Mediaboss Marketing

BEIJING

China is trying to contain the awesome influence of social media celebrities, some of whom have tens of millions of followers that dwarf more Western media icons like Oprah Winfrey. For example, the top 10 Chinese celebrities on Internet have between 67 million and 90 million online followers.

Recent weeks have seen the closure of social media accounts of several celebrities while the Beijing Cyber Administration (BCA) shut down the accounts of 60 celebrity gossip magazines. It also asked Internet portals hosting these accounts to adopt effective measures to keep in check the problems of the embellishment of private sex scandals of celebrities, the hyping of ostentatious celebrity spending and entertainment, and catering to the poor taste of the public.

Analysts said the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) has reason to worry about the massive influence of celebrities, according to Bill Bishop, who runs the widely read The Sinocism China Newsletter.

Money and values

"The Party is really pushing hard on Socialist Core Values and very few of the popular Internet celebrities are paragons of those values," he said. "Individual media creators are much harder to control, and one of the core pillars of the CCP is propaganda and ideological control," he said.

Celebrities are an important tool for marketing and advertising, and thousands of companies depend on them to disseminate product messages. The size of Internet marketing by Chinese celebrities was estimated at $58 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach $100 billion in 2018, according to Beijing-based research agency Analysus.

Many of the social media celebrities come from the world of cinema, television, and sports. But there have been a large number of upstarts who have emerged from nowhere.

Their claim to fame is their ability to raise sensitive social issues, such as the neglect suffered by some so-called "leftover women" who have not found husbands. One such celebrity is Teacher Xu, a popular internet celebrity, who runs a hugely popular account on the WeChat platform.

Almost all celebrities make sure they do not cross the government's policy line in their posts in texts and videos, said Mark Tanner, Managing Director of China Skinny, an internet based marketing company.

"Everyone in China knows that if you want to be a successful and effective voice in China, you need to toe the party line. So right to Pappi Chang to the little guys on the road, they know what to say and what not to say," he said.

Analysts say the immense popularity of these high profile individuals is itself seen as a challenge to the authorities even if they do not take up political issues. A lot of what they talk about is indirectly connected to governance issues like the environment, and this is what bothers top officials.

Censor troubles

"Celebrities happen to hold a powerful microphone to speak to society, and in CCP leaders' eyes, that alone is threatening no matter how non-political most of them may be, said Christopher Cairns, a Cornell scholar.

The government also has things to worry at the technological level, where the popularity and content production of celebrities seem to be running far ahead of the government's technical ability to control them.

"A lot of it has to do with lack of control. It is really hard for them to censure real time video. the software hardware for voice and video is just not there yet, said Jacob Cooke, CEO of Web Presence in China. And still, a lot of the system depends upon real-time monitoring. So, there are a lot of vague rules in terms of censorship including harming feelings of the Chinese people.

The censors are using other reasons to crack down on celebrities they don't like.The BCA reportedly told executives of Internet companies the new cybersecurity law required websites to not harm the reputation or privacy of individuals.

The government has said the new law is necessary for security reasons, but many analysts fear it can be used to surpress freedom of speech on the Internet.

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China Reducing Massive Influence of Social Media Celebrities - Voice of America

Welcome to the totalitarian state of WA.

Don't panic, the McGowan government isn't hoarding missiles in the bowels of Parliament House aimed at our eastcoast counterparts for greedily hogging too much GST.

It's just the new Labor government seems hell bent onconstricting the flow of information to journalists.

Labor has only been in power a couple of months, yet it is already squeezing the control of information tighter than a farmer tying an elastratorbandaroundthe neck of the lamb's scrotum.

Last month, when WAtoday asked questions about the trouble-plagued Perth Stadium, the response from the government read like a manual from a 1971 Datsun 1200 coupe.

Shortly after, a Labor minister told this reporter to "never" ring their ministerial number again.

And only last week, the ABC reported government departments were directed by the Premier's office not to respond to their questions.

