News desks around the world are operating with ever-thinning staff numbers, and an ever-increasing pressure to churn out fast and accurate news stories. In an era of 24-hour news, journalists need to react to breaking stories within minutes. (more…)

Brendan Gallagher

The aviation industry lost one of its most respected and widely liked journalists last month, when Brendan ‘Badger’ Gallagher died suddenly, aged 60. Brendan was an expert in in-flight entertainment systems but, as a busy freelancer, also wrote on a wide range of other topics. We worked with him most recently at last month’s EBACE trade fair in Geneva, where he was writing for Business & Commercial Aviation Show News and was on fine form. He will be sadly missed.

“There’s no such thing as bad publicity,” said Irish author and dramatist Brendan Behan, “except your own obituary.” The first part of the quotation lives on, and is often used in partial defence of an organisation’s ‘bad press’ – but just how true is the assertion? (more…)

Many companies’ efforts to get their news into print end up on the editor’s spike – or its modern equivalent, the recycle bin – for failing the ‘so what?’ test. A major cause of failure is badly-written, poorly-structured, low-news-value media releases that are just plain boring. (more…)

Corporate sponsorship and brand activation are fine tools for business but they can occasionally put a premium on the quality of the PR support that they receive. Whether it is a sports event, a cultural occasion or a personal endorsement, planning ahead is always wise. (more…)