How Taylor Swift and Apple Both Came Out on Top

This past week has been a long back and forth between pop-star Taylor Swift and major music mogul, Apple Inc. It appeared to be the clash of the ages, beginning with Swift posting an open letter to Apple on her Tumblr account on June 21. In the letter, Swift explained she will not be supporting Apple’s new streaming service because during the 90 day free trial for customers artists that are available to stream will not be paid.

           

After the letter was published it immediately went viral and, eventually grabbed Apple’s attention. A few days after the letter was published Apple responded to Swift’s letter, saying that they will pay all artists that are available on the streaming service for the first three months.

           

Swift had won the battle she had sought to win, however, it was until June 26, nearly a week after the original letter was published, that Swift finally said she would allow her 1989 album on Apple’s streaming service. In typical Swift fashion she made the announcement in the form of a simple tweet thanking Apple for listening to her concerns.

           

What’s important to note here from a PR stand point is that, while at first, it might seem like Swift came out on top, there’s room for Apple at the top as well. For Swift, her all-star status was reaffirmed and her name is now being seen all over the news as the artist that stood up to Apple. For Apple, they saved millions in free publicity for their new streaming service. Now, not only does the public know about their new service and the fact that it’s free for the first three months, they also know it’s morally solid and that Apple did the right thing by agreeing to pay artists.

           

In the field of public relations the more a company can get their name and service out there without spending a cent is vital because it leaves more funds to do original, innovative or exciting things within a campaign. Though of course Apple isn’t hurting for money, the lesson learned from Taylor Swift v. Apple 2015 is something that all public relations professionals and students can apply to their work.

           

Free publicity can be negative or positive and PR professionals can never be quite sure what they’re going to get until they see it, however, taking a note from Apple it’s easy to see that the saying “all publicity is good publicity” still holds true in the world of PR.        

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Account Executive Hannah Litchfield 

Lilly Pulitzer Employee isn't as bright as the clothes

Source: Mashable

A month ago, Lilly Pulitzer was in the spotlight for selling out within minutes after their line launched at Target. People were lined outside the store for hours and Target’s website could barely handle all the traffic. Some customers were irate they were too late to buy anything, others jumping for joy about their new purchases. There was nothing too negative about #LillyforTarget besides the fact it was so limited. Now, the famous brand is making the news for an unfortunate reason. The internet exploded Tuesday morning after an employee had fat shaming cartoons hanging at their desk.

Lilly Pulitzer is headquartered right outside of Philadelphia in King of Prussia. The employee had extremely upsetting cartoons saying things such as “Put it down, carb face.” It wasn’t long before the social media and news outlets got the word of this. This is a PR crisis that won’t be an easy fix. Discrimination against weight is a topic that sparks a lot of conversation in the fashion world. It is no secret how many women suffer from body image issues because of size 0 models and clothing lines. Their VP of Creative Communications issued an apology explaining these cartoons of one employee do not reflect the company’s values.

Hopefully this employee will be terminated and the company can move forward with launching exciting items that make females excited to buy their clothes. Plus size clothing is something really breaking through recently. It was announced that Melissa McCarthy will be launching a new plus size clothing line and Tess Holliday was recently the first plus sized model signed to a mainstream modeling agency.

During a crisis workshop in class, we learned an immediate apology from one main spokesperson is always important. Termination of this employee will make a lot of people happy, proving to the public they do not tolerate such hate towards other women. As a female clothing line it is upsetting to see discrimination targeting other women. It will be interesting to look out for ways Lilly Pulitzer plans on addressing this crisis from a PR standpoint. #Lillyforallsizes?

This blog post was written by PRowl Director of Finance Gabrielle Lacherza 

Using the Power of Social Media for Good, Not Evil

Social media platforms frequently get a bad rap for their part in issues like privacy breeches and cyberbullying. Police frequently look to interactions on social media when dealing with stolen identities, harmful hoaxes or even public threats. But recently the Philadelphia Police have Twitter to thank for helping them identify and charge three people in an aggravated assault case. Two weeks ago, a gay couple was violently attacked by a group of 10 to 12 people in what many are calling a hate crime. The victims both suffered serious facial injuries and claim they were targeted because of their sexual orientation.