But, the state government does have a method of disseminating information to Sandgropers.

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Itcomes via the art of the "drop" - stories handed to journalists by the government of the day on an exclusive basis. And they tend to go toSevenWest Media.

Drops happen. They'veexistedsince the first newspaper rolled off the printing press andno one canlayblame at the hands ofSevenWest for accepting information served upto them on a platter.

And I'm by no meanssuggesting that all the journalists at SevenWest are dining out on"drops" from the government, that would undermine the number of hardworking talented scribes who are tirelessly digging away in an attempt to "keep the bastards honest".

But with drops seemingly increasingand information from the government appearing to tighten up, most hacks in Perth have had enough.

Especially when the drops becomes farcical. Labor put out embargoed media alert on May 1 about WA joining the Our Watch program - a national organisation to prevent violence against women and children - 24 hours AFTER the story appeared in the Sunday Times.

A former senior Liberal minister joked a few weeks out from the March election, that the government of the day wouldn't "survive" if it didn't drop to The West or The Sunday Times.

And on Wednesday it all came to a head.

Labor went to such extraordinary levels to keep an "exclusive" interview with 7 News and acting Premier Roger Cook under wraps itread like a poorly scripted episode from the political TV satire The Thick of It.

Labor wanted to put the boots into the state's opposition's new whistleblower website, which it ironicallyfound out about after a tweet by an ABC journalist.

While that foul-mouthed and vociferous spin doctorMalcolm Tucker in The Thick of It manages to maintain some "control" despite the chaos that exists around him, Labor's attempt to keep the lid on its SevenWest lovefest was nothing short of what he'd call an"omnishambles".

The thing journalists embrace more than an open baris a leak.

So when word got out that Mr Cook and SevenNews were about to get cosy at Parliament House, journalists around Perth skedaddled there faster than Bob Hawkedowning a schooner.

When this reporter got on theblower to a government flak catcher about the "presser," the person made it abundantly clear this was a SevenWest event only and wanted to know who "leaked" the information about it.

Oh, the irony.

I ignored the non-invite and said I would be coming.

I would've had more respect forthe government's media minder if the person delivered a blistering tirade of abuse that wouldmake"potty mouthed maniac" Tucker wince.

But it's like what Terri, the bungling media advisor in the Thick of It said about journalists.

"The problem is that if you say to a journalist, "Can you avoid that topic?", that's when they really go for it. It's like saying to the school bully, "I'll wet myself if you tickle me."

So why should we give a stuff if the Labor government is seemingly getting cosy with one media organisation?

Well, when the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissionwas investigating the sale ofThe Sunday Timestorival Seven West Media, it warned it could "substantially lessen competition" inthe supply of news and information to readers in Western Australia.

In a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, which represents WA journalists, urged the watchdog to impose conditions on the sale that would allow the Sunday paper to maintain editorial independence from SWM.

MEAA regional WA director Tiffany Venning said merging journalists fromThe Sunday TimesandPerthNowwebsite into the rival newsroom ofThe West Australianwould createa litany of problems if they could not work independently of each other.

"There would be a threat to the diversity of news and opinion in WA if Seven West Media gained control ofThe Sunday Times," she told the ACCC.

"The two papers under different owners have ploughed their own furrow. The different approaches allow the news agenda of WA to have a variety of major influences and influencers."

If you think this is the ramblings of a hapless hack lamenting his own lack of investigative skills to penetrate the halls of power, you are probably half right.

But if you don't think diversity in media is important or "keeping the bastards honest" is critical, then we are all doomed.

Read more:
Labor in 'The Thick of It' trying to ban media from 'omnishambles' press conference - WAtoday

Gov. Jerry Browns newest appointees to the University of California Board of Regents offer media pizazz, policy expertise and political skills at a time when the university system is facing major challenges.

