Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a private meeting with a group of CEO’s to hear Eric Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Cleveland, Ohio office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, talk about cybersecurity. The main takeaway was this plea: If your organization is hacked, you should immediately notify the FBI and CISA. […]
From Daniel Levin, writing in The Forward… Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Daniel Pearl, the American journalist who was kidnapped and then brutally murdered by terrorists in Pakistan on Feb. 1, 2002. Danny’s death affected me deeply — his abduction on the way to an arranged interview at a Karachi restaurant, […]
From Ashley Carman, writing for The Verge… You’ve probably seen this by now, but to catch you up if not: On Monday, Neil Young issued an ultimatum to Spotify: keep Joe Rogan or me. It can’t have both on the service. “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines — potentially causing death […]
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications If you’ve ever attended one of our seminars on crisis communications, we often talk about the power of apology. Real apologies; apologies that are authentic and true; apologies without qualification or the use of “weasel words” (e.g. “mistakes were made”). Perhaps no industry does apology better AND worse than the […]
By Stephanie York, JD, Hennes Communications Any government agency should prioritize communicating truthfully, transparently, quickly and effectively, using traditional media, social media, the agency’s website and any other methods available. A serious issue or crisis ups the ante on communications. That’s when stakeholders most need correct and timely information. That’s also when damaging misinformation and […]
From Sophie Maerowitz, writing for PR News… Yesterday (Oct. 31), White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki disclosed that she contracted COVID-19. In a statement posted to Twitter and published by the Associated Press, Psaki shared the circumstances of her positive COVID test result, as well as the actions she has taken since. The timing and content of Psaki’s […]
From Adrian J. Rivera, writing for The New York Times… Every so often, something so awful and senseless happens that it’s hard to fully absorb it. An apartment building collapses as residents sleep within. A movie star’s prop gun fires a real bullet on a film set, killing a young mother. A concert crowd morphs […]
By Stephanie York, JD, Hennes Communications Q: Why should a local school district, an independent or parochial school reach out to a crisis communications firm? A: Quick – What’s the single highest priority for a superintendent, head or board president? It’s not education. It’s safety. And just one part of that safety net is making […]
By Thom Fladung, Hennes Communications Attorney Andy Phillips, like many folks, looks back a bit wistfully at the “good old days.” “I wish it was back in the day where I could go home at 6 o’clock and sit down with the paper for a half hour,” says Phillips, whose practice at von Briesen & […]
The “debate” over critical race theory – really, more often a shouting match – shows no sign of ending soon. As the New York Times noted in this thorough primer, the decades-old theory based on extensive scholarship continues making “national and international headlines and is a target for talking heads. Culture wars over critical race theory have turned school […]
