CNN has banned conservative writer Ryan Girduskyfrom the network after a contentious on-air exchange with panelist Mehdi Hasan for his support of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas War. 

During a discussion about Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on “NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” Girdusky told Hasan, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” a reference to recent attacks where Hezbollah members’ pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in Lebanon and Syria, killing 39 people. Hezbollah blames Israel for the attack.

The heated encounter begins with Hasan saying to Girdusky, “If you (Republicans/conservatives) don’t want to be called Nazis, stop…” before he’s cut off. Hasan and Girdusky then have a back-and-forth, Hasan said he was used to being called an antisemite because he supports “Palestinians.” 

That’s when Girdusky made his comment.

Hasan, a Muslim, responded: “Did you just tell me I should die?… You just said I should be killed.” Girdusky apologized, but after the commercial break, he was removed from the panel. Hasan also left the panel during the break, but of his own choice – Phillip clarified that he was asked to stay but chose to leave.

On Tuesday, Girdusky responded on X, writing, “You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi,” but apparently can’t “if you make a joke. I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.”

Why it matters: CNN needed to send a clear message to its guests and audiences that Girdusky crossed a line.

Viewers expect lively political discussions and disagreements, especially about politics. However, a heated argument featuring apparent wishes of violence against a panelist during a presidential election discussion is bad for the brand – and for public civility as a whole. 

Immediately following the Hasan-Girdusky exchange, a frantic scene erupted as all panelists talked over each other, with host Abby Phillip trying to restore some sense of decorum. Phillip quickly rebuked Girdusky, saying, “Ryan, that’s completely out of line. You know that.”

As Girdusky attempted to apologize, Phillip cut in, saying, “Don’t say ‘Then I apologize.’ You literally accused him…”. Phillip later stated during the broadcast: 

“A line was crossed there, and it’s not acceptable to me. It’s not acceptable to us at this network. We want discussion. We want people who disagree with each other to talk to each other. But when you cross the line of complete incivility, that won’t happen here on this show.”

After the show, Phillip apologized to Hasan and viewers on social media, stating that Girdusky had crossed a line. She also clarified that Hasan was invited back for the following segment and wanted to hear more insights, but he chose not to return. Hasan is welcome to return as a guest in the future as well.

Phillip did a great job of using her brief comments to not only diffuse a tense situation but also to shape the narrative about her program’s representation. CNN followed her lead with similar comments, showing support for Phillip while reiterating its organizational mission. The network made it clear that it has “zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air,” and explicitly stated that Girdusky would not be invited back as a guest.

“We aim to foster thoughtful conversations and debate, including between people who profoundly disagree with each other, to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding,” the statement continued.

Editor’s Top Reads

• Starbucks is stepping up enforcement of its return-to-office policy, warning employees that they must comply or face termination. Starting in January, the company will monitor compliance with the three-day-a-week policy. “We are continuing to support our leaders as they hold their teams accountable to our existing hybrid work policy,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We’ve made updates to our workspaces to make sure they work for the teams who use them.” This move is likely aimed at sending a message to investors that the company is working to get back on track by building culture and ensuring workers are pulling in the right direction. Even before new CEO Brian Niccol took over, the company had struggled with sales and its reputation. “This is not a game of tracking. This is a game of winning,” Niccol said during an employee forum. “I care about seeing everybody here succeed, and if success requires us being together more often than not, let’s be together more often.” While returning to office work may not boost sales figures, it will show that Niccol is making efforts to improve things. In its messaging, Starbucks has stated that its expectations for hybrid corporate employees have remained the same over the past two years. However, it’s sending a reminder to workers that they must follow these expectations. To make the policy more universal, Starbucks has tried to emphasize that no one is exempt, including Niccol, who is also a hybrid worker. The Starbucks has said Niccol would meet or exceed Starbucks’s in-office mandates. However, some workers have expressed skepticism of Niccol’s arrangement. Rob Sadow, who helped create an index that benchmarks remote-work policies, told the Wall Street Journal that workers may now wonder “do we still need to be in the office three days a week?” In light of this double-down by corporate, trying to convince mid-level employees that their daily commutes are equivalent to a millionaire like Niccol taking a private jet from Southern California to Seattle a couple of times a week might be a tough sell.
• At least 250,000 Washington Post readers have canceled their subscriptions since the news organization announced it wouldn’t endorse a presidential candidate, which is about 10% of its digital subscribers. This has sparked a crisis for both The Post and its owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, from a PR perspective. In response, some outlets, like Slate, have suggested that instead of punishing the journalists, people should cancel their Amazon Prime subscription to criticize Bezos. It was important for Bezos to send a message to customers about the reasoning behind the non-endorsement in an effort to stop the proverbial bleeding. On Monday night he published an op-ed in The Post titled “The hard truth: Americans don’t trust the news media.” It argued that endorsements don’t matter to voters. In the piece, Bezos aims to show that there was no quid pro quo and that he didn’t interact with Trump or the Harris camps before the announcement. While he admitted that Dave Limp, the chief executive of one of his companies, Blue Origin, met Trump on the day of the announcement, he made a point of highlighting that he didn’t have a role in the decision-making and wasn’t aware of the meeting. “I sighed when I found out, because I knew it would provide ammunition to those who would like to frame this as anything other than a principled decision,” Bezos said. “But the fact is, I didn’t know about the meeting beforehand.” This statement aimed to show customers that the decision didn’t stem from a particular business interest. Bezos also tried to position the decision as a way to keep The Post an “independent voice amid a surge of misinformation. He said that, “While I do not and will not push my personal interest, I will also not allow this paper to stay on autopilot and fade into irrelevance — overtaken by unresearched podcasts and social media barbs — not without a fight. It’s too important” before highlighting that his reporters are “the finest journalists you’ll find anywhere.” Makes it interesting then that he wouldn’t allow them to use their independent voice to do their jobs.
• The federal government plans to release its final jobs report before the November elections, and officials warn that recent hurricanes and strikes will skew the data affecting job growth. As a result, the picture of the economy will be unclear as many American voters head to the polls. The strength of the U.S. economy has been a key talking point throughout this election cycle, and the findings of this report will likely become a major talking point in the days leading up to Nov. 5. From a messaging perspective, Democrats need to emphasize the report’s finer points and paint a picture of the health of U.S. economy’s status. Most economists agree that the country has experienced positive trends in job growth and other economic indicators. However, some Democratic strategists, like Steve Jarding, have criticized Harris for not focusing enough on these positives and instead letting Trump get away with claiming “the economy is the worst it’s ever been” and criticizing unemployment and inflation numbers. “It’s almost like he lies so much you get tired of refuting it, and I think that’s a mistake,” Jarding said. If the jobs numbers are bad, Democrats will need to focus on explaining why they’re not as strong as they were in previous months and highlighting other economic positives.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post The Scoop: CNN sends clear message that it won’t allow hate speech on air appeared first on PR Daily.

Gina Preoteasa, is VP, Client Services, at Kite Hill PR.

Breaking through the noise during a major industry moment can be challenging. The attention of target audiences is split in many directions. Having a headline news story can go a long way in helping to break through the onslaught of social media, emails and meetings. So how does a PR pro secure top-tier coverage for clients and/or their brand, especially during tentpole industry events like AWNewYork 2024 or Communications Week? While difficult, it’s not impossible.

There are many tips for breaking through during an event news cycle but two in particular are foundational:

1. Start planning earlier than you’d think. Major industry moments require a lot of planning, which often involve many stakeholders at an organization. For example, a product announcement at an industry event can have a big impact. Product teams need to work alongside marketing teams to develop roadmaps and launch dates that correlate to opportune industry moments – all well in advance. This approach helps their products stand out and resonate more than they would otherwise without the reinforcement of an in-person element.
2. Consider the event itself. Every event comes with its own flavor and understanding the nuances can be key to helping a brand or story stand out. For example, Advertising Week is known for its dynamic and fun activations, which offer attendees fun experiences and oftentimes tasty treats. Thinking creatively about how to bring a brand to life through an activation can be an excellent way to generate press coverage and social media buzz. Pairing the activation with an announcement can add to the excitement and news value. Such a strategic approach can help to lengthen the announcement’s news cycle and extend the story beyond a mention in a daily news roundup.

Advanced planning and strategic announcement development must happen first. Then, there are three supporting strategies to implement once a plan is in place:

1. Tap into key themes and trends early. It’s no longer enough to reach out to reporters a few weeks before an event, vaguely ask their plans for attendance and expect a response. PR professionals must anticipate the key themes and trends that will dominate the event early and act swiftly. This means staying close to event organizers, monitoring industry publications to draw connections between industry trends and the show’s planned thematic tracks and engaging with likely-to-attend media to offer strong insights that complement the most pressing topics on the docket to address. By aligning messaging with emerging narratives, PR pros have a greater opportunity to ensure their clients’ or brand’s stories not only resonate with journalists but offer something unique to the main themes of the show.
2. Think smart about thought leadership. Thought leadership content is a powerful tool as it positions leaders as industry experts on specific topics helping to establish their credibility. In the lead-up to any large industry event, prepare your experts by contributing thought-provoking articles, op-eds and blog posts to relevant industry publications. Doing so will help guarantee your spokesperson extra airtime with attending reports during the conference itself, as those media will be familiar with your spokesperson’s POV and how their insights can help aid good, quality journalism.
3. Consider all your channels. As a PR pro, it’s important to think beyond the earned media wins — ask yourself, how can you amplify them to extend their reach and potential to as wide a relevant audience as possible? Start with shared and owned channels. What could social content look like? Blog or website content? Beyond those mediums, would it make sense to take a portion of the remaining budget to further amplify that content via paid channels? Extend the life of your hard-earned media wins by maximizing their exposure.

Finally, it’s always important to have an agile mindset. Leveraging strategic communication tactics and having a deep understanding of the media landscape is a necessary tool, and PR pros must stay on their feet to adjust and tackle roadblocks head-on. With an agile-first mindset, PR pros can effectively navigate the complexities of the upcoming event cycle and get closer to achieving their, and their clients’ or brand’s, objectives.

Industry events can be exciting and fun. While nothing can guarantee earned media coverage, leveraging these tools to elevate your clients and/or brand can certainly aid in breaking through the noise. With these strategic communication tactics in play, PR professionals are one step closer to navigating the complexities of industry events and securing top-tier outcomes that move the needle forward.

The post Tips for earning attention during major industry events appeared first on PR Daily.

Paywalls seem to be cropping up on every news site, cutting off stories that once would have been freely available to the public. Just this week, CNN announced it will charge users who read an unspecified number of articles $3.99 per month for all access. Reuters announced a similar plan, with its plans starting at $1 per week.

Pay-to-read content can be a double-edged sword for PR professionals. The journalism industry needs steady, reliable income in order to pay journalists and survive. But a paywall will almost definitionally reduce the reach and readability of content — including that which may feature your client. The type of paywall can also affect the repercussions of a paywall: under the CNN and Reuters scheme, any article can be read by the public so long as they aren’t a power user. Under other plans, such as USA Today and regional newspaper owner Gannett, certain articles are marked for subscribers only, restricting readership across the board.

But how does the general public feel about paying for news?

A new report from Morning Consult sheds some light on what may impact your media strategy when paywalls are involved.

How Americans value news

Many consumers are just plain tired of the news. This is especially true as we look at younger audiences.

Only a slim majority of adults say they actively seek out news. But that stat is massively skewed by news-loving Baby Boomers, 69% of which proactively hunt for news — or perhaps still even receive a print product. In contrast, only 38% of Gen Z actively looks for news, while 17% go out of their way to avoid getting information about the world around them.

The presidential election may be one reason for this fatigue: Millennial survey respondents who actively seek out news decreased from 53% at the end of 2023 to just 44% now.

Who pays for news

For those outlets looking to solve their financial woes with a paywall, there’s bad news.

Only 16% of Americans currently pay for a subscription to a news outlet. By way of comparison, about 22% of Americans and Canadians subscribe to Netflix.

Among those who don’t subscribe, the primary reasons are that they feel they can get the information somewhere else (74%), and that news is not worth paying for (66%). While some might think bias is a primary driver, Morning Consult reported it fell right in the middle of the reasons for not subscribing.

This section reveals two key problems in the news industry. The first is that news outlets mostly gave information away for free for the first several decades of the internet. In the early days, it was easier to earn money through digital ads, though the consolidation of on-site advertising to Google Ads has severely limited income in recent years. So, entire generations of consumers were trained that news wasn’t something worth paying for. It’s little wonder that 66% still hold that view. As for being able to get that information elsewhere, let’s look at where consumers do get their news today.

As we can see, Americans turn to “social media” more than any other news source. But what does this actually mean? It could mean content directly from news outlets’ official accounts or the journalists who work for them. Or it could be information shared (often without attribution) from other accounts. And while one might hit a paywall if they click on a link included with a post, many might be satisfied with the tidbits they get from an Instagram story or a TikTok. So indeed, their news is free, even if it’s powered behind the scenes by work performed by news outlets that feature paywalls.

Paywalls would most likely come into play on news websites, which are a weekly stop for just 45% of Americans. And as we’ve noted, many outlets are only paywalling power users — and only 26% of respondents visit news sites daily, which might tip them into that heavy user category.

