PR School:
Speech Deadwood
By Fraser P. Seitel
It’s commencement time, when eager PR graduates are treated to generally turgid, meaningless, and instantly-forgotten prose from graduation speakers trying too hard to be profound.
Tue., May 22

PR School:
Meet the New Boss
By Fraser P. Seitel
The departure of Jerry Wang from Yahoo! brings to mind the question that all public relations professionals must face at one time on another: How do we welcome in the new CEO?
Fri., Jan. 20 [2]

2010

Where to Speak?
By Fraser P. Seitel
If you're Barack Obama or Sarah Palin or Dominique Strauss-Kahn or Charley Sheen, you probably have no trouble finding a speaking forum that might earn you publicity.
Tue., Sept. 20

Firing Breaks New Ground
By Richard E. Nicolazzo
The phone firing of Yahoo chief Carol Bartz and her email response likely re-wrote the rules for successfully managing a change in corporate protocol and leadership.
Fri., Sept. 16

Apple Stands Alone in Strategic PR Savvy
By Richard E. Nicolazzo
iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and iStrategic communication are legacies of Apple chairman Steve Jobs, whose exit announcement is a perfect example of how to execute crisis management and general strategic comms.
Tue., Aug. 30

Six Ways B2B Companies Can Go 'Social'
By Jackie Gustner and Steffen Ryan
Most B2B companies struggle with devising a winning social media strategy. That doesn't have to be the case. Here are six ways B2B companies can go 'social...
Fri., Aug. 26

Crisis PR Ignores Change
By Arthur Solomon
PR pros are all over the media landscape using crisis playbooks that should have been tossed years ago.
Wed., Aug. 10

Selling Dirt
By Arthur Solomon
Anybody interested in buying dirt that Derek Jeter probably stepped on? Here's to trying to make sense of the lucrative sports memorabilia market.
Thu., July 21

Exxon Do's, Murdoch Dont's
By Fraser P. Seitel
Exxon, the comeback kid of crisis management, schools Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. on the art of dealing with a potential PR disaster.
Mon., July 18

Reg. FD Refresher
By Gene Marbach
Violations of Reg. FD can result in serious sanctions by the SEC not to mention the loss of corporate reputation, as recent cases have illustrated. Here are some insights into how to avoid problems...
Fri., July 8

Cut Your Losses
By Fraser P. Seitel
Kia Motor’s quick decision to distance itself from offensive and award-winning Cannes ad helps avert PR crisis.
Wed., June 29

Why New Age Journalism Needs Old Age Values
By Arthur Solomon
Today's fast-pace rumor-mongering press could use a shot of old age journalism values. Seven recent events show the need.
Thu., June 16

Redrawing Boundaries Weakens Crisis Response
By Paul Oestreicher
Congressman Anthony Weiner's ever-changing crisis boundaries provide a classic example of what not to do in a crisis situation.
Thu., June 9

Learning from Weiner’s Flap
By Fraser P. Seitel
PR pros can learn plenty from Rep. Anthony Weiner's mishandling of his Twitter crisis as his political career, prospects to become mayor, and reputation have all been whacked.
Fri., June 3

Beware: 6 Rules for Internal Memos
By Fraser P. Seitel
Hewlett-Packard's CEO Leo Apotheker's leaked internal memo highlights the risks involved in putting your thoughts on paper or in an email.
Mon., May 23

5 Subjects They Don't Teach in PR School
By Shelley Spector
Ed Bernays said the best PR degree would be divided among journalism, psychology, and business. IR, consumer behavior, and government would round out a solid PR curriculum.
Fri., May 6

Buffett Flunks Crisis 101
By Richard E. Nicolazzo
Warren Buffett, the so-called "Oracle of Omaha," is a brilliant investor but a flop when it comes to crisis PR, as the David Sokol flap illustrates.
Thu., May 5

Scrap the Annual Meeting
By Fraser P. Seitel
It's time to scrap the annual meeting, a ritual as relative as the telegraph in today's Internet-driven world.
Mon., May 2 [3]

25 Ways to Make It Big in PR
By Arthur Solomon and M.J. Wyatt
Here are 25 suggestions that will assure that reporters and editors will always know your name and be on the look-out for your pitches.
Fri., April 1

Caution: Tweeting May Be Hazardous to Your Reputation
By Fraser P. Seitel
Twitter might be great for rallying people to bring down dictators, but it also can destroy your client's reputation.
Fri., March 25

PR Client Loyalty
By Fraser P. Seitel
A rash of high-profile firings reinforces the PR precept that PR pros owe loyalty to the person who signs the paycheck.
Wed., March 16

Transparency PR Primer
By Fraser P. Seitel
Transparency, in short, has become the new "watchword" for openness in society. And since PR professionals should be the "keepers of the transparency flame" within the organization, here's a primer on what each of us ought to know about the subject.
Tue., March 1 [2]

J.C. Penney's Google Problem, and the Fallout of Bad SEO
By John Stewart
With a lot of focus on search engine optimization, or SEO, in the mainstream media lately, some trends are apparently escalating.
Wed., Feb. 23

'Green' is No Longer Sustainable
By Park Howell
Jumping on the "green" bandwagon is commendable, but the word now suffers from overuse and is quickly becoming one of the biggest brand non-differentiators out there.
Fri., Feb. 4

What's in Store for PR
By Ronn Torossian
There has never been a more difficult time to work in the business of shaping reputations and 2011 stacks up as a year of massive change for PR.
Tue., Jan. 4

2010

Why Lawyers Make Lousy PR Pros
By Fraser P. Seitel
A lawyer’s job is promote a client, while a PR person promotes the truth.
Wed., Dec. 29

Blogging Back
By Fraser P. Seitel
Behold the "troll" -- an anonymous blogger who posts derogatory, inflammatory, not to mention downright "negatory" messages on newspaper web sites, often in response to op-ed articles written by well-meaning, guest columnists. Respond?
Tue., Dec. 28 [2]

Recent Grad On Challenging Job Market
By Brittni Shull
May 2010 grad tells of her six-month job search and has some advice for others in school or on the hunt.
Tue., Dec. 21

Small Biz Can Become Adept at Social Media
By Ronn Torossian
Small businesses are missing out on the benefits of social media. That doesn't have to be.
Wed., Dec. 15

Companies Can Benefit from Privacy Concerns
By John Berard
Companies can put concerns over privacy to their competitive advantage as long as they make clear to consumers the benefits of data collection. Amazon is "Exhibit A."
Fri., Dec. 17

Op-Ed Placement
By Fraser P. Seitel
Though lacking social media buzz, an op-ed remains to be a powerful tool to win positive PR for a CEO or client.
Mon., Nov. 29

Give More, Gain More: Charity to Assist Growth
By Ronn Torossian
Expanding business contacts is a small but important perk involved with corporate social responsibility programs.
Fri., Oct. 29

What's Happening Behind the Tech Curtain?
By Lou Hoffman
"Bootstrappers" in need of awareness and marketing work provide a golden opportunity for hi-tech PR firms.
Thu., Oct. 28

PSAs ... Yes, PSAs
By Fraser P. Seitel
Public service announcements remain potential publicity platforms in the digital age.
Tue., Oct. 26 [2]

First Impressions Count
By Ronn Torossian
Google is way more than a search engine. It’s the No. 1 lens through which the world views you or your client.
Tue., Oct. 19

Engagement When Full Transparency Isn't an Option
By Dan Greenfield
Social media engagement is challenging enough in today's 24/7, always-on environment. But what if you faced added restrictions on what you could say and how open you could be? The answer is integration and alignment. 
Thu., Oct. 14

'Your Way' PR
By Kevin Wolf
Most agencies try to fit clients into a standard framework to set plans and goals, and determine budget. But it often has the result of missing the target in terms of clients' unique needs.
Thu., Oct. 7

Beware of the Blog
By Fraser P. Seitel
PR pros should think twice before engaging the blogging community. Why empower the powerless?
Tue., Sept. 28 [4]

Integration Key to Making Social Media Work
By Dan Greenfield
PR and marketing pros are often clueless when it comes to integration, the key to making social media work.
Wed., Sept. 15

