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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Your Local Newspaper Might Not Have a Single Reporter – You didn’t misread that headline. Some local newspapers are operating without a single reporter. “Ghost newsrooms” are a growing phenomenon and a sobering development in an industry that has been gutted by the rise of digital media and large technology companies. The Wall Street Journal digs in.
Are Christmas Cards a Dying Art? – Have you noticed you seem to be receiving fewer Christmas cards over the past few years? If so, you’re not alone. Southern Living takes a serious look at the dying art of Christmas cards.
You’ve Received an Interview Request From a Reporter. Should You Accept or Decline? – Last week, CBS Sunday Morning did an in-depth piece on the issue of electronic waste. Think of all the laptops, phones and other electronic equipment you’ve thrown away or even e-cycled. It turns out a lot that stuff ends up somewhere you may not have expected. To address this issue, the reporter reached out to Apple and Samsung (7:50-minute mark) and requested interviews with corporate executives. One company declined, the other accepted. Watch this piece see which company fared better.
Succeeding at the “Social” Part of ESG – There’s been plenty of talk about Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in 2023. A few years ago many companies wouldn’t stop talking about their ESG efforts. Today, many companies are saying much less about ESG initiatives, and some are stepping away from ESG altogether. Harvard Business Review takes a hard look at the state of ESG and goes particularly deep on the role “social” can play in a firm’s efforts.
Audio Books Just Got Cheaper — If You Know Where to Look – The number of books Americans read has been declining for years, but, ever since the debut of smartphones, audiobooks have been growing at a torrid pace. The only problem with audiobooks is subscriptions to Audible and other services can get very pricey. But in a bold move, Spotify has changed the game. Check how you can get audiobooks at a fraction of what you have been paying.
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Feed Your Head:
This is How You Improve Short-term Memory
Sick of Receiving Passive-Aggressive Emails? Here’s How to Handle it.
Google Will Start Deleting Unused Gmail Accounts Today. Here’s How to Stop Them.
Obits Worth Reading:
Shane MacGowan: Twilight of a Celtic Champion
A People’s Obituary of Henry Kissinger
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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.