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 Is Everyone Talking to Ibai Llanos? — The biggest sports story of the summer may have been the announcement of soccer star Lionell Messi leaving F.C. Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain. However, when it came time for Messi to meet with reporters, a 26-year-old Spanish streamer, whose interviews only air on Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch, got the first crack. The New York Times digs into the story of Ibai Llanos and what may be the future of sports journalism.
Fake Walmart News Release Spurs Spike in Little-Used Cryptocurrency Litecoin — Earlier this month, the stock price of Litecoin, a little-used cryptocurrency, spiked when a press release was issued touting a new partnership with Walmart. The press release turned out to be fake. The company’s founder confirmed the release was fake and said he did not know who issued it. That said, the financial implications were real. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at this story and the issue of fake news releases and the ramifications they can have.
The Exponential Age Will Change Economics Forever — Moore’s Law is the observation by Gordon Moore, co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel, that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles every two years. What most take this to mean is that technology grows exponentially. And today, there may be no company that understands this better than Amazon. Wired takes a deep dive into Amazon, the issue of exponential growth and what could happen to business, economics and even society if we don’t understand it.
Your CSR Strategy Needs to Be Goal Driven, Achievable, and Authentic — Consumers and investors today are more demanding than ever. In a recent survey, 71% of consumers said they want to buy from socially responsible companies. Of course, what is and isn’t socially responsible is subjective. However, the point is clear. Consumers are asking deeper questions about corporate practices – from sourcing and hiring, to a company’s carbon footprint. Harvard Business Review takes a look at the current state and future of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Tech PR Is Dead. But Your Story Still Matters — Today, there are fewer journalists and more content than ever before. Any reporter will tell you, their inbox and voicemail (seriously) are full with so many pitched stories, sorting through it can feel like a full-time job. Inc. takes a look at the issue and asks if company/brand-owned media is the future of tech media.
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Feed Your Head: Podcasts Are Hot, Bingeing Is Down, Per New Survey Of American Media Consumption
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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.