ProfNets of the Week

by admin ~ December 11, 2009

It’s time again to take a look at some of the strange and interesting queries from ProfNet, a service that sends us journalist queries and calls for sources dozens of times throughout the day. Enjoy!

BEAUTY: Bubble Baths — Freelancer
I am an editor for a Web site and have been asked to be interviewed by a national women’s magazine for a piece on “The Best Bubble Baths.” I am looking to review bubble baths before my interview on Monday. I would need to receive the bubble bath before Sunday to try them out and give my review. Contact: XXXXXXX

FASHION: Fashion, Holiday Party Planner — The Arizona Republic
I’m writing a story about people’s fascinations with ugly Christmas sweaters, and why they have become such a phenomenon over the past few years. How do people go about choosing their sweaters and where do they find them? Will the recession have any effect on the frequency of these parties? Contact: XXXXXXX

BUSINESS: The Worst and Most Painful Business Jargon We Regularly Hear — Forbes
We’re looking to gather the most ridiculous, cliched and stupid business jargon out there; the more annoying, the better. Please include the context of the jargon, if you can — such as, “I had a client/boss/employee who couldn’t make it through a staff meeting without saying how we had to ‘incentivize’ our salespeople to bring ’synergies’ to their platform to capture more revenue.” We’re hoping your examples are better than that, but that gives you an idea. Beyond examples of egregiously annoying jargon, we’d love to hear from a couple of people who can explain why talking in cliched sound bytes has become standard business practice. Please reply ASAP. Contact: XXXXXXX

TOYS: Christmas’ Hottest Toy of 2009 — Delaware News Journal
I am writing a piece on the hottest toy of 2009. The problem is I just don’t know what that is. Contact: XXXXXXX