tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64118332024-03-18T06:48:36.233-04:00Online Public Relations ThoughtsDaily entries on Public Relations and communications ideas and trendsJim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.comBlogger5476125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-87847172884218401972024-03-18T06:47:00.002-04:002024-03-18T06:47:51.741-04:00In the Searchlight<span style="font-family: arial;">Boeing is in the<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-airplane-missing-panel-oregon-united-49fe083cbfd4a952d93f950a04848bb5"> media searchlight </a> and every peccadillo of the company is getting national headlines. It is a wretched place to be in but there is nothing the company can do about it. Boeing's executives need to buckle down and concentrate on safety. Every failing there will only pitch the company into a deeper hole. </span>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-8215437682229398882024-03-15T06:59:00.001-04:002024-03-15T06:59:21.387-04:00Boasting Rights<p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's a race between Tesla and Porsche as to who gets the boasting rights for the fastest EV. <a href="https://www.autoevolution.com/news/porsche-taycan-turbo-gt-vs-tesla-model-s-plaid-the-embarrassment-of-a-great-brand-230682.html"> It's going to absurd lengths. </a> </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-25223489390054308172024-03-14T06:48:00.001-04:002024-03-14T06:48:45.196-04:00Succession<span style="font-family: arial;">Do dictators worry about who comes after them? It is doubtful. They are much more concerned about maintaining their grip on the power they have. Hence, Putin. He is in good health and potentially has another decade or more to govern, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/11/europe/vladimir-putin-reelection-succession-problem-intl/index.html">but he has a succession problem</a>. There is no obvious choice for someone to follow him and it is likely to remain that way. His is the dominant voice of Russian government and sole arbiter of major and minor decisions. In every sense, he is the opposite of democracy and that makes him dangerous yet vulnerable.</span>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-6601953260979244302024-03-13T10:42:00.004-04:002024-03-13T10:42:57.320-04:00Veiled Threat<span style="font-family: arial;">Putin has said Russia is<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/europe/russia-putin-nuclear-weapons-ukraine-intl-hnk/index.html"> prepared to use nuclear weapons</a> if the Russian state is threatened. The unanswered question is who determines a threat is sufficient for atomic bombs? It would seem to be the dictator himself and his own sense of paranoia. It is incomplete communication without sufficient detail. For example, if Ukraine should start advancing against Russian forces, is that enough of a threat? Putin is a calculated individual on the lookout for his own power, so his words are a warning to the West, as he intends them to be, and deliberately obfuscated. Now it is up to Europe and the US to determine what he is saying. </span>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-79239207094064625422024-03-12T06:50:00.000-04:002024-03-12T06:50:33.764-04:00Difficult<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Former President Trump's attorneys are right in saying they don't want to try the classified documents case in the media, but<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/11/politics/trump-employee-5-classified-documents-mar-a-lago/index.html"> this CNN interview is damning</a>. Trump might be itching to respond, but apparently his lawyers have been successful in muzzling him. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-8282968227076149312024-03-11T06:55:00.000-04:002024-03-11T06:55:10.722-04:00Fake?<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Now the British royals are being victimized by fake photography -- or it would seem so. AP <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-photo-surgery-ca91acf667c87c6c70a7838347d6d4fb">withdrew a picture of the Princess of Wales</a> and her children over concerns that the image was photoshopped. This raised a huge stink and worldwide news. No one is safe anymore from manipulated imagery. It is one more hazard of communications and PR. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-34950778281505144772024-03-08T06:50:00.000-05:002024-03-08T06:50:13.109-05:00Fiery <p><span style="font-family: arial;">I couldn't sleep last night after <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/07/politics/takeaways-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address/index.html">Biden's State of the Union</a> speech. It was a fiery presentation that laid to rest fears of a doddering old man running for a second term. Democrats in the chamber were ecstatic. Republicans were in stony silence. Only a few times in the hour and a half did Biden's lifelong battle with stuttering appear. The speech proved once again that he is an able communicator, a talent he will need in a tough reelection battle.</span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-30538562964176515062024-03-07T07:04:00.001-05:002024-03-07T07:04:52.753-05:00Back<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm back from a week-long visit to Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. The change in tourist communications was noticeable from prior visits years ago. Now, guides stress the burden of slavery and its economic impact on the South. Previously, they conjured a romantic image of the aristocratic Old South before the Civil War -- easy to do in the dreamscapes of the two towns. The new museum in Charleston dedicated to slavery and its effects doesn't hide the evil but also highlights the culture brought and created by Africans in the New World -- a must-see. The museum is built on the old wharf where slaves were landed and prepared for auction. Savannah appears not to have moved as far down the path of recognition as Charleston, but Tybee Island, 18 miles from downtown Savannah has documented the "Wade-ins" by young African Americans to desegregate the beaches there. It was an instructive visit to a culture still foreign to Northerners but much changed. