may fall for both over time. Indeed, searches for the latter may actually represent an increased interest in his privileged background - suggesting the 'Class War' may still be a pertinent election issue.

In addition, the fact that 'David Cameron poster' is the fastest rising search confirms that increased traffic isn't always a positive thing - with users directed to the infamous spoof site mydavidcameron.com.

However, the increased interest in the Liberal Democrat leader does suggest voters are still open to what the party has to offer ahead of the televised debates.

Why isn't Kyrgyzstan trending on Twitter?

2010-04-09T19:00:00.004Z

Despite a similar median age of its citizens (24.4 to 27), the unrest in Kyrgyzstan isn't even close to generating similar levels of interest on Twitter as Iran.

Some of this can be explained by the fact it has a population a tenth of the size of Iran and just 850,000 Internet users (compared to 23 million in Iran).

However, the main reason (besides the difficulty in spelling it correctly - which should never be ignored when analysing social media) is that the public in the USA isn't as interested and, in spite of all the suggestions to the contrary, the majority of those tweeting about Iran were not citizens of the country, but American users.

Despite all the media hyperbole at the time, subsequent research for the British Council revealed that just 0.03% of the Iranian population were members of Twitter at the time. A quick glance at tweets at the time quickly illustrated the fact they weren't emanating from Iran ("My Twitter photo has gone GREEN in support of the freedom revolution of #IranElection").

At least the events unfolding in Kyrgyzstan don't look set to be trivialised by lazy journalists seeking an 'interesting' angle for readers in the West.

Grand National Twitter Analysis

2010-04-09T17:39:00.005Z

Focusing on the horses with the lowest odds, Comply or Die is the most talked about horse on Twitter across the last 48 hours...

However, Big Fella Thanks has seen an astonishing 26-fold increase in buzz since yesterday (with Tricky Trickster the next closest up a paltry 400% in comparison) suggesting his odds could fall further still - get your bets in sooner rather than later.

Mon Mome is showing the smallest increase, so hold off bets until tomorrow.

Social Media Analysis of Ferret Ownership

2010-04-08T17:27:00.015Z

Britain's first national ferret survey recently revealed that the new stronghold for ownership of the pet is in the south-east of England, particularly among women and with a particularly significant ownership by female flight attendants.

The media suggests that Ferret-owning by Madonna, Paris Hilton and Jonathan Ross has set a trend - does social media confirm an increase in interest as well as ownership?

Looking at search term traffic across the last three months in the UK alone there is definitely a noticeable upswing (the data stops prior to the Daily Telegraph April Fool's day story about the creature) on average of roughly 50% - which even accounting for a standard deviation of 10% is significant...

Buzz around ferrets has also risen by similar levels on a rolling daily basis across all social media types during the last three months...

and also on Twitter...

Social media does indeed suggest that ownership may be set to rise further.

Murdoch ventures underground

2006-05-09T19:59:00.000Z

According to a report in today's Media Week, News International may launch a free London paper even if it fails to secure the afternoon distribution contract for the tube. The move would see the paper distributed outside underground stations by hand and in dumpbins. The plan is apparently just awaiting approval from chief executive Rupert Murdoch.

This may come as a surprise to many Americans but Murdoch is actually the lesser of two evils when it comes to freesheets in London. Associated Newspapers, which publishes the morning Metro, the Evening Standard and is favourite to win the evening freesheet on the underground, is anything but liberal in stance.

As Ken Livingstone, mayor of London, recently said of the group: "In reality, it is Associated Newspapers that has a long record of anti-Semitism and support for fascism. It welcomed the Black shirts in the 1930s. It has admitted that, as recently as the retirement party of the last editor of the Daily Mail, two of its staff dressed in Nazi uniforms and were not asked to leave. Associated Newspapers has never apologised for this or its record of support for fascism. "

The Guardian on 1 March 2006 also wrote: “Associated Newspapers have always led the charge against the policies that confront racism and anti-semitism. It praised the Blackshirts in the 1930’s, and admits that as recently as the retirement party of the last editor of the Daily Mail, two of its staff dressed in Nazi uniforms and were not asked to leave.”

And while we shouldn't be judged on the actions of our forefathers, here is what Lord Rothermere (aka Harold Sidney Harmsworth, great-grandfather of the current Lord Rothermere, who owns Associated Newspaper - pictured with his 'hero' above) wrote in a telegram to Adolf Hitler a year before World War II broke out: "My dear Fuhrer everyone in England is profoundly moved by the bloodless solution to the Czechoslovakian problem. People not so much concerned with territorial readjustment as with dread of another war with its accompanying bloodbath. Frederick the Great was a great popular figure. I salute your Excellency’s star, which rises higher and higher. "

Rothermere also wrote an article entitled ‘Hurrah For The Blackshirts’ in January 1934. Suddenly Murdoch doesn't quite seem so bad anymore.

Pollard quits Sky News

2006-05-09T19:55:00.000Z

BSkyB have announced that Nick Pollard, head of Sky News for more than 10 years, is quitting, after a multimillion pound relaunch which failed to increase viewing figures. Pollard is credited with resisting any attempts by Rupert Murdoch to make Sky News as 'partisan' as sister network Fox News in the US. Admittedly, he has been helped by regulatory laws in Britain, under which broadcast news must be impartial - although anyone who can successfully keep Murdoch at bay for a decade deserves some credit.

Clarke attacks UK media

2006-04-24T20:49:00.000Z

He argued it was fair that breaches of anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) should be punishable by up to five years' jail. And he claimed the ability to impose Asbos on individuals without trial did not contravene the principle that individuals are innocent until proven guilty.

