According to E! Online, Glee star Lea Michele is working hard to dispel any beliefs we may have that she is an obnoxious diva. Back in May, E! reported that Michele made out with her boyfriend at the Time 100 gala and then snubbed celebrity photog Patrick McMullan (NYMag.com has a snapshot of the make-out session and the horrified onlooker.) She tweeted an apology to McMullan, but the whiff of divaness remains.

E! applauds Michele's PR team for getting her the cover of Glamour magazine and an interview that shows how nice she really is. If you go to her house, she'll make you baked ziti! I like her.

[Image via MTV.com]

Allergan, the makers of Botox, have agreed to pay a $600 million settlement for charges that the company promoted the off-label use of the drug. According to the complaint, Allergan had a marketing program in place that would include "kickbacks" to doctors for prescribing Botox for things that it hasn't been approved for, like pain treatment. The FDA is considering approval for Botox's use in treating chronic migraines.

Allergan spokeswoman Caroline Van Hove denied kickback and fraud allegations in an emailed statement to the New York Times. The company issued a statement yesterday, saying that it plead guilty to one misdemeanor "misbranding" charge and agreed to pay $225 million to resolve civil claims.

"This is part of a departmentwide and administrationwide effort to really crack down on health care fraud," Tony West, assistant attorney general for the civil division of the Justice Department, told the New York Times.

[Image via BioJobBlog]

The University of Colorado at Boulder announced last week that it would consider discontinuing its journalism school, reigniting the question of how best to train reporters and communicators.

"News and communications transmission as well as the role of the press and journalism in a democratic society are changing at a tremendous pace. We must change with it," school chancellor Philip DiStefano said in the press release.

While many express excitement over the prospect of new offerings, there are fears of losing the basics, such as writing skills, in favor of teaching new technologies, feelings expressed at colleges and universities nationwide. Journalism schools (where many PR programs are housed) and comms programs are always looking for ways to better prepare students for a world that is connected, savvy, and fast-paced.

With students heading back to class, now is the ideal time to share your thoughts about how communications programs can be improved. The comments section is open.

Associated Press advisory; AP announces editorial guidelines for credit and attribution (including crediting bloggers)

WorldCorrespondents: Muslim-Americans Launch PR Initiative

VillageVoice: Burger King is Up for Sale. Now, Let's Look Back at the Year in BK Publicity Stunt Whoppers

AdAge: FTC Subpoenas 48 Food Companies Regarding Marketing to Kids

NYTimes You're the Boss blog: Social Media Are Easier Than You Think

American Apparel employee Danarichie Lyndon Sindo was found dead in a fifth-floor restroom yesterday, Gawker reports. The 44-year-old Philippines native's death is the latest bad news to hit American Apparel, adding to what Gawker calls the company's "ever-growing list of public relations woes."

The company has a lot on its hands besides fashion these days. Among its other current woes: recent talk of its possible delisting, shareholder lawsuits, and rumors it's nearing bankruptcy. That's not to mention the fact the company has the Los Angeles Times quoting Howard Davidowitz, chairman of national retail consulting and investment banking firm Davidowitz & Associates Inc. as saying it's operating like a "madhouse."

What this means for the once-king of hipster hoodies and sultry billboards is yet uncertain. ConsumerAffairs.Com reminds us that "not long ago" it was "the undisputed king of hipster cool, churning out simple, understated v-neck shirts and leggings while growing at a breakneck pace."

[Image via American Apparel website]

Restaurant chain Denny's has selected ICR as its AOR, handling corporate, financial, and crisis communications. Hill & Knowlton had been handling corporate, crisis, and consumer PR for Denny's until this summer. At that time, CEO Nelson Marchioli was replaced with interim CEO Debra Smithart-Oglesby.

"When the CEO left, we weren't interested in participating in a review,” Lori Robinson, SVP and director of marketing and business development at H&K told PRWeek (sub req'd).

ICR lists Visa and Chipotle among the selected clients on its website.

The consumer work with Erwin-Penland is an expansion on previous projects the firm has done with Denny's including menus and local support.

Waggener Edstrom Worldwide has promoted Jenny Moede to EVP of the North America region. She will oversee client satisfaction and growth in WE's various practice areas, including healthcare, where she was previously EVP. She will be based in the Portland, OR office reporting to Claire Lematta, president of global regions.

In addition, SVP Colleen Beauregard will now lead the healthcare practice while continuing in her role as the GM of the Cambridge, MA office.

And Kimberly Davis, SVP with the firm, will now lead the tech practice. She is in the Portland, OR office and is currently heading up the BMC Software account.

In addition to shaking up their communications organization in order to draw fans, NASCAR has partnered with Black Entertainment Television (BET) to attract Black audiences.

The New York Times reports on the new BET show Changing Lanes that premiered last night, which places 10 contestants in a house together for a month to compete for a spot as a NASCAR driver.

NASCAR has tried for years to build a diverse audience, with its Drive for Diversity program having little success.

MBlast, an SAS company for marketers, has introduced MediaSync, a free service that seeks to help users find relevant journalists and outlets, keep current on editorial calendars, and organize their outreach programs.

The homepage, like Google's, is a simple one. If you search a topic - for instance, "auto" - results offer a list of publications that cover the topic, reporters who have written stories about it (currently the site has more than 500,000 media contacts), and the future editorial opportunities available.

The service definitely hits the right price point. On the decision to offer MediaSync for free, CEO Gary Lee said in the press release, "Considering a reporter's basic contact information of email address and phone number is readily available on the Web today, we believe that charging for this data has run its course."

The question will be how it performs compared to others that provide similar services.

Simon Doonan, the Barneys creative director and New York Observer columnist who recently revealed a possible Snooki scandal, is taking his musings to Slate.

Doonan's departure adds to the list of editorial staff members who have left the paper in recent weeks. Among them, Alexandra Jacobs who took a job as an editor in the Styles section at the New York Times, and Eliot Brown, who will cover Albany for the Wall Street Journal.

[Image via NYMag.com]

Erik Reynolds has rejoined video game company Atari as senior director of PR. Reynolds took a five-year break from Atari. During that time, he worked with a number of gaming companies and had his own interactive entertainment consulting firm that launched in 2008. Throughout his career, he's executed media relations programs for games like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros.

Anyone who can remember playing video games with a joystick has probably played an Atari game. Asked about Atari messaging in the current gaming age, Reynolds replied via email, "Atari's messaging will reinforce its commitment to harnessing its legacy and adapting to the evolving online marketplace by leveraging our strong worldwide brand, library of IP, and boldly engaging gamers everywhere they play."

Wall Street Journal political correspondent Greg Hitt joins the Washington D.C. office of Public Strategies as managing director today. Hitt will serve as a strategic communications counselor for the firms clients, which include Fortune 50 companies and nonprofits.

Over 20 years of experience with the Journal and Dow Jones Newswires, Hitt has covered a range of topics including presidential campaigns and national politics. Most recently, he covered major legislation related President Barack Obama's agenda such as the economic stimulus package.