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-51221385269069875262024-02-27T06:50:00.001-05:002024-02-27T06:50:20.050-05:00Taking Off<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm going to take a week off. Time to recharge. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-91951152319025759162024-02-27T06:47:00.003-05:002024-02-27T06:47:30.284-05:00Would You Fly...?<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Would you fly a Boeing Jet if you didn't have to with a negative safety report <a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-inspections-aircraft-companies-safety-1cb53f061f7df2f9a45262300a4353a3">like this</a>? Boeing has a PR problem that runs deep and will require extensive management changes and retraining to fix. It's a sad come-down for a legendary company. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-1851746832081448202024-02-26T06:17:00.001-05:002024-02-26T06:17:34.220-05:00Straight Shooter<p><span style="font-family: arial;">For decades, Warren Buffets has written an annual letter to shareholders that is filled with unvarnished straight talk about investments and the stock market. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-letter-charlie-munger-41d58fcfe54fa1eba8f5492aac0542a2">He has done it again this year.</a> His credibility is built on his enduring success and is a model for CEOs everywhere. It is an excellent example of PR done the right way. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-9949978530644606222024-02-23T06:42:00.000-05:002024-02-23T06:42:27.713-05:00Media Relations<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/vice-media-layoffs-bruce-dixon-3439e54142c88530a5825642a81aeec5">This makes media relations harder</a>. The web has seen the demise of a number of news outlets that couldn't balance the number of reporters needed for fact gathering with the cost of doing so. Even the largest news outlets are struggling, such as the Washington Post. There must be a formula that works. It is up to publishers to find it. Meanwhile, journalists are scrambling for jobs in a shrinking space. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-66065045582416555852024-02-22T06:55:00.001-05:002024-02-22T06:55:19.415-05:00Trying To Understand<span style="font-family: arial;">The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ivf-frozen-embryo-alabama-court-7c968cc00201731d7baba5a284655b0d"> unfertilized embryos are persons</a>. That's hard to understand. An embryo without semen is a cell that can be destroyed in the body. The court has extended protection to a nonliving thing. While the potential for life is there, the actuality is not without fertilization. The Court's message is a head-scratcher and will take time to grasp -- even for those against abortion. Could it be that Alabama law violates science? </span>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-39840236355072942232024-02-21T08:31:00.002-05:002024-02-21T08:31:54.115-05:00Calling Him To Account<p><span style="font-family: arial;">President Biden is taking the <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/biden-slams-trump-over-navalny-235639547.html">communications offense</a> with former President Trump. He has called him to account for Trump's constant blaming of America for his legal troubles. Trump, a psychopath, cannot admit to any fault for his actions and holds himself blameless. Biden's attack points to Trump's lack of regrets. It is too early to know whether Biden will be successful but he is speaking out as he should. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-5428828876233388462024-02-20T06:53:00.001-05:002024-02-20T06:53:55.064-05:00The Facts<p><span style="font-family: arial;">A number of conservative Christians have claimed the US Constitution intended that the country would be a Christian nation. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/america-christian-united-states-conservative-beliefs-9286431a0ddde91c928e5d411795c1fe">Not true</a>. The founders who argued over and wrote the document stated that all religions are welcome. The conservative campaign to declare the US a Christian nation is misinformed and wrong, but that isn't going to stop them. It is a fundamental part of their beliefs and their communications. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-38452905136091793442024-02-19T06:45:00.002-05:002024-02-19T06:45:30.362-05:00Publicity<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-archive-secrets-pius-xii-pope-c0c31a8e0b7e8d0827467367dd94779f">This AP story</a> is book publicity. It discusses the content of the Vatican archives and the secrets of popes for the last 1200 years. There is a PR person somewhere who has scored a home run in getting a news story of this length and detail. Now, will it help sales of the book? </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-6278280187253188742024-02-16T06:55:00.000-05:002024-02-16T06:55:08.122-05:00What Is His Fate?<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/russian-activist-and-putin-critic-alexei-navalny-dies-in-prison">Will his name live on </a>as a symbol of resistance to the corrupt Russian state or will he be forgotten and never missed? Is his communications value greater now that he is dead or will he be one more silenced voice? Putin probably doesn't think about it but protestors do.