The PR industry's part in professor Tim Hunt's downfall
Health warning 21st July, 2015: I made two errors in this piece that were pointed out by the author (Louise
Is the EU a threat to democracy or its guardian?
On the panel will be Luzi Stamm, Martin Naef, Charlotte Sieber-Gasser and Bruno Waterfield, chairing the event will be David Bowden.
Marshall McLuhan: A media guru reconsidered
Regardless that Marshall McLuhan's name is no longer household fare (unlike, say, Warhol's), his influence remains as significant among cyber-nerds as it was among beatniks. In fact his thinking is arguably more significant today.
Cicero and the limits to spin and rhetoric
Cicero's life demonstrates that what really determines historical outcomes – and always has done – is not merely the power of persuasion, by either spin or the truth well told. No, what matters most - along with luck and circumstance - is the balance of power and how different forces are aligned.
How to defend PR credibly
I know I’m late getting to this story (it’s thanks to a recent Twitter exchange with @josifmck, @prconversations,
Announcing the Zurich Salon
I am pleased to announce the launch of the Zurich Salon. It advocates freedom of expression and rational discussion in
The suspect ethics of ethical watchdogs
When a leading global provider of research on corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) positions ethical banking as a feel
Are modern PR thinkers spinning Isocrates' legacy? (revised Dec 2013)
Why are some PR professors trying to turn Isocrates into a role model for modern communicators? Isocrates was an enemy of radical Athenian democracy. He believed in a predetermined social order. He shared Plato's prejudices, but very few of his strengths. Except on the virtues of liberal education.
Co-op: the real fraud is ‘ethical banking’
The Co-op Bank's claim to be more ethical than its rivals was always fraudulent. Its fallen Chairman Reverend Flowers fitted the woke call for firms to appoint role models whose credentials were that their morals were stamped on their dog collars, skin colour, NGO or party membership cards.
Homer and the origins of public relations
This essay reviews the transformative moment in history when public opinion emerged as the dominant force in society. It examines why kings, aristocrats and tribal tradition began to lose their exclusive claim on power and how citizens obtained a greater stake in society's management.
Update on my activities...
Recently I spoke at the Battle of Ideas festival in London about whether lobbying is a dirty business. On the
Pitt's reign of terror and today's Lobby Bill
In 1795, in response to public support for the "friends of peace" campaign, which opposed Britain's wars against French and Irish republicans, prime minister William Pitt launched what became known at the time as a reign of terror.