Police originally released surveillance footage of the assailants in an effort to inform the public. A Twitter user named Greg Bennett posted a photo of a large group of people at an unknown restaurant who looked similarly to those in the surveillance video. That initial post was retweeted by user FanSince09 who received responses from his followers identifying the restaurant. FanSince09 then took to a different social media platform, Facebook. He reviewed the Facebook accounts who had “checked in” at the restaurant and was soon able to identify many of the people in the photo, which he reported to police.

(Source: Twitter)

Philadelphia Police Officer Joe Murray tweeted, “This is what makes my job easy. Sure, it’s up to me to make the arrest but we are all in this together.” Three people have surrendered to police and are being charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

(Source: Twitter)

The amazing thing about social media is that it connects millions of users over cultural and geographic boundaries, making its uses for good inconceivably infinite. So what does this mean for the future of social media? Will it mean the beginning of Twitter vigilantes? Not likely. Could it start a trend of crowdsourcing investigations? Possibly. It all depends on its users to step up and take action.

Know Current Events: Political Satire

In order to understand the public, you must have a stable comprehension of what is going on in the news and what is currently surrounding the public. Current events are important in understanding the public's placement in emotional, financial, and sociocultural environments; this way you can strategize ways to approach your target audiences with this background information.

Soft news is one trending way that people are receiving their news. Soft news would be described as something that's main purpose is to entertain, while providing news on human interest topics, such as disaster and scandal, according to Matthew A. Baum in the American Political Science Review. Currently, there are a lot of news-broadcaster-types providing soft news every night. Here's a breakdown of three you've probably heard of, and may want to check out:

Jon Stewart (host of The Daily Show) Mon-Fri @ 11PM EST on Comedy Central 
Jon Stewart has always been the "funny guy", but since 1999 when he increased the ratings for The Daily Show by 400%, his humor really took off with a whole new purpose. Jon Stewart reports the news to you with a sarcastic attitude, one that makes it very clear which side he's on of any story. BUT it's okay! Because through his platform, he can get away with reporting in such a way that hard news outlets never could.

Book: America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart & The Daily Show writers

(Source : The New York Times)

Stephen Colbert (host of The Colbert Report) Mon-Fri @ 11:30PM EST on Comedy Central
A spin-off of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report uses satire to explain, well, everything. More specifically, it's more likely to comment on the conservative. You can think of Stephen Colbert as somewhat of a "fake" anchorman.

Book find: I AM America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

(Source: zap2it)

John Oliver (host of Last Week Tonight) Sundays @ 11PM EST on HBO
Last Week Tonight comes on once a week in both the U.S. and the U.K. With a host with such a loud personality as John Oliver's, this show has a following weekly that matches the tastes of other satirical news shows, like Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. John Oliver reports on general current events over a longer span of time.

(Source: Sesame Workshop)

Keep the Change: PYT Responds to NFL Player's Poor Tip

The NFL is plastered all over the news this week from the exciting start of football season to the Ray Rice scandal. But Philadelphia seems to be dealing with some football-related news on a more local scale. On Monday, Northern Liberties burger joint PYT posted a photo on their Facebook page of a receipt from Eagles player LeSean McCoy’s recent visit to the restaurant. But it wasn't to share excitement at serving the running back but to highlight the poor tip he gave his server. The receipt shows McCoy’s tip of $0.20 on a $61.56 bill, totaling a mere 0.32% gratuity. Both the athlete and the restaurant have received backlash from the public; McCoy for leaving less than a 1% tip and PYT for taking to social media to publically express their frustration. 

(Source: Facebook)

Fresh off the season-starting win, PA native McCoy has yet to address the incident publicly.

• Why this hurts: A tip that is less than 1% for an average person would be considered inappropriate but for McCoy, who has a $45 million contract with the Eagles, it may seem unacceptable. Seemingly ignoring the issue may damage his reputation and likability among the notoriously fickle Philadelphia sports fan.

Though McCoy has yet to address the issue, the owner of PYT, Tommy Up, responded to criticism by releasing a statement via their Facebook page that you can read here.