For Indy Firms, A Time to Shine
By Ronn Torossian
Amidst last week's purchase of Kwittken & Co. (and others), there's a lot of talk about the day of independent, privately owned PR firms coming to a close. But there's an opportunity for those of us still left with our names on the doors.
Tue., Sept. 14

Pay-to-Play: The New Freelance Game
By Jane Genova
The global financial meltdown took with it most of those gold-plated contacts who used to refer freelance assignments. What has replaced that network game is a pay-to-play one, which comes in two forms.
Thu., Sept. 9

WSJ Off Mark With Blast vs. CSR
By Ron Levy
Wall Street Journal is way off mark with blast against corporate social responsibility.
Tue., Aug. 24

The Non-Statement Statement
By Fraser P. Seitel
As we learned from President Obama's WTC mosque comment fallout, sometimes it's better to make a non-statement statement.
Mon., Aug. 23 [4]

Mangement in the current economic environment
By Richard Goldstein
With so much talk about a depression, albeit not a “great” depression but nevertheless a depression, it seems to make a recession sound good.
Tue., Aug. 10

How To Handle 'Exclusives'
By Fraser P. Seitel
The ‘exclusive’ is an important tool in securing publicity for one’s client or organization. Here is how to do it.
Fri., July 30

'Abundance of Caution' in Crisis PR
By Tony Jaques
Meaningless corporate messaging obscures PR strategy in a time of crisis, when concise language is a key to recovery.
Mon., July 26

Measurers Want PR Results? Try D.C.
By Jack O'Dwyer
We wonder if any of the measurement gurus trying to prove that PR pros are bringing home any "bacon" have a creative bone in their bodies. Meanwhile, a path to D.C. is a great career track for young PR pros.
Mon., July 26

7 PR Truths in a Recall
By Ron Levy
Sooner or later your organization may face accusations or recalls – i.e. Dell, Toyota – and management may look to you with the question, "What should we do now?"
Wed., June 30

To the Class of 2010
By Ronn Torossian
Ten personal reflections on business and life from a PR agency president to the graduating class of 2010, before they make their first mistakes.
Fri., June 25

Resurrecting Telephonic Relations
By Fraser P. Seitel
Ya' know what we forgot in the rush to promote our products on YouTube and increase our "friends" on FaceBook and advise our "followers" on Twitter? The customer.
Tue., Jun. 22

Has PR Lost a Vital Leg?
By Aaron Perlut
While advertising has long been a bastion of humor-based marketing programs, PR has been reticent to embrace satire as a means of delivering a message.
Fri., June 18

Digital Rise is Existential Threat to PR Firms
By Patrick Di Chiro
Ad agencies are moving from creating online content (websites, banner ads) to the social media sphere, a move that poses a major threat to PR firms.
Fri., May 28

4 Terms That Don't Belong in PR
By Fraser P. Seitel
PR people demean themselves and the profession when they resort to vulgarities or offensive language in what they say and write.
Fri., May 21 [10]

PR/Marketing Job Titles Gone Wild
By Dan Greenfield
Gone are the days of clearly defined job descriptions with titles like "director of media relations," but it's time to bring some sanity to PR and marketing job title proliferation.
Fri., May 7

Privacy is Top Online Ethical Challenge
By Patrick Di Chiro
Online privacy is a massive and growing ethical problem, one that has caught the urgent attention of both consumers and regulators around the world -- an historic challenge for corporate communicators
Mon., April 26

Treat Employees as Customers
By Carreen Winters
The best public relations are not really public at all. Customer service begins at home as motivated staffers drive client satisfaction.
Wed., April 21

PR Planning
By Fraser P. Seitel
PR planning distinguishes strategic PR from the seat-of-the-pants practice of which many in the field are often guilty. Every assignment should be tackled with a predetermined planning grid that considers 10 key steps.
Wed., April 21 [5]

Controlling Damage By Blasting an Adversary
By Fraser P. Seitel
Sure, Toyota was slow off the mark to fix its problems, too tentative in communicating, and has lost beaucoup business as a result but ... it has officially turned the corner in terms of damage control.
Wed., March 24 [7]

Customer Relations Begins with Employees
By Vince Burks
Customer relations begins with strong employee relations, says Vince Burks, senior VP of insurer Amica. He presents next week at a Conference Board confab promoted by MWW Group in New York.
Wed., March 17

5 Myths of Media Training
By Fraser P. Seitel
Much of the media "training" people to do for interviews is flat out wrong. Here are five typical recommendations that simply shouldn't be followed by interviewees eager to make an impression.
Wed., Feb. 24 [4]

Marketing is Fatal to Media
By Jack O'Dwyer
Pundits, alarmed at media pillars toppling like dominos are searching for reasons such as the rise of "social media." They're neglecting one big reason: marketing.
Mon., Jan. 25

What is PR?
By Wes Pedersen
How do you define PR? Is it propaganda, targeted persuasion, press agentry, a science-based profession or the ability to turn dross into gloss?
Wed., Jan. 13

To Disclose, or Not to Disclose?
By Fraser P. Seitel
A smart counselor will always weigh potential impact to the client of a) spilling your guts vs. b) laying back.
Tue., Jan. 12 [3]

Social Media's 'I' Generation
By Lois Paul
Social media is about "we," not about "I." Online narcissism is completely inappropriate for a communications professional, but with some adjustments, it can veer safely away from isolationism to healthy tribalism
Thu., Jan. 7

Corporate Greening: 10 Points for 2010
By E. Bruce Harrison
Ten tips for CEOs as environmental PR moves up the agenda with a strengthening economy and federal government pushing for private sector action.
Mon., Jan. 4

2009

Read It and Weep
By Fraser P. Seitel
PR will never gain much respect as a profession if its practitioners spit out releases and materials that are flat out offensive and dumb. Exhibit A is a release we received last week.
Mon., Nov. 2 [5]

PR Lessons from Letterman
By Fraser P. Seitel
Crisis managers can learn a lot from David Letterman's handling of his embarrassing sex scandal and extortion story.
Tue., Oct. 13 [4]

PR Leadership for the 21st Century
By Fraser P. Seitel
So you want to be a PR director? What does it take to lead a corporate PR department or high flying PR firm in the days of worldwide recession, chronic unemployment, beleaguered legacy industries, and berated CEOs?
Fri., Sept. 25

Making It in a Miserable Economy
By Fraser P. Seitel
If you're one of those who is secure in your job, satisfied with what you're making, and unworried about whatever calamity might next confront the fragile economy in general and the PR profession in particular, skip this column.
Mon.., July 20 [2]

Dealing with Foreign Press
By Fraser P. Seitel
Few PR pros ever bother to deal with the foreign press. Pity. Take a German, French, Kenyan, Brazilian or Chinese journalist to lunch.
Tue., June 23 [3]

Ivy Lee: Reputation Manager
By Fraser P. Seitel
What better season than this of "Commencement" to pay tribute to those who "got us here."
Wed., May 20 [25]

PR Counseling and Clients' Personal Issues
By Fraser P. Seitel
What’s a PR counselor to do when faced with the most personal of issues by an embattled client?
Tue., April 28 [3]

All That Twitters
By Fraser P. Seitel
PR people need to know about Twitter even if it turns out to be a passing fad. Here are a few guidelines to follow.
Mon., March 30

Delivering an Effective Speech
By Fraser P. Seitel
Treasury Secretary Geithner gets one more chance to convince Wall St. that the new government really does know what it is doing.
Tue., Feb. 24 [4]

Proper Action is Key to PR
By Fraser P. Seitel
Barack Obama out of the gate, Congressional Republicans and Citigroup are case studies of how actions — and not just words — are key to effective PR.
Mon., Feb. 2 [2]

Experience Crucial, Jobseeker Finds
Recent PR grad finds that "experience seems to be a lot more important than education in this field." Saddled with a "huge" tuition debt, she wishes she had worked and gone to college part-time.
Mon., Jan. 12 [2]

Recent Grad: Forget PR Courses
A recent graduate who worked for a major PR firm found both good and bad there. She has this advice for undergrads: "Forget everything you’ve learned about PR and get a job in a small, progressive, digital-oriented firm."
Thu., Jan. 8 [4]

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
By Fraser P. Seitel
Is hiring a presumably detached and objective "working journalist" to advise a client on subjects he or she may cover a prima facie, "conflict of interest?"
Tue., Dec. 23 [2]