Consumers of video streaming services and cable news are paying for the privilege as well — but in a more oblique, bundled way that might not even register with most people.

Most consumers indicate they believe most kinds of news content should be available free of charge. They indicated the most willingness to pay for special interest (31%), entertainment (27%) and op-eds (26%), but even those numbers never broached a third of consumers. They felt most strongly that weather news (15%), safety (16%) and local news (16%) should be free and available for the public.

What it means for PR professionals

So, should you turn away outlets that feature a paywall?

Sure, go ahead and tell your CEO that you rejected the Wall Street Journal because of it. See how that goes over.

Obviously, that’s an overreaction. But it is an item you need to consider in your media strategy. Those who subscribe to publications can often be decision-makers, especially in the B2B space. Or those subscribing to niche, trade or special interest publications may be more knowledgeable and ready to buy your product.

But you also need to have a plan for reaching the most passive news consumers who may consider social media the only news source they need. Whether that’s working with a journalist to provide their social media team with shareable assets or footage to be used in a short video or handling your own in-house social, many people expect the algorithm to deliver their news directly to them.

Have a plan for reaching both high-intent and low-intent consumers.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post By the Numbers: What consumers think about paying for news appeared first on PR Daily.

Last week on “The Daily Show,” Mark Cuban suggested that the AI race is ultimately a matter of power, saying that “ nothing will give you more power than military and AI.”

British Historian Lord Acton would have offered a fitting response with his famous maxim, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely. ” And as communicators continue to see the battle between private company lobbying efforts, state regulation, and federal regulation play out in real-time, it’s hard to argue with Cuban’s sentiment. 

In notable news for communicators, a controversial California AI regulation bill moves toward a vote at the end of the month, the Democratic National Convention takes over Chicago amid an influx of deepfakes attempting to sway voter sentiment about the 2024 presidential election.

Here’s what communicators need to know about AI this week.

Risks 

With the DNC hitting Chicago this week, coverage is fixated on the surrogates, speeches and memorable moments leading up to Vice President Kamala Harris’ formal acceptance of the presidential nomination Thursday. 

While the November elections will bring about many historic firsts, the widespread applications of deepfake technology to misrepresent candidates and positions is also unprecedented. 

On Monday, Microsoft hosted a luncheon at Chicago’s Drake Hotel to train people on detecting deceptive AI content and using tools that can help deepfakes as AI-manipulated media becomes more widespread.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

“This is a global challenge and opportunity,” says Ginny Badanes, general manager of Microsoft’s Democracy Forward Program. “While we’re, of course, thinking a lot about the U.S. election because it’s right in front of us, and it’s obviously hugely consequential, it’s important to look back at the big elections that have happened.”

Badanes says one of the most troubling political deepfake attacks worldwide happened in October in Slovakia just two days before the election for a seat in parliament in the central European country. AI technology was used to create a fake recording of a top political candidate bragging about rigging the election. It went viral. And the candidate lost by a slim margin.

In a report this month, Microsoft warned that figures in Russia were “targeting the U.S. election with distinctive video forgeries.”

These myriad examples highlight a troubling pattern of bad actors attempting to drive voter behavior. This plays out as an AI-assisted evolution of the microtargeting campaign that weaponized the psychographic profiles of Facebook users to flood their feeds with disinformation ahead of the 2016 election.

Once again, the bad actors are both foreign and domestic. Trump falsely implied that Taylor Swift endorsed him this week by posting fake images of Swift and her fans in pro-Trump garb. Last week, Elon Musk released image generation capabilities on Grok, his AI chatbot on X, which allows users to generate AI images with little filters or guidelines. As Rolling Stone reports, it didn’t go well. 

This may get worse before it gets better, which could explain why The Verge reports that the San Francisco City Attorney’s office is suing 16 of the most popular “AI undressing” websites that do exactly what it sounds like they do.

It may also explain why the world of finance is starting to recognize how risky of an investment AI is in its currently unregulated state.

Marketplace reports that the Eurekahedge AI Hedge fund has lagged in the S&P 500, “proving that the machines aren’t learning from their investing mistakes.”

Meanwhile, a new report from LLM evaluation platform Arize found that one in five Fortune 500 companies now mention generative AI or LLMs in their annual reports. Among them, researchers found a 473.5% increase in the number of companies that framed AI as a risk factor since 2022.

What could a benchmark for AI risk evaluation look like? Bo Li, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, has led a group of colleagues across several universities to develop a taxonomy of AI risks and a benchmark for evaluating which LLMs break the rules most.

Li and the team analyzed government AI regulations and guidelines in the U.S., China and the EU alongside the usage policies of 16 major AI companies. 

WIRED reports:

Understanding the risk landscape, as well as the pros and cons of specific models, may become increasingly important for companies looking to deploy AI in certain markets or for certain use cases. A company looking to use a LLM for customer service, for instance, might care more about a model’s propensity to produce offensive language when provoked than how capable it is of designing a nuclear device.

Bo says the analysis also reveals some interesting issues with how AI is being developed and regulated. For instance, the researchers found government rules to be less comprehensive than companies’ policies overall, suggesting that there is room for regulations to be tightened.

The analysis also suggests that some companies could do more to ensure their models are safe. “If you test some models against a company’s own policies, they are not necessarily compliant,” Bo says. “This means there is a lot of room for them to improve.”

This conclusion underscores the impact that corporate communicators can make on shaping internal AI policies and defining responsible use cases. You are the glue that can hold your organization’s AI efforts together as they scale. 

Much like a crisis plan has stakeholders across business functions, your internal AI strategy should start with a task force that engages heads across departments and functions to ensure every leader is communicating guidelines, procedures and use cases from the same playbook– while serving as your eyes and ears to identify emerging risks. 

Regulation

Last Thursday, the California State Assembly’s Appropriations Committee voted to endorse an amended version of a bill that would require companies to test the safety of their AI tech before releasing anything to the public. Bill S.B. 1047 would let the state’s attorney general sue companies if their AI caused harm, including deaths or mass property damage. A formal vote is expected by the end of the month.

Unsurprisingly, the tech industry is fiercely debating the details of the bill.

The New York Times reports:

Senator Scott Wiener, the author of the bill, made several concessions in an effort to appease tech industry critics like OpenAI, Meta and Google. The changes also reflect some suggestions made by another prominent start-up, Anthropic.

The bill would no longer create a new agency for A.I. safety, instead shifting regulatory duties to the existing California Government Operations Agency. And companies would be liable for violating the law only if their technologies caused real harm or imminent dangers to public safety. Previously, the bill allowed for companies to be punished for failing to adhere to safety regulations even if no harm had yet occurred.

“The new amendments reflect months of constructive dialogue with industry, start-up and academic stakeholders,” said Dan Hendrycks, a founder of the nonprofit Center for A.I. Safety in San Francisco, which helped write the bill.

A Google spokesperson said the company’s previous concerns “still stand.” Anthropic said it was still reviewing the changes. OpenAI and Meta declined to comment on the amended bill.

Mr. Wiener said in a statement on Thursday that “we can advance both innovation and safety; the two are not mutually exclusive.” He said he believed the amendments addressed many of the tech industry’s concerns.

Late last week, California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi issued a statement sharing her concerns about the bill. Pelosi cited Biden’s AI efforts and warned against stifling innovation. 

“The view of many of us in Congress is that SB 1047 is well-intentioned but ill-informed,” Pelosi said.  

Pelosi cited the work of top AI researchers and thought leaders decrying the bill, but offers little in the realm of next steps for the advancement of federal regulation. 

In response, California senator and bill sponsor Scott Wiener, disagreed with Pelosi. 

“The bill requires only the largest AI developers to do what each and every one of them has repeatedly committed to do: Perform basic safety testing on massively powerful AI models,” Wiener added.

This disconnect highlights the frustrating push and pull between those who warn against taking an accelerationist mentality with AI and those who publicly cite the stifling of innovation -–a key talking point of those doing AI policy and lobbying work on behalf of big tech. 

It also speaks to the limits of thought leadership. Consider the op-ed published last month by Amazon SVP of Global Public Policy and General Counsel David Zapolsky that calls for an alignment on a global responsible AI policy. The piece emphasizes Amazon’s willingness to collaborate with the government on “voluntary commitments,” emphasizes the company’s research and deployment of responsible use safeguards in its products and convincingly positions Amazon as the stewards of responsible AI reform.

While this piece does a fantastic job positioning Amazon as an industry leader, it also doesn’t mention federal regulation once. The idea of private-public collaboration being a sufficient substitute for formal regulation surfaces indirectly through multiple mentions of collaboration, though, setting a precedent for the recent AI lobbyist influx on The Hill. 

“The number of lobbyists hired to lobby the White House on AI-related issues grew from 323 in the first quarter to 931 by the fourth quarter,” reminds Public Citizen. 

As more companies stand up their philosophies on responsible AI use at the expense of government oversight, it’s crucial to understand what daylight exists between your company’s external claims about the efficacy of its responsible AI efforts and how those efforts are playing out on the inside.

If you’re at an organization large enough to have public affairs or public policy colleagues in the fold, this is a reminder that aligning your public affairs and corp comms efforts with your internal efforts is a crucial step to mitigating risk. 

Those who are truly able to regulate their deployment and use cases internally will be able to explain how and source guidelines for ethical use cases, continued learning and so much more. True thought leadership will not take the form of product promotion, but showing the work through actions and results.  

What trends and news are you tracking in the AI space? What would you like to see covered in our biweekly AI roundups, which are 100% written by humans? Let us know in the comments!

Justin Joffe is the editorial director and editor-in-chief at Ragan Communications.  Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post AI news for communicators: What’s new and notable appeared first on PR Daily.

Erin A. Hennessy is executive vice president, and Kristine Maloney is vice president at TVP Communications, a national communications and leadership agency solely focused on higher education.

Thought leadership is having a moment. Everyone seems to be doing it (or say they’re doing it). C-suite executives are reporting spending more time reading thought leadership, and say they’re noticing big increases in the amount of thought leadership content available. Firms like Weber Shandwick are investing in newly created roles specifically designed to enhance “executive visibility and leadership positioning.” And why not? Data from Edelman and LinkedIn present a strong argument for its efficacy in everything from increasing sales to building trust and enhancing reputation.

But as the practice of thought leadership has become more commonplace across industries and roles, the term itself has become an amorphous buzzword, encompassing everything from truly groundbreaking ideas to promotional puff pieces. The reality is, true thought leadership often takes a backseat to easier and less time-consuming work like pay-to-play tactics and superficial social media posts. But these approaches just masquerade as meaningful contributions to industry discourse. And, in fact, without some substance behind them, they could do more to hurt reputations than help. We’re overdue for a recalibration that centers on the essence of what thought leadership was intended to be: engagement that drives conversations, ideas and change within an industry.

This may be easier said than done.

For one thing, expectations for leaders are high. Everyone has access to multiple platforms to share their thoughts, so the assumption is our leaders will participate. In theory, this makes sense; in practice, that reasoning is risky. Just because “everyone is doing it” isn’t always a good reason to jump on board. If there aren’t enough resources (including time) to invest in strategic thought leadership, or if a leader doesn’t have something meaningful to say, creating content for content’s sake can have the opposite of the intended effect.

Meaningful engagement in thought leadership comes with other risks as well. It’s a challenging time for anyone to be wading into public discourse, particularly with the extreme polarization and politicization that has infiltrated many industries and sectors. It may feel safer for leaders, and by extension, their organizations to either not engage at all or to engage superficially. We see this manifest in many ways — a social media post about attending a celebratory organizational event, or the “op-ed” draft that is more of a summary of organizational accomplishments. These are not inherently bad things for a leader to share. In fact, they’re good and worthwhile activities. But they do little to advance the industry.

We also need our leaders to be OK with some level of vulnerability it is required to make a meaningful impact. There are safe boundaries within which to do this work. Most industries shouldn’t be weighing in on political issues, for example. (Higher education, the industry in which we work, regularly wrestles with this exact challenge as students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and elected officials all chime in with vastly different perspectives on the issue du jour.)

But leaders need to be willing to engage in big conversations, even ones that may be uncomfortable. They need to be able to look beyond their own organizations, at their industry and at their industry’s role in society. They must be able to not only demonstrate familiarity with industry trends and challenges, but also be able to talk about what those trends mean and why they matter. That is where real change begins to take shape. Staying focused internally may help leaders avoid criticism, but it can also stifle innovation.

This isn’t to say leaders should disregard their internal audiences or their organizational goals, achievements, and challenges. But we need to draw clear lines between thought leadership and internal communications. If leaders keep a laser focus only on their own institutions, they’re surrounded by those in the same space and mindset as themselves. The exposure to colleagues and institutions beyond their immediate surroundings pushes leaders to exchange ideas, to consider and articulate exactly what differentiates them from others, and to learn from each other to keep the industry moving forward.

Before jumping in, it’s essential for leaders to be intentional in thinking about their participation and engagement. Strong thought leadership strategy requires an honest assessment of personal and organizational readiness to engage and acknowledgement of limitations for both. It can be difficult to recognize blind spots and areas for growth. But those areas of development and support can be built into a long-term strategy for thought leadership. And connecting with other industry leaders and following their work can also provide invaluable insight — yet another reason broadening beyond the walls of an individual institution is essential for leaders.

