Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. The best advice is: Don’t count on it. If a story never sees the light of day, you can breathe easily. Even if it is published, you have…
Tag: reporter
I’d Rather Be Golfing
This is a tale of a man who’s risking his company by going DIY. A food-packaging company was rapidly becoming a heavy-hitter in its market and taking up serious shelf space in…
Will You Go Down Fighting?
Breaking up is hard to do. So do it right. What’s your goal? That nobody noticed? That you catch and keep the other side off balance so they can’t recover publicly? It’s…
Telephone, Telegraph…
The ultimate test: What will let you control the conversation? No. This isn’t a sexist commentary on the alleged inability of women to keep secrets. It is about thinking before you…
On Second Thought
History is often revised. But seldom in short term. Time softens the sharp edges. As memories fade, events are reinterpreted. Sometimes to reflect new evidence. More often to better fit with what…
3 Deadly Sins
Guilty of committing one of the 3 Deadly Sins of Crisis PR? “I won’t dignify that with a response.” It conjures up images of high-brow society (very Downton Abbey or Masterpiece Theatre).…
Be Careful What You Ask
No rule book in Crisis PR. Trust your gut. Make no errors. Always a good rule. For everyone. Comparable to the caveat that a lawyer never asks a witness a question unless…
Top to Bottom
Watching media contortions — a sport for ex-journalists News media has always been stratified: Cream of the crop. Bottom of the barrel. Big in-between. Today there’s less cream and much more…
Tools & Essence
Tools reflect technology. But essence is forever. There’s nothing special about it. Just another nondescript suburban parking garage in Rosslyn, Va. Lots of concrete and shadowy corners. It’s where “Deep Throat” met…
Greatest Fear, Fondest Hope
Hoping for the best rarely works. Finding a “fixer” does. Fear and hope are never far apart when facing a threat that could tarnish a reputation, years in the making. So much…