The art of publicity is a black art.
– Learned Hand
Publicists are dodgy by nature, but some handle it better than others.
A publicist who appeared on CNBC in October deserves a medal for his artful dodge.
He appeared on the weekday program Power Lunch to puff up investing in the tech firm Upstart.
The publicist was clearly addled when the host asked him a simple question.
"What does Upstart do? What kind of company is it?"
The publicist paused, frowned, then pretended his audio had cut out.
He never answered the question, leaving the host to confirm that Upstart was a great investment.
Triumph #315:
Asked an unwelcome question, he claimed jiggy audio.
Postscript: CNBC has since declared Upstart a "disaster." On Friday, its stock price fell 55%, placing the company among the week's "top five biggest financial losers," according to Seeking Alpha.
