Posts Tagged ‘media’

2012: What changes can we expect in the NHS?

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Like a late Christmas present, this week the NHS Future Forum published its report with recommendations on four key issues within the NHS: integration, public health, information and education. Most striking was the proposal that HCPs should make ‘every contact count’ by questioning patient lifestyle choices at every opportunity.

The Government’s response has been to fully accept the report’s suggestions, as many tie in with the general programme of reforms set out in the Health and Social Care Bill. However, much like many of the proposals we saw outlined in the Bill and put into practice over the past year, other groups have been less enthusiastic. For example, Dr Clare Gerada, chair of the RCGP, has voiced concerns at the lack of evidence base for public health proposals, and that questioning patients at every opportunity may even be detrimental to the patient/physician relationship.

This is the first report of what will likely be many throughout 2012 both supporting reform and condemning it in equal measure. But what changes within the NHS can be expected in the coming year? Here are a few points that the Virgo HEALTH team will be looking out for…

First and foremost, the Health and Social Care Bill will receive Royal Assent, with most proposals likely to be still intact. Even so, there are lingering questions over Andrew Lansley’s position within the Cabinet. Will he continue to serve as Secretary of State into 2013? In all likelihood, yes – but nothing is certain.
As the Government progresses with the reforms throughout 2012, we will see the further dismantlement of current NHS structures and consolidation of new bodies such as the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups in their place. However, there will continue to be plenty of debate over the composition and size of these groups, and the role traditional commissioners from PCT and SHA backgrounds can play in them. 2012 should therefore provide more answers as to the future these managers have within the new NHS.

The DH published figures at the end of December confirming that it was on track to deliver the savings required for the year 2011/12 as set out in the Budget, recording savings of £2.5 billion in the first 6 months of the efficiency challenge. Many argue that the easy cuts have been already been made, and that the NHS will be facing an increasingly difficult challenge to try and find further savings. We will see whether the figure of £6 billion for the year is achieved in the summer, and towards the end of the year, whether it is still on track to hit its final target.

Finally, ‘no decision about me, without me’ as an underpinning principle behind the reforms will begin to come to the fore. Can we expect to see patients taking more interest in their care, as more choice is provided, and information becomes available? Andrew Lansley has stated this week that ‘blacklisting’ of NHS drugs needs to be ended to stop the current ‘postcode lottery’, but also to avoid the threat of legal action from patients who know their rights.

We are sure you will be following developments in the NHS like us, during a year which will undoubtedly be crucial for the success of the reforms and economic future of the NHS.

A new Foundation for Journalism?

Friday, December 9th, 2011

It is safe to say that journalism, and the people who practice it, have never been held under more scrutiny than at the present time. With the Leveson Inquiry in full swing, it’s easy to understand the rapid way in which public opinion has been shaped by the ongoing and clearly emotive accounts from the Dowler family, or Gerry and Kate McCann, explaining how they have “suffered at the hands of the British press”.

The remedy? Step forward Simon Kelner, former editor of The Independent and now chief executive of the Journalism Foundation. The Foundation, which launched this week, was borne out of discussions between Kelner and his immediate boss, Evengy Lebedev (who along with his father, Alexander Lebedev, are financial backers of the organisation). The Journalism Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at supporting “free, fair and independent journalism” on a global basis.

The initial result from the foundation is the launch of two initiatives to show the scope of its work. The first involves practical training courses for journalists in Tunisia, teaching local journalists how to report in a free and open society. The second sees the Journalism Foundation supporting a local website in Stoke-on-Trent, in an attempt to increase interest in local politics and demonstrate how journalism can be built up from the grassroots through digital media.

Sir Max Hastings, former Daily Telegraph editor, has commented: “This is a time when bad and corrupt journalism is receiving extraordinary exposure in Britain, which makes the promotion of good, brave and campaigning journalism all the more important”. However, from a critical perspective, it’s hard not to ponder how much of an impact the Foundation will really have on public perception of the media in the short term. In our opinion, it is rather premature to be pushing for positive promotion of the media, before the root of corrupt journalism has yet to be completely resolved. Only time will tell…

 

Pharma leading the way in regulations?

