What sensible human being thinks it’s OK to put what’s essentially a machine gun in the hands of private citizens? The tragedies keep coming with the latest mass shooting in Nashville. Here’s the problem. These events serve as a form of smelling salts, helping politicians come to their senses in response to public outcry. Then, …more
What is wrong with this country? What sensible human being thinks it’s OK to put what’s essentially a machine gun in the hands of private citizens? The tragedies keep coming with the latest mass shootings Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y. Here’s the problem. These events serve as a form of smelling salts, helping politicians come …more
What is wrong with this country? What sensible human being thinks it’s OK to put what’s essentially a machine gun in the hands of private citizens? The tragedies keep coming with the latest mass shootings in Boulder and Atlanta leaving 18 dead. Here’s the problem. These events serve as a form of smelling salts, helping …more
The Saudi Arabian government. Let’s give the Crown Prince a round of applause for the entry, “The gang that can’t talk straight.” Before going further, the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was an act against humanity. I am by no means making light of it. As I followed the …more
The four-word stacked headline appeared in the print version of The Wall Street Journal last Wednesday: WPP’s Sorrell Faces Probe The online headline went for the jugular, “WPP Is Looking at CEO Martin Sorrell’s Possible Misuse of Assets and Allegations of Improper Behavior.” Before digging in, let’s get the disclosure out of the way. I …more
It’s been a rough week for United Airlines. When my mom — who is still getting the hang of this thing called the internet — asks if I’ll continue flying on United, you know the PR debacle has reached the masses. I have this theory that a PR crisis typically breaks down into five stages: …more
Checking email during the morning of February 21, I received a smattering of notes that asked me if I was OK. OK? I didn’t understand. Did they know something nefarious had yet to reach me? Then I came across a note that added the context of a flood in San Jose. Seeing the video footage …more
I’ve been following the Samsung PR crisis. In the spirit of balanced reporting, this is what a Samsung Note7 looks like before it catches fire:When things go awry as they have with the Samsung Note, it’s easy to forget that “connection” underpins every brand. What is the consumer’s level of passion for the brand? How …more
When months of investigative reporting by The New York Times produced the story, “How Think Tanks Amplify Corporate America’s Influence“ and the companion piece, “Think Tank Scholar or Corporate Consultant? It Depends on the Day,” I wondered how Brookings would respond. The wondering didn’t last long. The same day the stories came out, Brookings published “Brookings …more
