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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Target’s New CEO Gets Brutal Welcome: Protesters Storm HQ On First Day Over ICE Operations – So, you’ve always wanted to be CEO? This week Target’s new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, faced immediate protests on his first day over the company’s stance on ICE operations. Demonstrators demanded the company condemn federal immigration agents and train staff on ICE encounters. Fiddelke’s measured response, focusing on strategic priorities without directly addressing the ICE issue, risks alienating both progressive customers and powerful investors. International Business Times digs into a sticky situation.
Washington Post Lays Off One-Third Of Staff In Bid To Reshape The Company – The Washington Post is laying off one-third of its staff, impacting newsroom and other departments, to reshape its business model and journalism. Facing a $77M loss in 2023 and $100M in 2024 due to declining traffic, the Post aims to break even in 2026. Restructuring includes closing the sports department, shrinking international coverage to focus on national news, investigations and health, and suspending its podcast. This move seeks greater flexibility and audience relevance, though it risks hindering critical reporting.The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the changes and what they mean for journalism.
Call Screening Is Aggravating The Rich And Powerful – The iPhone’s call-screening feature, introduced with iOS 26, uses an automated voice to vet unknown callers, asking for their name and reason for dialing. This aims to combat spam but has inadvertently given users an “executive assistant” to filter calls, frustrating some wealthy and powerful individuals. The feature acts like a CEO’s assistant, gathering information before a call connects, and is seen by some as a matter of convenience rather than emulating high-profile assistants. The Wall Street Journal looks at the debate.
Can Shoes Alter Your Mind? What Neuroscience Says About Foot Sensation And Focus – Nike claims their shoes can activate the brain, heighten sensory awareness, and improve concentration via foot stimulation. While feet have thousands of mechanoreceptors sending signals to the somatosensory cortex, influencing movement and proprioception, neuroscience suggests marketing claims are exaggerated. The Conversation tries to get to the truth.
Pens Have Gone Extinct – Pens are largely extinct, replaced by phones and keyboards. This shift raises questions about writing quality: does the enforced slowness of penmanship foster more thoughtful prose? This is worth a read, and maybe jot down a note or two after reading. (free article but requires log in).
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Good Obit:
OBIT: Gladys West, Unsung Figure in Development of GPS, Dies at 95
Feed Your Head:
America Needs Restraint — And Facts
What’s With That Voice People Use When Reciting Poetry?
Happy Super Bowl:
Want To Watch Super Bowl 2026 Commercials Early? These Ads Are Already Live.
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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.