The Birmingham Post’s new site

The Birmingham Post has relaunched its website on the day it also marks its 150th birthday with a grand gala reception.
Using what has become a familiar template for the TrinityMirror regional newspapers, the Post has managed to stamp its own identity on the site.
There is plenty to see on the front page, but it doesn’t feel [...]

Birmingham’s big ideas to create a big future as a big city

A big city needs big ideas and a big plan to take it forward to a big future.
Has Birmingham council’s glorious leader, Mike Whitby, pulled it off?
Judgement will have to be reserved but first impressions are, well, OK, I suppose.
That is part of the problem of the Big City Plan unveiled by Councillor Whitby to [...]

Adventures of the “Seaside Five”

Perhaps I should file this one under Tales of Modern Life…?
Two police officers have been forced to resign after they took patrol cars on trips to the seaside whilst still on duty.
The pair and three others were nicknamed the “Seaside Five” by colleagues as their jaunts to Porthcawl and Barry Island became common knowledge. They [...]

Professionalism vs Patriotism

Did you hear the one about the Welsh, Scottish and Irish rugby players?
You probably didn’t if you tuned in to watch the BBC’s coverage of the third round of Six Nations matches.
A perceived English bias throughout the day-long coverage has riled some supporters and prompted at least one MP to complain to the BBC.
With all three [...]

Big ball of frustration

I’ve been a bit tetchy lately.
My usual laidback, calmness personified state of being has not always been in evidence as I’ve grappled with what I can only describe as “Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh!”
I don’t think I’ve been as bad as the angry folk the acerbic Charlie Brooker identifies, but it is safe to say that frustration has loomed large on [...]

Feeling the love in the Six Nations

Wales 47 - Italy 8
Ireland 34 - Scotland 13
France 13 - England 24
It was a super Saturday for the third round of the 2008 Six Nations with all three matches sandwiched between 3pm and 8pm.
The prospects for a day of tries, tries and yet more tries looked good as Wales put a stuttering first half performance [...]

Add Gazza to a lengthening list

The pressures on Paul Gascoigne have been mounting since he first started to cause excitement on a football pitch and arguably they increased still further when he was simply unable to carry on playing the game he loves.
The decision to section Gazza under the Mental Health Act will, hopefully, see him finally get the professional support [...]

Chinese take-away for SpongeBob SquarePants

China is gearing up to welcome the world to this year’s Olympic Games by clamping down on foreign culture.
After introducing restrictions on foreign-made productions in 2006, even stricter rules come into force on May 1 that will see the likes of SpongeBob SquarePants, Mickey Mouse and Pokemon banned on all cartoon and children’s channels during [...]

Media fuelling teenage suicides

News of the 17th suspected suicide in South Wales has been quickly followed by a plea for the media to adopt a more measured approach to the story.
Both the Assistant Chief Constable of South Wales Police, Dave Morris, and the parents of one of the teenagers who took his own life believe the glare of the [...]

The BBC’s muddled view of cyberbullying

Another day, another discussion item on BBC Breakfast that failed to deliver what the introduction promised and largely missed a very important point.
The item under discussion this time was cyberbullying.
The BBC decided to base the discussion around the furore that was generated by The Guardian’s ill-advised decision to carry a somewhat superficial travel blog by the 19-year-old son of [...]