Monday, October 31, 2011

How Facebook Made The Mighty Macs the Highest Grossing Film



With over 800 million users, the world's largest social network is making it easy for film advertisers to target the perfect consumer with the perfect message to get them to show up at the box office.



WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the filmmakers of The Mighty Macs, last weekend's highest grossing limited release film, Facebook put a new spin on film marketing by offering advertisers the ability to target consumers based on their 'Favorites.' The strategy is simple: target an audience based on the 'Favorite films' posted on their Facebook page, then deliver a compelling message that informs them that there is a new film that is just like their favorite movie.

"If you know what a Facebook user's favorite films have been in the past, you can predict what their favorite films will be in the future," said Sean Wolfington, owner of Tier10Marketing.com, the marketing company that worked with Facebook executives to conduct a laser targeted campaign that helped catapult the new inspirational sports film, The Mighty Macs, into the #1 top-grossing limited release film the weekend it opened in theaters. "Most films are marketed through giant TV campaigns. Because this movie didn't have the budget, we created a 'Targeted TV' campaign that reached consumers who have the highest statistical probability of showing up at the theater for this type of inspirational sports film with a message they cannot deny."

Here is how it worked - Facebook users who covet inspirational sports films based on true stories, like the ever-popular movies Rudy and Hoosiers, and have posted these movies as "Favorites" on their Facebook page, are the target audience. After determining these targets, marketers can filter them based on demographics. "The Mighty Macs began as a limited release in less than 1,000 theaters, so we targeted Facebook users who live within driving distance of the theaters that are showing our film," said Wolfington.

After identifying the target audience, the filmmakers produced a video to send to the consumers to motivate them to come to the box office on opening weekend. As fate would dictate, Rudy Ruettiger, the real-life "Rudy" who inspired the film about his life, saw and loved The Mighty Macs, and volunteered to promote it, saying, "The Mighty Macs is the Rudy of this generation."

The filmmakers utilized an interview with Ruettiger, in which Rudy praised the film, saying, "If you liked Hoosiers and Rudy, you will love The Mighty Macs." With Ruettiger's permission, the short video clip was distributed by Facebook to Facebook users who had chosen Rudy as one of their favorite movies. In short, consumers who love Rudy, received a video from Ruettiger encouraging them to go see The Mighty Macs, and to "Share" the clip with their Facebook friends. With the average Facebook user having 180 friends, the viral power of a user clicking "Like-Share-Comment," now more than ever, creates the potential for videos to spiral into global Internet sensations.

With Facebook enabling Ruettiger to tell Rudy lovers who live close to hosting theaters to go see The Mighty Macs, the strategy lends for the most targeted film marketing campaign in history. What is also unique is the filmmakers only pay when users click on the video initially, and not for impressions of the video or when users share with friends.

"We call this strategy 'Targeted TV' because it gives us all the upside of TV, with its powerful combination of sight, sound and motion, with the ability to deliver the right message to the right consumer. In this case it's the consumer who loves inspiring sports films, particularly, Rudy. It's a perfect campaign because people who love the real-life Rudy want to listen to what Rudy loves, especially films that inspire him," said Tim Chambers, the writer, director and producer of The Mighty Macs.

"We call the second half of the campaign, 'Social TV' because users who "Like" the Ruettiger video can share it with all of their friends and then the whole process repeats itself indefinitely," added Wolfington. "When 'Targeted TV' becomes 'Viral TV' with the click of a button, it is a very effective way to attract customers who have the highest statistical probability of going to see The Mighty Macs."

"Traditional TV can't target to that level of detail today and consumers can't 'Like' and 'Share' commercials the way they can with videos online," Wolfington emphasizes. "This is the future of marketing. It's amazing!"

