Emma's picks of today's Good and Bad PR...

Good PR
It’s official- video games make you smarterer. Today’s good PR goes to Nintendo, as it has been found that pupils who play its ‘brain training’ range experience improved punctuality, mathematical skills and attendance.

The study, conducted by Scottish Scientists for the British Journal of Education Technology, trialled 600 children in 32 of the country’s most deprived schools. Given the Nintendo DS on which to ‘train their brains’, the study found that those who played the game for 20 minutes each morning improved their score on a 100 question mental arithmetic test by 50%.

Children can now officially use this as ammo against nagging parents: ‘Don’t tell me to get off my Gameboy mum, I’m not aimlessly playing, put improving my cognitive processes.’ (or something like that)

Bad PR
It has today been announced that the coalition government will go ahead with plans to switch off the FM and medium-wave radio signals in favour of digital; leaving thousands more than a little peeved.

The news means that thousands around Britain will have no option but to shell out for new digital radio equipment for their cars and homes; some of which could cost up to £300. The switchover is intended for 2015, and will make ordinary car and home radio’s without a digital receiver obsolete.

Now, I know that we have to move on and that digital is a good thing; but as no plans to offer reduce-cost digital equipment to make the change a little easier to afford have been announced, this news has not been welcomed by many.