It’s also unrealistic to expect to engage without drawing criticism from some constituents and leaders need to brace themselves for that. An additional complication is that leaders’ identities are often conflated with that of their organizations and so any critiques or backlash can feel personal. Thick skin is a requirement for most leadership positions. But at the same time, a level of personal connection can be invaluable as a way into tackling a specific issue or topic and that vulnerability can be intimidating.

Effective thought leadership requires strategic, high-level contributions from leaders and a willingness to look beyond a specific institution or organization and address industry. This means leaders must possess a true understanding of the scope thought leadership requires and acknowledgement of the level at which they should be addressing issues—they cannot do this in isolation. Industries are comprised of such interconnected landscapes and our leaders must be engaged and aware to participate. A lack of familiarity and engagement could portend peril for not only an institution but also for an industry and for society: if no leaders are reaching beyond the confines of their organizations, how can they truly thrive, or even merely survive?

The post It’s time to stop calling surface-level engagement thought leadership appeared first on PR Daily.

 There are lots of typical social media updates this week, and we’ll get to those in a moment. But there’s a growing existential conversation about the future of social media – especially as it relates to children and teens.

Last week, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy wrote an op-ed calling for a warning label on social media platforms related to the mental health impacts of the sites on adolescents. Murthy said that nearly half of adolescents report that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.

The label is just a suggestion and would require congressional approval to become reality. But it’s a reminder for everyone, and especially those who seek to reach young audiences, that these tools can be dangerous if we aren’t very careful.

In more quotidian social media news, Meta’s new Threads API gives creators access to a variety of tools to help connect with their audience, while Reddit reintroduced Conversation Ads to help advertisers catch users at a better time. Also, YouTube’s new update allows users to edit videos longer than six minutes.

Here’s what you should know about:

TikTok

TikTok released Whee, an app that’s similar to Instagram. The platform’s posting and direct messaging features are for sharing exclusively with friends. Whee follows TikTok’s April launch of Notes, another platform for photo sharing which was previously deemed similar to Instagram upon its release.

TikTok has also unveiled the app’s latest AI integration, dubbed Symphony. Users can create digital avatars (you can see one in the video linked above), use AI to dub translations into other languages and more. This new technology is bound to shakeup the influencer market.

Instagram

Instagram is following the theme of private sharing with the launch of Close Friends on Live. Users can now broadcast with up to three others in a private video session for their Close Friends list.

Additionally, those on Instagram can now add music in carousel posts that include video clips. This feature was previously exclusive to image only carousels.

Threads

Threads finally released its long-awaited API during Cannes, allowing creators, developers and brands all access.

Tools include:

• Unique integration builder.
• Publish posts and fetch content.
• Reply management (hide, unhide, or respond to specific posts).
• Key insights such as views, likes, posts and quotes.
• Other metrics such as follower demographics and numbers.

Unlocking these abilities will take burdens off those posting on social media such as the ability to schedule posts and study your audience.

Meta

Meta announced two more features along with the Threads API last week.

A new AI chat feature will help answer questions from customers on behalf of the business when a human may be unavailable. The technology allows companies to share information about themselves to train the chatbot to answer questions specific to their brand.

Plus, advertisers will soon be able to build a list of opt-in subscribers in Messenger to send marketing messages to. Think of it as a new avenue for email or text-based marketing.

Reddit

Conversation Ads will now appear where half of Reddit’s screen views happen: in the comments of Reddit threads. With this prime placement, advertisers will catch users while they are most engaged and activated. Users may also see ads between individual comments in their Reddit conversations during a test.

YouTube

YouTube is encouraging longer video length by allowing editing for videos longer than six hours – a welcome feature, especially for streamers. All creators will see these roll out in the studio by the

Additionally, YouTube is also improving the moderation process, especially at scale. Creators can now select and moderate multiple comments in the Publish tab instead of the “Held for Review” tab.

The post New social media features and updates to know this week appeared first on PR Daily.

Robert Winnett, current deputy editor of The Telegraph, has been tapped to step into the top role at the Washington Post after the U.S. elections this November.

But that very newsroom is already investigating his past, and finding connections to a number of journalistic practices that — while perhaps more common in Winnett’s native Britain — are considered highly unethical in the States.

According to an investigation by the Post, Winnett has connections to a man named John Ford, who admitted to using “dishonest means” to dig up dirt on powerful British officials.

When Ford ran afoul of law enforcement actions, he called Winnett, who the Post reports, helped Ford obtain a lawyer, made plans to use burner phones for communications and told Ford that the “remarkable omertà” of British journalism would hide his crimes.

Ford’s practices are known in the U.K. as “blagging,” or using lies and misrepresentations to obtain information. While it may be accepted across the pond for some publications, contrary to codes of ethics in most major U.S. newsrooms, including the Post.

William Lewis, a fellow Brit who appointed Winnett to his role, is also under intense scrutiny for journalistic endeavors that contrast with American standards. The New York Times accused Lewis over the weekend of using fraudulently obtained records in his reporting. That’s on top of allegations that Lewis tried to kill unfavorable stories at both the Post and NPR.

Why it matters: When hiring any top executive for a new role, it’s always wise to do a thorough background check. This doesn’t simply mean criminal record. This means going through their past with a fine-tooth comb to ensure it will hold up to scrutiny when they are thrust into the spotlight.

That’s doubly true when the employees of these new executives are some of the best investigative journalists in the world.

If the recruiting team at the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post did that due diligence, it isn’t in evidence in their responses to these controversies as they come to light. Neither Winnett nor Lewis has offered responses for the investigations, either personally or through a spokesperson.

It’s true that there are definitive cultural and ethical differences between British and American newsrooms. This should have been easily identified during the hiring phase and come with a comprehensive communications plan to get ahead of any potential culture clashes, to respond to new information and to chart a path moving forward.

None of that seems to have happened. Each response seems to have caught business leaders at the Post flat-footed.

Leadership changes are a particularly delicate time for any organization, and assuring alignment between incoming leaders and the values and ethics of an organization takes work.  Digging deep with top-level talent and coming prepared with messaging that can help bolster any past missteps can help smooth the way forward.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• In other British news, Barclays has suspended its sponsorship of Live Nation music festivals in 2024 after waves of artists protested the bank’s involvement with arms companies that trade in Israel, the BBC reported. Multiple artists, ranging from musicians to comedians, pulled out of planned festival slots after they became aware of Barclays’ investment in arms companies. “The protesters’ agenda is to have Barclays debank defence companies which is a sector we remain committed to as an essential part of keeping this country and our allies safe,” the bank said in a statement. The protests have also led to harassment of employees and vandalism of branches, according to the statement. “The only thing that this small group of activists will achieve is to weaken essential support for cultural events enjoyed by millions,” the statement said. It’s a pointed, ferocious statement in the face of broad pushback. Barclays is defending its core business at the expense of what was once an uncontroversial act: sponsoring music festivals. But it also shows the increasing power of protestors, including prominent artists, in staging boycotts.
• And speaking of boycotts, Bud Light continues to face lagging sales even more than a year after conservatives pushed back on the brand for working with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, ABC News reported. While the beer is once again the top-selling in the U.S. by volume, revenue continues well below pre-boycott levels. “Once a consumer drops off a product — where there is a readily available and similarly priced substitute — a habit has formed and it’s difficult to shake that habit,” a wholesale executive said. “We have to give them a reason to come back.” It’s a rare boycott that holds long-lasting repercussions for a brand. Bud Light has been altering their messaging and advertising to draw customers back — but will it ever return to its glory days?
• S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has penned a New York Times op-ed to explain why he’s calling on Congress to apply warning labels to social media platforms. “A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior,” he wrote. He also pointed to data indicating that parents would be more likely to monitor their children’s social media use if faced with such a warning. Still, it seems a difficult sell to equate a warning of lung cancer on a physical pack of cigarettes to a pop-up — one of hundreds we see every day — on a social media site warning of the more ambiguous and less-understood problem of mental health. Still, we are seeing a major shift toward the regulatory stance toward social media use, particularly for children. This could be the next step toward major changes.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

The post The Scoop: Washington Post journalists find skeletons in the closet of new leadership appeared first on PR Daily.

Another busy week of AI news brings fresh technological developments alongside new risks and advancing talks of federal regulation.

Read on to see what to be aware of in the ever-changing AI landscape.

Tools and advancements

ChatGPT users will soon be able to test new capabilities with the recent announcement of GPT-4o, the successor to GPT-4 model, reports The New York Times. The new model will integrate artificial general intelligence (AGI) into machines as that can analyze and generate ideas at a level comparable to the human brain. The new technology will allow communicators to develop products like chatbots, digital assistants, search engines and image generators on their own.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is also under fire for adding a controversial upgrade to its chatbot. The new voice feature, named “Sky”, reads responses aloud and has been linked to actress Scarlett Johansson’s voice in the 2013 film “Her”. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman released a statement saying the voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers—though past social media posts say otherwise,.

This deepfake saga underscores the increasingly harmful nature of AI to an organization’s intellectual property. Partner with your legal and IT teams, putting a plan in place to address how any issues will be handled and communicated to mitigate future risk.

Apple is finding new ways to integrate AI into its systems, reports The Verge, with reported features including transcription, auto-generated emoji, and search improvements. The Voice Memo app is also rumored to get an AI upgrade, with the tech generating copies of your interview recordings or presentations.. The company also reportedly plans to announce a “smart recap” feature summarizing missed texts, notifications, web pages, news, or other media. This upgrade can be a helpful way for the busiest of people to stay informed while minimizing the “noise” of your notifications.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is also nearing a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT to iOS 18. However, your favorite chatbot may be integrated soon as there are also rumored partnerships between Google and Anthropic.

Risk and Regulation

The new “AI overview” on Google provided some misleading search results to its users. An NBC investigation found the queries “How many feet does an elephant have” and “How many Muslim presidents in US” returned false, misleading, and politically incorrect answers.

“The examples we’ve seen are generally very uncommon queries, and aren’t representative of most people’s experience using Search,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement shared with NBC, but posts sharing these results have gone viral online.

Mishaps like these remind us that tools can still hallucinate. This is the latest reminder that, although comically wrong, A.I summaries and content should always be fact-checked for accuracy.

The most recent call for federal AI regulation comes from former members of OpenAI’s board. In an op-ed for The Economist, Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley write:

“Certainly, there are numerous genuine efforts in the private sector to guide the development of this technology responsibly, and we applaud those efforts. But even with the best of intentions, without external oversight, this kind of self-regulation will end up unenforceable, especially under the pressure of immense profit incentives. Governments must play an active role.”

The pair advise that, unlike the laissez-faire approach to the internet in the 1990s, the high stakes of A.I. development require universal constraint. Toner and McCauley envision regulation that ensures A.I.’s benefits are realized responsibly and broadly. Specifically, these policies may include transparency requirements, incident tracking, and government visibility to progress.

Amid all of the lawsuits and criticism, OpenAI is creating a safety and security committee to explore how to handle risks posed by GPT-4o and future models. “While we are proud to build and release models that are industry-leading on both capabilities and safety, we welcome a robust debate at this important moment,” the company shared in a press release. Those curious about the committee’s recommendations will be able to read them after the Board review in 90 days.

Given the recent news that Washington is starting to push for new AI rules, it is worth watching how Toner and McCauley’s op-ed may inform future legislation. The NO FAKES Act —Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe — is a bipartisan proposal that senators are looking to introduce as early as June. The law would stop individuals or companies from using AI to produce an unauthorized digital replica of their likeness or their voice.

A new report from The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) surveyed 32 of its 63 central bank members about their interest in adopting AI for cybersecurity.

Seventy-one percent of responses are already using generative AI, while 26% have plans to incorporate the tools into their operations within the next one to two years. The highest concerns to respondents include the risks related to social engineering, zero-day attacks, and unauthorized data disclosure.

The cybersecurity sector may be able to enhance traditional capabilities with AI as respondents say the largest benefits for cyber security include the automation of routine tasks, improved response times, and deep learning insights. This data shows experts believe A.I may be capable of detecting threats sooner by analyzing patterns beyond human capabilities.

These capabilities may stand out, but for some companies, the costs associated with implementing these tools remain a concern. While there is no surprise BIS anticipates this move could replace staff and “free up resources” to be reallocated, it’s important for communicators to understand how this increase in AI cybersecurity detection can augment or enhance your own crisis communications strategies in the event of a cyberattack

Finally, a lesson from Meta about forming or restructuring your organization’s advisory group. A new group recently created to advise on AI and technology product strategies at Meta has been criticized for its apparent lack of diversity. “If you do not have people with diverse perspectives in the process of building and developing and using these systems, they are going to have a severe risk of perpetuating bias,” Alyssa Lefaivre Škopac, head of global partnerships and growth with the Responsible AI Institute, told CIO.

The advisory group’s composition does not appear as a business practice that reflects diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) efforts. Recent research by Gartner titled “How to Advance AI Without Sacrificing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” found that the rapid AI integration and biases inherent in the models are resulting in trade-offs of enterprise DE&I initiatives.

