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Today's Zaman, Turkey
May 10 2008
Brussels reporters fed up with Armenian lobby
Brussels reporters aren't happy with the volume of e-mails, press
releases and newsletters sent to them by Armenian lobbyists, a poll
has revealed.
In an online survey conducted by global communication consultancy APCO
Worldwide in cooperation with API and Journalists@YOURSERVICE,
Brussels reporters were asked to pick the worst public relations pitch
of the last year. Activities of Armenian lobbyists were voted the
sixth-worst. Reporters complained of too many e-mails from Armenian
associations, spamming inboxes. The number-one in the worst 10 is a
`commercially oriented but disguised-as-politics briefing approach.'
The second-worst was `GMO crops are good for the environment and help
to beat hunger in the world.' In the top 10 on the best practices
list, reporters most admired the new EU broadband statistics, setting
up 27 short separate national interviews with each country's
press. The second in the top 10 is Manchester United's 50th
anniversary match for the EU.
Media corps wants Juncker as president
Asked who they would vote into the EU presidency if given the chance
-- a hotly debated topic these days -- the Brussels press corps made
it clear they were rooting for Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean Claude
Juncker. Juncker received 35 percent of press members' votes, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel garnered 21 percent and Tony Blair, 18
percent. Some argue that Juncker, the long-time prime minister of one
of the smallest EU members, will never be taken seriously in
negotiations with countries like Russia, the US or China. As for Tony
Blair, his chances are getting slimmer, as French President Nicholas
Sarkozy has withdrawn his support for the former British prime
minister. According to the Lisbon Treaty, the EU should elect the
first EU president in December at the latest, as she or he must begin
in their post on Jan. 1, 2009. The first-ever president of the club
will be elected by the leaders of the 27 members with a qualified
majority.
At a time when Barroso has been roundly criticized by a segment of the
Turkish press for demanding `democratic secularism,' the majority of
Brussels reporters believe European Commission President José
Manuel Barroso is doing a good job. Fifty-six percent say Barroso is a
good president while 28 percent disagree. However Brussels reporters
do not want to see him as the first EU president.
The most-read paper by Brussels correspondents is The Financial Times;
46 percent of them read it, while 33 percent read the Euobserver, an
online EU daily.
The survey was sent to 1,614 journalists in Brussels and elsewhere who
cover European affairs. Of these, 121 responded, corresponding to
roughly 10 percent of the Brussels press corps.
10.05.2008
SELÃ?UK GÃ`LTAÅ?LI BRUSSELS
May 10 2008
Brussels reporters fed up with Armenian lobby
Brussels reporters aren't happy with the volume of e-mails, press
releases and newsletters sent to them by Armenian lobbyists, a poll
has revealed.
In an online survey conducted by global communication consultancy APCO
Worldwide in cooperation with API and Journalists@YOURSERVICE,
Brussels reporters were asked to pick the worst public relations pitch
of the last year. Activities of Armenian lobbyists were voted the
sixth-worst. Reporters complained of too many e-mails from Armenian
associations, spamming inboxes. The number-one in the worst 10 is a
`commercially oriented but disguised-as-politics briefing approach.'
The second-worst was `GMO crops are good for the environment and help
to beat hunger in the world.' In the top 10 on the best practices
list, reporters most admired the new EU broadband statistics, setting
up 27 short separate national interviews with each country's
press. The second in the top 10 is Manchester United's 50th
anniversary match for the EU.
Media corps wants Juncker as president
Asked who they would vote into the EU presidency if given the chance
-- a hotly debated topic these days -- the Brussels press corps made
it clear they were rooting for Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean Claude
Juncker. Juncker received 35 percent of press members' votes, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel garnered 21 percent and Tony Blair, 18
percent. Some argue that Juncker, the long-time prime minister of one
of the smallest EU members, will never be taken seriously in
negotiations with countries like Russia, the US or China. As for Tony
Blair, his chances are getting slimmer, as French President Nicholas
Sarkozy has withdrawn his support for the former British prime
minister. According to the Lisbon Treaty, the EU should elect the
first EU president in December at the latest, as she or he must begin
in their post on Jan. 1, 2009. The first-ever president of the club
will be elected by the leaders of the 27 members with a qualified
majority.
At a time when Barroso has been roundly criticized by a segment of the
Turkish press for demanding `democratic secularism,' the majority of
Brussels reporters believe European Commission President José
Manuel Barroso is doing a good job. Fifty-six percent say Barroso is a
good president while 28 percent disagree. However Brussels reporters
do not want to see him as the first EU president.
The most-read paper by Brussels correspondents is The Financial Times;
46 percent of them read it, while 33 percent read the Euobserver, an
online EU daily.
The survey was sent to 1,614 journalists in Brussels and elsewhere who
cover European affairs. Of these, 121 responded, corresponding to
roughly 10 percent of the Brussels press corps.
10.05.2008
SELÃ?UK GÃ`LTAÅ?LI BRUSSELS