The Flack

The Flack™ for Friday, August 22, 2025

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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MSNBC Gets New Name And Logo In Major Shakeup, Rachel Maddow Reacts – MS NOW, or My Source for News, Opinion and the World, will be the new name for the left-leaning outlet as it splits off from NBC. The channel’s prominent figures insist that this is a positive change – and that their information gathering efforts will no longer compete with NBC’s other affiliates. The change comes during an increasingly polarized time, and may prove effective at focusing their viewer base on a sole avenue. USA TODAY has the scoop.

Is Your Favorite Social Media Sitcom Actually A Marketing Campaign? – Bilt Rewards has become one of the latest companies to post “episodic social content,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Although their content doesn’t directly mention Bilt, the instagram account @roomiesroomiesroomies creates sitcom-esque videos produced by Bilt Rewards. Other companies such as Little Caesars and Sephora are trying their hand in this revolutionary social media marketing model.  The Wall Street Journal explores this new trend.

Watchmaker Swatch Apologises For ‘Slanted Eye’ Ad After Online Backlash In China – In a controversial advertising campaign, Swiss watchmaker Swatch featured an Asian model pulling his eyelids backwards and upwards. The ensuing social media backlash spread quickly, and Swatch took down all related advertisements. The Swatch brand catalogue relies on China, Hong Kong, and Macau for almost a third of its market share. Read more at Reuters.

Zelenskyy Broke His MO And Showed Up At The White House In A Suit. This Is Why – And How – You Should Dress Up For Big Meetings. – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just made his second visit to the White House this year – but his first one dressed in a suit. Since the war in Ukraine started, he has sported a military shirt and cargo pants in almost every public appearance. After fashion criticism from the Trump administration in February, he seems to have approached the next meeting from a more formal angle. Business Insider provides information on Zelenskyy’s attire as well as tips for readers looking to up their game for their own big meetings.

The Analog Allure Of Photographers’ Contact Sheets – This must-read from The New York Times immerses the audience in a bygone practice: camera film contact sheets. Offering behind-the-scenes angles of famous photographs, this article is a peek into the past.

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Beach Reads:

Chili’s Is Back, Thanks To Its Viral Mozzarella Sticks: Once-Flailing Chain Is Building New Restaurants

‘Skibidi’, ‘Delulu’ And ‘Tradwife’ Among Words Added To Cambridge Dictionary

How Pop Mart Sold The ‘Happy Vibe’ Of Owning A Labubu

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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.