Poor Vanity Fair editorial assistant Bill Bradley. He had to make 10,000 friends by August 5 or he was out of a job.

The go-getter with black-rimmed glasses worked from his gray cubicle as the young mastermind behind a PR campaign to guilt people into joining Vanity Fair’s Facebook page.

Bill tried everything. He even pleaded with sweaty tourists and onlookers in New York’s Times Square for help. Covering his front and back with a sandwich ad board of the latest issue of Vanity Fair with Angelina Jolie, Bill tried to make new friends.

Bill went with the free walking ad campaign as compared to what would be $125,000 to run an ad for eight minutes an hour, 24 hours a day, on the jumbo screen in Times Square. (He did check into it but was in no position to buy.)

But on August 6, the party was over. His editor called him into his office and gave him the boot.

The editor explained he was fired since he didn't make 10,000 fans on Facebook.

Bill pleaded with him, asked for another week but his boss wasn't budging.

Next thing you know, two heavy-set men dressed in dark suits appeared and dragged Bill out of the office.

See what happens next here:

What can a company really do to prevent someone from using social media to blab about them?

Exxon Mobil Corp. isn’t quite sure yet.

A Twitter bio by “Janet” says she’s “taking on the world’s toughest energy challenges” from Irving, Texas. She tweets about Exxon Mobil’s philanthropy, answers questions about company policy and praises the oil giant’s corporate citizenship.

Janet’s latest Tweet: “I am an employee of ExxonMobil, who has decided to put forward her pride in her own company."

But when a reporter asked Exxon Mobil about Janet, a spokesman replied, “that’s not us.”

That’s it? Should there be more? Are they truly unaware if their employees are using Twitter?

Maybe Exxon Mobil doesn’t know how and if their workers use social media, but this goes to show it should. What if Janet wasn’t offering glowing comments about the company, but spreading inaccurracies? They probably won’t admit it, but I bet the communication team is closely following this so-called Janet person.

Communications consultant Shel Holtz offered up some free analysis on his blog.

When the Exxon Valdez issue hit Twitter, Janet responded that the oil spill didn’t rank high in such incidents.

“Clearly, Janet has had no communication training, since that response would provoke anger and hostility,” Holtz wrote.

Meanwhile, Twitter gets free PR and waits for Exxon Mobil to act.

“Exxon can contact Twitter if they believe that there is a case of impersonation, and we will review the account,” Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, told the Houston Chronicle.

So who is this Janet and what should the oil giant do about her? (If she’s really a she).

It’s time for a refresher course. We’ve written way too much on controversial topics lately, so here are a few tips and tools rounded up to help cut the B.S. out of your press release.

You probably think that last press release you wrote was a masterpiece. Well, you might want to think twice because more than likely -- you just fed a bunch of B.S. to a reporter who saw right through it.

If you're still not convinced, plug it into this new free tool. We wrote about it, so you can get all the details here.

It will give you a grade and tell you what your release is and isn't missing. And if you filled it with B.S. words, AKA "gobbledygook," you'll be advised to change those words. Your CEO or client might like them, but a reporter could care less.

Another way to test your B.S. meter is to learn from a PR pro based in Dallas, Texas. Here's a few tips from Scott Baradell, who leads the Idea Grove.

Don't give vague claims. We're a leading company. We outperform our competitors. So what? Tell me something I don't already know. What's unique about your company or product?

Stay away from technical jargon. "This communicates that what you're announcing is so inside-baseball that only about three reporters on the entire planet could possibly care about it," Baradell says.

Don't be lazy. Use e-mail wisely. And use the recipient's name. Baradell advises to "practice this consistently, and reporters will be less likely to give your announcements a one-way ticket to the recycle bin."

If you don’t follow these tips, you could end up on the Bad Pitch blog.

I met Tony Snow in the kitchen of the FOX News bureau in Washington, D.C. He was wearing jeans, a T-shirt and white tennis shoes.

His typical work attire fit his personality – laid back and relaxed.

I immediately thought – oh, this guy won’t talk to me. I’m low on the totem pole and he’s a big shot radio host and TV anchor.

But he turned and smiled, introduced himself and shook my hand.

When he left FOX for his dream job as press secretary for President Bush, I was sad to see him leave the bureau.

He really stood out in the TV world of ego and uptight personalities. He was nice to everyone – from the cleaning crew to producers to visitors touring the bureau. He had that unique charm that made you feel like you were special.

When a friend of mine called me on Saturday to tell me that Tony Snow had died, I couldn’t believe it. Snow, 53, recently joined CNN as an analyst and photos showed him looking healthier, on the road to recovery from battling the same cancer that took his mother’s life when he was 17.

I turned on the TV to prove my friend wrong – but it was true. He was gone.

And now, as I think back to the kind man I met in the kitchen years ago, I realize how lucky I am to have known him.

