Media Commentary

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The story behind the story is often far more interesting than the story.

It shouldn’t be, but understanding the behind-the-scenes media scramble for the truth can be fascinating.

Off the record briefings, huddles in corners, doorsteps, press conferences, even scraps between rival journalists.

We’ve had stunts, journalists dressed as chickens, in a variety of fancy dress costumes and props.

There is also the serious business of being able to communicate how major stories, particularly breaking stories, are likely to develop.

Onside PR founder James Fletcher is able to use his knowledge and experience to provide expert media commentary on both news, sport, the media industry and provide in-depth analyse of coverage.

Sometimes the actual story is hidden in plain sight.

Key messaging and the things that aren’t said can be more important than the story you think you are reading or hearing.

Where does this story fit as part of the bigger picture, the movement or agenda?

Explaining away staged photographs, planted quotes, inside sources and unnamed friends.

As a poacher turned gamekeeper Onside PR founder James Fletcher is ideally placed to comment on the stories behind the stories.

From newspaper reviews to TV and radio debate, we can explain the unexplainable and provide an unrivalled insight to the news making process, the stories behind the headlines.

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Onside PR founder James Fletcher has the inside track on British sport.

Having covered Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Everton and the England national team for more than a decade, he understands the game better than most – especially with regard to the media.

Fletcher’s contacts include players, managers, club officials and sponsors as well, of course, the national newspaper journalists covering the clubs on a daily basis.

He remains a proud member of the Football Writers Association and is regularly invited to attend social events, including the FWA Golf Day and takes part in the annual poll to determine the winner of the prestigious Footballer of the Year Award.

This inside knowledge and understanding of the media mean Fletcher is ideally placed to analysis sporting headlines, discuss the stories in the news and commentary on the impact certain stories will have on television, radio or podcast.

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It was probably Fleet Street’s final hurrah – and Onside PR had a front-row seat at the party.

Most recognised that things were about to change, things were changing. And not for the better.

But the emergence of the internet, rolling ‘live’ tv channels and then smartphones and tablets signalled the game was up for newspapers.

This was the 1990s, it was the last great era for what was left of Fleet Street – though even then the newspapers were based at Canary Wharf, not the most famous street in newspaper history.

Onside PR founder James Fletcher, aged just 21, walked into The Daily Mirror newsroom just in time. A newsroom full of genuine newspaper legends; James Whitaker and Harry Arnold, Matthew Wright and Richard Wallace, the irrepressible Don Mackay, crime reporting don Jeff Edwards and so-on and so-on led by Editor Piers Morgan.

The newsroom that was packed, the features team brimming with staff, ideas for stories, stunts were constantly cooked up. It was a time for Fletcher of dressing as a chicken for the 1997 general election, of news reporters like Justin Dunn tricking Number 10 security into a job, of kiss-and-tells, doorsteps, buy-ups and continual clashes with opposing journalists.

Ah….the good old days.

Of course, it was also the last era where genuine world exclusives, major stories, were first broken by newspapers. When the race to land the big story was a fair fight and time restrictions were in place for everyone.

Onside PR can provide behind the scenes commentary on major stories, issues of the 1990s, the Brit Pop era, the Tony Blair led Labour landslide and the tragic death and subsequent funeral of Princess Diana.

We are also ideally placed to comment on the phone-hacking scandal that later followed. James Fletcher was a victim of the News of the World phone-hacking – even though he was working for the newspaper at the time and required to give evidence to the phone-hacking trial.

Allow Onside PR to take you into this never-to-be-forgotten era with commentary on the issues of the day and the stories behind the headlines.

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Media Commentary