(Source: BBC)

Charles Clarke today accused the UK media of perpetuating "myths" that his law and order agenda is an attack on human rights and civil liberties. Aside from all the other dubious contentions Home Secretary Charles Clarke makes (including his attack on the three liberal newspapers - the Guardian, Independent and Observer - for showing "general intellectual laziness"), this would appear to contradict everything he states. I wonder if Clarke could explain how the ability to place an anti-social behavioural order on an individual, which could lead to five years' imprisonment, without trial is not "destroying the rule of law"?

England's finest newspapers raise their prices

2006-04-24T20:19:00.000Z

The Daily Mail and Daily Express have both increased their cover price by 5p.

In today's page two announcement of the increase from 40p to 45p, the Mail says it had put its price up "reluctantly" and reminded readers it was the first increase in five years.

(Source: The Guardian)

Whether this will put readers of The Daily Hate, er, Mail off purchasing England's most patriotic of newspapers only time will tell. Rumours that it is an attempt to price immigrants out of purchasing the "thick, grey tombstone of a tabloid" are strongly denied.

Give Murdoch some credit

2006-04-24T20:06:00.000Z

Pan-stick palaver

The make-up people at Sky have had, er, a makeover to help them cope with the particular challenges of high definition TV. Traditional make-up, you see, isn't enough to cover the spots and blemishes for presenters on HDTV. So thick is the new stuff that it has to be applied with an extravagant device nicknamed the "blow-job gun" by Sky insiders. Delightful.

(Source: Media Guardian)

While the intention here is to poke fun at the people at Sky News with Monkey's (see the Guardian site) inside 'scope', I think the people at Sky have done a very clever job of conveying the improved quality of picture with HDTV. This is something they failed to demonstrate (for obvious reasons) in the adverts on regular television screens but appear to be more successful at with this 'leak' - which I wouldn't be surprised to see in The Sun or The Times (for similarly obvious reasons).

Welcome back to the free-world Buzz

2006-04-20T19:33:00.000Z

I wonder if "Buzz" Patterson could explain exactly how Seymour Hersh has potentially placed the lives of US pilots in danger? He hasn't revealed any military secrets or uncovered any hidden government plans. Hersh was merely speculating about what he believes the US government plan to do next and stating his opinion.

Patterson clearly longs to return to the immediate aftermath of September 11 2001, when the American media was terrified of being labelled unpatriotic if it dared question its wise and noble leader George W. Bush. The former Air Force pilot implies that anyone who questions any of President Bush’s military decisions is endangering US troops and abetting the ‘enemy’. Clearly it would seem illogical to Patterson that the man who continues to set tens of thousands of men and women onto the war-path is the one who is risking American lives. Patterson was no doubt taught to never question and always obey those in power and it must be hard for him to ‘return’ to live in a society where people are allowed to form opinions of their own.

I think George W. Bush sums it up best with his now immortal line: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

Global crackdowns on democracy continue

2006-04-20T19:14:00.000Z

Today brings news of continued silencing of the free media in Morocco, brutal crackdowns on demonstrations in Nepal, plans to increase fines for Iranians with satellite dishes (which allow them to receive foreign news) from £60 to more than £3,000 and also to jail women who are deemed to flout the regime's definition of Islamic morals, and, finally, news from China that Yahoo! helped convict a pro-democracy campaigner.

In the case of Iran it is important to remember that 65% of the population are under 25 and, as a result, are probably not irreversibly anti-West. However, if George W. Bush continues to make such inflammatory statements ("We are ready to consider all options, including military operations in order to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon," Bush said yesterday. "All means are acceptable in order to prevent the danger represented by Iran.") then Timothy Garton Ash's terrifying, but utterly plausible, vision (which I would urge everyone to read) could become a reality.

Bloggers beware

2006-04-20T19:06:00.000Z

A tale of caution for any blogger that posts scandalous rumours or lies on the internet in the belief that it does no harm, and for any newspapers or TV station that report information found on the internet as the truth without a thorough fact check:

It later transpired he (Ilyas Kuncak, 47, a grandfather who ploughed his bomb-laden truck into the front of an 18-storey HSBC building) was driven to murder by Turkish press reports about American soldiers raping 4,000 Iraqi women. The reports, entirely erroneous, had been based upon a misreading of a blog posted by a Californian "sex therapist".

(Source: The Guardian)

Bloggers aren't breaking news stories just yet

2006-04-19T19:27:00.000Z

MAINSTREAM media is increasingly monitoring blogs for story leads, according to a journalist-turned-blogger at a forum on free expression and cyberspace in Manila.

With a common goal to expose the truth, the mainstream media have now embracing blogging as means to engage readers in a "conversation," said Rebecca Mackinnon, co-founder of Global Voices, an aggregator of blogs around the world.

(Source: INQ7)

While it would be nice to see a situation in which bloggers are the one's breaking the news, in the vast majority of cases they are simply adding their two cents. Most bloggers lack the money and the resources to lead with new (newsworthy) stories and most are content to comment on what is reported by the mainstream media. That is not to say that it is not possible for a blogger to bring a story to the attention of the press. At a local level, where some newspapers may lack the resources required to send a journalist to cover a local council meeting or another seemingly unimportant event, a blogger may find he or she has an exclusive story on his or her hands. In this case, newspapers and TV stations may turn to the blog to discover what transpired. In the majority of cases though, it will be the mainstream press that breaks the news. However, it is important that media organisations still turn to blogs to see what news matters to its readers and how they react to it. Newspapers or TV stations that may have under-reported or ignored a particular news item may find that it is important to many people and be required or persuaded to report it as a result. The conversation must remain the two-way process that it is slowly becoming and the mainstream media outlets that ignore the voices of their readers, viewers and listeners do so at their own peril.