The 10-campus system is scrambling for more dollars to offset years of state budget reductions. Enrollment demands are surging with record numbers of applicants 210,000 last fall. And Sacramento lawmakers are moving to assert more control after two critical state audits of UC operations.

The four appointees, who bring the 26-member board back to full strength for the first time in two years, will make their first collective appearance at the regents meeting this week in San Francisco. They may serve for up to one year after their appointment pending state Senate confirmation.

RELATED | UC regents, with four new members, plan to debate budget, admissions

Heres a rundown:

Millions of basketball fans saw Howard Peter Guber rush to the court when the Golden State Warriors, which he co-owns, won the NBA championship last month. Guber, 75, is also chairman and chief executive of Mandalay Entertainment Group and formerly headed Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures and other film and record companies. The Boston native earned his law degree from New York University.

But the first thing Guber mentioned in a recent interview was his love of education and lifelong learning, expressed in part through more than 35 years of teaching business and media classes at UCLA. He said he hopes to be an imagineer to help dream up new ways to use innovation and technology to expand access to education and keep UC the preeminent public research university in the nation.

He stressed, however, that he had much to learn from other regents and would approach the job wide-eyed. Im an advocate of looking at everything as if for the first time, he said.

Ellen Tauscher is known as a skilled politician who managed as a Democrat to win a seat in what had long been a Republican district, the 10th Congressional District covering the northern San Joaquin Valley. A few years ago, she launched an effort to reform gerrymandering so as to elect more moderate candidates and reduce partisan polarization. Her political skills will come in handy as UC faces escalating tensions with state lawmakers.

Tauscher, 65, also will provide experience and expertise working with some of UCs biggest enterprises: two national laboratories and five medical centers. She is a board member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network of 29 major hospitals, including UC San Francisco. She also has served on boards of the companies that manage Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos labs and was undersecretary of state for arms control and international security affairs under President Obama. She has been a strategic advisor at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz since 2012.

Tauscher, a New Jersey native who majored in early childhood education at Seton Hall University, said she is eager to serve where she can.

My agenda is to get up to speed and add value as soon as Im able, she said. Im a little like a utility infielder: Tell me where you want me to go.

Maria Anguiano says her own life experiences have shaped a passion to expand access to a UC education and keep it affordable. Anguiano, 38, was raised by a single mother with a sixth-grade education who immigrated to the United States from Mexico. Her mothers emphasis on education as a path to success motivated Anguiano to excel in school, earning a full ride from Claremont McKenna College and an MBA from Stanford University.

A financial expert, Anguiano worked at Deloitte and Barclays Capital before joining the UC Office of the President as a top administrator. She moved to UC Riverside and developed a cost-analysis program as vice chancellor of planning and budget. This year, she became chief financial officer at Minerva Project Inc., a for-profit educational organization that has helped launch an undergraduate program that features digital learning in several countries. She said she wants to explore how to use technology more efficiently to expand access to UC.

I know technology is not a silver bullet, but UC has a real infrastructure issue it cant afford to build a lot more classrooms, she said.

Lark Park is known for her policy chops, with 15 years of work in Sacramento. She is Gov. Jerry Browns senior policy advisor and previously worked as his deputy legislative affairs secretary. She also was a consultant to the state Senates human services and health committees and worked for then-state Sen. Gloria Romero and State Assemblyman Joe Simitian.

Park, 47, is a Korean immigrant raised mostly in the San Fernando Valley who says her parents taught her the value of education and hard work. She earned an undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley and a Master of Arts degree in English and American literature from Georgetown University.

Park is the only Asian American regent, although students of Asian and Pacific Islander descent are the largest racial and ethnic group at UC. Park said she hopes to focus on access, affordability and quality for all students.

Many groups at UC face challenges, including API students, and the regents have been very attentive to issues of diversity, underrepresentation and inclusion," she wrote in an email. These are important conversations to have, both at UC and in our broader society, and the more we can focus on shared values and shared goals, the better.