Communicating Layoffs
By Fraser P. Seitel
The best rule in communicating layoffs is to imagine how you would like to be treated, were you the one in the position in which many now find themselves.
Mon., Oct. 20

Palin's Perfect Speech
By Fraser P. Seitel
It may turn out to be true, as Barbara Boxer said this weekend, that Sarah Palin is little more than an empty pants suit, but no matter how competent or in- the Republican vice presidential nominee is revealed to be, one thing is irrefutable: Sarah Palin delivered a picture-perfect speech at last week’s Republican National Convention.
Tue., Sept. 9 [6]

PR School/Professional Development Archives

Subjects:

• Actions vs. Words
• Advertising vs. PR
• Annual Meeting
• Annual Report
• Apology, The Art of
• Background Checks on Reporters
• Becoming a Communications Director
• Blogs
• Broadcast Interviews
• Business Letter Writing
• Career Advice
• CEO Illness, Handling
• Column Placements
• Compromise
• Conference Calls
• Conflict of Interest - Mark Penn Case Study
• Conflict of Interest - Avoiding
• Correcting Media
• Creativity in PR
• Crisis Management
  Special feature:
  Crisis commentary by Fraser P. Seitel
• Crisis: Michael Richards at the Laugh Factory
• Customer Complaints
• Defining PR
• Dubious Reporters
• Employee Comms. - Tell the staff before they read it in the paper
• Internet Investor Relations
• Interview Paramaters, Setting
• Intranets
• Introducing Speaker
• Investor Relations Essentials
• Job, Finding a
• Law & PR
• Letters to the Editor
• Lobbying
• Management Support, Winning
• Measuring Results of PR
• Media Training
• Mission Statements
• Naming - What's in a Name?
• Nonprofits and Internet
• Off the Record
• Off the Record II
• Ombudsman
• Online Publicity
• Op-Ed Pieces
• Personality for PR
• Pitch E-mails
• Placement Tips
• Powerpoint, Using
• Presentations
• Press Conferences
• Press Kits
• Press Release Essentials
• Press Release Taboos
• Publicity Basics
• Radio Media Tours
• Reputation Management
• Research
• Risk Taking Required for PR
• Sales letter writing
• Social Media
• Soft Sell Publicity
• Special Events
• Speech Tips
• Sponsorship
• Starting a Firm - Legalities
• Talk Radio
• T.V. Talk Shows
• Teaching PR
• Web Marketing
• White Papers
• Writing Tips

Actions vs. Words

• Barack Obama out of the gate, Congressional Republicans and Citigroup are case studies of how actions — and not just words — are key to effective PR. (2/02/09)

Advertising vs. PR

• The fundamental difference between PR and advertising or marketing is this: Advertising and marketing sell the product. PR sells the organization (7/16/02)
• Advertising's purpose is to sell a product or service. The purpose of public relations is to sell an organization. There is a large difference. (3/27/01)

Annual Meeting

• The meeting of shareholders is required by statute of most states, at which shareholders of record conduct the basic business of the corporation such as electing directors, amending the company's Articles of Incorporation and taking other actions that require shareholder approval. (2/26/02)

Annual Report

• For corporate public relations pros, the fall signals the start of the annual report preparation season. (9/5/01)

Apology, The Art of

• Michael Vick will soon embark on his road to redemption by uttering the words, "I am sorry." Apologies still cut it in the crisis PR game. (8/27/07)

Background Checks on Reporters

• In the summer of 2001, the office of Commander Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan, received a letter requesting a television interview, from someone named Yasser Al-Siri, director of the Islamic Observation Center in London. (1/8/02)

Becoming a Communications Director

• Want to be VP of communications? The salary is $250K a year. The bonus is 50% of salary. Stock options, included. And then there's the car service. So how does a PR pro get to the top of the corporate communications pile? (5/21/02)

Blogs

• The most immediate, straightforward and best way to deal with internal and external rumors is the 21st century communications vehicle simply called the Rumor Blog. (5/30/2007)
• Whether one is a blog booster or blog basher, public relations people should understand the following blog basics, in attempting to harness this latest communications weapon (10/11/05)

Broadcast Interviews

• It is obligatory, whether internal staff member or external counselor, to "brief," in advance, CEOs and others scheduled to be interviewed. (7/11/01)
• Today, with the likes of CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, not to mention assorted local and Internet entities, Andy Warhol's forecast that "All of us will experience 15 minutes of fame" is particularly true for those who head companies. (9/18/01)

Business Letter Writing

• As PR pros, we write droves and droves of letters. But, how many are written well, pithy, to the point, on target? (11/27/01)

Career Advice

• It's the season once again for graduation and the rites of passage, when thousands of eager PR students hit the pavement to find a job. They will soon discover that finding a job is the toughest job they will likely ever encounter in PR work. This is what they should do. (6/13/05)

• Jobseekers have exhausted themselves sending letters to PR firms, companies and employment agencies and going on interview after interview that led nowhere. Agencies told them to bring in business if they want a job. We advised the PR hopefuls to take a different tack. (4/23/02)

CEO Illness, Handling

• The health of Apple CEO Steve Jobs weighs heavily on high-tech’s greatest marketer, and poorest PR performer. What do you do when the boss may be seriously ill? (7/28/08)
  

Column Placements

• You don't need Barbra Streisand to remind you that "people who need people" love to read about other people. The leading gossip columnists are deluged by PR people eager to place client names and exploits. (2/19/02)

Compromise

• In this season of peace on earth, goodwill toward men, Donald Trump, and Rosie O'Donnell, it is important to remember that one key to effective public relations is the art of dialogue and compromise. (12/28/06)

Conference Calls

• A properly structured conference call can prove to be a most beneficial way--even in distressed times-- to reassure shareholders that management is doing the right thing. (5/05/03)

Conflict of Interest

• There are three major PR lessons to be learned from the precipitous downfall of former top Clinton strategist Mark Penn. (4/14/08)
• Is hiring a presumably detached and objective "working journalist" to advise a client on subjects he or she may cover a prima facie, "conflict of interest?" (12/23/08)

Correcting Media

• "Never get into a shouting match with anyone who buys ink by the barrel." (7/31/01)

Creativity in PR

• Creativity is more often than not, a logical process, emanating from thoughtful analysis and proven techniques. One technique is minimizing what you've already got. (6/11/02)
• Creativity -- despite what you hear from some consultants -- requires neither meditation nor mountain climbing nor meandering with the muse. (4/3/02)
• For PR people, one effective method of demonstrating creativity is by "bringing back" what came before. The ideas. The products. The people. The values. The culture. The heritage. (3/5/02)
• Discerning what differentiates us from all the others is something that eludes most organizations. Many never are able to achieve differentiation. They are destined to remain in the "muddled middle" of organizational identity for their existence. (11/13/01)
• It behooves any PR professional to complement his or her implementation skills with a sense of strategic planning. (8/7/01)
• Why pay for PR? That's the question posed by organizations and individuals, when confronted with the prospect of actually paying for PR work. (4/10/01)

Crisis Management

• Howard Rubenstein was wrong to reach out to "opportunists" Rev. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton in an effort to overhaul Michael Richards' image (11/27/06)
• Rep. Patrick Kennedy is to effective crisis management what Scott McClellan was to savvy political spokesmanship. He ignored crisis techniques in last week's D.C. smack-up. (5/08/06)
• There are many to blame – local, state and federal governments – for the slow emergency response to Hurricane Katrina. For PR professionals, the aftermath of Katrina reminds us that 'crisis management' is the ultimate test of strategic PR. (9/13/05)
• Many employees are in crisis these days as companies resort to layoffs and shutdowns to deal with the fierce competition. Smart managers, concerned with salvaging a corporate reputation, level with employees in order to build their support for the actions taken. (7/14/03)
• How well one responds to an immediate emergency may mean the difference between sudden death and survival for a CEO and his or her organization. (12/16/02)
• How PR professionals respond to crisis is a barometer, not only of their skill but also their income. (5/16/01)
• The true test for any corporate communicator lies in managing a crisis. (5/9/01)
• The public relations consultants who make the most money are those who step in when companies experience crises. (3/20/01)

Customer Complaints

• Companies receive hundreds of complaint letters each year. How well an organization responds to such letters may mean whether the firm keeps or loses a customer. (1/13/03)

Defining PR

• 'Public relations' is really a misnomer. What we do for a living really should be called 'publics' relations – because of all the different publics with whom an organization must communicate. (6/19/06)

Dubious Reporters

• And just as reporters are frequently dubious of public relations methods and motives, so, too, must public relations people be constantly on guard when dealing with reporters. In particular, public relations practitioners must be wary of the predilection of some devious journalists to “flip the script.” (1/28/08)

Employee Communications

• In texting his supporters "first," before making a general, broad-based media announcement on his VP choice, Barack Obama was emulating a tried-and-true principle of effective employee communications, i.e. Tell the staff before they read it in the paper.

