“Denny Hastert is on the phone from Peru! Who wants to talk to him?” An editor made this proclamation one afternoon in late-May 1997, in the newsroom of The Beacon News in Aurora. Because the Beacon’s sister paper in Elgin was my home base as a reporter back then, it was just a quirk of timing that […]
Category Archives: News Industry
Over the years, as I have hired people to work on client projects, one of the quickest ways I can weed out weak story-tellers from the strong is to see what they do with “a layup.” In other words, when there’s an easy shot at exploring a creative way to tell a story, does the […]
It’s open season on embattled, suspended and bound-to-be bounced outright NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. Among the latest to take a swipe at him was actor Jim Carrey. Though Carrey’s remarks on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary special were relatively tame, by the reaction of Matt Lauer and others on-camera you would think he […]
Do you remember which media outlet was the first to break the news of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001? More importantly, do you realize the relative insignificance of the answer? Story-telling is a marathon, not a sprint. Between being first and being best, there’s no question that the latter is preferable—although achieving both […]
Because most of my media relations work is focused on Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, I often know the reporters, editors and producers that I contact with news releases, story suggestions, and on-air guest pitches. Short of making that personal connection, at the least I make it my mission to know that based on the […]
If you’re like most small businesses, marketing decisions revolve around how to make the best use of limited promotional dollars: Sponsor a youth sports team or write a check for a few weeks of advertising in the local paper? By contrast, consider the Super Bowl looming on February 2nd. With rising demand this year, the […]
Did you know that yesterday was National Child Health Day? And, at the risk of having you worry why March and May were not designated instead, did you realize that April is Stress Awareness Month? Growing up, for yours truly, every day was Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. On a broader scale, however, that comfort […]
Telling stories is a never-ending series of judgment calls. What do we put in? What do we leave out? When do we stop? Where on earth do we begin? Is my deadline really three minutes away? From that long list of self-inquiry, let us focus on one of the most important—and imposing—questions of all: To […]
George Hood on Dec. 3, 2011, shortly after he set the Guinness World Record in the abdominal plank. George Hood, the ultra-endurance athlete extraordinaire from Aurora, Ill., isn’t slowing down at 55 (years of age). The five-time Guinness World Record holder on Saturday is supporting HeartChase, an American Heart Association fundraiser in Newport, Ky., as […]
Just so there’s no mistaking things, the words that are italicized below are satirical. There really is no such thing as a “National Liars Association,” at least not to my knowledge. I issue this warning because it seems that so many people–even journalists who are entrusted to be the watchdogs of accuracy and truth–will take so much […]