The Monthly Memo.
The power of a simple message: Nine words that stopped a train
Riding on the John Kerry campaign train earlier this month I learned a great lesson. Occasionally I'm still asked to put on my reporter's hat, and that's how I found myself on the "Believe in America" express, riding across New Mexico and Arizona. The town of Winslow,...
Case studies: Taser and Martha Stewart — What we can learn
Two recent cases of critical media coverage offer great opportunities for everyone to learn something. First, the easy one. Martha Stewart On the day of her sentencing Martha Stewart read from a statement which contained some incredible items. First, she thanked her...
The overlooked secret to positive media coverage — access
How do you get positive media coverage? If you are in the public eye in any way, getting something positive said about you can seem like climbing Mount Everest. It doesn't have to be. I recently asked one of the highest profile players in the world of politics about...
The sounds of silence. When you don’t talk, the vacuum is filled by someone else.
One of the undisputed but often overlooked rules in public life is this: If you choose not to speak, someone will speak for you ... and you probably won't like what they say! Instead of realizing the truth in that statement, another rule takes over for most people: We...
How do you get people to understand you? Tell them a story.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine last month, Tonight Show host Jay Leno answered every question with a small story, example or parallel. Explaining the appeal of his show? "We're the mainstream show. What we have to be is good food at sensible prices." How...