Meta’s situation and Gartner’s research show the need for a diverse and representative advisory group that truly reflects the expansive backgrounds, identities, perspectives and lived experiences of all stakeholders. This is a wake-up call for organizations to not pull from a variety of backgrounds, like race and gender, but also business functions in compliance, legal, HR, and technology procurement.

The workforce

Alibaba founder Jack Ma predicted in 2017 that in 30 years, a robot will likely be on the cover of Time Magazine as the best CEO. Yet, new research shows this prediction may come sooner than 2047.

The latest class of employees to be threatened by AI is the CEO. EdX survey data from last summer reveals nearly half of executives believe most or all of CEO roles should be completely automated or replaced by AI. Of course, this data should be taken with a grain of salt given it is almost a year later.

Remember, there are many assets humans provide that machines do not. Accountability, leadership, and responsibility are three capabilities not yet possessed by technology.

On the contrary, AI will not replace, but help your job,  says Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Sarandos told reporter Lulu Garcia-Navarro that, “A.I. is not going to take your job. The person who uses A.I. well might take your job,” echoing a line often delivered during Ragan AI training sessions.

Last year, Netflix posted a machine learning job during the Hollywood strikes that paid up to $900,000, and sent a signal to writers in the process. It remains unclear how Sarandos sees AI interacting with the protections that writers won during negotiations, but it’s a lingering question—the ramifications of which will send a larger signal to content producers across industries.

What trends and news are you tracking in the AI space? What would you like to see covered in our biweekly AI roundups, which are 100% written by humans? Let us know in the comments!

Callie Krosin is a Reporting and Editorial Intern at Ragan and PRDaily. Follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post AI news for communicators: What’s new and notable appeared first on PR Daily.

Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik will face questions from Congress today about antisemitism on her university’s campus. And she’s all too aware of the fates that have met two of her predecessors who have been in the same position: resigning their plum positions.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Shafik “has spent weeks preparing intensely for the hearing.”

She also submitted an op-ed to WSJ previewing her testimony. In it, she strongly condemns the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israelis that began the war against Hamas, comparing it to Sept. 11. She also discussed how her college has navigated issues of free speech – by setting up designated protest zones – and noting that university presidents should be “constructive facilitators, not commentators” in the political arena.

From the archive: Crisis communications lessons from Harvard’s response

But most importantly, she discussed the issue that tripped up former Harvard President Claudine Gay and former University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill before Congress: the use of language that implies genocide.

Shafik wrote:

Calling for the genocide of a people—whether they are Israelis or Palestinians, Jews, Muslims or anyone else—has no place in a university community. Such words are outside the bounds of legitimate debate and unimaginably harmful. No cause is so important as to justify threatening annihilation to anyone. There has to be a better way to make an argument.

Why it matters: The testimony of Gay and Magill shook higher education to its core, leading to revolts among donors, upheaval on campus and reprisals from Congress.

Shafik is working hard to start with a strong PR front, clearly previewing what she will discuss in the Wall Street Journal, the mainstream paper most favored by the conservatives who are likely to be her toughest critics in the hearing.

She did not dodge the question of genocide and will (one would certainly anticipate) be ready to answer questions about chants of “from the river to the sea” and acts of violence on her campus.

We’ll see how she fares under pointed questioning and a wall of TV cameras, but it’s clear she’s starting with a strong offense that clearly outlines her position and weeks of media training.

Will it help her hold onto her seat?

Editor’s Top Reads:

• The NPR editor who wrote a sharp essay criticizing his employer for what he sees as their liberal bias has been punished with a five-day suspension without pay, NPR itself reported. Uri Berliner showed an NPR reporter his disciplinary action, which termed itself a “final warning” for not securing approval before writing for another outlet. While some will see this as retaliation against Berliner, others will see it as a fairly lax punishment for his scathing piece. The action is unlikely to change mindsbut is yet another display of how internal actions can become PR talking points. Update: Later Wednesday, Berliner announced his resignation, saying: “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.”
• Meta’s Oversight Board is evaluating how its social platforms have handled the problem of deepfake pornography, CNN reported. “By taking one case from the US and one from India, we want to look at whether Meta is protecting all women globally in a fair way,” said Oversight Board Co-Chair Helle Thorning-Schmidt. Both images involve AI-generated images that resemble prominent female figures, one that was shared on Instagram, another on Facebook. In the past, the Oversight Board has harshly rebuked the company for its handling of other AI incidents, in one case even calling its policies “incoherent.” However, the board can only make recommendations, not policy. This is a unique moment for the world’s biggest social media giant to self-reflect and attempt to clamp down on what is certain to become a growing concern in future years. Clearly communicating its findings and acting on what it learns can help build public trust – or dash it.
• And in publicity stunt news, Pringles and Crocs have teamed up to create a shoe with an incorporated chip holster for Pringles’ trademark cans. The shoes, which have all the style and panache you’d expect from Crocs, start at $50 for classic slides and $100 for a pair of boots. There’s also a new flavor of “Croc-tail Party” chips flavored with watermelon, chili and lime. Axios reports that the shoes came with an influencer campaign already attached and have been spotted at Coachella. And it’s all worked: not only have the shoes already sold out, they’re also getting tons of press. It’s a so-stupid-it’s-clever collab that promotes both brands and helps extend the brand beyond just snack foods.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post The Scoop: Columbia University president hopes to avoid fate of Harvard, UPenn leaders appeared first on PR Daily.

Dustin Siggins is founder of Proven Media Solutions. 

I recently made a rookie mistake. We were asked to edit and place an op-ed. I assigned team members, we renovated the piece and then we proudly sent it to the client. 

The feedback wasn’t quite what we expected. The client said we had ruined the author’s voice — the way the author wanted to be read and perceived. We were given explicit instructions to start over, to simply cut the piece down and make as few edits as possible. 

What I had forgotten to clarify with the client beforehand was how my team should execute our mission to put their author in the press. We were focused on having the highest-quality writing to put the piece in the highest-quality outlet. 

But the client preferred the author’s voice, even at the expense of a higher-quality piece and losing the chance to land the piece at a top-tier outlet. 

 3 considerations: voice, content, and outlets 

There are three crucial considerations to take into account when crafting and placing an op-ed:

• What is the author’s voice? This is how an author wants the media consumer to understand the point of view of the author, how that point of view is perceived and the impact the point of view should have. Some people and organizations want to be seen as counter-narrative — pushing back against the norm — while others want to be the down-the-middle referee simply calling the shots. And others want to be seen as authoritative and in charge. 
• Writing quality is next: How well-crafted is the op-ed? This isn’t just about having interesting content conveying the intended message. It’s also about sentence structure, typsos (ha, ha),the lede, and logical fallacies — the entirety of the piece of media that’s being crafted. 
• Outlet quality. Again, pretty simple — this examines the quality of the media outlet(s) targeted by the author. But it’s not just identifying outlets based on brand recognition or circulation numbers. Different outlets are better fits depending on the author, subject and desired audience. For example, a great voice in an excellently crafted op-ed about how AI is changing the tech world belongs in a tech outlet,  not a construction trade outlet. And a piece about roofing technology belongs in the construction trade magazine, not Wired or the Wall Street Journal.  

Everyone sees these components differently. One client focused on helping women navigate postpartum challenges. Its spokespeople cared far more about precision of voice and writing quality than the quality of outlets. A Washington Post op-ed that wasn’t precise to the client’s voice would have been harmful. 

More recently, a business client wrote an essay in his voice – and we chopped it down, restructured the whole thing and changed the tone. He cared more about quality and getting in a prestigious outlet than his “voice” –- and the piece is being published in a top international business outlet this month. 

Another client doesn’t care at all about voice or quality. Instead, the PR goal is to put a lot of pieces into targeted outlets over and over again. 

 What is the client’s priority? 

In an ideal world, all op-eds would have the best writing, get in the best outlets and perfectly match an author’s voice. And, while I’m wishing, I’d be retired, writing a weekly column for The Washington Post, and traveling the world with my family. 

But here in reality, there are often sacrifices. That’s why it’s important to understand a client’s short and long-term goals, narratives, and target audiences before putting the writing process even starts. And that’s what I forgot to do with my rookie mistake: ensure that the vision my team had was the same as the one the client had. 

The post The role of client voice in op-eds appeared first on PR Daily.

Interviewing is an underrated skill in communications. 

Whether you’re conducting a formal interview to develop an op-ed, a feature in the company magazine or a thought leadership article – or just having a casual conversation, your interviewing technique can help you get great information and forge stronger bonds with your coworkers.  

But interviewing is an art. It isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone, but with a little practice and preparation, even the shyest person can become a strong interviewer. 

Drawing on my experience as a journalist and editor, here are my tips for better interviews. 

Start with research 

Before you talk to anyone, take a few minutes to learn about who you’re talking to and what you’ll be discussing. 

This can start with something as simple as checking out their LinkedIn profile or Googling their name. The most important part of this step is understanding where a person is coming from. Having an understanding of their professional experience, whether it’s past publications, interviews, or notable moments in their lives, can all help you draft smarter questions that get to the heart of what’s most interesting about them. Of course, you can’t learn everything from what’s publicly available on the web – that’s why you’re interviewing them too. But it gives you a jumping off point. 

One other underrated reason to research your subject before interviewing them: you might find points of common ground where you can bond and build rapport. For instance, maybe you went to the same college, are from the same town or have the same breed of dog. Even these tiny connection points can lead to a more robust conversation. Don’t be creepy about this – you don’t want to scroll through five years of Instagram posts or say something personal about their kid. But a small, casual commonality can help people let their guard down and be more open and candid with you. 

You’ll also want to research the subject matter of the interview. Now, this might be easier said than done if you’re speaking to folks in a highly technical area that you need to break down into laymen’s terms for a broader audience. Still, even reading a quick, basic article can give you some of the terminology you need defined. 

This doesn’t have to be a long, laborious process. Spending just 15 minutes prepping for your interview can make it much easier to write your questions. 

Draft your questions 

You generally want to walk into an interview with a list of questions in front of you. But remember that these questions should be a road map rather than a script. You’ll want an idea of the information you need to get out of the interview and the questions you can ask to help get you there.  

Keep these questions high level. Guide the interview – don’t dictate it.  

An interview is a conversation 

It’s important not to get terribly locked into a list of questions because sometimes, you don’t know what an interview is about until you’re in it. Yes, you have an objective and a story you want to ideally write about it, but ultimately an interview is about two people talking. And just like in any other conversation, you want to be free to ask follow-ups. Ask for more information. Ask for an example. Ask for a step-by-step explanation. Or just follow your interview subject down a rabbit hole – if it seems like it’s a really cool rabbit. 

On the flip side: don’t be afraid to keep your interview subject on track. If you have to produce something very specific out of an interview, like a report, it probably isn’t the best time for a rabbit hunt. In that case, don’t be afraid to gently steer your subject back to the topic. A good conversation has a give and take – make sure you get what you need.  

Make transcribing easier 

It might be tempting to tap furious notes on the keyboard during an interview. Consider recording your interview instead, which allows you to stay present in the moment and able to follow up on interesting or curveball answers you receive – rather than five words behind, trying to type notes.  

Instead, simply record. You can do this with the Voice Memo function on your phone or with your computer itself. Do ask for permission before doing this, both out of courtesy and because state laws may outlaw recording without consent. Afterwards, use an automated transcribing program like Otter.ai, a favorite of journalists everywhere. Simply upload your audio file to the site and it will produce a written transcript in a matter of minutes. 

Now, this transcript will not be perfect. It will include odd misunderstandings and run-on sentences galore. But many of these transcription services also include the ability to click on the transcript and play the corresponding portion of the recording, allowing for easy corrections. It’s a huge time-saver and a great way to get a quick overview of your conversation without having to transcribe it all by hand. 

From there, you should have a strong, interesting interview to use in a piece or to use to inform your research and thinking. 

What are your favorite interviewing tips?  

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post How to interview like a journalist appeared first on PR Daily.

The resignation of Claudine Gay as president of Harvard was just the beginning, conservatives vow. 

An article from the Wall Street Journal outlined how conservative donors, lawmakers and activists are celebrating Gay’s downfall and planning their next move in what they see as a battle against “wokeness” in education, including diversity, equity and inclusion. 

“We must not stop until we have abolished DEI ideology from every institution in America,” wrote Christopher Rufo, member of a conservative think tank who helped publicize plagiarism claims against Gay.  

Now on the horizon are calls from at least one billionaire donor to end DE&I outright at Harvard and draft legislation to defund DE&I programs at state schools, according to the Wall Street Journal. Couple that with the affirmative action Supreme Court decision from 2023, and it’s clear that diversity and inclusion efforts are under siege.  

Why it matters: Let’s be clear: Gay made mistakes in her handling of the fallout from the Israel-Hamas conflict. She herself acknowledged that in an op-ed published in the New York Times. But it’s also clear that both her focus on DE&I and her race and gender made her a target for activists with a broader agenda than Harvard itself. 

This issue will not go away. Especially with an election year in the United States upon us, expect to hear more noise around this issue. 

