Hooray for the Gurkhas! It is hard to think of a group of people who deserve to be in this country more.

It is just a shame that the Gurkha veterans – some on their death beds – have been dragged through an even longer legal battle than most of them probably experienced in their military tenure. All to establish the basic presumption that: “Those who fight for our country have a right to live in our country”.

And hats off to actress Joanna Lumley, whose father was an officer with the 6th Gurkha Rifles, for campaigning for justice for this long. You deserve equal plaudits and perhaps even a few letters after your name…

But what interested me most about yesterday’s media coverage was David Cameron’s share of voice.

Where did he come from? Where has he been throughout this campaign? A text book example of how to get media coverage by piggy-backing a news story. An established brand and a solid comment with a different angle will go far.

Whether he deserves to be in the same picture or even mentioned in the same breath as the Gurkhas, or Joanna Lumley, is a different matter. But job done – another shot fired at Gordon. Only time will tell whether it is just a flesh wound or another nail in the coffin…

Yes I am a man – but by no means a sexist one. And I probably should avoid this subject for fear of being labeled one – but I can’t help myself: Harriet Harman’s Equality Bill demands re gender pay audits are absolutely absurd.

Has she not noticed that we are in a recession? How does she propose that the thousands of struggling SMEs in the UK fund these pay gaps? Does she not realise that this is an unnecessary pressure to put on our businesses which will ultimately keep them in the red and us in a recession for longer?

Also, look at how many people are out of a job – some may argue that the bankers of this world deserve it – but there are many skilled workers unemployed. And don’t forget all the graduates looking to break into the labour market.

Businesses should not be worrying about recruiting the right about of women and men at the moment, not even worrying about ethnic minorities or people with disabilities.

We are in a recession! Its simple – we need the best people for the job, with a passion to succeed, drive exports to international businesses and get this country out of the economic hole it is in.

So, Harriet, if you really want to make use of yourself I suggest you stop moaning, get your head down and start working towards achieving a healthy level of employment in this country.

You are meant to be a role model for professional women, and men, so stop moaning and get on with your job!

The launch of 0range’s new online press room and the Press Association’s new video news wire mark a significant day in the media world.

It’s a breath of fresh air to see a leading corporate and one the nation’s top media organisations recognise the benefits of digital communications and invest in it despite the recession.

I am in no doubt that this is not a coincidence and I suspect many businesses, if they have not done so already, will start to follow suit and change the way they communicate online.

This will open many ‘digital doors’ for companies like PR Newswire and RealWire – who offer social news releases; MeltWater and Precise – who offer online monitoring and evaluation; and most importantly for us PR people.

Granted, PAs service is aimed at national and regional broadcasters but I expect it won’t be long until they start compressing the footage to .mp4 or .flv and using it on their websites or social network profiles, e.g. YouTube.

And as this product develops so too will the PR industry – with a greater emphasis on creating and delivering video and providing ways for consumers to access social media profiles, such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

These are exciting times for – which I’m sure, will move at a great speed. Watch this space…

Oh dear, Pc Rob Ward – what a silly boy you’ve been…

Among the variety of Facebook fuelled stories in the media over the past few years, I’ve now seen all three emergency services, the Army, MPs and banks stung by investigative ’social network’ journalism.

Do people and businesses not realise how easy it is to find information about themselves or their staff on the web?!

Granted, Pc Ward may have taken the necessary security measures and the Met may have even advised him to do so – but it seems that where there’s a will there’s a way when it comes to social networks and finding information, pictures or video.

Whether they get to you under a hoax name, or through a friend, or by bribing a follower – they’ll get you. And hats off to them.

But not everyone hack is there yet, in fact, the other day I had a journalist call me and ask  for a picture of an ex-client. Once I’d done my due diligence I said I’d look for it and send it through. I couldn’t find it in the end but suggested, seeing as he was at the end of his tether, that he looked him up on LinkedIn.

Five minutes later he emailed me: “Thanks. I would never had thought of that – way too new age. Brilliant!”

As with him, I am all for new age journalism – just hope it does not bite me one day…

Until today I have never doubted Boris, but I’m now wondering if what his doubters were saying almost a year ago was true – that he will use his position as Mayor to move onto bigger and better things.

So here I am reading about Boris “considering all of his options” and asking myself why. Why say this and why say this at a time when Labour is firmly on the back foot? Where’s the team spirit, Tories? I thought politics was all about kicking the opposition when they were down…

His comment can be compared to that of a petulant footballer’s. Or something an agent might say in a bid to secure his client a move to Real Madrid or an improved contract with his current club.

