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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Kanye West: No American Icon Has Ever Self-destructed So Spectacularly – Not so long ago, Kanye West was on top of the world. He first rose to fame as a producer and then released his massively successful first solo record, “The College Dropout,” in 2004. Since then, he’s become one of the most successful recording artists in the world; he’s become a fashion designer; and it seemed almost everything he touched turned to gold. And then, all of sudden, it turned into a dumpster fire’s dumpster fire. The Guardian tries to get its arms around the mess that is Kanye West.
Welcome to Geriatric Social Media – You’re not crazy. Social media is changing, maybe in more ways than you realize. And more changes are coming. The Atlantic looks at the history of social media, how it’s evolved and what’s likely around the corner. Hint: Don’t sleep on Tik-Tok. This is well worth a read.
TikTok Creators Are Reinventing the Scathing Restaurant Review – Reading scathing restaurant reviews is a guilty pleasure many of us have indulged in, whether we admit it or not. That said, it seems scathing restaurant reviews have become less common in recent years. Many magazine and newspaper critics will simply not review a restaurant if they have a bad experience. And that’s where the opportunity arises. Bon Appétit takes a look at the trend of scathing restaurant reviews happening on Tik-Tok and other social platforms. Their reach and influence are very real and growing.
Elon Musk Is Awkwardly Haggling with Stephen King Over the Price of a Blue Check Mark – Since closing on his purchase of Twitter for $44 billion last week, Elon Musk has been busy. He famously fired the CEO and other top officers, he mentioned he may bring back Vine and discussed various ways for Twitter to become profitable. And now he’s arguing with Stephen King about a potential monthly $20 fee for users to keep their blue checkmark. You cannot make this stuff up. Mashable has the scoop.
‘Deepfakes’ of Celebrities Have Begun Appearing in Ads, With or Without Their Permission – Deep fakes are here, and they’re very real. In case you’ve missed it, deepfakes are videos in which a person’s face or body has been digitally altered. You think you’re watching Tom Cruise, but that’s not Tom Cruise or even an impersonator. It’s a video created with artificial intelligence that replaced the likeness of one person with another. And now celebrity deepfakes are being used in advertising without the celebrity’s permission. Cue the attorneys. The Wall Street Journal has the latest.
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Feed Your Head:
Want Power? Stop Saying ‘Sorry’ So Much
Why US Street Signs Look Different Than The Rest Of The World’s
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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.