Be ready now. 

Press your organization to understand how deep its commitment to DE&I goes. It was easy to make commitments in the summer of 2020 when everyone was fired up about racial justice — but it’s getting harder now. You must decide where you stand and what actions align with those values. 

Bring lawyers in now to understand where your program may be vulnerable to legal attack. And if you have people of color, queer people, people of minority religions, or other diverse people in positions of prominence and power, create a plan now. Identify areas where they may face bad-faith attacks and create a comms plan now to protect them. 

This issue is coming. There is no reason to be caught flat-footed. Prepare now.
 

Editor’s Top Reads:

• Stanley cups are all the rage. No, not the hockey one. This brand’s insulated cups are the hot new social media sensation and are causing Tickle Me Elmo-levels of shopping intensity. USA Today reported that a limited-edition “Galentine’s Day” cup sold out immediately, leading some shoppers to forget their manners in their rush for the cup. Now the 40-ounce tumblers, which retail for $45, are selling online for up to $200. Jenna Drenton, associate professor of marketing at Loyola University Chicago, explained their flurry of popularity like this: “It created tumblers in new limited-edition colors, creating both scarcity and novelty. It partnered with influencers and leveraged existing online chatter. It moved the product from something useful to something aspirational. But all of this was done without compromising the quality of the product.” 
• The U.S. economy is still red-hot, despite widespread malaise and a sense that things aren’t OK. Still, jobs data released Friday indicate the nation added a much-better-than-expected 216,000 jobs in December, according to Axios. It’s part of the ongoing complexity of a U.S. economy in which things feel different than they are. But these numbers could figure in the Fed’s upcoming decisions on interest rates, which could have big impacts. Stay tuned. 
• As part of its push to move past being a pricey stationary bike company and to become an allover fitness company, Peloton has announced a partnership with TikTok. CNBC says the partnership will include both short and long-form fitness classes, live classes and partnerships with TikTok favorites. Investors loved the news, with Peloton’s stock price jumping 15% just after the news was announced. It’s a clever rebrand move from a company that has attempted to move beyond its pandemic highs into a more sustainable, inclusive model. Oli Snoddy, Peloton vice president of consumer marketing, told CNBC: “On the one hand, there’s a longer-term goal around changing perceptions around who Peloton is for to multiple different types of audiences and I think one of the real strengths of TikTok … is that it increasingly reaches everyone, including the younger audience.”  

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post The Scoop: Conservatives vow to end DE&I at universities appeared first on PR Daily.

Sarah Toomey is a public relations associate at Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications  

Educational institutions, like any other organization, may have concerns or reservations about the integration of artificial intelligence. Not all educational institutions are “scared” of AI, but they may approach its adoption cautiously due to several legitimate considerations, including uncertainty about its impact, ethical and privacy concerns, concerns about digital overreliance and more. 

There are also some concerns that AI and automation may replace some educational roles, such as administrative tasks or even teaching positions. These fears can create resistance to AI adoption among educators and staff. Coupled with the fact that implementing AI systems often requires a significant initial investment in technology and training, schools and districts may be hesitant to allocate resources, especially if they are unsure of the long-term payoff. 

When it comes to supporting the PR goals of education technology companies that use AI, especially in the context of addressing public concerns about AI, PR professionals should consider these tips to design the most beneficial media campaigns. 

Educate and build trust 

Educating and building trust in AI-based education technology requires strategic communication and outreach methods. Changing misconceptions about adopting and integrating AI-based education technology should begin with illuminating its benefits.  

For this to be effective, ensure that your clients’ messaging about their AI-based education technology is clear, concise and easily accessible to the public. Consider incorporating visual aids into your campaigns where possible, like infographics, diagrams and charts. Whether in a full-length report or a social ad, visual representations can make complex ideas more accessible and memorable. 

Using media campaigns to explain how AI enhances the learning experience, personalizes education and ensures data privacy is key. Sharing success stories, case studies and endorsements from educators who have seen positive outcomes with AI technology can help ground swirling misconceptions and familiarize the public with its overriding advantages. 

Highlight ethical practices and compliance 

PR teams can address public concerns about AI ethics by showcasing their clients’ commitment to responsible AI practices. Highlight clients’ compliance with industry standards and regulations, as well as any additional voluntary measures they take to protect students’ data and privacy. Companies should feel empowered to be open about how their AI algorithms work without revealing proprietary details. Explaining the inputs, processes and outputs in a way that non-technical stakeholders can understand provides insight into the decision-making processes of your AI systems. 

As AI protocol develops, take stock of active company decisions through an AI equity lens, including bias mitigation, fairness and inclusivity. Consider organizing webinars, panel discussions or interviews with experts in AI ethics to demonstrate your clients’ dedication to continual AI equity, accessibility and safety. 

PR professionals should suggest issuing press releases and announcements to publicize their partner companies’ AI ethics initiatives and achievements. Inclusively, support the social leg of companies’ feedback channels by monitoring for input and clearly communicating their commitment to listening to and addressing feedback. Periodically, transparency reports or case studies showcasing real-world examples of how companies have addressed AI ethics challenges can help bolster confidence and may provide data-driven stems for more robust thought leadership campaigns. 

Maximize thought leadership potential  

Position your education technology client as a thought leader in the intersection of AI and education. Once companies have their own approach to AI mapped out, PR partners should motivate them to pivot and offer insights into the future of AI in education, discussing the latest trends and providing guidance to educators and administrators on how to make the most of AI-powered tools.  

In such a fast-paced and dominating space, it can be daunting to break into news cycles around AI. Finding the right niche is key. Even non-AI-powered companies can speak to the AI revolution in terms of how their tool can or should integrate with AI, the human skills their tool elevates against the backdrop of AI, or planned future AI adaptations. For AI-powered education technology, keeping the focus on student success, complementing teacher instruction, and lightening the load for taxed post-pandemic administrators is a strong, product-aligned core message to follow through. 

By positioning the client as a trusted authority in the spaces most relevant to their particular platform/solution, PR teams can continue to shape the conversation around AI in education and help allay public concerns. For a comprehensive approach, employ a content strategy that includes blog posts, whitepapers, research reports, and op-eds that address AI-related topics in education. All content should be well-researched, data-driven, and provide actionable insights for educators, administrators, and the industry as a whole. 

Looking Forward 

In addition to these tips, always be prepared to respond to questions and concerns from the public in a timely and transparent manner. Public relations efforts should not only focus on proactive messaging but also on addressing any issues or misconceptions as they arise. Creating a comprehensive crisis plan for an education technology company to address fears about AI adoption involves a strong PR and media component. PR professionals play a crucial role in crafting messages, managing media relations and ensuring that the company’s response is effective in alleviating concerns. 

Building and maintaining a positive reputation for your education technology client in the context of AI will require ongoing efforts to inform, engage and build trust with the public. Stay informed about the regulatory landscape for AI in education and engage with relevant authorities and organizations to ensure your client’s technology aligns with industry standards and best practices. Being proactive in regulatory compliance can greatly enhance trust among all stakeholders, support sales and marketing efforts, and –   at the consumer level – equip students with tools to vastly accelerate comprehension and achievement. 

The post A PR professional’s guide: Promoting education technology in the age of AI appeared first on PR Daily.

Lisette Paras is founder and president of Gravitate PR. 

Ask any PR professional what can help a company validate its messages or story, and the answer is unequivocally “data.” Whether it’s in the form of findings from a consumer survey, aggregate information from a company’s technology platform or commissioned analysis from a market research firm, an organization that possesses data is storyteller’s gold.  

 Research can help to reinforce a company’s messaging and perspectives on a topic or trend. It can be used to educate and interest key audiences. It can be used as a form of thought leadership for the company, helping position them as an authority. And it can be maximized across a variety of functions and channels – whether that’s sales teams using the data to support conversations with prospects, or PR teams using it to create news to help drive media coverage.  

Given the value placed on data within an organization, it’s natural for companies to look to maximize this with PR efforts, writing and launching “state of the industry” style reports. Unfortunately, I’ve come across many companies that have spent an exorbitant amount of time and resources on gathering data and compiling it into a report – only to find that its efforts to drive attention to it fall flat.   

Here are the top five reasons why PR efforts to amplify data-driven content have been unsuccessful.    

1. The data fails to tell a compelling narrative. 

After analyzing the data, but before writing a report or compiling it into marketing or PR assets, it’s important to look at it through the lens of what the overall narrative should be. How do all the individual findings tell a bigger story? What are the most interesting aspects to highlight and why? What are the takeaways for the key audiences who would benefit from reading the research report? It takes a skilled, data-driven storyteller to not just interpret data, but interpret it into a compelling narrative. Attempting to write the narrative before the data is interpreted won’t work. 

2. The data is too complicated.

There can be a risk of having too much data. Even if there are dozens of data points and findings, it’s important to not overwhelm the viewer/reader by having a barrage of information thrown their way. Instead, storytellers should be selective in the data they choose to incorporate and use it to ladder up to a compelling set of messages, narratives and takeaways.  

Even if the company operates in a highly technical and jargon-laden industry, it’s critical to communicate the findings in a way that is simple and straightforward. If the data is somewhat complex, use real-world examples, anecdotes, or charts and graphs to illustrate the impact of the data.  

3. The data is overtly self-serving.  

While commissioned research inherently has some connection to what the company does or stands for, the data needs to tell a story that doesn’t sound like an advertisement. Some version of, “Fast food company’s research finds that hamburgers are good for you” is going to get more skeptical eyerolls than interested eyeballs reading further. A company shouldn’t be looking to use research as the main way to aggressively sell its products or services – such verbiage is better used for direct sales tactics than for expecting it will resonate through PR.   

4. The data is not statistically viable.

Conducting research can be an extensive and expensive endeavor. Particularly for companies in a niche market or focused on a specific audience, insights from a small number of respondents may already prove immensely valuable. However, sharing this with media outlets may not be as effective as the data needs to be statistically significant for reporters to find the research credible in speaking to a topic or trend. As a rule of thumb, for U.S.specific reports, it’s safe to have at least 300 business decision makers for enterprise-level research, while consumer-focused surveys require at least 1,000 respondents. If the research extends to additional countries, then these numbers will need to be further adjusted to what is considered statistically viable in those markets as well.  

5. The data is not maximized across all channels. 

There’s a ton of effort involved in creating a report, from coming up with the topic for a data-focused report, developing the methodology, crafting the research questions, analyzing the findings, and drafting, editing, and finalizing the copy and other supporting materials (whew!). So it’s certainly critical to make sure that there’s a clear strategy, plan and timeline from the onset of how to maximize visibility.  

While the report may be the main asset, it can also be sliced and diced into different materials – a brief video, presentation or series of blog posts – and incorporated into sales, marketing, and PR-focused content. This content  can be uploaded onto the company website, corporate social media pages, injected into editorial op-eds. Moreover, the breadth of the data means that it doesn’t need to all launch at once – rather, compelling research has a long tail in which it can be referenced well after it’s unveiled, sequentially through a series of channels.  

Strike gold once, keep mining   

Setting up a data-driven storytelling program can take some time at the onset. However, once you’ve developed the right approach, it can be a rewarding, ongoing endeavor! As an organization’s business and industry evolves, so should the data it extracts to help refine and progress their stories. Data should not only be used as a strategic and creative initiative to support a company’s goals, but also be clear and compelling to the audiences a company is aiming to reach. If PR professionals want to strike data gold, they’ve got to know how and where to dig.  

The post 5 mistakes in data-driven pitches appeared first on PR Daily.

Jennifer Daniel is associate director at Craft.

In today’s digital age, content is king – but not just any content. For PR pros and brand storytellers, the pressure is on to craft written material that captivates, informs, and drives results. Whether you’re writing for email marketing, social media, blog posts, or op-eds, here’s the ultimate listicle to elevate your content creation game: 

1. Don’t bury the lede: Respect your readers’ time and grab their attention from the get-go.  Free tools like Headline Studio can analyze your headlines for optimal traffic, engagement and SEO. 
2. Feel the feels: Just as a painter uses a palette of colors to create a vivid canvas, the best writing evokes a spectrum of emotions in its readers – whether happiness, sadness, or inspiration. Pose relatable questions that tap into universal human experiences, and don’t shy away from literary devices like metaphors, similes and allegories to further enhance your copy. 
3. Take it from Twain: Would you use an SAT word at a bar? Would you call a banana a yellow, elongated piece of fruit? Most likely not, so don’t use it in your social media caption either. Ditch the jargon, and remember, “don’t use a 5-dollar word when a 50-cent word will do.”  
4. An anecdote is the antidote: Humans are innately drawn to stories. They provide context, make abstract concepts relatable and ignite emotions. Whenever possible, share case studies, statistics, and testimonials to build trust and credibility, especially in an age of information overload. 
5. Buzz off, buzzwords: Say goodbye to cliches like “innovate,” “disrupt,” and “unprecedented.” For a refreshing take, check out Lake Superior’s list of the most overused phrases from 1976 – present. 
6. Ignite a spark: Opt for language that evokes curiosity, challenges perspectives, or paints vivid imagery. Propel your narrative forward with strong statements like: “In a shocking move by Congress…” or, “It’s disheartening that…” 
7. Avoid platitudes and hedging: If it goes without saying, don’t say it. Additionally, words like “just” and “actually” can express hesitation or uncertainty and lessen the impact of your writing – stop using them.  
8. Less is more: Practice the rule of thirds, and when you finish your initial draft, shorten it by ⅓. You can also take a page out of Axios’ playbook: the Smart Brevity format is becoming the gold standard for concise, yet impactful reporting. 
9. Understand the relationship between repetition and retention: Consistency builds trust. Whether it’s your brand voice, visuals, or values, studies show that people need to see a message at least seven times before it sinks in. But you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. For example, try repurposing a blog post into an infographic, podcast or video series for social media. Each touch point should echo the overarching brand message to ensure resonance.  
10. Different strokes for different folks: While your primary audience should always be at the forefront, today’s digital terrain demands a versatile strategy. Dive into analytics to segment your audience by behavior, preferences or demographics, and ensure your content mix resonates directly with these specific sub-groups. 

