Fake News and Its Threat to Democracy

My first social media post of the day happened on Facebook and involved Twitter. It cited USA Today’s story on Twitter’s audacious decision to ban from its platform hundreds of offensive “alt right” accounts. My morning gripe had less to do with Twitter’s sudden cleanse of hate-spreaders on its platform and more about the absence…… Continue reading Fake News and Its Threat to Democracy

Trump: The Art of the Lie

It’s hard to imagine how Mr. Trump can survive the incessant onslaught of negative media coverage until the GOP Convention in July, let alone the general election. (I imagine GOP kingmakers are currently conspiring on how to blackmail their controversial candidate to bow out of the race and begrudgingly endorse a Ryan or Romney in…… Continue reading Trump: The Art of the Lie

When Journalism Fails to Deliver

                  Today one of the most astute chroniclers of all things technology tossed his former fellow tech scribes under the bus for their inability to separate fact from fiction when it came to the scientific claims of one prickly healthcare startup CEO. I’m talking about Theranos of…… Continue reading When Journalism Fails to Deliver

Trump Campaign Manager Accosts Reporter

The industry’s most effective public relations professionals zealously guard and champion the interests of their clients. They know the mindsets of those they’re paid to serve and what keeps them awake at night. Sometimes, however, this unfettered devotion crosses an ethical boundary as several folks witnessed last night when Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski…… Continue reading Trump Campaign Manager Accosts Reporter

Let Hillary Be Hillary

PR Week news editor Frank Washkuch posted an opinion piece today lamenting the Clinton campaign’s shortsightedness in its dealings with the national press corps assigned to cover it. The title of the piece pretty much summed up his sentiment “Time for the Clinton campaign to change course on media relations.” Clinton advance aides create a…… Continue reading Let Hillary Be Hillary

Trump, Cyrus and Swift: Contrasting Characters

In an age when the threshold is high for breaking through the clutter of an incessant news stream, ambitious newsmaker wannabes and their PR enablers have used all kinds of gimmicks to capture the media’s attention. Some are pre-fabricated, while others lack taste. Rare is the staged event that can shake its PR vestiges and emerge as…… Continue reading Trump, Cyrus and Swift: Contrasting Characters