• Why this helps: While I neither agree nor disagree with Up’s decision to post the photo, I do think his response was apt. As the owner, he showed responsibility for his actions and stands by his employees and even applauds the Eagles and McCoy on their recent win. While most released statements seem crafted by PR reps (and most are), his statements comes off as purely genuine. Because of this, people will respect him and his restaurant, increasing their reputation in the long run.  

No matter who you agree with, this is garnering a lot of attention for PYT that’s not limited to Philadelphia. Even actor Charlie Sheen is chiming in on the issue!

Update: A few hours after this blog was posted, LeSean McCoy released a statement defending his $0.20 tip. You can read his response in an article from CSN Philly here.

This Week In PR | No. 7

• Malaysia Airlines has seen its fair share of troubles this year. Earlier this year, flight MH370 simply disappeared while more recently, another flight was shot down over Ukraine. Since the tragedies, flight cancellations have risen and Malaysia Airlines is steadily losing profit. Many wonder if the company can recover from the two massive hits it has taken this year. (PR Daily)
• Target has also had a pretty rough year failing to fully recover after its massive security breach in late 2013. In an effort to improve upon that in the upcoming quarters, Target has hired former Pepsi Co. executive Brian Cornell. Coming in with an impressive resume, Cornell has also formerly served as CEO and president of Sam's Club and CEO of Michael Stores Inc. Hopefully this new change in leadership will be just what Target needs to turn things around. (Huffington Post)
• Though I (and I'm assuming most other people my age) have known about this "new" term for a while now, it seems to have just made its way into older circles and has become somewhat of a major story. Several news outlets have written about the phenomenon known as the "usie." If you aren't familiar with the term, it simply gives a name to the group form of a selfie. This may not be earth-shattering news, but at least now you'll be in the know. (Associated Press)
• Scary or innovative? Popular text application, Kik, has introduced a new feature they're calling chat bots. The idea is that users will be able to chat with brands in the same way that they chat with their friends. While this isn't new technology, the platform its being utilized on is. Brands are taking advantage by (what else) pushing their products to Kik users. (PRSA)
• It seems that there has been a case of mistaken identity. The New Zealand Herald recently ran a story reporting that New Zealand native and Isreali solider, Staff Sgt. Guy Boyland, was killed in a fire fight in Gaza. Unfortunately, the picture ran with the story was of deceased comedian Ryan Dunn, the Jackass star that died of a car crash in 2011. The Herald has since issued an apology to the Boyland family. (Mashable)

This Week In PR | No. 5

Need a recap of this week's public relations happenings and current events? Well, you're in luck. Here's what happened this week in PR.

• In entertainment news, Laverne Cox became the first transgender woman nominated for an Emmy for her role in the Netflix breakout series Orange is the New Black. She has been recognized for her role as Sophia Burset, "an inmate who committed fraud in an attempt to pay for a sex change procedure." Note: Cox's identical twin brother played the role in the scenes prior to the character's surgery. That's pretty powerful. (TIME)
• There's a fine line between humor and professionalism on social media. However, the CIA seems to be dancing on the line when it comes to their Twitter account. In fact, their first tweet read, "We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet." While Twitter has become a major platform for creativity and humor, some think that certain organizations should abstain from participating in the trend and stick to more professional updates. What do you think? (PR Daily)
• The summer is a great time for vacationing and winding down, but if you're interested in still being stimulated occasionally, there are plenty of great opportunities nationwide for growth and networking. Here's a compiled list of seminars on social media, analytics, and more. (Mashable)
• Globally, issues in the Middle East continue despite President Obama's pleas for peace. The Palestinian death toll has risen to over 100 civilians today. Gaza militants have fired over 550 rockets, hit over 1,100 targets, and wounded close to 670 people. Their offensive tactic shows no sign of slowing down; unfortunately, it seems to be expanding. (Associated Press)
• ESPN Magazine's annual body issue is out and this time around, their cover athletes are of all shapes and sizes. We've become accustomed to seeing the covers of this issue graced by the most athletic and "physically fit" professionals, but this issue is more representative of all body types. I'd say that's a pretty good play on ESPN's part. (Huffington Post)

Redskins Face Biggest Loss Yet- Their Trademark

(source: USA Today)

Not long after the Donald Sterling scandal, the sports industry is experiencing yet another scandal rooted in racism. It was announced yesterday that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will cancel the Washington Redskins trademark, among a recent flurry of controversy over the name. The office made the ruling arguing that the team name “disparages” Native Americans and is considered offensive.

