What has happend to Las Vegas? One of the best weekly shows and now nothing. What is the cast doing now and is there a chance it will be back?

Hello,

Does Lorrie really read these or are you one of her millions of minions that I might add are well-deserved as she is an alumnus of my altered mater. Yes, I meant altered as it was so long ago I barely remember CMU. Oh yes, I was one of her (your) fellow journalism classmates that donned a cap and gown the same day she (you) did and thought I'd take the world by storm. Well, for a little while I did. But, as a fluke today while sunbathing on the web, I came across this old blog and it "made my day" as Clint would say. For dear Lorrie, I am without a doubt the worst person in the world...and not with third class status. After starting a nonprofit to help those less fortunate than myself...which ought to be hard to come by since my husband is in the later stages of Huntington's Disease and I have well-gnarled hands and creaky bones from my 40 year bout with JRA...I was informed I was a not too nice woman for raising a stink when when our well-intended, but lazy beyond reason, board members decided to chastise me for doing to much (meaning it appeared I wanted to be in charge) and then accused me of jumping ship when, graciously, I offered to resign. Ah, the joys of volunteer work. If I had enough money I think I'd rush out and become a venture capitalist and squash little companies and little people to feel I really deserved my hard-wrought title "world's worst person". So my dear, indeed you may have celebrity friends and wealth beyond imagination...or hold your family and your Prious dear to your heart...but I will not relinquish the "World's Worst" person title to you my ex-CMU classymate, for that is mine and you may not have it. Yes, that is MY tongue sticking out to prove my undeniable right to Worst Personhood!! Take care...honestly, I'm not sure I remember you except from sharing a mirror at a nightclub one night when I marveled that a foreigner (out-of-stater)would go to CMU for a journalism degree. :)

Ummmm... where's the hypocrisy?

Just because Olbermann did not want a handler does not mean he ever thought no one should ever have a handler or that it was somehow inappropriate. Please, please please learn how to use words before you put them in print.

He would have been hypocritical is he said public personalities SHOULD have handlers when they do interviews and then did not have a handler when you interviewed him. He never said that, he just said that they usually DO. Geez.

Dear Lorrie,

Writing as a flack for 30 years (ugh!) I can see why Burnett may want a babysitter in the interview. A lot of kids who rise very fast in their fields don't have a clue as to how their words will be read in print. The same can be said for some seasoned veterans, but that is another story.

My first rule when representing journalists is "Don't become the story." A reporter as interview subject needs to check the ego at the door. It is a credibility issue. Compare Bob Schieffer with Katie Couric and Dan Rather, and you will get my drift.

In addition, a joke that sounds funny in the context of a conversation can take on an entirely different meaning when quoted in an article. It takes years of experience for the best to learn how to give a good interview without tripping over landmines.

The flack's objective (and here I speak for myself) is not to prevent a reporter from getting good quotes. It is to help the subject give a good interview, complete with quotable quotes, while presenting an accurate picture of himself.

Coaching must be done in advance. Once the interview has started, the flack's ostensible role is to listen, be available to answer factual questions that the subject may not have at his fingertips, and not to interfere -- except, perhaps, to introduce a line of questioning that may have escaped the interviewer's attention.

Once the interview is begun, the flack fades into the background. I disagree with the majority of my celebrity flack colleagues on this one, but the audience is there to hear from the celebrity, not from the flack.

While the flack is shutting up and listening, he should be making notes for a post mortem with the subject. That's how they learn to handle themselves in interviews.

If you are talking to a seasoned pro like Mike Wallace, you don't need a flack at all. He returns his own calls and he knows exactly how to handle any situation. The same can be said for many others, but Wallace is the first who comes to mind.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are folks who just feel more secure when accompanied in an interview.

As for your dust-up with Olbermann, I wonder how much of it is just him playing for the TV audience.

Cheers,
Ted Faraone

Hi Lorrie,

I was just wondering if you got an e-mail response from Keith yet.

I think it's really telling how MSNBC and others are going after you about this issue. All you did was follow up on a question from a reader. What a flippant response they gave you, too. "She obviously doesn't understand the role of a media relations department." Ha!

I had never heard of Erin Burnett before. It looks like she always gets herself in hot water, at least from what I saw on her wikipedia profile and NY Post Page Six mentions.

Are you planning on following up on this topic?

Also, what do you think of these media talking heads who want to be treated as celebrities? Are they really in the same league as actors, athletes and musicians?

Keep up the great work. I enjoy your columns.

Hi Truth - I saw that quote from the VP for Communications at MSNBC. Interesting that they would claim they secretly sit in on the interviews of their employees. But my recollection is that KEith called himself and from home, so seems unlikely. And we've interviewed lots of higher profile NBC folks without PR handlers - Matt Lauer, Ann Curry, Meredith Vieira, Chris Matthews and, most recently, Norah O'Donnell, who was at home after having her twins.

Apparently MSNBC is claiming you don't have the whole truth.

From Tvnewser: ( http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/hold_the_phone_was_a_handler_listening_in_during_that_olbermannusa_today_interview_83285.asp?c=rss )

"Well, late this afternoon, after an exhaustive investigation, MSNBC assures TVNewser that yes, in fact, there was a PR handler present when Lynch interviewed Olbermann. Since the interview was done on the phone, Lynch might not have known if there was or wasn't a PR handler listening in.

MSNBC VP of communications Jeremy Gaines tells TVNewser, 'This writer has a bad memory. It's our policy to staff our talent and executive when they conduct interviews. She obviously doesn't understand the role of a media relations department.'"

Yay. Way to go Lorrie!

Olbermann is little more than a far left wing nut who only caters to like-minded individuals, never interviewing anyone with an opposing opinion. NEVER fair or even balanced, Olbermann's Countdown is a distant runner to Bill O'Reilly's Factor for 7 years running. And isn't it funny that 90% of the time Olbermann's "worst person" is always his conservative competion (Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and O'Reilly) who beat him up in the ratings nightly.

Thanks Ernest, you make a good point!

Lorrie,

You may want to check out these links to understand why a handler was required:

If this link is bad, go to menshealth.com and search for Erin Burnett. Her 8 ways to impress me list should pop up.

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=guy.wisdom&category=career.money&conitem=5d4f6063304d6110VgnVCM10000013281eac____

And here's a few more doozies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HgvQgGDJuw

And:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/08/12/cnbcs-erin-burnett-we-need-chinas-toxic-food-and-lead-coated-toys-to-keep-economy-strong/

Keith must have been really hard up to name a "worse person" just because the PR "handler" couldn't be in on the interview. You really can't come up with better stuff than that, Keith? Shame.

Lorrie- I am honored to know the third worst person in the world!! If you are the third worst person in the world than the world is doing pretty darn well!