</span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-90477365055673353912024-02-15T06:45:00.001-05:002024-02-15T06:45:20.540-05:00Shooting<p><span style="font-family: arial;">How is the gun lobby going to make publicity out of<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-62e69a17b469b854afd7bcc3f548d1fc"> this?</a> Arming the rest of the crowd would have been an impetus to a battle with more people getting hurt than already were. Incidents such as this are proof of the need for more gun control. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-78893037416896457932024-02-14T09:39:00.003-05:002024-02-14T09:40:48.909-05:00Terror As a Message<p><span style="font-family: arial;">One hundred years ago, a white mob <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ok-state-wire-business-race-and-ethnicity-874fade343fc7515210117c4efe1335f">burned down Tulsa's black district,</a> destroying a thriving community called Black Wall Street. The message in the terrorist action was blunt. Blacks could not join the white community in income and amenities. Today it is hard to believe that such an evil action took place in America, but it did. Tulsans hushed it up even as the ruins continued to burn and smoke. Blacks who were traumatized did not speak about it. Only in recent decades has Tulsa owned up to the incident and belatedly has tried to make amends. The mob's message of hate lasted decades but has been disavowed. There is improvement in race relations but still a long way to go. </span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-54044245069729614592024-02-13T06:22:00.001-05:002024-02-13T06:22:48.119-05:00Forecasting<p><span style="font-family: arial;">New Jersey<a href="https://time.com/6694161/northeast-snow-storm-new-york-boston/"> was predicted</a> to get up to six inches of snow today. So far, it is barely an inch. There is still time to prove the forecasters right but it is looking again like weather hysteria brought by meteorologists hyping their craft. It certainly didn't fall heavily overnight as predicted. One wonders if the TV weather people ever say they were wrong. Their reputations wouldn't suffer if once in a while they admit to error.</span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-65508852502405498452024-02-12T06:51:00.001-05:002024-02-12T06:51:48.563-05:00Needs PR<p><span style="font-family: arial;">What happens when a big company leaves a small town after 200 years? The citizens must find a replacement business if possible and that requires a PR effort on all fronts. This is the challenge <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-remington-gun-factory-closure-997f6312364f005e295202dc38c005a3">facing Ilion, NY as Remington Arms Co. packs up to leave</a> for Georgia, a gun-friendly state. Ilion grew with the factory and was defined by it, but nothing lasts forever. The town will now have to evaluate the plant for reuse and set to jawboning potential businesses to come and take a look. It's painful work but it must be done to prevent the town from sliding into oblivion. Look for Ilion to raise its profile in the months to come.</span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-62383654051128184102024-02-09T06:56:00.003-05:002024-02-09T06:56:34.113-05:00Body Slam<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The special prosecutor in President Biden's confidential papers case <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/02/08/news/special-counsel-robert-hur-issues-report-on-bidens-mishandling-of-classified-documents/">body-slammed</a> Biden's mental fitness for the office in his report. It is a devastating document and one Biden won't soon live down. On top of that, Biden continues to make <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/news/watch-biden-confuses-mexico-with-egypt-in-stunning-gaffe-during-presser-meant-to-assuage-fears-about-his-cognitive-function/">verbal gaffes</a> that don't help his case for a second term. He is his own PR nightmare.</span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-70113963564740012642024-02-08T06:54:00.000-05:002024-02-08T06:54:11.480-05:00Reputation<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-insurrection-trump-2024-election-397a481d2886b64bba06b24ff3d03f37">This</a> will define the court's reputation for decades to come.</span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-29692665403431282172024-02-07T07:48:00.001-05:002024-02-07T07:48:34.616-05:00Laughing stock?<span style="font-family: arial;">The House Republican leadership <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/07/politics/mike-johnson-house-republicans-impeachment/index.html">failed to pull off an impeachment</a> of <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;">Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Now they are said to be an example of incompetent vote management and inability to run the chamber. They are called a laughing stock. Maybe so, but for the time being, they are still in charge. Unfortunately, they are failing in their primary role -- passing legislation to fund and run the country. Their reputation is in tatters and is dragging the nation down with them. </span></span></span>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6411833.post-54002005525359378722024-02-06T06:46:00.002-05:002024-02-06T06:46:35.166-05:00Vile Language<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Former President Trump uses<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-haley-women-pelosi-clinton-president-ddce92382303da6834a82a57a12ed8c5"> vile language</a> to put down women who bother him. He is at it again. It's poor PR but his followers love it. What does that say about them? What does it say about the political process?</span></p>Jim Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13063626408372553441noreply@blogger.com0