If you try and get the Spin Bunny satirical PR blog today, you may get a ‘404: not found’ error. They’ve been legally shut down.
The blog’s still up as I write this (although some links produce 404s) and the RSS feed was still working. The blog and the feed have this post:
Official statement from Spin Bunny
Spin Bunny received a gagging order last week from solicitors representing a UK PR agency offended by a Bunny story, and seeking recourse to Bunny’s sources. The order prevents us from naming the PR firm.
The team behind Spin Bunny has done its utmost in negotiations over the last week to keep Bunny alive and reach resolution out of court. That effort failed this morning and Bunny’s only option now is to shut down the Spin Bunny blog in order to protect the anonymity of its contributors and its sources.
While I have no idea of the detail behind this, I’m sorry to see this development. Spin Bunny was definitely great reading for off-beat comment and opinion on the UK PR scene.
Guys, hope you can re-emerge soon!
I’m all for satire, and hate to see the lawyers winning, but I’ve all along been suspicious of Spin Bunny’s anonymity. Perhaps they’ve got what they deserve (or is it all a ruse to build their traffic?).
Sites such as Spin Bunny are needed, just to pull back the curtains once in a while.
Do I think the person is in the industry, and is out to prove that PR is a bloodsport? Of course.
Good point, Richard, re a traffic-building ruse. Hadn’t thought of that. But I can’t believe it’s to do with that. Mind you, the site is still up as I write this…
I agree with Jeremy – we need sites like Spin Bunny (the Private Eye of the PR business) to remind us that life definitely does have a darkly comic face. Especially the PR business 😉