Kent State bans athletes from Facebook

2006-04-18T19:15:00.000Z

Kent State University athletic department has joined Loyola University Chicago in banning its student-athletes from using the website Facebook. Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy claimed that the move was purely intended to keep students safe from "weirdoes".

"In this day and age, there's enough weirdoes out there that we thought we should take a good hard look at it," Kennedy told WKYC.

Kennedy told the Daily Kent Stater that the athletic department's "interest is to protect our students".

"What really got our attention was that we had one student athlete that was contacted inappropriately," Kennedy told the university newspaper. "In checking that out, we discovered that there was personal information by a number of our student athletes on Facebook."

However, anyone accessing the university website can bring up the same information on students, including their home address and permanent phone number. While this information can be removed should a student wish, many probably remain unaware of just how much personal information is available at www.kent.edu. In contrast any information on Facebook is placed there by the user themselves and can be quickly removed. Additionally, unlike the university site, which is open to literally anyone with internet access, Facebook users must log in and can only view details of those who attend the same university or who are their 'friends'. Should we therefore presume that the university is only interested in the welfare of student-athletes?

If this was merely an issue of protecting the interests of the student-athletes the university would be better off educating them about potential dangers, which is exactly what the University of Colorado decided to do (even in light of offensive tackler Clint O'Neal and his girlfriend, cross country runner Jackie Zeigle, being accused of sending a racially threatening Facebook message to Hispanic cross country runner Greg Castro in December 2005).

"We're not going to get into the censorship business," sports information director David Plati told the USA Today in response to the potentially damaging situation. "We're just giving them smart advice."

Kennedy would be better advised to be honest and admit he is protecting his, and his department's, own interests. This is a case of an athletic department censoring its students and removing their First Amendment rights to prevent any potentially bad publicity that may be generated through Facebook. Instead they may just find that future athletes think twice before electing to compete at a school with such seemingly totalitarian policies.

Although in no way comparable, it seems rather ironical that this has taken place at a university which has a history of impinging on the rights of its students.

WKYC article
Daily Kent Stater article
USA Today article

Bloggers increasingly exerting disproportionate influence over society

2006-04-18T19:06:00.000Z

According to a report by technology research company Jupiter Research, bloggers and internet pundits are exerting a “disproportionately large influence” on businesses and opinion. The study suggests that although ‘active’ web users make up only a small proportion of Europe’s online population, they are increasingly dominating public conversations and creating business trends. Companies like McDonald's and computer firm Dell have both fallen foul of internet buzz in recent years.

“It’s always been the case that vocal minorities are listened to by media organisations, brands, advertisers and marketers - normally because they’re thought to represent a wider swath of opinion,” said Tom Coates, a technologist with Yahoo! and prominent blogger. “TV and radio programmes are censored or pulled on the green-inked letters of a few hundred people, products removed from shelves because of less than 100 complaints. On that basis, these figures start to sound like a pretty large number of people, and probably a much more representative sample than perhaps before.”

(Source: The Guardian)

While it has always been the case that a relatively small number of people exert a disproportionately large influence on society, the advent of blogs and the Internet has given anyone with access to the net the opportunity to be part of that select group. Whereas in the past money and one's position in society determined whether the individual even had a chance to really influence anyone outside of one's immediate group, the creation of the worldwide web has led to an army of potential 'leaders'.

Russians protest against media clampdown by state

2006-04-18T18:58:00.000Z

A thousand people protested in Moscow on Sunday against the government’s clampdown on independent media, five years after the Kremlin effectively took control of private channel NTV. The protestors, who included well-known television reporters who have lost their jobs, brandished placards reading “Today censorship, tomorrow dictatorship” and “Down with Kremlin-TV”.

The Daily Times reports on the backlash against the government clampdown on independent media in Russia. While this signals a dangerous intent to return to the communist days of total state control, at least it appears as though the Putin-led government is allowing some form of protest to take place. Perhaps the same thing should be happening in Italy now too.

China battles free-flow of information

2006-04-14T16:55:00.000Z

China's government has told local TV stations not to use video from foreign sources to produce news bulletins. New rules ban the use of footage acquired from foreign satellite TV and other channels that are not state-run. Stations have been told they should only use news reports provided by the state-run China Central Television and China Radio International.

(Source: BBC)

Following the reports of crackdowns on the media in Iran and Belarus, comes the news that the Chinese government has banned local broadcasters from using foreign sources. The Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has reportedly called on the media to show greater "political and propaganda discipline".

Reporters Without Borders have called on members of the World Trade Organization to oppose the media restrictions just adopted in China. President Hu Jintao is visiting the US later this month and the group hopes that President George Bush will raise the issue with his counterpart.

"This reinforcement of protectionism by China is clearly aimed at increasing control of media content and is a new violation of press freedom," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.

After Google's submission to the Chinese authorities, this news appears to be another step back in China's international relations. The government in China knows that the internet and the media represent the biggest threat to their power and are doing everything they can to prevent a free-flow of information. Informed citizens are the biggest danger to an autocratic government and the officials in charge of China will fight any knowledge that seeps through with all the propaganda they have at their disposal.

Bloomberg misleads public over Iran's nuclear capabilities

2006-04-14T12:06:00.000Z

Bloomberg yesterday ran the headline 'Iran Could Produce Nuclear Bomb in 16 Days, US Says' with the following reported underneath:

Iran, defying United Nations Security Council demands to halt its nuclear program, may be capable of making a nuclear bomb within 16 days, a U.S. State Department official said.

Iran will move to "industrial scale'' uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges at its Natanz plant, the Associated Press quoted deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi as telling state-run television today.

"Using those 50,000 centrifuges they could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in 16 days,'' Stephen Rademaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, told reporters today in Moscow.

