In the best tradition of newsgathering Blade ventured to the pub over the weekend and happened upon a comment that made him think. “Newspapers with a dedicated professional readership – the likes of lawyers, for example – will all introduce pay walls this year. They think lawyers have the money to pay for content.” Thus [...]
Interesting developments in the world of football rights and TV. Ofcom plans to cut the cost of watching sport via Sky, creating a market opportunity for BT and Virgin (among others). The Murdoch empire will not be happy, meaning that David Cameron has a tricky balancing act both in the run-up to the election and [...]
What is it about Flickr that national newspapers find so hard to understand? Time and again the nationals use images on Flickr without attribution. Blade has previously hypothesized that their failure to give credit where credit’s due arises from embarrassment, i.e., a disinclination to see words like ‘Image (C) Jo’s ACE PIX in da real [...]
Would Stephen Fry, were he promoted to a role of more substance than his informal one as UK Twitter Czar – a position of real power, such as Communications Minister for that nice Mr Cameron when he sees off Gordo – have Ricky Gervais burnt at the stake? The question arises after Gervais’ heretical condemnation [...]
We recently mentioned Blacks’ role in brokering Derby County midfielder Robbie Savage’s forthcoming autobiography. If memory serves we used the word “controversial” to describe Savage, and in this remarkable interview with BBC Radio Derby after his team had lost 1-4 at home to Scunthorpe he lives up to his billing. Savage may be accused of [...]
Is there a geek inside all of us?
Excellent Nike ad
Memo to would-be hacks: good writing is no longer a tool of your trade
Released almost a year ago, Spada’s groundbreaking research report, British Professions Today, is available for free download
This bank is so well designed that many of its staff never go home (allegedly)
In the latest of our series of white papers, Spada Research examines trends in environmental reporting.
After a raft of phone-hacking admissions and allegations, we are no longer seen as the gruff but dependable watchdog. Neville Thurlbeck, formerly of the News of the World (part of his Damascene conversion; to be continued).