• Jun 21 2012
  • 2:48pm
There's only one way for Bahrain to fix its PR problem
Bahrain is a country with a PR problem.
  • Jul 12 2011
  • 5:10pm
Tasers, traffic police and a Ferrari
I’ve probably done more radio interviews about Tasers than any other single subject.
  • Jun 28 2011
  • 4:45pm
Tomorrow Never Flies… into Burma
What do Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep and Katie Holmes have in common?
  • Jun 20 2011
  • 1:47pm
The death of an (extra)ordinary man
When I heard the announcement of Brian Haw’s death on Radio 2 I was saddened and impressed – impressed that the death of this ordinary man should be announced by the BB...
  • May 3 2011
  • 6:23pm
Bamboo sticks, batons and the Bank Holiday
I was on my way home from a long weekend in Norfolk yesterday when I took a call about torture. Sorry, enhanced interrogation techniques.
  • Dec 3 2010
  • 2:34pm
The World Cup. Falling foul of the rules (and we're not talking offside)
I have been known to complain bitterly to my colleagues when we look at what’s in the media each day about the prominence of what I describe as “sport purporting to be ...
  • Aug 4 2010
  • 3:06pm
Reputation laundering? It will all come out in the wash.
What do Saudia Arabia, Rwanda, Russia, Sri Lanka and, er, Guernsey have in common?
  • Jul 9 2010
  • 2:45pm
I spy with my little eye something prohibited under international law
Everyone, me included, loves a spy story whether the fictional sort, including the exploits of  James Bond and George Smiley, or the real-like variety, including
  • Apr 20 2010
  • 4:32pm
Thailand: time to end abuses on all sides
Yesterday, Amnesty called for all sides in Thailand’s widening political conflict to immediately commit to ending human rights abuses, yet today
  • Dec 18 2009
  • 3:33pm
Too late for Tulay
The murder of Tulay Goren by her own father would be shocking wherever it happened, and Amnestys work on Turkey, Iraq and several other countries clearly shows that honour killings...
Mike

About me

20 years ago we didn't email each other and we certainly didn't blog - we faxed a bit but generally wrote, and sent press releases in the post. I used to get a lot of mailings addressed not to me by my correct name, Mike Blakemore, but using variations of it. Blackmore was most common but somebody wrote to Mike Blanchard. Another called me Derek and my colleagues put the two together.