PR powerhouse Burson-Marsteller picked up a political heavyweight by hiring a longtime former adviser to President Bush. Karen Hughes joins the team as global vice chair (AKA advising corporations in crisis) with a boss who has ties to the left side of the aisle.

Who's the boss? Burson-Marsteller CEO Mark Penn. He's the same guy who admitted to contributing to Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's failed bid.

This PR mastermind says in the release that “Karen is one of the leading communications strategists working today,” and goes on to say “she brings enormous strategic insights.”

Whatever that means... just a bunch of garble in a press release. But hey, now they're joining forces to conquer the bipartisan consulting world!

While the match-up raises eyebrows in political circles, Penn assures The Wall Street Journal that “we agreed that we won’t let politics interfere in our business.”

It seems like a good deal for Hughes. She'll be based in Austin, near her family, and likely earn a fat paycheck.

This news comes a few weeks after Penn tried to spin his way out of Clinton’s camp by blaming the loss on being outspent, not in delivering the message.

Penn might have lost out with the Clinton campaign, but picking up Hughes will surely attract some high-profile conservative clients.

You might want to brush up on your vocab before your next night out. The latest edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary offers more than you could ever need to showcase your inner foodie. With about 100 new words, including a few from the food category like prosecco (an Italian wine).

Check out the latest new words in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. I"m not sure I'll actually use any of them, but it's worth a read.

A few others to boost your vocab: Dirty bomb, norovirus, such as the Norwalk Virus, and mondegreen, which comes from misunderstood phrases or lyrics.

What a catch!

Watch this video of a ball girl's catch. Is it real? Scroll down for the answer.

Sorry to disappoint, but it's not real. It was part of an ad campaign by Gatorade. However, Gatorade canceled its contract with the ad firm but it somehow landed online. Gatorade denies posting the video but it has picked up more than 3.5 million hits, a Gatorade spokeswoman told the LA Times. No ad campaign and 3.5 million hits? I wouldn't be complaining, either.

Update: Vanity Fair Facebook PR plea

I wrote about editorial assistant Bill's desperate ploy for PR recently. His boss told him to make 10,000 friends on Vanity Fair's Facebook page or he would be out of a job. Well, the deadline is fast approaching and he's barely half-way there.

With nearly 4,500 fans on Vanity Fair’s Facebook page and five weeks until his deadline, Bill should take drastic measures to stay employed and make 10,000 friends on Facebook.

In Bill’s words: “Be part of the gimmick and join here, please. And if you have any ideas about how I can be more lame and attract more fans, please ... The job you save could be mine.”

Puhhhleeeease help Bill. He’s going to lose his job if he can’t get make 10,000 friends by August.

That’s right. 10,000 friends. Is this for real? For Vanity Fair editorial assistant Bill Bradley it is. And hey, Bill, if you make your deadline, my boss wants you to apply for a job here.

The go-getter with black-rimmed glasses works from his gray cubicle as the young mastermind behind a PR campaign to guilt people into joining Vanity Fair’s Facebook page.

But so far, it's not going so well. As of June 30, Bradley had 3,515 friends. To put it best in his words, “in short, I’m screwed.” His boss told him August 5 is the deadline. Attention Bill’s boss: This is a ridiculous assignment.

Bradley explained in a recent post on Vanity Fair’s Web site that he’s in a “shameless self-promotion for the sake of more Web site traffic and better job security.”

“I will befriend people that I clearly don’t know.”

“I will hand out fliers in Times Square.”

“And I will past my sorry, hopeless face, pale with desperation, on telephone poles around New York City.”

Case and point: Julia wrote at 10:59 p.m. on the VF Facebook wall: "oh I feel bad for the guy! hope they let the guy keep his job or extend the deadline...Go Bill!"

Steve wrote at 12:40 a.m. "just making sure the guy doesn't lose his job."

Bill is getting desperate. He recently pleaded with sweaty tourists and onlookers in New York’s Times Square for help. Covering his front and back with a sandwich ad board of the latest issue of Vanity Fair with Angelina Jolie, Bill tried to make new friends.

Bill went with the free walking ad campaign as compared to what would be $125,000 to run an ad for eight minutes an hour, 24 hours a day, on the jumbo screen in Times Square. (He did check into it but “was in no position to buy.”)

But the latest PR move doesn’t appear too successful. Watch the video here.

The all-important gossip site Gawker even picked it up.

So what if Bill loses his job? He’s young and obviously smart since he landed some writing on the Vanity Fair Web site. And he’ll have a good story to tell.

Do you think Bradley's PR stunt will work? August 5 isn't far off... he welcomes any ideas of “how I can be more lame and attract more fans.” After all, he says, “the job you save could be mine.”

It's time for the crisis folks at the NBA to earn their keep.

Let's consider the nightmare that unfolded last Tuesday:

A referee tells the world that some of his colleagues bet on playoff games and tampered with outcomes. What do you do? If you're NBA commissioner David Stern, you attempt to run out the clock by hoping the finals will overwhelm the bad news.

