flackery

PR Dummies: The Self-Deprecating Mr. Jones

Hamilton Nolan · 01/26/12 11:30AM

The public relations industry is, in general, an ongoing battle for attention between the calculating evil villains and the merely buffoonish clowns. We will do our part to expose awful PR practitioners in our weekly PR Dummies column. Let us give them the attention they want. Bad, bad attention.

PR Dummies: Smack My Betch Up

Hamilton Nolan · 01/19/12 11:55AM

Public relations is a field whose cravenness is superseded only by the ineptitude of many of its practitioners. We will do our part to mock, expose, and belittle deserving PR people in our weekly PR Dummies column. This is our second installment.

Let Us All Come Together to Improve the PR Industry Through Ridicule

Hamilton Nolan · 01/12/12 08:00AM

Public relations is a field populated by an overabundance of liars and morons. (Apologies to the honest, mentally facile minority.) Deadspin used to run a feature called PR Dummies, in which it urged that various PR people be fired, for being dumb. (Generally expressed through dumb press releases.) Our new editor, wistful for this feature, is reviving it here, now that he's out of the sports ghetto and into "the big leagues" of famous blogs. Without further ado: PR Dummies, of the past... day or so.

Jaleel White Will Endorse Your Holiday Product for Only $14K

Hamilton Nolan · 11/08/11 04:01PM

Jaleel White stole America's heart in the 90s as the nerdy but loveable Steve Urkel on Family Matters. Ever since, as the holiday season rolls around each year, we ask ourselves: "Does Jaleel have any last minute holiday gift ideas?"

Bureaucrats Spend $200K in Tax Money on Self-Glorifying Fake News

Hamilton Nolan · 09/13/11 09:24AM

When you think "Things that I, as a taxpayer, want my tax money to pay for, in regards to my local water management district," you immediately think "propaganda masquerading as news." Because the important thing for a water district is good PR for the bureaucrats that run it. Water stuff? Later for that!

Google Is Reborn Creepier and Meaner

Ryan Tate · 08/15/11 01:08PM

Once upon a time, Google was run like a playground; it was the sort of place where you'd get points for attending the Burning Man hippie drug fest. Under new CEO Larry Page, we're seeing a more ruthless Google — the sort of company perfect comfortable turning its business partners into creepy sock puppets today.

PR Gadfly Accused of World's Most Boring Phone Hack

Hamilton Nolan · 07/20/11 09:09AM

Jack O'Dwyer is an old reporter who has been covering the PR industry in his own personal publication for about a million years now. He's generally seen as a cranky but tolerable fixture of the PR journalism scene.

Rupert Murdoch Ain't Going Anywhere

Hamilton Nolan · 07/06/11 02:47PM

In your wacky Wednesday media column: the phone hacking fallout predicted, a financial bright spot at the NYT Co., Tina Brown's crazy cover fails, and HuffPo afflicts the British isles.

PR Firm Offers Strategists, Creators, Connectors, and Catalysts of Bullshit

Hamilton Nolan · 06/15/11 09:14AM

Traditionally, job titles at PR firms work like this: the lowliest slaves who are forced to cold-call angry reporters and write unread press releases all day are called "account executives," and everyone else is a "VP" of one sort or another, whether or not they are actually in charge of anything, or competent.

What Not to Do When Being Profiled by the Media

Hamilton Nolan · 06/13/11 11:15AM

Philippe Reines (pictured, at left) is Hillary Clinton's longtime adviser/ flack/ purse-toter. He's an inveterate gossip-spreader, self-promoter, and berater of reporters on behalf of his boss. And he loves to be recognized for his work! So the fact that Reines is profiled in the Washington Post today is not a surprise. What is a surprise: after all these years, Reines still has no idea how to not come off like an asshole.