The Scoop! meme

Following on from the 'four things' tag meme I have been thinking a bit more about how messages travel, and an idea I had which suggested people need two types of information (yes, I know it is worryingly reminiscent of Donald Rumsfield):

• Stuff you are aware of but need to know more about...
• Stuff you don’t know about but would want to know more about if you did...

The challenge for PR falls often surrounds the latter category, which I characterise it as the "Amazon problem." I buy a lot of books from Amazon because it is cheap and they have an enormous stock; the drawback is that I don't often chance upon a title I didn't know about - The Page You Made and "Other people who shopped for..." recommendations are sometimes helpful but it is nothing like as rewarding as going to a bookshop and browsing.

I think my other blog - Scoop! - falls into the second category. Plenty of people read Mediations(thanks!), but I presume most of you either work in or study PR. They are apparently not greatly interested in Journalists in Fiction and there is not much cross traffic.

But I do think someone somewhere would be interested - but how do they find it? More particularly, how do they know to look for it? I could launch a PR (media relations) campaign btu I don't want to!

What I am going to do is tag three people and ask them to mention Scoop! on their own blog, name a PR practitioner or journalist who appears in fiction, add a comment to this post on Scoop! with the name of the character, the name of the book, and if they want, why they made their choice, AND tag three other people to carry on the meme. To make it harder, I want the characters limited to those who appear in UK/European fiction....

Over to you, Serge No Copy Cornelus, Stuart PR Guru Bruce and Stephen PR Blogger Davies...       

Comments

[Serge Cornelus]

Okay, Philip. I'll pick up the gauntlet. Actually, I have already found a book which should suit your description. I had to think hard and deep and browse through my own "library", but I managed to come up with a book I enjoyed many years ago: De komst van Joachim Stiller/The coming of Joachim Stiller by Hubert Lampo ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805734163/103-9039854-5319811?v=glance&n=283155 ). A Belgian author, of course. It tells the story of journalist Freek Groenevelt who, one day, receives a letter dating from 1919, in which events that he witnessed one day before, are predicted. The editor of the magazine Feek writes for, also receives a letter in which is mentioned that Freek has an important mission ahead. The letter was sent by Joachim Stiller, of whom Freek discovers he's the author of a 16th-century novel about the end of times. I'll spare you the rest of the story. Actually, I'd even urge you to read it, some time. I don't know if the English translation is any good, but Lampo (°1920), who belongs to the literary movement of magic realism (quite a big influence of Carl Jung's archetypes), knows how to create a strange atmosphere and make you curious about how the strange events in the book end. Now... let me think who to tag. Check my blog and find out!

[Stuart Bruce - BMA PR]

Done and dusted, but the UK/European thing makes it quite hard. I can see that Stephen Davies has already ignored it.

[Serge Cornelus]

And that for a student of Philip's. I'd say he's putting his graduation on the line here... ;-D

[Philip Young]

I had noticed! Can you imagine being a client of Bruce Davies PR?

Excuse me, bu can you devise a PR strategy to help launch product X in Europe?

Mr Bruce suggests they run a North American campaign (because it would be easier!); Mr Davies suggests they ignore product X altogether and launch Product Y instead.

Then advertising genius M Cornelus steps in to suggest a book that Amazon might just be able to track down - for £35!!! Brilliant idea - but way over budget...

[Serge Cornelus]

If you want quality, you've got to be willing to pay the price... :-)

[Philip Young]

Actually, I was thinking of learning Flemish just so I could read Stiller.

[Andrea Weckerle]

Philip,

Before I get into trouble a la Steven Davies, I just want you to know that Serge asked me to participate in the Scoop endeavor. Unfortunately I haven’t done so yet, but Serge’s printed post is sitting on my desk staring at me (maybe it’s the sinister look of his picture that’s frightening me), making me feel more and more guilty. I *will* get to it, I promise.

By the way, I’m completely envious that you and the others got to meet up in Palo Alto. Next year I’m definitely going, so this year’s attendees better not bail out.

[Jack Yan]

Here goes: how about Will Farnaby in Aldous Huxley’s Island (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0060085495/lucireA/ )? Still on my to-read list, but I admire Huxley a great deal, particularly his ability to take a punt on the future. From what I know of Island, Huxley gives his views on consumerism, globalization, militarism, corruption and spin—and that they remain eeriely relevant today.

[Lee Hopkins]

Well, perhaps not a *true* journalist as a trade, but Ford Prefect qualifies for me.

Here's why: http://leehopkins.net/2006/03/27/scoop-2/

Lee :-)