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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The Loosening Of American News Anchors – Don Lemon, Joy Reid, Jim Acosta and other anchors who’ve lost their network jobs have found a new, more casual way to broadcast via Substack. In January, the online platform that allows content creators to build subscription-based communities began giving users the ability to publish live video. And the former celebrity anchors could not be happier. The New York Times explains the phenomenon and how it may be the death knell of legacy media.
Are You A Hostile Punctuator??? – You might not often think about it, but punctuation – a period, question mark or extra exclamation point – can change the perception of tone and even the meaning of the communication. As digital communication has evolved, punctuation has become more powerful and more debatable (depending on your age). Time magazine looks at how punctuation has changed and where it might go from here.
He Wanted To Fix Local News. It’s Harder Than He Thought. – Jeremy Gulban had a noble idea: save local journalism. Gulban, the 50-year-old head of an IT company in New Jersey began by buying one local newspaper. Today he owns 92, and he’s beginning to realize how difficult it may be to save America’s local news outlets. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at what’s working and not working.
The Ford Executive Who Kept Score of Colleagues’ Verbal Flubs – Apparently we aren’t the only ones who find joy in keeping track of cliché dyslexia. Mike O’Brien, an executive at Ford, has kept a meticulous log of mixed metaphors he’s heard colleagues utter over the course of his career, and the result is something to behold. Some of his colleagues think it’s all “bridge under the water.” Mike doesn’t think so. The Wall Street Journal shares Mike’s story.
The Conservative Women’s Magazine With Big Ambitions – At times it seems like all we hear about is the death of legacy media. So why would a young couple decide to start a new women’s lifestyle magazine? In 2019, husband and wife Gabriel Hugoboom and Brittany Martinez did just that when they launched Evie. And, six years in, the “conservative Cosmo” has found an audience. The New York Times takes a look.
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Feed Your Head:
Gen Z Says If Your Email Address Looks Like This, You’re Probably Old
The Surprising Health Benefits Of Swearing
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flack
: one who provides publicity
flack
: 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.