Internet Investor Relations

• Companies often hire investor relations counsel with only vague objectives in mind. It's more beneficial to have a clear idea of what investor relations counsel ought to provide in terms of scope of services. Here is a checklist. (11/03/04)
• The Internet has become a critical tool in reaching investors, many of whom now choose to research personal investments on the 'Net. (5/2/01)

Interview Paramaters, Setting

• The parameters of the media interview have changed and 21st century PR pros must constantly be on guard when they arrange interviews for clients. (11/19/07)

Intranets

• Many companies reach employees first and foremost through using the Net. No medium is more direct or more immediate than the Net or getting the news out to employees. (3/12/02)

Introducing Speaker

• The speech introduction is critical. It is, in the immortal words of public relations sage Dick Vitale, "prime time" and the speaker must use it to seize the psychological advantage. (6/20/01)

Investor Relations Essentials

• Just when you think the Securities and Exchange Commission couldn't confuse investor relations professionals further, along comes the Flowserve case. Flowserve's "violation" was that it "reaffirmed" - repeated - reiterated - the same earnings guidance it had earlier conveyed. (5/12/05)
• Michael Sitrick's rules for crisis investor relations are a roadmap for reassuring creditors, fending off short sellers and raiders, and placating shareholders and media. (12/01/03)
• Investor relations people – now that the stock market appears to be back – are hitting the circuit to peddle their companies' stock. Here are some sure-fire ways to jazz up an investor presentation. (11/10/03)
• No matter the field, from heart surgery to shooting skeet, a professional has to know the territory and the terminology. Here's an investor relations glossary of the field's most basic and essential terms (6/18/02)
• The average corporate IR executive has 16 years of experience. So how does one break into this arcane area with PR getting increasingly competitive and the economy waning? (6/04/02)
• The IR professional, the company's primary interface with analysts, institutions and shareholders in general, becomes the most critical PR operative in the eyes of many CEOs. (5/23/01)

Job, Finding a

• The hardest part of finding a PR job is "getting through the door" and actually meeting a living, breathing being who possesses the ability to offer you a job. (5/13/08)

Law and PR

• The PR and legal professions historically have shared an uneasy alliance. (10/16/01)

Letters to the Editor

• When organizations are wronged in print, the question arises as to whether a "Letter to the Editor" will serve any purpose. Often, the answer is "yes." (4/14/03)

Lobbying

• Lobbying is a subtle art. Beyond the basic requirements of addressing legislators respectfully and making arguments briefly, courteously, and explicitly – a lobbyist's primary job is "to make the sale." (12/08/05)
• The time-honored ("honored?!") art of lobbying has been around since the Sophists flocked to Athens to spread their views about rational thought in the fifth century B.C. Here is what to do and what to avoid when pitching an elected official. (11/08/05)

Management Support, Winning

• More often than not, the practice of PR is the Rodney Dangerfield of corporate functions. It "don't get no respect." (4/3/01)

Measuring Results of PR

• Discerning what differentiates us from all the others is something that eludes most organizations. Many never are able to achieve differentiation. They are destined to remain in the "muddled middle" of organizational identity for their existence. (11/20/01)

Media Training

• In an era where victory often is awarded to the most powerful sound-byte, the art of the quote has never been more important. (6/27/05)
• When it comes to dealing with the media, PR people have rights too. Just because a reporter or author wants to interview your client, you don't have to grant the request. Take a look at the mess PR-challenged Walt Disney Co. got itself into by providing access to the lethal, Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Stewart. (2/07/05)
• Every reporter makes mistakes, but not every mistake deserves a "correction." A correction can sometimes draw more attention than the original incorrect story. (4/05/04)
• PR people must understand how the media operate and be comfortable in dealing with them. The following yes-or-no quiz will determine if you pass muster (6/25/02)
• Ask any garden variety CEO why he needs a PR person, and he'll answer, "to get me ready to face the media." The PR profession is intertwined with the media - knowing how to handle them, work with them, be interviewed by them. (3/26/02)
• It used to be that there was no love lost between journalists and public relations people. But that was then, and this is now. (3/19/02)
• Some public relations professionals won't admit it, but the truth is that the essence of the practice of public relations is "dealing with the media." (9/10/01)

Mission Statements

Mission statements, part 2. Since it is the PR professional on whom management calls to lead the "mission seeking" effort, PR people must understand - and believe in - the value of a clear, differentiable mission statement to set a firm course for an organization. (3/21/05)

Most 'mission statements' read like they were painfully stitched together by a committee. As a consequence, rather than differentiating an organization from its competitors, most statements in fact say little and are often interchangeable. (1/03/05)

Naming - What's in a Name?

From the Apple Macintosh computer to I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter butter to the Rule of Law prison compound in Baghdad – the best names serve a real purpose. And the worst names serve as unnecessary – at worst, fatal – distractions. (2/18/08)

Nonprofits and Internet

• The Internet may be the best thing that ever happened to nonprofit organizations. (3/27/01)

Off-the-Record

• Going "off-the-record" with a journalist can help cement an important relationship but refusing to go off-the-record may be all the reporter needs to reinvigorate his investigation of what your organization may be "hiding." (6/26/01)
• Barack Obama aide ouster over Clinton is "monster" remark shows need to know reporter before going "off the record." (3/10/08)

The Ombudsman

• The hardest task for any company in today’s hyper competitive world is not to attract clients – but to retain them. That’s why it is de rigueur for companies to hire PR "ombudsmen." (6/02/03)

Online Publicity

• Some sages predicted that the ‘Net would change the PR business forever; would, in effect, convert the profession to one of "computer domination" from "human interaction." And, of course, they were wrong. (1/2/02)

Op-Ed Pieces

• Opposite the editorial page of any newspaper of consequence is a page of opinion and commentary from both solicited and unsolicited contributors. (2/5/02)

Personality for PR

• What kind of person does it take to be a successful PR practitioner? (5/14/02)

Pitch E-mails

• With most reporters receiving hundreds of emails every day from eager publicists, the importance of the pitch email is clear. If it's flat, uninspiring or insipid, the delete button is but a click away. Here is what works and what doesn't. (3/26/07)

Placement Tips

• PR people usually fail miserably in pitching and placing stories with the media. That doesn't have to be the case. Here is what you should do. (9/10/04)
• The Radford Rules of editorial placement. (8/13/01)
• Few public relations releases ever see the light of print. Not only are there too may of them, but reporters complain about everything from too much hype to too little spell check. (3/13/01)

Powerpoint

• Corporate PowerPoint presentations are uniformly awful – overdone, overwhelming and often incomprehensible.
  Wed., Jan. 2 [3]

Presentations

• PR people are, at base, professional communicators.
  That means they must be the best writers, speakers and media experts in the organization. (12/11/01)

Press Conferences

• FEMA's press conferences debacle reminds us that the events are dangerous territory for PR professionals – from cranky reporters to the possibility of an empty room. Here are the rules if you must conduct one. (10/30/07)
• Standby statements are drafted with the hope that they will never see the light of day. PR pros, however, better have three or four of them locked in their top drawers ready to be used to help handle that dreaded media call. (3/17/03)
• Press Conferences are dicey, dangerous and usually a complete waste of time. (4/17/01)

Press Kits

• The most ubiquitous print vehicle this side of the news release is the media or press kit. A good press kit can serve as a "calling card," in effect "introducing" a company, product or service to a journalist. Unlike a set-in-stone facilities brochure or booklet, a press kit can be revised regularly, simply by replacing pages of copy. (4/23/02)

