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In a PR crisis, consistent messaging is important. In communicating about a potential health crisis, consistent, factual messaging becomes paramount. The country’s coronavirus situation is rapidly rising beyond politics. It is imperative for all communicators, including the president, to speak from the same script.

Since they are roughly half the population, women should be quoted about half the time in the media. A recent analysis shows women are cited in content only about one-third of the time, however. With Women’s Day approaching, PR pros can help rectify this issue in a variety of ways, from mentoring to formal industry efforts.

The Houston Astros, as many know, are a baseball team. Without wanting to, the franchise and Major League Baseball have supplied a classic case study for PR education in the field of crisis communications. Most likely the outcome of the team’s disastrous crisis response will continue to be written during the coming baseball season and beyond.

In the ever-evolving world of digital, there’s little doubt that social media professionals should stay on top of algorithm changes, new social apps and shifts in user behavior and appetite. As Social Shake-Up 2020 host Brian Fanzo, CEO of iSocialFanz puts it, “I wish there was a pause button for every new social media app. But there isn’t one, so we have to focus our goals on how to address that.”

In this continuing series about lessons in career and life, a senior communicator at a relatively unknown but major aluminum company explains why he left a very good position at a much larger firm. It was the best career move he’s made, he says.

PR pros know one of the top traits requested in a quality communicator is crisp, clean, error-free writing. Employees represent their companies through not only press releases and composed content, but also in social media posts and email. A grammatical error can send a campaign into a spiral. We’ve published many articles on becoming a better writer. We gathered some of the most popular tips so you could enjoy them today on National Grammar Day.  

If anything, the remaining candidates are throwing everything they’ve got into this Super Tuesday, igniting digital strategies from all corners of the democratic universe. You’d be hard pressed not to open Instagram or Facebook and yes, even Twitter, without seeing some sort of political trend, video or paid advertisement. We took a look at the diverse social media strategies each candidate harnesses. Some feel forced, while others emerged organically, completely separate from the official campaign team. Will they make a difference on Super Tuesday?

Since the coronavirus landed on U.S. shores, the media has been working overtime—not only describing the symptoms and areas affected to those seeking information, but also in regards to how the outbreak is impacting business across the board. Whether it be the dramatic stock market drop, large-scale event postponements or travel cancellations, organizations need to take stock of what’s most important to communicate to a concerned public.

Measurement guru Katie Paine compares China’s cover-up of the coronavirus and the Houston Astros’ long delay before admitting guilt in the sign-stealing scandal. Neither entity helped its reputation when it chose to ignore a crisis. Prompt response and owning your mistakes still makes the most sense.

Flat organizations can be great. They are cost efficient, and enable fast communication and quick decision-making. On the other hand, a flat organization can become an issue during a crisis, argues Kevin Elliott, SVP, Hill + Knowlton Strategies. His advice is to become hierarchical when a crisis occurs.