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Gone are the days when companies could comfortably stay out of the U.S. socio-political morass. The old strategy of remaining silent or neutral quickly riles customers and other stakeholders in today’s charged, social media-savvy culture. For most brands, it is hard to imagine how taking a stand on a political hot potato won’t alienate customers. Yet, when done correctly, taking a political stand can build brand and employee loyalty.

On April 17, two men were killed in an autonomous Tesla crash in Harris County, Texas. The company has so far stayed mum—perhaps because no PR pros were around to pick up the phone. There’s little question as to why Tesla has stayed so silent: The company disbanded its PR team in October 2020.

Companies and communicators require data to gain insight about consumers. In theory, the rise in online shopping during the pandemic should be a boon for data gathering. The reality is more complicated, especially as consumers rebel against ‘data stealing’ and Google, among others, is set to better protect browsing history. Still, there are options to gather data transparently and insights gained have never been more important.

Cision’s annual state of the media didn’t offer revelations, but is loaded with useful insight and data about how journalists worked in 2020 and what they’re looking for in 2021. It’s a good reminder for PR pros to tailor pitches, return calls, include useful data, provide DEI angles and consider upbeat stories.

The pandemic has changed many parts of our lives, yet something that vexed senior leaders one year ago is a constant: Can you engage employees, sustain a corporate culture and encourage innovation in a largely remote world? Ruder Finn CEO Kathy Bloomgarden offers ideas to promote innovative thinking and connectedness when most if not all employees are WFH.

PRNEWS Live welcomed Jenan Matari, director of accounts at Victory Public Relations. Jenan discussed inclusive messaging, recent campaigns to promote Ramadan and the importance of marketing to the Muslim population.

PRSA responded to the needs of former members and unemployed communicators, unveiling an initiative to encourage them to rejoin or join the trade organization, respectively. “In Between Jobs” offers half-price membership to PRSA as well as other incentives aimed at helping unemployed communicators find work.

PR pros and the media face a critical situation. They must get the J&J vaccine narrative right, informing the public about risks while not inducing undue concern and spurring more vaccine anxiety. It’s also an opportunity for government, the medical community and media to regain public trust.

Whether you produce news segments or the advertising in between, your industry is suffering from significant burnout, two recent surveys have found. Researchers at College of Social Work (CoSW) Self-Care Lab at the University of Kentucky conducted a national survey of nearly 2,000 television journalists’ self-care practices as COVID-19 has come to dominate lead stories they work on in addition to their personal lives. In a survey of over 1,300 marketing, PR and advertising employees and a subsequent report, market research firm Bastion db5 in partnership with agency vet Tim Anderson found top stressors included work-life balance, job security, ageism and fair pay.

The odds seem long for Rep. Matt Gaetz to clear his name and reputation, although this story changes daily. His task is not impossible, though. If Gaetz beats the allegations, he can restore his reputation by focusing on the basics of crisis response and strategic communication.