Friend or Foe: Choosing the Best Strategy for Working with the Press

In the few years that have passed since I taught public relations at the college level, the business has changed significantly, largely due to the continued growth of the internet and social networks. However, the greatest change in the industry may not have been a technological one but a fundamental shift in the relationship between the news media and the people and organizations they cover.

The Power of Song: How Protest Music Was Ahead of Mainstream Media

Forty years ago this week, Seymour Hersh broke the story of the My Lai massacre, in which hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians were killed by U.S. soldiers. Hersh later was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting, but he may have been scooped – not by another journalist, but by a then 20-year-old singer/songwriter named Arlo Guthrie.

A Ray of Sunshine After a Dark Campaign

As soon as the outcome of Tuesday’s election was apparent, the speculation began:

• Was the election a referendum on President Obama?
• How could a pro-life Republican win in a blue state such as New Jersey?
• Why did the Democratic base fail to deliver the votes needed to re-elect the incumbent Governor?

Although these and other questions make for the type of healthy debate that is likely to continue long into the future, there is one topic that has largely been absent

Can We Stop Our Political Campaigns from Degenerating?

When New Jersey’s 2009 campaign for Governor comes to a close on Tuesday night, one candidate will bask in the glory of victory. The state’s reputation, however, won’t be as lucky. Once again, the level of discourse in a New Jersey political campaign has gone so low that pundits around the nation are chastising the Garden State.

Debates, Tax Rates and Candidate Weights

Perhaps, it is apropos that tonight’s gubernatorial debate will not be available on live television. With the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies engaged in post-season play, baseball is likely to be a larger draw in the two media markets that dominate the Garden State.

But there’s more to this story. It’s not just the baseball post-season that is responsible for a lack of interest in the debate.

Is the Devil in the Details?

As the race for Governor enters its final few weeks, Chris Christie must make a strategic decision that could determine the outcome of the election:

Should the GOP candidate put forth a detailed economic plan that addresses property taxes and other fiscal issues? Or should he continue to speak only in broad generalities and quick sound bites? Had Christie maintained his double-digit lead in the polls, the decision would have been a no-brainer. Why risk getting into details when you’re riding high and it looks like you have a clear road to the State House?

What Did the Press Do Over Summer Vacation?

Now that Labor Day has passed, the kids are back at school writing essays about how they spent their summer vacations.  But why let the kids have all the fun? Why not take a look at what the New Jersey media did over the summer as they covered the 2009 race for Governor?

To do so, I conducted a rather unscientific survey using the Access World News database, which contains the full text content of more than 3,000 newspapers, including the dailies that cover the Garden State.  

The Boss Turns 60 – And Still Connects with NJ

Next week, on the auspicious sounding date of 9-9-09, the release of The Beatles: Rock Band music video game will dominate the conversation in the music world.

Two weeks later, another significant event will take place in the music industry, this one involving a well known entertainer from the Garden State:

On September 23, Bruce Springsteen will turn 60.

It May Not be the Economy After All

More often than not, elections come down to economic matters – taxes, jobs and other pocketbook issues. Year after year, the famous James Carville mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid,” continues to ring true.

When New Jersey’s race for governor began taking shape in the spring, it did in fact look like the economy would be on the front burner. “It will be an early test of whether the Democratic response to the financial crisis was effective,” NBC’s David Gregory said in June.

For Republican challenger Chris Christie, this

Reflections on Ted Kennedy

The passing of Senator Ted Kennedy is sad news for all Americans, regardless of one’s political or ideological persuasion.

Through a strange series of events, I was privileged to write a short quote for Senator Kennedy in 2001 for a press release promoting a campaign stop he was making in New Jersey for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim McGreevey. It was just a few sentences and I did not get to work with him directly before the event, but I did have the opportunity to speak with him briefly when he arrived in New Jersey. He was very gracious and I take pride in the fact that I was able to write something for a man who was a true American icon.