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The Flack

TThe Flack™ for Friday, August 27, 2021

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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Taliban Fights Trust Deficit With PR Blitz — Since taking Kabul, the Taliban have been working hard to convince the world they are not the same Taliban that killed tens of thousands and severely limited women’s freedom. These days Taliban soldiers are posing for selfies, smiling at reporters and even sitting down for interviews with female journalists. So is this really a new Taliban or is it just a ruse? Al Jazeera digs in.

The Rise Of The American Gun Logo — In recent years you may have noticed an uptick in company and brand logos featuring guns. Black Rifle Coffee Company is one of the more recent examples of a company building a multi-billion-dollar brand with a logo featuring a firearm even though their product, coffee, has nothing to do with firearms. Black Rifle Coffee is not alone. Data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows in recent years there’s been a surge in firearms imagery in company logos. Marker takes a look at what’s behind this growing trend.

Johnson & Johnson And Tesla Show Importance Of Restoring Public Trust After A Crisis — Crisis communications is about identifying vulnerabilities and preparing for each scenario that could damage an organization and its brand. Earlier this year Johnson & Johnson had to manage blood clotting linked to the company’s COVID-19 vaccine, while Tesla had a fatal accident in one of the company’s self-driving cars. Crisis communications experts weigh in and discuss the four essential skills you need to bounce back.

With Nielsen Under Scrutiny, NBCU Wants To Build New Measurement System — Nielsen Ratings seem to have been around forever, and they often decide the fates of programs and, at times, careers. Nielsen Media Research was founded in the 1920s. The company released its first radio ratings in 1947 and its first TV ratings in 1950. But media and how it’s consumed has changed drastically over the years, and many feel the Nielsen system is obsolete and inaccurate. NBCUniversal believes it has a solution. Variety digs into the future of audience measurement.

Microsoft Word Spell Check Problems: 8 Tips And Fixes — Thanks to technology –  and spell check specifically – we are now raising generations of children who’ve never felt obligated to hone their spelling skills. And it’s understandable, as the software will fix everything. Until it doesn’t. Microsoft Word can have glitches, and spell check is not immune. If you’ve noticed issues, these tips can quickly get you back to forgetting how to spell.

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An Obit Worth Reading:  Charlie Watts, Drummer for the Rolling Stones, Dies at 80

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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.