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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“We Sometimes Have to Hear Speech We Hate,” Legal Experts Weigh in on the Campus Crisis – Where does free speech end and hate speech begin? That was essentially the question posed by Republican Representative Elise Stefanik to the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and MIT during congressional hearings this week. Following her testimony, University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill resigned. As bad as the crisis is, the communication about this issue by these universities and others has only made the situation worse. Salon digs deep.
Publisher of Sports Illustrated Ousts CEO Ross Levinsohn – Earlier this week, Ross Levinsohn, CEO of Sports Illustrated’s parent company, was fired following a scandal involving the publication’s use of AI-generated stories by fake authors. The company previously fired its COO, media president and corporate counsel over this same issue. It makes us wonder: who wrote this story? Deadline takes a closer look.
Reading Print Magazines is an Elite Pursuit – Print magazines are gone for good. Why would you read print magazines when you can get the same content online, right?
Not so fast. Similar to the resurgence of vinyl records, print magazines are coming back in a big way. And publications like Mountain Gazette and The Golfer’s Journal are leading the way, with Nylon, Saveur and others following closely behind. As you’ll see, these magazines are not what you remember. They’re gorgeous, expensive (like $50/issue) and only come a few times a year. Some look closer to coffee table books than traditional magazines. This is a trend we like, and it’s just beginning. GQ has the story.
Zara Pulls Campaign That Critics Said Resembled Gaza Destruction – File this under: “We’re not making this stuff up.” Fashion brand Zara has pulled its latest ad campaign that critics said resembled the destruction in Gaza. In the ads a model stands surrounded by mannequins with missing limbs and others covered in plastic shrouds, which some said made them look like corpses. NPR explains the mess.
Elon Musk Is Going Down a Conspiratorial Rabbit Hole and Taking X With Him – Elon Musk has vowed to turn X into an “everything app” in which users can communicate, shop, listen to podcasts, watch videos, etc. But to this point, it doesn’t seem to be going very well. However, last weekend Musk took a big step by welcoming … drumroll please … Alex Jones back to the platform! Get some popcorn. CNN details the latest.
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Feed Your Head:
Here are the 25 Most-viewed Articles on Wikipedia in 2023
Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year Is a Common One. But It Doesn’t Mean What You Think.
Teens, Social Media and Technology in 2023
Naming a Business or Product? The Two-Step Tim Ferriss Method Can Make It Unforgettable
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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.