Doctors Tweet Embargoed Info at Convention; Prices of Shares Fall

In public relations, “embargoed information” refers to sensitive data, figures and any other sort of information that can only be made public at a later time, usually because said information is expected to affect the organization’s share prices.

“In an unusual arrangement, the American Diabetes Association let hundreds, if not thousands, of in-person attendees see new data on Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes treatment Victoza more than an hour before its official release to the public and the markets.

…After warning attendees not to share the information they were about to post, presenters put up slides showing that Bagsvaerd, Denmark-based Novo’s drug cut heart attacks and strokes by 13 percent and improved survival, while also lowering blood sugar rates and a host of other complications. While good news for diabetics, it was less than investors had hoped.

Within minutes, some Twitter account were posting pictures of the charts, including key slides that showed the drug’s success in reducing deaths. And as fast as the posts went up, the medical society’s communications team issued online pleas for them to stop.”

Read the full article at the Denver Post here.

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Man Threatens to “Open Fire” at Rally; Investigated

(Original story at The Straits Times here.)

Notice how his apparently (operative word) being associated with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) prompted the latter to quickly look into it and issue a statement that he has never served in there.

It would have been a public relations fiasco for the SPF had it been discovered that he used to serve as a police officer.

Man apologises for strongly worded comments against Pink Dot; police say he is not a police NSman

PUBLISHED

JUN 14, 2016, 8:56 AM SGT

Seow Bei Yi

SINGAPORE – A man who asked for “permission to open fire” in a Facebook post on the page of a local group opposed to an annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rally has apologised “for the misunderstanding” before taking down his Facebook page and original post.

In screenshots of his post, Facebook user Bryan Lim wrote: “I apologise for the misunderstanding. My words were strong. I did not mean anyone. I meant Bloomberg and foreign intervention in local matters.

“This was taken out of context. I hope this clears the air.”

In a separate comment, he added: “I did not mean physical bullets nor physical death. I mean open fire in debate and remove them from Singapore domestic matters.”

His original comment was made on June 4 on a post on the We Are Against Pink Dot Facebook page. The post was about foreign sponsorship of the annual LGBT rally Pink Dot, held at Hong Lim Park on June 4.

That comment read: “I am a Singaporean citizen. I am a NSman. I am a father. And I swore to protect my nation. Give me the permission to open fire. I would like to see these £@€$^*s die for their causes.”

At least three police reports have been made over it.

Some also said that he was with the Singapore Police Force, after a picture of him donning what appeared to be a police uniform circulated online.

A police spokesman has clarified that he is not a police national serviceman.

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BOA Employee Posts Racist Rant on Facebook; Fired

(Original story at NY Daily News here.)

Note that the employee in question didn’t even speak for her bank, but merely identified herself as working for it.

Bank of America employee fired after racist Facebook rant

BY ALFRED NG

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Friday, June 3, 2016, 11:22 AM

A Bank of America employee has lost her job after posting a racist rant on Facebook, sparking a social media firestorm.

In an expletive-laced Facebook post, Christine Mcmullen Lindgren unleashed a load of her hatred online.

“I hate face book for this reason you f—ing n—-rs,” the Atlanta-based personal banker wrote in her comment. “F—ing n—-rs go back to Africa get over your pity party you created this hatred and you own kind that brought you r great great parents over here.”

In her racist rambling — the majority of which was incoherent — Lindgren spewed her anger over having to “pay for” welfare for families that African Americans “can’t afford.”

Minutes after the hateful post, an eagle-eyed Facebook user quickly noticed Lindgren was an employee at Bank of America, through her Facebook profile. Looks like she has a new reason to hate the social network.

Lindgren has since deleted the post and her Facebook account. The former Bank of America worker did not respond to the Daily News’ request for comment.

The bank received thousands of comments calling out the hateful employee through social media and complaints over the phone, spokesman Andy Aldridge told the Daily News.

Lindgren’s bosses found out about the post on Wednesday, and investigated the racist rant before she was fired on Thursday.

She was promptly fired for her “reprehensible” comments, Bank of America said in a statement.

“We are working to reach out to our customers who voiced concerns over social media,” Aldridge told The News.

Many users threatened to close their accounts with the bank after the racist post.

Commenters on the bank’s Facebook page have called out the company for deleting any posts referencing Lindgren’s bigoted comments. Other users complained about the bank’s history of racial issues.

The company was ordered to pay $2,181,593 after a judge found that Bank of America’s Charlotte office had discriminated against 1,147 African-American job applicants in 2013.

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