“Would you like it sent straight to your mobile?”
“You bet”, I thought.
And there it was.
An SMS from SWISS
(heaven forbid you call it Swiss Air) and
this Thing.
My boarding-card was now bar-code.
Would it work?
What if the phone was nicked,
or the battery died?
No need to worry.
I sashayed my cool PDA through ZRH
(fast-bag-drop! who-needs-it!).
Scanned that cell past the bloke in the cubicle,
who said something in Züridüütsch about
Vorsprung durch Technik;
and I was Airside.
Simples!
The flight gets called, I stand up.
No phone.
I’d left it in the café by the Duty Free.
Take my advice,
for a stress free life.
Stick to paper.
Click to Comment // Posted on Monday 26 October 2009 // General
Just received this interesting letter from the fair Catherine Speller at the fast free Press Complaints Commission.
Dear John, I know from your blog that you already know about us - and indeed refer to the Code - but it might be helpful for me to give you some information about some of the other work we do in addition to dealing with complaints about published articles. We also have an increasingly important role to play in helping individuals in other ways. We run a very effective 24-hour anti-harassment service, for example, which has been praised by a wide range of individuals who have used it; and can also advise people on a pre-publication basis about stories that are about to be published. As you may 
know, we pro-actively contact those who find themselves in the media spotlight - for example, after a major incident or accident etc - and offer our services if they are having problems either with press behaviour or published material. (Recently, for example, I was in touch with the care home in Scotland where the two girls who tragically took their own lives were based - as well as the local police force - to remind them what we could do to help if necessary).
Traditionally, we have focussed our PR efforts on ensuring that those representing vulnerable people are fully briefed about our work: police forces and family liaison officers, Coroners, Hospitals etc, through meetings and presentations, mailings and events. However, I am now expanding this work to include media and PR consultants who are offering media advisory services, as I think this is another really important area for us to focus on. I hope that the information I’m sending you proves to be useful - do please feel free to pass it on to clients if appropriate. Kind regards, Catherine
The PCC is an independent self-regulatory body which deals with complaints about the editorial content of newspapers and magazines (and their websites). They keep industry standards high by training journalists and editors, and work pro-actively behind the scenes to prevent harassment and media intrusion” Unlike Ofcom (and the BBC) they can intervene pre-publication.
Click to Comment // Posted on Wednesday 21 October 2009 // General
John Mair (left) has invited me to have a ‘Coventry Conversation’ with him at Coventry University on the 29th, http://www.scribd.com/doc/17567786/Coventry-Conversations-Autumn-2009 . The topic is PR’s “Blocking investigation or ensuring truth for clients”. It’s a good subject, discussing the vital role of PRs in the investigative process with John Mair, Senior Lecturer now but once a formidable investigative documentary maker for the Beeb and Granada’s World in Action series. I should know, I had more than one ding dong with him. But, as Lord (Manny) Shinwell said, ‘when all your friends are dead, your enemies become your friends’.
Come along; watch the fur fly. It’s free.
Click to Comment // Posted on Thursday 8 October 2009 // General
