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This study is concerned with the dynamics of the internal communications at Netflix following the release of The Closer and the public debate that followed, testing Netflix's long-standing reputation for promoting diverse content and supporting a progressive organizational culture.

Using the circuit of culture (CoC) as a theoretical framework, this study applies a case study approach to analyze internal communication and strategic public relations in addressing this crisis.

This study's findings illustrate that by failing to interpret two of the five moments of the CoC, production and identity, Netflix negated the very values that constitute its brand. These findings have implications for how public relations' long-standing focus on two-way symmetrical communication is problematic, especially in the workplace.

The findings situate how the exertion of power within an organization, particularly in moments of identity and production, problematize the role of two-way symmetrical communication within an organization in crisis.

Budgets for the past two or three years have tended to be dominated by speculation and anticipation of alterations in the rate of value added tax. This has led to a number of curious ups and downs in sales of items like durables. This year, however, all eyes are on the prospects for income tax reductions, and the major stores groups are already counting the extra money. Some very lofty figures for volume growth in sales — some as high as six or seven per cent have been bandied around, but it now appears that the budget is likely to be less reflationary than originally expected, although still good news for the UK's retailers who have not seen a sustained upturn in spending since 1972. Nonetheless the retailers themselves seem to be cautious on the prospects for the year. The recent annual statement from Woolworth's chairman demonstrated that if we are having a consumer boom Woolworth for one has not seen much of it. Government statistics would appear to dictate a cautious line as well. Christmas turned out, belatedly, to be good. January was poor with no discernible volume growth over the sales figures for the previous year. But February was good again, with volume sales at 106.5 as against 104.5 the previous year. But there may be signs that consumers are becoming more confident. The credit figures for January were higher than for some time, indicating that the spending public is expecting things to get better this year. The classic cyclical items such as electricals and white goods will undoubtedly do well in 1978. Merchandisers in the semi luxury and luxury areas that always benefit when disposable income goes up should also flourish. But the food retailers seem destined to find their margins squeezed on account of the price war that is raging in the High Street supermarkets. Furniture sales, where there must be a substantial pent up demand following several years of restraint, should also show a recovery. Unlike the last period when retail shares were showing, as a whole, a good premium to the rest of the stockmarket, major food retailers such as Sainsbury and Tesco now have price earnings ratios of less than 10 on an historic basis, while British Home Stores and Marks & Spencer have ratings of 15 and 18 respectively. Clearly the stockmarket is expecting some good 1978 results from the non‐food sector, but is still doubtful about the impact of the price war on the supermarket companies.

THE INTER‐RELATIONSHIPS between the flowering of the fourth estate and popular literature, the democratisation of the reading public, and the growth of radicalism in the first half of the nineteenth century have been long recognised. Yet although literary and political historians have dug deeply and frequently in the periodical press of the time for evidence of contemporary attitudes, less attention has been paid to the journalists whose output is represented. It is unsafe to assume that they were typified by literary giants like Dickens (whose editorship of the Daily news was at best undistinguished) or by those who subsequently produced autobiographical accounts. Most were comparatively faceless men, whose social, educational, literary, and political backgrounds can be discovered only through extensive research. Until numerous bio‐bibliographies are compiled on an individual basis, generalisations about the profession as a whole will remain tenuous. William Weir, editor of the Daily news in 1854–58, was one of this powerful new group of substantially‐neglected communicators, but in his case a unique if scattered range of sources permits a reconstruction of the apprenticeship of a Victorian journalist and some interesting insights into the profession.

There is no more fascinating type of bedside book than the catalogue of a great private library. “Bedside book” I say: but that is hardly just, for I would willingly retire to a desert island (as all the best people appear to be prepared to do these days) with a comfortable handful of such records of greatness. These can conjure up visions for me as no other books can. I find the Abbotsford catalogue as spell‐binding as The Three Musketeers, and old Kirk‐patrick Sharpe's curious collections as intriguing as the adventures of young Waverley. Are there others who share my taste? I hope so, though I admit that it is not everyone's meat. Might I be pardoned for trying to suggest why I like this bye‐way? Bear with me while in the manner of Hill Burton I summon up a few of the famous bookmen of a former day. And pardon me again if it be found that they are all Scots.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.

The concept of group technology (GT) is drawing increasing interest from manufacturing industry for its potential to enhance productivity and efficiency. This paper identifies the major areas of manufacturing and operations management where GT can be of significance. GT may have a sizable impact inparts design, by standardizing the design and eliminating redundancies. Computer‐aided process planning together with GT can vastly improve the productivity of process designers and also simplify the design. The benefits derived from GT in the area of production planning and control are reduced queue time, smaller lot‐sizes, less work‐in‐process, better scheduling and so on. The limitations of GT are the relative lack of experience with GT and the initial cost of change‐over to GT. It is suggested that implementations of GT should be a slow gradual shift rather than a sudden change of functional lay‐out.

As the contemporary recession has unfolded in the United Kingdom, increasing reliance has been placed by the government on measures of employment subsidisation to contain the accompanying rise in unemployment. Employment subsidy programmes of varying natures have also been introduced in a large number of other Western countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Finland, Sweden and Ireland.

Data communications is a relatively neglected topic, which is surprising as it offers the infrastructural platform that can help to provide organizations with flexibility and responsiveness. DataComms 2000 explores the business themes and issues, and technology drivers and focus that will shape the industry. Explores the perspectives of a range of different actors.

Billy's story is told as an experience of care provided by health and social services; the events are taken from the stories of several clients. The story illustrates the failures of a system of care that is not person‐centred. Nor is it integrated. It is a system that has been cobbled together from the stretched and patched remains of old, incompatible systems. Billy's story was used as a central part of a system‐wide review commissioned by Kent's new joint services for people with learning disabilities. By examining the real experiences of a small number of clients and (in the second part of the paper) testing the outcomes against the principles underpinning the plans for a new integrated and person‐centred service, Kent has been able to pinpoint areas of failure and consequently priorities for development and change. The paper ends with a summary of the questions Billy's story raises and the proposals stemming from it.