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

There is little doubt that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most tightly regulated industries. Quite rightly the regulations are there to protect patients and ensure efficacious and thoroughly tested products are developed and brought to market but now pharma companies face new challenges around transparency and building trust. The US is already preparing for the Sunshine Act, which comes into effect in 2013 and will ensure companies disclose interactions and payments to healthcare practitioners. Similarly, the UK has seen the revised UK Bribery Act which came into force in April 2011. Despite the legislation and increased regulatory enforcement designed to prevent corruption and bribery and transform the image of pharma, the perception of the industry remains less than positive.

Other industries that have recently come under similar scrutiny include the media and financial sectors. The current Leveson inquiry is examining journalistic practice and story sourcing and the roles of the media and police in the wake of the phone hacking scandal. The inquiry hopes to investigate the nature of contacts between the press and politicians and the press and the police. It is certainly clear that the regulatory regime for media conduct has fallen short at times but the extent of this failure is yet to be fully determined.

Whilst questions abound of the extent and scope of independent Vs self regulation, the pharma industry is forging ahead with clear and transparent practices and ethics set out and robust frameworks for interactions with healthcare professionals, leading experts and government officials put in place. With the ethics of the British media and financial worlds currently under question, it may be time for other industries to step up to the mark pharma has set?

Mistakes revealed: Online media… a journalists’ friend or foe?

Friday, October 14th, 2011

It’s no secret that the demand to gain access to information at the touch of a button (or should I say the touch of an ipad!) has seen the evolution of online media. With news and material communicated around the world in a matter of seconds, is it time for journalists to realise the world is watching?

With an estimated 2 billion internet users worldwide, an error of judgement can be broadcast globally in a matter of seconds. No one will easily forget the Daily Mail’s reporting on the ‘guilty’ – or not ‘not guilty’ – Amanda Knox, that in its rush to break the story first, broadcasted an inaccurate report to the world. Unfortunately this kind of action just adds further collateral to the current Leveson inquiry (but that’s a whole other debate altogether).

Just this week, we’ve seen another ‘oopsy’ moment when freelance foreign correspondent Rob Crilly’s irate tweets to the Telegraph editor over his modified article, were automatically posted on the Telegraph website. Rob’s actions remind us that the World Wide Web is aptly named – our online actions are available for the world to see in a flash. Despite both these errors being swiftly removed from the public domain they have stimulated widespread reporting and show that online mediums allow the ever watching world to see mistakes which print media never could.

Despite all this, the likes of Twitter provide a resource many journalists cannot now live without and figures from the fourth annual Digital Journalism Study found nearly half (47 per cent) use Twitter as a source. It has revolutionised the way they work and instantaneously broadcast information. It has in fact proven to be mutually beneficial for both journalists and the audience, so like many friendships, they may have fallings out once in a while but they will almost always kiss and make up and come back for more.

Let’s not forget about our humble, dedicated local radio listener

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

The axe is falling on local radio and television. Cuts have been announced at the BBC last week, as a result of the Government freeze in the licence fee until 2016. Local radio is one of the areas that will take a significant hit, its budget will be cut by just over 4%, or £5.3 million.

It means output will probably syndicate with neighbouring stations during the daytime, whilst listeners will have to get used to national programmes in the evenings, going against the very notion of local radio. Local newsrooms will no doubt be trimmed down to operate on a shoestring as fewer and shorter local bulletins will result in less resources making original local news.

But what does this mean for PR and communications? Local radio is a powerful medium for the communication of targeted local information. We can remind the local listener of our messages on the hour, over and over, many times a day, whether they’re at home or on the move.

Ultimately, fewer and shorter local bulletins will mean a bigger struggle to get our messages out there, but we must adapt. Our local listener will soon have less time to hear us even though they seek ever increasing amounts of information specific to them. So that means tailoring our messages and making them more relevant than ever to ensure we make the local cut.

With newspapers embracing the social web, are the days of ‘behind the scenes’ PR over?

Friday, September 16th, 2011

The newspaper is evolving. Rapidly. The age old institution is changing its ways and yes, we PRs must ensure we’re keeping up.

