Legend Strategic Communications

06/04/2026

Murder. Inc.

In his termination letter to longtime ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent Scott Pelley on Tuesday, the show’s brand-new executive producer, Nick Bilton, complained that Pelley had decided to “ambush” him with “a performative display of hostility” during a Monday meeting with the show’s staff. There was certainly an element of the theatrical in Pelley’s confrontation with his new boss, with Pelley delivering the kinds of withering lines that aggrieved employees can only dream of. Pelley clearly wanted a fight.

The question then became how Bilton and the person who hired him, Bari Weiss, would respond to this massive display of disrespect. They chose not only to fire Pelley, but to blame the entire dispute on him. Weiss doubled down the next morning, telling staff on a conference call, “I know I speak for myself, and I hope I speak for everyone here when I say that I’m only interested in working in a newsroom that is built on trust and mutual respect. We cannot do our work without it. That foundation was broken on Monday, and despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways.” She added, “That’s the path he chose.”

Could Weiss have handled it all differently? “I think there’s managerial incompetence. Even if you have disagreements with talent, you have to find a way for there to be a graceful transition,” said one CBS staffer. “It sounds like Pelley didn’t make that easy, but you still have to find a way to do it.”

Read more: https://nymag.visitlink.me/ogBT6t

12/20/2025

The Beatles wrote a song entitled "Why Don't We Do It In Road?", which foretold of what CNN cites as Merriam Webster's 2025 word of the year - slop. According to authoritative sources, AI produces 70-80% accuracy - 20-30% slop - unacceptable in any professional business environment. This creates the need for a new human driven skill set, one built around fact checking, correction, and further creative work. Due diligence in working with AI is de rigueur in order that the final rendition not appear to have been authored under the influence of L*D.

It’s getting harder to escape AI slop. But a growing backlash could put a premium on “human-made” content.

09/24/2025

Before Colbert and Kimmel there was Sidney Lumet's Network (MGM, 1976). Written by Paddy Chayefsky, the multiple Oscar winning film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Yup, the 1st Amendment is "First" for a reason, including the right to broadcast one's self destruction.

Former late-night writer Merrill Markoe writes about Trump administration's unprecedented assault on free speech and parallels to the movie 'Network.'

08/12/2025

I’m often asked why the babe and the swan on our masthead. It’s a rendition after Michelangelo's Leda and the Swan—the Greek myth wherein Zeus becomes a beautiful swan in order to seduce a Spartan queen. She at first resists… then gives in. It’s an epic myth of transformation and irresistible seduction – and parallels the artistry and craft that seduces strangers into loyal customers. Great PR, advertising, indeed marketing, all work the same way: Subtle, calculated influence to captivate a target audience and build strong, lasting connections with a brand. It's about creating desire and emotional resonance. It’s about seduction.

08/06/2025

Rock, paper, scissors. Marketing IED. Not for the not diligent. We've all known that AI can be only 70-75% reliable. Use at your own risk.

Also in the Forbes CMO newsletter: Marketers’ output soars, but not their budgets; American Eagle campaign ignites eugenics controversy; Fox to debut streaming service.

07/08/2025

The right to know can be a double edge sword, not unlike the one in my #10 rib.

San Diego police encrypted radio communications June 2, the last local agency to do so

05/24/2025

Pro crises management defined -

05/17/2025

Click no-go. AIOs have taken over. Let us help you transform and flourish. , , ,

Roughly 60% of searches now yield no clicks at all, as AI-generated answers satisfy them directly on the search results page. Here are some insights to gain back traffic.

05/17/2025

Interesting read from the Master Of Fear -

“I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing.”

10/25/2024

Reminder that none of us, for no good reason.

The strikes made it the deadliest day for media in a year of hostilities between the Israeli military and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.