Haymarket Media, Inc.
Subscribe Issue Archive Contact Us About Us Advertise Affiliates PRWeek UK PRReport Germany PRWeek Asia
 
PRWeek US
  • Home
  • News
    •  Analysis
    •  In Brief
    •  Sectors
    •  Podcasts
    •  Newsletters
  • Features
    •  Cover Stories
    •  Opinion
    •  Web Exclusives
    •  Roundtables
  • Reports
    •  Agency Excellence Survey
    •  Agency Business Report
    •  Salary Survey
    •  Marketing Management Survey
    •  CEO Survey
    •  Diversity Survey
    •  Cause Survey
    •  Power List
    •  Career Guide
  • Blogs
    •  The Cycle
    •  The Editor's Blog
    •  Page Views
  • Events
    •  PRWeek Awards
    •  Webcasts
    •  Conferences
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • Subscribe
    •  Customer Service
    •  Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Podcasts
  • Hot Topics:
  • Healthcare
  • Consumer
  • Technology
  • Media
  • Public Affairs
  • Corporate
  • Green
  • 2008 Campaign
Login | Register  
Home > Blogs > The Cycle
The Cycle

Penn, Schoen & Berland still owed from Clinton campaign

Posted April 16, 2009

As Hillary Clinton, now Secretary of State, works to clear the debt from her presidential bid, it appears that Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, the WPP polling firmfounded by Mark Penn, is the only remaining creditor.

It is owed $2.3 million, down from $5.4 million as reported at the end of 2008.

Related Posts
  • PSB lawsuits: Never mind
    The recent flurry of lawsuits between Penn Schoen & Berland (PSB) and former employees Michael B...
  • Media reports find continued Clinton campaign clash
    This sort of thing is likely only for those obsessed with inside baseball, but still... LA Times As...
  • Labor vs. Penn
    According to today's Los Angeles Times, Hillary Clinton is facing a backlash over aide Mark Penn's c...
  • Closeup on Burson’s Mark Penn
  • Penn urges fight, says Newsday

Filed under: 2008 Campaign, Measurement/Monitoring, Politics, Public Relations

Tags:Hillary Clinton, Mark Penn, Penn Schoen & Berland Associates, Secretary of State

Bernanke, Federal Reserve looking at changes in comms strategy

Posted April 15, 2009

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at Ben Bernanke’s PR campaign and how it has placed him in the “starring role” as he tries to clearly communcate the Federal Reserve’s role, the paper .

According to Reuters, the Fed is reworking its communications strategy, as part of a transparency push that may include regular news conferences and increased availability of information, possibly online.

In recent months, Bernanke has discussed the economic crisis to audiences ranging from college students and the general public to the media and Congress, and he tells the WSJ: “‘I think it is important for the public to understand what is going on and to know that the government is trying to solve the problem … They should know we have a plan and a strategy.”‘

Yet, the paper also notes that Bernanke may placing himself at the heart of the PR effort to ensure his position as chairman of the Federal Reserve is secure. Within the year, President Barack Obama will decide whether or not to reappoint Bernanke.

Related Posts
  • Brunswick study reflects glimmer of optimism at M&A future
    A Brunswick Group survey of 30 Wall Street bankers and lawyers found that a majority (52%) think the...
  • AIG’s PR help becomes news
    The Web has been abuzz with news that ailing insurer American International Group (AIG) has added Ke...
  • Obama might have to shift social media strategy now
    Most communicators agree that the Obama campaign understood social media. David Almacy, former Inter...
  • About 41,000 consumer complaints out of nowhere
  • AIG’s PR firms in the news again

Filed under: Corporate Reputation, Crisis Communications, Financial/IR, Media, Politics, Public Relations

Tags:Federal Reserve, President Barack Obama

AIG’s PR firms in the news again

Posted April 13, 2009

Criticism of AIG’s hiring of PR firms just won’t die. Rachel Maddow and Breakingviews recently took critical looks at the company’s agency roster given its federal funding. This time, it comes in the form of an article from Time: “Is AIG spending too much on public relations?” The author points to recent comments from members of Congress that question “the firm’s p.r. payroll,” as well as a lawyer of former AIG chairman Hank Greenberg. AIG’s SVP of comms, Nick Ashooh - who made PRWeek’s people with the “toughest jobs in PR” 2008 list - broke down the responsibilities of its PR firms to Time.

AIG retained only one full-time p.r. firm when it ruled the insurance world. Today’s four firms, said Ashooh, have different missions: Sard Verbinnen & Co. helps to structure statements on the bailout, Kekst & Co. focuses on sales of assets to pay back federal loans, Burson-Marsteller handles controversial issues and Hill & Knowlton fields inquiries from Capitol Hill and prepares congressional testimony for company officials. “If the criticism was we were running image-advertising or doing sponsorships to make ourselves look better, I could see that,” Ashooh said. “But we’re doing a lot of information-processing. It’s really been just responding to inquiries” from Congress and the media.

