Substack, Media Fragmentation & PR

How the Explosion in News Creators impact Communications Pros It was inevitable. The ability to profit from a personal news brand through the creation and distribution of original content has gotten even easier. “We the media” started 15+ years ago with CGM/blogging and, to a lesser degree, podcasting and has evolved to the point where established journalists…… Continue reading Substack, Media Fragmentation & PR

White House Communications Team Encounters Turbulence

Did @PressSec’s Staff Seek Journalists’ Questions in Advance? White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) I suppose it’s all relative. Compared to the horrific daily White House press briefings of the last four years — when there were any — the transparent and truthful approach of President Biden’s new Press Secretary…… Continue reading White House Communications Team Encounters Turbulence

The 2019 PR/Media Quiz

Some years ago, frustrated by the lack of a mechanism to assess prospective PR agency candidates, I developed a questionnaire on media and PR trends that served as a non-scientific barometer for hiring. It was not intended as a measure of whether a candidate will ultimately succeed in the job, but rather one that speaks…… Continue reading The 2019 PR/Media Quiz

Do Paid Media Walls Further Divide Our Nation?

Hardly a day passes without my seeing a tweet from or about Civil, a new enterprise that will use blockchain technology and the sale of tokens to revive and sustain the badly battered journalism profession. Reimagining the news with #blockchain-based architecture https://t.co/xx50xG4ntU — Civil (@Join_Civil) August 24, 2018 Today the purveyors of high quality news are not only…… Continue reading Do Paid Media Walls Further Divide Our Nation?

Rachel Maddow, Journalist First

A common refrain from the media cognoscenti goes something like this: Try listening, reading or watching those whose views run counter to your own. It may open your eyes to how others see the world. I hear this constantly from friends, family, and way too many social science pundits.  To them I say: bullshit. I will…… Continue reading Rachel Maddow, Journalist First

Pitch Imperfect: PR’s Lost Art

In previous end-of-the-year assessments of the public relations biz, I’ve tackled the following trends and developments: 2015: The need for PR pros to consider paid digital marketing schemes to advance their client’s communications objectives, i.e., “we no longer can rely solely on the benevolence of journalists to tell their stories (“New Media & The PR…… Continue reading Pitch Imperfect: PR’s Lost Art

Fake News & The PR Professional

IABC New York recently convened a panel exploring the subject of fake news and, specifically, its relevance (and danger) to the public relations professional. Joining the session, held at Fleishman-Hillard’s NYC offices, were: FH executive and former New York Times veteran editor Tim Race,  Brett Lofgren, President, North America and Global CRO of NewsWhip and PR industry…… Continue reading Fake News & The PR Professional