robhayes's blog

Okay guys and girls, not really too much to say here. We're pretty well versed in what needs to happen. 

Come in with a couple of story ideas. Hopefully you'll all have a couple of things on the go throughout the day. 

- We'd really like everyone to have at least one small story up for when we go live at 9.

- Pleeeease try and work a multimedia/other digital offering interaction (love it) element into all of your stories.

- Remember to put plenty of links in your stories. 

At the risk of sounding unpopular... Would it be possible to have a session in the TV studio during our Convergent slot next week?

I'm not sure about everyone else but I don't think I am comfortable enough with the equipment to be able to pull off a lovely and sparkly TV news day.

I think we'd all rather not be caught with our trousers down again like on the radio news day.

I'll take my beatings like a man... crying.. in the foetal position.

Rob and Nick passed a shorthand mock and are on course to greatness.

Winners!

... this is worrying.

Ian Collins, who presents the late show on talkSPORT and managed to get the creator of the Raoul Moat tribute group on Facebook to take part in an interview live on air. (Scroll down slightly for the media player)

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Robert Dee was officially crowned the worst pro tennis player in the world after a run of 54 straight-set loses. He decided to sue for defamtion claiming it harmed his reputation... weird.

Stephen Adams of the Telegraph, points out the risk to newspapers if they stand up to these 'conditional fee agreements', otherwise known as 'no win, no fee' claims.

I ventured into the blogs and opinion section on the Sky Sports website this morning (which is something I hardly ever do) and found this blog on Paul Scholes. There has been a lot of press surrounding Scholes since his last-gasp winner against Manchester City on Saturday.

I appreciate it isn't everyone's cup of tea but if you are a Man Utd fan, a Paul Scholes fan or just a football fan, you might enjoy it.

Not my words but the words of Ian Dunt for politics.co.uk.

He talks about the Times Online's decision to implement a pay wall in June by charging £1 per day or £2 a week for their content. He also discusses the possibility of the Indie becoming free by the end of the year.

I like his view that journalism shouldn't go down the road of being fully funded by advertising and become free to consumers:

I suppose if you want to try and engage that tricky demographic of 18-20 year old males, then having a director of hardcore porn films standing in an election is probably the way to go.

That's what the Liberal Democrats in Gravesham have done. Anna Arrowsmith managing director of adult film company, Easy on the Eye will be tasked with taking on current Gravesham MP, Adam Holloway for his parliamentary seat in this year's election.

You can always tell when a major football tournament is around the corner when there is a massive drama surrounding the availability to a key England player.

Just to clarify that I am not talking nonsense and that there is, in fact, a curse on us, here are some are the biggest storylines to appear in this soap opera that has haunted England in the last 10 years:

2002:

The Daily Mail list of 'things that give you cancer'