I found myself reading the latest report from the St Paul’s Institute, Value and Values: Perception of Ethics in the City Today.  It has attracted some media coverage, much more than it probably expected.  But I think for the wrong reasons.  We all know the media thrive on controversy.  So the controversy surrounding the handling of the Occupy LSX encampment on the steps of the cathedral has provided them with a great deal of fodder to pontificate, to condemn, to speculate, to completely misunderstand, and to feed upon.  And it was in this context that the report (publication of which was delayed for a couple of weeks) landed.

What a week it’s been.  From a story that has bubbled around for a couple of year and stayed in the realms of politicians and celebrities to an explosion of industry rocking proportions.  At the end of which the 168 year old title which was the News of the World is closed.  And hasn’t it been exciting with so much of the drama being played out on Twitter.  From tracking the news as it broke – even before it broke – to seeing the speed and impact of the campaigns against advertisers as they started, gained traction and had impact within a matter of hours.  But to claim it was “Twitter what won it”, as so many have, over plays its role and in a small way shows that while Twitter is a serious news tool, it is also ephemeral and prone to over blown hyperbole.

The saying “If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain” is one I had in the front of my mind when I read two recent reports on how best to use campaigning to achieve clear outcomes.  In this case around the need for action on climate change, but the same principles could apply to many aspects of sustainability within the business context.  And interestingly enough in how the various civil society campaigns against government cuts are going to play out in the coming months and years.