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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Amid a Slowing Economy, Some Companies Have Been Dropping DEI Jobs – After the death of George Floyd in May 2020, the demand for corporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) jobs soared. And since that time, hardly a week goes by without companies promoting their DEI goals and achievements. But a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling coupled with a slowing economy seem to have dampened enthusiasm, and now companies are starting to shed DEI jobs. NPR has the story. (3-minute listen)
The Quest to Create the Next ‘Wordle’ – For the past few years Wordle has been a daily ritual for many. However, for some, Wordle has run its course, but The New York Times was ready with “Connections.” The new game presents players with 16 words/phrases. The goal is to figure out what the words/phrases have in common and then sort them into groups of four. Sounds easy. It’s not. Fast Company takes a look at how the “next Wordle” came to be.
Linear TV Viewing Drops Below 50% of US TV Usage for First Time – Broadcast and cable television have reached new lows, while streaming services continue to grow. Variety digs into the data and looks at how television viewing continues to evolve.
On TikTok, Movie Critics Go By Any Other Name – Traditional movie critics, it seems, have gone the way of silent film actors. Influencers on TikTok have quickly taken their place – just don’t call them “critics.” Some of the most influential have millions of followers and can earn tens of thousands of dollars per post (many of which are recorded from the comfort of a dorm room). The New York Times takes a look at the trend.
Times Obituary Writer Damian Arnold on How to Make a Living Out of Death – Can you imagine making a living by writing about death? That’s exactly what obituary writers like Damian Arnold do. The Press Gazette sat down with Arnold to discuss how he does it, why he enjoys it and what he’s learned along the way. It’s an interesting perspective on a morbid profession.
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Beach Reads:
The Surprising Origins of Your F*cking Favorite Swear Words
The Inventor Whose Life Work is Perfecting the Writing Pen
Overlooked No More: Robert M. Budd, Whose Newsstand Was Like No Other
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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.