About The Mighty Macs: The Mighty Macs is based on the incredible true story of the 1971-72 Immaculata College team that started in obscurity but became the original Cinderella story in women's basketball when a national champion will be crowned for the first time in women's basketball. This newly founded team of pioneers went from barely making that inaugural tournament to the first dynasty in their game. And Cathy Rush, the woman that changed the game for the better, became immortalized when she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year. The Mighty Macs stars Carla Gugino as Cathy Rush; David Boreanaz as her husband, NBA referee Ed Rush; Marley Shelton as Sister Sunday; and Academy Award and Tony Award winner Ellen Burstyn as Mother St. John. The Mighty Macs opened in theaters on October 21st and was released in 1,000 theaters through Sony Pictures. Tim Chambers wrote, produced and directed, with executive producers Vince Curran, John Chambers, Thomas Carl, Bud S. Smith, Pat Croce and Sean Wolfington, who also owns Tier10Marketing.com, the company that architected this new social media marketing strategy for films.

To see the video of Ruettiger praising The Mighty Macs, please visit the following link: http://vimeo.com/30606493

Other related links are listed below:

Film Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_VXhJCetwc
Film Website: http://www.themightymacs.com
Film Press Release: http://www.themightymacs.com/pressroom/pressmaterials
Marketing Company: http://www.tier10marketing.com

SOURCE Tier 10 Marketing

RELATED LINKS
http://www.tier10marketing.com





Photo of the Day: The 7 billionth Person in the World


Baby 7 Billion: A milestone for girls' survival rights. (PRNewsFoto/Plan International)

31 Oct 2011 19:25 Africa/Lagos


Baby 7 Billion: A Milestone for Girls' Survival Rights

PR Newswire

LUCKNOW, India, Oct. 31, 2011

LUCKNOW, India, Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Child rights organisation Plan India today celebrated the birth of a girl in Uttar Pradesh as the world's symbolic 7 billionth person. The organisation described ‘Baby 7 Billion' as a milestone for comprehensive action for survival rights of girls.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111031/DC96700)

In an event held outside Lucknow, the capital of India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, the newborn girl was given a birth certificate by the local administration.

#Baby7Billion girl was born at 7.20 am India time to Vinita (23) and Ajay (25) at a community health centre in Mall near Lucknow in India's state of Uttar Pradesh. She has been named "Nargis" - a beautiful flower. Nargis was born a healthy baby and weighed nearly 3 kgs (6lbs 60z).

Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India said: "By celebrating the birth of a girl as Baby 7 Billion we are drawing attention to the serious issue of India's declining child sex ratio."

Hundreds of thousands of female foetuses are being terminated in India every year even though sex-selective abortions and use of ultrasound technology for foetal gender-determination is illegal in the country.

According to India's 2011 Census, the ratio of girls to boys has dropped to an all time low since records began. Today, there are just 914 girls for every 1,000 boys between 0 and 6 years.

Plan India has launched the Let Girls Be Born campaign in six Indian states to galvanise action to address the issue of female foeticide.

"Plan has been working in India for the last three decades and the survival, protection and development rights of girls have been a key focus of our community development work. With ‘Let Girls be Born' we are raising awareness and advocating for the fundamental survival rights of girls," added Bhagyashri Dengle .

In Uttar Pradesh, Plan's partner Vatsalya is working with communities and making them understand the social consequences of widening gender gap. Plan chose Uttar Pradesh to mark the birth of Baby 7 Billion as the state accounts not only for the highest number of births but also the highest number of ‘missing girls'. With a population bigger than that of Brazil, it has just 899 girls for every 1,000 boys. The situation is similar in other states such as Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the country's capital, Delhi.

As part of Plan's initiative, Baby 7 Billion, along with other six newborn girls from the same community, will be sponsored by several eminent women from India. They will support the sponsored girls for the next seven years – the key period for survival and childhood development – and serve as ambassadors for girls' survival rights. The organisation will report back on the development of Baby7 Billion girls at regular intervals.

Arti Kirloskar , Secretary, Plan India Board is spearheading this initiative and the other eminent personalities joining her are: Abha Narain Lambah, Conservation architect; Anoushka Shankar, Sitarist; Mallika Sarabhai, dancer and choreographer; and Sunita Narain , environmental activist.

