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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MS … NOW? As MSNBC Rebrands, A $20 Million Effort To Avoid Confusion. – After three decades, the MSNBC brand will be retired Nov. 15 when it sheds its MSNBC identity and replaces it with MS NOW. In a new ad campaign that debuted this week, the network is striving to reclaim the idea of patriotism for its left-leaning audience. Viewership has fallen as liberals dispirited by President Trump’s second term have tuned out the news. So far this year, MSNBC’s total audience is down 34 percent from 2024, according to Nielsen. The New York Times explores if this identity change will solve the network’s problems.
How Gavin Newsom Built An Online Influencer Machine – Gavin Newsom utilized a new political strategy of leveraging liberal influencers on platforms like Substack, YouTube, and TikTok for his redistricting ballot measure (Prop 50). This adaptive approach integrates content creators into fundraising, rapid response, and events, reflecting Newsom’s focus on the evolving media landscape and Democrats’ need to counter conservative media. But will it work? Politico takes a look.
A.I. Sweeps Through Newsrooms, But Is It A Journalist Or A Tool? – Artificial intelligence is sweeping through newsrooms, transforming the way journalists around the world gather and disseminate information. Traditional news organizations increasingly use tools from companies like OpenAI and Google to streamline work that used to take hours: sifting through reams of information, tracking down sources and suggesting headlines. And some outlets, including Fortune and Business Insider, have used A.I. to write full articles. So is this good or bad for journalism and the reader? A journalist, hopefully, at The New York Times tries to figure it out.
If Your Content Needs Explaining, It’s Not Good Enough – Marketing has a long-standing love affair with cleverness. The wink in a headline, the double meaning in a tagline, the campaign designed to be “decoded” by those in the know. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Nobody cares about your clever line as much as you do. People aren’t sitting around with extra brainpower waiting to decode your message. They’re half-awake, half-distracted, juggling emails, TikToks, and Slack pings. If they don’t get what you’re selling in the first five seconds, they’re gone. Inc. explores and explains the benefits of valuing clarity over cleverness.
Why Screaming Is All the Rage – Screaming is a thing now. And everyone seems to be screaming into the void these days. News items pop up about people who have gathered to scream — not in protest, just to scream — all over the country. In a new twist on service journalism, the Los Angeles Times ran a guide to the best screaming spots in the city; similar guides exist for other metropolitan areas. Even Backpacker magazine recognized demand, running a listicle of “6 Great Voids to Scream Into This Election Season.” Grab a cup of coffee as The New York Times takes a deep dive into this very loud trend.
What The Look Of Your Favorite Podcast Is Trying To Tell You – Most podcast sets seem pretty minimalistic – drab drapes, a couple of overstuffed chairs, large microphones and maybe a strategically placed (and possibly sponsored) knick knack or two. But there’s more going on here than you may think. The New York Times dives into what’s going on behind the conversions and it’s a lot. With roots tying back to the sets of Oprah, Howard Stern and even Wayne’s World, check out this deep dive on the art and science of set design.
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Feed Your Head:
How ‘ The Office’ Memes Became the Language of the Internet
Good Obit:
James Watson, Co-Discoverer of The Structure of DNA, Is Dead at 97
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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.