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“Honestly, I’m here to talk about the Olympics, not gossip,” gold medal winner Shaun White said in response to a reporter’s inconvenient question about a sexual harassment accusation that eventually was settled out of court. But reporters aren’t paid to stick to a star’s script, usually—the Olympic champion knows that now.

Financial firms are generally thought to be shy about social media. Not so, at least in 2017, according to data provided exclusively to PR News by Shareablee. The sector combined for some 58 million consumer interactions in 2017, which represents modest growth vs 2016. And it accomplished this despite posting fewer pieces of content.

It’s dangerous to take anything out of context, particularly data. Facebook’s user numbers are gargantuan and are continuing to grow modestly. Still, digging down, you’ll find older people fueling its growth and younger folks departing or not visiting the social channel at all.

Facebook woke up this morning to see another gray hair in the mirror. While Facebook’s popularity with younger users has been on the decline for some time, a new report from market-research firm eMarketer quantifies just how bad this year’s exodus will be. Facebook is set to shed about 2 million users under the age of 24 this year.

Unilever is threatening to pull ads from the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Google—but the way the consumer goods giant conveyed that message has been as powerful as the message itself. The company’s CMO Keith Weed planned to use his keynote at the IAB Annual Leadership Meeting today to call for improved transparency, accountability and consumer trust in digital platforms. But in a masterstroke of messaging, the company managed to humanize itself and score earned media, while also positioning Unilever as a thought leader, by releasing the speech strategically.

On Jan. 23 in New York, PR News celebrated its 2018 Top Women in PR. These inspiring women have risen above the crowd to make a difference in their workplaces and in their communities, both as communications professionals and as mentors to other women. We took some time out at the luncheon to speak with some of them on camera.

This weekend, one of the most-viewed sporting events in the world kicks off in PyeongChang, South Korea. But it’s not just athletes that will be strutting their stuff on the world’s biggest stage. For the brands that serve as official sponsors, the Winter Olympics provide a perfect opportunity to combine storytelling skills with the natural drama of international competition. Here’s a look at how some of those brands are leveraging the games, using everything from influencer marketing strategies to virtual reality experiences.

It’s not often we get a close-up look at how communicators handle crises. Brad Ross, executive director of communications for Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), takes us through a difficult week, day by day. In the end, TTC feels that being honest and transparent and apologizing will re-build the reputation hits it absorbs after a difficult week on the rails. It might take a little bit of time, though.

Twitter delivered a profitable quarter for the first time in its history, beating Wall Street’s expectations with fourth-quarter net income of $91 million. But the cheery news was tempered by the fact that its user growth is stagnant, and even falling in the U.S. Meanwhile, in a tale of two platforms, Snapchat is still bleeding money, yet its user base, particularly among Gen Z, is on the ascent.

By turning to short-form video via channels like Snapchat and Instagram Stories, brands can capture—and keep—the precious attention of their target audience. “As social feeds continue to be overwhelmed by a never-ending influx of content, brand storytellers must embrace a less-is-more approach,” says PwC’s Larissa von Lockner.