Kirloskar said: "Through this small initiative we want to demonstrate that through concerted efforts we can bring in a lasting change in the lives of millions of girls. Allowing girls to be born and giving them equal chances in life is critical and it does not cost much to ensure a quality life."

For more information, please visit www.Plan-International.org.

SOURCE Plan International

CONTACT: CONTACT: Meg Cangany of Plan International USA, +1-202-223-8325 x 139, meg.cangany@planusa.org



The Top 5 Scariest Things About Life Insurance



31 Oct 2011 10:30 Africa/Lagos


The Top 5 Scariest Things About Life Insurance

From renewal problems involving term life to the potential for losing your shirt with a bad variable universal life insurance investment, Life Quotes, Inc. emphasizes the importance of understanding your life insurance policy.

PR Newswire

DARIEN, Ill., Oct. 31, 2011

DARIEN, Ill., Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Quotes, Inc. has compiled a list of the top 5 scariest things about life insurance, calling attention to the importance of going over your life insurance policy with a trusted insurance agent no less than once a year to make sure that the policy you own is keeping up with the changes in your life. If you should die, the only way to truly protect your loved ones from financial peril is with life insurance. But before you sign the dotted line, or pay another renewal bill, make sure you have a thorough understanding of how your policy works.

The following is a short list of some of the most frightening and often overlooked features of a life insurance policy:

TERM LIFE (TL)
Term life insurance doesn't age gracefully

Term life may be the least expensive life insurance policy you can purchase, but it is only in-force for a designated term, typically 10, 15, 20 or 25 years. And if you have to renew a term life policy under the guaranteed renewal clause—look out! The cost of built-in, no-exam renewal feature can often be five or ten times the cost of the premium you have been paying. And then, most renew on an annual basis in which the premiums rapidly escalate even further into the stratosphere each year thereafter. To avoid this problem, consider buying a longer initial rate guarantee at the outset. Many companies now offer 30-year term, level term to age 65 and even level term for life, in which you'd never be subject to a price increase.

WHOLE LIFE (WL)
Creeping death of your cash value

"If you are only looking at immediate, short-term goals, you don't want to invest in a whole life insurance policy because the surrender charges in the early years would dramatically reduce the cash value and you may find that you paid far more for the policy in premiums than what it's worth," said Michelle Matlock, editor of Life Quotes, Inc.

Consider buying whole life only if you want coverage for the very long haul and have no intentions of canceling in the early years.

VARIABLE (VL), UNIVERSAL (UL), and VARIABLE UNIVERSAL LIFE (VUL)
These policies assume investment risks that can murder your overall value

If you are being pitched on a variable or universal life insurance policy that is being sold as "self-sustaining," watch out because long-term, non-guaranteed projections with life insurance can be very misleading. Not only might it take 10 or more years to build up enough cash value to cover future premiums, but also inherent in those projections is an assumed interest rate that can be wildly off over a long period of time. When interest rates are projected to be high, the cash value grows at an alluring, faster rate, but when interest rates are low, cash values grow very slowly. To avoid trouble, always ask the selling agent to show you and explain the "guaranteed" values columns in the illustration, as they will show a true, worst-case scenario.

A variable universal life insurance policy is far more risky. The policy is dependent on how well the investments tied to the cash value perform in the stock market. If the stock market goes south along with your investments, this will greatly impact your cash value and the security of your death benefit. There are several upfront charges on a VUL that make it very pricey coming out of the gate. In addition to this, these policies can have astronomically high surrender charges if you decide to partially or fully surrender the policy in the first 10 years.

For a full list of "Top 5 Scariest Things About Life Insurance" go to http://www.lifequotes.com/articles/lifeinsurance/the-top-5-scariest-things-about-life-insurance/

About Life Quotes, Inc.