The trend of newspapers building up their online comment and blogging platforms is growing and there are no signs of this slowing down. Just this week the Mail Online launched ’Right Minds’ – it’s very own online blogging space, much like ‘Comment is Free’ from The Guardian site. Not only does Right Minds feature online-only comment from its regular journalists such as Melanie Phillips and Richard Littlejohn, but it provides links to outside bloggers such as Guido Fawkes, Politico and Conservative Home. Readers are urged to join in live debates and vote in polls. Next week, the free London newspaper, City AM, is about to launch its own version called ‘The Forum’, as media don Roy Greenslade reports. So the boundaries between journalism and readers are falling, with greater interaction between the two. This will allow newspapers to know their audiences better and be more accountable for what they write about, which over time could substantially change the nature of newspaper reporting itself.

But what does this mean for PR and communications? The trend of newspapers evolving their basic operation from print to online is full of opportunities. With an initial article becoming the platform of debate, potentially involving a whole pool of specialists and experts, emphasis will shift from the individual journalist and media outlet to the wider discourse on a subject. And in turn, the role of communications will be less and less ‘behind the scenes’ but increasingly public, transparent and open.

When #PR goes wrong: Best public relations gaffes 2011

Thursday, August 11th, 2011
Laughing at others’ mistakes is a sure-fire way to have karma come and kick you in the teeth and end up making a worse mistake yourself. But there are some PR disasters so funny and/or tragic that we can’t help but mention them. For anyone working in public relations, they serve as effective tales of caution. And for the general public, they serve as humorous anecdotes (but also may sadly reinforce some stereotypes about our industry.)
The most memorable PR gaffe of recent months has to be the breaking of the embargo on J K Rowling’s Pottermore project through an accidental email to all UK national news desks. Normally, achieving widespread national newspaper coverage is something to celebrate, but it was red faces all round (and probably a very angry Ms Rowling!). While the email only revealed a rough PR timeline, it was enough to get the coverage so that when the actual website launched a week later it was, to a degree, ‘old news’.
The Pottermore example is an instance of a genuine error. But what happens when a PR practitioner crosses the path of a journalist and causes a nuisance? We all know how much poor practice can get up journalists’ noses and fairly so given the working pressures and deadlines involved. A recurring pet peeve is being repeatedly badgered to see if a story will make it to print, as one particular Evening Standard writer didn’t hesitate to comment on…
Journalists and PR professionals can work well together when there is mutual interest involved and there is quality information on offer. But even if a story is appealing, the tone must be right too, particularly when celebrities or third parties are involved. If the celebrity is made to sound too much like the PR wants them to sound like, rather than a genuine involvement to promote a cause or campaign, criticism may ensue…
When David Beckham was attributed in his quote as saying phrases such as “going forward” and “final piece in the jigsaw”, the people involved made the easy mistake of using inappropriate PR jargon to an audience that doesn’t appreciate it (the media!). It would be all too easy to criticise this and put it down to PR people being all spin and no substance. But the fact is that every industry has its buzzwords and that it is a simple case of talking to people in a way they relate, rather than being complacent with the way we use language, whatever the industry.
The Beckham quote is nothing compared to some of the all-time classic Twitter gaffes though. One error is mixing business with pleasure when tweeting. Getting them mixed up can cause some amusement….
“Whoa the guys at the Red Cross are all going to get drunk!?” Well, no. This was actually a personal tweet sent out mistakenly through the Red Cross twitter feed.
Apparently, the user hadn’t quite got the hang of HootSuite. This didn’t trouble the Red Cross however, as they recovered nicely with a touch of humour…
As this example demonstrates, mistakes do happen but it is the way we recover from them that counts.
While this handful of PR gaffes is comical, it is in no way exhaustive and we’re sure that there are many more comms slip-ups that are worth mentioning. If you’ve got any to add please do let us know. But if you want more in the mean time, take a trip over to the Huffington Post and give their 8 worst Twitter PR fails a look.

What India’s thriving media industry could mean for the West

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Earlier this week Radio 4’s increasingly popular Today Programme investigated the thriving media industry in India. While newspapers in the UK and US are making cuts left, right and centre, India is working hard to satisfy the appetites of increasing numbers of newspaper readers across the country. Whilst one in every five papers in the world is published in India, quality journalism is not the only condition that makes this possible…

Firstly, online competition is weak. Whilst most people in the West now access news online, the number of people accessing the internet in India is comparatively low. Since newspapers are much cheaper in India relative to their cost in the West, they are also more affordable for many people. Finally, literacy is on the increase (again, contrasting to the worryingly low levels of literacy in the UK).

