Jock Anderson

CaseLoad could hear public relations lady Deborah Pead’s chortles all over town after her ethics “grilling” by trying-hard-to-be-indignant Colin Peacock on National Radio’s MediaWatch on Sunday November 12.

A skilled promoter and media bender Ms Pead came up with a splendid idea to get cheap publicity for a new line of booze. She didn’t advertise the booze, instead she conned a whole heap of gullible media dropkicks into using a made up word on air or in print in exchange for a trip to New York.

Several fell for the trick. But even better, Ms Pead got oodles of extra publicity when  media po-faces and general naysayers - mainly in the form of ex-journalist turned teacher Jim Tully – condemned the ruse as something akin to sacrilegious manipulation.

Things got better for Ms Pead when MediaWatch’s worthy Mr Peacock - a chap CaseLoad has considerable admiration for usually - tried to portray her as some kind of devious, schemer conning the White Knight Media by underhand Trojan Horse means.

An unrepentant Ms Pead says she’s always pulling wee stunts like this – like getting a lengthy interview on advertising-free Nat Rad on a Sunday - and the media always play along. Oh dear.

Expressions of outrage to jockanderson@ihug.co.nz