Originally founded in 1984, Life Quotes, Inc. owns and operates a comprehensive consumer information service and companion insurance brokerage service that caters to the needs of self-directed insurance shoppers. Visitors to the Company's website, www.lifequotes.com, are able to obtain instant car, life, health, home and business insurance quotes, and have the freedom to buy online or by phone from any company shown. Life Quotes, Inc. generates revenues from receipt of industry-standard commissions, including back-end bonus commissions and volume-based contingent bonus commissions that are paid by participating insurance companies. We also generate revenues from the sale of website traffic and insurance leads to various third parties.

SOURCE Life Quotes, Inc.

CONTACT: Michelle Matlock, Editor, +1-630-515-0170, ext. 335, editor@lifequotes.com

Web Site: http://www.lifequotes.com


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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Bomb Attack In Maiduguri

A bomb blast rocked the troubled northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Sunday in an attack on a military patrol vehicle, the army and residents said.

Although residents reported seeing an ambulance speeding away from the area, the army said there had been no casualties.

The city has previously been targeted by scores of bombings blamed on an Islamist sect known as Boko Haram.


Thousands of residents have already fled Maiduguri out of fears of further violence. The city, located in Nigeria's far northeast near the border with Chad, Cameroon and Niger, has seen the brunt of the violence blamed on the sect.

Click here to read the full report by Agence France-Presse(AFP).



Saturday, October 29, 2011

LIFE HAS NO DUPLICATE: STOP TEXTING WHILE DRIVING





National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Joins the State Attorneys General and Ad Council to Unveil New Public Service Advertising Campaign to Urge Young Adult Drivers to ‘Stop the Texts’ and ‘Stop the Wrecks’

New National Survey Shows Eighty-Two Percent of Young Adults Say They Have Read a Standard Text Message While Driving

Washington, D.C., October 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Eighty-two percent of young adult drivers (16-24) have read a standard text message while driving, according to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council. In an effort to educate young drivers about the dangers of texting while driving, the State Attorneys General and Consumer Protection agencies, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)and the Ad Council are launching a new public service advertising campaign (PSA) nationwide. The campaign includes TV, radio, outdoor and digital PSAs. Additionally, to extend the campaign messages online, new Facebook, Twitter and YouTube social media channels go live today.

NHTSA reports that distracted driving is the number one killer of American teens. Sixteen percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) reports that a texting driver is twenty-three times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver.

"Distracted driving is dangerous, and tragically, teen drivers are the most at risk of being involved in a fatal distracted driving crash," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We hope our new ad campaign will send a strong message to teens that putting away cell phones and other distractions while you’re driving is not just commonsense safe behavior, it can save your life."

“Every second matters when you’re behind the wheel,” said Attorney General Rob McKenna, 2012 President of the National Association of Attorneys General. “The nation’s attorneys general join the Ad Council, consumer protection agencies and NHTSA in reminding young drivers to stop texts and stop wrecks. No text, Tweet or Facebook update is worth your life.”

The new television, radio, outdoor and digital PSAs were created pro bono by New York advertising agency The Concept Farm. The PSAs communicate to teens and adults that when you text and drive, you are not multitasking, but essentially driving blind. By taking your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, you are making the road less safe for you, your passengers and other drivers. All of the PSAs direct audiences to stoptextsstopwrecks.org, a new campaign website where teens and young adults can find facts about the impact of texting while driving and tips for how to curb the behavior. The website also has an area where individuals can post, and share on Facebook, what they are doing to stop texting and driving.

“For over twenty-five years we have been working with NHTSA to successfully address drunk driving prevention. The term ‘designated driver’ is now a part of the American vocabulary, but even more importantly sixty-seven percent of all adults have tried to stop someone from drinking and driving,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “Research has shown that using a cell phone delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. Through our Texting and Driving Prevention campaign we are working towards eradicating the mindset among young adults that texting and driving is a safe activity.”

