Detroit Papers Cut Delivery to 3 Days Per Week

Detroit papers drop home delivery to 3 days a week
By ED WHITE

DETROIT (AP) — Fighting to stay in business, Detroit's two daily newspapers will radically change their relationship with readers by slashing home delivery to three days a week, printing small editions on other days and encouraging people to get information online.

The Detroit market is the largest in the country to undergo that transformation. But it reflects a calculation facing newspapers across the country, with print circulation dropping as readers increasingly get their news on the Internet.

By curtailing home delivery on certain days, the papers reduce printing, fuel and labor expenses for editions that tend to attract fewer advertisements.

The chief executive of Detroit Media Partnership, which runs the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News, said the move announced Tuesday was not an experiment. He predicted it would succeed in keeping two papers alive.

"I don't think we're ever going back," said David Hunke, who also is publisher of the Free Press.

If it fails, "I'm fired and I may have led two great institutions down the wrong path," he said. "It's a huge risk. It's disruptive to folks. I understand that."

But the newspapers, he said, can't afford to wait. Detroit Media Partnership is losing millions of dollars this year, and Michigan has been hammered by home foreclosures, high unemployment and the near-collapse of the auto industry.

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Is Lois Whitman Giving Us A Bad Name?

I found this article by Noah Marlin very interesting. As a PR person and a blogger, I can see this issue from both sides. The bottom line is that PR folks need to understand the important role of bloggers and the blogging community. Although bloggers are different from traditional media outlets (tv, radio, & print), they definitely cannot be ignored. In my opinion it's often the more seasoned (ahem, older) PR practitioners who struggle with the explosion of blogs, because they don't understand and don't take the time to learn how to use them to their clients' advantage; folks like Lois Whitman, from HWH PR, who whose ignorance is giving PR Folks, like me, a bad name. Shame on her!

Kanye Karaoke on SNL

I like Kanye, but his recent SNL performance everyone is talking about was pretty bad. It's already painful to watch and listen to, and then to make matters even worse, he forgot the words at the 1:08 - 1:10 mark.

MTV's Daddy's Girls Preview (Airs January 5)

"I ain't perfect baby girl, but work with the kid!" LOL

MTV Shows

Blagojevich:Fight, Fight, Fight (Lie, Lie, Lie)

National Cancer Institute Selects Ogilvy Public Relations

Dec. 12, 2008

WASHINGTON, Dec 12, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide (Ogilvy PR), an integrated global communications firm, announced today that it has been awarded a five-year comprehensive communications support contract with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Office of Communications and Education. The work will be performed by Ogilvy PR's Washington, DC-based Social Marketing team in collaboration with the company's life sciences consulting subsidiary, Feinstein Kean Healthcare (FKH).

"This is a very important new relationship for us," said Tom Beall, managing director of Ogilvy PR's global Social Marketing Practice. "This work with NCI builds upon our years of experience in promoting cancer prevention and early detection, as well as FKH's deep credentials in cancer that include longstanding efforts on behalf of NCI. These capabilities, along with our experience working with other federal government agencies on major health issues, place the Ogilvy Team in a very strong position to contribute to NCI's efforts to combat cancer - an opportunity and responsibility we take very seriously."

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Michael Jordan Is a Failure...And So Am I

Great commercial. Period.



Dear Michael,
I've had typos in hundreds of documents, written some pretty crappy media pitches, missed some deadlines, invested in some crappy stocks and hit the reply all button by accident on numerous occasions. I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed! LOL

Not Impressed with Beyonce's New Movie "Obsessed"

The Beyonce PR Machine is in OVERDRIVE. I think it's funny how she always releases an album in conjunction with a movie (For example: I Am...Sasha Fierce & Cadillac Records or Bday & Dreamgirls). I guess her PR team says "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And clearly it's working. But they might have a challenge on their hands pushing her new movie "Obsessed." I'm not loving the trailer, but don't take my word for it, check it out here...

WWE Taps Zimmerman for PR Post

WWE announces new head of Public Relations
Wednesday December 17 BY Press Release
WWE TAPS ZIMMERMAN TO HEAD PR

STAMFORD, Conn., December 17, 2008 - World Wrestling Entertainment®, Inc. has named Robert Zimmerman as Vice President, Public Relations and Corporate Communications. In his new role, Zimmerman will be a strategic member of WWE’s management team, and oversee business, consumer, financial, and trade press relations and strategy.

Zimmerman brings with him 17 years of experience having worked for Dan Klores Communications and Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, among others. He has spearheaded corporate activities, media affairs and crisis management for such well-known brands and personalities as Michael Eisner and his new media studio, Vuguru; Howard Stern; Sean “Diddy” Combs; The Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition; Ziff Davis Media; Donatella and Allegra Versace; Bill Hemmer; CKX; and Bill O’Reilly.

Victoria's Secret's PINK Brand shows HBCU's Some Love

As most of you already know, I'm a proud graduate of Johnson C. Smith, a Historically Black University in Charlotte, NC. Despite my old age LOL, I'm also a huge fan of PINK, Victoria's Secret's brand that targets younger markets. That is why I was thrilled when I learned that PINK is going to start offering HBCU gear! My college is too small, but some of the larger schools like FAMU, Howard and Hampton made the cut. Pretty cool, heh?


