So, the Press Complaints Commission finally fell on its sword last week, after months of intense criticism over its handling of the phone hacking scandal – the PCC having previously endorsed News International’s official line that one rogue reporter was behind all the illegal voicemail-accessing FULL STORY »

Allying your brand with a political debate that is dividing public opinion isn’t something most companies would consider, but then Ben & Jerry’s has never been a conventional brand. The ice-cream makers have teamed up with gay rights organisation Stonewall to speak out in FULL STORY »

There have been more developments in the good old lobbying register story this month, as the government undergoes its consultation on what their statutory register should look like. Obviously the public affairs bit of the PR industry has been considering this matter for quite FULL STORY »

The PR Society Of America has completed its previously reported bid to find a new definition for what exactly it is that PR does, having decided that their existing strapline dating from 1982 – “Public Relations helps an organisation and its publics adapt mutually to each other” – was no longer adequate. FULL STORY »

The nominations are out for this year’s Society Of Editors Press Awards, and after a tricky year for News International, at least they can smile at the fact their broadsheet title, The Times, is up for 18 awards in total. That noms tally is only equalled by the Daily Mail, assuming you FULL STORY »

The UK’s Copyright Tribunal considered the previously reported links licence issue yesterday, reaffirming last year’s appeals court ruling that said such a licence is required by all media monitoring organisations, but amending the fees to be paid by said agencies. FULL STORY »

So, are you optimising the headlines on your news releases so they score highly on search engines? Make them punchy (preferably less than 65 characters) and full of key words is the advice of US-based Schwartz MSL Research Group, who recently reviewed the headlines on 16,000 FULL STORY »

The Independent’s streamlined sister title i – sort of a cross between the Indy and Metro – saw its circulation rise to 240,000 in January. That means over twice as many copies of the i are distributed than the main Indy paper, and it now also out performs rival The Guardian if freebie copies FULL STORY »

Damon Albarn’s animated musical mates Gorillaz will release a new collaboration with Andre 3000 and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy entitled ‘DoYaThing’ later this month as part of their tie up with sneaker people Converse. The new track is part of the brand’s ‘Three Artists, One Song’ FULL STORY »

To tweet or not to tweet? Tweet now or tweet later? Oh, those modern dilemmas. The Twitter policies of the UK’s two main TV news networks have been in the spotlight this week after both Sky and the BBC issued new guidelines to their journalists about how they use the micro-blogging platform. FULL STORY »

The UK’s three main news broadcasters – the BBC, ITN and Sky – united yesterday to urge the government to ensure plans to review the rules governing the televising of British court proceedings be included in the next Queen’s Speech. That would FULL STORY »

Public affairs consultant Lionel Zetter gave evidence to a Commons committee yesterday about the government’s plans to launch a statutory register for the lobbying sector, according to PR Week. He told the committee that there was widespread support for such a register in FULL STORY »

Now, no esPResso reader would ever dream of suggesting to a client that they post a positive review about their own products or services on a relevant punter-review website, let alone a negative review about a competitor, but apparently that kind of thing goes on out there in the crazy, FULL STORY »

While interested parties galore continue to take to the stand in the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics at London’s Royal Courts Of Justice, across town two PR men have been giving evidence to a parliamentary committee considering the issues of privacy and injunctions. FULL STORY »

The PR Consultants Association has teamed up with trade bodies from the other communication industries, including the Institute Of Practitioners In Advertising, Incorporated Society Of British Advertisers and the Marketing Agencies Association, to launch a new edition of their ‘Agency Remuneration’ FULL STORY »

News International has launched a new Facebook app around its weekend magazine Fabulous which will offer users unique content during the week. Readers will be encouraged to share the mag’s daily fashion news, photos, competitions, Spotify playlists and weather-based clothing recommendations FULL STORY »

So, what do you do if you’re a high profile MP and your intern sees your Twitter account open on your computer and sends out a message with the phrase “twit-rape” in it? Well, while ideally you wouldn’t want to find yourself in that situation, if you do, probably Tom Watson’s approach is best FULL STORY »

It has happened. If you believe web traffic tracking service comScore, and most people do, the Daily Mail is now the leading online newspaper in the world, the British taboid having overtaken the long time holder of that title, the New York Times. According to comScore, the Mail’s online output FULL STORY »

The British Association Of Aesthetic And Plastic Surgeons has called for a ban on cosmetic surgery advertising as part of a number of recommendations handed to parliament’s health select committee about the more commercial end of their profession. FULL STORY »

The PR Consultants Association has published the findings of a year long study into barriers faced by people looking to enter the PR industry, and how said barriers might be removed. The study was led by John Lehal, MD of Insight Public Affairs, who spoke to practitioners, academics and other FULL STORY »

The PR Consultants Association has welcomed the government’s recent announcement that it will create a wide-reaching register of lobbyists in the UK. The trade body urged the powers that be to act fast on this venture, and to make sure all organisations which lobby, including charities, lawyers, FULL STORY »

Reuters recently stepped up its online presence by launching a new channel on YouTube called Reuters TV which airs short-form news and comment throughout the day, with ten themed strands, most covering tech, media or finance topics. The new YouTube programmes involve various well-known FULL STORY »

With sporty Olympic types likely to appear in most big brand ads this summer, Virgin Media has launched a new campaign featuring gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt and Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson, with the former pretending to impersonate the latter, FULL STORY »

So well done Webuyanycar.com, who have won the much sought after (surely) accolade of Most Irritating Ad of 2011, according to a poll conducted by TNS for Marketing magazine. The online used car dealers got no less than 49% of the vote. If, somehow, you missed it, FULL STORY »

The Chartered Institute Of PR has announced it will work with Wikipedia to develop guidelines for PR people on how they should interact with the community of volunteer contributors and editors who manage the online encyclopaedia. The partnership has been forged in response to concerns some companies are ignoring FULL STORY »