The Ad Council’s national survey released today also found that seventy-five percent of young adult drivers have sent a standard text message while driving; forty-nine percent have done it multiple times. Half of respondents say that during the past month, they have been a passenger when a friend was texting while driving.

“The Concept Farm is honored to work with the Ad Council and its sponsors on the anti-texting and driving initiative,” says Ray Mendez, Partner and Integration Director at The Concept Farm. “The dangers and consequences of texting and driving are very real and addressing them aggressively is long overdue. Texting and driving has become an epidemic in this country, and we’re passionate about doing our part to change behavior. Saving lives … that’s our goal.”

A social media program kicking off this week will help drive the point home on social networking sites and blogs nationwide. Clear Channel Outdoor is donating nine 3D billboards in seven top markets, including Los Angeles (CA), Seattle (WA), and Boston (MA), to support this campaign reaching over three million people. Non-profit partners such as NOYS (National Organizations for Youth Safety) and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will help spread the message by reaching out to their members across the country.

Since 2006, the Ad Council has partnered with the State Attorneys General to address reckless driving among teens. To date, the campaign has received more than $88.7 million in donated media support. For more than twenty-five years, the Ad Council and NHTSA have worked together on consumer safety PSA campaigns. Per the Ad Council’s model, all of the new PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.

The online survey, commissioned by the Ad Council, was conducted in partnership with C + R Research. Research was conducted nationwide from September 15 to 23, 2011. The sample consisted of 1,004 teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24. All respondents were required to hold a U.S. driver’s license, drive at least once per week, and have a mobile phone.

NHTSA
For more than four decades, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has served as the key federal agency charged with improving safety on our nation’s roadways. As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA is working to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries by promoting the use of safety belts and child safety seats; helping states and local communities address the threat of drunk drivers; regulating safety standards and investigating safety defects in motor vehicles; establishing and enforcing fuel economy standards; conducting research on driver behavior and traffic safety; and providing consumer information on issues ranging from child passenger safety to impaired driving. For more information visit www.nhtsa.gov

The Advertising Council
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies. The Ad Council addresses issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

The Concept Farm
Founded in 1999 at the start of the digital age, the Concept Farm is a collective of marketing problem solvers that focus on organic, dramatic, meaningful brand transformation. Based in New York, the agency offers integrated creative services from strategic development to full-up digital, broadcast and print production. They’ve successfully collaborated with enlightened clients including BNY Mellon, Disney, ESPN, BMW, Estee Lauder, Nielsen, The United Nations and Windstream Communications.

###

CONTACT:
Lisa Cullen
The Ad Council
202-331-5052
lcullen@adcoucil.org

Karen Aldana
NHTSA
202-366-9550
Public.affairs@dot.gov

Gregg Wasiak
The Concept Farm
212.463.9939
gregg@conceptfarm.com

Doug Walsh
State Attorneys General
206-464-6388
dougw@atg.wa.gov



Samsung Leads Smart Phones Market




Samsung Mobile is the market leader for smart phones, because it is now the world’s largest maker of smart phones, shipping around 28 million of the devices — almost all Android-powered – in the third quarter, compared to Apple’s 17.1 million phones. This is just the latest milestone that helps put an end to the fallacy that iPhones will rule the world.



Click here to read the full report



Friday, October 28, 2011

It's the End of the World, Baby!



The Campari Calendar 2012 Makes A Toast To Life

MILAN, October 27th 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The 2012 Campari Calendar, entitled It’s the end of the world, baby!, was unveiled in Milan today.

Now in its 13th edition, this year's iconic Campari Calendar is inspired by the many prophesies that in 2012 the world will see a global transformation leading to the end of the world as we currently know it. With nothing but a blur of unknown possibilities, Campari takes a positive look at intriguing theories, and presents their vision in a series of powerful, awe inspiring photos starring Hollywood actress and supermodel, Milla Jovovich.



