Outnumbered but not outclassed, House Democrats fought for the right to be heard on gun control. A veteran civil rights activist, Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) was the spokesperson for the 170 lawmakers who staged a 26-hour sit-in on the House floor before the 4th of July adjournment. He also tweeted this soundbite, “We got in trouble. We got in the …
So you said …
As concise as soundbites need to be, when they condemn you they are better left unsaid. Case in point … “All the talk swirling around lately about how Spotify is making money on the backs of artists upsets me big time,” the chief executive of the company, Daniel Ek, posted on his blog. Taylor Swift couldn’t have said it better …
Hot Under the Collar
In this election year, should Governor Rick Scott have electrified his voter base with a seven-minute stand on a non-issue? And why? Before an October debate in Fort Lauderdale, incumbent Florida Governor Scott created a media disaster by delaying his appearance for seven minutes due to a cooling fan placed beneath the podium of his opponent, former Republican turned-Democrat gubernatorial …
Sensitivity Training
When a British retailer featured a greeting card with, “don’t get mad, take lithium” (an obvious reference to the medication for bipolar disorder,) customers didn’t just get mad — they got even, with posts such as “I will no longer be shopping with you” on the company’s Facebook page. The stage was set when another offended customer (@poeticfeminist) tweeted, “do you …
Serving Up Good Sportsmanship
The 2014 U.S. Open finished September 8 with Croacia’s Marin Cilic beating Japan’s Kei Nishikori. While the win was a huge feat for both Mr. Cilic and his home country, the big story is that neither #1 ranked Novak Djokovic nor #2 ranked Roger Federer were part of this year’s tennis final. Becoming a top world-ranked athlete is no easy …
Minding Your Own Business
Practicing what you preach is good advice. But even those who are accustomed to helping others can themselves mishandle the media. Edelman Public Relations, the largest independent public relations firm in the world by revenue, specializes in crisis control. However, Edelman has run into a few media predicaments of their own lately. The Guardian recently reported on a survey by …
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
In their classic hit, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Simon and Garfunkel offer a message to Cameron Diaz: Take the high road, not the bait! Acknowledge the interview question then bridge to the answer you’ve come to give. Anyone can fall prey to media mistakes if she hasn’t had media coaching, and the typically well-mannered romcom actress, Cameron Diaz, is no …
Everybody Makes Mistakes
Everyone needs media coaching once in a while, including Pope Francis. The Vatican has been recently involved in embarrassing situations due to poor media preparation. Time after time, Vatican spokesmen have been forced to release awkward clarifications after failed media opportunities. And more often than not, these clarifications cause more confusion. Pope Francis’ latest interview with 90-year old journalist Eugenio …
The Best Defense
During a recent conversation with The Guardian, pop singing sensation Lana del Rey experienced a media disaster by steering the interview in the wrong direction. According to Tim Jonze, Lana’s interviewer, she repeatedly expressed discontent with her life and said, “I wish I was dead already.” Reflecting the title of her debut album “Born to Die,” she mentioned several of …