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

Twitter: @teresawatanabe

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UC Board of Regents adds experts in sports management, media, arms control, finance - Los Angeles Times

Image: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

NEWLY CROWNED THREE-TIME European champion Joe Ward trots towards the voice recorder sporting a look of pure divilment.

I hate Bernard Dunne, he should be sacked! he shouts, sheepishly glancing upwards towards his new High Performance Director, whos chatting in the background. Dunne doubles over with laughter, issuing a thoroughly informal warning to his most prodigious talent, and the man whom hes entrusted to captain the Irish boxing team all the way to Tokyo 2020.

Aw, sorry, hes there, Ward jibes, his face still inches from the recorder, which hes now treating as a microphone. The Moate light-heavyweight is in convulsions.

He thinks he knows everything, but

Moments before, Dunne had warned that to interview Ward would require some fleet footwork; the media-shy 23-year-old had already made a bolt for the side exit of Irish boxings new home at the Sport Ireland Institute, Abbotstown. He was definitely displeased to have been spotted and so near the door, too but after a couple of gags at Dunnes expense, hes game. Hes also happy more so than weve ever seen him.

Look, its great to get back winning, especially after the disappointment of Rio in 2016, he says, now almost three weeks removed from being crowned king of Europe for an Irish-record third time. Rio was a bit of a downer for me. But to get back on track, starting with the National Championships, then going to Romania for the Multi Nations Championships and winning a gold medal, and then obviously going on to the European Championships and winning another gold medal, was great.

But its all about performing, and every day in the gym Ive been getting better, every session I try to make the most of it and give myself the best opportunity to perform in all these big tournaments. Thats what Ive been doing. Long may it last, and hopefully come Hamburg I can perform, and who knows where itll take me?

Such is his pugilistic gift, the answer is likely back to the podium he graced in both 2013 and 2015, not that hed suggest it. Never before has Ireland birthed an athlete who, at 23, has medalled twice at World Championships and taken three consecutive golds home from the Europeans. And yet for all these achievements and countless others, the discourse surrounding his most recent conquering of the continentals was largely focused on the dearth of plaudits it garnered.

The boxing public in Ireland was left aghast; imagine if it was a track athlete, proposed almost everyone. Even the rowers were used as a yardstick. Aggrieved, Wards former teammate and current professional prospect Eric Lilywhite Lightning Donovan curated a movement in which people changed their profile pictures on Twitter to photos of a triumphant Ward. The fact that numerous, high-profile journalists partook in the same not-so-silent protest perhaps speaks to a deeper issue within the Irish sports media landscape.

As is his wont, Ward steers clear of social media, but was made aware of the outrage discharged on his behalf.

Ah sure, look, we all have a few snitches around who keep an eye on these things, he says, laughing off his own inexplicable lack of newsworthiness. And then hes serious.

For me, the media is out of my control. I just worry about being the best I can for myself, for my family and for my country, and try to win as many medals as I can, and putting Irish boxing back to where it was.

Where we were was in the top three or four nations in the world, and I cant see now, with the new guys coming in with so much natural talent, why we cant become the number one nation in the world. I believe that we have something special.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

Its a new Ward were dealing with, here. The most experienced member of Irelands latest boxing crop, hes been named team captain and pledged his next three years to Bernard Dunnes cause. Its a real coup for the former super-bantamweight world champion in his new role; for weeks, and indeed as recently as last week, Ward had been strongly considering a move to the professional ranks.

He readily admits that it was Dunne who swayed him back in the direction of Abbotstown.

Its a great honour for me to be captain, he says. It means a lot to me to be selected amongst some wonderful, great lads on this team, who as I said have a massive amount of ability and talent. We can go on to achieve a lot of stuff.

Bernard gave me the opportunity to stay around. He has a vision. Were going to buy into it. We feel like its going to improve us. I think were going to be a very, very powerful nation over the next three years. Its not even about the short distance to the World Championships, its about onwards and upwards towards Tokyo, and I feel well be a very, very powerful nation. We have a bundle of talent men and women. Its great to be involved in it, and obviously, to lead it.

