Stories by Nicole Schuman

Brands, organizations and communicators have an opportunity to influence the national conversation about Asian-American hate speech and anti-Asian violence. PR trade groups as well as brands and agencies are offering support for Asian-American colleagues and suggestions to stop hate speech and violence.

In light of Women’s History Month, PRNEWS took a look at what the industry is doing to help working mothers and caretakers in their time of need. Time will tell what impact this year of remote working and flexible scheduling will have on the future of the workplace. But many companies are taking this time to reevaluate the demands on their employees, and how they can create more suitable environments for women to thrive. 

PRNEWS Live welcomed Nicole Dye-Anderson of Barclays to discuss Women’s Month and finding your voice, DEI and cancel culture. You can view PRNEWS’ library of free LinkedIn Live streams here.

Despite many changes from the pandemic, journalists continue to want tight, relevant pitches. A new Muck Rack study finds the best day to pitch remains Monday and that journalists prefer academics and CEOs for interviews. They also have a slight preference for brand communicators over PR pros from agencies.

On the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden took to his podium to deliver a message to the American people: empathy and action will set the country on a path to recovery. … Continued

With the entire world waiting, pressure was on Buckingham Palace communicators to issue a response to Oprah’s interview with Harry and Meghan. Though brief, the statement, issued some 48 hours after the interview was shown in the former colonies, expressed compassion for the couple and concern for some of the issues raised, one communicator said.

Texas businesses large and small are facing a decision: Should they honor the Governor’s decision to life the mask mandate or continue requiring masks for employees and customers? It’s a decision with risks and rewards no matter what decision is reached.

PRNEWS Live welcomed Neil Foote, board president, National Black PR Society, and Porter Novelli, SVP Dwayna Haley on Feb. 24, 2021. Our topics included: DEI during the pandemic, Black History Month and the one-year anniversary… Continued

In an area not exactly used to dealing with snow, ice and frigid temperatures, the utility infrastructure crumbled, leaving millions without power, heat and fresh water for days. Getting important information out to those who need it can be extremely difficult for audiences who primarily depend on electricity, internet and wifi to power their communications needs. 

While cleanliness was on most peoples’ radar, the threat of COVID-19 elevated concerns about germs to a more common topic of conversation. Enter the American Cleaning Institute, whose communication team suddenly found itself at the center of a hot topic. Here’s how it handled a bevy of queries from media and the public and spread its message.