Thursday 21 June 2007

Tut tut

This was a comment in an earlier post, but is worth its own mention:

"A cheeky PR lady has just helped her hack fiancé win the laptop which was a competition prize in a press conference this week, so either guess which brand it was, or guess who the hack and the lady were?"

Note from DMO Ed: let's hope he isn't a journo from ITP, as we all know he would have to hand it in if it was worth more than $30, wouldn't he?

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

he is a journo from ITP, and it is none other than Mafio Fade the new group cheerleading hack

Anonymous said...

That's nothing - I got a pen. No, really.

Anonymous said...

Actually it's 50 dollars at ITP. And some staff do take it seriously. Eudore wasn't one of them...

Anonymous said...

$50 at ITP? So who should we tell about Anal Bogroll and his three companions each hoovering up a dhs1,500 mobile phone each at a recent Samsung presser?

Anonymous said...

You should tell Rob Corder, the editorial director. rob.corder@itp.com

Anonymous said...

A PR present at the event is going to email Rob Corder and Greg Wilson tomorrow.

If I can get her to copy me in, I'll post it on here.

Anonymous said...

or illiterate, don't forget them!

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 20:10

Who knows? Want to get something off your chest?

Anonymous said...

Is it true you think being gay is on par with being a pedophile? Stupid redneck.

Anonymous said...

'Gay or paedophile'? Oh dear, someone's hit a raw nerve to draw such attacks. Though it really shows how yourmind works - and how loathesome you are - if you feel gays and paedophiles are somehow the same. Go and re-educate yourself, sad little man.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, that is a pretty sad comment about gays and paedophiles. And you can bet Anal Bogroll is not handing his expensive phone back. Word at ITP is that he is soon to go on a press trip to Rio for two weeks courtesy of some fashion company. That sounds like a very important news story that Arabian Business must cover.

Anonymous said...

ITP top brass has been made aware of the Samsung 'incident' with Anil and trio of female colleagues 'hoovering up' (lol) the free phones last week.

p.s. I'm neither gay or a paediphile (sic). Am I in the wrong place?

Anonymous said...

yes you are in the wrong place. this site is for sad cunts. unless you are one as well.

there is no difference betwene gays and padeophilles.

Anonymous said...

Shortly, everybody is going to start reacting to the comments from the twat in the posting above this one.
It's what he wants. It's a wind-up.
It's also quite a good way of discrediting this thread and drawing attention away from the issue under discussion.
So _ please - don't be drawn into getting into a debate over that idiotic statement above.

Anonymous said...

Yeah - it makes sense that anonymous 19.58 is Mr Boil trying to drag us off topic. Noone but an idiot really thinks that sort of thing - if he trolls in again, just ignore him.
Let's stick with the real topic. Anyone got any more dirt on Anal Boil or anyone else at ITP?

Anonymous said...

Can we not com eup with something to talk about that involves neither ITP or AMG? It's getting a bit boring...

Anonymous said...

Fairservice rimmed my guinea pig. How's that?

Anonymous said...

Emmail to Rob Corder from PR female based in DIC. Really good stuff (for a PR!)
_______________________________


Dear Mr Corder,

We've not met and please forgive the unsolicited nature of this email but I am writing (not entirely of my own volition) to bring to your attention the behaviour of a number of ITP staff at a recent press event in Dubai.

Behaviour at the event itself is not cause, I believe, to concern you or ITP, rather the presence of six ITP staff at the event, at least four of whom did not need to be there. The event in question was the Samsung annual review/new product launch last week at Park Hyatt Dubai.

Present from ITP (and also asking questions) were representatives from your titles 'Windows' and 'Comms MEA'. Totally legit. However, also present was the infamous Anil Bhoyrul and THREE female 'hangers on'. Not entirely sure what reason he and his acolytes would have had for being there but there's no harm in it, surely? Well, not entirely. Samsung is well known for handing out free samples of its products on the way out of such events and last week was no exception as it gave bags containing a brand new Samsung EGH-U600 mobile (c.$400 each, retail) to all attendees who wanted one.

Mr Bhoyrul and his companions were seen clutching a phone bag each as they left the event and this behaviour did not go unnoticed by several people. Samsung people might even have noticed, indeed, you might have heard about this from someone else. Wouldn't surprise me as it's been discussed on a couple of media blogs I look at from time to time.

