Stories by Nicole Schuman

PRNEWS welcomed Meg Lewis, director of social at GIPHY to speak about its Animate the Vote campaign and content partnerships.

It doesn’t take much for a brand to get swept up in a political firestorm it didn’t seek. Take Bumble Bee Tuna, for example. The legacy company for canned seafood and a lunchtime staple found itself front-and-center after President Donald Trump’s rally last night.  

In honor of PR Ethics Month, we are talking to PR organizations that set standards and guidelines for the industry. Earlier this month PRNEWS featured the views of PRSA chair T. Garland Stansell, who wrote about communicators doing the right thing. In today’s post, we spoke with PR Council president Kim Sample about Ethics Month and the Council’s ethics work.  

Mentors can provide PR pros with a closer insight into the career path that lies in front of them. Without mentors, communicators can feel like they are lost in the woods without a map, trying to navigate their next turn. Mentors can offer the clarity they seek.  

The American Gaming Association (AGA) unveiled a PSA campaign with NASCAR to provide fans with information on safe betting practices. NASCAR is the first sports league partner for the Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly PSA effort. The two organizations will create co-branded content with the “Know When To Pit” slogan, encouraging responsible betting. 

The high cost of national disasters showcases the importance of communication, and being able to get citizens information prior to and during a disaster. Organizations are taking advantage of National Preparedness Month to do just that, and provide families with necessary content to catalyze preparation. 

This week the Big Ten Conference retracted its August decision to postpone the football season. While the plan to ensure students-athletes’ health appears to be well thought-out, the decision provokes plenty of questions, especially considering the opposite stance the conference took just a month ago. 

PRNEWS welcomed Marissa Nance, founder of multicultural agency Native Tongue Communications and OMD veteran, to speak about comms during Hispanic Heritage Month and multicultural communications strategy.

Social media platforms have a lot of work to do in the way of gaining trust from the American public. A recent survey from Pew Research Center shows that “Three-quarters of U.S. adults say technology companies have a responsibility to prevent the misuse of their platforms to influence the 2020 presidential election, but only around a quarter say they are very or somewhat confident in these firms to do so.” 

The NFL debuts its 101st season tonight, minus most of the fans, but not without fanfare. Many wonder how the league, which is not playing in a bubble, will weather a health crisis, as well as social justice issues, which were largely ignored or frowned upon in the past. Flexibility and innovation will remain top priorities for the league, much like in other sports.