Though controversy with the Redskins’ name began in 1992, the issue has been garnering more negative media attention over the last few years. With the recent ruling by the Patent Office, the tension is likely to grow. It raises several issues for the organization, namely the potential need to rebrand an 82 history. In addition, they will likely need to rebuild their reputation, with the team potentially losing value in this scandal. There are a few steps the Redskins organization should take in order to ease their current public relations crisis.

• Identify a spokesperson. They should designate a spokesperson to be the face of the team during the crisis, whether it is the owner, coach, or other. This allows for more consistent messaging coming from the organization.
• Identify stakeholders. Who, both internally and externally, matter to the team and how are the decisions of the organization going to affect these stakeholders.
• Use social media. The team should utilize their social media to update stakeholders, fans, and the public. This is the first place they are going to check to find out what is happening and what actions are being taken. The team is, in fact, doing just that. Wednesday morning, the official account tweeted a press release regarding the Patent Office’s decision.
• Be transparent. If the team establishes open communication with the media and fans, it will ease any backlash. This will also help repair their relationship with the public as well.

In order to avoid similar controversy, other sports teams, like NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and MLB’s Cleveland Indians, have begun phasing out their Native American mascots while still retaining related symbols. 

This Week In PR | No. 2

• It appears that Europeans' protest against driving company Uber may have been the best publicity they've ever received. Uber saw a major spike in profits after protests broke out against the company saying that they are taking money away from taxi drivers. Despite posing fierce competition for taxi companies and having what many feel is a less than thorough driver screening process, "Uber's signups in the UK alone rose 850%." It seems in this case big business may just win out in the end. (Forbes)
• It's been clear for a while that video is the newest and most popular trend in social media so, of course, Facebook wants in on some of the action. The company is introducing a new feature to their Messenger app that will allow users to record and send 15-second videos. All this comes after their accidental launch of the Slingshot app, which had the same video capabilities. But good luck trying to download Slingshot; the app was removed from the App Store shortly after it was added. (Mashable)
• Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, there have been 74 school shootings in America. In an effort to come up with a solution for student protection, ProTecht invented the "Bodyguard Blanket," a bulletproof pad for students to put over their bodies in the event of a school shooting. However, people are beginning to question whether ProTecht's motives are noble or profiteering. You decide. (PR Daily)
• Twitter COO Ali Rowghani resigns, ironically, via a tweet saying, “Goodbye Twitter. It’s been an amazing ride, and I will cherish the memories.” Though his resignation may seem abrupt to the public, Rowghani had been losing responsibilities within his position for months now. Originally appointed to help bring in a new audience and increase current users participation, Rowghani's leadership has only seen plunging stock prices and a less than impressive growth in users. Despite Twitter's recent struggles, Rowghani will stay on as an adviser and no one new will be appointed to the vacant COO position. (NY Times) 
• On Tuesday, 11 of the leading public relations firms made a public statement saying that they would not alter the Wikipedia pages of their clients. After years of sneaky editing, these firms have promised to abide by the Wikipedia rules in an effort to mend the relationship between the two industries that has experienced strain over the past few years. Hopefully this statement signed by firms such as Edelman, Ogilvy & Mather, and Ketchum will encourage smaller PR firms and agencies to follow suit. (Ad Age)

This Week In PR | No. 1

This year we're introducing a new series here on the PRowl blog: This Week In PR. Just as it sounds, Friday will now serve as a day to recap current events and public relations developments of the week! In case you missed it, here are a few things that have happened this week in PR.

