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Though VR and AR have become much more ubiquitous over the last three years, most businesses are still reticent to dive in. Last week, eMarketer shared infographics culled from a Harvard Business Review study in March 2018 that found while roughly two-thirds of U.S. executives polled claimed to be exploring the use of mixed reality (MR) technology, only 20% said they are “currently in production or deploying MR.”

While presenting the award for Video of the Year, Madonna took the opportunity to deliver a lengthy speech about how her career was inadvertently started by the late singer and undisputed Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, who died the Thursday prior. Reactions to the speech were overwhelmingly negative, with amateur and professional critics alike voicing their belief that Madonna disrespected Aretha by making the speech largely about Madonna, relegating Aretha’s influence to nothing but a footnote in Madonna’s story of her own rise to stardom.

If the sole purpose of healthcare is to improve lives, perhaps it is ironic that there is often a human element missing in the way healthcare organizations communicate with patients and customers. But communicators like Edelman’s Susan Isenberg understand there is no one-size-fits-all answer to global communications, and they are working hard to humanize their outreaches on social media and elsewhere.

A recent Grand Jury report detailed over 1,000 cases of sexual abuse by “more than 300 priests over a period of 70 years” by leaders in the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. Several Catholic bishops in Pennsylvania released statements immediately after the report was filed, but there was obvious disagreement among the responses. And Pope Francis didn’t release a statement until the morning of Aug. 20, a full six days after the report came to light.

In many industries the skills in demand revolve around science and technology. It’s not too different in PR and communications, where digital and analytical knowledge is sought. Yet writing, seemingly an old-school skill, continues to play a major role in PR, combined with strategy and the above-mentioned digital, an informal survey of communicators and academics shows.

Why has it seemed like such a challenge for healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, insurers and nonprofit organizations to communicate effectively and build relationships on social media? One could argue that regulatory guidelines must be considered at every turn and have prompted communicators to proceed cautiously—especially given the serious nature and high stakes of the healthcare industry in the first place.

Generals counsels often want to keep a low profile, while part of the job of the chief communications officer (CCO) is to broadcast the corporate narrative as loudly as possible. Yet an alliance with the general counsel can be strategically valuable for the CCO, argue APCO Worldwide senior directors Jim Moorhead and Jo London.

More than 350 newspapers ran editorials praising a free press today, the first large-scale effort to defend press freedoms. A bevy of PR trade associations issued a statement echoing the newspapers’ sentiments. On the other hand, new polls show a small majority (51%) of Republican voters believe the media is the enemy of the people, which is how the President has characterized the press of late.

It’s through listening to the data, selecting your audiences carefully, experimenting and not being afraid to fail that social communicators can figure out what actually matters for them.

An almost-constant refrain of PR crisis management pros is that brands and organizations should own their mistakes, apologize and describe how it plans to ensure a similar crisis does not reoccur. Still, many brands ignore this advice. While it delayed for weeks, the University of Maryland did the right thing August 14, admitting legal and moral responsibility for a student-athlete’s tragic death.