Related Posts
  • Iraq contracts in the news
    The Washington Post today writes about the new communications work in Iraq awarded to four firms. P...
  • Bigger doesn’t mean better
    Late last week, I had a meeting with a VP from BlueCurrent PR, Kyle Rose. BlueCurrent is a boutique ...
  • Jack of all trades, or master of one?
    Last week I wrote about Bay Area firms adding healthcare clients to diversify their portfolios in ca...
  • Sybase down to two finalists
  • Voluntary registry unlikely to shed much light

Filed under: Agency-client relationship, Consumer, Crisis Communications, Financial/IR, Politics, Public Affairs, Public Relations

Tags:AIG, Hank Greenberg, Nicholas Ashooh, Rachel Maddow, Time

Posted April 10, 2009

Who’s winning on Twitter in the political sphere? Left or right? One blogger on the right’s use of to build a conservative movement on the microblogging site.

Much of the chatter in the media has been that the left, via its awe-inspiring, marathon-length successful campaign for Barack Obama has spawned the first tech presidency. But Blog P.I.’s William Beutler of New Media Strategies argues the right is harnessing at least one channel better - Twitter.

These new conservative projects are often built around Twitter itself. Sometimes this results in really annoying tweets, but at this point the right is doing more interesting things in this space.

Thoughts from others? From TweetLeft?

Related Posts
  • Meta mention averted
    I was going to Twitter how we've just put up a story about how Twitter can aid relief organizations ...
  • Yahoo joined the Twitter conversation this week. Its first Tweet, posted February 9, admits joining ...
  • Someone yesterday asked me: Do you know anyone who actually uses Twitter? The question was rhetorica...

Filed under: 2008 Campaign, Blogs, New Media, Politics, Public Affairs, Social Media, Technology

Tags:Obama,

Special Olympics fights ‘R’ word

Posted March 31, 2009

The Special Olympics is hoping to eradicate the use of the word “retard” through a new campaign that asks the public to sign a pledge to “end the word.” It comes on the heels of President Obama’s late night gaffe where he equated his bowling score with that of one belonging to the Special Olympics while with Jay Leno.

In describing the community’s reaction to the president’s misstep, Timothy Shriver, chairman of the board of Special Olympics, wrote today that, “At Special Olympics, we had to deploy a round-the-clock team to monitor our website and remove offensive posts. Clearly, we’ve got a problem.”

His column for the Washington Post is here. Pledge drive is here.

 

Related Posts
  • ‘I will have my back turned during the judo match’
    With so many governmental leaders skipping the Olympics opening ceremonies, being the next to bow ou...
  • Dream for Darfur turns to corporations
    This past weekend, The New York Times Sunday Magazine ran a story about an organization, Dream for D...
  • Vancouver and London? Yes. Beijing? Not so much.
    Harris Interactive released the results of a study they've conducted that finds the majority of Amer...
  • DreamWorks backtracks on “Tropic Thunder” promotion
  • Pen to paper

Filed under: Diversity, Politics, Public Affairs, Sports

Tags:Jay Leno, Obama, Special Olympics

Hispanic media gets nod from Obama

Posted March 10, 2009

More Hispanic media and minority publications have had more access to the White House and President Obama this year, the Washington Post reports, and it all stems from Obama’s strategy to be more inclusive.

“We should have a conscious strategy of communicating through Hispanic media,” White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel says in an interview. “It’s one of the fastest-growing groups in the country. Telemundo is one of the most significant media outlets.”

Every administration does some outreach to minority outlets. But by talking to Black Enterprise well before the New York Times, which last week got its first sit-down interview since Election Day, Obama is shaking up the existing media order. Just as he took a question from the Huffington Post — but not from the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune or Wall Street Journal – at his first news conference, the president is broadening the circle of access to include more sympathetic outlets.

Related Posts
  • Hispanics eye Clinton, Giuliani, and immigration in ‘08 election
    Hispanic PR Wire has just released the results of its survey, "The pulse of Latino press: A cross-se...
  • BM survey finds Hispanic-fluentials spend more time interacting online than gen pop e-fluentials
    Burson-Marsteller (BM) has released the findings of their Hispanic-fluentials study, finding that th...
  • HPRA honors campaigns targeting Hispanics and Latinos
    The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) is launching a new awards program, specifically for...
  • Re-launch of DescubreCharlotte.com comes with PR push
  • …And barely a word about Bush

Filed under: Diversity, Media, Multicultural, Politics, Public Affairs

Tags:Hispanic media, President Obama, Washington Post

‘New York Post’ *apologizes for cartoon; Sharpton says protest to go on

Posted February 20, 2009

The New York Post has issued an apology – more or less – for running a cartoon that many state political leaders thought was racially insensitive, to say the least.

