THIS WEEK IN PR NEWS | APRIL 3, 2015
Each week PRLab scours the internet to bring you the latest stories in public relations news. This week, Walmart takes a stand against Arkansas, fans go crazy about Zayn Malik, and Governors fight back against Indiana.
LAWMAKES SPEAK OUT ABOUT DIVERSITY
The Story: Indiana recently signed a controversial bill that could protect business owners who refuse to provide services for same-sex couples known as the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act”.
What Happened? The big news now is that other state Governors have now taken a stand against Indiana. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo promptly halted any taxpayer-funded travel to Indiana in support of the LGBT community. Not far behind was Governor Dannel Malloy signed an executive order banning state-funded trips to Indiana and strongly urged the NCAA to move their women’s Final Four tournament, scheduled for next year, from Indiana.
Why is this important? It is going to be interesting to watch what Indiana’s next move will be. This story looks at the external view of the state, but as we will see in our next segment, Indiana is scared about how they are being portrayed. This slip up is going to take a lot of crisis communications and it will be interesting to see if they can pull it off.
HOOSIERS FEAR FOR THEIR REPUTATION
The Story: In light of the bill passed by Indiana, Hoosiers are scared that this will affect their reputation as holistically discriminatory.
What Happened? Hoosiers, fearing for their reputation, have recently started putting signs outside of their businesses that declare that they “serve everyone”. Many Hoosiers feel that this new bill is detrimental to their reputations and are doing whatever they can to salvage it.
Why is this important? The best PR that Indiana could get right now is the response of their own residents. This response from Hoosiers is sending a message to not only the lawmakers of their state, but also to the rest of the country.
ONE DIRECTION SENDS FANS INTO AN UPROAR
The Story: Zayn Malik from the popular British boy band One Direction recently announced that he would be leaving the band in order to live his life as a “normal 22 year old”
What Happened? As if that news was not enough for fans, there have recently been pictures of Zayn entering recording studios and rumors of a solo single being released. The fans have gone so far as to ask for time off of work from their bosses due to their most recent loss.
Why is this important? If the rumors of Zayn starting a solo career are true, he better get ready to hire an excellent PR professional. After such a heartbreak to the fans, the mere idea that he could leave the band and immediately start again on his own wwas not, and will not, be received well.
FUN READS
THINGS TO KNOW
The New York Times have recently started synthesizing their news stories and updates into one sentence structures so that they can be fully visible on the Apple Watch.
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK
