5 Questions to Ask Before You Say a Campaign “Worked”
09.17.2026 – “Did our promotional campaign work?” sounds like a simple yes-or-no question. But it isn’t. I recently taught my Media and You students at East Tennessee State University that researchers who study media effects for a living don’t ask that question at all.
Media Literacy Strategies for Enhancing Your PR and Marketing
09.10.2026 – Understanding media literacy, how consumers process and think about the media they consume, can help you with your PR and marketing. I recently taught my freshman Media and You students at East Tennessee State University about the conscious model vs. unconscious model, as well as meaning matching vs. meaning construction.
An Insider’s Look at What PR/Communication Students are Being Taught
09.04.2026 – Studying public relations (PR) in college has changed drastically over the years. For me, it’s been nearly 40 years since I earned my undergrad in communications, with an emphasis in public relations. Today, if you want to get a degree in public relations, you’ll be expected to learn a lot more than creating a strategic communications plan
What They Don’t Teach You in the Corner Office
08.28.2026 – Fay Vincent ran Columbia Pictures. He was an EVP at Coca-Cola and the eighth commissioner of Major League Baseball. The man has been in more corner offices than most of us will ever see from the parking lot. When he sat down years ago to write and publish 10 things he wished someone had told him at 40, before he started plowing those executive fields, it got my attention.
Why You Should NEVER Say “Go to Hell!” in a Press Conference
08.21.2026 – After pointing out the WNBA’s PR blunders last week, I thought we could move on to another topic this week. But nope — the WNBA keeps on misbehaving. Yes, its PR implosion continues.
The WNBA is In a PR Pickle
08.12.2026 – Oh, WNBA. Bless your hearts. Your league is in one heck of a juicy PR pickle right now. Instead of being known as the NBA equivalent for women (WNBA does stand for Women’s National Basketball Association), where women have the opportunity to showcase their basketball talents on the professional level, lately your reputation and branding is about something completely different.
Get Out of That Rut — and Into Better Meetings
08.06.2026 – Summer is ending soon (sorry to break the bad news). Did all the vacations and time off from work re-energize you? Or do you feel in a bit of a rut? Maybe this week’s message will be therapeutic for you.
Cursed Be AI for Giving Em-Dashes Bad PR
07.29.2026 – Are you one of those who automatically think AI wrote something if you see an em-dash? Well, you need to stop this knee-jerk reaction. Now. Let me demonstrate why. I’m sitting in front of my iMac at this very moment — and I can 100% assure you that the em-dash I just inserted was done live by me at this very moment.