Content marketing is an art and a science. And with these tenets top of mind, you’ll be well on your way to creating content that is compelling and impactful.

The post Crafting content that connects: A PR pro’s guide to digital storytelling in the modern era appeared first on PR Daily.

There was a buzz at PRSA’s annual gathering of public relations professionals. Hundreds of professionals ranging from students to industry veterans gathered in the terrarium-like confines of the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center in Nashville to network and learn about the perils and promise of this moment for the industry.

Practitioners packed convention halls to learn about how AI will affect the profession, to struggle with weighty ethics questions and to gain insight into handling the constant crises that pop up like mushrooms after a rain.

There were other topics, certainly, ranging from social media trends to getting better op-ed placement. However it was obvious from both the agenda and session attendance that these three topics dominated the event.

Code of ethics at the center

Ethics, in particular, are a hallmark of society.

“It’s so important right now, because of things like AI, mis-and disinformation, the communication environment getting so much more complicated,” Michelle Egan, current PRSA chair and CCO for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company said during an interview with PR Daily. “We’re headed into an election year, and there’s going to be a lot of reflection on the way things are going there, and our members have an opportunity to engage in a lot of that kind of communication.” The conference put PRSA’s code of ethics front and center, including a paper copy in each swag bag, an idea that CEO Linda Thomas Brooks said arose from seeing a printed copy of the code hanging behind a member on a Zoom call.

“It’s really a touchstone for them and it’s in the daily practice of their work,” Thomas Brooks said. “And that’s so nice to see that it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it thing, it’s something that they’re referring to and that they’re using.”

During an ethics workshop, small groups of communicators put their heads together to think through the ethical challenges of this moment: how to advise skeptical CEOs and address potential conflicts of interest. But above all loomed questions of AI.

Honesty and disclosure of information are touchstones of the ethics code. But does this extend to revealing every time generative AI is used in communication? Or is using AI akin to the ubiquitous practice of ghostwriting — something to be assumed that does not require disclosure?

Thomas Brooks urged careful thought when it comes to AI adoption in the industry.

“I’m not actually as afraid of our folks getting left behind,” she said. “What I am afraid of is, in the rush for our whole profession and the whole industry to be an early adopter, not giving enough consideration to the negatives of the technology and the …minefield that this brings us.”

For her part, Egan worries about the people who weren’t in those conference rooms, grappling with big ethical quandaries.

“There are many people who would call themselves professional communicators who may not subscribe to a code of ethics,” Egan said. “And that concerns me. That’s probably what keeps me up at night the most is the playing without the rules.”

That lawlessness has dire consequences not just for the profession, but for the future of democracy.

During the conference’s opening general session, Egan addressed the looming issue of the Israel-Hamas conflict. She called on the PR community, with its diversity of opinion and thought, to support one another with civility and care. She also called for the safety of journalists, 17 of whom have already been killed while reporting on the war.

“We have a partnership (with journalists) in terms of protecting that free flow of information,” Egan said. “And people rely on all of us to make sure that this informed public has access to information. It’s as simple as that.”

The bright spots

Outside of these somber reminders of the world’s ills, there were spots of light. One of those was certainly the hundreds of members of the student branch of the organization in attendance. They brought excitement for everything around them and a surprising amount of experience from internships and student-run agencies.

“We need each other in order to navigate a lot of the new technology, tools, social media, things that maybe not aren’t that close to shore, my natural instincts,” Egan said.

PRSA also showed an abiding commitment to DE&I issues. A land acknowledgement was read during opening session, and a reception honored those who are working to bring diversity and belonging to the industry.

DE&I is becoming deeply embedded into the bedrock of PRSA, with the majority of new chapters including a diversity officer.

Thomas Brooks acknowledged the difficulties many in their organization face when it comes to DE&I, from shrinking budgets to state policies forbidding them from even using the acronym.

But the work will continue.

“We can’t be good at our jobs without really embracing all the different opinions, perspectives, ethnicities, abilities, that are part of that network of being strategic and being able to do our business,” Egan said.

The reporter’s conference registration was provided by PRSA.

Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post These were the buzziest topics at PRSA ICON 2023 appeared first on PR Daily.

Dustin Siggins is founder of Proven Media Solutions. 

Every PR professional’s nightmare is a client or boss who wants a Washington Post feature story, an appearance with Oprah Winfrey and a gazillion visits to their website.

And get it done by next week, please. 

Managing expectations is a critical skill under these circumstances, such as by a) explaining that hockey stick-style brand growth doesn’t happen overnight, especially in saturated markets, and b) laying out a plan to break through the media noise with metrics of success along the way.  

These thoughts came to mind recently as I was writing about the University of Chicago’s $13 million payment to settle financial aid price-fixing allegations. It was a black eye for the university and the other 15 “elite” schools included in a class-action lawsuit … but it also created an opportunity for colleges and universities without major name recognition to reach and influence target audiences more quickly. So-called “elite” schools receive disproportionate media coverage, have huge marketing budgets and communications teams, and can tout new programs and big-name professors; while community colleges and non-flagship four-year state schools have to break through bias and stigma to prove their legitimacy. 

But these schools can offer the same educational quality and job opportunities, often for a lower price, as the big schools. They just need to get the word out. 

Here’s how: 

Don’t try to swim with the big fish; dominate your smaller pond 

Less-known schools with significant impact in industry niches or geographic regions should be proud of their smaller pond. Not everyone needs to compete against the sharks in the sea. Let the sharks eat other alive while you build relationships with employers, influencers, media, community and industry leaders, and other important stakeholders. 

There are several benefits to this approach: 

1. Fewer resources focused more effectively can have an outsized positive impact, especially when the competition is elsewhere. Purdue University was already a significant school before former President Mitch Daniels took the reins. After 11 years of frozen tuition and a narrow focus on building a nationally-recognized STEM program, Purdue saw huge increases in student population and relationships with key STEM-related employers. 
2. It’s easier to build relationships with the right employers because – contrary to popular rumor – many hiring managers don’t care about the fancy letters on the diploma. Spokespeople for two large technology companies told me what matters far more are talent and desire – even in specialty industries like national security and IT. 
3. Messages stand out more and reach target audiences better when they are narrowly tailored. For example, prospective students and their parents dread large student loans, so schools that are not well-known have the opportunity to show how students will receive a great education and have the fast-track to a great job without a large debt load.  

Create a veritable rainfall of positive news 

Big opportunities rise and fall – but hockey stick growth happens when the foundation is solid. Colleges and universities have hundreds of opportunities each year to achieve the “drip, drip, drip” of good news that most PR experts envy, such as: 

• Student success stories, such as winning inter-school sports, academic, and music competitions. 
• Graduates getting great jobs…and employers bragging about those students.
• New hires and partnerships.
• Grants and donations from alumni, businesses, non-profits, and government agencies.
• Events, especially ones that bring key influencers together.
• Graduation ceremonies. 

Good news begets good news … and primes your target audiences to make the choice(s) you want when opportunities arise.  

Create promotional partnerships 

Earned media is powerful in part because it includes third-party endorsements of a message or narrative. Self-promotion eventually becomes background noise at best – and unbearable bragging at worst. 

Partnerships alleviate this problem because target audiences hear the same message in different ways from diverse mouthpieces. Good news becomes: 

• Hiring announcements on the college’s website and social media…and the employer’s platforms. 
• High-profile events that are in the local paper because of the regional Chamber of Commerce and in trade outlets because of two industry sponsors. 
• Ads getting through to prospective students and their parents because they can see the path to success. 
• Alumni seeing how their donations of time, expertise, and money are making a difference. 

Don’t forget about data  

Every PR pro knows that stories sell better than numbers. That’s why anecdotes lead articles; and it’s why data is often wrapped in a storytelling sandwich. 

But facts are also the foundation of trust. The smooth-talking guy had better put his money where his mouth is to win the girl’s heart, and the right data drives home claims made in a communications campaign. 

For smaller, or simply lesser-known colleges and universities, these data points can include: 

• Low debt compared to national averages and elite schools. 
• What students do with their savings, such as buying a better car, putting a bigger down payment on a home, or starting a retirement account sooner.  
• Rates at which students get jobs in their degree field – which is a lot easier when students don’t have debt forcing a choice on them. 

Hockey sticks happen when the time is right 

Nobody can predict when the competition will have a scandal, go bankrupt, or simply miss the obvious opportunity. But the well-prepared brand – whether it’s a school, a pizza shop, or a tech firm – will be ready to turn that mistake into long-term, sustainable hockey stick growth.  

The post 4 ways lesser-known universities can stand out among the big dogs appeared first on PR Daily.

Public relations professionals are good at getting the word out about other people, brands and initiatives. But some might find it hard to give that same time, attention and energy to their own personal brands.

A steady cadence of posts that highlight your own work wins on social media can boost your career and grow your professional sphere of influence. But be careful not to venture too far into the obnoxious category with incessant posting and over-the-top bragging across social media platforms. Nobody likes that.

Terry Isner, owner of Jaffe PR, said that he is successful in his own personal brand building because he uses a simple, yet effective, formula to connect with his audience: being himself.

“Basically, the idea is that if we just bring our whole selves – and our unique selves – to people confidently, then we will attract and innovate and collaborate and do all these great things with great people. I think it’s important that we put ourselves out there and find those collaborative areas,” Isner told PR Daily.

Isner said that as people go through life and their careers, they are building upon their personal brand online and off, whether they intend to or not.

“Your actions, characteristics, personality, beliefs, values and preferred ways to communicate and collaborate, these are who you are. These are your brand,” Isner said. “Knowing that this will happen organically … should alert you that controlling, maintaining and consciously building a personal brand matters.”

Isner said that no matter what one posts, or which platform people use to communicate, it’s about bringing your whole self to each post.

“One of the things that I’ve allowed is my life at work to become one and be able to use the platforms to share that,” Isner said about intertwining his personal and professional life. “When you share that obviously through social media, you’re creating brand reputation.”

Isner posted on LinkedIn about the concept of improving one’s personal brand and how it ties to bringing one’s opinions to the forefront – whether at work or doing life.

“There is a fantastic landscape today for cultivating your personal brand through thought leadership,” Isner said in the post. “Podcasts, social media, blog writing, public speaking and participation in conferences all serve as excellent platforms … to exhibit your personality and perspectives. Remember, prospective clients aren’t merely seeking assurances of your capabilities; they’re interested in gauging your relatability and whether the potential working relationship seems like it would be mutually satisfying. … Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine, doing so will attract the clients who are right for you.”

PR experts don’t have to mix work and life if that’s not their thing. They can stick strictly to work-related topics and boost their personal brand that way.

Paisley Haddad, senior account executive at Zeno Group and host of The Queen of Comm Podcast, has built her brand around being a Gen Z industry voice. Haddad uses her podcast to boost her personal brand and professional prowess on LinkedIn, Instagram and other platforms.

“As a dual PR pro and podcaster, it’s important to me to build my personal brand as a thought leader in the podcasting space to provide informed counsel to any clients or colleagues who may seek more information on the medium in earned media,” Haddad said. “Also, in my career, building my personal brand has allowed me to take part in conferences, Clubhouse chats, op-eds and (opportunities) where I’m able to learn and grow within my role as well as provide insights on behalf of Gen Z.”
Haddad said whether a PR professional is looking to build their personal brand by starting a podcast or posting more consistently across social media, it all boils down to getting the word out about oneself and making connections.

Isner said no matter how new a PR expert is to personal branding, it’s important to think about authentically crafting a personal brand now.

“You should be in charge of it. Be the person you want to be, own it and foster relationships with those that appreciate your brand,” Isner said.

Haddad mused that it’s never too late to start learning and being open to new ideas while thriving in this new territory.

“I just feel like everyone should always be curious. No matter what level you are at in the PR industry. Just continue learning and talking with others,” Haddad said.

Sherri Kolade is a writer at PR Daily. When she is not with her family, she enjoys watching old films, reading and building an authentically curated life. This includes, more than occasionally, finding something deliciously fried. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR story idea? Email her at sherrik@ragan.com.

The post The secret to building a personal brand? Letting your personality shine. appeared first on PR Daily.