"This year we've really pushed the creative boundaries as we’ve chosen to take a real imaginative look at the possibilities to come, in what could be a transformative period. It is our mission as an aperitif company to offer Campari lovers an intense, positive moment during this time, to celebrate whatever may happen and take a toast to life. With Milla’s mysterious, intriguing style, she was a perfect choice as the interpreter of this theme." comments Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Gruppo Campari.

From hurricanes to volcanic explosions, this year’s Calendar showcases Milla Jovovich in 13 vivid shots, all representing different hypotheses about the end of the world. It is the anticipation of these possible events that inspire the Calendar, and Campari takes this moment to celebrate life with optimism and energy, encouraging people the world over to join them in creating passionate, memorable moments to remember, by raising a glass together in a toast to life.

“As a model and an actress, this was an exciting new challenge for me, combining the skills to bring to life each of the hypotheses in a theatrical, yet sophisticated way.” Milla Jovovich comments.

Campari chose one of the most interesting players in international photography, Dimitri Daniloff, to shoot the Calendar for its 13th edition. An obvious choice for shooting a truly mystical story, the Parisian born photographer perfectly captures each scenario, as he sought to shape each shot piece by piece on camera, converting them into reality.

The Campari Calendar, of which only 9,999 copies are printed, will not go on sale but will be distributed to friends of Campari internationally.

The concept of It’s the end of the world, baby! was created by Euros RSCG Milano.

Campari Calendar Disclaimer

Access to the 2012 Campari Calendar materials (incl. but not limited to photos, press kit, texts, images, video, press conference, etc) is available for non-paid PR purposes only.

Any non-authorized reproduction, use or transmission of this material will cause irreparable injury and damage to Gruppo Campari, which will be entitled to pursue any and all remedies available to it through law or equity against the violators.




Countries Resolve to Cooperate Against Piracy in the Indian Ocean Region



28 Oct 2011 06:59 Africa/Lagos

Countries resolve to cooperate against piracy in the Indian ocean region

BRUSSELS, October 28, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd co-chaired a forum on piracy in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia, attended by Indian Ocean Rim countries and stakeholders promoting security in Somalia and off the Horn of Africa.

The forum underlined its deep concern at the threat posed by piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Indian Ocean. Somali piracy raised the costs of international trade and harmed the fishing and tourist industries of East African and Indian Ocean coastal and island states.

Noting United Nations Security Council Resolution 2015 passed on 24 October 2011, the forum endorsed the international efforts to restore peace and stability in Somalia. Diplomatic efforts to address the drivers of Somali piracy through initiatives to build governance, security and economic livelihoods on land in Somalia were one crucial way to address the root causes of piracy off the Horn of Africa. The forum also endorsed the targeted international and regional approaches to tackling piracy.

Participants welcomed the work of the Commonwealth, the EU, regional and international organisations, notably the UN and its contact group on piracy, coalitions of countries and individual states in countering piracy in the Indian Ocean region. Participants agreed that regional ownership and burden sharing was essential and therefore attached great importance to support the regional anti-piracy strategy and action plan adopted in Mauritius in October 2010 by the Eastern and Southern African and the Indian Ocean regions.

The meeting also noted the opportunities offered by the significant number of countries who shared

a common legal heritage and the opportunities this presented to the Commonwealth, other

international organisations and states in the delivery of legal assistance and support to criminal

justice systems. Noting the forum was held in the margins of CHOGM 2011, the participants

encouraged common law countries to work together in support of criminal justice approaches to

countering piracy and urged the Commonwealth Secretariat to keep this work under active

consideration.

Australia agreed to host a larger follow-up event in 2012 in Perth designed to deepen and broaden

the international community's understanding of the drivers of piracy and to explore options to

reduce piracy in Somalia. The Perth 2012 event could also compare Indian Ocean piracy with

piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and South-East Asia.

Forum on Indian Ocean Piracy participants: Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei

Darussalam, Canada, Cyprus, European Union, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius,

Mozambique, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka,

Tanzania, Uganda, UK and UAE.


