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The Flack

The Flack™ for Friday, April 21, 2023

The Flack highlights changes and trends in the news, examples of communications practices, and content we at BYRNE PR thought you might find useful.

We hope you enjoy, and we always welcome your feedback.

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This Private Equity Firm is the Biggest Winner in the Dominion-Fox News Settlement – Earlier this week, Dominion Voting Systems won an historic $787 million settlement with Fox News over allegations the broadcaster defamed the election equipment company. CBS News looks at the winners and losers in the settlement, and the biggest winner may surprise you.

How Elon Musk Is Changing the Twitter Experience – It’s been a rough six months for Twitter since Elon Musk purchased the social media company for $44 billion in October. Musk has said he hopes to evolve Twitter into an app that combines social media, instant messaging and payment services. And while that still may be a dream, several substantial changes have taken place. The New York Times sorts it out.

From the ‘Shoe Phone’ to the Smartphone – Martin Cooper may not be a household name, but on April 3, 1973, he stepped outside the New York Hilton and did something no one had ever done before. He made a phone call from a cellular telephone. Cell phones, now smartphones, have changed the way we do nearly everything, and the biggest changes may be yet to come. The Wall Street Journal sits down with Mr. Cooper, 94, to look at where we’ve been and where we might be going.

Being Funny Can Pay Off More for Women Than Men – Humor can be an effective tool in leadership communication. When done correctly, humor can put people at ease, help them keep perspective and simply make them smile. But is humor as effective for women as it is for men? Previous studies have suggested humor can be effective for male leaders but can be harmful for female leaders. However, new research from Harvard suggests something else entirely. The Harvard Business Review digs into the science and power of being funny.

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Feed Your Head:

What Does Your iPhone Color Say About You?

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flack

noun

: one who provides publicity

flack

verb

: to act as a press agent or promoter for something

The word flack was first used as a noun meaning “publicity agent” during the late 1930s. According to one rumor, the word was coined in tribute to a well-known movie publicist of the time, Gene Flack.