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Are you up-to-date on the biggest brand players on social media? Take this quiz to find out.

Social media has made listening easy, right? Not so fast. There’s listening and then there’s critical listening. It’s not hard to figure out which kind is more advantageous for communicators. Tips and thoughts about listening will help your career blossom.

With another presidential debate tonight, Democrats should should embrace lessons from American pop culture and PR, a former celebrity magazine editor and current PR pro argues. With a reality star in the White House, it’s the campaign strategy that will give the Democrats a fighting chance.

Working on communications for a startup has its joys and issues. Veteran startup PR pro Shana Starr offers guidance for the communicator who’s just stepping into the startup space. She recommends extensive research, which will inform a solid media relations plan and help PR pros position a startup in the market.

The privilege of pulling the data can sometimes cost thousands of dollars. With top-flight offerings requiring a significant buy-in, it’s easy to believe that SEO requires deep pockets. With a little effort, what’s freely available online can give you the same results as the heavy hitters in the industry. The expensive tools will do all the analysis for you, taking all the disparate data points presenting them in one place. But if you’re willing to do the work, you can avoid the big spend.

Anything can be politicized, however, it takes a very serious turn when the safety of people is at stake. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, home of the National Weather Service, continues to be at odds following a tumultuous week with the White House on the communication of disinformation regarding Hurricane Dorian and the state of Alabama.

At the Platinum PR Awards Gala next week in New York City, bestselling author David Brier will break down some of the biggest questions in public relations today: What makes great brands great? How can brands can survive in today’s dynamic landscape? And how do you take your brand to the next level with storytelling that inspires? Get a sneak peek as David hammers out the secret to storytelling with PRNEWS editorial director Melissa Hoffmann.

Interns can contribute to your PR effort, hurt it or be inconsequential. The key to a successful internship program, argues PR pro Michelle Mekky, is to treat interns with respect, have enough work and guidance for them and avoid viewing interns as cheap labor.

With the continual introduction of new platforms and instant response, management and moderation becomes a key skill for any brand. Contrary to popular belief, the titles social media manager and community manager are not interchangeable. Both work towards the positive promotion of a brand underneath the direction of the marketing department, but the similarities really stop there.

The M.I.T. Media Lab’s long, underreported history of recieving donations from the late convicted sex offender and philanthropist Jeffrey Epstein contains several lessons for those working in industries that have recurring moral and ethical crises, most noticeably around acknowledging roles, calling out patterns of bad behavior and scrutinizing philanthropic relationships.