Topics

How should communicators handle bad facts that they’re called on to clean up? When they’re true, own them, say veteran PR pros.

A typical summertime activity, visiting an amusement park, turned tragic at Adventureland Park in Altoona, Iowa. On July 3, an 11-year-old boy, Michael Jaramillo, died after a group tube on the Raging River ride flipped over, trapping him and his family members underneath. The park’s response could have been more sympathetic.

Challenges the author face as a leader—especially around work-life issues, an important part of the PR pro’s employment regime—are similar to those he encountered for the first time as a 21-year-old Second Class at sea.

Freedom can mean many things. And with July 4 approaching, after a year of societal turmoil, many Americans may find their views on patriotism shifting.

There are a slew of responsibilities on the PR pro’s plate. Yet helping to slow the spread of disinformation must rank high on communicator’s list of priorities. As we celebrate July 4th, it’s important to see PR pros as freedom fighters against disinformation.

As the world changed in March 2020, so too did the future for many college seniors who graduated months later. With Gen Z entering the workforce, millennials taking more leadership positions, and technology platforms proving to be important tools for communication, some firms are changing the way they recruit for PR jobs. 

Whether it’s tennis associations pitted against athletes, NHL hockey teams covering up sexual abuse, the NCAA battling its member universities and athletes, European soccer bosses jousting with fans or organizers of the Tokyo Olympics seemingly ignoring athletes, doctors and the majority of Japanese citizens–the antediluvian approach of these sporting entities to stakeholder communication is inescapable.

In interviews, we found pro bono has several meanings. Strictly, it’s free work. In PR, it also encompasses volunteering at nonprofits. At some shops it includes at-cost or highly discounted work. Some brands consider pro bono tantamount to what many call corporate social responsibility.

PR data, research and evaluation continue to flourish in agencies, non-profits and corporations large and small. To encourage those considering the field and inform hiring decisions, we spoke with seven corporate members of the Institute for Public Relations Measurement Commission.Each delivers research-based insight and guidance to communication colleagues.

With the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for July 23, but not a sure thing, we asked data partner Shareablee to measure the games’ social engagement.