We are in the business of storytelling, but not just on behalf of our clients. We’re interested observers in the fast-changing worlds of PR, media, branding, business and entertainment. We don’t just watch, read and listen, we create content, offering an insider’s take into the how, why and when of the communications business – including challenges, triumphs and fiascos.

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Quarterback – Effective Storytelling Beyond the Lines

As we eagerly await the kickoff of today’s Detroit Lions game against the Seahawks, I thought it a time apropos to call out, in a positive way, the PR machine that is the National Football League and the new Netflix series “Quarterback.” It is a study in effective story-telling that is worth a closer look. … Continued

Latest MSU Mess Shows Reality Denial

There’s a reality that is too often ignored, even scoffed at, by organizations of all sizes, in all lines of work. We are seeing it right now after a sexual misconduct investigation into Michigan State University’s $95 million head football coach Mel Tucker was revealed in a USA Today story posted just hours after Tucker … Continued

Northwestern Firing A Reminder For Higher Ed

Northwestern University’s football scandal, which has risen to the surface this week, is an important reminder for anyone in a position of authority in higher education. There are few more high-profile institutions in American life than our colleges and universities. After 25 years of working with them, on issues from academic to athletic, public and … Continued

We Live In Talking Points Nation

I’ll admit that when I started in the PR business, after working in broadcast news, I wasn’t totally sure what “talking points” were. That seems unimaginable now. The term wasn’t at all mainstream in the ’90s. I don’t think I ever heard it in a newsroom or read it published anywhere. I quickly learned that, … Continued

PR Scandals Need Attention, Perspective

If we do what we do well, being in the PR business provides us with aspects of work life most never get. We are given access: to places most will never visit and to information most will never receive first-hand, without the filter of news. We are given trust: some of the most important people … Continued

Tom Brady’s Retirement: What To Know About Anonymous Sources

Somewhere in between Watergate’s “Deep Throat” and Tom Brady’s retirement, a lot has been lost about how and why news organizations use anonymous sources. I hope this can fill in some of the blanks. I see this from different perspectives. Years ago, as a TV news producer, I put stories on the air that had … Continued