flack
Hired media mouthpiece
Flack is a publicist or press agent—someone who promotes clients and manages their public image.
The term often carries a slightly dismissive tone, suggesting spin over substance: The senator's flack issued a statement denying the allegations.
As a verb, to flack is to promote or publicize aggressively: She spent years flacking for pharmaceutical companies. (Flak, spelled without the c, is antiaircraft fire or criticism.)
Antiaircraft gunfire
- barrageSustained, overwhelming attack
- shellingSustained artillery attack
- artilleryLarge-caliber battlefield weapons
- burstBreak apart suddenly
shrapnel · tracer · battery · gunfire · bombardment · fusillade · ordnance · salvo
Strong negative reaction
- blowbackUnintended negative consequences
- falloutPost-blast atmospheric particles
- repercussionIndirect result of action
- heatTransferred thermal energy
fire · opposition · resistance · disapproval · resentment · outcry · uproar · controversy
Authorized representative communicator
- promoterOne who organizes events
- spinmeisterPublic relations manipulator
- mouthpieceOne who speaks officially
- representativeOne who acts for another
handler · agent · pitchman · huckster · booster · advocate · PR · shill
ack-ack
Antiaircraft gunfire
- barrageSustained, overwhelming attack
- shellingSustained artillery attack
- artilleryLarge-caliber battlefield weapons
burst · shrapnel · tracer · battery · gunfire · bombardment · fusillade · ordnance · salvo · volley
backlash
Strong negative reaction
- blowbackUnintended negative consequences
- falloutPost-blast atmospheric particles
- repercussionIndirect result of action
heat · fire · opposition · resistance · disapproval · resentment · outcry · uproar · controversy · scandal
spokesperson
Authorized representative communicator
- promoterOne who organizes events
- spinmeisterPublic relations manipulator
- mouthpieceOne who speaks officially
representative · handler · agent · pitchman · huckster · booster · advocate · PR · shill · tout
- PR professionalspublicist, PR agent, PR director, PR manager, PR specialist
- propagandistspropagandist, Joseph Goebbels, Tokyo Rose, disinformation agent, mouthpiece
- pitchmenpitchman, pitchwoman, hawker, barker, huckster
flackjournalist
News profession practitioner
reporter · investigative journalist · muckraker · whistleblower · newsman
- flak jacketTorso armor against projectiles
- catching flak
- take the flakReceive hostile criticism
- heavy flak
- Roberta Flack
- flak gunAnti-aircraft artillery piece