On WGBH: Trump 'love child' rumors, a semi-apology, and media access to executions

Tonight on WGBH-TV's “Beat the Press,” Adam Reilly, Dan Kennedy, Callie Crossley, and I join host Emily Rooney to talk about Tom Ashbrook’s semi-apology, whether the media should have access to all aspects of executions, how the press has handled the rumors of Trump’s lovechild, and our usual rants and raves. (My rave was for these two projects at Propublica.org -- please check them out!) You can find watch the episode, broken up into segments by topic, below. 

On why the media is choosing to publish the "love child" story now:

On WBUR's Tom Ashbrook and his request for redemption:

On whether the media should be allowed to document all aspects of executions:

Our rants and raves:

Using technology to level the playing field in New York

Photo via https://twitter.com/WriteEditRepeat/status/971186505699004416

I had a great conversation with outgoing Chief Technology Officer of New York City Miguel Gamino earlier this month, when I moderated the fireside chat at the fireside chat at the Zahn Innovation Summit, held March 6 at the City College of New York. The full interview is up at U.S. News & World Report, but you can start reading excerpts from our Q&A right here:

Q: How do you see places like the Zahn Center and entrepreneurs in this city benefiting from being in New York rather than out West?

A: What I came and found (in New York) was this very rich and different ecosystem around tech, in large part because the people here are different and diverse, and I don't just mean that in terms of gender, color, ethnicity. I mean people's backgrounds, where they come from and where they're trying to go is much more diverse here than I've experienced on the West Coast.

And the industry (in New York) is diverse. If you're a tech person here, if you're an engineer, you're not just going and trying to get a job at Facebook and Google or the next startup. Here, software engineers are employed by JPMorgan Chase and food startups and biotech startups and light manufacturing ventures. So there are a lot of different angles.

If I were starting a startup again, I would do it here. Because of the people I can access to help me with that. … It's a richer talent pool and there's a lot of opportunity here because you've got so many different industries contributing to the growth of the tech industry.

Q: Your office's broadband initiative also really addresses equity and fairness. In the age of the internet of things, with access to information at our fingertips, it's easy to forget about the 30 percent of New Yorkers who don't have high-speed internet in their homes. How does that affect their daily lives?

A: For some people it might mean not getting to work because they way you go on transit is by buying a ticket on your iPhone. Or it might mean not being able to apply for a job. It's much more pervasive than my ability to stream Netflix or go on Facebook or chat with friends.

So, one (issue) is what it does to you, as a person, when you can't get online. But the deeper impact is the impact it has on the youth and people who don't have a choice.

In schools, for example, we're spending a lot of time and money and we're really proud of progress we're making in classrooms. We make a bunch of progress, a bunch of investments, to do things in our classrooms to modernize them. And we're proud of that, because it's our effort to keep up with the global competition. But what if your child goes home to an internet-connected home, and mine doesn't? And their homework has been assigned online, or they have to do research for their paper online. Your child, regardless of any other factor, has a significant advantage over mine – maybe one that can't be overcome. Because mine won't be able to do that homework nearly as well as yours will, or maybe at all. So, in some ways, if we're really focused on the equity piece in the U.S. or in New York City, those folks who do not have access at home would be better off if we stuck with stone tablets and paper books, because at least they'd have the ability to compete with the classmates they have in their classrooms. Of course, then the rest of the world would eat our lunch.

So that's a long way of getting you to think about the fact that this is not a luxury, it's not just about the talking points of inclusiveness and diversity. If we're really serious about making opportunity available to people in every corner of New York, and if we're really serious about New York competing with cities around the country, and if we're really serious about this city and this country competing with cities and countries around the world, it's no longer optional, when you break it down that way.

Q: I've been told that you hate the word "innovation." Why do you hate it, and what word or words would you prefer people use?

A: I wrote a little blog post about it some time ago. I think it's not only "innovation" but other terms that get thrown around, and they mean nothing because they mean anything or everything. It's all in the eye of the beholder. So, if you're an agency in government or a big company or whatever and you're still using typewriters, then implementing Microsoft Word is going to feel like an innovation, because you're equating the word "innovation" with progress. You think you're innovating, but you're just implementing – you're implementing something that has been there for a minute, you're just maybe late to the game.

And then you have what I call iteration, which is when you were at the implementation phase, but now you're thinking creatively about how to use it differently – and so you think you're innovating, but you're really not, you're iterating. You're taking something that's existing, tweaking it a little bit or changing your business processes to be improved by the use of technology. Again, in that moment, it feels like progress that we inappropriately call innovation.

And then there's the last category, which I think is the breakthrough, the disruptions – the stuff that really has the 10x kind of impact on things and people outside of your organization. They are are more than just business-process improvements, they are fundamental shifts in paradigm. In the current moment, that's things like blockchain, A.I. – not Bitcoin, Bitcoin is an iteration on the disruption. It's a function that has a really strong, obvious use-case, but the real disruption is the underlying technology.