Press Release Essentials

• News embargoes are anachronisms, a product of a different day. They no longer make sense, merit respect or are relevant in today’s Internet-driven media world. (10/04/04)
• The jury has spoken. Journalists prefer e-mail pitches to printed news releases. The trick for PR people is to create e-mail pitches that will stand out in medialand's overflowing inboxes. E-mail releases must be punchy, pithy and to-the-point. (6/07/04)
• The lead is the most vital component in PR writing. While the traditional "5Ws" lead is the preferred way to begin a release, PR writers are only limited by their creative juices. (3/08/04)
• More than 75 percent of journalists prefer e-mail to print press releases. There are several writing and format requisites unique to the e-mail releases, all of which PR writers should be aware. Here they are. (2/23/04)
• The reason a news release is called a "news release" is because it (hopefully) contains "news." If the release contains no "news," it will be tossed. How does a PR writer prevent that ignominious outcome? (10/20/03)
• The news release has run amuck. The most pervasive communications vehicle in the PR arsenal has fallen on hard times. Here are seven release 'No Nos' (12/2/02)
• A PR professional who is discriminating with the releases sent - disseminating only releases that are truly "newsworthy" -- develops solid credibility with news sources. (7/17/01)

Press Release Taboos

• It is quite true, despite journalistic denials, that the media would have difficulty functioning without press releases. But by and large, reporters hate press releases – often for good reason. (7/2/01)

Publicity Basics

• Achieving third-party endorsement is a key purpose of PR. But what kinds of publicity are more valuable than others? That is the question. (7/17/06)
• Association PR is not for the faint of heart. Within a PR profession that is, itself, a rare "art form," mastering PR for an association is the rarest of specialties. (5/22/06)
• Product publicity may not have 'replaced' advertising as a promotional asset, the use of this PR vehicle has clearly become an inegral part of the integrated marketing mix. (4/17/06)
• How do we get publicity? That is the question. Or at least, that's the most frequently asked question of PR professionals from those for whom they work. (1/29/02)
• The reason publicity is more valuable than advertising can be summed up in three words: "third party endorsement. (10/23/01)

Radio Media Tours

• RMTs, the PR initiative that provides celebrities, authors and issues activists of all stripes, are a convenient national soapbox to sell your client's wares and or political views. (4/30/2007)

Reputation Management

• It is, indeed, "lonely at the top." And a CEO desperately needs a wise and confidant and trusted communications counselor to help keep him or her focused on doing the right thing. Here are five, none of them profound, but all of them necessary to build CEO, and therefore, organizational credibility. (7/30/02)
• With business scandals escalating, the subject of "corporate reputation" takes center stage. PR firms, quick to take hold of what's topical in corporate governance, have established "reputation management" practices. But what is "reputation?" Does it matter? What does it consist of? And how do you manage it? (7/9/02)

Research

• PR is not an exact science but CEOs want to see the research that justifies its action and expense. Computers have opened the field to more sophisticated avenues of research and analysis. (1/26/04)
• Every PR program or solution should begin with research. Most, alas, don't. (10/2/01)

Risk Taking Required for PR

• A good PR person must be willing to stick his or her neck out, go against the grain, take risks. Stated another way, an effective PR person is somebody with an "attitude." (6/12/01)

Sales Letters

• PR professionals, particularly those in "publicity mode," are essentially sales people. That means that just like any other sales professional, PR people must be adept writers of sales letters. Indeed, as the organization's most experienced communicators, the sales letters PR professionals author should be as good as any in the organization. (4/16/02)

Social Media

• The phrase of the day for the public relations minions wedded to Internet communications is "social media." This will bring you up to speed. (10/11/06)
• If you're like me and lack the face for Facebook, fear not. The landscape of social media isn't that difficult to navigate. To do so, one must confront the following reality about blogs, wikis, podcasts and RSS feeds. (10/3/07)

Soft Sell Publicity

• Editors frown on awarding self-serving publicity, so PR people have to be subtler in seeking to publicize their clients or employers. (4/24/01)

Special Events

A well-executed special event – press conference, celebrity tour, open house, dedication, group meeting – can reap great praise for a PR professional. A troubled special event can mar a PR person's reputation or a corporate lifetime. This is what you need to know. (9/29/03)

Speech Tips

• Speech writing is one of the highest paid of all PR pursuits. It allows a writer to be more "creative" than in writing news releases or pitch letters. It figures that many in PR would try their hand at speech writing. They don't. For one simple reason: fear. (4/18/05)
• For speechwriters, interviewing the speaker before she talks is as important as the final words that she will deliver. (6/18/03)
• Whether you're a one-person PR department or a full-time speechwriter, there are some "quick and dirty" speeches of a ceremonial nature you will be called on to write, no matter what. (5/28/02)
• Drafting the commencement address. (5/7/02)
• In counseling speakers PR advisors must impress upon them the importance of practicing every aspect of the presentation. In particular, the following suggestions should be scrupulously adhered to. (11/6/01)
• According to The Book of Lists, the number one fear among Americans is "the fear of public speaking. "Death" is number five. So, to many executives, getting up before an audience and delivering an extemporaneous or prepared speech is worse than, well, death. (10/30/01)
• The conclusion of a speech is as critical as any other part. Just as an audience remembers its first impression of a speaker, i.e. the "law of primacy," so, too, does it remember its last impression. (9/25/01)
• The "guts" of any speech or presentation is the "body." (8/20/01)
• The secret to speech writing is to "write like you talk." So why, then, do so few public relations practitioners ever attempt to write speeches? (7/25/01)
• The CEO depends on the speechwriter to make him sound not only articulate and glib, but also knowledgeable and even profound. (5/30/01)

Sponsorship

• PR pros should understand that organizational sponsorships should never be taken lightly. Just because the chairman's spouse has a favorite charity doesn't necessarily mean the company should support it. (7/20/07)

Starting a Firm

• Legalities - You need to decide whether to incorporate and which corporate form to use. Filing correctly with the IRS is also an issue. (12/20/06)

T.V. Talk Shows

• An endless parade of interchangeable "talking heads" make the rounds of cable TV programs. It matters little what they say, or whether they even make sense. What matters is that the "face time" is filled by lively, controversial and provocative debate. (9/02/03)
• Those who do make it to television must be sensitive to the curious idiosyncrasies of TV interviews and the special "etiquette" that exists when one invades the curious domain of the TV talk show. (8/11/03)

Talk Radio

• Talk radio is among the most powerful and pervasive media in the nation. Each day, 20 million Americans tune in to listen to conservative talk show host Limbaugh. And the numbers, in general, for radio's audience are staggering. (2/12/02)

Teaching PR

• The question of whether or how to teach PR in college has become a lightning rod – perhaps not at the magnitude of "to troop surge or not to troop surge" – but controversial nonetheless.

Web Marketing

• Marketing by "mouth & mouse" is a major activity of today's marketing communications pros. Both can bring in big results at low cost by targeting bloggers, events and the offbeat. (9/28/04)
• Search engine marketing (drawing visitors to a company website) is one of the best marketing communications tools. It's low-cost and delivers measurable results. (9/14/04)

White Papers

• White papers - also called position papers - explore in depth an issue confronting the organization and on which management must take a stand. (2/18/03)

Writing Tips

• As if things weren't bad enough for CEO Steve Ballmer and his sagging Microsoft stock, now his corporate e-mail memos are being attacked. Most of us, of course, write e-mail and paper memos every day of our lives. Most of those memos, alas, may not be worth the paper - or ether - on which they're written. (7/23/02)
• Among the most frequent criticisms of PR pros by editors is that "they can't write." That stems not only from a lack of coherency and logic in PR writing, but also because of inconsistencies, inaccuracies or sloppiness in the style that a PR writer uses. (7/2/02)
• At base, the reason your CEO retains a PR department is he or she needs people who know how to write. Writing is the fundamental skill of PR pros. The key is "clarity." (1/15/02)
• Public relations people, by and large, are horrible writers. That's not just me talking, but the conclusion of anyone who has ever headed a corporate public relations department, worked at a supervisory level at a public relations agency, or edited a magazine to which public relations people submit copy. (3/6/01)