Scott Ward is principal at Fifth Estate Communications, a full-service firm specializing in strategy, storytelling and stakeholder outreach, and a co-chair of the PRSA National Capital Chapter Association and Nonprofit Committee.

Untold dollars and hours — not to mention tons of enamel from gnashed teeth — are spent each year trying to answer one of our profession’s questions of the ages: How do you measure return on investment for public relations and strategic communications?

Is it clips? Is it hits? Is it engagement? How do we know they mattered? How do we know if our campaign is moving the needle?

Actually, the answer is a lot simpler than those in the cottage industry of creating complicated metrics to measure success would have you believe. If you’re not sure of your ROI, then you’re not measuring the right thing.

At the most fundamental level, all strategic communications is — or should be — a means to an end. Too often, we get in the habit of treating PR as an end in and of itself. Doing so by its very nature puts us in a defensive position when a boss or a colleague or a board member pointedly asks, “So what?”

Whether you’re working in-house or as a consultant, what we should be benchmarking against is not what’s in the communications plan, but rather what’s in our organization’s broader strategic plan, be it formal or informal; engraved in a tablet or a living document on the Google Drive.

Take our sibling profession, marketing. While we may scowl at the “four Ps” and roll our eyes at the day-long packaging summits, you’ll notice that very rarely is anyone asking about the ROI. That’s because of what they measure.

During my time as marketing and media relations manager for a sports and entertainment arena in Texas (think Disney On Ice, WWE, Harlem Globetrotters and, yes, championship bull riding), from the front office to the ticket counter, only one thing mattered: butts in seats.

So if I ran a great publicity campaign, with a pile of clips to show for the effort, there was still only one thing the promoter cared about at the end of the night: Did you make me money? If the show made the numbers, the campaign was a success. If it didn’t, the promoter would say something like, “Great. I can use those clips to feed my family until I get to work with someone who knows what they’re doing.” (Promoters can be really harsh, if a bit dramatic.)

And while lucre is not the end game for all or even most types of organizations, something is, and that something needs to be spelled out clearly in the organization’s strategic plan (if it’s not, that’s a whole big other mess that you need to solve first). Which makes ROI straightforward: If the organization achieved its something — the clear goal laid out in the strategic plan — then the campaign worked. If the goal wasn’t met, the campaign didn’t come through.

An example of this might be passing a piece of legislation, which has a lot of moving parts and requires that a number of different disciplines work together. Communications tactics might include a district-by-district op-ed campaign. No matter how many we place, at the end of the day, the legislation passes or it doesn’t, and we’re part of the greater whole of succeeding or not.

Of course, saying this and putting it into practice are two very different things. It takes a sometimes seismic shift in organizational culture to get there:

• Start with who’s talking to whom. Is the communications team at the organizational decision-making table from the start? If not, that needs to change. To be accountable to metrics, you have to have a hand in shaping them.
• Next, make the clear and compelling case for your theory of impact. There are numerous ways to do this, but a good place to start is the question “why?” If someone says the goal should be a million likes, ask why. Is that really going to make something happen? Could the resources we spend on trying to achieve that be more effectively directed somewhere else?
• Finally, it’s time for the trust falls. This approach requires that everyone take ownership of the entire organizational pie, not just their own slice. If we didn’t get where we wanted to go, maybe there was a fundamental flaw in execution. Maybe the goal was unrealistic. Either way, we shouldn’t try to hide behind a mountain of social media engagement, and the boss has to come halfway and own the management challenges. The good news for PR people is that we have the ace in the hole. Trust begins with dialogue, and dialogue is our bread and butter.

Bottom line? When communications plans walk in lockstep with overall strategic plans, the results actually do speak for themselves.

The post This is the only PR measurement that actually matters appeared first on PR Daily.

Dustin Siggins is founder of Proven Media Solutions. 

Nothing sinks a PR pro’s heart like the news cycle spinning out of control. It happened to the entire world in September 2008 (bank bailout/recession), March 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic) and – if you’re in politics – it happened on Monday (Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon being fired).

As you might guess, my heart was hitting my toes on Monday. We had a great client set-up for a press campaign about a key political issue. Internal prep included the client’s study being ready for public viewing, many hours helping the client prepare a white paper and getting the spokesperson ready for interviews. Externally, a top-tier op-ed was planned, relevant media had seen the white paper and the study before the launch, and a press release was ready to go out at 8 a.m.

And, well…nobody really cared. Only the op-ed went off as planned. Even the client’s allied media didn’t cover it, and the social media traction was reminiscent of a car on black ice.

Did I mention that the client has a board meeting this week?

It wasn’t fun, especially given the months of work for the study’s launch. But we relied on a customer service approach that kept our heads in the game, the client’s expectations managed, and the campaign rolling forward.

First, we didn’t panic. Our PR plan is sound, the client understands that PR is a rocket ship – not a sniper shot – and the op-ed was a solid placement. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t waste a couple of hours checking Twitter and Google way too many times for something else positive to report, or stress way too much about unrelated launch issues creating more problems.

But we didn’t panic. What we did do was contact the client early in the day to be upfront about what was going on. We explained how rude it was for Carlson and Lemon to choose today to be fired – our contact person got the joke – and then laid out how that impacted the launch plan. We would still likely get some coverage, but not nearly the level we intended, at least not this week, and certainly not before the board meeting.

We also laid out a solution for presenting the 2023 media campaign to the board in a way that was both honest and positive. The client bought into the approach – something that may not have happened if we’d tried to run silent on the news cycle’s sudden shift.

Third, we kept pushing for coverage. We reached out to some of our friendliest media contacts on Tuesday 1-on-1, which resulted in scheduling a top-tier interview. We re-sent the press release to those who didn’t open the e-mail on launch day, creating a combined 40% open rate on a list of almost 600 journalists. And we are going to continue moving forward with other media plans that will squeeze every bit of juice out of the launch lemon.

Sometimes, the news cycle just pivots on a dime. You can hold off on existing plans, continue as planned, or change course. What you can’t do is give up or not tell clients what’s going on. As every PR pro knows, that’s a great way to turn a temporary crisis into a long-term trust problem.

The post Managing client expectations when the news cycle goes south appeared first on PR Daily.

Richard Levick, Esq., who pioneered the fields of crisis and litigation management, died on Tuesday from complications of cancer. He was 65.

As chairman and CEO of Levick, he worked with companies and global governments on some of the highest-profile crises of the last few decades including the Gulf oil spill, the Venezuelan financial crisis, Chinese trade wars and more, according to his biography on the firm’s website.

Levick also represented the Catholic Church during clergy abuse scandals, memories he recounted in a 2018 Forbes op-ed.

“So, I entered our engagement with this order of the Church instinctively aware of the stakes; instinctively aware that, when a great institution is mortally wounded, we are all harmed,” Levick wrote. “We all lose some vital comfort, some sense of shared mission. The longer any institution ignores the causes of its crises, the greater the peril it must ultimately face.”

Perhaps most famously, Levick represented a group of accused terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay, the Washington Post reported. Many said they were wrongfully arrested in Afghanistan.

Levick’s strategy involved humanizing the Kuwaiti men and emphasizing the American values he said were violated by their detention, trying to find common ground with conservatives on Constitutional issues related to habeas corpus and due process.

“Without question, he was the father of modern reputation management,” said Max Marcucci, senior vice president at Levick.  “Coming from a legal background and working with law firms to represent the law firms themselves and to represent their clients, that’s really the story of Richard and his legacy.”

Levick earned his J.D. from American University, where he would later become director of the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program. He also held a master’s degree in environmental advocacy from the University of Michigan. He was a member of the faculty at Fordham Law School and gave lectures at institutions including West Point, Harvard and Georgetown Law.

Levick co-authored four books, including “Stop the Presses: The Crisis and Litigation PR Desk Reference,” was a frequent commentator in the media and hosted the “In House Warrior” podcast.

Levick’s firm will host a celebration of life, with details forthcoming.

Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications, recalls her early career days in the industry and Levick helping her to navigate. “I have learned so much from Richard over the years, and am saddened by his passing. We’ve lost an industry icon who was so wise, supportive, funny and kind.”

An email sent from Marcucci remembered Levick as a man with ”seemingly boundless energy, passion, thirst for knowledge, and sense of humor.”

“We will miss Richard deeply, but his legacy will live on through the work that we do every day, the people who were made better for having known him, and the countless reputations that were saved because of him.”

Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post Richard Levick, ‘father of modern reputation management,’ dies at 65 appeared first on PR Daily.

Cristal Steuer is the executive director of strategy & placement at TVP Communications, a national communications and leadership agency solely focused on higher education.

When you see a response from an editor or reporter at the top of your inbox, you may have several thoughts run through your head at once. But one thought looms larger than the rest as you open it. And there it is — a rejection. Unfortunately for public relations pros, this is not an uncommon response; there are so many pitches out there for increasingly limited spots. While we get used to rejection, we can reframe “Thanks, I’ll pass” to learn and grow in our field.

A rejection is a form of acceptance.

Getting a response from a reporter or editor is actually a form of acceptance. Well, kind of. It’s certainly better than no response and even if the message is a rejection, there’s value in that personal connection. If a journalist responds to you after a pitch, consider that as the beginning of your relationship with them rather than only a pass on your current pitch. Plus, sometimes their responses can offer helpful feedback both on specific pitches and in general. For example, maybe what you sent wasn’t a direct fit, but it was relevant enough for them to reply. If they know you are pitching timely stories that fit their beat or are pertinent to their audience, they are more likely to open your email in the future. Whatever the reason for the rejection, that message opens the door to building a professional relationship, which is essential for success.

Timing is everything.

Sometimes a rejection is all about timing. Maybe an editor just received a piece on a similar topic or they already spoke with an expert source. According to Muck Rack’s 2023 State of Journalism Report “bad timing” is the second highest reason why reporters turn down a pitch, right behind lack of personalization. Many times, we can save a pitch and tweak it with a new angle. For example, if you have a piece on a state banning abortion pills, you save the piece and revise as needed the next time there is a Roe v. Wade issue in the news. If you have an expert on the Supreme Court, you can get your expert source on a reporter’s radar for the next time SCOTUS hands down a decision.

We’ve all received a piece when there is just not enough time to edit and pitch. Sometimes you get lucky but more often than not, editors have their coverage for a particular event, holiday, or pending news lined up. Instead of sending out something that’s not in the best shape possible for acceptance or scrambling to meet an unrealistic timeline knowing the high likelihood that it’s already being covered, you can get that piece 90 percent to the finish line and save it for the next news hook. For example, when it was announced that Rihanna would headline the Super Bowl in September, I pitched an idea for a piece about how Black women do a lot of the advocacy for white people; while the editor felt the timing was off, she thought it would be a good piece, with a slightly different angle, to run right after the Super Bowl. The piece was drafted well before the big event, so then the writer only had to update with what happened during the performance.

Persistence is key.

If your hopes for national mainstream media don’t pan out, don’t give up! I can count on my hands the number of times I gave up on a pitch or a piece because rejection gives me an opportunity to get creative in finding something a home. There are likely a number of trade journals and associations in your field that you could consider. You could revise it for more of a local audience and share with local media outlets. Maybe it is something a client could use on their website, or maybe you could carve some sound bites or quotes out of a written piece and pitch it as commentary to reporters. And this last strategy works in reverse, too; if you ask your client for a couple of sentences to share with a journalist and they sent you a few paragraphs, you may be able to turn that into a written piece or op-ed.

Go local to get national.

In local media relations, there is still rejection but a lot less. Reporters in your backyard are looking for local and personalized stories. While you might get a rejection from national NPR, you can pitch your local affiliate, and many times those stories will get picked up by national NPR. And Local outlets can also be a great place for those just starting to engage with the media. If your sources aren’t ready for prime time, they’re going to be passed over for opportunities. Instead, try to get them some local interviews under their belt to help them prepare for national interviews. Actively engaging with local media also helps you maintain strong connections with the journalists serving your community. As newsrooms get shuffled around and reporters and editors make career changes, those relationships can grant access to different opportunities.

Even if you reframe it, rejection is tough and happens to the best of us in our field. So when it does start to get to you, vent to a colleague, take a quick walk outside, or treat yourself to coffee. Or better yet, create an email folder to fill with emails that highlight your successes instead of your rejections.

The post Getting used to rejection and how to reframe it appeared first on PR Daily.

Rhiannon Hendrickson is a senior PR strategist and founder of Orapin. 

When we first start working with a new client, we always ask which media outlets are on their wish list. With this question, we are trying to understand what coverage would make them giddy and feel like PR is worth the effort. The answer is almost always the same: The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, GMA and the New York Times.

Do you know what no one ever says? Local media. Of course, we are not in the practice of squashing anyone’s dreams, if you want to be in the New York Times (and it aligns with your PR goals), then let’s go for it. But let’s not discount the incredible value of local media hits either.

Why it pays to start local

When we start working with any new client, we take a deep dive into their business. It is our goal to get to know them, their dreams, their challenges, the competitors, and their space as if we are a member of their team. For our nonprofit partners, we like to build profiles and personas of their donor base and learn who they serve, why, and what big problems they are trying to solve. We follow a similar methodology with for-profit partners, learning what service they provide, who needs their product, what drives sales velocity and who is in their client pipeline, what their competitors are doing, and how they shine in their space. At the end of the day, PR should help amplify your voice, expand your reach, and ultimately make your organization or business more successful, whether that is in terms of constituents served or widgets sold.

