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.
Are You Willing to Pay for News? The Future of Journalism May Depend on It — It seems more and more Americans are willing to pay for online content (Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, etc.) but unwilling to pay for quality journalism. And it appears many factors are driving it. Check out this sharp take from the School of Communication at Purdue University about the importance of paying for solid, unbiased journalism.
“Woke Washing” Your Company Won’t Cut It — As protests continue to rage across the country, companies have rushed to promote their commitment to social justice and align themselves with this historic protest movement. But now many employees and consumers are experiencing “statement fatigue” — a growing disinterest, ambivalence and (at times) outrage toward companies calling for racial justice without taking any significant action. This article from the Harvard Business Review examines “woke washing” and explains how companies can avoid it.
AP Says It Will Capitalize Black but Not white — After changing its usage rules last month to capitalize “Black” in race and culture stories, The Associated Press says it will not do the same with “white” in its influential Stylebook. News organizations usually do their best to stay out of the news, but the AP has put itself squarely in the middle of this debate. And it is a more complicated debate than you might think. This piece from AP media writer David Bauder looks at both sides.
Seven Rules of Zoom Etiquette from the Pros — Before COVID-19, Zoom had roughly 10 million daily participants. In the most recent quarter, the company reported more than 300 million daily users. And while usage has exploded, etiquette seems to have imploded. Earlier this month The Wall Street Journal tapped several experts to develop this quick guide to Zoom etiquette. Dogs, cats, eating and other things are definitely out. Give this a read and share with colleagues who could use some guidance.
No Crisis Plan? No Problem. Follow These 10 Steps to Guide Your Crisis Communications Response — Investing in a crisis communications plan is a lot like buying car insurance. If you wait until you need it, it’s too late. And with COVID-19 and all the social unrest, more companies and organizations have found themselves caught in a crisis, and many have been caught flat footed. This simple 10-step guide from Hamlin Communications can help any organization meet any crisis head on.
The Unexpected Pleasure of Voyeurism — One unexpected pleasure resulting from COVID-19 has been the ability to “visit” the homes of news correspondents who have been forced to broadcast from home. Viewers have enjoyed seeing Al Roker at his breakfast table and The Late Show broadcast from Stephen Colbert’s basement. But Bob Pisani of CNBC has been particularly interesting. Pisani is a collector of vintage rock concert posters and art — everything from Bob Dylan to Soundgarden. And here’s the catch. Pisani rotates new posters and art in his background so fans can see new pieces of his collection every day. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Almost immediately these Reddit and Twitter strings popped up with fans commenting on his daily rotation of rock art. This roundup from the New York Post looks at Pisani and other correspondents who have upped their home-studio game.
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What we’re reading:
CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller
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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.