Stories by Nicole Schuman

Four years ago, Volkswagen received extensive punishment for lying about noxious levels of their diesel vehicles’ emissions. The company is back in the news as German prosecutors charged Rupert Stadler, former chief executive of Audi, the luxury arm of VW, with fraud for his role in another emissions cheating scandal.

At the heart of PR is storytelling. The ability to describe the goals and purpose of an organization stems from communicating a clear narrative. Building a brand newsroom allows for a living, breathing example of your priorities. While it’s nice to have a large budget, small expenditures can be used to create a respectable brand newsroom.

Have you been enjoying a restful summer, lounging at the pool, a la “The Graduate,” replenishing your energy for the job search after securing a communications degree? Or are you in the trenches, navigating the water cooler and the ‘delights’ of a 7 a.m. commute at your first post-college gig? The great news is that you graduated—an accomplishment, for sure. But what’s next? And where do you start?

The New York Times reported Facebook receiving a record $5 billion fine from the Federal Trade Commission in regards to “deceiving users about their ability to control the privacy of their personal data.” Facebook also received a $100 million penalty from the Securities and Exchange Commission for neglecting to inform investors about the risks of utilizing private data. To top it all off? The FTC ordered Facebook to hold themselves accountable and increase transparency surrounding data practices by creating a privacy committee.

Because reputation lies at the heart of public relations, organizations have come to determine their own definitions of brand safety as digital marketing evolves. Brand safety is no longer solely about ad placements, but has grown to include associations with malevolent sentiment, influencers’ stodgy backgrounds and unfortunate algorithmic decisions.

Whether or not Alexa or Siri are your best girlfriends, public relations practitioners should research and explore the extent to which their organizations use AI and its performance. According to the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute: “AI is the umbrella term for the algorithms, technologies and techniques that make machines smarter, and give them superhuman capabilities.” While AI may seem smart enough to set and forget, responsible pr pros should lean in to the learning, advantages and possible disadvantages the tools may provide.

While celebrity and fan support never hurts when fighting for a cause, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team appearances inspired real media coverage. The publicity also sparked motion toward possible change in a lawsuit filed by the team against the U.S. Soccer Federation over gender discrimination. Moving the needle at a highly-publicized national level could also ignite change regarding pay for all industries, including the ever-present public relations gender wage gap.

The United States Women’s Soccer Team victory tour might just be the envy of all campaign managers. The successful embrace of the team’s fight for equal pay organically resounded throughout the crowds at each appearance without any necessity for proddi…

Muck Rack, a journalist database, media monitoring and coverage reporting platform, released its 2019 State of Journalism study, highlighting how journalists use social media and work with PR teams. Currently, 47 percent of journalists believe that “the way most companies share information with the media is outdated.” It seems the PR industry still has some work to do towards building relationships and updating pitching for the digital era.

The modern consumer holds a world of information at their fingertips. They can research companies to the finest minute detail—including working conditions and the CEO’s latest political contributions. Younger generations hold companies accountable, and want to make purchases with those who uphold an authentically purposeful agenda surrounding their products and promotion.