Stories by Justin Joffe

April Fools’ Day saw brands execute countless pranks on their (mostly) unsuspecting audiences. Embedded in these pranks are numerous lessons in good humor and bad taste, reminding communicators that it’s OK to be funny…just so long as the jokes land. Here are some notable examples.

We’re down to the Final Four of the 2018 Most Overused PR Words & Phrases Tournament. Before calling your bookie to place a bet, go to Twitter, use the hashtag #WordsBracket and tell us which of the four words or phrases should advance to the glorious championship round.

Following a lengthy lashing in the press and the loss of $95 billion in market value over the last week, Facebook has taken steps to make it easier for users to control the privacy of their personal data. The platform rolled out redesigned security settings that allow users to control what personal information the social network and its third-party apps can store. Yet some data—such as records of the ads that users clicked on—will still be visible.

The world’s largest unboxing broadcast live on Facebook, a luxury hotel chain sharing its service values on Twitter, pancreatic cancer awareness spread through Instagram: these are just a few of the worthy social media campaigns spotlighted by the 2018 PR News’ Social Media Awards finalists. The winners of PR News’ Social Media Awards—which showcase the top social media campaigns and honor the individuals behind their success—are announced at an annual luncheon in New York City. This year, PR News’ Social Media Awards Luncheon will be held May 23, 2018 at The Yale Club.

The March for Our Lives on March 24 attracted huge crowds across the country in support of gun reform. But upsetting the march’s No. 1 trending position on Twitter that afternoon, the National Rifle Association released an interview with rapper and activist Killer Mike. The interview was widely criticized by gun-reform advocates but it quickly became something else: a textbook example of the power influencers have to further a national conversation, sometimes at the expense of the very organization with which they are affiliated.

Earlier this month, PR News launched its own version of March Madness with the 2018 Most Overused PR Words & Phrases Tournament. Communicators reached out to us via Twitter with their votes for the most egregious examples of corporate jargon, from “trending” and “industry-leading” to “quite frankly.” We present the “winners” (such as they are) of the second round here.

At PR News’ 2018 CSR & Nonprofit Awards luncheon in Washington, D.C., honorees inspired their peers not just with their accomplishments but with their takeaways from their winning campaigns—making the event a learning experience as well as a celebration.

Whether crafting a press release seen by thousands or an email sent only to your team, a communicator’s goal is to foster a strong culture of writing, said panelists at PR News’ Advanced Writing Workshop, held March 20 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. While every writer has their blind spots, here are four common mistakes to keep in mind when crafting any communication.

In the spirit of the NCAA basketball tournament, PR News offers its own version of March Madness with the 2018 Most Overused PR Words & Phrases Tournament. Take a look at the second-round picks and vote on Twitter for the overused words from each pairing that you’d like to see advance. We’ll announce the third-round picks next Thursday, and every Thursday through the end of the month until we crown a champion.

In the spirit of the NCAA basketball tournament, PR News offers its own version of March Madness with the 2018 Most Overused PR Words & Phrases Tournament. Take a look at the first-round picks and vote on Twitter for the overused words from each pairing that you’d like to see advance. We’ll announce the second-round picks this Friday, and every Friday through the end of the month until we crown a champion.