The last word?

My favorite four-year old has been befriending little girls at his preschool, and his mother is annoyed. She's on record for saying, "Those floozies had better stay away from my son." The little charmer thinks he's just being sociable.

Recently, Mother told one of her friends about the "problem." The little charmer overhears. He tells Mom that he can have girlfriends because his uncles have girlfriends.

Mom says, "Your uncles are older. They can have girlfriends, but you can't."

The little one refused to be put off. His response: "Mine would be little ones, DUH!"

Remembering Harold Dow

CBS's acclaimed "48 Hours Mystery" correspondent Harold Dow has passed away at age 62. He died suddenly Saturday morning.

Dow had been a correspondent for "48 Hours" for 20 years. He was also a contributor to the critically acclaimed 1986 documentary "48 Hours on Crack Street."

Dow had earned many awards over the years for his reporting, including five Emmys and the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. He was a steady presence on the air, reporting on our country's milestones. CBS News correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports on the life of the journalism pioneer.

Mastering the PR game

Effective media relations - whether it is for promoting publications, services or other products - requires a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary approach. A well-crafted approach incorporates strategic media planning, marketing, community relations and public engagement. When it comes to publications, expert writing and editing, attention to detail, and understanding of deadlines are critical.

Understanding that the media is an audience underlies successful promotional efforts. Webster defines audience as “a group of listeners or spectators: a reading, viewing, or listening public with a vested interest.” For this reason, it is important for you to succinctly convince editors and reporters that they have a vested interest in your product – to inform readers, listeners and viewers why your publication or service is important.

It’s your job to identify what sets your product apart from others. Be media savvy. Develop and nurture relationships with the media, as you would with any other audience. If you work those relationships just right – the payoff is HUGE!

When pitching your product or service to news organizations, one size does not fit all. Take time to understand the media culture. Tailor your media pieces to conform to the formats of radio, TV, print and the Internet. Stay ahead of the pack.

Political humor

Jay Leno: "Yesterday, the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints visited the White House. .. Well, there's a switch, huh? People from New Orleans visiting a disaster area in Washington."

Jay Leno: "Reggie Bush and the entire team were there. It was like the old days. You had a mess in New Orleans, the economy in a recession, and a Bush in the White House."

Jimmy Fallon: "The 'Wall Street Journal' says there's a movement growing to replace Joe Biden with Hillary Clinton on the Democratic ticket in 2012. ... In response, Hillary said, 'Come on, that is just silly. Make it so.'"


Source: U.S. News & World Report

Writing tip

Letting too many people comment on the style and substance of a document you have written is a surefire way to slow down progress. It also hampers communication.

The reason is simple. People who review the document feel compelled to change a word, add a phrase or leave some other imprint, even if the copy is well written. Unfortunately, some people equate wordiness with effective writing. Some even insist on imposing out-of-date grammar and writing styles. And let's be honest. Some people simply cannot write.

If you've ever faced this problem, there is a solution: Restrict comments on style to only one or two colleagues who are skilled enough to make such comments. From the others, insist that they read only for substance and accuracy. Always make the case for simple and concise writing, and stick to your guns.