Times Leadership Shaken Up Over Cotton Op-Ed
Another week, and the New York Times editorial team is still in the headlines, as the fallout continues over the publication of an op-ed by U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, which some Times’ staffers considered controversial. Now, editorial page editor, James Bennet, has resigned and Jim Dao, a deputy editorial page editor, has been “reassigned” to the newsroom. Deputy editorial page editor, Katie Kingsbury, will take over for Bennet and Dao at least through the national election in November.
Read MoreMacy’s Numbers Signal a Department Store Comeback
Not long ago, most retail market experts were forecasting the end of malls and their anchor department stores. More and more big brands were closing locations or going out of business altogether. Then came COVID-19 closures, and many said those empty shopping centers were the last straw. But, something interesting and, some have said, unexpected has happened. Macy’s is putting up better-than-expected numbers after reopening since COVID-19 temporarily closed its doors. While the company expected to see at least a one-billion-dollar operating loss in Q1, customers have come flocking back, which has led Macy’s to drop its loss projections well under a billion. Still not great, but much less bad news in this environment is still good news.
Read MoreFacebook Responds to Employee Protest
In recent weeks, social media titans Facebook and Twitter have been at odds publicly over Twitter’s handling of tweets the company feels are misleading. When Twitter’s new policy was announced, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company would maintain a different policy. This statement was almost immediately tested by President Donald Trump, who stepped away from Twitter a bit to post some things on Facebook that some users found “controversial.” After Facebook did nothing to censor or fact-check the President, some Facebook employees chose to stage a public protest. Since many are working from home anyway, they staged a “virtual” walkout, opting not to do any work on a certain day. As a result, media reports that Facebook told department…
Read MoreUber Eats Promotes Black-Owned Businesses
The ongoing topic of race and its place in public life is raging in the United States, and that discussion is spilling over into Canada as well. While most of the country is discussing how to talk about race and race relations and protests continue to rage in many American cities, one company is taking the conversation in another direction. Uber Eats recently announced the release of a feature on its platform that allows users to specifically find and support black-owned businesses in the United States and Canada. According to media reports about the release, users will not have to pay delivery fees for orders made from participating black-owned restaurants.
Read MoreDisney Message: Parks Will be Safe
One of the biggest questions that Disney fans have been asking has been answered: “When will the parks reopen, and will they be safe when they do?” Recently, Disney announced that Disney World in Florida will open some parks for business on July 11 and others on July 15. This will be the first time any parks have invited guests since closing in mid-March due to concerns about COVID-19. Disney CEO Bob Chapek sat down with CNN to discuss how the parks are working to keep guests safe, a very important message for both his company and fans who have missed visiting the parks. Chapek said guests would definitely experience new guidelines, though he said safety was paramount.
Read MoreVW Apologizes for “Tasteless” Video Some Called “Racist”
Volkswagen is apologizing after a social media ad was called “racist” by some consumers. In the ad, a giant white hand initially shoves a dark-skinned man away from a Volkswagen car. When the man tries to hold his ground, the giant hand flicks him away from the car. That might have been enough for some to cry foul, but there’s more. According to reports in the Associated Press and other media outlets, the name of the café into which the man is “flicked” translates as “Little Colonist,” and, when the name of the vehicle comes on screen, the initially jumbled letters reportedly, and briefly, spelled out a racial slur.
Read MorePizza Maker Responds to Jordan’s “Flu Game” Allegations
It has become one of the most iconic performances in sports history: The Flu Game. During the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls megastar Michael Jordan scored 38 points, helping his team take game five in the series 90-88. A tight margin in what would be a hard-fought series. That game helped cement Jordan’s already incredible legacy, as people are still using it as the bar against which all ‘will to win’ is measured. For decades, basketball fans believed a flu-stricken Jordan led his team to victory through the sheer force of his indomitable will and incredible talent. But, an episode of the popular ESPN docu-series, The Last Dance, tells a different version of the story. At…
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Quibi Coming After Netflix in Streaming Space
On paper, a time when vastly more people are watching streaming media, but the industry itself is still in a building phase, seems like a great time to dive into the market. That said, upstart streaming service Quibi is struggling to connect with consumers and get them to sign up in numbers that will allow the brand to compete with industry heavyweights like Netflix and Disney. Quibi hit the ground running when the company debuted its streaming service back in April, however, growth, as well as interest in the brand, has not been stellar. Speaking to the New York Times about what has been called an “anemic” launch, founder Jeffrey Katzenberg said the slow start can be attributed in part…
Read MoreUnited Airlines Announces Coming Layoff
Announcing layoffs can be challenging for many different reasons. Fundamentally, no one likes giving or receiving bad news. Beyond that, though, there are more specific reasons why this kind of announcement requires careful consideration of both the messaging and the audiences involved. The recent announcement made by United Airlines of a coming layoff offers a real-world example of this challenge. In a memo sent out to approximately 11,500 workers and shared with the media, United Airlines head of human resources, Kate Gebo, announced that the airline would reduce hours and staffing in the coming months, layoffs that could also include the company’s administrative team. The announcement included the caveat that these moves would be made after funding from the CARES…
Read MoreBallet Relief Effort Brings Messages of Hope
As the powers that be ponder how to reopen Broadway, a ballerina not far away is busy making sure the show goes on, even if it means broadcasting from homes across the world. Working with Joseph Phillips, Misty Copeland is the innovator behind “Swans for Relief,” an organization working to raise funds for dancers all across the world who are out of work due to COVID-19 related shutdowns. Copeland told the Associated Press the effort is a way to “bring the dance world together” in order to make a bigger impact as a group. “I started reaching out to my friends, and everyone I was reaching out to was like ‘Yes, I’m in!’” This agreement led to a joint production…
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