“It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill. Period,” reads the Post’s editorial apology. “But it has been taken as something else – as a depiction of President [Barack] Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism. This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize.” Read more »

Related Posts
  • NY ‘Post’ issues statement in defense of dead-stimulus-authoring-chimp cartoon
    The New York Post has issued only a defensive statement in response to accusations that a February 1...
  • Protests, boycott calls on second day of outrage about ‘New York Post’ cartoon
    Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) is planning more protests and public actions cond...
  • Sharpton sharperns apology
    It appears that what started with Don Imus is now a game of tag. While not uttering something nearl...
  • LVMH statement re Stone’s comment
  • Road (trip) rage

Filed under: Corporate Communications, Crisis Communications, Diversity, Media, Politics

Tags:Al Sharpton, New York Post, President Barack Obama

Protests, boycott calls on second day of outrage about ‘New York Post’ cartoon

Posted February 19, 2009

Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) is planning more protests and public actions condemning the New York Post after the newspaper, a property of News Corp., ran an editorial cartoon widely considered to be racist.

The cartoon, playing off the of a chimp put down by Stamford, CT police officers after nearly killing a woman, features a gunned-down primate with the caption, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.” Critics of the drawing have said cartoonist Sean Delonas is representing President Barack Obama with the animal, while the Post has said the drawing is a satirical play on a current event.

Sharpton called for a boycott of the newspaper on February 19 during a protest outside the Post’s Midtown headquarters. Another demonstration, this one leveraging an appearance by director Spike Lee, is planned for February 20, said Rachel Noerdlinger, VP of communications at the NAN. Sharpton has appeared on more than 15 TV programs and conducted numerous print interviews in the day since the cartoon ran, said Noerdlinger, who has organized media outreach for the effort. Future action, including a possible boycott of Post advertisers, will be determined after a February 19 planning meeting, she told PRWeek.

For its part, the Post has had no comment beyond its original statement.

Meanwhile, in other reaction to the cartoon, Ted Rall, president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, said the drawing isn’t racist but a “cheap form of editorial cartooning.” Michael Wolff, biographer of News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, bets that Post editor Col Allen will be fired shortly.

Here’s a Google News of coverage of the controversy.

Related Posts
  • NY ‘Post’ issues statement in defense of dead-stimulus-authoring-chimp cartoon
    The New York Post has issued only a defensive statement in response to accusations that a February 1...
  • ‘New York Post’ *apologizes for cartoon; Sharpton says protest to go on
    The New York Post has issued an apology – more or less – for running a cartoon that many state p...
  • Vodka wars
    Much furor has been raised about a recent Absolut ad, which shows Southwest US territory belonging t...
  • If satire isn’t your thing…The New Yorker isn’t for you
  • Gallaudet troubles continue

Filed under: Crisis Communications, Media, Multicultural, Politics

Tags:Al Sharpton, Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, Col Allen, Michael Wolff, National Action Network, New York Post, News Corp, President Barack Obama, Rachel Noerdlinger, Rupert Murdoch, Sean Delonas, Spike Lee, Stamford, Ted Rall

NY ‘Post’ issues statement in defense of dead-stimulus-authoring-chimp cartoon

Posted February 18, 2009

The New York Post has issued only a defensive statement in response to accusations that a February 18 editorial cartoon, which depicts two police officers firing on a monkey with the caption, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill,” is blatantly racist.

The cartoon references reports that Stamford, CT police officers shot a monkey to death on February 16 after it severely mauled a friend of its owner. Critics, including Rev. Al Sharpton, have said that the cartoon chimpanzee may mock President Barack Obama, who his stimulus plan into law on February 17 after lengthy negotiations with Congress.

The statement, attributed to Col Allen, Post editor-in-chief, contends that “the cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut.” Post rep Suzanne Halpin, an EVP at Rubenstein Communications, said the newspaper is conducting no other outreach regarding the cartoon.

“It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy,” Allen said in the statement. “Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist.”

Sharpton, referencing the long-time use of primates as racist caricatures of black Americans, said in a statement on February 18 that the newspaper should “at least clarify what point they were trying to make”.

New York Gov. David Paterson also said that the Post should explain the cartoon.

