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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How Twitter Turned Kimmy Schmidt Into a ‘KKK Queen’ — Today, with social media, a good reputation can be damaged or lost almost instantly. And that’s exactly what happened to actor Ellie Kemper, best known for her roles on The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. On May 31, someone tweeted a photo of a 22-year-old newspaper clipping of Kemper being crowned the queen of a debutante ball in St. Louis, saying, “So was no one gonna tell me Ellie kemper aka kimmy Schmidt was crowned KKK queen in 1999.” And just like that, Kemper’s life and reputation changed drastically. Rolling Stone explains how it happened (from a technology standpoint) and how Kemper responded.
Our Digital Pasts Weren’t Supposed to Be Weaponized Like This — A celebrity or someone recently appointed to a prominent position is brought down by someone finding skeletons in their digital closet with increasing regularity. It could be a social media post or even a text from years ago. In May, Emily Wilder, who had just been hired by The Associated Press, was fired for what it said was her social media conduct while she worked for the media outlet. But many believe it was because of her pro-Palestinian social media posts from her days at Stanford. The New York Times takes a good look at the weaponization of social media and what it means moving forward.
Emotionally Intelligent People Embrace the 5-Minute Rule — Have you ever sat with what seemed like a huge task ahead of you, only to keep putting it off by watching YouTube videos or searching for things online? Most of us have. Starting to work on a large, complicated project can be difficult, and procrastination can seem inevitable. Emotionally intelligent people embrace the “Five-Minute Rule” to push past procrastination and stay productive. Learn how.
The Latest Victim of COVID-19: In-Flight Magazines — There are many things we take for granted and don’t appreciate until they’re gone. Earlier this month, American Airlines announced it would be joining Southwest and Delta by terminating its magazine, American Way. What will we flip through while waiting for the beverage cart (wait, has that vanished, too)? USA Today takes a look at the death of a media segment most hadn’t thought much about…until now.
Be Prepared for the Obvious (Albeit, Sticky) Question: Have You Ever Used Spider Tack? — It’s the midpoint of the 2021 MLB season, and the bats have been uncharacteristically quiet. Currently the league batting average is an absurdly low .232, and there have already been six no-hitters (the record for a season is seven). So why can’t batters hit the ball? Many believe pitchers are using Spider Tack, an illegal substance, which allows them to put more spin on the ball, thus making life very difficult for hitters. Last week, Yankees starter Gerrit Cole was asked point-blank by New York Post reporter Kevin Davidoff if he had ever used Spider Tack. Let’s just say, Cole was not ready for a very predictable question.
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Feed Your Head: Why We, Um, Use Filler Language…and Why It’s, Uh, Not Always A Bad Thing
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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.