Stories by Nicole Schuman

Upon first glance, you might think pharmaceutical companies are in a race to become the first to develop and administer a COVID-19 vaccine. This belief strengthens with every announcement coming out from Pfizer last week or Moderna, as we saw today. But communicators might want to look a little deeper, as a race can completely devalue the important, strategic work healthcare communicators do. The power of collaboration, rather than competition, emerges as the true message sent with each news release.

The Ring recall may prove daunting, as it appears to place responsibility on the consumer. Not only is support information hard to find on Ring’s website, but the company blames faulty installation for any fires, not the doorbell.  

DEI initiatives permeate the PR industry. Are they effective? A recent survey finds 74 percent of respondents saying they are optimistic about their organization’s commitment to DEI. However, only 53 percent say DEI training is required, and 40 percent report their organization’s budget does not fund DEI. The enthusiasm for DEI exists, but the industry has a long way to go. 

PRNEWS welcomed Sean Sullivan, PR liaison at Wreaths Across America. We discussed how the non profit is honoring veterans this year by adapting annual events to be COVID-safe.

While the election showcased a deeply-divided nation, president-elect Joe Biden’s acceptance speech Saturday called for unity and healing. He set a precedent with the tone and content of his speech, acknowledging battles affecting every citizen across the nation. Bringing people together seems to be a systematic goal for the incoming administration. Letting people know out loud was one way to adhere to that promise.

Unless you’ve been living on Mars with no access to a livestream of Earth, there’s no denying that American’s emotions run the gamut right now. Many citizens’ stress levels, due to an elongated presidential election, have hit their peak. However, when things get tough in the U.S., some of our best and brightest creative coping mechanisms come through. Laughter is the best medicine for tense times, and social media is providing some of the most hilarious election memes, tweets and videos for comfort. 

The news media and social media platforms know it is of the utmost responsibility to get this right. With Twitter and Facebook battling swarms of disinformation posts daily, the companies prepared strategies to combat this ahead of Election Day. The media also seeks to instill and keep the trust of the American people, with most outlets announcing reporting processes. Both industries worked extra hard to focus on protecting the integrity of election results to earn trust. 

Having an extensive social media strategy is a key part of crisis readiness. In addition, it can help a company take advantage of a breaking situation that falls short of crisis. A healthy social media plan

Laurie Garrett, a Pulitzer-prize winning science journalist and author, and one of the most prolific voices regarding coronavirus news, gave the keynote speech for PRSA Icon, the organization’s annual international conference. Garrett delivered a detailed timeline of the progression of coronavirus, paying close attention to the interwoven timeline of misinformation and public distrust.

PRNEWS Live welcomed Dave Skena, chief marketing officer and global director of brand at Krispy Kreme. We discussed how the delectable doughnut brand flipped the script on Halloween and Election Day for 2020.