It takes a lot to make Jim Rome look at least somewhat sympathetic. Actually, not sure it’s ever been done before. But David Stern found a way earlier this week, delivering the sort of churlish answer that made him look childish and insensitive. And, in doing so, reinforced a key…

It’s graduation time, which means that the real world beckons for college seniors. While some have landed their first jobs, others continue to update resumes, research job openings and head out on interviews.We recently filled an entry-level position, which doesn’t help those of you still looking. But the experience and…

“Out with the old and in with the new” is a popular saying we typically hear around the New Year, but for PR pros, with year-end reports and annual planning meetings, the first of the year tends to be a busy time and “out with the old” doesn’t ever seem…

As public relations practitioners, we’re constantly thinking of new ways to show news organizations why our clients are relevant. This can, of course, prove challenging when companies don’t have anything newsworthy happening. But that’s ok. That’s when our jobs get interesting, where we are able to be our most creative.This…

Who doesn’t like positive press? It’s generally good for business. Strokes the ego. Makes your employees feel good. Heck, you could even argue that even some bad press can be good for at least some of the above reasons. But positive media coverage isn’t always good for business. Yes, you…

The National Basketball Players Association announced this week it had rejected the latest offer regarding its collective bargaining agreement and now it will be up to the courts to decide the fate of this year’s NBA season. Like the NFL lockout earlier this year, the NBA and the Players Association…

The apology on Sunday by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings reminds me of a long overdrawn breakup. Two months ago, Netflix announced a change in its pricing and has been inundated with unhappy customer response since. Then on Monday, Hastings made another announcement that stunned the marketplace. Its well-branded DVD services…

With today’s fast-moving news cycles and a forgiving (or forgetful) public, some wonder if there really is such a thing as bad publicity. Michael Vick’s $100 million contract showed that you can recover from a storm of bad stories, not to mention PETA protests and prison time. Some even believe…

In the PR world, there is a saying, “expect the unexpected.” That’s especially true when you are doing an event or large-scale promotion. Monday’s “Free Slurpee Day” by 7-Eleven was a great idea, but a perfect example of why you should always have a plan B in place.The giveaway piggybacked…

When I was learning about PR and communications in school, we were taught as PR practitioners that our job was to help our client. Through the good and the bad, we are paid to advise, counsel and ultimately help our clients achieve their goals. Apparently the celebrity publicists missed that…