Who is advising this man?

We liked an analysis we saw in the Sacramento Bee on Friday.

John Segale, head of Precision Public Relations, told the newspaper that Stern did the right thing by denying Tim Donaghy's allegations personally before the press. But the commissioner didn't go far enough.

“He’s attacking (Donaghy), but he’s not providing any solutions,” Segale said. Worse yet, he's resorted to the bush league tactic of attacking the media, which is almost always a sure sign of desperation.

"He's blaming sports talk radio, the bloggers, sports writers and the general media who may not understand the nuances of pro sports," says Segale. "And he's failed to understand or chosen to ignore the power of the Web to keep the story alive."

Finally, Stern's apparent strategy of hoping the crisis will be overshadowed by the finals is simply not working.

"Every time that whistle is blown, every time a replayed foul is shown, people are going to wonder about these accusations," says Segale. "So what was a dream championship matchup a week ago is becoming a microscope for all that's good and all that's bad about the league.

"A week ago people were focused on the teams' performances. Now we're looking at the professionalism of the refs and their impact on the game."

Segale's recommendation:

Do something now. Example: Announce the creation of a commission to regulate the refs. Or, he could announce that owners will soon meet to discuss ways to raise standards even higher.

Stop baiting the press. When you put yourself above the media, reporters become even more determined to bring you down.

Says Segale: "You've got to be careful in how you relate to the media because you may invite far more scrutiny than you deserve. If you insist that you're above reproach, the media will test the claim."

'...the media will test the claim."

Never a truer phrase has been uttered about crisis PR. There are probably a million examples of this truth, but my favorite comes from the world of politics. Remember former Colorado Senator Gary Hart?

In 1987, Hart ran for President again and was leading in most polls when, at a press conference, a reporter asked about allegations of marital infidelity, which had been whispered for months.

Hart replied: "Follow me around, I don't care. I'm serious. If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead. They'd be very bored".

A few weeks later, The Miami Herald put a tail on Hart and it introduced the world to a woman by the name of Donna Rice. End of campaign.

So yes...fight the allegations but never, ever invite further inquiry.

With the price of gasoline topping $4 a gallon, is it any wonder the GM is looking for ways to show angry consumers that it's going green?

The car company announced this week that it will begin a new advertising campaign announcing its breakup with "Big Oil."

The campaign consists of a televised Dear John letter to the oil companies:

"We’ve had this great relationship for many years," the letter states. "We think we will both be a lot happier and healthier if we see less of each other."

The McCann-Erickson creation will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on June 22, Katherine Benoit, corporate marketing director at GM told a group at the American Advertising Federation meeting, Advertising Age reported.

Does spending thousands of dollars to create a clever PR campaign mean GM is serious about going green? Will a "Dear John" letter to Big Oil help convince disgruntled motorists that this environmental push is for real?

Everyone wants to be seen as green these days, but green strategies can backfire if there is nothing real to the claim. There in lies the problem: GM has no real alternative to gas-guzzling vehicles, at least an alternative that has gone mainstream.

If Toyota had launched the Dear John letter and signed it "yours truly, Prius," the campaign would make more sense.

In yesterday's PR Junkie we talked about the rampant fear that exists among PR and media relations practitioners in the age of social media. We noted how companies are turning down interviews with reporters even when the stories would put their organizations in a favorable light.

Then we thought of the case of Mayhill Fowler and her interview with Bill Clinton.

Fowler is the 61-year-old blogger for the Huffington Post who asked Bill Clinton a leading question about a critical story about him in Vanity Affair. In her question, Fowler characterized the article as a “hatchet job” with the obvious intention of leading the former president to believe she was an ally. He took the bait and immediately slammed Vanity Affair reporter Todd Purdum for being “slimy” and a “scumbag.”

"[He's] sleazy," Clinton said about Purdum. "He's a really dishonest reporter. And one of our guys talked to him . . . And I haven't read [the article]. But he told me there's five or six just blatant lies in there. But he's a real slimy guy.”

Little did Clinton know that those comments would appear online, adding to the long-running story about the former president's issues with anger and stoking the controversy over whether he has been a help or hindrance to his wife's campaign. The president didn't know because Fowler didn't tell him.

This isn’t the first time Mayhill has pulled this stunt. A few months ago she reported Barack Obama’s comments from a closed fundraiser.

So what do we all think of this new "citizen journalism?' Will the Mayhills of the blogging world lead to more paranoia, more turn downs for interviews? How will your clients distinguish between a private conversation and an ambush from a blogger?

If you think Mayhill is an isolated case, then think again. She’s one of 2,500 people who work with Off the Bus. The project gives every day people like Mayhill the opportunity to cover the race to the White House. Arianna Huffington says “they’re not part of the professional gaggle, they can come up with their own views of what’s happening, which may be different from what the conventional wisdom is saying.”

Will the escapades of citizen journalists affect your clients' perception of the media? Will it ever feel safe again to agree to an interview?