Crisis Commentary by Fraser P. Seitel

• A crisis management star is born. In the wake of getting summarily tossed by the powers that be at ABC, Star Jones Reynolds fired back, deftly dealing the Disney network a one-two combination that stole the agenda and placed Barbara Walters and her supportive suits clearly on the defensive. (7/05/06)
• Oh sure, the world is coming to an end. Iraq is a disaster. And the President is a nitwit. But what about the fine job press secretary Tony Snow is doing? The Administration seems finally to be getting its second term act together, now that it has replaced the bumbling Scott McClellan with the savvy Snow man. (6/05/06)
• Scott McClellan was the worst White House press secretary in recent history. He was the stereotypical PR "mouthpiece" -- timid, defensive, robotic and feckless. McClellan emulated the very qualities that professional PR people work hard to avoid. (4/19/06)
• You can take to the bank that by the end of the week, the Cheney story will be deader than Carl Icahn's Time Warner takeover, primarily because so many wrongheaded "experts" think the story "has legs." There are several losers in the flap. (2/21/06)
• Oprah Winfrey's non-stop demolition of James Frey, her lying former book club selectee, and her simultaneous flaying of Nan Talese, the author's witless Doubleday editor, proved great theater. It is the latest sign high profile people and organizations are starting to listen to PR counselors, where once they sought out lawyers. (1/30/06)
• It's been quite a year for PR, making it tough to determine the '2005 PR Winners & Sinners' awards. Anyway, after much soul-searching, here are this year's recipients of our industry's most coveted annual awards. (12/12/05)
• To regain the good graces of the National League Football League and get back on the gridiron, here's Terrell Owens' PR strategy – apologize (again), make amends with the QB, and deep-six the agent, all while keeping the bravado in check. (11/21/05)
• The U.S. is a nation that thrives on ever-changing PR crises that ricochet across the TV screens at dizzying speed. That is why it is remarkable to assess the astounding PR accomplishments of Beth Holloway-Twitty, who lost her daughter while vacationing in Aruba. Twitty must avoid the curse of Cindy Sheehan. (11/14/05)
• Okay, Harriet Miers is not the 'most qualified candidate' for the Supreme Court. President Bush should have looked beyond his White House staff to fill such an exalted job. Miers can get confirmed by those sharks in the Senate. First, she must read this commentary. (10/18/05)
• This is the week that Martha Stewart takes off the gloves and the ankle bracelet and commences the "PR Redemption Tour." The style doyenne is capable of coming all the way back. Here's why. (8/30/05)
• It's been a hot summer for PR as evidenced by the debate over Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, fireworks in Philadelphia sparked by the money-grubbing Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, and Gold Star Mom Cindy Sheehan who turned the PR tables on the vacationing President Bush. (8/19/05)
• The battle lines are drawn but complicated in the CIA-Karl Rove story. Who are the biggest losers? Are there any reporters you still trust? Scooter who? Here's a Q&A primer to disentangle the primary points. (7/20/05)
• It won't be long before Michael Jackson is acquitted of the charges against him and begins the rest of his life. There's no PR in the world that can restore Jacko's image. Instead, he should donate the ranch to a children's charity, and hightail it to Paris. (5/31/05)
• The tribulations of Newsweek, Paula Abdul, Jason Giambi and Pat O'Brien demonstrate reinvigorated techniques for dealing with a self-inflicted crisis. Engelbert Humperdink must be proud of the way Newsweek is handling its 'Koran down the commode' crisis. (5/23/05)
• Wendy's faced a "no-win" situation in confronting its "finger in the chili" crisis. Its PR staff did an admirable job in following the time-honored rules of crisis management, based on fairness and full disclosure. The crisis, however, suggests that following the time-honored rules may not always be the best policy. (4/26/05)
• Michael Jackson didn't help himself by wearing pajamas to his court appearance, but his interview with Jesse Jackson was pure PR genius. The Gloved One could teach Mark McGuire and Kofi Annan a thing or two about working the media. (4/04/05)
• The Democrats need to stop whining and develop an upbeat program to regain their footing against the ruling Republicans. The following is a PR prescription designed to save the party from the grips of its wacky and wild-eyed "leaders." (3/01/05)
• Ketchum's most onerous violation was not admitting it was wrong. There's four main tenets of PR the firm ignored or botched in the Armstrong Williams calamity. (1/24/05)
• The new year has shown that President Bush and his Administration may have an Achilles' heel which, if not addressed immediately, may plague their effort to make progress over the next four years. Public relations is the problem. (1/10/05)
• It is time once again to review those stellar heroes and heroines who made the year almost just past, the scintillating stanza it was. Here are the PR winners and sinners for '04. (12/06/04)
• There's been a lot of post-election talk recently about the "culture wars" that divide our country. When societal observers discuss these "moral values" in society, I have a feeling they're really talking about the ravaging effects of talk show television on the American mind. (11/15/04)
• It's not the end of the world for the Democrats. With just a few more Ohio soccer moms, we might well have been looking at a President Kerry. The Senator was victimized by 10 fatal PR flaws that collectively sunk his not-so-Swift campaign boat. (11/08/04)
• 'No spin' is the best advice for Fox News' chief attack dog Bill O'Reilly, who has been sued by a former producer for sexual harassment. O'Reilly has counter sued and vowed to duke it out in the courts. He could learn a strong PR strategy from four recent, high-profile stories. (10/19/04)
• There will be no knockout winner in Thursday's presidential debate. While neither candidate defines charisma, it is President Bush, who exudes a certainty about his beliefs. John Kerry does not. So the challenge here is for Kerry to convince uncertain voters that he, too, passionately believes in the words he mouths. (9/28/04)
• Dan Rather is a ‘dead anchor walking' in the wake of the bogus document story related to President Bush's ‘service' in the National Guard. CBS and Rather's attempt at damage control serves as a model of "what not to do" when faced with a serious credibility challenge. (9/20/04)
• The PR battle of the Swift boat veterans has become the cause celebre of the presidential campaign, pushing aside trivial topics like a sputtering economy, homeland terrorism threats, and the widening war in Iraq. John Kerry is getting his head handed to him because negative attacks work. (8/23/04)
• The Democratic Convention was tedious, uninspiring, boring and a real yawner. Despite the overwhelming sense of ennui radiated by the speakers, there emerged several winners. Barack and Bill stole the show, while Jesse and Teddy proved to be yesterday's men. (8/02/04)
• Jailbird Martha Stewart, who faces five months in the slammer, displays maximum chutzpah in comparing herself to the great Nelson Mandela, who served 27 years as a political prisoner. The comparison is another fitting chapter to the PR primer on how not to handle a crisis. (7/19/04)
• Tony Hendra, author of the best-selling ‘Father Joe,’ used savvy PR to send his book about his three-decade friendship with a Catholic monk to the top of the charts. Ensuing PR dealing with molestation charges could quickly bring both Hendra and his book sales back to Earth. (7/06/04)
• President Bush is poised for another PR boost following his image gains achieved during the wall-to-wall tributes to Ronald Reagan. Look for Bush to reverse himself and support widening the use of federal funds to support stem cell research. (6/14/04)
• Beware of commentators who claim ‘objectivity' while hiding a large hatchet. Morgan Spurlock certainly is not in the same league as Michael Moore, yet he is getting notice for his 'Super Size Me' attack on McDonald's. Spurlock tried to snooker Mickey D's into cooperating with the making of the flick. (5/24/04)
• President Bush doesn't intend to apologize, doesn't need to apologize, and shouldn't apologize for the tragedy of 9/11. Doing so would come across as a hollow gesture and only compound Bush's mounting political problems. (4/19/04)
• Are you ready for the filthiest, grimiest, most mean-spirited Presidential campaign in the history of the Republic? This is how the PR strategies of President Bush and Senator Kerry will play out. (3/22/04)
• The image downfall of the world's most famous salad-tosser could have been easily avoided only if Martha Stewart had made some basic PR moves when the news of her stock trading first hit the fan. (2/24/04)
• President Bush, in terms of media training, did a pretty good job in his head-to-head battle with the dreaded Tim Russert of "Meet the Press." He appeared calm, confident, firm and self-assured. (2/09/04)
