Posted by George

Here are my most recent posts

Coping an Attitude

One of my interview rules — a rule so fundamental I call it a commandment — is:  “Thou shalt not lie, evade, speculate nor cop an attitude.”  Let me address the last of these — the one expressed in the least Biblical language: copping an attitude. There is little the media like more than knocking [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Monday, September 26th, 2011
Posted in Essays
Tags: Essays, Media Training

101: Blogging and Twitter Hazards

Recently, I was conducting a media training workshop for a prominent organization and a staff publicist asked me if I would add a few words about the need to be discreet when blogging. There was a back story that offers any of us who blog, tweet or e-mail a teachable moment.  Someone in her organization [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Monday, September 19th, 2011
Posted in 101
Tags: 101, Media Training

Treat a Microphone Like a Gun

I’ve always found it particularly ironic — not to say downright hypocritical — that some try to teach children that honesty is the best policy by telling them a fib: George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and then ‘fessed up because he could not tell a lie.  Somewhat less ironic is the teachable moment [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Monday, September 12th, 2011
Posted in Essays
Tags: Essays, Media Training

Tough Media Questions II: Repeating Negatives

I recently read an article in the New York Times that contained a textbook case of how not to respond to a negative question. The story was about a large employer, which I’ll call “The Enterprise.”  The Enterprise is encountering some rough weather including worsening conditions that has led it to some downsizing.  The Enterprise’s [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
Posted in Essays
Tags: Essays, Media Training

Tough Media Questions I: Shock and Awe Answers

In 1949, U.S. Air Force Captain Edward A, Murphy, came up with his famous Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong will.”  With a nod in Captain Murphy’s direction, I have come up with my own law for media interviews:  “Anyone unprepared for tough questions will get them.” Captain Murphy  came up with his law [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Monday, August 29th, 2011
Posted in Essays
Tags: Essays, Media Training

101: News Conferences

There are many ways to disseminate news about your achievements, your company, your projects:  you can write a blog, send out a press release, initiate a call-in to a radio talk show, pitch yourself to an individual reporter who covers your area of expertise.  Today, let’s deal with one of the most effective methods of [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Posted in 101
Tags: 101, Media Training

Repeating History and Failing to Repeat History

The philosopher George Santayna is widely credited with the phrase, “Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it.”  What he actually wrote was “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  Either way, it means pretty much the same thing: learn from past mistakes. In the world of crisis [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Monday, September 13th, 2010
Posted in Essays
Tags: Public Relations

101: Writing a Business Book…Why and How? Part 4

Whether a book is bought by an established publisher or self-published, the sales promotion chore falls on the shoulders of the author.  As a matter of fact, any book proposal sent to a publisher without a comprehensive promotion campaign attached is likely to be rejected out of hand. If you have written your book solely [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Posted in 101
Tags: Books, Media, Public Relations

101: Writing a Business Book…Why and How? Part 3

A few months ago a feature film producer attending the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books happened by the stall of EC Printing, a firm that prints books for self-publishing authors. There the producer spotted a full-color book of illustrations that Go for Launch Productions of Glendale, AZ had self published to promote its feature [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
Posted in 101
Tags: Books, Media, Public Relations

101: Writing a Business Book…Why and How? Part 2

In our series on writing a business book, let’s pick up where we left off last week.  I wrote that there are two ways to get your book into print: sell it to a publisher or self-publish. This week, let’s explore finding a publisher.  A publisher will pay you an advance against the book’s earnings, [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Posted in 101
Tags: Books, Public Relations, Writing

101: Writing a Business Book…Why and How?

If you are a business person with a lot of experience, fresh ideas and a desire to share your knowledge you may be thinking about writing a book.  Over the next few weeks, I’ll address creating and publishing a business book.  To put these entries together, I’m relying on my own experiences — as the [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Posted in 101
Tags: Books, Public Relations, Writing

So…The New Y’Know

Last time I took a swipe at the filler phrase “y’know,” which has invaded so many interviews that for some it’s become a reflex, like breathing when answering a question. A colleague of mine reminded me that a couple of years ago we began encountering another useless time-buying verbal gimmick — the word “so.” It [...]

Posted by George Merlis on Friday, March 19th, 2010
Posted in 101
Tags: George Merlis, Media, Media Training



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