To tweet or not to tweet? It’s a First Amendment issue…

October 6, 2009

twitter-nfl-chad-ocho-cinco-426x300

What happens across the pond happens here, sooner or later. So will Premier League football managers soon emulate their brethren in various American sports and seek to ban their players from pre-match (or, indeed, any) Twittering?

This remarkable development threatens to become a First Amendment issue in America (and has a UK equivalent thanks to Darren Bent). As this story from Bleacher Report says, “The First Amendment guarantees members of the United States free speech, including freedom of the press, which, with Twitter being a media vehicle, falls under both sections. Restrictions can be placed, as long as other alternative methods are available.” But instituting a ban on the use of Twitter seems, prima facie, to infringe the First Amendment – and US lawyers are gearing up for action.

Here, of course, different standards apply. Members of our judiciary famously fail to know who celebrity footballers are and fall asleep during trials. Good luck to the legal team trying to convince them that a Twitter ban is a breach of the Article 10 right to freedom of expression.

Image courtesy of Barry Hand’s excellent blog.

 

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Not so right said Fred

February 2, 2012
fred hat

So Farewell, then, Sir Fred Goodwin.

Now you are just Fred.

Not Right Said Fred, but plain Fred.

The Forfeiture Committee did for you.

No one had heard of it before,

But Dave said it had to act, and it did.

Trouble is that no one knows what to think.

Is it ‘Alas, poor Fred‘,

Or ‘Hurray! Sir Fred is dead!’?

We don’t know.

Do you?

By A. Mob, aged 1,378 and a half.

London Goes AWOL

January 31, 2012
CNN

STOP PRESS:

Fed up with being stuck on the Thames in south-east England, London yesterday decided to move. In a dramatic gesture which augurs ill for the Olympics, the city upped sticks and relocated to East Anglia.

Lawyers were not consulted about the move, and the city’s precise motivation remains unclear. However, financiers fear that London’s decision is a sign that it wishes to downsize. Moreover, a source from London said: “We no longer want to be Britain’s seat of power. If the Scots can deregulate, why can’t we? East Anglia is a nice place where nothing happens. It’s time for a quiet life. Please respect our right to privacy.”

Elsewhere, Birmingham did not do anything, but Manchester was seen to be packing its bags. “There’s an opportunity for us,” said Manchester. “We can become London.”

East Anglia said: “We don’t mind. It’ll be refreshing to be associated with something other than fens and flatness.”

A cartologist at CNN, which broke the extraordinary news, was later fired.

An excellent ad if ever there was one

January 25, 2012
legovader

We seem to be visually led this week but sometimes words proliferate far too much and letting an image do the talking is no bad thing. That’s another way of saying that ACCESS Agency’s work with Lego is absolutely top drawer.