• What can you say about a year in which the King of Pop winds up back in the soup….Martha Stewart winds up headed for the slammer ….and the Butcher of Baghdad winds up in a rat hole? Not much. And so, without further adieu, we bid adios to el ano pasado with the annual honors for PR Winners and Sinners of 2003. (12/18/03)
• Pretend that Michael Jackson isn't a complete wack job. Imagine that the erstwhile King of Pop isn't really off his rocker. What PR advice do you offer the nattering nabob of Neverland to reestablish his frittering credibility? It's time for Jacko to ‘take off the glove,' and play PR hardball. (11/24/03)
• Putnam Investments, like the rest of the mutual fund industry, has shrunk into the woodwork rather than defend itself . The industry doesn't get the PR axiom that 'silence grants the point,' which translates: 'If you have little to say in rebuttal, then we presume you must be guilty.' (11/17/03)
• It's PR report card time for Rush, Kobe, and Martha. Rush is ‘getting it done.' Kobe, by sticking to hoops, mounts a "Michael Jordan" defense. Tight-lipped Martha may soon be baking brownies at Leavenworth. (10/27/03)
• If you're a high profile person and you've said something that the media can convert to controversy – even though you meant it without malice – you're cooked. Ask Rush. (10/06/03)
• There is no shortage of depressing news these days. Iraq is becoming a quagmire. The Democrats are running eight dwarves and a buffoon for President. PR tone-deaf Martha Stewart may go to the slammer. Dunkin' Donuts goes flat. Here is advice for each of them. (9/15/03)
• The true media professional appears on TV or radio or in print for a decidedly more urgent purpose than simply to "be seen." The pro is there to make a point, win a battle, and earn support. (8/19/03)
• The woman who accused Kobe Bryant of sexual misconduct is losing the PR war to the Los Angeles Lakers basketball star. She needs to encourage supporters to hit the cable TV circuit and launch a PR counteroffensive. (7/28/03)
• Los Angeles Lakers' star Kobe Bryant faces the biggest crisis of his 24-year life after an unidentified woman filed a sexual assault charge against him. Whether Kobe is guilty or innocent or even if charges are filed against him – the perception ain't good. (7/10/03)
• The music industry has every right to crack down on Internet freeloaders. Siccing 700 rabid lawyers to invade the privacy of a posse of prepubescent potential purchasers, however, isn't the best way to go. Here is a consumer-friendly way to get the job done. (6/30/03)
• Senator Hillary Clinton has run PR rings around embattled domestic diva Martha Stewart. Hillary has evoked public sympathy with her new book while Martha’s stone-cold silence about her stock trading has proved to be a PR disaster. (6/09/03)
• Some enterprising PR person (not me) will agree to represent Scott Peterson, the man charged with killing his wife, Laci, and unborn son, Conner. Here is the PR plan. (5/19/03)
• Now that the Iraqi people have been liberated to live and loot as they like, it is time to award the PR spoils of victory to those who distinguished themselves as compelling communicators during the conflict. (4/21/03)
• Richard Perle may be a brilliant military strategist, but his glaring PR blind spot forced him to step down as chairman of an influential Defense Dept. advisory board. (3/31/03)
• NASA officials have responded splendidly to the Columbia tragedy. They have maintained perspective - recognizing that what’s most important is learning from what happened so that similar tragedies can be averted. That stands in sharp contrast to the stuttering ham-handed PR effort displayed by Bush Administration officials trying to build support for its war with Iraq. (3/03/03)
• NASA’s PR team performed brilliantly in the wake of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The space agency learned much since its Challenger PR meltdown of 17 years ago. (2/03/03)
• President Bush could win public support for his war on Iraq if he says these words in Tuesday's State of the Union. (1/27/03)
• Sick of all those `02 retrospectives? How `bout a preview of `03? Rummy invites reporters to lead the charge into Iraq; Geraldo gets roughed up by Marines in Baghdad; Kenny Boy checks in at Attica; Charlotte says adios, and Al throws his hat back into the ring as Hillary's running mate. (1/06/03)
• Saudi Arabia spokesman Adel al-Jubeir wows the press. He's "smooth, elegant, and well educated," crows the Washington Post. Actions, however, speak louder than words. All the PR in the world won't help the Kingdom, if the Saudi royals fail to deliver the promise to crack down on religious zealots (12/09/02)
• Wacko Jacko hanging his baby out to dry from a fourth floor balcony, Al "I wuz robbed" Gore launching another ‘reinvention' tour embarrassment, and the still Sphinx-like Martha Stewart point out the crying need for a PR advice columnist to provide untainted counsel to the downtrodden. Herewith is the first batch of inquiries to Dr. PRill. (11/25/02)
• Wotta week for PR. Augusta National Golf Club chief "Hootie' Johnson vies with boorish college basketball coach Bobby Knight and New York AG publicity hound Elliott Spitzer for "boob of the week" honors. Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law, in a miraculous turnaround, gets that ole time PR religion. (11/18/02)
• Harvey Pitt and Winona Ryder suffered climactic falls from grace last week. The former SEC chief was forced to step down after a series of embarrassing mishaps, while the Hollywood kleptomaniac was convicted of shoplifting. Pitt, from an image viewpoint, is "toast," but you can bet Winona will soon land starring roles. (11/11/02)
• Securities and Exchange Commission chief Harvey Pitt is a goner following the Nov. 5 elections. President Bush will sorrowfully axe Pitt for 'losing the confidence of the Congress, the Commission and the American investing public." The root of Pitt's failure is the clear and inarguable fact that his PR performance was, well, the pits. (11/04/02)
• Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose faced four chilling weeks as the nation stood transfixed while he presided over the maddening manhunt to catch the lunatics gunning down innocent citizens in the Washington, D.C., area. Here's what can be learned from the one-month evolution of Moose and the media. (10/28/02)
• The Vatican's rejection of the U.S. proposed "zero tolerance" policy was eminently reasonable. It merely asked American church leaders to try to "clarify" procedures in charging and dismissing accused priests. The Pope and his associates, however, dropped the PR ball on what could have been a positive announcement. (10/21/02)
• New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg boycotts today's Columbus Day parade after organizers told him they didn't appreciate the idea of Hizzoner marching the parade route with two stars from ‘The Sopranos.' There are priceless PR lessons in this mob style dust-up. (10/14/02)
• What can you say about Bobby Torricelli's weepy sayonara? The resigning Senator's swan song was so painful in its presentation and has gotten so pervasively pulverized by every New Jersey know-it-all this side of Paulie Walnuts - one wonders if there is really anything left to say. You bet there is. (10/07/02)
• A big part of a PR counselor's job is advising on what to do, when to speak and how to put it. So where are all the leaders these days? Mid-term grades are in, and Bush, Sharon, Arafat and Daschle could all use some PR help. (9/30/02)
• "Bowing out gracefully" is a necessary first step toward restoring your credibility. Former New York Knick star Patrick Ewing did it at his retirement press conference in which he thanked his fans, and ‘apologized.' Rosie O'Donnell didn't in her swan song press conference to announce that she was pulling the plug on her magazine. (9/23/02)
• As the corporate perp walk line becomes conga-like in length, PR pros are left with the daunting task of restoring faith in Corporate America. Tyco is right to sue the man that built it from the ground up as ex-bosses become their own companies' No. 1 enemy. (9/16/02)
• It often makes sense in PR to fess up, acknowledge your sins and move on. Cutting your losses not only disarms your adversary, it may just win you credit - snatching victorious goodwill from the jaws of PR defeat. ‘America's Most Wanted' crime fighter John Walsh gets it, former CEO Jack Welch doesn't. (9/09/02)
• Don't take yourself so so seriously is a lesson that anyone in power or PR ought to hold dear. Once you start believing you really are as smart, or incisive, or fascinating as sycophants swear and the press promises -- watch out. Next stop: a big fall. (9/03/02)
• A cardinal rule of PR states that "the organization transcends the individual." And that occasionally means cutting the chord with those who heretofore have been held dear. See you later Martha Stewart, Mary Meeker and the late Dave Thomas. (8/26/02)
• Staying silent when the media are mugging a client suspected of wrongdoing, may be the worst strategy a PR pro can adopt. Sometimes -- especially if the truth is on your side -- it makes more sense to go public, get your story out aggressively, and turn the tables on your accusers. Anthrax suspect sends FBI scrambling for cover. (8/19/02)
