Nieman Lab published an article last week, “Even Smart People Are Shockingly Bad at Analyzing Sources Online,” that lives up to the headline. In one exercise, those in the study — a mix of fact checkers, historians and students — were asked to compare two websites and make a judgment call on the one they …more
Should publications try to fool the reader? The obvious answer is no, but perhaps a more nuanced view should rule the day. Maybe it’s OK — dare I say helpful — to fool the reader, if by doing so, the publication serves up information that the reader cares about. I raise the issue after stumbling …more
David Stern, who ruled the NBA as commissioner for 30 years before stepping down in 2014, deserves credit for making the long-term commitment to building the NBA’s brand in China. The arrival of Yao Ming certainly spiked interest as did Linsanity — yes I know while Jeremy Lin’s heritage is Taiwanese, he still impacted perception …more
The reason PR fails at storytelling often has nothing to do with understanding the makings of a good story or writing expertise. Instead, the root cause can lie in the interviewing process for sourcing the content. If you don’t get this upfront step right — pulling out the type of content that the outside world …more
Whether you’re buying soft-serve yogurt, a car or communication services, everyone wants value. After walking through the doors of the Willow Glen Creamery multiple times, I still calculate the per-ounce price for a mini vs. small vs. medium size to ascertain the best value. Yet, the per-unit price shouldn’t be the primary driver behind the …more
Sometimes not. Twitter is testing the concept of longer tweets, allowing a chosen few to access up to 280 characters. A blog post from a Twitter product manager explained the radical thinking: “We want every person around the world to easily express themselves on Twitter, so we’re doing something new: we’re going to try out …more
President Trump has decided to not host the Golden State Warriors at the White House for the traditional light banter — “Hey Zaza, I bet you shop at Whole Foods” — and photo op. Naturally, the President shared his decision on Twitter, calling out Stephen Curry for his lack of enthusiasm. Going to the White …more
If it weren’t for our international offices, the business of communications wouldn’t be nearly as interesting. After 100-plus trips overseas since 1994, my senses still go on red alert when I’m boarding that United flight at SFO headed to Asia or Europe (no jokes about correlating the “red alert” to how United treats customers). But …more
I am an unabashed cheerleader for The New York Times. For those who have the stamina to read more than 10 words at a time, it’s trustworthy. For those in the communications business of constructing non-fiction storytelling, the Times offers daily lessons. In fact, you’ll find some of the best journalist storytelling on the planet …more