However, later in the report Raedmaker reports that the Iranians currently only have 164 centrifuges in operation today and his '16 days' response was to how soon Iran could produce a nuclear weapon once it reached the "industrial scale" capacity. Seven paragraphs into the article, Raedmaker predicts that it would take at least 13 years for them to reach this stage. So why did Bloomberg choose to use such a misleading headline and spend the majority of the article pressing home this sensational statement? While this is something we have come to expect of British tabloids, it is disappointing to see an organisation that calls itself the "leading global provider of data, news and analytics" following the same path.

Iran brutally cracks down on media

2006-04-13T20:57:00.000Z

"Freedom of press and speech is not absolute and subject to the rules of Sharia and the law," General and Revolutionary Prosecutor, Saied Mortazavi, who was reportedly involved in the murder of Zahra Kazemi, the Iranian-Canadian photojournalist, told a group of reporters who cover the regime's Majlis (Parliament) yesterday.

(Source: The National Council of Resistance of Iran)

Whilst Mortazavi's comments are hardly likely to shock anyone around the world they do highlight the desperate situation in that country right now. Two journalists have been found dead and another severely beaten in recent weeks as part of a crackdown on reporters and press in Iran under the rule of the mullahs. While the imprisonment of journalists and closure of newspapers has been commonplace in Iran in recent years, events have taken a sinister turn for the worse. In April 2001, the National Union of Journalists called on trade-unionists - both in the press and other unions - to " isolate those who are hoping to silence the Iranian people into submission" by boycotting the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting network. In addition, it is important that these cases receive coverage in the mainstream media, alongside the current nuclear weapons' story, and that Iranians who are able to get online can find out what might otherwise be censored.

Berlusconi must give up power

2006-04-12T19:44:00.000Z

Despite Silvio Berlusconi's narrow loss in the recent Italian election it will be extremely difficult for Romano Prodi to shift Italy's richest man from power. Berlusconi, directly or indirectly, currently holds sway over 90% of the country's broadcast media. With a reported one million spoilt ballots, a lead of just 25,000 and the Italian broadcast media against him, Prodi faces an uphill battle to shift the man who declares himself to be the "Jesus Christ of politics". If he secures his rightful place as prime minister of Italy, Prodi must immediately push for a new conflict-of-interest law that will force Berlusconi to relinquish ownership of his family holding group Fininvest SpA or leave politics. It is a disgrace that a democratic nation ever allowed the situation to develop whereby the head of state controlled such an overwhelming majority of the broadcast media and, should he emerge victorious, Prodi must rectify this as quickly as possible.

Rumsfeld turns on racist American media

2006-04-12T19:39:00.001Z

US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has rightly criticised the American press over its handling of the sale of national ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates.

"The UAE has been a staunch supporter in the war on terror and you people were on their backs like they were a bunch of criminals," Rumsfeld said to a gathering of the nation's press yesterday. "Norway hasn't sent a troupe to Iraq but they get to do anything they want. Look here on page D-27 of the San Francisco Chronicle. There's a fascinating little pictorial on this hairy little Norwegian fellow who goes by the name Hagar the Horrible, who's apparently launching an invasion against some unnamed country. Where's that Viking ship going? I'd sure like to know, wouldn't you? Talk about threats to national security. Yet, because the Norwegians are fancy Europeans, all we get from the media is three panels of lousy pen-and-ink drawings. Is this serious journalism?"

DP World was immediately condemned as a group of terrorists just because they are based in the Middle East. This was despite the fact the UAE was one of America's allies and the US would still control all port security. The American media was quick to jump on the bandwagon and join the xenophobic banter that did little for the credibility of many newspapers and broadcast stations. While the US expects to Americanise the rest of the world through incessant expansion and take-overs of foreign companies, heaven help any group from outside America who dares come to their shores with similar ideas.

The media's reaction may be expected of small-minded individuals unaware of the facts but for the press to join in the ranting and raving was incredibly disappointing. The US is lucky their allies in the UAE did not react with more anger and DP World can at least withdraw from the US with their dignity in tact - something which cannot be said of much of the American media.

Premiership wages leap 65% since 2000

2006-04-12T19:26:00.000Z

According to a study conducted by the Independent and the Professional Footballers' Association, the salaries of players in the Premiership have risen by 65% since 2000. The average player in the English top flight now earns £676,000 in basic pay, in comparison to £410,000 just six years ago. (Source: The Irish Times)

There is one person behind this astronomical wage rise: Roman Abramovich. The Russian billionaire's financial clout has led to an inflated transfer market in which clubs and players are demanding obscene fees safe in the knowledge that at least Chelsea can, and are probably prepared, to pay them. A salary cap may be the only way to keep the Premiership competitive.

Only £600,000 to go then ...

2006-04-12T19:25:00.000Z

The Sun and News of the World today agreed to pay £100,000 in damages to Wayne Rooney over allegations that he assaulted his fiancee in a nightclub.

(Source: The Guardian)

Immigrants are invading America, claims Hollywood director

2006-04-12T19:06:00.000Z

"The result is the south-west (of USA) will fall away. At some point, ethnically, demographically, those people will say, 'This belongs to Mexico. We're the northern province of Mexico. They're already saying it'... I think that 20, 30 years from now, we will be looking back at this period. This will be the watershed. And we have to decide now, this , I don't, this is not immigration. This is an invasion. This is a future annexation, a satellite state north of the Rio Grande. "

Ron Maxwell, director of the movie Gods and Generals, speaking on Fox News on 10 April 2006 (Courtesy of Media Matters).

In case you thought Mexicans were crossing the border into the US to find better job opportunities and an improved way of life, Ron Maxwell will set you straight. According to Maxwell, the reason those pesky immigrants are crossing the border is an attempt to turn the south-west part of America into Mexico and, presumably, return to the poverty they led us to believe they were escaping. No doubt this all makes perfect sense to regular Fox News viewers.

