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Around 7.45am this coming Thursday, I’ll be clearing out the ol’ tartan tonsils afore speaking at this year’s Communicator of the Year Breakfast (Thursday 24 April) at Melbourne’s rather august Windsor Hotel.

Last year climate change expert Professor Tim Flannery scooped the award and also participated in a panel discussion entitled Politics, Principle and PR. This year’s theme is “Facing up to the Brave New WWWorld” looking at trends in social media, particularly as they relate to the public relations and professional communication industry.
Other event speakers include:
Hugh Evans – founder and executive director of the Oaktree Foundation, former Young Australian of the Year and driving force behind the Make Poverty History campaign.
Laurel Papworth – online media strategist, lecturer in social media at the University of Sydney, and adviser to media and telecommunication companies.
Jenny Weight – artist and researcher in media trends, lecturer in networking and programmed media at RMIT University.
Gerry McCusker – author of Talespin: PR Disasters and outspoken commentator on public communication issues in the online environment

Just a quick note for regular PR disaster-ites; this blogsite has had some back-end problems (oo-err missus), and will don a green paper smock and shuffle about looking embarrassed before some light remedial surgery, tomorrow. We may be off the air for a few hours on Saturday.
Hi-tech Dr Leigh Mannes will be performing the op, and predicts a swift recuperation for the patient. So if your Saturday feels empty without being able to access your weekend PR gaffe check-in, we suggest you get a life, or some patience.
Ta. G

Proposed security laws may affect email privacy
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2216185.htm

This story caught my eye because I used to work for an agency that freely spied on employee emails, at least once bullying its staff after the company had broken privacy laws without the employee’s consent.

Log on for your webinar
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/log-on-for-your-webinar/2008/04/14/1208025088756.html

Sometimes those of us who work in PR and comms forget just how advanced our work practices and skills are…here’s an article from yesterday’s Syd Morning Herald where the journo heralds the arrival of the ‘webinar’; I (via PRIA) and others have been doing these for ages, so how come the biz community sees it as news?? (No wonder Web2.0 adoption is somewhat slow).

My fave New Zealand PR insider (Kelle) pokes us towards a TV report that shows how Olympic torch relay skittishness has spread to New Zealand. When TV show Campbell Live tried to interview a kiwi torch carrier to see if/how the Tibetan protests were affecting him, the PR’s got a wee bitty uptight. This national TV segment shows how N.B.P.R. insisted that interview questions were sent to them in advance (sensible enough) but that they wanted time to ‘coach’ Aaron on how to answer these questions (too much disclosure guys??), and that a live personal interview was outta the question. Oh, and just before the TV company sent a film crew to visit Aaron, N.B. PR called to say their client (Samsung - who sponsor the torch relay I think) was too nervous to let any interview go ahead; Great national (and web) publicity for Samsung and its kiwi PR team eh?

London’s Torygraph newspaper reports that “Wal-Mart is on the verge of a potential public relations disaster over a batch of video clips of male store managers parading in drag in front of thousands of colleagues as they all sing the corporate song, employees mocking dangerous uses of a product sold in its stores, and even founder Sam Walton referring to then non-executive director Hillary Clinton as “one of us”. These videos are now being made publicly available.
By whom, the inquisitive among you ask??
Seems what could be interpreted as ‘embarrassing footage’ is ” being made available to lawyers, unions, and media organisations after a falling-out between the production company - Flagler Productions - that shot the videos and the retailer. In a move that seems part-highway robbery and part-blackmail, Flagler wants poor Wal-Mart to stump up $2m (£1m), but Wal-Mart is offering $500,000.

Talk about stamping on a man’s grave before he’s cold in the ground; Gawker gleefully reports how BM’s PR supremo got chucked outta the Clinton campaign (which incidentally culls aides faster than China does with Tibetan dissidents). Why did Mark Penn depart? Most commentators agree it was his PR consultancy interests, which saw him meet with the Colombian government with a view to representing them on the opposite side of an issue from Hillary Clinton, while running her campaign. Conflict of interest anyone? Sterling judgement from an expert in impression management? A salutory lesson for any ‘big’ client; is your adviser too big to represent you? After all, when the consultant (and his other interests) becomes the story, it can eclipse your goals and reflect poorly on your reputation, too.
Oh, and as Gawker happily reports, Penn and BM also dropped the ball with the Columbians too, who were none too happy with the publicity, either.
But a wee word to Gawker; many decent PR practitioners disagree with your description of the…”PR industry, which is definitively one big amoral hired gun.” Tsk, tsk. That’s like saying all journos are delusional hacks that play decorative second fiddle to a revenue-driven media model based on advertising expenditure. Doh!!

Europe has come over all funny over a rash (geddit) of outraged editorials revealing that Formula One honcho Max Mosley was filmed cavorting with five (YEP 5) fleshy prostitutes while allegedly fulfilling some Neo-Nazi fetish. The only relieved person must be Elliot Spitzer whose solicitation of just one hooker now pales by comparison. This personal pastime may cost Mosley his high-paying (we presume if he can afford 5 at a time it don’t pay peanuts) job, a lot of the furore is down to the fact that his ancestry features the prominent UK Nazi sympathiser Oswald Mosley (his pop!) Most blogging F1 fans want him gone, tho with no little arrogant chutzpah, Mosley is contemplating suing the tabloid News of the World, which broke the scandal. How can Mosley continue in a senior office bearing role for F1?

Big, hectic week; new client strategy session; web content deadlines; internal brand reinvigoration launch - lots of food grabbed on the run (except for Wed lunch’s new biz celebration with Oyster Design chief Steve Cumming - nice red Steve!). Thank God for Daniel Kitson at the Melbourne Comedy Festival; bleedin’ brilliant! Part comedy, part philosophy lecture from a slob professor and part emotional mining exercise, Daniel candidly reveals his own character, saying more about each and every one of us in the process (except the bit about dropping number 2’s in doorways maybe!!). Kitson’s is a must see show if you’re looking for some comedyfest laughs.

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