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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Why Many Brands Have Kept Their Voices Down on Roe v. Wade (So Far) – Over the past few years, many companies have taken public positions on social justice, political and environmental issues, among others. But, Roe v. Wade might be different. While companies including Levi Strauss & Co., OKCupid, Bumble, Ben & Jerry’s and others have issued statements in support of reproductive rights, many others have been noticeably silent to this point. So, what makes this issue different? The Wall Street Journal takes a look.
Farewell to The iPod – When news broke last week that Apple was ending production of the iPod, many responded with: “They still make iPods?” Given our dependence on smart phones for everything, including music, that seems like a reasonable response. It’s hard to believe, but Apple has been making pocket-sized music devices for more than 20 years. To this day, the iPod has legions of passionate fans. When you hear why, you may be going onto eBay or digging through your desk drawers. The New York Times takes a look at the device that changed music forever.
Logos, Ethos, Pathos – True Leaders Practice The Art of Persuasion. Others Tweet Out Trash Talk – Greek Philosopher Aristotle wrote “The Art of Rhetoric,” which defined rhetoric as the “ability to discover the available means of persuasion.” He outlined the three modes of persuasion as logos, ethos and pathos. Lynn Schmidt of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at our political leaders today and shows how most are not living up to Aristotle’s standards. However, Schmidt points out one leader who is doing it in spades. Check it out.
Wait, Trader Joe Was a Real Guy? – We know. You love grabbing the little cart and stocking up on fresh produce, inexpensive wine and that unbelievable focaccia bread. Hell, sometimes you even spot the hidden monkey. A trip to Trader Joe’s has been a weekly ritual for many ever since the grocery chain was founded in Pasadena, California, in 1976 – or at least since TJ’s came to your city. But, Trader Joe’s isn’t just a name. There was a real Trader Joe, and he led a pretty spectacular life. CNN takes a look at Joe Coulombe and the grocery empire he built by being different.
What’s Working for Local TV Stations on Facebook? Posting Early, Killing Hashtags, Skipping Sports – Who watches local TV news these days? Local TV news may not have the audience it once had, but stations across the country have figured out how to reach huge audiences via another medium: Facebook. NiemanLab takes a look at how stations have learned from the past and adjusted their social media strategies to reach larger audiences. How they’ve done it might surprise you.
There’s a New Wordle-Style Game for Food Words – Wordle didn’t exist seven months ago. Now it impacts millions of people every day – perhaps more than they’d care to admit. The latest phenomenon is the emergence of Wordle’s offspring. Food & Wine explores Phoodle (not kidding) – the new Wordle-style game that uses only food-related words. The game was created by cookbook author Julie Loria, and it’s as straightforward and as addictive as it sounds. Hint: start with SAUCE.
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Feed Your Head:
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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.