Crisis Management: Delta Routes Calls to Swiss Air Concerning Crash
Delta Airlines, which was deluged by calls Sept. 3 after a SwissAir plane carrying 50 of its passengers crashed south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, rerouted crisis-related calls to SwissAir, the carrier. But hopefully, Swiss Air and Delta handled other media calls better than they did ours since they never returned our calls about how they handled queries about the tragedy. (Swiss air, 516/844-4561)
On the Radar Screen What a Pill: DJ Storch Misses the Pitch Zone for McNeil
Chalk this up to oversight or a poorly managed media list, but we couldn't refrain from sharing this press kit (that refers to the elderly over and over) with you: PR NEWS' sister publication, Selling to Kids, last week received a press kit from DJ Storch & Associates, Summit, N.J., about Tylenol Arthritis for client McNeil Consumer Products Company.
We doubt any kids will be putting that on their shopping lists soon, unless they're taking over running errands for their grannies and granddaddies... (McNeil, 215/233-7000)
New Services/People Moves
- Weber Public Relations Worldwide, Cambridge, Mass., has launched WeberWorks/Mobile, a device that provides clients and employees with access to the company's suite of Internet-enabled services and technology-based products.
The service gives clients the opportunity to download client-driven information from its extranet, so they don't have to wait to get to an office. (Weber, 617/520-7009)
- Want to find out how your IR department stacks up? The Association for Investor Awareness offers accolades to companies such as Egghead Software and Acclaim for having "superior" IR. That report as well as companies "remiss" in IR are slated to be posted at http://www.investoraware.org within days.
Findings are based on a blind survey of IR departments and how adept staffers were at responding. (Association for Investor Awareness, 888/363-4739)
- NewsExpress, Burrelle's same-day press clipping service, now monitors the Salt Lake Tribune and the Indianapolis Star as well. Those additiions push NewsExpress's coverage to 71 major pubs from 52 cities. (Burrelle, 800/631-1160)
- James Mazzu comes on board MediaMap, Cambridge, Mass., as its new director of development. He was director of research and development for KnoweldgeSoft, Mechanicsberg, Pa. (MediaMap, 617/374-9300)
- Integrated communications firm Earle Palmer Brown-Greenwich, Greenwich, Conn., names senior manager John J. Eccleston partner and assistant GM of the Greenwich office. (EPB, 203/622-1723)
Media Relations: E&P To Unveil New Look For 'News Millenium' This Week
On Sept. 10, Editor&Publisher ushers in the re-design and launch for the "News Millenium" at the Newseum in New York on tony Manhattan Avenue. Although the focus is on aesthetics, it's worth seeing how this media advocate views magazines in the future.
By the way, E&P takes on the Food Lion/ABC controversy in its Aug. 29, 1998, issue with an investigative overview we haven't seen detailed before. It says that Food Lion is trying to get its version of the case taught in journalism schools across the country. It also contends that Food Lion wouldn't forward its proposed curriculum to E&P when it asked to review the materials - called by one source "highly spun PR." (E&P, 212/675-4380)