Related Posts
  • ‘New York Post’ *apologizes for cartoon; Sharpton says protest to go on
    The New York Post has issued an apology – more or less – for running a cartoon that many state p...
  • Protests, boycott calls on second day of outrage about ‘New York Post’ cartoon
    Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) is planning more protests and public actions cond...
  • ‘American Idol’ tragedy
    American Idol is getting some unwanted attention this week, after a former contestant, who was criti...
  • LVMH statement re Stone’s comment
  • Green issues see red at the newsstand

Filed under: Corporate Communications, Crisis Communications, Financial/IR, Media, Politics

Tags:Al Sharpton, Col Allen, Congress, CT, Gov. David Paterson, New York Post, Presidet Barack Obama, Rubenstein Communications, Sean Delonas, Stamford, Suzanne Halpin

Pew Center: Foreign, niche reporters fill DC journalism void

Posted February 12, 2009

Last month, PRWeek reported that Washington bureau cutbacks by many mainstream media outlets are resulting in fewer story opportunities, less experienced correspondents, and more work for communications pros.

However, the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism explained in data released February 11 that the situation “is not so much smaller as it is dramatically transformed.”

Although the number of mainstream media reporters has shrunk, a corps of niche media journalists has grown in its place. The organization reports that online newsletter ClimateWire has more than twice as many Capitol Hill journalists as Hearst News Service, and Mother Jones has about as many Washington reporters as Time. Foreign outlets have also stepped into the void. Al Jazeera has 105 staffers accredited to cover Congress, only 24 less than CBS News, according to the report.

Related Posts
  • Iraq not yet sunny happyland, say reporters
    According to a new Project for Excellence in Journalism survey of reporters in Iraq, Iraq is dangero...
  • Live from Iraq, it’s…. Hell
    With the immense amount of professional and not-so-professional media criticism proliferating on the...
  • That first job
    The days between Christmas and New Year's Day are of course notoriously slow news days. The Washingt...
  • Dell, addendum
  • Many editors optimistic at increasingly local newspapers

Filed under: Journalism 2.0, Media, Politics

Tags:Al Jazeera, CBS News, ClimateWire, Congress, Hearst News Service, Mother Jones, Pew Research Center, Project for Excellence in Journalism, Time

Next Page »

The Cycle

For both journalists and communicators, the news cycle never ends. At The Cycle, PRWeek’s editorial team offers commentary and viewpoints on how the latest marketing, business, political, and cultural news impact the PR industry.

Tags
AIG Apple Associated Press Baltimore Sun Barack Obama Burson-Marsteller California CBS Chicago Tribune CNN Congress Dell Edelman Editor & Publisher Fleishman-Hillard Hillary Clinton Huffington Post IR John McCain Keith Olbermann Los Angeles Los Angeles Times Marcus Brauchli Mark Penn Microsoft MSNBC News Corp New York Post New York Times NIRI Porter Novelli PRSA PRWeek PRWeek Awards Scott McClellan The New York Times Tribune Co. Wall Street Journal Washington Post Weber Shandwick WPP Yahoo

RECENT POSTS

Studios still beholden to TV spend

Marketing in a recession (or depression)

SAG and AMPTP reach agreement

Highs and lows of marriage

NYT looks at drug ad confusion among marketers



Authors
  • Aarti Shah (88)
  • Alexandra Bruell (79)
  • Beth Krietsch (5)
  • Erica Iacono (13)
  • Frank Washkuch (135)
  • Gideon Fidelzeid (2)
  • Hamilton Nolan (8)
  • Irene Chang (57)
  • Jaimy Lee (36)
  • Keith O'Brien (115)
  • Kimberly Maul (162)
  • Marc Longpre (1)
  • Matthew McGevna (2)
  • Michael Bush (91)
  • Nicole Zerillo (36)
  • Randi Schmelzer (1)
  • Rose Gordon (40)
  • Ted McKenna (90)
  • Tonya Garcia (139)

Archives
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006

Categories
  • 1
  • 2008 Campaign
  • Advertising
  • Agency-client relationship
  • All PRWeek blogs
  • Announcements
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Automotive
  • Awards
  • Blogs
  • Branding
  • Careers
  • Consumer
  • Corporate Communications
  • Corporate Reputation
  • Crisis Communications
  • CSR
  • Culture
  • Diversity
  • Education
  • Events
  • Financial/IR
  • Food and Beverage
  • Green
  • Guerilla/WOM
  • Healthcare
  • HR
  • Industry/Energy
  • Internal Communications
  • International
  • Journalism 2.0
  • layoffs
  • Lobbying
  • Marketing
  • Measurement/Monitoring
  • Media
  • Miscellaneous
  • Mobile Marketing
  • Multicultural
  • Music
  • New Media
  • Partially there
  • Politics
  • Product Launch
  • PRWeek
  • PRWeek Awards
  • Public Affairs
  • Public Relations
  • Social Media
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Viral Video
  • Web sites

  • Blogroll

    • WordPress.com
    • WordPress.org

Home | News | Newsletters | Blogs | Directory | PR Jobs | Events | Subscribe | Contact Us | About Us | Editorial Calendar | Reprints | Advertising

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorization.

Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of Haymarket Media's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions