Vrabel Called the Letterman Play

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Vrabel Called the Letterman Play

Seventeen years separate two of the more unusual public statements in the history of crisis comms. One was behind a late night desk. The other in front of a wall of NFL sponsor logos. Both men facing questions about their personal conduct. Both attempting to close the matter with a prepared statement. One of them succeeded.

Whether someone in Vrabel's camp pulled up the David Letterman clip from 2009 and said ‘this is our play’ is impossible to know. But the similarities are close enough that coincidence feels like a stretch.

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Thoughts and Prayers (and other things we say that no longer mean anything)

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Thoughts and Prayers (and other things we say that no longer mean anything)

I was in a media training session last week with a group of smart, thoughtful and empathetic people. Each was a leader who could potentially be called upon to speak publicly if something went wrong. And in the industry they work in, things occasionally go wrong in ways that affect real people and make big headlines.

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What You Do to the People You Fire Says Everything to the People You Keep

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What You Do to the People You Fire Says Everything to the People You Keep

Oracle laid off up to 30,000 people on April 1st. Employees woke up to find an email had arrived early that morning. Their computer access was already gone before they'd read it. What does that say to everyone who's still there?

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The Slow Erosion of Canadian Journalism (And Why It Should Scare You)

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The Slow Erosion of Canadian Journalism (And Why It Should Scare You)

Something is happening to journalism in Canada, and most people are not paying attention. Not because they don't care. But because the very thing that would normally tell them about it is part of the problem.

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What can Janet Jackson teach you about doing better media interviews?

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Remember Janet Jackson's infamous wardrobe malfunction at the Superbowl? The NFL instituted a change to the half-time show after that incident - a change that you can use to your benefit in your media interviews...

Twitter metrics show extent of backlash against Weiner

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Twitter metrics show extent of backlash against Weiner

For the second time in just over two years, Anthony Weiner, the former New York congressman and NYC mayoral hopeful, held a press conference apologizing for sending explicit photos to women over the Internet. In 2011, his indiscretions forced him to resign from Congress. This time, however, Weiner says he isn't going anywhere and will remain in the race for mayor of New York City. But will the voting public let Weiner (and his alter-ego, 'Carlos Danger') off the hook yet again? Using Twitter as a barometer to gauge the public's reaction to Weinergate-2, early indications suggest the serial sexter's luck may be running out... 

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Bad news and the importance of timing

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Bad news and the importance of timing

In the world of public relations and reputation management, timing is usually the factor over which people have the least amount of control. The crisis communications cycle is usually set in motion by something or someone outside our control. The cruise ship runs out of power in the middle of the ocean. The tanker spills its cargo. An insider blows the whistle.

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A reporter sounds off on the 'Guard Dog' approach to PR

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A reporter sounds off on the 'Guard Dog' approach to PR

Journalists and public relations professionals have an interesting relationship. They depend on each other to do their jobs, but typically, they have very different goals in mind. For journalists, the main concern is securing the interview, getting the facts and hopefully...

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