A weekly roundup of media news and talking points, sans effort

Thought for the Week

“I’m really sorry, I was having a wee,” One Direction’s Harry Styles, on turning up late and out of breath to join his bandmates in receiving the BRIT Award for Global Success.

Weekly High

In a western world where smartphones are fast becoming a vice in themselves- disturber of meal times, interruptors of conversations and all round constant distractions- we love UNICEF USA’s new campaign, The Tap Project. Visit the website on a mobile device, tap the screen to start the clock, and the longer you don’t touch the phone the more water and water purification tablets will be donated by the sponsor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8UFT3q4xo

Weekly Low

US energy giant Chevron got on the wrong side of the U.S. press this week following an incident at one of its fracking sites. A well exploded, killing one man (a fiancee and father-to-be), with fires continuing to burn on the fringes of the Pennsylvania towns of Bobtown and Dunkard for four days. After issuing a full and frank apology, the firm decided to offer 100 residents free pizza and their choice of a two-litre drunk. Take from that what you will.

Stories to keep an eye on

*Rebekah Brooks has now taken to the stand in the ongoing phone hacking trial, with new revelations Tony Blair offered services as informal advisor after the scandal broke.
*Free messaging service WhatsApp has been bought by Facebook for $19billion. Whether we can now expect loads of irritating ads on the acquired platform is unclear.
*MasterCard has come unstuck after it emerged a PR firm acting on its behalf offered journalists press access to this week’s BRIT Awards providing they send out pre-written tweets including the MasterCard Twitter handle and #PricelessSurprises. 

Just in case you missed it…

A Church of England Diocese has created its very own ‘Twitter commandments’, guiding staff on best practice. Read our take on it here.
If there is a success story, blunder, or news event you’d like to see included email helloATsmokinggun.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!