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Blunt journalism
What could be better than the Metro free newspapers (only not the British ones which aren't part of the same group, the one that the Daily Mail just stole the idea and the name from)?
How about a largely news-free product edited by James Blunt?
Yes, people looking for something to do on their commute, and who have forgotten how to fantasise, will be able to pick up a free newspaper with even less journalistic input than usual, on November 17th.
Of course, with Blunt in charge, Metro International is going to have to ratchet up its usual oversight of the production process. Don't worry, though - they've got a plan:
Blunt will be guest editing from the Metro office in Rome and a website will launch today giving readers the chance to win a trip to Italy to "act as James' deputy" while he is guest editing.
That's perfect - some lucky winner is going to see what it's really like to be in a newspaper office when someone who doesn't know how to edit newspapers is in charge. This could be a promotion to rival the Bridlington Cake & Bugle's 'Win a helicopter ride with someone who doesn't know how to fly a helicopter' competition.
Why has James been "invited" to do this, you might be wondering. Actually, it's just to push his new record:
Warner Music's deal coincides with the release of Blunt's new single Love, Love, Love, which comes out on November 10, and the launch of a deluxe edition of album All the Lost Souls on November 24.
The Metro website homepage will host the new music video by Blunt, as well as exclusive additional material including behind the scenes footage of the artist at work.
So it's effectively a big advertisement.
Metro, of course, doesn't want to admit that, and so stresses the value for its wide readership:
[Editor-in-chief] Pitkanen said that Blunt's "diverse background" made him appealing to Metro readers.
Funny, because you might have thought that Blunt's posh army parents and public school upbringing, entry into the army, guarding the Queen Mother's coffin and military-related ski-ing trips gave him something less than a diverse background, but I suppose he's the only posh bloke ever to have attempted to sell his new single by editing a freesheet.
5 comments:
I'm unsure which one I'd rather read: the bigoted, populist xenophobia of the UK one or the whiny shite of James Blunt.
I think I'll just slam my head in a door and avoid both.
I absolutely hate the freesheets - not just because they've chewed a big hole in the circulation of proper newspspers like the one what I write for but also (indeed mainly) because the tube trains are ankle deep in old Metros, London Lites and assorted other crap that people have chucked on the floor because they've now developed theidea that any flat surface on public transport is now a bin.
I'm not sure which will happen first - the end of journalism, a major freesheet-based fire on London Underground or a city-wide kill spree when I finally crack after lifting my millionth London Paper from a tube seat so I can sit down
"This could be a promotion to rival the Bridlington Cake & Bugle's 'Win a helicopter ride with someone who doesn't know how to fly a helicopter' competition."
I'll never forget that sham of a 'competition'. My drawing was loads better than Sarah Greene's.
To be fair to Blunt, I think he'd probably do equally as good a job as editor as someone who uses the word "diverse" to describe one person.
...for the record though, not all London freesheets are in awe of JB...
http://thelondonpaper.typepad.com/thelondonblog/2008/10/review-james-bl.html
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