• If you would ever consider signing a prenup, you may also want to take a look at signing a social media prenup as well. That's right, this is a growing new trend that people are adopting to protect themselves from their spouses posting unflattering photos online. Apparently, discussions about social media have become increasingly common in divorce proceedings, which should come as no surprise. (TIME)
• In a savvy PR move, the company Swimsuits for All is living up to its name by recreating the recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue using plus sized models. It's no secret that many people find the models used for the swimsuit issue (and several other publications) are not representative of what most American women look like. Swimsuits for All's alternate shoot reminds us all that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. (PR Daily)
• While Instagram has been the leader in photo sharing for quite some time now, it has not been ahead of the curve when it comes to editing. This Wednesday, however, that changed with their newest update. Within the app, users are now able to adjust filter intensities, brightness, contrast, saturation, and warmth. Instagram is slowly, but surely, becoming a one-stop shop for all things photo and video. (PR News)
• This article is less of a PR development and more of a useful tool. Several of us are beginning to hunt for jobs after college and social media is growing into an amazing resource for aiding that search. We now live in a time where a simple hashtag can get you an interview. This article breaks down tips and tricks to utilize on various social networks that can help you find a job, secure an interview, and get your foot in the door. (Mashable)
• For those of us who are bloggers or manage a website, you already know how important traffic is in spreading your message. However, what you might not know is what you may be doing wrong in increasing that traffic. While people are becoming more knowledgeable about the role of SEO, there may be other factors within your content or marketing that are hurting website views. This article lists five things to keep in mind when trying to bring in a larger audience. (Huffington Post)

If there is anything else that happened this week in PR, feel free to share and discuss below!

#SochiProblems: The Many Olympic PR Issues of the 2014 Winter Games

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, began on February 7, 2014, with a memorable opening ceremony of Russian culture and history – as well as a mishap when only 4 out of 5 giant snowflakes electronically morphed into Olympic rings. Some would say that this electronic malfunction would prove to only be the beginning of many problems experienced during the Sochi Olympics. However, controversies surrounded the Winter Games months before the opening ceremony.

The Sochi Winter Olympics cost more than the sum of all previous Winter Olympics – a total of over fifty billion dollars, much of which was embezzled or mismanaged. But was this price really worth it for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin? I don’t believe so, particularly because, generally, news reports surrounding the games have not involved the actual sports. Rather, they have discussed Russia’s issues with human rights, anti-gay propaganda laws, and extreme Islamist terrorist groups. As well, Sochi’s contracted killings of hundreds of stray dogs have sparked an outrage with organizations like the Humane Society.

Apart from sociopolitical controversies, Russia has dealt with backlash from athletes, reporters, and visitors who are experiencing less than ideal conditions in Sochi. Reports have flourished from unhappy tourists complaining about uncovered potholes on walkways, contaminated water, unsanitary bathrooms with toilets placed directly next to each other, and unfinished hotel rooms that lack light bulbs, chairs, and even doorknobs. From these issues has arisen the infamous Twitter account, @SochiProblems. Equipped with the hashtag “SochiProblems,” tourists staying in Sochi are live-tweeting posts and pictures depicting the problems they are encountering.

These are just some of the many examples of Sochi’s poor planning in preparation for the Winter Olympics. So what have they done to fix the situation? They’ve made it much worse.

Instead of apologizing for the abhorrent lack of planning and the many head-scratching procedures taken to fix Sochi’s issues, Russian President Putin blamed Western civilization for its criticism and compared the criticism to that of the Cold War’s ambitions to hold back the Soviet Union. Additionally, on the same day that Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak asked gay visitors, “Please don’t touch the kids,” he also let it slip that there were cameras in hotel room showers.

PR people know that to fix a crisis, you don’t point fingers. Putin should’ve owned up to his (many) mistakes, and accepted that they were trying to fix them the best way they could. With Kozak, well, he could really use Olivia Pope right about now.  

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Tyler Cameron.

The Skimm: The New Newsletter

Maybe skim milk isn’t your thing and you’re a whole milk kind of person, but I can guarantee you there is a different kind of Skimm you will enjoy in life. The Skimm is an online daily newsletter that simplifies the latest current events with a twist of humor. It was originated by two women in their 20s from New York and Chicago, Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin. “Your new secret weapon," as Forbes magazine calls it, will soon become an essential part of your morning routine.

