Paramount Public Relations, Inc. would like to wish you and your families a wonderful new year. We can’t deny it has been a memorable year, so here are our team’s 10 most unforgettable media stories of 2009.
1. THE ECONOMY – Unfortunately for all of our sakes, the American economy seems fitting as the number one news story of 2009. The recession seemed to the backdrop of almost all news and discussion but we all have high hopes for a rebound in 2010.
2. OPRAH SAYS GOODBYE – Oprah announced that her talk show will be ending in September 2011. In the PR world, this is HUGE news. Arguably the most famous talk show host in America, Oprah has certainly left her mark on Chicago, the nation and the world. Whether Oprah’s goodbye is a PR stunt or for real, Chicagoans will just be happy to know they won’t be seeing Michigan Ave. closed down for a while!
3. THE KING OF POP DIES – Michael Jackson passed away on Thursday June 25, sending the world into shock and despair. Jackson will always be one of America’s favorite icons as well as one of the best selling artists in history. May he rest in peace. He will not be forgotten.
4. OBAMA – Americans welcomed President Obama into office when he gave his inauguration speech on January 20. America and Obama himself were shocked when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in October. All eyes and ears were on Obama again when he announced the healthcare reform bill. Only time will tell if Obama can meet American’s hopes of turning this country around.
5. SWINE FLU – The H1N1 virus, otherwise known as the swine flu, sent Americans into a fearful frenzy, with over 4,000 deaths from the virus recorded in the latest stats. The topic dominated health news including controversies over the vaccine. We hope the story diminishes for all our health!
6.MOST POPULAR WORD OF 2009 – Social Media conquered all in 2009, when twitter was announced The Global Language Monitor word of the year. Beating out words like “Obama” and “H1N1”, the power of the tweet can not be argued.
7. OLYMPIC BID – “Back the bid! Back the bid!” High spirited Chicago natives were heard shouting this the morning of October 2nd only to find out that Chicago was eliminated in round one for the Summer 2016 Olympic Bid. Approximately $50 million was spent on the campaign and Chicago didn’t even make it to round 2! What a bummer!
8. TIGER WOODS” GOLF’S GOLDEN BOY GETS CAUGHT– How could Tiger think that having numerous mistresses wouldn’t come haunt him? Tiger Woods will end 2009 with an embarrassing bang, going from hero to zero.
9. JOHN AND KATE DIVORCE – TLC’s show John and Kate Plus 8 was a huge hit, giving insight into the lives of loving parents who happened to have six sextuplets and twins. During Season 5 the Gosselin’s announced their divorce, leaving fans devastated to see their favorite family falling into another divorce statistic. Now with the huge media blitz and all of the scandals between the two the only question left is… Team John or Team Kate?
10. BERNIE MADOFF – Ponzi crook Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for defrauding investors of $65 billion, the largest swindle of money in American history and an extremely audacious move to make in the middle of a recession. We think he got what he deserved—a life in prison.
Best wishes and continued success in 2010.
Paramount Public Relations, Inc.
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