A Muffed Apology: This isn’t last week’s edition of PR News, but you’d be excused if you thought it was. In this column in our Dec. 12 edition we derided the actions but praised the apology of Chef Mario Batali for repeated acts of sexual harassment during a span of some two decades. Batali rather quickly apologized after a Dec. 11 story in Eater, saying, “I apologize to the people I have mistreat- ed and hurt...much of the behavior de- scribed [in Eater] does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted. That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family.” That was the gist of another apology he issued, Dec. 15, in his newsletter, one of a series of apologies last week. Unfortunately, appended to the Dec. 15 newsletter apology, was a recipe for pizza dough cinnamon muffins. “In case you’re searching for a holiday- inspired breakfast, these...muffins are a fan favorite,” he wrote as a prelude to the recipe. As you’d expect, social media went wild. When seemingly alert brands and organizations make silly moves such as this one, we’re forced to ask, ‘Was there a PR person present when the decision was made?’ Writer Josh Jordan (@ NumbersMuncher) somehow penetrated the meeting and provided the following transcript to Twitter: Mario Batali: How do we address the sexual harassment? PR Team: With a heartfelt apology. MB: A cinnamon roll recipe should do the trick. PRT: That’s a horrible idea. MB: Yeah, let’s go with that. PRT: You need to apologize. MB: OK. Quick apology and then rolls. PRT: We’re doomed. Since Dec. 12, four more women have come forward to ac- cuse the chef of improper behavior, put- ting the total at 8 victims. Known for his Italian cuisine and the orange clogs that match his ginger locks, Batali was fired Dec. 15 from The Chew, the ABC show he co-hosted weekdays. He’s stepped away from his restaurant and culinary empire for an undetermined amount of time.
Smiley’s People:Although former PBS and CBS host Charlie Rose went relatively quietly when charged with sexual harassment, fellow PBS-er Tavis Smiley is not. The veteran interviewer is denying allegations that led to his PBS show being suspended last week. “I have never groped...coerced [or]...exposed myself inappropriately,” he tweeted Dec. 18. As PR pros know, it’s unwise to make statements you are unable to back up with facts. That goes for Smiley and PBS.
New Business Model?As Katie Paine points out on page 1, 2017 has been bizarre. It’s appropriate then to end 2017 with what seems a strange story. While we’ve heard of sources demanding payment from journalists for interviews and we know some publications charge brands and writers to be featured, we’d not heard of subject-matter experts charging PR pros to pitch them. We have now. A PR rep attempted to pitch an accomplished journalist and academician. Eventually the journalist told the PR rep he could be contacted through a particular platform; should he respond, it would cost the PR pitcher $20. The platform is called Earn.com and it urges customers to replace public email platforms with “an inbox that pays you.” It features lists of experts that one can receive replies from for a fee. The groups include CEOs, angel investors, venture capitalists and a slew of programmers. Our PR rep was seeking a response from the writer about a pitch related to blockchain. The journalist is part of a group of “500+ Blockchain personalities.” Should this idea catch on, PR pros might need to set aside money to pay for pitching.
Platform Prater:Engagement is good, but shamelessly begging for people to comment, share and like your posts is bad form. At least that’s what Facebook is saying. There are exceptions, Facebook says in a Dec. 18 post, including seeking engagement for a post about a missing child or one that raises funds for a cause. Examples of forbidden engagement baiting are things such as “share this post with your friends for a chance to win a free trip to...” or “like us if you’re left-handed and were born during the summer.” The Newsfeed algorithm will be tweaked to demote Pages or individuals who continue to deploy engagement bait. The changes will begin in a few weeks, Facebook says. Of course, Facebook is facing charges that it’s changed society for the worse, including how bogus political ads might have influenced the 2016 U.S. presidential election. -- In a somewhat related story, Twitter began Dec. 18 implementing a policy it hopes will reduce the amount of violent invective spewed on its platform. Those who post tweets advocating violence may find their tweets removed, the company says. Repeat offenders will be subject to removal from the platform. It’s part of a larger effort to reduce offensive behavior on the platform.
People: Congrats to PR News Hall of Famer Rob Stoddard on his new post as NCTA’s SVP for industry & association affairs, where he’ll manage public affairs, member relations and meetings/special events. Brian Dietz was upped to SVP for strategic communications, leading media relations, digital communications, brand management/promotion and digital grassroots activities. – WE named Kona Luseni Barrasso SVP, technology and Kristen Jordan-Poinsette VP, health. Luseni Barrasso comes from Burson-Marsteller, Jordan-Poinsette joins from Marina Maher. – CooperKatz promoted 14-year veteran Kathleen Reynolds to VP/director, client services. -- Rasky Partners named former MA Labor Secretary Ron Walker COO.