The Flack

In a crisis, words and promises will only partially deflect the harsh media spotlight. It is decisive action by a company or institution that will put to bed a festering problem. When Harvard president Larry Summers inadvertently opened up the proverbial beehive with his gender-bending comments, it almost cost him his job. It certainly took…… Continue reading Harvard Takes Action…Finally

I love Lara Spencer! I admit it. Not only is she effervescent and nice to look at, but for PR pros, her increasing ubiquity on national television is making her one of the most important, if not prolific, broadcast journalists working today. Forget Katie or even Diane, Lara is the one. Yes, I know E.T.’s…… Continue reading I Love Lara Spencer

After enduring his share of bad news over the years — from the supremely nasty child custody battle to the sinking fortunes of his once-almight cosmetics giant Revlon, Ron Perelman finally received some good news today…in court. Morgan Stanley, which has enough troubles of its own, was ordered to pay Mr. Perelman $605 million for…… Continue reading Perelman and Dunlop

Martin Nisenholtz, New York Times Co. senior vice president and head of New York Times Digital, today presided over a significant announcement in the evolution of the online version of The New York Times. Come September, TimesSelect, as it is called, will debut at $49.95 annually for access to select op-ed columnists, news stories and…… Continue reading TimesSelect

This story is fascinating on many levels. It comes at a time when the MSM is under increasing attack for the veracity of its reporting and the use of non-attributable sources, let alone from a vigilant Administration that prides itself on its ability to control the message. What interested me, from a PR perspective, is…… Continue reading Newsweek Apologizes

After making some progress in the reputation department, the practice of public relations has taken it on the chin of late. C.J. Gregg, Allison Janey’s character on NBC’s “The West Wing” was a strong role model for our industry, to the point where academia even took notice for the study of the profession. Most recently,…… Continue reading Pushy PR Person in Primetime

Malcolm Glazer Tampa Bay Buccaneer owner/businessman Malcolm Glazer’s quest to buy one of the most venerable names in all of pro sports — Manchester United — has hit unprecedented resistance in the UK (and elsewhere). He may look like an Irish leprechaun (is there any other kind?), but as an American — and I believe an…… Continue reading Malcolm in the Middle

Citing pressure from its members, the Niemen Foundation at Harvard cancelled the scheduled media training session for Chinese officals who had hoped to brush up on the U.S. media in preparation for their playing host to the 2008 Olympic Games. It’s incredulous to me that media training, message development, etc. is still viewed insideously by…… Continue reading It’s All Chinese To Me

WMA I recently met the in-house PR guy for the William Morris Agency, Chris Petrikin. He is by my estimation a solid communications professional who has served both on the media and clients sides of the dance. Chris now appears to be caught in the middle of a very public spat between his bosses who have…… Continue reading William Morris’s PR Woes

I will try my best not to politicize this space, even though personal bias seems to be encouraged in this medium called the blogosphere. Yet, one can’t help but have noticed how the wayward plane in Washington dominated the headlines yesterday and today, severely diluting the “news” of Macauley’s testimony. (Those in the PR profession…… Continue reading The Wheels of Fortune