Spiked Online

Spiked Online is an online mouthpiece for the libertarian LM group. The site was set up by former Living Marxism editor Mick Hume, and is seen as the magazine's direct descendant. According to its website, Spiked aims to "show the potential of the internet for publishing and journalism". 

History
The LM group believe that society, business and science, especially biotechnology, are being held back by fear of risk and experimentation. Spiked Online is one of two main outlets currently used by the group, the other being the Institute of Ideas, founded by Claire Fox.

Spiked organises numerous seminars with most to date on IT related topics. However, they but have also taken in issues such as genetic engineering, climate change, the debate over vaccination and hosted the Danish environmental sceptic Bjorn Lomborg

Spiked has a close association with the PR firm, Hill & Knowlton. Of the 34 seminars Spiked has organised in the last three years, over half have listed Hill and Knowlton as Spiked's "partner/sponsor" and been held in the PR company's office.

Other sponsors and partners have also included the IBM, the Royal Institution of Great Britain, the Institute of Psychiatry, the corporate lobbying group International Policy Network, the Institute of Ideas and Tech Central Station, and Pfizer

In April 2003 Spiked ran a seminar titled "GM food: should labelling be mandatory?" that was held at the London headquarters of PR firm Hill & Knowlton, in association with the International Policy Network (IPN). 

Spiked online is created and maintained by Rob Lyons, who also created the website for LM group-related lobbying organisation Sense about Science.

Funding
According to its website "Spiked is entirely independent. It is designed and built by volunteers, financed by supporters and sponsors, and written for by unpaid contributors". 

"After securing first-round investment in the midst of the dotcom bust-up, and being designed and built largely by dedicated volunteers, spiked is looking to expand its programme by seeking further funds," the website states. 

Employees

 * Mick Hume, editor
 * Helene Guldberg, managing editor
 * Jennie Bristow, commissioning editor
 * Brendan O'Neill, assistant editor
 * Josie Appleton, writer
 * Sandy Starr, press and PR
 * Rob Lyons, IT manager

SourceWatch resources

 * Hill & Knowlton
 * Clarke Mulder Purdie

Contact details
spiked, Signet House, 49-51 Farringdon Road, London, EC1M 3JP Phone: +44 (0)207 40 40 470 Email: general-enquiriesATspiked-online.com

Articles

 * Andy Rowell and Bob Burton, "Rising Rhetoric on Genetically Modified Crops", PR Watch, Volume 10 No 1, First quarter 2003.
 * "What is Spiked?", accessed August 2007.
 * "Support spiked", accessed October 18, 2004. (This page is in the Internet archive).
 * David Webb, "Liberalism - let's Spike it!", Salisbury Review, Vol 21 No 4, June 2003, pp.25-28
 * "Spiked!," GMWatch.org.
 * Andy Rowell, "LobbyWatch: SMC complaint", April 2007. (This is an edited version of a submission made by Andy Rowell to the board of the Science Media Centre).
 * Rob Johnston, "Ten myths about nuclear power: 'It's dangerous, wasteful and too expensive!' Greens are busily putting the case against nuclear, but there is not a spark of truth in their arguments," Spiked Online, January 9, 2008.
 * George Monbiot, Invasion of the entryists""