Archive for December, 2009
Neda – Person of the Year
Neda Soltan has been named “Person of the Year” by the Times of London. For many of us, the haunting images of her death in Tehran on June 12, caught on video, may always be with us.
Maybe Coffee Houses Don’t Travel Well
I’d like to ramble a bit about the concept of coffee houses and the need for more independent coffee places. I love coffee houses … or, at least, the atmosphere of coffee houses in Europe. Misha’s – a coffee house in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia – tries to get close to that type of environment.
Shorewood versus Shorecrest
Two competing high schools in the Seattle area – Shorewood and Shorecrest – have been dueling in the area of creative videos. Both schools have outstanding video production classes. Their respective videos are now on YouTube … and below … for you to judge who is the most talented.
For DC, a Massive Snow Storm
By snowfall standards for Washington, DC, it’s been a fairly intense winter storm that began late last night in this area. I would estimate 12-inches-plus of snow on the ground now where I live with more snow falling.
Ultimately … It’s All About Relationships
The popular misconception in the PR world today is that all you need to do to get the media’s attention is to write a press release and click on a computer screen to blast it out the world, using some service like Vocus or Cision. It’s quick, easy and lazy. Here’s a news flash! It doesn’t work.
Fake News Release Makes News
This is an example of how easily and quickly agenda-driven fake news can spin out of control and mislead people around the globe in today’s digital era – a phony press release at the climate talks in Copenhagen announcing that Canada plans bold and ambitious steps to control greenhouse gas emissions.
Glass Houses
Remember Andersen Consulting? It was the old accounting and consulting firm that got caught up in the Enron scandal of 2001. The firm changed its name and applied a fresh coat of paint to its image as it worked to save itself from itself and has continued doing business under the invented name of Accenture.
Pondering “The Big Questions”
As many veterans of the communications and media businesses might agree, it’s the big questions that capture our attention most. Not surprisingly, then, I read Steven E. Landsburg’s “The Big Questions” with great interest. “The Big Questions” is a funky book, like an intellectual roller coaster ride.
Open Letter Books
While visiting the University of Rochester recently, I learned about Open Letter Books, a new book translation and publishing enterprise that’s opening up a whole new spectrum of literature for American readers.
Jim Lehrer’s Rules of Journalism
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS Television – one of the most respected daily news programs in television history – will have a high tech facelift this coming Monday. Everything I’ve seen that they are doing is spectacular. The updates will make the best even better, in my opinion.
