Month: October 2008

Halloween

Earlier this year I posted a column I wrote for The Temple News, the college newspaper for which I worked while still an undergraduate at Temple University, about ghosts on its Main Campus. It was popular then, so why not now, just one short year later?

Temple has been built on the backs of the dead. It’s late October, and we think about the old, the hidden and the dead. Temple University has its ghosts, indeed.

This is its beginning. Read the piece in its entirety or see other writing of mine here.

Philadelphia foods: The ones you know and those you don't

Philadelphia regional foods packed for overnight shipping by Taste of Philadelphia are displayed in Folcroft, Pa., near Philadelphia, Tuesday, Pa., March 13, 2007. Americans transplanted from their hometowns are scouring the World Wide Web to find the comfort food they crave _ and it's created a cottage industry for entrepreneurs willing to deliver across state lines (AP Photo by Matt Rourke).

I was back in Philadelphia last month before leaving for Europe and inspired me to write a handful of posts, from my humble suggestions for the Philadelphia Inquirer to some lessons from an internship with the Philadelphia Business Journal – and the 10 Philadelphia books you have to read.

Here’s another, my missing the delicious food specialties of the original first city of America,

Continue reading Philadelphia foods: The ones you know and those you don't

Why Can't Us?: I'm on the Phillies bandwagon

Why Cant Us?
Why Can't Us?

Tonight is game three of the American baseball World Series. The Philadelphia Phillies are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays one game to one in the best of seven game series.

But out of these playoffs, a rallying cry has been born. Too bad some are embarrassed by it.

It began as a caller’s remark just last Thursday.

In short order, a local sports blog and one of the nation’s leading sports blogs began singing its praises as a Phillies rally cry.

Continue reading Why Can't Us?: I'm on the Phillies bandwagon

Self-promotion in a world of self-promoters

Are you ready to be your biggest fan?

If you want to succeed in media or any other venue where your name is your brand – comedy, acting and more – then you better be ready. Retain that humility in person-to-person interaction, but forget about it when you near the professional realm.

In the spring, I was proud to be named among the 100 most promising young journalists in the country by UWire – how thorough the list was and whether I truly deserved the honor are for another discussion entirely.

Continue reading Self-promotion in a world of self-promoters

How to get your press release noticed

So you have a press release and want someone to actually pay attention to it.

After noting a fine internship with the Philadelphia Business Journal, I thought I might offer some advice I got there. Through that internship, I dealt with thousands of press releases, so let me help you out.

The publicity world is in the midst of plenty of conversations about bypassing media, trying direct-to-consumers press releases, but many criticize the practice.

 It’s not the purpose of public relations, they say. The point is to persuade media to tell their story.

If you’re in that camp, here are some thoughts about getting through to newspapers, journals, magazines and others through press releases.

Continue reading How to get your press release noticed