Tag Archives: Public Relations

The Art of Keeping Your Mouth Shut

Never go to war with a popular TV program Way back in the early nineties, there was a popular sitcom called “Murphy Brown” set in a TV newsroom. The plot device of the lead character’s single motherhood offended then vice … Continue reading

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Re-Sanitized for My Protection

Two Decades Walking the Lines of Self-Censorship Twenty years ago, I wrote a post on this old China blog, “Sanitized for My Protection,” in which I discussed my approach to self-censorship. The post was prompted by a reader comment asking … Continue reading

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The Greatest Dis in History

Settling a score with style on America’s biggest stage When I was in elementary school, there was a kid who teased me about my first name, which is Diccon. I’ll call him Eddy McNair. This is a made-up name because he’s … Continue reading

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Fandom Politics

When do the old rules of political communication become obsolete? Note: There are two things that have been on my mind as I observe everything happening in U.S. politics right now. I am using this space to think through them … Continue reading

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We Can Character-Assassinate You for Wholesale

The long tradition of shady PR knife work in dark alleys A few years ago, I had the exquisite experience of having my emails read back to me by lawyers.  There had been a snafu involving disclosure of financial information … Continue reading

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Who Wants to Be On the Death Panel?

PR thoughts on the murder of an insurance man Two weeks ago, Brian Thompson, CEO of big health insurer United Healthcare, was gunned down in New York. This created an epic amount of Discourse on social media, aggravated by the … Continue reading

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Always Check the Link!

Everything on the Internet is bad or porn until proven otherwise. Oops! CNN.com: Toy manufacturer Mattel has apologized after mistakenly printing the web address of a pornographic site on the packaging of its newly launched “Wicked” dolls. Instead of pointing readers … Continue reading

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Nasty for the Motherland!

Can the administrative state get horny on main? Cards on the table, I’m a fan of the administrative state. Societies are large and complex, and a little technocratic competence goes a long way in ensuring the availability of public goods … Continue reading

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The Great Luncheon Meat Disaster of ’24

A food crisis hits me where it hurts This is one of the greatest things I have ever read in a press statement: First and foremost, our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production … Continue reading

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Leaping into the Unknown (Again)

A little over 20 years ago, a man I respected offered me a job I was interested in. This sent me into a panic. I had been living in Singapore for eight years and was going stir crazy. Following two … Continue reading

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