It was the closest Ive come to turning pro. Ive been in negotiations with a lot of promoters, but as I said, Bernard gave me a great chance to stay here, and I saw his vision of what he wanted, what role he wanted me to take, what he wanted implemented in the team. I bought into it. The right decision for me to make was obviously to stay amateur, and try to improve as much as I can from now until Tokyo.

Something I dont have on my mantelpiece is an Olympic medal, and its something that I really want. Its a long way away, and therell be a lot of ups and downs before we get to that, but itd be something special if I could get that Olympic medal a dream come true. Then, itd probably be time to say goodbye to amateur boxing and go pro!

Ultimately, the allure of big promotional names such as Frank Warren and former Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer were no match for the pull of Dunne, and more pertinently what the Dubliner intends to achieve in his dream gig as High Performance Director.

He and Ward are conspicuously close; Dunne, still a sprightly 37, probably wouldnt appreciate a father-son analogy, but watching them riff at close quarters is at least reminiscent of a nephew and his cool uncle. Theres an understanding which requires few words, and its clear that in a short space of time, Ward has become almost an extension of Dunne the in-ring enforcer of his lofty standards.

So far, so good, Ward jokes of their relationship, with Dunne still in earshot, before adding the caveat, Im winning, to more laughter.

Since Bernards come in, hes really put his foot down. He wants us to be the number one country in the world, and I cant see why we cant be. The atmosphere is good, everyone is really tuned in and focused on improving and performing to the best of our ability.

And who knows where thatll take us? We went to the European Championships with very little expectations because no one really knew what to expect after Rio, and we won two bronze medals [he neglects to mention his own gold]. And some of the lads who didnt medal were very unlucky; you could put it down to performance or lack of experience. This could be a phenomenal team.

Male or female, we need to account for each other. Every session, weve got to set targets, but weve got to reach them. Weve got to push each other to make this happen, not only as individuals but as a team. We want to be the best team in the world. We dont want to be two or three.

Ward frequently makes a point of mentioning the women in the team: Carly McNaul, Dervla Duffy, Christina Desmond, Grinne Walsh and Kellie Harrington head to Italy for the returning EU Championships next August, and now train alongside their male counterparts; every warm-up, every drill, every punch, pivot or plank is done in unison, all in the same rings, all under the tutelage of Zaur Antia and his team. Not even sparring recognises gender.

Its Ward who paves the path through all of it, be it leading the extensive, single-file warm-up or demonstrating Antias skill drills with Sen McComb for the rest of the team to follow. And they do follow, as they do World silver medallist Harrington, whose ferocity recently perturbed a Sport Ireland intern who asked that he learn how to spar before his term came to an end, once its not with Kellie.

Ward is four years Harringtons junior, but with icons in Katie Taylor, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan having departed the High Performance Unit, has been forced to step up to the plate. Its a challenge hes relishing.

Im only 23 but Ive a lot of experience having been here for a lot of years, he says. Ive been very lucky to get the opportunities since a very young age to go out and perform. Obviously I did it. Now its about giving back that experience, giving back what I achieved to the rest of the team. Ill give them the best advice I can give them, and try to help them, because its no joke going to a European Championship or World Championship and trying to get over that line and win a medal.

I know how to deal with the pressure, I know how to perform under pressure. I know how to win. My winning mentality is massive. The team knows what it means to me to win. Thats something that will drive them on and give them more determination to achieve.

To be selected as captain is special but it gives me more confidence. It shows what Bernard and the coaches think of me, and what they expect from me. As a young person, to lead this great nation of boxing towards Tokyo, its something special.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

But for the conveyor belt to continue in earnest, Ward is adamant that its younger people still who must be assisted in their boxing journeys. In his home county of Westmeath which has produced five European medals, four World Championship medals and one Olympic medal since 2011 at least two boxing gyms are facing closure due to financial difficulty.