Pink Rolls Out HBCU Apparel

Brand has largest retail distribution of HBCU gear
by Marcia A. Wade - December 16, 2008

When Victoria’s Secret Pink visited Florida A&M University (FAMU) last fall to announce that the historically black university would be included in Pink’s roll out of its collegiate collection—the largest retail distribution that has ever been given to an HBCU collegiate apparel—the students responded by buying out every single item at the makeshift Pink pop-up campus store.

So it’s no wonder that Richard Dent, CEO of Victoria’s Secret Pink brand is expecting huge returns when Howard University, Hampton University, North Carolina A&T University, and Southern Louisiana University joins FAMU in the second phase of Pink’s collegiate collection, which already includes 33 other schools that were launched in June 2008.

The Pink brand is geared toward young, college-aged women and includes t-shirts, sweatpants, sweatshirts, underwear, and other apparel. Its Historically Black Colleges and Universities apparel is now available at Victoria’s Secret stores near four of the universities and will be available online Dec. 23. (Hampton apparel will appear in stores mid-January because they submitted approval late, according to Dent.) Pink is in discussions to partner with the Tom Joyner Foundation and Black America Web to do a joint promotion for the HBCU line of clothing under the Pink brand.

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Journey's "Racist Nigger" Reciept Story & Company Statement

I've never been a huge fan of Journeys. Maybe I'm just too old. I had heard some recent rumblings that the shoe store was racist, but wasn't clear why people were saying that. But now I understand, (and you will too)after watching this video that was emailed to me today. I felt compelled to share this with my readers. Yes, all 3 of you LOL. I did a little digging and found the company's official statement regarding this situation. This incident happened on October 17 and the corproate statement was issued on November 13. They basically waited almost a month to respond. That's a PR no-no.

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Jamie Foxx on Terrance Howard

Maybe Terrance should have his publicist contact Jamie? LOL

5W PR Looking to Buy Smaller Agencies

5W Public Relations Seeks to Make Acquisitions a Priority for 2009 Growth


NEW YORK, Dec 15, 2008-- 5W Public Relations, today announced intentions to make acquisitions, and aggressively pursue small PR agencies in 2009. The firm is currently in discussions with several firms. 5W Public Relations has quickly grown to be the nation's 21st largest independent firm (O'Dwyers 2007 rankings) since their founding in 2003.

"Thankfully, despite the tough economy, 2008 was a growth year for 5WPR as we continue to organically grow and mature. Given the state of the economy, as entrepreneurs, we understand the struggles small firms may have with collections, lowering of retainers and simple balance sheet issues, and as such we are interested in acquisitions or agencies that may be looking to merge into a larger agency," said Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W PR.

"We are targeting small firms and we are seeing a lot of Public Relations firms doing great work, but are facing tough times. We are very confident that we will continue to grow and view acquisitions as a component of that process. We are cash positive and want to invest in acquisitions to grow."

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Tis The Season: Nonprofits Recieve Pro Bono PR Services

Neotrope Announces Non-Profit PR Grant Program Recipients for 2009
For 25th Anniversary California Firm Again Donates Services to Worthy Causes

LOS ANGELES, Dec 15, 2008 / Neotrope(R), a brand identity, PR, and marketing firm established Jan. of 1983, announced today the 2009 Non-Profit PR Grant winners: those non-profit organizations chosen to receive $25,000 in free public relations and newswire services. Neotrope previously donated $25K worth of services in 2000, and $22K in 2005. This year, services are being donated to worthy smaller non-profit and charitable organizations to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

The 2009 Neotrope Non-Profit PR Grant Program Recipients are (in order chosen):
1) Children Awaiting Parents, Inc., New York,
http://www.ChildrenAwaitingParents.org

2) Starlight Children's Foundation, California, http://www.starlight.org

3) Project SEED, Inc., California, http://www.projectseed.org

4) Girls Write Now, Inc., New York, http://www.girlswritenow.org

5) Paws of Life Foundation, Iowa, http://www.pawsoflife.org

6) Newhouse, Missouri, http://www.newhouseshelter.org

7) World Savvy Inc., California, http://www.worldsavvy.org

8) Special Equestrians, Pennsylvania, http://www.specialequestrians.org

9) Barnabas International, Inc., Florida, http://www.biijax.org

10) Museum of Photographic Arts, California, http://www.mopa.org


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Bush Gets Shoe'd, President Dodges Size 10's

This is classic footage. I keep watching it over and over again! The actual story is below.




Sunday, December 14, 2008

BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi television reporter hurled two shoes at President Bush -- one after another -- as he held a news conference Sunday with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The president -- who dodged both shoes -- was not hurt during the incident.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, however, was hit in the eye with a microphone as security guards scrambled to restrain the man, later identified as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadiya television -- an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo, Egypt.

As al-Zeidi threw the first shoe at Bush, he shouted, "This shoe is for goodbye!" He then yelled, "You dog. You killed Iraqis," as he was tackled to the ground.

Neither leader was hit. In Iraqi culture, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of contempt; Iraqis whacked a statue of Saddam Hussein with their shoes after U.S. Marines toppled it to the ground in 2003.

"All I can report," Bush joked of the incident, "is a size 10."

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Real Housewives of ATL PR Nightmare

Where does the weekend go? I just got back from church and I'm in the middle of writing a response to a government RFP my company is going after. But of course I had to take a quick break to catch up on some celebrity gossip. I ran across this clip, which any fan of Bravo's Real Housewives of ATL series should enjoy. Looks like reality might not be so fabulous for reality TV star Nene!

UPDATE: The video has been removed from youtube, but here's the link to the video from Fox 5's website!