Stories by Joshua J. Smith

It’s an understatement to say that people have been through a lot during the past few months. As a result, they are looking for reassurance. In addition, they want to know how your company contributed to solving problems during the pandemic. Show them as you craft bolstering messages. Here’s how to do it.

During our July 15 PRNEWS webinar, “Communicating Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Efforts with Employees,” Gabrielle Gambrell, marketing and communications consultant and adjunct professor at New York University, Catherine Hernandez-Blades, senior vice president; chief environmental, social and governance and communications officer at Aflac, and Wendy J. Roundtree, APR, founder of Jarel Communications, discussed the importance of showcasing meaningful diversity programs. 

Here’s a column that you should make time to read. What? You’re too busy? Seriously, PR pro Jamie McLaughlin had the same problem. That’s before he resolved to become less busy. His story offers hope to harried PR pros everywhere. And smile. This is a very quick read.

PRNEWS welcomes Scott Dobroski of Glassdoor to discuss the changes in employment communications during the pandemic.

PRNEWS surveyed an outstanding group of entries for this year’s Top Places to Work in PR. Here are the honorees.

The social movement Black Lives Matter is one of several groups calling for an end to structural racism and promoting fair police treatment. A look at some of the movement’s hashtags offer lessons for coalitions in and out of the social advocacy sphere.

Most PR pros learn about media relations in school or on the job. Matt Newey, a photographer and ski nut, absorbed some of the basics through trial and error. He pitched his personal story of contracting COVID-19 to hundreds of reporters. It worked.

The pandemic has caused more than a few sectors to pivot. Why not influencers? With travel and leisure destinations largely off the radar, influencers increasingly are working with the public sector, education organizations and social causes. The goal in most cases is to promote awareness of health and other messages.

We’re living in difficult times. Yet, the events of 2020, for good or ill, are shaping up to be storytelling gold. It’s a time for brand storytellers to gather and capture real-time history and to think more broadly about how these stories can be used.

In this continuing series about career lessons, veteran communicator Dale Bornstein discusses how to unleash a PR pro’s career passion. While it is hard work for management and the staffer in question, there’s nothing more satisfying. The first step is asking the employee to describe their dream job.