“This is a very clever strategy to be able to get your point across,” said Wendy Melillo, a professor of journalism at American University.
“To say, ‘I am being persecuted. I did not lose the election.’ Regardless of the facts — facts have nothing to do with this. This is all about how you manipulate people using propaganda to get them to believe what you want them to believe.”
By Zach Schonbrun
The New York Times
Jack Keil had the slogan first. He wrote six words — “Take a bite out of crime” — on the back of an envelope in a Kansas City airport lounge.
The slogan stuck, and so has the character that growls them. Nearly four decades later, McGruff the Crime Dog, Mr. Keil’s cartoon hound with that guttural voice and floppy trench coat, is still one of the country’s most recognizable advertising figures, perhaps rivaled only by icons like Smokey Bear, Ronald McDonald and Mr. Peanut.
By Tracy Jan
The Washington Post
A major anti-abortion group has accused Twitter of blocking its ads and even demanding the removal of “sensitive content” from its own website, in what activists say is a clear departure from the social media giant’s claims of hosting unfiltered debate.
Wendy Melillo joins Dr. Zara Larsen on "Circles of Change" from KQTH 104.1.
Wendy Melillo joins David Alpern on "For Your Ears Only," from Radio America.
You might remember phrases like "Only you can prevent forest fires," spoken by Smokey Bear or "take a bite outta crime," from McGruff the Crime Dog. But how much do you really know about the company behind these iconic campaigns? Tell Me More guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with Wendy Melillo, author of the new book How McGruff and the Crying Indian Changed America: A History of Iconic Ad Council Campaigns about some of the hidden messages within these ads.