And so the reason that I did that early on and I broke it down into those three buckets, the whole point was to set up that NYCx was intentionally going to be focused on that last one of the three. Because there's people truthfully everywhere in the organization that should be actively doing the other two. … If you're not careful, if you lump it all together, then every time you go into a conversation about innovation, the oxygen in the room gets sucked in that direction, to the things that are easier to understand, easier to measure, less risky. And I wanted to intentionally carve out this space where we could allow ourselves to engage with those high-impact, 10x potential disruptions to make sure that we didn't miss an opportunity to take advantage of that.

Read the rest at at U.S. News & World Report, and look for recaps from the summit on Twitter: #ZahnSummit.

PR Tips from a Journalist

I get a lot of PR pitches every day. A lot. Some are way better than others -- those get read. The rest end up "spiked" -- that's old-fashioned newspaper-speak for "deleted." The worst of those end up being inspiration for my #PRFail rants on Twitter (like this and this and this and this).

PR friends, you don't want your pitch to end up in one of those tweets.

Luckily, there are plenty of things PR people can do to improve the odds that their pitch gets noticed. I spent part of this afternoon with my friends at Team LEWIS, talking to their staffers about what PR professionals absolutely must do -- and absolutely must not do -- to get on a journalist's good side. Here are my notes:

The first thing you absolutely must do: due diligence

Good editors remind their reporters to trust but verify their sources, and PR people should do the same with their press lists. Make sure you do your due diligence! That means you must:

·      Know the journalist: What does he currently cover? Does she still work for the same publication she did last time you reached out? Does he use his full name or a nickname? Does she prefer emails or phone calls? Is "Chris" male or female?

·      Know the outlet: Take a look at their latest two or three issues, or at their website (and not just the home page! If the website has multiple landing pages or sections, take a quick look at as many of them as possible). Do they still cover the same topics or products they did before? Is your client or product a fit?

·      Know what’s already out there: Who are your client’s competitors? Is there something similar already out there? What makes your client different from them?

·      Know what’s already been written: Has the publication or reporter you’re pitching to written about a similar product before? If so, it’s unlikely they’ll write about your client, and may be irritated by your pitch.

·      Know your product: If a reporter responds to your pitch and wants to know more information, have that info handy and reply right away. Saying “I’ll get back to you on that” is the same as saying “We’re not really ready to have you write about this right now.”

·      Know your audience: Who is going to buy your client’s product? Does the reporter or publication you’re pitching to reach that audience? I wrote about parenting in the mid- and late 2000s. The babies I wrote about then are nearly teenagers now, so, no, I am not interested in your client’s range of organic, cruelty-free, hypo-allergenic, hand-curated, small-batch baby products.

Other things you absolutely should do:

·      Proofread. We all make mistakes, but a silly typo in a press release can make both you and your client look bad. It makes a good journalist wonder: How much reliable information are you going to give me if the data in your press release is incorrect? How much attention to detail is put into the product if you don’t know the difference between “their, “they’re” and “there”? Also: Get my name wrong and your pitch likely will be spiked. Do it again and your email address is added to my spam list, which means I’ll never see any of your pitches again.

·      Be clear. Use easy-to-understand, everyday language to describe your client or product. Unless you’re pitching a white paper to a research firm, there’s no need to use academic terms, and most reporters absolutely hate marketing jargon.

·      Be brief. Reporters are busy – they don’t have time to scroll through three pages of email or listen to a two-minute long voicemail to find out what you’re pitching. Stick with who, what, where, why, and how — who you are, what you’re pitching, where it is located (if it's an event, where it fits into the market if it's a product), why it’s significant or different from the competition, and how to get more information.

·      Remember that you are asking the reporter to help you out. It’s not the reporter’s job to give your client publicity, it’s your job to persuade the reporter to consider your pitch. No one wants to deal with an overly pushy or demanding PR person. Be considerate of the reporter's time; if you’re calling on the phone, the first thing out of your mouth after “Hello, my name is _______” should be “Do you have a minute to talk?” or “Is now an OK time to chat?”

·      Make it easy for the reporter to get what he or she needs to use your client as a source or promote your product. This includes having your contact information visible in a sig at the bottom of your email (if you’re sending a hard copy of a press release, have CONTACT and your name, email, phone and social media handle at both the top and the bottom of the page; if you’re leaving a voice mail, start by introducing yourself and giving your callback number). Even better: Set up a media page for each client on your website, and house hi-res and low-res images, press materials, bios, and contact information there, so if the reporter loses (or spikes) your email he or she can still access assets -- and reach you -- easily.

