Great Communicators

The Target retail chain is expected to suffer a serious drop in income because someone in the corporate communications office forgot a basic rule of public relations.  “Never bury the lede.”

For those of you unfamiliar with this term, the “lede” is the most important information in a news story.  It is the idea that is generally captured in the first sentence of an article or news release because it is the fact most relevant to the average reader.  Since readers skim most articles, a lede buried deep into a news story often fails to make the necessary impression.

As reported today by Forbes, Target made a costly error when it announced that hackers stole credit card data from millions of holiday season shoppers. The retailer also warned the public to take the proper precautions, which was responsible and necessary.  The fact that was buried in its news release was the chain’s elimination of the hacking problem, which means shoppers now can return to Target stores and use their credit cards with a renewed sense of security.

Following the lead of Target’s corporate announcement, most major media outlets reported the massive hacking episode, but buried information about the company’s correction of the problem.  As a result, many shoppers are likely to take their holiday business elsewhere this season, fearing that future Target purchases may compromise their credit card security.

Even the most secure financial institutions in the world face the constant threat of hacking and credit card fraud.  So Target did the right thing by immediately revealing its security breach to the public, but the retailer did itself a very expensive disservice by burying its successful resolution of the problem and failing to promptly regain the trust of its loyal shoppers.

Hundreds of local residents will gather to commemorate one of the most tragic days in modern Jewish history, as the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, a committee of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, observes the 75^th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, on Sunday, November 10, at 6 p.m.

The ceremony will take place at the Holocaust Memorial, 1933-1945 Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach, with a program of inspirational addresses, poetry readings, musical performances and remembrances.

The Kristallnacht commemoration is free of charge and open to the public.  Free parking will be available in the municipal parking lot directly to the south of the Holocaust Memorial.  In case of rain, the program will be held at Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach.

The keynote address will be delivered by Wendy Reiss Rothfield, LCSW, who will provide eyewitness testimony of her family’s escape from Vienna, Austria, during the Anschluss, the union between Germany and Austria, which transpired before Kristallnacht in 1938.  As Nazi Germany incorporated Austria, the streets of Austria erupted in a violent frenzy against Jews, and newly enacted legislation excluded Jews from economic, social and cultural life, and legalized the confiscation of Jewish property.

Other speakers will include Andrew C. Hall, Esq., Chair of the Holocaust Memorial; Chaim Shacham, Consul General of Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico; and Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, renowned Holocaust studies educator.  The program will feature memorial songs by the children’s choir of the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center and participation by teenagers attending the 2014 March of the Living.

Widely considered to be a major turning point in Hitler’s campaign to annihilate the Jewish people, Kristallnacht was marked by a series of coordinated attacks in Germany and parts of Austria on November 9-10, 1938, which caused the deaths of 91 Jews and the incarceration of 30,000 in concentration camps.  The streets were covered with broken glass from the shattered windows of Jewish-owned buildings, stores and synagogues that were vandalized and looted during the attacks.

The Kristallnacht program is sponsored by the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, a committee of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.  It is supported by the City of Miami Beach Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council.

For more information, visit www.HolocaustMemorialMiamiBeach.org or call 305-538-1663.

For the past decade, some futurists have warned that major media outlets are doomed to an imminent death, and will be replaced by citizen journalists, online news sources and blogs. Yet the reliability of the blogosphere is constantly challenged by poor, often malicious reporting by journalism amateurs or provocateurs, many of whom have a personal, political or financial agenda.

Consider the recent case of Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey and false reports about consorting with underaged prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. Allegations first came to public attention through postings in The Daily Caller, a political news site with a distinctly conservative viewpoint.

Perhaps most telling about these charges was the fact that they first appeared on November 1, 2012 — just days before Election Day with Menendez on the New Jersey ballot.

After The Daily Caller presented its assertions against Menendez and displayed interviews with two young women alleged to be his illicit consorts, many in the mainstream media picked up the story. Of course, the Senator’s subsequent denials only fueled the media fire, drawing more attention to the alleged scandal.

Now, one of the alleged escorts has admitted that Menendez’s accusers were paid by an attorney to read a script that contained the false charges against the Senator, and the attorney subsequently confessed that he was paid by another colleague to arrange the setup. The identity of the scandal’s mastermind remains a mystery, but it is clear that the entire incident was devised as an ugly political smear.

In the face of these revelations, one would expect an apology from The Daily Caller, which originated the story. Yet its only direct response thus far has been a single line, “TheDC has stood by its reporting.”

Bad journalism is not restricted to the Internet. Yes, there are plenty of examples in the mainstream media of misreporting and false stories. However, reliable journalists and their outlets retract or apologize for their errors, as dictated by their professional code of ethics. They are forced to maintain some semblance of credibility or risk losing their readership and advertisers.

Reliability is one of the most important elements of any news medium in our society. With the emergence of Internet-based outlets, readers should approach much of what they read with a healthy dose of skepticism. As a result, mainstream media maintain an important role as objective presenters of current events, remaining relevant because they follow professional journalism standards.

Twenty of South Florida’s favorite chefs will serve their most scrumptious culinary creations and 20 popular artists will unveil their latest masterpieces at the 24^th Annual Festival of Chefs on Thursday, November 8, beginning at 7 p.m., at the newly renovated Rusty Pelican restaurant, 3201 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne.

Proceeds from the Festival of Chefs will benefit Easter Seals of South Florida, and its educational and social service programs for children, young adults and senior citizens with disabilities.

In addition to a fabulous multi-course feast, the Festival of Chefs will feature an extensive silent auction of original paintings, sculptures, multimedia artworks, fine wines, luxury vacations and upscale merchandise.

Chef Michael Gilligan of the Rusty Pelican is hosting the event and has motivated a remarkable array of leading chefs to participate.  Meanwhile famed artist MANO is serving as co-host and has attracted the participation of many of South Florida’s most talented artists.  Eugenia Beckwith McCrea is serving as Honorary Chair, along with Co-Chairs Shelley Daniel Rutherford and Mary Young.

Tickets for the 24^th Annual Festival of Chefs are $100 per person.  For reservations and more information, visit www.southflorida.easterseals.com, or call 305-547-4758.

Congratulations to Easter Seals South Florida on its highly successful Small Miracles fund-raising luncheon, held on August 23 at Jungle Island in Miami.

The 375 guests at the event responded generously to support the organization’s programs, which primarily serve children with developmental disabilities and senior adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia.

A highlight of the luncheon was the debut of “Small Miracles,” a special presentation produced by Great Communicators.  Working with singer/songwriter Ellen Bukstel, we created a moving music video that depicts and captures the impact of Easter Seals’ programs on its 2,000 South Florida clients and their families.

We invite you to view “Small Miracles” and share your comments with us.