A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort
Thought for the week
“After two and a half years of flatlining and a double-dip recession the IMF is now clearly losing patience. The longer the government clings to its failing plan, the more long-term damage they will do to our economy.” Ed Balls, shadow chancellor, discussing the International Monetary Fund’s warning to David Cameron and George Osborne that they should ease up on austerity in light of Britain’s ongoing economic fragility.
Worth the paper it’s printed on?
This week’s light news success stories include…
…David Bowie’s ‘surprise’ comeback track, with 105 articles reporting on the single, in comparison the anticipated drop in A-level science options as a result of education funding issues only made it into 1…
…Harry Styles and Taylor Swift breaking up, as reported in 27 articles, whereas only 2 broke the news that rising mercury emissions are apparently posing more and more of a threat to humans…
….and finally, Sam Robertson, the former Coronation Street star, being evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house, with 5 headlines being written as a result, a handful more than the 3 resulting from Zambia’s new ban of game hunting.
(Source: Journalisted)
Weekly high
What’s the best way to make your clothes stand out amongst the sea of high street and haute couture designers? How about taking real CCTV footage recorded during an armed raid on your shop, and turning it into an advertisement for a 40% sale. Well, it definitely could work.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cxvnqcO99s
Weekly low
The annual Public Eye Awards, voted for by everyday Joes and Josephines with an internet connection, just announced the winner of its ‘People’s Award’, which is handed out to the worst company in the world. 2013’s victor, or rather loser, is (unsurprisingly) Shell, followed by nasty finance giant Goldman Sachs, and then G4S, the security firm. All deserve a spot on the list, albeit a crying shame the bosses probably don’t care.
Things that might happen next week…
The FA will decide whether or not to take further action against Eden Hazard, the Premier League player who kicked a troublesome ball boy during Chelsea’s Capital One Cup semi-final aggregate loss against Swansea, tensions could mount following renewed violence in Cairo two years after Egypt’s Arab Spring uprising, and the UK coalition government will come under renewed pressure to make less severe spending cuts as the country approaches a triple-dip recession.
Dates for your diary
Tuesday 29th January; Spinningfields; Manchester Digital Cartologie Network Launch- An event to mark the beginning of a brand new professional network for the region open to anyone involved in ecommerce.
Wednesday 30th January, MadLab, Manchester; All Animated North West Marketing; Whether you belong to an agency or freelance, so long as you work in animation then this event could be worth checking out.
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!