SpleenSaver

Sustained PR attack could end actual journalism among people who should know better

This was the case today when a story broke about internet infrastructure being attacked: 

If you want to read stories about technology, best to either read a balanced report from the experts such as computerworld.com or don’t bother.

When reading mainstream media it is often best to read scare stories from the bottom up. This is how guardian.co.uk ended the same story: "There is no credible intelligence to suggest an imminent threat to the homeland or our computing systems at this time," the (US homeland security) department said in a statement…
"The main thing is that there was very little impact on the general public, the servers were able to hold up against the attacks. The Internet in general was designed to even withstand a nuclear attack," Zully Ramzan, a researcher at Symantec Security Response, told CNET News.com.”

Zully sounds like a reasonable person.

The ATTACK angle was taken up on the guardian technology blog quoting another security company staffer, Graham Cluley. I've met Graham, he knows his stuff as far I know. Graham received an unusual level of exposure - even for him - by saying things about this story such as ""seems to have been the most serious attack against these domain name servers since December 2002 "  and his company is quoted as saying "that a successful assault could have resulted in the global suspension of website access..." this is carefully structured and not untrue, but it is  presented as if it were a possibility when it is accepted fact that there was no chance of this happening.  Eventually we get to the rub. Buy more AV software and don't let the internet collapse under the weight of botnets. The whole thing is a sales pitch. In this case as so often the real point of the PR blitz is to sell software under the guise of offering independent comment.

That security companies want to pump out press releases warning of impending disaster at every turn is fair enough. Security companies sell security goods and its all part of their game. And maybe you can expect that sometimes a pressurised and inexperienced journo in the trades might just report dire warnings as fact, but a good reporter shoudn't fall for the “Crisis averted with more string says string maker”  line. It should be ignored and such "experts" should be avoided or questioned more thoroughly.

Masterclass in spin from Masterfoods

Masterclass in spin from Masterfoods

Masterfoods, makers of Mars bars, Snickers, Pedigree and Skittles said it will no longer advertise at kids under 12 years old by year’s end.

Laudable or laughable depending on your politics. Coverage has been bland. BBC Radio 4’s PM show treated the item as filler and gave the company’s UK md a far easier ride than she could have been expecting.

Elsewhere trade coverage specialists such as marketing week and brand republic sites did ask the relevant question:

What will happen to web sites with games, screensavers etc which are clearly targeted at kids - see www.skittles.com  to be baffled.

Like most trade mags, they don’t know the answer. 

A trip to a sweet factory, (delete and insert sausage/chicken/dogfood) for clarity is an edifying experience. On a visit once to the famous Mars factory in the famous Berkshire town of Slough. It was Bounty bar making day. You could almost feel your teeth corrode.

Press release turns up human rights abuse story

Ah, the power of the press release. Great to see that tech sites and mainstream media are today piling in and reporting the the trial of Karim Amer, an Egyptian blogger. All very worthy and proper and good on Amnesty for putting the release on PR newswire today.  If it hadn't this might have slipped through the news net as Human Rights Watch called for the trial to end back on January 27th under the headline

Egypt: Drop Charges Against Blogger

Trial Shows Need to End Curbs on Free Speech

it's here:  http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/01/27/egypt15192.htm

and here's the Amnesty press release.

Trial of Egyptian Blogger Expands Realm of Repression

                      

   

              

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amnesty International
today called for the immediate and unconditional release of Karim Amer, the
first Egyptian blogger to be tried for writing blogs criticizing Egypt's
al-Azhar religious authorities, President Husni Mubarak and Islam.
    Karim Amer, a former al-Azhar University student and blogger, is facing
up to 10 years in prison for his writings in a trial that resumes today.
Charges against him include "spreading information disruptive of public
order and damaging to the country's reputation," "incitement to hate Islam"
and "defaming the President of the Republic."
    "Karim Amer's trial appears intended as a warning by the authorities to
other bloggers who dare criticize the government or use their blogs to
spread information considered harmful to Egypt's reputation," said Malcolm
Smart, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program. "This is
particularly worrying as bloggers have increasingly been posting
information about human rights abuses in Egypt, including torture and
police violence against peaceful protesters."
    The trial opened on Jan. 18, 2007 before Maharram Bek Court in
Alexandria. Karim Amer was charged under Articles 102, 176 and 179 of
Egypt's Penal Code. Amnesty International has been urging the Egyptian
authorities to review or abolish this and other legislation that, in
violation of international standards, stipulates prison sentences for the
mere exercise of the rights of freedom of expression, thought, conscience
and religion.
    "Amnesty International considers Karim Amer to be a prisoner of
conscience who is being prosecuted on account of the peaceful expression of
his views about Islam and the al-Azhar religious authorities. We are
calling for his immediate and unconditional release," Smart added.
    Background
    Karim Amer was first detained by the Egyptian authorities for 12 days
in October 2005 because of his writings on his blog (karam903.blogspot.com)
about Islam and the sectarian riots which took place in the same month in
Alexandria's Maharram Bek district. These riots followed reports that the
video of a play believed to be anti-Islam was being screened in a Coptic
church in the district.
    After he was charged and released, disciplinary measures were taken
against him and he was dismissed from al-Azhar University in March 2006.
The university's disciplinary board found him guilty of blaspheming Islam.
    He was summoned to appear before the office of the Public Prosecutor in
Maharram Bek district of the city of Alexandria on 7 November 2006
following a complaint made against him by al-Azhar University. The Public
Prosecutor ordered his detention for four days on 7 November, which was
later extended for a further 15 days, to allow further time for
investigation. He has remained in detention since then following a series
of extensions. While in detention, he was kept in solitary confinement and
in incommunicado detention and was only allowed visits by his relatives
last week.

  SOURCE Amnesty International