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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Baseball Got Faster. But Did The Game Actually Get Better? – Baseball is too slow. That’s been the knock on America’s Pastime for years, but recently MLB has taken major steps to speed up the game. Several changes, including the advent of the pitch clock, have shortened the average game by roughly 30 minutes. And the changes seem to be paying off with attendance and TV ratings ticking up. But the larger question remains: Have these changes been good for the game? That’s debatable. The Wall Street Journal breaks it down.
The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books – You read that correctly. Students are arriving at elite universities unprepared to read books, literally. And this is bewildering college professors. The Atlantic looks at the issue and the challenges college professors face moving forward.
Developing The Fine Art Of Saying What You Mean – George Burns once said: “The secret to success is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” Saying what you mean shouldn’t be a novel idea, but, in some ways, it is. Fast Company examines the confusing ways we speak, and offers tips for communicating more clearly and effectively.
Malcolm Gladwell Holds His Ideas Loosely. He Thinks You Should, Too. – It’s been 24 years since Malcolm Gladwell’s first book, The Tipping Point, was released. The book was most famous for explaining how 10,000 hours of practice can be the key to success. But it also looked at how ideas sometimes spread like epidemics. That said, in his new book, Revenge of the Tipping Point, Gladwell takes a deep look at what he got right and the many things he believes he got wrong. The New York Times has a preview.
Touch Screens Are Over. Even Apple Is Bringing Back Buttons. – God, we’ve missed buttons. The Wall Street Journal has the details.
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Feed Your Head:
Did Apple Just Kill Social Apps?
An Obit Worth Reading:
Kris Kristofferson, Songwriter Whose Poetic Lyrics Transcended Genre, Dead at 88
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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.