MWH Editorial

I remember being young in my 20s and disregarding the entire profession of marketing and PR work as unnecessary. Those of us who considered ourselves true journalists considered this the “dark side.” Anyone who moved on from a journalism role, particularly print newspapers, were deemed as going to the dark side. We were so young then. Only after I grew up, into my 30s, did I realize that marketing and PR work was necessary. Even in journalism. You can’t have one without the other. Journalism needs branding, marketing, PR to sell itself. You can’t have one without the other. But even then, good journalism - even the best, whether it’s hyper-local, national, or global - isn’t guaranteed to succeed or survive. Only in the most recent years, did it dawn on me that the line between marketing and journalism really doesn’t matter as much as I thought - particularly in the context of existing in this world. People need the ability to afford to live, pay their bills, pay their taxes, pay mortga...

A loud crash rang out in the middle of the night, shattering the nighttime silence and jolting me from my nighttime slumber. The dog suddenly began barking, growling, leaping up from his pillow bed to sprint toward the front of the house and any potential danger. The clock said 4 am. As it happened, I was partially awake because my pump had run out of insulin and started beeping at me shortly before this mystery noise. So while I was dozing in and out, I wasn’t fully asleep. Unsure of what the noise might be, I arose to investigate. Walked to each room to look for the possible culprit. Turned on lights. Inspected the rooms carefully. No broken dishes. No clear signs anything had fallen off the walls. No shelves collapsing. Nothing had appeared to fall off a table. Looking out the windows, nothing appeared to be clearly wrong. And so, I soothed the dog, calming him down and we went back to sleep. Only the next morning when entering my home office to begin the day, with coffee cup in han...

Dear American Diabetes Association Leadership (those who remain): I am writing to formally apply for a communications and marketing leadership role at the American Diabetes Association (ADA). With a clear understanding that you hadn’t specifically posted about this particular opening, it’s clear you need to create and fill this role immediately. My understanding of the position’s title:  Marketing & Communications Leader (with Backbone Included). Given the ADA’s masterclass in brand self-destruction that recently unfolded at your 2026 Scientific Sessions in NOLA, it’s obvious that your PR department is either unqualified, hiding under a desk, or still drunk from all the hours spent on Bourbon Street instead of managing the conference communications. As a veteran journalist, editor, and media leader with more than 25 years of experience, I’m a perfect fit for what you need. Honestly, you can’t afford to wait. My CV offers what the ADA is clearly lacking right now: a backbon...