The differing environments between India and the West mean there are few lessons for UK media to learn from this in terms of boosting readership. But international development could mean that in time, the ‘sleeping giants’ of this world will have the strongest and most influential media worldwide. This is because:
  • Newspaper organisations in countries like India have a head start. Years of experience in the West has created a real confidence in publishers who know what their readers want (such as highly regionalised editions, even down to the dialect used) and how to make profits.
  • Digital media will be better understood and more profitable by the time the internet becomes ubiquitous in countries like India and China (or at least will become more accessible for millions more people). So experiments such as the News International paywalls and tailored content for mobile devices will have had time to prove themselves one way or another and the knowledge from this will mean that big online media operations in developing countries will be built on sound understandings of newer, different business models. After all, we are still finding our feet with these new technologies in the West
Whilst it may be a long way off before we see any major impact in the West from the these far flung media , it is a global world and the ripple effect of a drop in the pond somewhere else could be substantial. The ownership of flagship titles is likely to change (we already have a Russian oligarch owning several of the UK’s most influential newspapers) and if media power-houses such as Murdoch’s News International change significantly – or even collapse altogether – the balance of power could be tipped massively in a very short space of time, with ramifications wide and far.

Just how will this end? Some views on possible #phonehacking scandal outcomes…

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

All these mind boggling revelations can make your head spin. In the last few days the following shockers have been revealed… 

 But what are the experts in the media world predicting for the future of News International?

  • The News of the World will be swiftly replaced by The Sun on Sunday . This is pretty likely given that the internet domain name has just been snapped up
  • Rupert Murdoch will sell News International entirely. At worst this could mean the closure of more of Britain’s most well established newspapers, although at the very least would involve significant tremors affecting the structure and make-up of these titles. While The Times, Sunday Times and The Sun do not make News Corp a great deal of money compared to their other ventures worldwide, selling them off seems unlikely not least because it would be hugely out of character for Rupert Murdoch
  • James Murdoch will resign from News International. In today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, David Cameron has already strongly stated that if executives are found to have broken the law, they should not be allowed to run media companies. This could mean Rebekah Brooks goes too, but this is the last thing Rupert Murdoch wants. As Reuters’ Felix Salmon writes, News Corp wants her on the inside, working for them, rather than on the outside, turning witness against them
  • Several police officials will be removed from post or demoted at least. Cameron has been clear that he is watching the police response to the inquiry closely, saying today that at the home affairs committee last week they gave a “mixed” performance 

 Whatever happens, the ramifications are big for the UK media industry (fewer scoops? Tamer papers?), the shape and feel of newspapers (changing newspaper titles and editorial teams and agendas) and for News Corp specifically (at the time of writing they have just pulled out of taking over BSkyB. What comes next?)

 The answers won’t all be coming soon, but things are moving so quickly that even bigger announcements could be made at any time…

Media training tip #687: Sometimes it’s okay to go silent in an interview

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

This is not the latest trendy interview technique. Nor is it something that anyone running media training should encourage would-be interviewees to take up. After all, not acknowledging the question asked is a cardinal sin, isn’t it? It makes you look guilty of something, as if the reason you don’t want to talk about it is that you actually have something to hide. But this week the rules were thrown out of the window and a refusal to answer questions was actually a good thing.

Graham Linehan, the comedy writer most known for Father Ted and the IT Crowd, had been asked to appear on the Radio 4 Today Programme to speak about his adaptation of classic movie The Ladykillers on the stage. Since he was asked to go on the show to talk about the play, he was somewhat put out when presenter Justin Webb began attacking his decision to transfer the film to the theatre and went completely silent. After the event, he blogged: “What a treat it was to be able to complain directly to Today’s pompous John Humphries’ stand-in about the squabbling that passes for debate on that program [sic]… What the host didn’t realise is that because I’m not a politician, like the fellow I saw in the green room preparing his lines with an aide, I didn’t have to be held hostage to their artificial reductive, harmful format.”

The Today Programme apologised. So it’s tempting to think Linehan won (although he’d probably take you to task for thinking along such simplistic lines, perhaps quite rightly). However, we do not recommend giving the cold shoulder in interviews. Just look at how bad US Governor Jan Brewer looked when she refused to address questions from the media about her ill-founded claims about crime in the state…