ProfNet Experts Available on Vapor Intrusion, Retail Strategies, More

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing. To receive these updates by email, send a note to [email protected] with the industries you cover, and we'll add you to the appropriate edition. 

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EXPERT ALERTS

• Juror Googling: Avoid Criminalizing It
• EPA Looking at Vapor Intrusion Requirements
• Holiday Price Warfare: Battling for Consumer Wallets

MEDIA JOBS

• Entertainment Editor – Los Angeles News Group (CA)
• Sports Copy Editor – The Tuscaloosa News (AL)
• Crime Reporter – The Daily Progress (VA)
  

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Words to Retire in 2014: Why Twerk Must Go But Selfie Can Stay
• Media 411: Top Stories of 2013 Roundup
• SPOTLIGHT: Yamiche Alcindor, USA Today

EXPERT ALERTS:

Juror Googling: Avoid Criminalizing It
Kimberly Priest Johnson
White Collar Criminal Defense Attorney and Jury Analyst
Priest Johnson PLLC in Dallas
"A move in Great Britain to criminalize juror information-gathering outside the courtroom is an overreaction and one the U.S. would do best to avoid. Despite the routine admonishment from judges to avoid such research, especially on the Internet, the cases of people violating that rule are many. But criminalizing this behavior is overkill and impractical. Juror misconduct has always been an area where the presiding judge and the power of a contempt order have been sufficient. There is no proof that tougher action is needed. Criminalizing such conduct would remove a court's ability to speak openly with the juror in question and find out what happened, since that would lead to self-incrimination."
Media Contact: Mark Annick, [email protected]

EPA Looking at Vapor Intrusion Requirements
Fran Phillips
Environmental Attorney
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP in Dallas
"Hazardous vapors migrating through a building's basement or foundation from contaminated soil or groundwater and potentially creating health problems for occupants is a growing concern. Although many states have vapor intrusion requirements, they have rarely been part of environmental due diligence when buying a property. That could change in 2014, as, under Environmental Protection Agency regulations, EPA or American Society of Testing Methods standards must be used in the testing for these potential hazards, which range from radon to mold growth to gases from underground storage tanks. New ASTM standards call for investigation of vapor intrusion as part of the Environmental Site Assessment in all real estate transactions. For the first time, vapor intrusion has specifically been identified as a form of pollution to be addressed in the ESA. Vapor intrusion is poised to become an important issue in real estate transactions, regulatory investigation and cleanups, and even litigation."
Media Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected]

Holiday Price Warfare: Battling for Consumer Wallets
Graeme McVie
Shopper Analytics Expert
LoyaltyOne
Last holiday season, the day after Christmas was one of the busiest days for shopping-related search queries, according to Google. And this year, holiday spending is expected to increase by 11 percent, according to Experian. Says McVie: "As retailers look to slash prices to remain competitive during the holidays, they must be smart about which products they discount and the depth of discounting they offer."
Graeme is available to discuss holiday retail and shopper marketing stories and can share the optimal discounting strategy for retailers and how retailers can "control the bleed" in the midst of competitive discounting.
Media Contact: Tim Sansbury, [email protected]  

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MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: http://bit.ly/pncjobboard

• Entertainment Editor – Los Angeles News Group (CA)
• Sports Copy Editor – The Tuscaloosa News (AL)
• Crime Reporter – The Daily Progress (VA)
  

See more listings here.

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

• WORDS TO RETIRE IN 2014: WHY TWERK MUST GO BUT SELFIE CAN STAY. You may have been shocked when the Oxford Dictionary pronounced "selfie" the 2013 Word of the Year, but to Samantha McGarry it completely made sense. This word reflected a cultural shift: the ubiquity of smartphones, and society's acceptance of our obsession with photographing ourselves and sharing them pretty much everywhere. Read on to see which words McGarry thinks should go before 2014: http://bit.ly/1kzw3kv
• MEDIA 411: TOP STORIES OF 2013 ROUNDUP. Once again we've reached the end of another year and with the year just about over, Evelyn Tipacti thought it would be fun to review the "top" stories of 2013 as reported by various news outlets. Check out which stories made her list for 2013: http://bit.ly/1bghPNi
• SPOTLIGHT: YAMICHE ALCINDOR, USA TODAY. This SPOTLIGHT belongs to Yamiche Alcindor, a breaking news reporter at USA Today who splits her time covering quickly developing incidents and stories about the social issues affecting the United States. Learn more about a day in the life of Alcindor here: http://bit.ly/1fq1Bp6

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SOURCE ProfNet