If you serve a local or regional audience, population or consumer, then yes, you will likely understand the benefit of local press (even though you probably want the New York Times, too!) If you are serving a nationally based clientele or donor base, then you may be tempted to skip your hometown press and go after the big media fish. But we are here to tell you that regardless of whether you serve local, regional, or national clients or donors, local press holds great value! Here is why:

1. Low-hanging fruit: Your local and regional media exist to tell stories of local interest. So whether you are providing behavioral support services to a specific neighborhood or you are selling your business support services to a global audience, you are important and interesting to your local reporters. They are eager to tell your story! Remember, you can repurpose any media hit for a multitude of owned channels so the value goes far beyond the eyes that read the story in the local paper.
2. Relationships: Never discount the relationships you can build with your local reporters. For example, our local Colorado Public Radio reporters often pitch their stories to NPR for their nationally syndicated shows. We’ve had local stories end up on Planet Money and Science Friday. Many local writers also freelance for nationally based publications. So a local mommy blogger may also write for Woman’s Day. Cultivating and growing relationships in your home media market can often yield amazing results; if the local writer has met you and sees how incredible your work is, they just may be your champion on a national stage, too.
3. Be a hometown hero: For executive directors and CEOs working on their thought leadership strategy, securing a profile piece in the local business journal can be extremely valuable. Have your byline published locally, get on stage at the local chamber events, look for the local 40 Under 40 awards. Build your thought leadership resume through your local network first, it will help your credibility immensely when you are going after the national awards, speaking gigs, and business profiles. Which leads us to…
4. Google-ability: Your online presence is key to landing an interview. Most reporters worth their salt will, at a minimum, do a Google search on an individual or organization that they are considering for a story. If nothing comes up, they may pass you by. If, however, several awards, local stories and speaking gigs pop up from your local market, then they are going to feel like they discovered an up-and-comer. If you’ve built a byline library or had several op-eds published in your local paper, then those national publications are going to have a much better idea of your writing style and credibility. If you’ve given several talks, hosted panels and given keynotes at local events, then the national conferences are going to have greater confidence in your abilities to wow their audiences.
5. Drive sales: Whether you are selling a service or a widget, looking for donors, board members or building a team of experts, your local market is always going to be a great place to start. Local press helps solidify your position in your hometown and at the end of the day, it drives sales and donations. The people in your community will most likely be your most ardent supporters, so stay top of mind by maintaining your presence in the local news.

Building your resume locally will drive national hits

Regardless of your PR goals —  whether it is traditional media hits, speaking engagements or other forms of thought leadership — always remember local media hits will help you earn national placements. The time and effort spent locally pays off ten-fold, especially if you are just starting out with a PR program. Further, you may find those local hits help you reach your business or organizational goals faster than the national ones. Get started by:

1. Reading the local news: Familiarize yourself with who the local reporters are, their beats, and what kinds of stories they write.
2. Engaging: Start following and engaging with local reporters on social media. Share your stories, post content, begin to build your online presence and credibility.
3. Pitching: Tell your story and offer story ideas to your local reporters. Once you know who is covering your industry or area of expertise, start reaching out to them. Let them know what amazing work you are doing and earn that first story placement.

When clients begin investing in their local media, we almost always start to see their PR wins snowball. Speaking gigs beget local awards, local awards yield local broadcast segments, op-eds open doors to long-format feature stories. And with time, effort, and a really good story, all of these local hits can eventually work towards getting that dream placement in the Wall Street Journal!

The post Don’t underestimate the value of local media appeared first on PR Daily.

Along with media pitches, contributed articles are the lifeblood of any PR strategy. As a tactic for thought leadership and brand building, bylines are popular with clients because they allow the executive to control the narrative and provide another way to get featured in top-tier outlets, now that newsrooms have shrunk and journalists are often too busy to pay attention to pitches and releases. 

However, bylines, whether earned or paid, will be held to higher standards than ever this year, because opinion editors have become ever more exacting. Asking the following questions will help you draft the kind of content editors are looking for.

Does it express an opinion — and make a call to action?

An editor at American Banker recently told us, “BankThink is an opinion section and as a rule, we don’t publish ‘how-to’ articles.” Some specialized trade publications do want practical business advice written by executives, which is why it’s critical to know what section you’re writing for, but in this case, let’s assume it’s a top-tier publication looking for op-eds. 

When writing an executive byline that makes an argument for or against something, it’s important to understand the distinction between the opinion sections of publications and the news and feature sections. Journalists writing news and features are not supposed to inject opinion in their articles. But in-house columnists, as well as guest contributors to an opinion section — i.e., your client executives — are expected to make a persuasive argument. 

And the goal is not simply to express an opinion. It’s to persuade the reader to do something — take some sort of action, even if that action is simply to consider a new point of view. That’s why a call to action must be at the core of the argument. It’s crucial to align with the client and executive upfront on what that call to action will be, and then build the argument — with evidence and, ideally data — to support that point of view. 

Is it too self-serving?

Even editors managing paid contributed-content relationships are screening pieces for self-promotional messaging. Responding to a recent byline submission, a Forbes Tech Council editor said, “We’ve found that readers are turned off when an article seems to point them to a service or solution that the author’s company offers.” The unspoken reality is that every byline has some sort of promotional message — it’s selling the executive’s expertise and elevating their personal brand, after all. But it can’t be a sales pitch for the company’s products or services.  

To avoid coming across as self promotional, make sure the topic of the article is addressing a subject in the public conversation. For example, if the CEO of an electric bike company is writing an article about sustainable transportation alternatives, the topic shouldn’t just be about riding electric bikes. It must address other solutions like public transportation, carpooling and electric vehicles.

Is it using previously published language? 

Being accused of plagiarism is every writer’s worst nightmare, but it’s more likely to happen than ever before with automated tools making it much easier to spot pre-existing content. Another Forbes Tech Council editor told us recently that as a first step in their editing process, they run all content through a duplicate content detector. 

This means that borrowing previously published, client-approved messaging verbatim in your byline is not an option. Even if it’s in a previously published byline that you wrote for the client, using that same language in the next iteration could be considered duplicitous and unethical — and might make the publication liable to accusations of copyright infringement. 

To avoid these potential problems,  don’t start with previously published content. Begin with the central question(s) you want to address and draft from scratch. 

Is it personal?

Every good editor (or writer for that matter) is looking for personal anecdotes to book-end bylines. Think about how many times you’ve read an article that starts by introducing an individual, before diving into the argument – the reason is because it’s fodder for creative storytelling. Nothing makes a story resonate more than humanity, emotion and personality. 

To incorporate personality into your writing, don’t be afraid to ask your clients the hard questions. Put your reporter hat on and ask them if they have a personal experience to highlight their argument. The chances of offending are slim and it could mean the difference between trade and top-tier placement. 

Even if you ask these questions and draft a pithy, opinionated, and timely piece, it still may not break through for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it’s a topic someone else has already successfully pitched to the publication and is in the works; or maybe the editor is simply overwhelmed by contributed content pitches. That’s why, it helps to have a timely topic — either pegged directly to something in the news, or at least relevant to a hot topic in the public conversation. 

And don’t forget to follow the rules of each outlet. Read the publication’s guidelines, respect word count limits, and pay close attention when they tell you what they’re looking for. 

Dora Scheidlinger is account director at Method Communications. 

The post How to write the byline editors want appeared first on PR Daily.

 I remember when I was doing “Hunger Games,” nobody had ever put a woman in the lead of an action movie because it wouldn’t work — because we were told girls and boys can both identify with a male lead, but boys cannot identify with a female lead. And it just makes me so happy every single time I see a movie come out that just blows through every one of those beliefs, and proves that it is just a lie to keep certain people out of the movies. To keep certain people in the same positions that they’ve always been in.

Is it true that Hollywood has traditionally been far more hesitant to put women at the helm of action movies? Absolutely. But “The Hunger Games,” which debuted in 2012, was far, far from the first female-led action flick. Think 1979’s “Alien.” Think “Kill Bill” from the early 2000s. Think “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” The list goes on and on.

Twitter, predictably, lit into Lawrence for the self-centering comments, as CNN reported.

Lawrence hasn’t yet responded to the criticism.

Why it matters: This is a classic case of a lack of media training. Lawrence’s idea was right: women have traditionally been locked out of this lucrative genre. But by centering herself, she ignores the women who came before her who made it possible for her to pick up Katniss’s bow.

We expect an apology will come soon for the oversight. But already the narrative has shifted away from her important overarching point — that we’re told that men and boys can’t empathize with women — into people wanting to prove her wrong.

How data guided Kimpton’s “Stay Human” campaign

Companies can get strategy wrong in so many ways. A common mistake: inventing campaigns from thin air without data to guide. Or conversely, undertaking expensive market research and doing nothing with the data.

But Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants (part of IHG Hotels & Resorts) understood the assignment with their “Stay Human” campaign. Using results from their global survey — in particular the data related to consumer perceptions around diversity and inclusivity in this space — to drive campaign strategy around social media content is not just demonstrating that they can read the room, it’s good business. 

What Kimpton learned:

• Consumers feel pressured to be “social media-worthy” while traveling, making it less fun
• 85% of travelers surveyed think brand social media content should be more inclusive
• 84% of travelers surveyed believe travel brands should be better at collaborating with travel creators of diverse backgrounds

What Kimpton did about it:

• Formed “a diverse group of creators from across the globe” called the Stay Human Creator Collective
• Worked with the collective to develop new brand commitments to “better reflect the diversity of real travelers” in social media content
• Launching new travel experiences to broaden appeal to diverse travel preferences

Among the new commitments: present “zero digital distortion” of individuals in images, allow creators to lead with content ideation, and require use of alt-text and image descriptions on social.

Why it matters. Kudos to Kimpton for this step in the right direction for inclusiveness, diversity and accessibility. Updated brand commitments help make social media a more diverse place, better reflecting the real world. Let’s hope for more of this in 2023 — and perhaps they’ll share resulting Stay Human data publicly to encourage other orgs to follow suit. 

Much ado about the JCPA

Like a kid on the playground threatening to take their ball home rather than play by other kids’ rules, Meta-slash-Facebook said earlier this week that they’d rather not publish news on their site at all than submit to potential rulebook changes that some argued would level the playing field for smaller news organizations.

They’re in luck, though, because the bipartisan proposed bill, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), was struck from the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), ostensibly so the latter would pass. 

JCPA advocates had hoped the bill would make the news industry, “especially smaller, local outlets,” less dependent on the big kids on the tech block like Facebook and Google for distribution. But clearly not everyone was a fan:

From The Hill:

Earlier this week, tech industry groups NetChoice and the Computer Communications Industry Association launched separate ad campaigns slamming the bill. At the same time, dozens of civil society organizations including the ACLU, Public Knowledge and Fight for the Future wrote a letter to congressional leaders urging them to keep the JCPA out of the NDAA or any other omnibus legislation. 

The groups argued the bill could have consequences that limit tech platforms’ ability to moderate content, as well as set a precedent for charging content that was once free.

Why it matters. Earlier this fall, a Los Angeles Times op-ed noted that “the journalism sector is collapsing,” with job losses in the tens of thousands, and pointed to specific content-sharing mechanisms that make it harder for news organizations to earn revenue on their own content. Vox Media came out in support of the JCPA, and G/O Media-owned Gizmodo notes that the policy was inspired by existing rules in Canada and Australia. Maybe the JCPA wasn’t a panacea, but it’s hard to call this one an outright win for anyone involved.

The rise of ‘fairycore’

Vogue was agog at Pinterest’s release of 2023 trend predictions, and one board in particular, “Airy Styles,” which Vogue calls “a close relative of ‘fairycore.’” Pinterest, by the way, maintains that 80% of their trend predictions “came true” for the last three years — and, predicts that next year will be a “femme for all.”

From Vogue:

…this diamond-dusted trend combines sparkle, ethereality, and sensuality across genders. Angel wings are optional. Sheer fabrics like lace and tulle can be worn to expose the body (marking a softening of the bare-all Y2K trend) or in more romantic ways. The idea, it seems, is to let the imaginary take flight, and fantasy soar.

Vogue’s Airy Styles board is a deliciously fluffy, ivory-and-pastel swath of swooshy ruffles, draped shoulders, all sheer gloves and Bianca Jagger holding doves at Studio 54. 

Why it matters: It might be lace and feathers in the front, but Pinterest’s straightforward take on Airy Styles (and their other predictive trends) is that businesses benefit from tapping into the vibe. As communicators, being familiar with nonverbal expression that’s speaking intimately to our audiences can help us approach framing, fine-tune messaging, and ultimately drive that most ethereal of things, genuine human connection. Trends also often bleed over from fashion into other forms of design, so be on the lookout for ways to incorporate this concept into your design choices in the new year. 

The post Jennifer Lawrence drowns out her own message, the fate of the JCPA and more appeared first on PR Daily.