Well perhaps that’s it? Perhaps Boris wants a transfer to 10 Downing Street or a bumper pay packet to see him through until after the Olympics – which ironically he can only do if re-elected.

At least with Ken you could see he had passion for the job. Honestly, Boris, why make people question your commitment to the country’s Capital on St. George’s Day?

And if you did want out then don’t make suggestions while holding the flag of your country. Or was that an ingenius piece of crisis PR by your press office – just to show you do care afterall?

Great programme, great viral, interesting insight…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVeSPyAp8aU

I never thought that after one week away skiing I would come back feeling this out of touch. Everywhere I turn, or click, I am constantly reminded that I’ve missed the birth of a new star – Susan Boyle.

When I finally got the chance to watch her YouTube video last night, the fact I was the 37,343,775 viewer left me needing to know more. So much so, that I managed to miss the last five goals in the 4-4 thriller between Liverpool and Arsenal. Was it really worth it?

Yes – I was amazed. I discovered an extensive Wikipedia page with more third-party quotes and references than a clients dream press release; official and unofficial fans’ websites; a Facebook profile with over 1,500,000 fans; 450 Facebook groups; untold blogs; an exclusive interview and a whole lot more.

As my research came to a close I sat back, watched the football highlights and asked myself: “How can someone become this famous in such a short space of time?”

Then I thought of the following formula:

Success = (subject + empathy + reality TV + online media + Wikis + Facebook + blogs + YouTube + forums) x (Simon Cowell + Piers Morgan)

Hang on I had missed out Twitter – how could I?!

I rushed to the en vogue site like a child looking looking for the last Easter egg in a hunt. Was she there? Yes – well her username was anyway. Nowadays you can never be sure whether it really is the celeb or the PR machine behind them. But one thing was for sure, on first site ‘Susan Boyle’s’ Twitter strategy was poor. Or was it?

There stood one measly post with a TinyURL link to the same YouTube video I has watched earlier! Surely that couldn’t be it? I know Twitter is a micro-blogging service but in its case is this little really that much more?

Who really came out on top after the Met’s latest security blunder?

Was it the Met? Al Qaeda? Bob Quick? Or Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith?

It could be the Met, given Quick’s sharp resignation has now deflected the heat off of them at a time when Ian Tomlinson’s name is still firmly on the tip of everyone’s tongue.

But on the grounds that Quick jumped before he was pushed I am ruling the Met out – there’s no way they can be given the moral high-ground on this one.

Al Qaeda are an outside bet. After all the UK has lost a top anti-terror chief. But I’m not convinced for two reasons: 1) because the raid was still successful, thus weakening the terror group’s strength, and 2) because they should never win.

Now here’s a thought…could it be Jacqui Smith? Although she claimed she lost confidence in “bungling Bob” I’m not buying it. Nice try Jacqui but we all know you’re still looking for a scapegoat after your husband’s “bulging blondes” slip-up.

So, that leaves brand Bob Quick. And to be fair to him I think he deserves it. It’s refreshing to see senior public sector workers – come to think of it any public figure – stand up to their mistakes and take one on the chin.

Arise, Bob, quick, before I change my mind. Though I’m sure you’ll still land a cushtie little non-exec role somewhere…

This week’s front page splash in MediaGuardian re The Huffington Post has had me thinking…

This ‘digital whirlwind’ is not only leaving us PRs huffing and puffing as we try to embrace it, but it is also causing newspapers and blogs to change direction. So much so that there is now distinct overlap between the roles both play.

Up until a few years ago a newspaper was a newspaper, albeit in a printed and online version, and a blog was a blog.

But nowadays, with more and more newspaper readers preferring to read the news online for reasons such as, 24/7 updates or rich multi-media content, newspapers are having to provide a variety of content to satisfy a much greater demand.

And the best way of achieving this is by blogging. In doing so a journalist now gets three (four if you include Twitter) bites at the reader’s cherry:

1.   The print article – aka bread and butter, because it appeals to most and does the job

2.   The website article – the marmite covered toast, because…

3.   The blog – the coffee, pain au chocolat and freshly squeezed orange juice, because it goes the extra mile for the ‘thinking-man’ – offering a chance to savour the flavour and ponder further thought

4.   (Twitter – definitely a hard boiled egg, because it’s for cracking another time!!)

So, is it any wonder that bloggers have decided to do something about it? Are they really expected to sit back and watch their readership figures plummet while their ex-readers’ waistlines soar?

It seems that inheriting the investigative work of newspapers remains the only option for bloggers when it comes to tackling these all encompassing ‘news brands’, and as a newly founded blogger, I for one am ready for the challenge…