Silence is golden for Biden, Universal Orlando Resort gets silly and more
Plus: The state of journalism could be better.
Biden keeps it quiet about Trump
President Joe Biden knows how to keep his cards close to his chest.
When it comes to his commentary on former-President Donald Trump’s indictment his strategy is the simple but classic “no comment” approach, AP News reported.
“I have no comment on Trump,” Biden said during a recent press conference while shaking his head. “No, I’m not going to talk about Trump’s indictment.”
The AP reported that his move revealed a strategic approach of saying nothing.
“In his brief exchange with reporters, the Democratic president underscored the broader tactics that his administration is trying to take as it relates to the Republican former president’s indictment by a Manhattan grand jury: Take the political temperature down, stay out of active criminal matters, focus on Biden’s agenda and priorities.”
Why it matters: Biden is in an unusual position. Trump is the first former president to be indicted in United States history, and many accuse Biden and other Democrats of politicizing the justice system. Biden has little to gain and everything to lose by commenting on this. Biden didn’t parade around telling reporters that his political adversary got what he deserved. He made the right move by leaving Trump’s legal battles alone and letting him clean up the mess.
Remember that sometimes — even often—silence is the wisest choice.
The state of journalism in 2023 is a little disheartening
Muck Rack’s sixth annual State of Journalism report surveyed over 2,200 journalists on the present and future of the industry, which is a little bleak.
The survey revealed that layoffs and furloughs have led to an uptick in the workload for about 20% of journalists, per the survey.
“Half of journalists cited disinformation and lack of funding as top concerns, followed by trust in journalism (40%) and lack of time to cover stories thoughtfully (33%). While two out of three journalists say their work has been impacted by economic uncertainty and 51% make $70,000 or less a year, more than half are optimistic about the profession.”
Gregory Galant, co-founder and CEO of Muck Rack describes this time for journalists as “challenging,” BusinessWire noted.
Why it matters: PR pros leading with empathy when reaching out to the media for placement can make or break a story. Take even more time to craft thoughtful, personalized pitches. Also, remembering to be patient when journalists don’t respond immediately goes a long way, too. Continuing to build rapport also helps to discover their pain points and make the pitch process easier truly makes a difference.
Scores of Americans could lose Medicaid coverage this month
About 15 million Americans, or about one in six, could be on tap to lose their Medicaid coverage soon.
The process of eliminating people from the government’s health insurance program for those in need began on April 1, CBS News reported. Due to the pandemic, the government held off on dropping people from Medicaid coverage. Before COVID, more Medicaid users were regularly de-enrolled if they made too much money or gained another form of healthcare coverage, among other possibilities, according to the article.
During that time, Medicaid enrollment grew by 5 million, the article noted.
Ellen Taverna, associate director of the Together for Medicaid program at Community Catalyst, says millions could lose their coverage simply because they aren’t aware of the changes.
According to the article, Medicaid recipients are being pushed to provide their current contact information to facilitate communication.
“A text might just grab someone’s attention in a way that would be more accessible,” said Kate McEvoy, executive director of the nonprofit National Association of Medicaid Directors in the article.
A majority of states text Medicaid recipients medical reminders like information on vaccines, doctor’s visits and more. Now, mass texts on Medicaid eligibility will be sent letting people know if they qualify, McEvoy said.
Why it matters: Medicaid covers some of the most vulnerable Americans -– which can lead to challenges reaching them via traditional methods. Text messages are a strong way of meeting people where they are. Still, the communicators tasked with reaching these audiences are in for a tough time. They’ll need all their creativity to use a variety of methods –- from texting to mail to digital messages to good old-fashioned events and door knocking – to help avert loss of coverage.
When in doubt, overcommunicate.
Universal Orlando Resort humanizes April Fools’ Day
No one comes back from April Fools’ Day the same. Some are scarred for life. Others are regretting their quips. The best ones come back from the day recharged, with no joke casualties in sight and ready to prep for April 1, 2024. The latter was the case for Universal Orlando Resort. The theme park pranked fans this year by having a new attraction announcement: “Human Actors would be replacing Animal Actors on Location.”
Attraction Announcement: The cat’s out of the bag… pic.twitter.com/TBhLQSaaKH
— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) April 1, 2023
The viral Twitter announcement (also found on Instagram) notes on its poster that “no performances on April 1 or any day thereafter” would occur.
Many of Universal’s followers gave good-natured responses ranging from being happily surprised and wishing they could sign up to those who fell for it.
Why it matters: Their good-natured fun didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings (not that we know of) and the brand specified that it was a joke. For those who read between the lines, it was a well-played April Fools’ Day prank that didn’t hurt anyone in the process. Companies who play jokes like this, we are here for it! Take notes, Twitter.
Sherri Kolade is a writer at Ragan Communications. When she is not with her family, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style films, reading and building an authentically curated life that includes more than occasionally finding something deliciously fried. Follow her on LinkedIn.
