Stories by Ian James Wright

After facing heavy criticism from Bernie Sanders, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam took to LinkedIn the same day to set the record straight. In a post called “Feeling The Bern of Reality — The Facts About Verizon and The ‘Moral Economy,'” he said “The senator’s uninformed views are, in a word, contemptible.” He went on to rebut claims that Verizon underpays taxes and doesn’t help America with its profits.

When you’re putting together preparations for the possibility of a crisis, internal communications is usually not the first thing to come to mind. But it’s an essential part of crisis response preparedness; you must loop in employees, owners, board members, investors and the wider community (including the families and business associates of all the above) if you want to maintain your reputation.

If you’re in charge of a brand Twitter account, the idea of using emojis has probably been floated, and probably at least one person in the room has grimaced. Sure, people use them constantly and you want to be in touch with them, but coming from a brand, emojis can seem desperately phony (see headline for verbal equivalent). But there are brands that pull it off quite well.

Earlier this year, Facebook expanded its live video service to all users, and now the social media behemoth is really throwing its weight behind the effort. A barrage of new features and functionalities is coming to the service, Facebook announced this week: reactions, going live to groups and events, live filters, live video invitations and much more embody a push to dominate live streaming.

April 1 is a great day for brand PR. Everyone gets a pass to joke around and show off their lighter side, and audiences take it in good humor when they get suckered. And though it’s expected, it’s not expected—that is, nobody is going to be upset at your brand for not taking part.

…except maybe when it comes to Google. They stepped up to the plate this year, along with other prominent brands.

The official account of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, using the hashtag #springbreakingbadly to warn travelers about scams they might encounter, reminded readers that they’re “not a 10” and therefore to use caution when someone shows interest in them abroad. As is often the case in these matters, the advice may be solid, but the delivery is suspect.

How easy would it be to do your job if you could read minds? You’d know exactly what kind of pitch would catch that reporter’s eye, what tweet would be retweeted by Taylor Swift, what video you could make that would go viral.

It would be unwise for us to hold our breath hoping to develop mutant powers, but the good news is that by studying cognitive science, we’re halfway to telepathy.

Overuse of the dash is becoming an issue. You might be using it wrong, or your thoughts might be cluttered and disjointed. It’s time to stand up for restraint and examine your writing for signs of this creeping menace. Let’s get back to basics and talk about when it should and shouldn’t be used.

Credit is due to ad agency J. Walter Thompson and WPP for surpassing our advice on their crisis. A new CEO with a new vision, backed up by JWT’s new documentary focused on the achievements of female pioneers and leaders, all add up to an earnest response to an ugly public relations moment.

“Storytelling” is a trendy concept in the world of PR and marketing that implies elevating your work to a realm of artistry. But every story has a first step, so start at the beginning and don’t ignore the foundation of what makes a story effective.