As public relations major it is crucial to be caught up on what is going on in the world around you in order to be successful. My Introduction to PR class professor constantly stresses the importance of staying on top of current events and has visit different news sites repeatedly. Good PR is being able to give your public what they want at the time and being up to date on the world’s views will only help you further your career.  Covering everything from the government shutdown to what actor will play Christian Grey in “50 Shades of Grey,” The Skimm is sent out every morning around 6 am for all of us that are up and ready to start the hectic day. You can read it while enjoying your coffee during five rare minutes of downtime or during your subway ride to work. It gives you everything you need to know to start your day right in an extremely snappy and sweet fashion. This newsletter seems to be a match made in heaven for any PR professional who is already familiar with not wasting any words or any time. A year since The Skimm was introduced to the world and I only was lured into it three months ago. For those of you who are reading about it for the first time now, don’t waste anymore time and hop on The Skimm!

All you have to do is log onto their website www.theskimm.com and enter your email address to subscribe. In addition to receiving their Monday through Friday email you can follow them on Twitter, Instagram or their blog as well. The Skimm will save you precious time from not having to turn to five other news outlets to receive the biggest headlines of the week.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Gabrielle Lacherza. 

How to Become a News Junkie

We are supposed to live, breathe, eat, and sleep the news.  This can be tricky when you have a 9-5 workday, classes, or internships to balance and during your free time you probably don't want to crack open a newspaper or flip away from the Food Network.

The top reasons I've heard that people don't read the news are widespread:
"It's depressing."
"I don't have time."
"I don't see the point."

The fact is, as public relations professionals, we have to stay on top of the news.  We need to know what's going on in the world and how it could potentially affect our clients and ourselves.  That's the point.  We have to make time for the news, depressing or not.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.  So challenge yourself to read the newspaper each day for 21 days.  If you don't want to pay for a subscription you can always go online and browse around the hundreds of free articles on sites like www.philly.com.  Instead of spending endless minutes browsing Facebook and Twitter, spend it reading up on what's going on around you.

Being a news junkie certainly has its benefits:

• You'll have tons of current event conversation starters
• You'll gain knowledge and inspiration from stories you read
• You'll impress your coworkers, bosses, and clients with your news knowledge

How often do you read the news? Is it as crucial as everyone says? Tell us your thoughts!

Lazy Hazy Summer PR

It’s no secret. Work during the summer can sometimes be a drag. However, public relations is a profession that never sleeps. If you experience a hot summer day where you just want to stay inside in your pajamas with a glass of lemonade, that’s understandable. There are still a few simple things you can do to stay productive and not make it feel like a chore. 

Read a few blogs. Keep yourself up to date by reading PR Daily or just a couple of your favorite blogs. No matter what, it is always best to pay attention to current events. Just because you have decided to take a day off doesn’t mean that the world has.

Sharpen your writing skills. This tip may seem a bit scary but it definitely doesn’t have to be. If you have a personal blog, use your day off to write a new post. If not, you don’t have to write an essay to sharpen your skills. Write a recap of a fun event you attended or compose a few professional tweets. 

Follow new Twitter pages. Speaking of professional tweets, look up new companies and Twitter pages to follow that are in the PR area that you are interested in. Whether it be fashion, non-profit, or entertainment, following their Twitter pages can give you a peek into how these organizations operate and if you’re interested in the same things. 

See? Little things can go a long way on a lazy day. It may be too hot to go outside and pound the pavement, but that doesn’t mean you have to put a hold on all things PR. 

How do you stay productive during slow summer days? Let us know!

PRISM and Social Media Security

As the internet and social media have evolved, so has the etiquette that we should follow when using them. We have been taught not to post or send anything that we would not want to get out, for the sake of being professional online. However, we were not told to be careful of what we share in the event that the government would see it. 

Over the weekend, news broke that the National Security Agency and the FBI have been accessing information from the servers of nine top U.S. internet companies through a program code-named PRISM. The purpose of this program is to track foreign targets. So far information has been gathered from Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, and Apple; basically, every website that is used by millions of people on a daily basis. It has been reported that the NSA and FBI can request email, chat (both voice and video), video, photos, file transfers, and more. 