Bhoyrul has, literally, got previous for fraudulent conduct but he's painting ITP in a very poor light by swanning up to events he has no need to be at, complete with retinue, then making off with not inexpensive gifts for him and his companions. It's conjecture on my part but his turning up with three female companions and then getting free phones for the lot of them was probably some sort of attempt to raise his stock with one or all three of them and get into their knickers. You know what he is like. Not really sure this sort of behaviour is appropriate for ITP employees on company time, especially not senior editorial staff who are supposed to be standard bearers.

There was, quite simply, no need for Bhoyrul and his gang to be at the event. One wonders if he will be so keen to attend the next Motorola or Nokia presser with his gang of girlies? These two companies don't give out free phones though, so it would seem unlikely.

Whatever warnings Bhoyrul has had in the past about general levels of behaviour (sexual harrassment for one) don't seem to be getting through. I'm assuming that, even mindful of ITP policy on accepting gifts, the phones were not turned in to Greg Wilson or whomever? I suspect not, but even if so, there was simply no reason for the four of them to be there in the first place.

Is the above behaviour the sort of thing you want ITP to be associated with?

Yours,

'Concerned' Dubai PR person.

Anonymous said...

If you're not Rob Corder, then you either have access to his email or your PR friend was dumb enough to share her email.

So what was she trying to achieve? To truly have action taken or big herself up to those around her?

As a communication, the letter is disastrous. Whatever it intended to achieve, you can guarantee that it won't - whether you wrote to Rob Corder or anyone else at any publishing company with such an ill-conceived piece of rubbish.

Clever girl. Not.

Anonymous said...

Love that "not" Gosh, how amusing. You're wrong, though, in every way. If the letter only went to Corder probably little would be done. Putting it out in public domain this way is good, and may finally have some impact on ITPs rather bizarre employment choices, such as having a convicted insider trader running business mags in the region. And the view that ITP journos can be bought for trinkets really won't help. Publishing in the UAE is at a very, very sensitive point right now. The activities of relatively junior members of staff at ITP is not doing Serfain's or Dubai's rep a hell of a lot of good right now. I expect to see action on this.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 11.33

She was trying to have 'action taken', I think? An anonymous email wouldn't really 'big herself up' would it?

Have to agree with the comment above this one, it's good in the public domain.

Maybe it is Rob Corder, who knows?

ITP should know better and are certainly not above having this pointed out to them.

Anonymous said...

"The activities of relatively junior members of staff at ITP is not doing Serfain's or Dubai's rep a hell of a lot of good right now."

Oh, do tell...

Anonymous said...

I find it hard to believe that – even in Dubai – there’s a PR professional capable of writing a letter as bad as this to a senior figure at ITP. There’s a stream of borderline libellous accusation that’s irrelevant to the main argument (“sexual harrassment for one”), lapses into dialogue from Lock, Stock (“he’s got previous”) and lines like “attempt to raise his stock with one or all three of them and get into their knickers”.

Oh, and no attempt at an introduction or explanation of which agency she's writing from.

It has to be a fake, unless the late Sid James has started doing PR for Samsung in Dubai.

Anonymous said...

I think it's quite good. Nothing in there that strikes me as inaccurate from that which I know of Bhoyrul.

'he's got previous' is from The Sweeney', surely?

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 12.52

I think the lack of an introduction and a reference to whichever agency this person is employed at is probably because the person is writing anonymously? Can you see that as a possible?!

I'm not sure this is legit, however, I reckon someone who doesn't like Boil is mischief making. So that narrows it down...

Anonymous said...

Surely it's about time said something nice about Mr Bhoyrul. He can't be all bad, I mean, seriously.
Does anyone have an example of something he did or said recently that did NOT involve sexual slimery, dubious journalistic practice, or general skulduggery.

Anonymous said...

His community service?

Anonymous said...

You reap what you sow. Bogroll is worse than anything that has been said on here.

Anonymous said...

Anyone heard rumour that David Westley is heading back out to Dubai. Apparently got a 'senior' post at ITP. Could he be replacing A. Bogroll?

Anonymous said...

Clearly the email was written by another hack at the press conference - probably the same person who started this thread running in the first place.
It's also counterproductive - ITP looks after its own and anonymous vitriol like that will just make them circle the wagons rather than address the main point.
Well done, idiot. You just killed any chance of them tackling this. Bhoyrul will be giving a private bollocking and that'll be the end of that.

Anonymous said...

It most certainly not written by the person who started the thread.

I disagree with your sentiments. Everyone in Dubai media reads this blog and so it cannot be counterproductive to have as many people as possible knowing what certain people are up to.

A private bollocking? Well, it's a start, but this blog has shown in the past that there is more 'people power' in the city than many suspected...