• PR watchers are waiting for the Brunswick Group to unfold its campaign to salvage the reputation of Martha Stewart's media company. Its apparent "silence is golden" strategy for the doyenne of domesticity just ain't cutting it as her company's stock is getting skewered. (8/12/02)
• Bobby "The Torch" Torricelli was ‘severely admonished' by his Senate colleagues for accepting gifts from a Korean businessman. What a victory for the New Jersey Democrat who sealed his triumph with a PR strategy of knowing when to fold ‘em and then rope-a-doping his way to redemption. And then there is the sad tale of Jim "The Hair" Traficant. The former Ohio Congressman got scalped. (8/05/02)
• President Bush's defenders say that he can't do much about the market, that the free market needs time to work out the excesses. They're half right. Bush not only can do something, he must. Faith in the markets and in the President is slipping more with each day's Wall Street bloodbath. And Bush needs to lead so that long-term confidence is restored. (7/29/02)
• Allen Iverson and Michael Jackson are big names in the news of late. The Philadelphia 76ers basketball star faces four felony charges, while Wacko Jacko went ballistic when it was leaked that he hired a gay porn producer to oversee the recording and video of his controversial "What More Can I Give" tribute album for 9/11. Their defenders -- Reebok, the shoemaker with an $85 million lifetime contract with Iverson, and New York PR pro Dan Klores -- also took image hits. (7/22/02)
• As Congressional vultures start circling, the only way Martha Stewart has a chance to salvage her -- and her empire's -- waning public reputation is if PR advice is given equal weighting with legal counsel. This is what Brunswick Group, which was hired by Stewart's media company, should do. (7/15/02)
• Not blowing my own horn (of course, I am), but Martha Stewart's ordeal has given me an opportunity to mouth off on cable TV on what the damaged doyenne of domesticity ought to be doing to defend her reputation, besides cavalierly cutting cabbage while her empire burns. I am presented as a 'PR expert' because of past TV appearances talking about Gary Condit. Here are some 'talking head tips' that you may use when you get your 15 minutes of media fame. (7/08/02)
• Southwest Airlines, the nation's premier air carrier – both in profitability and PR – has its hands full as word leaked out that it would require customers ‘who occupy two seats to purchase both seats.' (7/01/02)
• You say your boss is a real jerk. A guy who speaks first and thinks later… who believes he knows everything… and the last thing he needs is advice from the likes of you. Lighten up. It could be a lot worse. You could work for Ted Turner. (6/24/02)
• While some sanctimonious attorneys will deny it, it is irrefutable that pre-trial publicity can influence the verdict that a defendant ultimately receives in court. Here are some of the ways that PR can sway a jury. (6/17/02)
• The reputation of the CEO, once admired as the bastion of ethical leadership, is in shambles. Since the apex of PR is counseling the CEO, PR pros must be able to spot looming lapses that could render your CEO - and by extension, you - "damaged goods." (6/10/02)
• A PR makeover is when a caged and cornered public figure attempts a complete identity reversal. FBI Director Robert Mueller, Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, and New Jersey Senator Robert Torricelli are the latest PR makeover artists. (6/03/02)
• New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza hit one out of the PR ballpark by calling press conference to refute N.Y. Post-fueled rumor that he is gay. When a person is publicly bashed by some venal or uninformed or misguided nitwit -- there's nothing wrong with speaking out, clearing the air, or even going after the moron to set the record straight. (5/28/02)
• Jimmy Carter, the well-meaning former President, got snookered by an irrelevant Fidel Castro by accepting his invite to visit Cuba, a country that was merely a blip on the U.S. political radar screen. The dictator trotted the do-gooding Carter through a smartly choreographed itinerary of farm cooperatives, medical schools and ball games that allowed him to capture some media attention for his crumbling island. It's Carter's naivete that causes his critics to fume. (5/20/02)
• Performance is what builds a corporate or individual reputation. If you don't perform, no amount of communications can save the ship. Thoughtful PR is what enhances credibility. There has been a recent spate of powerful business personalities and their companies taking it on the chin because of painful PR preceded by paltry performance. (5/13/02)
• The time-honored PR advice to "apologize immediately" when you've made a mistake can boomerang if you don't back it up with action. Merrill Lynch CEO David Komansky, right, found that out big time when he said he was so so so very sorry for the firm's duplicitous analyst research. (5/06/02)
• Bill Gates is the picture of PR poise and propriety these days as he explains to Federal District Court why his company should not be harshly penalized in its antitrust case. That's a remarkable ‘geekover' for Gates. (4/29/02)
• The media are so powerful that public figures are bound to be knocked off their pedestals. Andrew Cuomo, Dubya, Jeff Immelt and Osama bin Laden have been taken down a notch or two by the media because of PR blunders. (4/22/02)
• Unbridled arrogance, unrestrained hubris, and unmitigated chutzpah are components of the ‘too big for your britches syndrome, which is an immediate prescription for PR failure. Cardinal Law and the gang at Merrill Lynch are the latest to show the TBFYB syndrome. (4/15/02)
• Sixty percent of Americans say rudeness and selfish behavior is on the rise. For PR pros that means if you want to be listened to, ay -- you've got to be willing to speak up, speak out, and stand up for what you stand for. PR pros must be in-your-face like Lou Dobbs and Bill O'Reilly. (4/08/02)
• A basic rule in PR is not to bad mouth your enemies. Rosie O'Donnell and Andersen CEO Joe Berardino show how to ‘lose graciously,' while John Tesh and Walter Hewlett vent against their rivals. (4/01/02)
• Reporters are largely interesting, entertaining and peachy people. But they are not your friends. They are ‘friendly adversaries' who are trying to get the goods on a PR person's client. NBA coach George Karl learns the hard way. (3/25/02)
• ‘Nightline' host Ted Koppel is the best interviewer in the TV news game. That's why his PR strategy in dealing with ABC's effort to dump him for David Letterman seems so bizarre.(3/18/02)
• The Wall Street Journal reported last week about former Jack Welch's alleged romantic relationship with the editor of Harvard Business Review. The sordid tale shows that in today's "O'Reilly Factor" world, even the austere WSJ will go for a story if it mixes a well-known figure with sex. (3/11/02)
• Monica Lewinsky's HBO special probably won't convince many to suddenly embrace her as a sympathetic historical heroine, but it is a shrewd PR move. Will Clinton come clean about relationship with former intern in his hotly anticipated memoirs? (3/04/02)
• Former NBA superstar Jayson Williams, who may have accidentally shot a limousine driver, should take a page from GE CEO's Jeff Immelt's playbook. Williams needs to explain ASAP what happened on that horrible day. (2/25/02)
• While PR people believe that full disclosure is the core of the practice of communications, sometimes silence is truly golden. Ted Turner, Jeff Skilling, Nortel's Dunn, and Winona Ryder confuse alibis. All should have kept their lips zipped. (2/19/02)
• Kenny Boy Lay wisely plans to take the Fifth during his Congressional hearing because he doesn't want to get skewered like successor Jeff Skilling did during his testimony last week. (2/11/02)
• In listening to his lawyers and thumbing his nose at the people's representatives, Ken Lay has successfully replaced Chainsaw Al Dunlap as Corporate Enemy No. 1 (2/04/02)
• Where's Osama? Who cares? Johnny Jihad Walker, Kenny Boy Lay, Martha Stewart and Paula Poundstone are guaranteed to appeal to restless media consumers with little attention spans. (1/28/02)
• How embattled Andersen navigates through the escalating PR crisis triggered by its dealings with Enron will largely determine whether it can survive as an independent corporate entity. (1/21/02)
• CNN's fight with Fox News Channel provides great entertainment for media junkies. The tussle is a throwback to the pre-politically correct days when corporate competitors gleefully hurled PR barbs at each other. (1/14/02)
• Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld may have been the most shadowy Administration figure this side of G. Gordon Liddy, but he emerged as the nation's PR superstar following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. There were other PR heroes in the horror of last year. (1/07/02)
• Ex-prez Bill Clinton gets bad PR advice. New York Times fronts aides' plans to repair former president's "battered image." His legacy is already assured. (12/26/01)