Blair hints at less Iraqi coverage

2006-04-11T19:18:00.000Z

Which brings up the role of the media. Blair said that the Western media too often serves as a mouthpiece for terrorists in Iraq. He said reporters tend to view every killing "as an indication of the coalition's responsibility for disorder, rather than of the 'wickedness that causes it.'"

Full story at AIM

Although editors make decisions on a daily basis about what to report and what not to, I do not think the government should be offering advice on what appears in the news. This should be an entirely independent process from the state. While Blair is careful just to offer his opinion on what is reported here, there appears to be an underlying suggestion that perhaps the western media should ignore some of the atrocities - which comes perilously close to crossing the dangerous line of inappropriate government interference.

Blogs burst into mainstream press

2006-04-11T18:58:00.000Z

A syndication service that delivers commentary from 600 bloggers for use by newspaper publishers is set to launch on Tuesday, further blurring the lines that divide blogs and mainstream media.

Full story at Reuters.

BlogBurst has the potential to bring niche topics, that may otherwise have been ignored, to the attention of the mainstream media. It may also bring a bigger audience to insightful bloggers who aren't employed by any particular media outlet. However, as in any case of citizen journalism, the onus remains strongly on the editors to thoroughly fact check everything before it is published.

Adidas accused of racism

2006-04-10T19:34:00.000Z

Chinese-American groups have reacted with fury over Adidas' marketing of a HUF trainer with an image they claim perpetuates a negative image. The $250 shoe features an image of a Chinese man with bowl-cut hair, slanted eyes, pig nose and buckteeth.

"It's very sad and disturbing that in this day and age, this stereotype is coming from a global company like Adidas," said Vincent Pan, of Chinese for Affirmative Action in San Francisco.

HUF owner Keith Hufnagel dismissed the accusations of racism as "Internet garbage."

"They should do their studying before they say anything," Hufnagel said.

Adidas seems to have scored a spectacular own-goal with this move and it is hard to believe that no-one in the company even considered the negative publicity this might generate. In 2004, the Chinese government banned a "blasphemous" Nike advert in which a US basketball star defeats a cartoon kung-fu master, saying it offended national dignity. Don't be surprised to see a big Reebok (who, perhaps unbeknownst to many Chinese, are now owned by adidas) advertising campaign featuring basketball star Yao Ming in the near future.

(Source: BBC and Shanghai Daily)

New deal brings citizen journalism to the fore

2006-04-10T19:25:00.000Z

Mobile phone network 3 is in talks with ITN and Sky News about feeding clips, produced by its customers, on to television news bulletins. A deal would create a direct channel for anyone caught up in a big news event. 3's UK chief executive said he wants to harness customers' potential as reporters. The onus will still remain on the TV companies publishing the content to check whether it is a bona fide source however.

"Clips from the public definitely add to the story," said a spokeswoman for Sky News. "The best you can get is TV footage that tells the story. The next best thing is citizen journalism where the cameras have not yet arrived or have not been. Some images are very, very powerful. Some of the images from inside the tunnels in the July 7 bombings, for instance, were very powerful."

This deal doesn't appear to really bring anything new to the table, except some exposure for 3. Citizens can already send their images into the news networks should they wish and this perhaps offers a slightly more effective channel. With the rolling 24-hour news channels there is an increasing danger that fake video footage makes it on to network television news and editors need to be even more vigilant than ever to avoid being conned like Piers Morgan.

(Source: The Guardian)

Manchester United look to mobile venture

2006-04-10T19:18:00.000Z

Manchester United its considering a move into mobile telephony by selling branded handsets to its millions of fans around the world, and then running the service itself.

"It's a real possibility and is something we have been actively considering," said Andy Anson, the club's commercial director.

The model United are most likely to follow would probably be Virgin Mobile, which rents capacity from established operators, rather than spend billions of pounds buying a network. Should this deal become a reality it has the potential to be a very lucrative venture which could catapult United back to the fore as the world's richest club, ahead of Real Madrid. With millions of fans around the world and many people now owning more than one mobile phone United should this turn this into a very profitable venture.

Ageist, ageist Arsenal

2006-04-10T19:11:00.000Z

Richard Linskell, employment law partner at Dawson's solicitors, has warned football clubs that they could be liable if they only give short contracts to players aged over 30. His comments come after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he would not change the club's stance to provide Robert Pires, 32, with anything longer than a one-year deal.

"I think challenges will be able to be made; whether players will bring it is another matter altogether," said Linskell. "There are a lot ofplayers like Teddy Sheringham who carry on playing well beyond the age of 30, and Bolton recently signed an Israeli (Idan Tal) who is 31-years-old. Playing over 30 doesn't mean you're past it, a policy based on age can be actionable. It's quite rare that the employer will have such a blatant attitude."

While I don't like the idea that age discrimination legislation can apply to professional sports, neither do I agree with Arsenal's policy of not offering players over 30 anything longer than a one-year contract. Many players have had years of success past the age of 30. In fact numerous sporting stars only began to start tasting success when they hit 30 - Dave Moorcroft breaking the world 5000m record, for example. Ian Wright, who was, until recently, Arsenal's all-time leading scorer, only joined the club a couple of months before his 28th birthday and was still scoring on a regular basis at 33 (when Arsene Wenger first arrived to the club). I doubt Wenger would have even considered signing a player who was only two years away from 30.