The most interesting thing about this revelation is that it is completely legal thanks to two pieces of legislation passed during the Bush Administration. The first, The Protect America Act of 2007 which allowed suspects to be monitored online without a warrant if they are “reasonably believed” to be foreign. The second, the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 which grants immunity to the internet companies that provide the information. Because of this, most, if not all, government statements thus far have been unapologetic and in support of continuing this program to ensure the safety of this country. 

Just yesterday, the PRISM whistleblower, Edward Snowden, decided to come forward. Why? He explains that when going up against such powerful agencies, you go in knowing that, “If they want you, they will get you in due time.” Snowden says that trying to keep your identity a secret does not prolong any consequences. He chose to blow the whistle on this project because he simply does not “want to live in a society that does these sort of things.”

This has sparked a huge debate among American citizens. Is PRISM an intrusion on our Constitutional rights or is it simply a new measure that our government has to take to keep our nation safe in this internet age?

Which side of the debate do you fall on? We want to know!

For more information on PRISM and the whistleblower, read these articles.

Brands for Equality

No doubt most of you have seen the avatar changes on your Facebook and Twitter to the universal sign for equality. Of course, brands took notice too.

The viral spread of the equality sign came during the Supreme Court's review of California's Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act, an important step for gay marriage. Soon brands began adopting the equality sign and merging it with their logo, a smart move because if we look back to what happened when Chick-Fil-A expressed their position towards gay marriage, people are not inclined to buy from brands against equality.

The danger with brands becoming more politically and socially conscious is that someday there may be a separation; one half of the population will use the brands that aligns their beliefs one way and the other half will go the other way. In fact, that has already started to happen, some people choose to only purchase from free trade organizations because of their personal social/political preferences.

What do you think? Are brands really in favor of gay marriage? Or are they simply going where the money is? Let us know!

Customer's Fire Off at Applebees

There have been quite a few viral photos featuring receipts with famous signatures or funny messages. Applebees' most recent mishap is neither. This past Thursday, a church pastor brought her congregation to the popular chain Applebee's. At the end of their visit, the waiter gave Pastor Bell the receipt, with an additional 18% automatic tip, Applebee's policy for parties of 8 or more.

Pastor Bell was not pleased with the automatic tip. In response, she wrote the message below on the receipt:

Needless to say, Bell did not feel that the waiter deserved much of a tip. One of the servers' coworkers took a picture of the entire receipt and posted it on Reddit where people went off. Separately, Applebee's found out and fired not only the photographer, but also Bell's server. This ticked people off even more. Many found Applebee's and Bell in the wrong. Bell for treating a server so poorly and Applebee's for failing to stand behind its employees. Bell has since apologized, calling the incident a "lapse in character." Reddit users have vowed to never visit the franchise ever again and are calling for Applebee's to rehire the affronted server.

What do you think? Was Applebee's right to fire the server, even though he/she didn't take the photo? Or should Applebee's have defended its employees? Let us know!

Deadly Fire in Brazil

Firefighters at the scene of Kiss night club Agencia RBS/AFP/Getty Images

I woke up this morning to the news that there was a devastating fire early this morning at a night club in Brazil. Almost 250 people have been reported dead so far. The suspected cause is sparks stemming from a pyrotechnic performance at the night club. Allegedly, some of the emergency exits were locked, preventing patrons from being able to escape, once the fire ignited and spread within seconds. However, many lay blame to asphyxiation caused by the fire. As a result of a lack of oxygen, people became confused and disoriented in a struggle to find an exit. 50 people were found in the club's bathroom, which was confused for an exit.

Kiss, the night club where the fire erupted is a popular party destination for college kids in Santa Maria. 300-500 people were inside the club at the time of the fire making it difficult for emergency personnel to get inside. The emergency services were commended for their quick response.

The night club fire is set to have the highest death toll from a fire since 2000. It is yet to be seen who will be liable for the accident; the band who launched the pyrotechnics, or the scene of the fire, Kiss.