·      Offer samples or access, if appropriate. A good reporter will not write a review of or promote a product or service he or she has never tried. Offer access or a sample (and a way to return it, like a postage-paid box, if you want it back) when you make your request, but be advised that many organizations do not allow their staff to accept gifts (or keep samples) that are worth a lot of money.

Things you should absolutely not do:

·      Don’t automate your pitches or blast the same exact pitch to multiple people. Not only does in increase your chance of including an error, it increases the possibility that your pitch will be irrelevant to a reporter on your list.

·      Don’t rely on spellcheck. Spellcheck only picks up on words that are spelled wrong, not words that are used inappropriately. Take this phrase, for example: "Sew, adz eye rote bee four...” Not a single word in this phrase is spelled wrong but, obviously, not a single word in that phrase is used correctly. Also: Spellcheck won't tell you if you've spelled my name correctly or not. Both "Lylah" (yes!) and "Lyla" (no!) would be flagged as incorrect, while "Lydia" (also no!) would sail through.

·      Don’t send anything as an attachment. In this day and age of malware, phishing scams and hacking, most emails with attachments end up stuck in a spam filter. If they get through, the chances are high that a reporter will never open the attachment. If your message doesn’t get read, your pitch is worthless. Got a large file to share? Host it on your site or on Dropbox and make it available to download. Got a video to share? Host it on your site or use YouTube or Vimeo so it can be either downloaded or embedded. The only time it's really a good idea to send an email attachment is if you're sending materials that the reporter has already requested and you know they're expecting your email -- and, even then, there's still a risk of infection from a virus or malware.

·      Don’t expect them to click on links. Links can lead to phishing or malware sites, but it's also a good idea to avoid sprinkling them like confetti throughout your pitch because that's like forcing reporters to take extra steps and extra time to help you. It’s fine to offer a brief rundown and then suggest they go to your website for additional information or assets, though.

·      Don’t try to flatter them. Sure, we love it when people say they love our work, but if you say you love the last product review that I wrote, and I haven’t written a product review since 2009, I know you’re being insincere (and that you haven’t done your due diligence). Ditto praising all the articles I've written on health care reform (zero in the past many years).

·      Don’t be too casual. Do not start your pitch with “Hey, Beautiful,” “Hi there, sweetheart,” “Dude,” “Hey,” or “What’s up?” unless you know the reporter well in real life. This is a business relationship. A too-casual approach will make you and your client look unprofessional. (And, yes, I really have received pitches starting with all of the above greetings.)

·      Don’t be cute or gimmicky. Do not snail-mail a package with confetti, perfume or glitter. Do not send cookies or candies for no reason. Do not send a card with a noisy, pre-recorded message. Do not use gifs or other animation in your emails. It’s distracting and annoying (and reporters hate it when animations or graphic-heavy emails crash their ancient computers).

·      Don’t be a stalker. If no one responds to your email or voicemail right away, it’s fine to follow up a few days later. But don’t keep emailing, and for goodness sake, keep the phone calls to a minimum – not only is the writer likely fielding other pitches, he or she is also trying to, you know, write.

On WGBH: Interviews with conspiracy theorists, columnists and campaigns, and more

Tonight on "Beat the Press," Dan Kennedy (Northeastern University), Jon Keller (WBZ) and I join WGBH's Callie Crossley and Emily Rooney to talk about the media. We're discussing Megyn Kelly's upcoming interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, whether newspaper opinion columnists should disclose their political ties, what role the media plays in the politics of violence, plus our rants and raves. Tune in at 7 p.m. on WGBH, or click on the players below for the various segments!

On interviewing conspiracy theorists:

On the media and violent political rhetoric:

On opinion columnists and campaign ties:

Our rants and raves:

On WGBH: Trump, the Paris Deal, Health Care and More

I joined Scot Lehigh of The Boston Globe and Republican lobbyist Jessica Tocco on "Greater Boston" for a discussion (with host Jim Braude) about the president's possible plan to withdraw from the Paris climate deal, how the GOP-crafted Obamacare replacement is faring, and whether former FBI Director James Comey's anticipated testimony will make a difference. If you missed the broadcast, you can catch up by watching the clip right here:

#FakeNewsBoston: Talking about journalism in a post-truth era

Lylah M. Alphonse at the LEWIS #FakeNewsBoston event on May 18, 2017.

When I'm not in the newsroom at U.S. News & World Report, you can find me talking about the news on WGBH's "Greater Boston" or "Beat the Press" and at various speaking gigs along the East Coast. Most recently, I was in Boston to talk about the fake news phenomenon at an event hosted by LEWIS, an elite PR and marketing group run. Here's a Storified synopsis of what we discussed.

On WGBH: Tax reform and Trump's first 100 days

Tonight on "Greater Boston," Dan Lothian, Jim Braude and I talk about the president's first 100 days, tax reform and ratings. Tune in to WGBH at 7, or watch it right here:

On WGBH: Prying vs. privacy on "Beat the Press"

Back on WGBH tonight, this time on "Beat the Press," where I'm talking about the media with host Emily Rooney, Dan Kennedy of Northeastern University, WGBH News’ Callie Crossley, and Boston University College of Communications Dean Thomas Fiedler. Tune in at 7 p.m., or watch each segment of the show here:
Fake Forecast - National Weather Service withholds information:

Prying vs. Privacy - Popular podcast motive called into question

Much Ado - Rachel Maddow’s scoop on Trump's tax returns falls flat

Pool Problems - Should partisan outlets participate?

Rants & Raves - The panelists offer their rants and raves over some of what happened in the media world this past week

On WGBH: Trump, tax returns and other shiny things

I'm on WGBH's "Greater Boston" tonight at 7 p.m. ET, chatting about Donald Trump, tax returns, and other shiny things with Jim Braude and The Globe's Frank Phillips. Tune in! Or watch it here:

On WGBH: Trump, travel bans and Twitter rants

On WGBH's "Greater Boston" tonight at 7 p.m., talking about Trump, travel bans and Twitter rants with Jim Braude, Dante Ramos and Joanna Weiss. Tune in or watch it here: 

On WGBH: The first month of Trump's presidency

Back on WGBH's "Greater Boston" tonight to talk about the first month of Trump's presidency with Jim Braude, the Globe's Dante Ramos and lobbyist Jessica Tocco. Missed it? You can watch it here:

Talking Politics With Westford CAT

I was so happy to chat with Joyce Crane of Westford CAT recently, for the new "celebrity series" of her show, "Main Street, Westford." It was a wide-ranging conversation, and we touched on everything from the fake news phenomenon to politics to my interviews (while at Yahoo) with first lady Michelle Obama. You can catch the whole conversation online at http://www.westfordcat.org.

On WGBH: Cognitive Dissonance on the Campaign Trail

With six days left until the election, Scot Lehigh of the Boston Globe and I join Jim Braude at WGBH's "Greater Boston" to talk about polls, election anxiety, the FBI and cognitive dissonance on the campaign trail. Read the write up at WGBH.org or watch the segment below:

On WGBH: Previewing the Third 2016 Presidential Debate

I took a break from debate prep today to talk about the debate-turned-Reality-TV-show tonight on WGBH's "Greater Boston" -- that's me with host Jim Braude and guest Dante Ramos of The Boston Globe, above. Read the writeup at WGBH.org, or watch the segment below:

Spending $500 on school supplies? How to keep costs down

I was happy to return to Fox 25 News in Boston today, this time to talk about how to save some money while back-to-school shopping. Here's the clip from the show:

Consumer experts are saying that parents plan to spend $500 or more on back-to-school items this year; the number sounds outrageous, but once you add electronics and school clothes into the budget, it's easy to see how parents can spend that much or more per child. Over at Yahoo! Shine, I interviewed frugal shopping expert Mir Kamin of WantNot.net about ways parents can keep costs reasonable.

Kamin suggests that people pay attention to store sales and shop "outside the box," keeping an eye out for deals at the grocery and drug stores as well as office supply centers and warehouse clubs.

"The thing to remember is that 'loss leaders' like 10-cent Crayolas and such are there to bring you into the store and make you feel like that overpriced comic-character notebook is a deal because you saved so much on glue and erasers," she explains. "So basically, watch the sales flyers, grab the cheap stuff when it comes up -- and grab extra, so you don't need to re-buy halfway through the year -- but don't buy the stuff that isn't dirt cheap."

You can read the rest of her tips here: ""Back to school spending: $500 per shopper?"

Tricky interview questions, and how to answer them, on "The Shine"

When I'm not tapping away at my computer, I'm often in front of the camera, talking about news, workplace, and parenting trends. This week, I was back on "The Shine," Yahoo!'s fantastic talk show (you can find previous episodes at Shine.Yahoo.com). Host Alesha Renee and I were chatting about crazy job-interview questions and how to answer them. Here's the clip!

It's a topic I wrote about earlier this year on Yahoo! Shine ("Bizarre Interview Questions (And How To Answer Them)") and it's proven to be pretty popular -- I was tapped to talk about it on Fox Business News as well. Here's a clip of that segment, which aired July 10:


What's the strangest thing you've ever been asked in a job interview?

Industries where women out-earn men, on "The Shine"

This week, I sat down with Alesha Renee on "The Shine" to talk about paycheck fairness and the few industries where women make more than men. Here's the clip!

Revamping your Resume? Keep these items off

I was a guest on Fox Business News recently, talking about the things you should keep off of your resume. It's a topic I've covered for both Yahoo! Shine ("The Worst Things to Put on Your Resume") and for Yahoo!'s talk show, "The Shine,"(you can watch that clip right here) but here's the clip from the folks at Fox: