Laughter: the Best Medicine

“Start with a joke,” many speakers are advised. And that’s exactly how Saturday Night Live head writers and Weekend Update hosts, Michael Che and Colin Jost began as hosts of Monday night’s 70th Primetime Emmy Awards. Diversity, a major topic for the entertainment industry, in general and award shows, in particular, was gris for their mill.         …

Tech Talks: the Wild Wild West

Should Facebook, Twitter and Google face regulatory oversight from the government? Or does that compromise Americans’ Constitutional Right of Free Speech? Just like the Wild Wild West, new frontiers in social media are constantly being pioneered. In today’s society, these large tech companies are shooting from the hip to provide people worldwide a platform of free speech without the law …

Nike Just Did It

Nike reveals that Colin Kaepernick, American football quarterback and activist, will lead their 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. Colin Kaepernick has been widely known for initiating the trend of kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. It caused him to surrender his role as starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and become a free agent. However, …

A Brand By Any Other Name

To paraphrase Shakespeare, what’s in a brand name? Pretty much everything! But the Dunkin’ Donuts brand you once knew is going. In its place is the newly reformed “Dunkin.”  And loyal customers are upset. USA Today writes:  We buy Cokes, not sodas; Starbucks, not coffee; iPhones, not mobile phones. Typically, brands make us feel like an item is of higher quality …

What’s in a Headline? Everything!

Print journalists know from the inverted pyramid that the lead paragraph requires the 5 W’s and H … What, When, Where, Who, Why and How. And  a good headline tells the whole story. Like this: Trump treats politics like a knife fight. Democrats can’t pretend it’s a garden party. An effective headline says it all and this headline does just …

Pulling Strings!

Consistency is one of READY FOR MEDIA’s C’s of Communication. Consistent communication is crucial to both internal and external communications. Jingjing Hu, a music student at DePaul University School of Music, booked a round trip to Miami for a music festival in which she was performing. Her husband, Jay Tang, wrote on Facebook, “I purchased two round trip tickets for …

Freedom of the Press

“When one person makes an accusation, check to be sure he himself is not the guilty one,” best-selling author, Piers Anthony writes. “Sometimes it is those whose case is weak who make the most clamour.” This July, President Donald Trump met behind closed doors in the White House with publisher of the New York Times A.G. Sulzberger to talk about current …

Don’t Hold Your Future Hostage

As hip-hop artist LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James) often says, “You can’t let your past hold your future hostage.” And  sometimes, past communication mistakes can more than tie up your future. Milwaukee Brewers’ relief pitcher Josh Hader, 24, found himself in a bind when past racist and homophobic tweets resurfaced at this summer’s All-Star Game in Washington D.C. After …

Periscaping … into Virtual Reality

Periscape, the brainchild of Founder & CEO, Lynn Rosenthal, means to “escape within.” That’s exactly what today’s international travelers can do at JFK’s International Terminal 4. Boasting the most foot traffic of any U.S airport, it was the ideal place to launch this worldwide consumer attraction. Relieving travelers from hours of “dwell” time at this busy, crowded airport, this virtual reality …