Comments on: How to Write a Press Release http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/12/how-to-write-a-press-release Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:17:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Alan Hovar http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/12/how-to-write-a-press-release#comment-2392 Alan Hovar Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:25:53 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/12/how-to-write-a-press-release#comment-2392 Sorry, that summary overview link should have been: http://mssv.net/wiki/index.php/Givewell This is the Metafilter Wiki. The episode is now also covered on Wikipedia, in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, in a follow up piece in NY Magazine, and elsewhere. Search "givewell" and "scam" on Google to see a lot of information. Sorry, that summary overview link should have been:

http://mssv.net/wiki/index.php/Givewell

This is the Metafilter Wiki. The episode is now also covered on Wikipedia, in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, in a follow up piece in NY Magazine, and elsewhere. Search “givewell” and “scam” on Google to see a lot of information.

]]> By: Alan Hovar http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/12/how-to-write-a-press-release#comment-2391 Alan Hovar Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:18:26 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/12/how-to-write-a-press-release#comment-2391 I am amazed to see that no one has come here to comment and call attention to the fact that this wonderful press release was all nonsense. Holden Karnofsky and Elie Hassenfeld have been outed for running a 2-bit identity fraud online to promote Givewell -- and to bash its established competitors -- without revealing their own affiliations and posing as members of the "general public." Holden has also admitted using a stolen Gmail account from a Givewell employee to do the same thing. All the gory details are at: http://metatalk.metafilter.com/15547/GiveWell-or-Give-em-Hell A summary is at: http://metatalk.metafilter.com/15547/GiveWell-or-Give-em-Hell So as to how to write a press release, rule one should be *do not lie* about yourselves. Givewell raked in coverage from the mainstream media -- CNBC, the NY Times, New York Magazine, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, etc. Yet all the time he was basking in this glory as a "hedge fund kid turning his skills to good," he was practicing online fraud intentionally. Don't stand in the spotlight unless you are sure your pants are buttoned. And as Holden emphasizes so often, transparency is the antiseptic of the philanthropic world. Holden's pants are transparent, alright. Really, isn't it time to add a correction to this puff piece? Alan Hovar I am amazed to see that no one has come here to comment and call attention to the fact that this wonderful press release was all nonsense. Holden Karnofsky and Elie Hassenfeld have been outed for running a 2-bit identity fraud online to promote Givewell — and to bash its established competitors — without revealing their own affiliations and posing as members of the “general public.” Holden has also admitted using a stolen Gmail account from a Givewell employee to do the same thing.

All the gory details are at:
http://metatalk.metafilter.com/15547/GiveWell-or-Give-em-Hell

A summary is at:
http://metatalk.metafilter.com/15547/GiveWell-or-Give-em-Hell

So as to how to write a press release, rule one should be *do not lie* about yourselves. Givewell raked in coverage from the mainstream media — CNBC, the NY Times, New York Magazine, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, etc. Yet all the time he was basking in this glory as a “hedge fund kid turning his skills to good,” he was practicing online fraud intentionally.

Don’t stand in the spotlight unless you are sure your pants are buttoned. And as Holden emphasizes so often, transparency is the antiseptic of the philanthropic world. Holden’s pants are transparent, alright.

Really, isn’t it time to add a correction to this puff piece?

Alan Hovar

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