Okay, so if one of your employees calls you out publicly – using your Twitter account no less – for being, what was it exactly? Ah: “the most disgustingly morally bankrupt person I have ever had the displeasure of working with”, there’s a few ways you can handle it. You can take the high road a la …
Trevor Noah for President: He’s Smart, Thoughtful, and He’s Sees the Value of Inclusion
I love Trevor Noah. Not in an, I wanna lick your face and stalk you online nonsensical kind of way. This is more like, wow. What a good dude. The comedian and host of The Daily Show seems so empathetic, so smart, so kind and thoughtful. Patient too. Sometimes just listening to him talk makes …
Listen to Your Elders, But Think for Yourself
It always makes me shake my head when I hear industry elders share less than flattering opinions on what they see now. It’s often some combination of distaste, dismissal, or this rather milque toast smile and nod routine that is its own kind of insult. Oh, and let’s not forget the obligatory “back in my …
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Nike, Betsy Ross and that Old-School Flag Probably Isn’t the Real Problem
I’ve been seeing a lot of articles lately about Gen Z and millennials. Their beliefs are changing the world, rapidly reshaping entire industries, like retail. Many of these cost-conscious young people apparently feel no real loyalty to any one brand. Instead, they focus on using the vast online resources at their disposal to search out the …
Continue reading "Nike, Betsy Ross and that Old-School Flag Probably Isn’t the Real Problem"
Celebrate Stonewall, Celebrate Change
Yesterday New Yorkers celebrated the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, the uprising credited as the beginning of the LGBTQ liberation movement. I wasn’t aware of it until my friend Kate told me about it, and like so many movements, this one appears to have started by accident. On June 28th, 1969, patrons at an unlicensed, speakeasy …
Beyonce, Pharrell, Please Cancel Adidas
So, Adidas is in the news for diversity problems. Employees at its Portland headquarters say they’ve been marginalized and discriminated against. Apparently management perpetuates a high school clique type environment, and ignores minority voices in favor of more familiar faces, often to the detriment of the business. Like having to pull your all white sneaker offering …
Parents Just Don’t Understand
I had dinner with a friend this week. Not a close friend, nor one I speak to often, but one I respect very much. Her father died recently, and having experienced that heartache myself, I’ve been checking on her more frequently. Not asking about that specifically, just reaching out to let her know someone’s thinking …
Ava DuVernay Says Don’t Call Her Auntie
Have you seen "When They See Us" yet? I heard it's fabulous, and it's so accessible. Currently playing on Netflix, you don't even have to leave your phone to see the series. The snippets of media I've absorbed have praised the young actors, the attention to detail, director Ava DuVernay’s masterful storytelling, everything. I haven't …
Is Freedom of the Press a Good Thing?
Yesterday was World Press Freedom Day. According to Gallup, the world in general is more likely to see the media as having a lot of freedom than it did a few years ago. “Across 133 countries surveyed last year – one of the deadliest on record for journalists – a median of 64% of adults agreed …
Meghan Markle, the Media and Our Vanishing Rights to Privacy, Decency and Giving Birth Without Photo Shoots
Several things happened this week that have me thinking our perspective on the power of the media is skewed. It’s real, no doubt, but we’re missing something really basic. That might sound strange coming from a member of the media. But I like to think of myself as a different kind of journalist in that, …

