Fishburn Hedges

07.10.2011

There are two things that will get me out of bed in the morning before 6am, one is natural disaster, the other is the Welsh rugby team.  Tomorrow morning I will be getting out of bed at 5.45am for the latter.

It is not just my patriotism (or even the men in shorts) that accounts for the early start, instead it is the fear that somehow I will find out the result as soon as they finish playing, whether or not I watch the match live. 

This idea of the media at your fingertips whenever you want it isn’t quite true, because even if you don't want it, you’ll probably still get it.  Working in PR I admit/hope I consume more media than the average Jo Bloggs, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for even the most disinterested person to avoid the latest news.

Social media has bridged the gap between the mainstream media and our personal lives allowing both to connect through the most personal gadgets and networks that we use in everyday life.  Twitter is arguably the keystone in this bridge where friends, journalists, politicians and D-List celebrities are all given an equal voice.  In such a space as this it is hard to compartmentalise the media as the lines between traditional news and ‘gossip’ become blurred. 

Twitter is the digital equivalent of a blabbermouth, the person you would never confide in but still chat to for the latest scandals – constantly the first to ruin a surprise or tell a secret (isn’t that right Ryan?).  One example was my Public Affairs colleagues yesterday watching the rumours of the Shadow Cabinet resignations unfold on Twitter. I would argue their excitement was not wholly born out of an interest in the future policies of the Labour Party but also a good old love of gossip - it was their Heat magazine. 

Whilst, in almost every situation this transparency and speed in the media should be commended, when it comes to ruining the rugby score, it is just annoying.

So this is a plea to the digital planners for the Rugby World Cup, rather than spending your millions on Lawrence Dallagio looking awkward in front of a ridiculous giant touch screen or a mobile app that automatically updates my iPhone calendar with fixtures, I would prefer a protective app – one that shields me from any leaks of the result across all social media and one that allows me a few more hours in bed.  In the meantime I guess I’ll be singing Calon Lan in my pyjamas tomorrow morning.

Posted by Rose Beynon