End of the line for 'fake sheikh'

2006-04-07T10:09:00.000Z

The News of the World has lost its battle to prevent pictures of investigative reporter Mazher Mahmood, aka the ‘fake sheikh’, being published. The paper’s barrister argued that publication would prevent Mahmood from carrying out future investigations and breached his privacy and was therefore unlawful under the Data Protection Act. The News of the World claims Mahmood was responsible for the conviction of more than 130 criminals. However, Justice Mitting said the intention was not to protect Mahmood “but the protection of his earnings capability and publication of his investigative journalism and his utility to his employers in that respect”.

The fact that the News of World defended its reporter on the principle of privacy would be laughable even if it wasn't true. For a newspaper that prides itself on invading and exposing every aspect of celebrities lives it is quite astonishing that their arguement was based on this skewed logic.

To see a picture of Mahmood you can visit George Galloway's site here.

Swedish ministers furious at Ryanair

2006-04-07T10:02:00.000Z

Sweden’s prime minister Goran Persson and foreign minister Leila Freivalds have filed a lawsuit against Ryanair, complaining that the airline used their images without consent in an advertisement for cheap flights. The budget airline used the politician’s photos above a caption asking, “Time to flee the country?” at a time when Sweden’s Social Democratic government was facing heavy criticism on several issues. They have filed court papers demanding SKr75,000 (£5,600) each in damages.

Whilst Ryanair will no doubt defend itself on the principles of free speech, I would be intrigued as to whether George and Condoleezza would have demanded less than $10,000 in similar circumstances.

Iraqi blogger needs help to attend US university

2006-04-06T20:46:00.000Z

As someone who attended graduate school in the United States, on an athletic scholarship to study journalism, I would encourage anyone who is able to support the more worthy cause of Zeyad A. in his ambition to attend City University of New York (to which he has already been accepted). Zeyad publishes the insightful blog Healing Iraq and there is a story from the Wall Street Journal here.

BuzzMachine.com now offers details of how to help Zeyad.

EU parliament pays journalists for coverage

2006-04-05T10:37:00.000Z

The International Herald Tribune has reported that the European Parliament is subsidising journalists to cover its parliamentary sessions in Strasbourg. Legislators say the move aims to ensure that the EU’s only democratically elected body is not ignored. Whilst this is likely to generate outrage from many media pundits it cannot be compared to the Pentagon’s contract with the Lincoln Group. In the latter case the Bush administration was paying Iraqi news outlets to print positive articles while hiding their sources. There have been no reports of the EU parliament attempting to influence coverage in this case. As the European Parliament begins to hold greater power over the countries it encompasses it is important that the less-wealthy nations have equal access to the decision-making process. It is clear that the media can influence decisions made by governments, not least by raising awareness amongst its readers. If certain countries are denying their citizens coverage of a body that can have a major influence on their lives then they are equally taking away their opportunity and right to question any decisions being made.

However, in the case of the journalist quoted below, I would suggest they are in the wrong profession:

"The parliamentary sessions are stultifyingly dull, so the Parliament does whatever it can to make it easier for us to work here, including paying for our journeys and providing plush facilities" said a broadcaster who has benefited from the program.

Media banned from Niger

2006-04-04T20:21:00.000Z

Niger has withdrawn permission for a BBC team which found evidence of hunger in the country to continue to report on the humanitarian situation there. Officials said international and local media would not be allowed to do stories about the food situation as they did not want that subject touched.

It is difficult to analyse the underlying motivations behind this decision but for the sake of the people in Niger this sitaution cannot go unreported. Despite being the poorest country in the world it rarely receives any press in the western media. French President Jacques Chirac was reportedly the only head of state to bring up Niger at the G8 summit last year, despite the fact that 3.5 million people are malnourished and 1.2 million face starvation. A culture of denial still appears to exist in the African nation and cannot be allowed to continue.

Wal-Mart in Brokeback storm

2006-04-04T20:12:00.000Z

The American Family Association has urged members to call Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville or to stop in and speak to their local store managers in regards to the retailer's promotion of 'Brokeback Mountain' on DVD.

Would someone please:

(a) Explain to these people that watching a movie starring homosexual characters that are verbally and physically abused, before being beaten to death will not make your children want to 'turn gay' unless they are already.

(b) Find them a new hobby (quickly).

How to trick a blogger

2006-04-04T20:03:00.000Z

"Bloggers have started a war against some companies, and it could happen in travel. The trick is to get into their psyche and become a blogger too."

Graham Donoghue, TUI UK's head of new media.

When will executives realise that bloggers are just people with access to the internet, not a new human race bred to destroy multinational corporations. At least Donoghue understands that discourse is the way forward though.

The Jack and Condi show rolls on

2006-04-03T20:44:00.000Z

A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Baghdad said any sleeping arrangements between the two politicians was "a private matter, which I can't imagine we would comment on".

I'll lead you to infer what you will from this suggestive comment.

Prayer doesn't work

2006-03-31T20:11:00.000Z

In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery.

Associated Press

I doubt this will send shockwaves around the UK but get ready for the Christian right-wing backlash in the States.

Savage words

2006-03-31T19:55:00.000Z

1903: Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!!

Emma Lazarus, "The New Colussus"

2006: Twenty-nine percent of all inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens. No, Mr. Bush, they do not all come here to work, they do not all come here to work. They come here to work the system, sell drugs, rape, and kill on contract. Don't lie to us.

Michael Savage, Talk Radio Network (Courtesy of Media Matters)

Wow. If you thought that newspapers such as the Daily Mail in Britain were hostile to immigrants then you need to listen to some of the views of the right-wing media in America, who make no attempt to convey any sense of being unbiased. The blatant hostility towards anyone or anything that may challenge their power will only serve to create bigger divisions in society.

