“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 …
Let Freedom Ring
Protected under the First Amendment, the Freedom of Speech refers to “the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint.” Yet, time and time again, there have been many attempts to limit or restrict certain forms of expression. Recently, the California Supreme Court ruled that Yelp, the business review forum, could not be ordered to remove negative reviews about …
Shooting from the Hip
Defined as “reacting suddenly or without careful consideration of one’s words or actions,” is the most recent fault of too many tweeters who experience very serious consequences. Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne), for example, recently published a racist tweet toward former Obama aide, Valerie Jarrett, resulting in ABC’s cancellation of Ms. Barr’s No. 1-rated TV show, her reruns scrapped and her dismissal from the talent …
Fighting Back with Social Media
It is Donald J. Trump who has made Twitter so much a part of the news media landscape. Now, the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland Florida are taking social media to heart. Pursuing their own political agenda with hashtags #NeverAgain and #MarchForOurLives. “They did what teenagers do so well: make adults and our tolerance for an intolerable status quo …
All the world’s a stage
In his play, As You Like It, Shakespeare wrote: “All the world’s a stage and men and women are merely players. They have their exits and entrances … “ Cue the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Korea. For the medalists, there will be corporate sponsorships much like that of Max Factor’s waterproof makeup for America’s Olympic gold medal synchronized …
What a Play!
Just one inning into the game. You can feel the tension as every sports bar in America has tuned in to the highly anticipated 2017 World Series, Game 1. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros begin to battle it out. An ad flashes across your screen: T-Mobile #HR4HR, Home Runs for Hurricane Recovery. Say what? Wasn’t Houston where …
How to Avoid #Hashtag Hazards
The hashtag, when used correctly, can reach a broader group of people than those who follow you on Twitter or connect with you on LinkedIn. It facilitates branding and allows companies to create catchy slogans motivating audiences to remember and to respond. However, the hashtag is more complicated than just throwing a few words together. Here are a few basic …
Love All
No love was lost between John McEnroe and Serena Williams in their recent point, set, match over who is the greatest tennis player in the world today. Advantage Williams. Mr. McEnroe committed the most obvious of line faults. Not being Ready with an answer to an admittedly, backhanded question was an unforced error. An interview is not a conversation, but …
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
There’s an old saying in journalism, the camera doesn’t lie, nor does it blink. But until recently, the camera has always been in the hands professionals. Not in the hands of citizens documenting police or airline brutality. Now everyone with a cell phone, and that’s pretty much everyone, is a documentarian, taking cameras and matters into his or her own hands. And …