Trevor Cook on public relations, social media and politics

Monthly Archives: May 2009

Daily Telegraph squeezes the lemon on MP expenses

May 20, 2009 – 6:20 am

The British MP expense scandal keeps getting better and better for the media. An easy story to explain, lots of gotcha headlines, resignations, sackings, embarrassment all round and an outraged populace. 
When the British get their act together their reformed system will end up looking like the system that applies to our federal MPs.
But this is [...]

By Trevor Cook | Posted in Federal politics, Media, Politics | Tagged , | Comments (1)

Ken Henry’s communication problem

May 20, 2009 – 6:08 am

Treasury boss says he’s got one. If he does he might want to reflect that arrogance and an extreme sensitivity to criticism are never the foundation for great two-way communication:
STEPHEN LONG: For eight years now Ken Henry’s given the post-Budget speech to economists as the head of Treasury and in that time, few Federal Budgets [...]

By Trevor Cook | Posted in Business & economics, Media, Public Relations | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Four Corners betrays source, starts witch hunt

May 20, 2009 – 5:46 am

What on earth did the ABC program hope to gain from this announcement:
THE ABC television program Four Corners revealed last night that a former Cronulla teammate was the source of a story about a group-sex incident involving players in 2002.
The program took the extraordinary step of releasing a statement about its source, which said: “Two months ago, [...]

By Trevor Cook | Posted in Media | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

How to pitch bloggers – PR gives social marketing advice

May 18, 2009 – 7:51 pm
By Trevor Cook | Posted in Advertising & marketing, Business & economics, Public Relations, Social Media | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

The myth of an independent Treasury

May 16, 2009 – 3:18 pm

The claim that Treasury is an institution independent of government fundamentally misconstrues the relationship between the federal government and the Commonwealth public service.  While it is not surprising to see politicians fail Economics 101, it is more surprising to see them also failing Political Science 101. The government now routinely hides behind Treasury and RBA [...]

By Trevor Cook | Posted in Business & economics, Federal politics, Politics | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Profile in courage: Carmel Tebbutt

May 16, 2009 – 3:13 pm

From the Daily Telegraph:
Ms Tebbutt was also reported to have said she would take on the role (as Premier) only if Labor by that stage had turned its fortunes around in the polls and was in a position of being able to win a 2011 election.
Why would the ALP need a new Premier if it [...]

By Trevor Cook | Posted in NSW politics | Tagged | Comments (0)

“Cop you later”

May 16, 2009 – 12:42 pm

Signing off from last night’s rugby league match, the ABC radio announcer said a cheery ‘cop you later’. After the last week of ‘controversy’ he might what to rethink this salutation.

By Trevor Cook | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Turnbull is right not to do a Hewson

May 15, 2009 – 11:03 am

From Lenore Taylor: “the Prime Minister would rather make veiled threats about double-dissolution elections, or demand to know the Coalition’s economic plans – even though no opposition leader in history (except the hapless John Hewson) has presented comprehensive and fully costed policies until shortly before a poll.”
Yet many pundits (like Mike Carlton on 2GB) seem [...]

By Trevor Cook | Posted in Federal politics | Tagged | Comments (0)

You can’t expect men to …

May 14, 2009 – 8:49 pm

Here’s a great take on the Matthew Johns saga:
Men are capable of reasoning and judgement, and indeed are expected to exercise it at all times in our society.  We’re not primal, ungovernable, raging beasts.  Nobody ever says “you can’t expect men to drive competently when they’re so aggressive”; “you can’t expect men not to swear [...]

By Trevor Cook | Posted in Social issues | Comments (0)

Turnbull calls Rudd’s election bluff

May 14, 2009 – 8:30 pm

Turnbull did his job tonight. Rudd now has a choice. He can accept Turnbull’s proposal to raise tobacco excise instead of means testing private health insurance or he can hold an election this year. Rudd can’t afford to let Turnbull get the better of him in Parliament, so he will have to call the election [...]

By Trevor Cook | Posted in Federal politics | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)