Mess Up? Fess Up!
[by Howard Fencl, APR] Google, the paragon of 21st century Silicon Valley cool, does not have a diverse workplace. Not even close. In fact, a 19th century whiff of Jim Crow permeates the company’s workforce numbers. It’s a man’s shop – 70% of its employees are men, mostly white (http://bit.ly/1mJvmG9). Leadership numbers are more startling […]
Which Comes First, the Operational Plan or the Communications Plan?
[by Nora Jacobs] Tornados…active shooters….explosions and fires…workplace fatalities…leaks of toxic chemicals. Given the wide range of catastrophes, accidents and attacks that threaten organizations of almost any size these days, wise management teams have taken the time to put together detailed emergency response plans. Those plans typically describe the procedures, people and resources to be deployed […]
When Hashtag Turns Bashtag
[by Howard Fencl, APR] You could see disaster coming. The New York Police Department dangled prime Internet troll bait on Twitter this week in an ill-conceived campaign that quickly backfired and spread hate posts to other police departments across the country. The department’s initial volley was a sincere attempt to promote good community relations: “Do […]
What if Your CEO is a Poor Communicator?
[by Howard Fencl] When a crisis significantly impacts reputation or stock price, when the magnitude of crisis is significant enough to bring business to a halt – your key internal and external audiences expect to hear directly from the CEO. But what if your CEO is a poor communicator? An extreme example: Edward Burkhardt, the […]
General Motors – Where Were the Truth-Tellers?
[by Bruce Hennes] According to this week’s New York Times, ”It was nearly five years ago that any doubts were laid to rest among engineers at General Motors about a dangerous and faulty ignition switch. At a meeting on May 15, 2009, they learned that data in the black boxes of Chevrolet Cobalts confirmed a […]
OK – Convince Me to Use Twitter!
[by Howard Fencl] If you’re still scoffing at Twitter, know this: the news media uses it every day—all day—to break news, find interviews, verify facts and look for story ideas. Twitter works as a 21st century tipline for journalists. A Cleveland reporter recently confirmed a tip about who would run for Lieutenant Governor by watching […]
Threatening the Media
[by Howard Fencl, APR] “Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again, I’ll throw you off this f–ing balcony… I’ll break you in half. Like a boy.” This is not dialogue from “American Hustle.” Inconceivably, it’s a U.S. Congressman threatening a TV news reporter while cameras rolled. Rep. Michael Grimm, […]
5 Mistakes Not to Make on Camera
[by Howard Fencl, APR] When you appear on-camera for an interview, you are going on the record in perpetuity. Excerpts will be broadcast, uploaded, archived, keyword searchable and available 24/7 on the web. You can do your organization’s brand a whole lot of good with a strong, articulate interview. But if you’re not prepared, you […]
Should Reporters Share Their Opinion in News Coverage?
[by Bruce Hennes] Used to be, reporters reported facts, without inserting opinion, priding themselves on objectivity and not revealing their personal stance regarding the object of their reporting. Nowadays, many reporters purposefully insert their opinion into otherwise straightforward news stories, blurring, if not obliterating the line between objective news reporting and outright editorializing. At best, […]