Stories by Seth Arenstein

Nur Ashour, founder of cooking blog Catastrophic Cook, took to Twitter over the weekend to report that she was harassed “for wearing a hijab.” The incident occurred at a Dallas Starbucks. At first glance, it might seem to be a case of a brand being dragged into a potential crisis. Going deeper, that’s not quite it. Ashour’s complaint is against the woman who harassed her, but also includes Starbucks employees who, she alleges, did not come to her aid.

There are few fields more compelling than healthcare. And with the stress and regulation involved in healthcare, communicators in this field are some of the most creative, strategic and versatile in the business. It is fitting that PRNEWS is presenting the Top Women in Healthcare Communication Awards in NY during a gala luncheon July 16th at The Yale Club. Communicators from key healthcare practice areas will gather to celebrate, learn and network.

It’s not really news that more and more data issues are popping up at Facebook. The company’s business model is predicated on a deeply conflicted data scheme. Still, the company has hurt itself by failing to accept some of the basics of crisis management. Here are a few lessons from the latest Facebook scandal.

With PR pros outnumbering journalists 6 to 1 and myriad ways to reach journalists, media relations should be easier than ever. Not necessarily, according to a new report. It finds the media relations pro must understand an increasingly complicated landscape. The average number of journalists creating content for smaller publications is rising. Meanwhile, there are fewer journalists at tier 1 outlets.

Your company has had a data breach. No, it’s potentially had a breach. What’s your counsel to the C-suite? Should the brand reveal this information to the public or wait until you have perfect knowledge? These questions are at the crux of the communicator’s dilemma in the age of cybercrime.

Last month we told you about a report from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that there are 6 PR pros to every one journalist Who are those journalists? What do they cover? And where do they write. A new study provides insight.

As readers of this publication know, we like to gauge the mood of the industry at frequent intervals. So after returning from The Social Shake-Up last month in Atlanta, we examined how communicators are assessing the bevy of data that social media generates. PRNEWS and partner InfoVision Social surveyed 150 PR executives to discover trends and pain points.

We asked our data partner Shareablee to look at blockchain influencers and see who the most active was during Q1 2019.

In gauging the pulse of industry, PRNEWS found that one area of major interest at the Social Shake-Up Show in Atlanta last month was influencers: whether or not to use them, how to use them, where to find them. PRNEWS and partner Buztubr surveyed some 150 PR pros for their insight.

IHOp is at it again. During the Memorial Day Weekend, a traditionally slow news period, it tweeted that the p in its name soon will stand for something other than pancakes. Of course, last year it raised its blue roof when it announced the letter b would replace the p. That short-lived stunt left the brand seeming inauthentic to some, though sales rose and IHOp was a topic of conversation for at least seven days. Has the brand learned from last year?