Plus, it's hilarious seeing the less pleasant members of the Dubai media scene vilified like this. You can't buy comedy like the Petch, Sawyer and Chand threads.

All power to DMO.

Anonymous said...

If this blog causes even the slightest 'reining in' of Boghole's repellent behaviour then it will be well worthwhile!

Anonymous said...

The one thing no one has pointed out — it's ITP folks, Incredibly Terrible Publications. Is anyone under the impression that it's a proper media outlet? Is anyone left in Dubai who reads an ITP business magazine and believes one word? Is there anyone who believes all their mags are more than ad vehicles? Does anyone believe any journo of any value still works there? Oh, and sorry, but emailing Rob Corder about Anil Bhoyrul is akin to tattling on Dick Cheney to George Bush.

Anonymous said...

So MJ believes he's Ben Kenobi to Seth's Maul? Fascinating... he's probably better off standing dolefully around the Marais district. Nice arms, lad, but from what I hear, that's about it. Next time you're in Dubai, post it, this little non-entity would like to buy you a beer. There's a story in a little Brit gay lad's identification with Star Wars

Anonymous said...

ITP's incredibly bizarre employment choices is right. In another country, they would have faced several lawsuits by now. And not just because of race and nationality.

Anonymous said...

David Westley is at ITP managing the online editorial.

Anonymous said...

Hang on, isn't this post about ITP's moral scruples, can't keep up with all the random segue's - MJ, Westley, etc - who gives a damn...Who's the PR that allegedly sent Corder complaints of jorno freebie groupies?

And is there anyone at ITP can shed light on how it's all going down inside those hollow Garhoud walls?

Anonymous said...

While not much of a fan ofITP as an employer - I used to work for them and wouldn't again - I do think they're the best game in town.
A lot of companies could have become the biggest English language magazine publisher - but they achieved it. To pull that off, they have to be doing something right.
And yes, many of their mags are tawdry ad vehicles. But at the same time, they put more investment into journalism than they have to.
So give them a little credit.
They may - like most ME publishers - employ a lot of cretins. But they also do better than anyone else.

Anonymous said...

There is something desperately sad about this thread, if ITP staff flock to tedious mobile phone launches in the hope of a freebie then what does that say about them? That they're skint probably. If AB get's laid on the back of a phone giveaway then more power to him. Out of curiosity - Is there anyone likeable working at ITP, or do they screen-out charisma at the interview stage?

How about a new thread? Those beach pervs are back, a tsunami of masturbating asians is heading your way soon according to 7days.

SSx

Anonymous said...

There are nice people working at ITP. I think I passed one in the corridor once.
Seriously though, the company culture at ITP is pretty ruthless - you have to become devious and cunning just to survive the forest of frenzied backstabbing.

That, or have a prior criminal record.

Anonymous said...

1) Like only the morally bankrupt ITP staff pocket expensive gifts.
2) Like Dubai journalists aren't buyable for pennies.
3) Like hacks won't accept gifts such as Playstations, mobiles and DVD players.
4) Like the PRs and clients that give these things out aren't part of the problem.
5) Like you all work for publications that don't have a news agenda influenced by ad revenue.

Anyway, shouldn't you all be off somewhere writing whatever the government's telling you to?

Anonymous said...

Sorry Banal, you've made a salient point there.

Anonymous said...

I heard about this too. My magic ball tells me the the cheeky PR lady represents Toshiba may be?? And it was worth over 2000 dollars. Such a shame that group cheerleaders cannot lead by example. Mafio Fade you say? It's funny Fade sounds like Wade.

Anonymous said...

A journalist winning a product at a technology press launch? The horror.

Anonymous said...

anon @ 23.53 - think you've missed the point (perhaps deliberately?).

Anonymous said...

The business desk 'hacks' at GN regularly pocket freebies; grow up it's dubai-wide problem
And you seriously believe the phone was worth $2000?! 7,000 dirham freebies?
Get a life

Anonymous said...

This is to anon at 16.46.

I was refering to the Toshiba laptop the ITP journo won and NOT the phone!

Hope that is clear now.

Anonymous said...

I used to work for ITP and despite heavy debt, leaving the company after 6 months of politics and problems was the best thing I've ever done.

In the 6 months I was there, there wasn't one month where I had an editor present for the duration. In consecutive months said editor also took a week for a press trip which conveniently fell during closing.

There are some nice people at the company but between the impossible hours, consistently questionable delegation to junior writers and editor's week long press trips, it got a bit ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Ah, the tales we could all tell of press trips. Back in the day, if people were going to bunk off, they'd do it with style. Now they can't even manage that. The generation of today - shocking.