Ward is incredulous that its come to this, and maintains that the sport in Ireland must be built from its foundation upwards if the country is to perpetually succeed on the worlds grandest stages.

Where we started was in these gyms, in these small places. Its very disappointing, because my own gym where I trained, where I grew up and learned how to box, is starting to come to an end because we have a lack of facilities too.

Its so disappointing because theres bundles of talent all over these towns and cities, and theyre just not getting the opportunities because the County Council or the people involved are just not coming together and giving us the best facilities or any sort of facilities suitable for a boxing club. Its sad to see these clubs closing down, because Irish boxing is only beginning from now. Were going to become the number one nation in the world. Just because 2016 didnt go our way doesnt mean were going to slide down and accept it; were going to drive on, and push forward. But we need to start somewhere, and obviously thats these towns where the boxing clubs are, where we all started as young kids.

We need to keep as many boxing clubs as we can and give kids the opportunity to go there and learn their trade. Who knows where the kids are that are walking the streets the kids that could become Olympic champion.

Theres a fair chance that one of them once walked the streets of Moate, County Westmeath, even if Ward is no longer a kid.

Perhaps only when he does ditch the vest and starts making his own headlines will Joe Ward be catapulted to the highest echelon of Irish sporting stars. Nonetheless, there should be concern that not only will we miss Ward when he moves on, but that we might miss the next Ward, who, if were not careful, might one day stroll past the boarded-up carcass of the local boxing gym which once produced champions.

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'The media is out of my control. I just worry about putting Irish boxing back to where it was' - The42

LOVE Islands Jonny Mitchell chose to remove himself from the villa on Tuesday nights episode, after finding himself in the bottom two alongside love interest Tyla Carr. JonnyMitchell was hacked on social media and his accounts were closed[ITV]

During his time in the Love Island villa, ITV2 viewers saw Jonny break Camilla Thurlows heart after their romance moved at a glacial pace and he ditched her for Tyla.

They later saw him become embroiled in a feud with newbie Theo Campbell after he coupled up with Tyla, and even dubbed him a "b****nd"during the coupling-up process.

So he soon lost a lot of fans, and it appeared that he removed all traces of himself from social media, seemingly in a bid to keep a low profile following all the drama.

However, a source has since confirmed to The Metro that Jonny was actually hacked hours before he left Love Island and is now trying to get his accounts back in his control.

His Instagram page flaunted his extravagant, jet-set lifestyle but there is no longer any sign of his profile.

Following his exit from the show this week, Jonny defended his controversial comments about Tyla after previously saying in an episode which aired on Sunday 9 July: "He'll have to prise her out of my cold dead hands", to which Jamie Jewitt responded claiming his comments were, "a bit morbid".

Friday, July 07, 2017

Love Island 2017: What the contestants are doing after leaving the villa

Harley Judge and Tyne Lexy Clarsonignite romance rumours again as the pair share a loved up looking selfie two weeks after their first date [Instagram]

The third series of Love Island saw the likes of Harley and Tyne-Lexy quickly followed by Jess and Mike leave the villa click here to see what this series' dumped contestants are up to since the show

PollyNeate,the CEO of Women's Aid, has since spoken out about his comments and actions in the villa.

Following a huge backlash, just weeks after he was caught up in a feminism row, Jonny has spoken out over his comments to Jamie Jewitt.

He explained: "That comment was made in complete jest, it was tongue and cheek.

"I had to laugh about things rather than lose my head. Of course I didnt mean it in a literal sense that would be ridiculous.

"I think if anything over the past few days, I did back off and give Tyla space which shows Im not possessive or controlling."

Jonnys comments were deemed as "possessive"and "controlling"by Polly.

The rest is here:
Love Island's Jonny Mitchell was HACKED and did not delete all social media accounts after being dumped from villa - OK! Magazine