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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Royal Photo Scandal: Another Doctored Image Emerges as Kate Middleton Controversy Deepens – The life of a royal is NEVER easy, but in the past few weeks it’s gotten even more difficult. In January, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, had a planned abdominal surgery. Then weeks went by with no news or sightings of Kate. Then came a photo of a smiling Kate with her children which turned out to be altered. This quickly led to rumors of an affair and other conspiracy theories. Now all royal family photos are getting reviewed more closely, and it appears other photos have been doctored. And the evidence is obvious and comical. Welcome to the world of AI-driven paranoia! Marca has details of the royals’ latest PR blunder.
ESPN Boss Jimmy Pitaro’s Chaotic Race to Remake the Sports Giant – For decades ESPN was the most powerful and influential voice in sports. But in recent years the network’s ratings and influence have been fading quickly. That said, Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN’s 54-year-old CEO is racing to reinvent the network’s business and this means stretching ESPN beyond its comfort zone. The Wall Street Journal takes a look.
Apple Is Poised to Go All In on AI, Including a Partnership With Google – AI is scary. It could change the world! It could eliminate your job! It could end human civilization! But could it bring Apple and Google together? Apparently, it can. Inc. has the details.
Why Some 20-Somethings Are Saying No to TikTok – Never say never. 20-somethings who were once addicted to TikTok, are deleting the app in droves over concerns that it can have a negative impact on sleep, work, relationships and life, in general. Apparently the bigger they are, the harder they fall. The Wall Street Journal breaks it down.
Inside the Music Industry’s High-Stakes AI Experiments – The music industry has had to evolve to survive Napster, the iPod and eventually the fully digital world we all seem to take for granted. But can it survive AI? The New Yorker takes a super-deep dive (52-minute listen), and it’s well worth your time.
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Feed Your Head:
Why MLB Is Hosting Opening Day in South Korea
Want to Achieve a Flow State? Maybe Give ‘Not Trying’ a Try, Says New Research
An Obit Worth Reading:
Martin Greenfield, Tailor to Sinatra, Obama, Trump and Shaq, Dies at 95
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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.