ITV owns a little too much of Arsenal

2006-03-31T19:48:00.000Z

Further to the Arsenal/ITV story, in ITV's recently released annual report the broadcaster lists its"interest in ordinary share capital" in Arsenal as being 10.05%. This figure contravenes the upper limit of 9.9% that media companies may invest in football clubs. This rule was brought about following the attempted takeover ofManchester United by BSkyB. Arsenal are reported to have been advised to inform ITV of the conflict (although, as far as I'm aware, ITV have not been reported of the need to inform their viewers of the conflict of interests when broadcasting Champions League football).

Source: The Guardian

Selective media keeps gatekeepers in control

2006-03-29T20:35:00.000Z

On Good Morning America, correspondent Dan Harris reported that "[t]he latest national poll says 31 percent of Americans believe the media make things in Iraq sound worse than they are." But Harris failed to inform viewers that in the same poll he cited, a majority of Americans -- 59 percent -- said that the media describe "things in Iraq" either "accurately" or "better than they are."

Media Matters (full story here)

The audacity of the media to be selective in what they choose to report is staggering at times and just shows the extent of their power that they can continually get away with it. Luckily Media Matters will always be keeping a close eye on things should the rest of us miss it.

George Mason reaps rewards of basketball success

2006-03-29T20:29:00.000Z

An interesting anecdote for anyone who derides athletic scholarships and claims they don't give anything back to the university: George Mason University has earned $4 million worth of media exposure just for making the 'Final Four' of the NCAA basketball. The potential earnings that would come as a result of winning the tournament must be staggering.

But what is a blog?

2006-03-28T19:07:00.000Z

If you don't know this by now .... here you go.

Brokeback Mountain wins surprise award

2006-03-28T18:52:00.000Z

I bet nobody saw this coming.

ITV love you Arsenal, they do

2006-03-28T18:49:00.000Z

If you are watching the Arsenal v Juventus game tonight on ITV and wonder why the coverage is always so favourable to the north London team, despite their lack of British players, please bear in mind the network has a 10 percent stake in the club.

Stopping the media moguls down under

2006-03-27T20:28:00.000Z

Murdoch and Packer won't be happy.

Old keep buying up the new

2006-03-27T19:34:00.000Z

The old media's acquisition of internet sites continued today with the news that media group Independent News & Media has puchased internet property site PropertyNews.com, which covers Northern Ireland and theborder counties in the Republic. The website is the most popular in Northern Ireland with 10 million page impressions in February 2006.

Let them blog

2006-03-24T15:20:00.000Z

I’ve been reading some of the mass media’s attacks on blogs recently and the thing that struck me was a sense of superiority and also fear on their part. It’s as though they have had enough of people (who usually happen to be bloggers themselves) claiming that blogs will replace the mainstream media. Their critiques of blogs generally tend attack the quality of writing, spelling mistakes and dismal content. If the latter is all true, why are they acting as if they are in fear of their livelihood? Numerous (well at least a few) journalists probably play Sunday football and may have once had dreams of playing it professionally. However, you don’t see Wayne Rooney showing up to watch them and laughing at the standard of play. He knows he is better and doesn’t worry about them replacing him at Manchester United. I doubt he loses much sleep over the handful of fans that choose to watch these matches over his own either. If a player is good enough to play at a higher level he will probably end up moving up to a better standard. The same applies to quality blogs - although, like sport, it doesn’t always happen. They will be read by more people and become more mainstream as a result. But will they replace newspapers? No, they will just be another addition to the ever-increasing amount of information out there. So if someone wants to blog, let them enjoy it and, if you don’t like what they have to say, don’t read it. The only newspapers that should feel threatened by an individual blogger will be of an extremely poor standard and probably don’t deserve to survive anyway.

The beginning of the end

2006-03-24T10:48:00.000Z

Could this case spell the end of free speech on the internet? Caroline Keane, a partner at media law firm Wiggin LLP, doesn't think it will open the floodgates, but I believe that it will make people more afraid to put forth their opinions. As Mark Stephens highlights the libel laws we have at present cannot be applied to the internet in the same way that they do to the mass media. The power of the internet lies in it being (relatively) unchecked by government and this case has the potential to strike fear in users everywhere.

Belarus media highlight the power of the gatekeeper

2006-03-24T10:18:00.000Z

Evey night since the recent election results were announced, thousands of Belarussians have been gathering in Minsk to protest the "rigged" election. However, by the morning the thousands of oppositionists have dwindled to a few dozen defenders at a makeshift camp braving the cold. While the former scene might be familiar to any westerners watching the coverage on TV, those watching the events unfolding from their living rooms in Belarus will only be aware of the latter. The country’s opposition is now worried that the encampment has been used to discredit their whole movement. A reminder to us all that, although the internet has changed things, the power still remains in the hands of the gatekeepers.

Future of blogging

2006-03-23T14:27:00.000Z

Original article.

Reuters chief Tom Glocer seems to agree. He told the recent Online Publishers Association conference: "I believe the world will always need editing... the role of old media companies in the new-media age is that of content facilitator, tools provider and editor."

I've made this point before but I think the future role of the old media will always be as the main source of content (Glocer downplays it slightly by saying they are just facilitators). However, I'm not sure if their role as editors will be as necessary or even relevant with so many new sites popping up. These websites use numerous news outlets as sources and make their own editing decisions in the process - in regards to what to write about and what to leave out.

Belarus media ignore demonstrations

2006-03-23T14:16:00.000Z

Not surprisingly the state-controlled media in Belarus has given very little coverage to the recent demonstrations.

Sun uses TV soap-stars to explain budget

2006-03-23T10:41:00.000Z

Today’s Sun uses TV characters from soaps such as Eastenders and Coronation Street to put the budget into perspective for its readers. Fair enough you might say. However, I have two questions. How do they know Dot Cotton (pictured) earns £4,000 a year at the laundrette, Little Mo makes £3,100 as a cleaner, Ian Beale earns £38,000 from the café and chip-shop, and Les Battersby makes £10,000 as a cabbie? Which leads me to my second question – how do Dot and Little Mo live in London on those salaries?

