I’ve been thinking about the return to television of “24,” the tense, terrorist-inspired weekly drama whose ticking digitized clock gave “60 Minutes” stopwatch a run for its money. The gripping Fox TV series, which fulfilled the Republicans’ playbook for inciting homeland fear, disappeared from my home screen eons ago, and will soon return to a […]
Jack Bauer’s Return Read More »
If authenticity is the new PR buzzword, then who’s going to explain it to Sen. Obama’s PR consiglieres? Didn’t anyone learn anything from the faux photo-ops and canned colloquialisms deployed by the Bushies to intentionally deceive the public these last seven years? Americans so desperately want a commander-in-chief with a reasonable command of the English
Dear Hillary, Yes, I see the daily e-mails from you, Terry, Bill, Chelsea and Geoff, but I’m afraid they’ve fallen short in pulling me back into your fold. Do you remember the PR advice I offered up in January and February? Be authentic, lay off Sen. Obama, and direct all your attention to this administration’s
A Blown Nomination Read More »
Al Jazeera – Several dead in Jerusalem attack. At least eight people have been killed and 35 more wounded in a shootout at a Jewish school in west Jerusalem. Agencies quoted witnesses as saying that two armed men entered the yeshiva, or religious school, and opened fire on Thursday. Reuters – At least eight people
First Writes of Last Rites Read More »
A firm for which I once toiled had a policy that discouraged its professionals from commenting in the media on the public relations quagmires of others. I think it stemmed from an incident in which one of our Asian colleagues publicly skewered the PR strategy for a very high profile crisis. One problem: it was
Debatable Instincts Read More »
Near the end of “Michael Clayton,” the lawyer played by George Clooney approached his boss played by Sydney Pollack with a document that would cast a long-time client in a most egregious and indefensible light. Pollack turned to Clooney and matter-of-factly quipped that he knew this client had problems from day one, but the law
Political Hedge Money Read More »
When working with a bona fide newsmaker, PR counselors often have the luxury to choose which media outlets merit access to their client. The smart PR types are quite judicious about whom they court. The not-so-smart ones are under the illusion that more equals better — a strategy often best suited for B and C-listers.
I can’t remember an election campaign that had so many debates. It used to be that the League of Women Voters would sponsor a debate here and there, and that was that. The League pulled out in 1988 proclaiming a fraud perpetrated on the American people. Back in 2000, I represented the Commission on Presidential
I was scratching my head today on what to write. Could the see-saw world of Hillary Clinton stomach yet another opinion, especially after her post-Primary winning proclamation? “In the last week I have listened to you and in the process I found my own voice.” Or rather…her PR handlers finally let her find her voice
Tooling around the Web this weekend, I stumbled across this curious item that quoted my left coast friend and sometimes PR collaborator Howard Bragman of 15 Minutes fame. Apparently, the editorial minds at Radar thought it would be a good idea to pose a “how would you handle” scenario to the Hollywood hypemaster. Unfortunately the
