milne media

White House spat with Fox News hots up

I'VE an inexplicable interest in the US media and politics. I blame basketball, trash TV and the West Wing.

So I can't help but find this spat between the White House and Fox particularly interesting and not a little amusing.

It couldn't happen here though, could it? 

NATS GET CLOSER TO FOURTH ESTATE

TALK about entering the lion’s den.

 

The SNP have moved to a new HQ – a hop, skip and a jump from the Scottish Parliament.

 

They have taken up space at Gordon Lamb House on Jackson’s Entry in Edinburgh.

Barack Obama Sworn In As US President Today

BARACK Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America today - the first African American to be given the chance.

He did it in a way that was truly breathtaking, mobilising supporters using the power of the web, the mobile, broadcast and print.

Academics will be feasting on the campaign for years.

A New Dawn

US Elections - Steel Yourself

My obsession with the American elections continues to stalk the poor unfortunates in my office who - with the exception of Gerry - simply don't give a stuff.

Try and ask them about the latest polls, they won't know; ask if they watched the debate, they think you mean Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand on YouTube.

Similarly, the patience of my long-suffering wife Rachel appears to be reaching breaking point as I casually flick to the rolling news channels for my latest fix of Decision Time USA.

But today it was thanks to The Independent that I found salvation, in the form of this piece from Mark Steel.

With just a few days to go, it's a very good read.

Vote Blog

Enjoyed this link from Journalism.co.uk claiming there are some 1600 political bloggers in the UK causing a rise in the number of Press Officers hired by the Government.

Obviously we have our very own Tom Brown here in Scotland, and the likes of Guido Fawkes across the Border.

But curious to know if readers have any favourites of their own?

Alan Cochrane's Stirring It Up Adds Wealth To Web

"Three hundred and eight years ago, the Scottish nation beggared itself with its ill-fated attempt to found a colony at Darien on the mosquito and disease ridden isthmus of Panama. That national catastrophe led, seven years later, to its joining forces with England in the Treaty of Union.

Could it be that another financial calamity will make the maintenance of that Union appear even more essential for Scots?"

No, not from Bill Jamieson, but another well-respected Titan of Scottish journalism in the form of the Daily Telegraph's Alan Cochrane.

Work commitments mean I've only just got round to reading his Tuesday column which states the above.

It is also riddle with lovely little anecdotes including the fact the First Minister was once an economic adviser to RBS and how Fred Goodwin was so revered by the likes of BA.

But this is where the web makes it much more fun. 

Click on the link and see the online froth filled debate his take on events has sparked.

All good fun.

The Scotsman Opens Door To Smoke Filled Bank Vaults

There has been something nagging me about the whole 'rescue' plans for the Scottish banks put in place by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his fellow Scot, Chancellor Alistair Darling.

But I couldn't put my finger on it until yesterday, when Bill Jamieson at The Scotsman wrote this piece  which sent me Twittering away on my iPhone.

It was his pay off line, understated yet elegant, that let the penny drop:

"This may be seen as a rescue now. As time passes, we will view it as a financial Culloden"

Today his paper picks up the thread, bares it's new found teeth, and bites back for the institutions that are about to be sold down the river for what appears to be shameless political gain.

The Ties Have It

Did anyone else notice the common theme running through the UK Government's response to the credit crunch this week?

Purple ties.

Everywhere you looked, purple ties. From the Chancellor Alistair Darling to PM Gordon Brown and anyone else who was willing to put their face in front of camera.

A quick flick back through some picture from Budget Day reveals the same thing. More purple ties.

So why?

Thanks to ezinearticles.com, we have this explanation of what message the wearer is sending:

• Purple (Mauve). I am the teacher. You will listen to what I have to say. I know what you need to know and will impart that information to you.

So there you have it.

Purple ties. The colour of choice in a financial crisis coming to a TV screen near you.

Obama Girl Making the News

We all know politics is a serious business.

Reaction to Senator Joe Biden being named VP running mate by presidential candidate Barack Obama this weekend clearly indicates that.

The race for the White House continues to grip the US and the world.

But it has also given birth to what has been termed a "blog celebrity" as Fox 7 explains in this report:

For the most part, the stunt was almost certainly started as a bit of light hearted fun.