One of the biggest mistakes a professional communicator can make is assume that because he or she is knowledgeable at communications now, or was good at it in the recent past, that that will always be the case. Read more
CommCore Blog and News
Posts Tagged: public relations
A New Look at an Old Adage
The old adage says that any publicity, even if it’s bad, is better than no publicity. As adages go, this one has been proven wrong enough times to merit relegation to the dustbin of sound bites. Read more
Mind The Gap
Sometimes what appear to be the best of marketing ideas — initiated with the best of intentions — boomerang on a company or a product (New Coke, anyone?) The ability to salvage the situation often depends on rapid, transparent and clear communications. Read more
Crisis Planning and Risk Management
In the wake of the deadly gas explosion in San Bruno, CA, CNN interviewed Georgia Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise in order to get a sense of the risks and realities in our utility infrastructure. Read more
Mike Wise’s Unwise Spoof
Just because the term “Social Media” contains the “M” word doesn’t mean professional journalists in the Mainstream Media always know how to use it properly.
Case in point: On Monday morning, popular Washington Post sports columnist Mike Wise intentionally posted a fabricated tweet announcing that Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would be suspended for five games, rather than the initial six game suspension he received after allegations of personal misconduct.
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Mea Culpas and Apologies Can Be Too Little, Too Late
Thomas H. Graham, regional president of Washington, DC region utility Pepco, has had a rough few days trying to restore power since a mammoth summer storm caused hundreds of thousands of electric outages on July 25. Read more
Responding to “Fake” Tweeters
Public companies increasingly have to deal with “fake” Twitter accounts created by people who have a bone to pick with the corporation or its brands. BPGlobalPR, for example, is a mock Twitter account using the BP name that has already acquired over 187,000 followers with its satirical spoof tweets on the company’s oil spill clean-up efforts. Read more
Smartphone Issues: Communicating About Wireless Woes
In recent days we have seen two of the giants of the Wireless world – Apple and Verizon – respond differently to problems with their smartphone products, resulting in different reactions from consumers and the mainstream and trade media. Read more
Jumping to Conclusions:The Importance of Context in a Sound Bite World
In every field there are teaching moments, and boy, do we have one right now in the communications and media arena.
Shirley Sherrod is an African American civil servant who heads up the Department of Agriculture’s rural development office in Georgia. Read more
The Communications Conundrum Exposed: The Need To Know vs. The Need To Say No
The recent memo from U. S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to his colleagues at the Pentagon on how to interact with the media comes as no surprise in the wake of the forced resignation of General Stanley McChrystal as commander of American and Coalition forces in Afghanistan. Read more