Stories by Marisa Hernandez

You’ve distributed messaging to staff regarding COVID-19. Sent emails to customers apologizing for canceling events and thanked those who RSVP-ed yes for their support. In addition, you’ve assured them the show will go on, just at a different date and possibly in the form of a virtual event. But how will you make your virtual event stand out, especially when there’s likely to be an unprecedented amount of them?

As many others are doing, members of the book industry have stepped up during the coronavirus crisis. Here are examples of how authors are working with PR pros to offer solace to a variety of groups during these difficult times.

Coronavirus has resulted in remaking the media and social media worlds into one-subject universes, at least for now. As a result, PR pros pitching stories to content creators need to adjust. And before you do anything, make sure your pre-scheduled messages won’t offend during this unsettling moment. After that, adjust expectations and pitch with the content creator’s needs in mind.

One silver lining during the COVID-19 period is that some brands, organizations and individuals are attempting to offset the difficulties with acts of kindness. In an article published March 13, 2020, PRNEWS editor Seth Arenstein described and listed early examples of this. Since that time, PRNEWS decided to extend the list periodically with additional examples of noteworthy activities.

As PR professionals face an increasing number of communications challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, some communicators will encounter the daunting task of notifying customers, employees and others about the possibility that they have been exposed to the coronavirus. Here are tips to help craft that communication.

Joe Biden’s campaign was all but dead just weeks ago. Today he’s the frontrunner for a chance to unseat the president. Working with few resources and little infrastructure in Super Tuesday states, Biden communicators honed their messages and turned to garden-variety earned media and social media. It worked.

Check back here for the latest updates on our coverage related to communications, public relations and the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

Linking diversity and inclusion to crisis is not something communicators think of often. Yet, when an organization’s PR team does not reflect the ethnic makeup of its consumers, there is a tremendous opportunity for failed risk assessments. Simply put, less diversity can mean more bad judgement calls

It’s impossible to predict now, but coronavirus could usher in a highly inward-looking society as more of us fear leaving the safety of our homes.

Since they are roughly half the population, women should be quoted about half the time in the media. A recent analysis shows women are cited in content only about one-third of the time, however. With Women’s Day approaching, PR pros can help rectify this issue in a variety of ways, from mentoring to formal industry efforts.