Source: European Council

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
28 Oct 2011
06:59 Countries resolve to cooperate against piracy in the Indian ocean region
27 Oct 2011
23:36 Newsweek Ranks John S. Jarstad, M.D., Among Top 15 Nationwide Leaders in Laser Eye Surgery
21:05 Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
21:05 World Population Surpasses 7 Billion
14:54 Nigeria Newspaper Bureau Chief Harassed / IPI Concerned about Reported Treatment of Daily Times Journalist
08:52 Royal Dutch Shell plc 3rd Quarter 2011 Unaudited Results




Media Landscape Presents New Opportunities for Communicators to Earn Media

28 Oct 2011 18:18 Africa/Lagos


PR Newswire's New White Paper, Earned Media Evolved, Discusses How the Transformed Media Landscape Presents New Opportunities for Communicators to Earn Media

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As content continues to maintain its place at the core of audience engagement and the influence of social media intensifies, brands and organizations are presented with growing opportunities to earn media.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52956-pr-newswire-white-paper-earned-media-evolved-landscape-social-echo

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110719/NY37427LOGO)

PR Newswire's new white paper, Earned Media Evolved, explores why communicators must strategically navigate the shifting media landscape to remain relevant and how to do so to uncover powerful new opportunities and influence decision makers and consumers. It takes an in-depth look at what initiates the sharing of content and how brand and user-generated content can become valuable currency amplified through social networks. Leading brands also reveal how they leveraged their own social networks to drive engagement.

For complete information, download the complete white paper here.

As an industry thought leader, PR Newswire regularly produces original, relevant content aimed at offering public relations, investor relations and marketing professionals advice and strategies necessary to reach their communications goals. To access additional information and content, visit PR Newswire's Knowledge Center.




About PR Newswire
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content — from rich media to online video to multimedia — and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

Media Contacts:
Rachel Meranus
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
PR Newswire
+1.201.360.6776
Rachel.Meranus@prnewswire.com


Meryl Serouya
Marketing and Communications Associate
PR Newswire
+1.201.360.6009
Meryl.Serouya@prnewswire.com

SOURCE PR Newswire Association LLC

Web Site: http://www.prnewswire.com

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Nigerian Police Harass Daily Times Journalist in Abuja

27 Oct 2011 14:54 Africa/Lagos

Nigeria Newspaper Bureau Chief Harassed / IPI Concerned about Reported Treatment of Daily Times Journalist

VIENNA, October 27, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Abuja bureau chief of the Nigerian Daily Times was harassed by police officers in the capital Abuja on Wednesday, the newspaper reported on its website.


Michaela Moye was reportedly filming the demolition of “illegal” buildings when she was chased from the scene by members of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), the Daily Times said.


A policemen reportedly said she could not take pictures because the press had not been invited to cover the demolition. “Walahi, if I get you I will beat you up and break both that camera and your teeth for talking to me like that,” one police man was quoted by the Daily Times as saying. Moye was rescued by passers-by, the paper reported. The article linked to a 10-second YouTube video of Moye arguing with police.


IPI Press Freedom Manager Anthony Mills said: “We are concerned about the reports that Michaela Moye was allegedly threatened by a policeman while she was on assignment. Journalists should be able to work free of any form of intimidation. We urge the Nigerian authorities to ensure that law enforcement officers are fully aware of journalists' rights, and that these rights are respected.”


Earlier this month, six journalists working for The Nation newspaper were detained for two days in connection with their coverage and reproduction of a letter apparently sent from former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to current President Goodluck Jonathan in which Obasanjo asks Jonathan to replace certain figures at public institutions. Obasanjo contends that the letter was forged and police continue to investigate the matter.


On Tuesday, the Nigerian House of Representatives asked Police Inspector General Hafiz Ringim to write a letter of apology to The Nation newspaper for the way police handled the investigation, which the House said was not implemented in good faith.


Source: International Press Institute (IPI)


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