The Sun uncovers more than it realises

2006-03-23T10:32:00.000Z

"American college halls of residence - called sororities for girls, fraternities for boys"

Today's Sun looks into the world of initiations, highlighting the "boozy rites and sex orgy ceremonies" in "US college halls". I don't think the Sun realised what they have uncovered here - that the dorms are in fact fraternity and sorority houses secretly run by the university. Most parents will be shocked to learn where their tuition fees are going.

Oyster-cards to drive newspaper sales?

2006-03-22T14:25:00.000Z

There is speculation that Transport for London may enable Oyster customers to purchase newspapers with their cards. The convenience factor, particularly during rush-hour, could drive sales across the board if this measure is introduced. It may also have a negative knock-on effect on Metro's distribution figures.

Family blames Scientology for daughter's death

2006-03-22T11:24:00.000Z

The family of a woman who was stabbed to death by her schizophrenic Scientologist son, who had been told by the cult that vitamins and not drugs or psychiatric treatment were the best way to treat the disease, have taken out an ad in LA Weekly.

"Thanks, Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology for your expert health advice on mental health (which led to Elli being killed by the schizophrenic son she was told to treat with vitamins instead of psychiatric care)," the ad read.

Scientologists believe that psychiatry is an ancient alien civilisation’s plot to drug and enslave humanity (which may go some way to explaining Cruise's recent antics).

Bush passes on the buck

2006-03-22T11:08:00.000Z

George Bush has said that it would be for "future presidents and future governments of Iraq" to deicde whether US troops should withdraw from Iraq.

"Every (war) plan looks good on paper until you meet the enemy," Bush said.

Racism rife in France

2006-03-22T10:48:00.000Z

Disturbing findings from a report commissioned by the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, which found that 30 percent of French people consider themselves to be somewhat racist. This was up from 25 percent a year ago.

Sun offers readers chance to be a Lord

2006-03-22T09:55:00.000Z

It’s always paid to be close to Rupert Murdoch (pictured) but now it appears you just have to buy his newspaper and you can join the upper reaches of society. The Sun is today offering two readers the chance to be transformed into a Lord and Lady. The paper has obtained a Lordship and Ladyship of the Manor dating back to the Middle Ages. Hurry though - you only have until Saturday to tell the Sun, in no more than 20 words, why you’d be the perfect Lord or Lady.

Guardian named Newspaper of the Year 2006

2006-03-22T09:09:00.000Z

The British Press Awards have named the Guardian as the Newspaper of the Year 2006. The award comes on the back of other awards such as World’s best-designed newspaper (Society for News Design) and Best newspaper on the internet (Webby awards). During the period January to December 2005 the Guardian gained 154,000 readers – a rise of 14.4%. However, the Times, the Telegraph and the Indpendent all still carry 'Newspaper of the Year' banners across their front pages.

Defending the blog

2006-03-21T15:04:00.000Z

Not everyone wants to attack blogs and The Napa ValleyRegister argues that, despite reports to the contrary, blogging is still in its infancy.

Once again the point needs to be made that you can't lump all bloggers into the same category when it comes to heaping criticism on them. New York Time reporter Judith Miller has said that bloggers aren't "real" journalists and are unable "to distinguish between the straight and the slanderous". I'm sorry Judith have you met every blogger in the world and read every single one of the 30 million blogs out there? Her arguments are as credible as claiming that every Muslim is a terrorist or every American is obese (both of which I've heard).

Challenging autocracy in the Middle East

2006-03-21T14:15:00.000Z

The Middle East apparently fails to grasp the power of the media.

With most media power concentrated in the west we need Arab networks and newspapers to stand up and show that the Muslim world does not condone recent acts of violence in the name of Allah. Al-Jazeera has mistakenly become strongly associated with Al-Qaeda in many westerners' eyes (not least President Bush). It is widely believed internationally that inhabitants of the Arab world are given limited information by their governments and media, but Al-Jazeera has been one of the few channels that is a trustworthy source. Along with the rest of the Arab media it needs to continue presenting fair, unbiased news and we need more channels to emerge to challenge the autocratic governments that still prevail.

Media count the cost of reporting on Iraq

2006-03-21T14:10:00.000Z

Reporters without borders have announced that more journalists and media staff have been killed during the Iraq war than during any conflict since the Second World War. A total of 84 reporters and media staffers have been killed in the Iraq war, including eight this year, according to the media advocacy group. That is already 21 more than the 63 journalists killed during 22 years of conflict in Vietnam.

South American media face daily threats

2006-03-21T09:40:00.000Z

"Although the news media continue to carry out their public-service missions robustly in other countries, individual newspapers and journalists have faced a variety of direct and indirect efforts by governments, politicians and powerful interests to constrain them," the Inter American Press Association said.

Disturbing news from South America where some of the media are avoiding any reference to drug activities out of fears for reporters’ safety.

It's all gone quiet down under

2006-03-20T11:53:00.000Z

If you don’t like a news story one way of avoiding the issue is to not print it. This seems to be the decision the Australian press have taken to the ‘national tragedy’ of not having won any gold medals in the men’s swimming (which is taken very seriously down-under) at the Commonwealth Games. Neither The Age or the Herald Sun, the daily newspapers in Melbourne, made any mention of the men’s events on Sunday. Even Australia’s loss of the 4 x 200m freestyle relay for the first time since 1950 was deemed unworthy of a by-line. All of a sudden the Aussie newspaper industry's favourite pastime of Pommie-bashing has temporarily disappeared.