Three cheers to CNET reporter for sticking with his values and convictions

In a day where it’s all too common to turn a blind eye to things we may not like or agree with, it’s refreshing to see that there are still people out there who stand up for what they believe in; even if it may mean leaving a job in a tumultuous economy. I applaud Greg Sandoval for having the courage to leave his job at CNET. He felt that his employer’s ideals and values were no longer in line...

Tide Rolls, ESPN Folds and Twittersphere Beholds Katherine Webb

The big story from this year's college football national championship was not Alabama's demolition of Notre Dame. Instead, it was ESPN broadcaster Brent Musburger's comments about Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron's girlfriend, Katherine Webb. When the current Miss Alabama was spotted for the first time by the camera, Musburger and his color man, Kirk Herbstreit, both gushed over the beauty. And while it did go on a bit too long, nothing untoward or disrespectful was said. I would guess that most...

Fireman Ed blows his top, leaves NY Jets with another PR issue

Fireman Ed is steaming mad and a lot has to do with the New York Jets having a number of issues this season, both on and off the field. Mark Sanchez stinks at quarterback, Darelle Revis and Santonio Holmes are lost for the season due to injuries, Rex Ryan can’t coach his way out of a wet paper bag and Tim Tebow has been rendered useless after leading the Denver Broncos to the playoffs just a year ago. These issues...

Giving Thanks for a Twitter Firestorm?

Thanks to my daughter, Katherine, I saw the power of Twitter lighting up like a Christmas tree after well known chef Guy Fieri's new restaurant was skewered by a New York Timesfood critic. The review was horrific and sparked an amazing reaction on Twitter with defenders and bashers chiming in. The Associated Press food editor's article on the kerfuffle included one of my favorite "tweets": “I am planning on visiting Guy Fieri’s NYC eatery this weekend because it can’t be...

Imagine doing PR for this?

Those of us who do PR for a living have good days and bad days. But on those bad days, it provides great perspective to think about the tough PR assignments that could be on your plate, "but for the grace of God." My colleague Don Jennings pointed out two last week that gave me a chuckle and reminded me how great it is to represent technology, health care and clean tech organizations. The first was last month's Ig Nobel...

When pitching around natural disasters, think before you act

As many of us are digging out from under trees, pumping water from basements, dealing with screaming kids chomping at the bit to get back to school (Okay, maybe that last one is wishful thinking on the parents' part), it sometimes takes a disaster for common sense to ring true. Many in the PR community are weighing in now on what is or is not appropriate to be pitching to media about what Hurricane Sandy has done to large parts...

A Schooling on Social Media and Digital PR

Recently, I was invited to speak on the topic of digital PR and social media at the Babson College MBA Entrepreneur Program, taught by adjunct professor and faculty advisory, Angelo Santinelli. I always look forward to these opportunities, as you can learn so much when you are in a room with 40 individuals who have dreams of creating and leading breakthrough companies. One of the toughest things in preparing for this session was determining the level of information to present...

Big Bird for President - Tech Bloggers, Twitter and a Presidential Debate

Twitter Steals the Show During First Presidential Debate What happens when you mix technology bloggers, a Presidential debate and Twitter? Big Bird becomes a political figure (hilariously). How? Combine one mention of cutting PBS’ funding, a direct shout-out from Mitt Romney to our favorite oversized, avian childhood memory and 135,332 tweets per minute. Last night’s Presidential debate between President Barack Obama (@barackobama) and Mitt Romney (@mittromney) was the most tweeted live political event in history, amassing 10.3 million tweets in...

Media Interview Tips in a Citizen Journalism World

It only took 30 seconds of listening to NPR yesterday morning for me to hear Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney's infamous "47 percent" off-microphone gaffe at a private fund-raising event. It's one of those remarks that takes on a life of its own and spreads wildly. What the candidate said and meant is not the issue I want to address here. As a PR professional, I immediately recognized that he broke one of the cardinal rules of public figures in a...

Boston's Startup Media Community is Buzzing

This week's launch of The Hive on Boston.com is further evidence of the thriving startup environment in Boston. As someone who has lived in the area and worked in technology for over 30 years, I've always felt that the media hasn't focused enough on emerging companies. By comparison, the media in Silicon Valley seem to take the opposite tack, always looking to put the spotlight on what's new, even if it isn't proved yet. I'm not going to dredge up...