Your PR Architect

The county's PR guy had a county-owned car, which he and his wife drove to a wedding in a neighboring county. Alcohol was served. The wife was charged with DWI. The county PR guy -- who tried to strong-arm the traffic stop by playing the "do you know who I am?" card --  got a seven-day suspension, and can't touch his fleet car for 30 days. Not the actual DWI stop. By Highway Patrol Images (BN 201 VE SS  traffic stop), via Wikimedia Commons It's fair to say things didn't end well. That's all we really know about Justin, his wife, and the unnamed third person in the car at the time of the arrest. The Monroe County Executive -- herself a former TV journalist -- has labeled this a personnel matter, and sealed the details from voters. So much for transparency. But it's not about the county executive, who's ending her term-limited stint in the job. It's about the PR guy, and what should pass for judgment when your paycheck comes from local

Our local PRSA chapter held its award ceremony last week. Many great public relations campaigns, agencies, and practitioners were recognized. And deservedly so. My Canon camera. By Mohylek (Own work),  via Wikimedia Commons I'd share photos, except I wasn't there. And most of the photos posted on social media by the event's attendees were uniformly awful. Poorly lit, under-exposed snapshots -- the incriminating fingerprint of a smartphone camera that uses a tiny sensor and fires a tiny LED to produce a feeble flash. Or has no flash at all. (I'd link to their pictures, but it's unfair to show colleagues in less than flattering photos.) Footnote: this isn't specific to the Rochester, NY PRSA chapter. I've now seen shots from the Buffalo PRSA Excalibur awards event; they aren't any better, and in some cases, look no better than any after-party selfies you've seen. Listen, I get it. People don't want to carry two devices. A stand-al

Our canal boat. (c) DKassnoff, 2012. A couple of years ago, I rented a boat and cruised for a few days on the Erie Canal. Some of the communities we saw on our voyage were charming. Others offered all the allure of a miniature Rust Belt refinery. There's more to the Erie Canal than most people realize. Communities like Fairport and Brockport in upstate New York have built substantial attractions around the canal. Others have more modest setups: a small park or a boat launch. But if your community has invested anything in its waterfront in hopes of drawing tourism, you'd be wise to tell someone about it. Here's an example: This is what TripAdvisor.com has to say about things to do in Newark, New York: Even at full size, it doesn't say much. There was a movie theatre, but it apparently closed in 2014. And nothing else. When I visited on my voyage, however, here's what I found: A comfortable, clean canalside park with moorings, free WiFi, and a lau

It's just me, I suppose. Or maybe not. I am Jewish, and I'm a little disappointed just now with our cultural tendency to talk about inclusion while failing to practice it. As a culture, you'd think we'd know better. The other day, I received an e-mail blast (with a few details obscured) -- and was asked to help spread the word of an event: By Fast Forward Event Productions, via Wikimedia Commons Dear Library Moms, Please join us at “Moms Make It, Take It, Over Chocolate and Wine” on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at Temple Beth Zion from 7 – 8:30 PM. The event includes making Jewish summer activities, a presentation on turning regular moments into Jewish ones, and lots of good wine and chocolate! What’s wrong with this message? I'm a Jewish dad. And I'm not invited. The message assumes that Jewish households in our community rely on moms alone to ensure a heritage-rich upbringing. It infers that the fathers have a diminished role in providing a Jewis

As a kid, I loved Alpha-Bits, the cold ready-to-read cereal consisting of all 26 alphabet letters. (That's not a typo. I think it helped develop my love of reading and writing.) So when I read this news release: Modernizing Medicine and Miraca Life Sciences Debut EMA Urology EMR System | Business Wire -- I had a flashback to my Alpha-Bits days. There are four acronyms in the lead paragraph. And they're easily confused by a business desk editor. Especially if it's Monday morning. "EMR," for example, is the stock symbol for Emerson Electric Co., as well as Electronic Medical Records. In addition to the company's use of EMA for "electronic medical assistant," it's also widely used as an acronym for European Medicines Agency, the Environmental Media Association, a significant ad agency based in Syracuse, NY., and MTV's European Music Awards. Also, MLS abbrevates the Multiple Listings Service used in real estate. News flash:  people