WHO remembers the clunking fist? Today, the volcanic shockwaves thundering through the corridors of power come from a familiar but very different force: the pulverising power of the pen - or, more precisely, newspapers.
The great expenses scandal of 2009 is very good news, not just for newspapers, but also for public relations.
Public relations needs a well-staffed, confident newspaper industry with strong circulation figures.

A DAYTIME drama series made in Liverpool is to get an evening slot on the BBC.
The Moving On series, first screened last month, was made by Liverpool-based production company LA Productions and producer Colin McKeown.

DESIGN firm Milky Tea has praised an industry support scheme that helped it recruit a new digital artist.
The Parliament Street firm took on Chris Cragg through Northwest Vision and Media (NWVM)'s Plug-in placements project to help people win one week to three-month on-the-job training placements in the industry.

Dougal Paver is managing director of Liverpool PR agency Paver Smith

WE ALL know why investment in networking has never been more vital, but it surprises me how many people have fallen off the radar lately.
The networking frenzy that once gripped Liverpool has long-since abated, but the point of networking isn't that it's a quick solution to ensuring a full prospects list - it's that it's a long-term investment in your reputation management.

THE organisers of the Liverpool Sound City festival and music industry conference will this weekend celebrate the success of their project to help young people find new opportunities in the music business.
The project, delivered by Creative Ideas in Action, helped 35 young people from across the city learn new skills in music photography, music journalism and audio and lighting engineering.

GRAFFITI may not normally be associated with classical music - but a Liverpool artist has crossed cultural boundaries by creating new graffiti designs for a chamber orchestra's brochure.
Sophie Backhouse, part of Liverpool-based design firm Nonconform, created a series of images for the Manchester Camerata brochure based on the themes of the orchestra's 2009/10 season.