[EU-lobby-data] my conversation with Ester

Fri Oct 19 13:08:18 UTC 2012

Dear friends,

in the last few days we've been madly busy with the scandal around 
Commissioner Dalli and the tobacco lobby, but I'm trying to get back to 
the crucial work on lobbyfacts.eu (launch is now only six weeks away). 
Monday I met with Ester Arauzo to discuss her work on writing texts for 
the website, some of the background texts and then the first blog 
stories. She will write 3-4 blog stories for the launch date (4 
december) and a few more that we can post later in December and early 
January.

The blog stories should in principle be based on what can be found out 
through fairly simple research using the website; the purpose is to show 
what the website can be used for. Ester would like to start working 
right away, so her question for Friedrich is when the website will be 
ready for internal use? I guess this willr equire updating the tables as 
well (lists of firms, consultancies etc.)? Can we prepare tailormade 
data - early November - for the stories Ester will be working on?

We identified the following types of stories:
- blog posts on biggest spenders (overall and per type of lobby actor)
- blog posts on imbalance between industry and NGOs/unions
- blog posts on lobbying by specific sectors (how much spent, how many 
lobbyists)
- flawed registrations (most interesting if famous companies)

I will try to make to develop some more specific ideas for blog stories 
in the coming days; don't hesitate to send me any ideas you may have.

Regarding the background texts, Ester could write texts on 
lobbying-and-the-EU and about the shortcomings of the register. This 
also depends a bit on what we want the webstie to look like in terms of 
static pages. Is there any news on this after your meeting with 
TacticalTech, Timo?

I made a deal with Ester for the rest of this year; if we have budget 
for it we could consider extending it into 2013.

friendly greetings

Olivier

-- 
Olivier Hoedeman
Research and Campaigns Coordinator
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
Rue d'Edimbourg 26,
1050 Brussels, Belgium

http://www.corporateeurope.org
Tel. +32 (0)2 893 0930
Mobile: +32 474 486545
skype: olivierhoedeman
twitter: olivierhoedeman

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