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It’s a fact of life in today’s market: many PR people shuffle from sector to sector and region to region during their careers. What are the best ways to learn a new field as well as the journalists in it? Our author provides tips that will help you quickly gain leverage with media members in your new sector and get a handle on trends.

Size matters, particularly when it comes to social crises. In fact, large brands with extensive presences globally are very big targets for those with mobile phones, which is just about everyone. Walmart has absorbed its share of social crises this summer. Dan Kneeshaw, the brand’s senior director, global communications, digital strategy & brand engagement, provides insight on how Walmart views social crises.

Facebook has announced a new feature: Crisis Response, a center that brings its various tools and features for responding to tragedies and natural disasters into one place. Open Crisis Response, select one of the ongoing crises in the world and you’ll be able to use Safety Check, Community Help, get important news updates and more.

Growing up, most of us were encouraged by our parents and teachers to play well in the sandbox, to share our toys and pay attention in class. Fast forward to now, and imagine your boss… Continued

Growing up, most of us were encouraged to play well in the sandbox, to share our toys and pay attention in class. Fast forward to now, and imagine your boss telling you to do the same. It would feel patronizing, right? Truth is, we could benefit from those childhood reminders. As the tools at our disposal work across multiple disciplines, it’s become more critical for brands to promote an omni-channel message that will resonate.

The hashtag recently turned 10 years old, but after all these years, it has still got to be one of the most misunderstood social media tactics ever. Hashtags hold power, but like any other power, it can have adverse affects if not used in the right way. Here are three common hashtag mistakes that every brand needs to avoid.

PR professionals from around the globe came together at PR News’ Platinum PR and Agency Elite Awards luncheon at the Grand Hyatt in New York City on Sept. 14 to celebrate the winners and honorable mentions of PR News’ 2017 Agency Elite Awards. The Agency Elite awards benchmark excellence in PR agencies’ key practice areas, from advocacy, crisis communications and social media to internal communications, media relations and reputation management.

All communicators are tasked with crafting clear, concise and interesting messages and pitches. Communicators in the technology field have the additional difficulty of translating arcane, jargon-laden ideas into plain English. More than that, the pace of products and ideas flooding the market can cause headaches. Tips that tech communicators use to manage the load can help PR pros in any field.

Pizza Hut is facing heat on social media after an internal memo, posted at one of the chain’s Jacksonville, Florida locations before Hurricane Irma made landfall in the area, threatened to punish employees that evacuated more than 24 hours before the storm. But while social media’s ire is centered on the Jacksonville location’s apparent disregard for employee safety, one key phrase in the memo, the location’s “commitment to the community,” raises an important point.

Chances are we wouldn’t be writing this post had British PR firm Bell Pottinger’s demise yesterday remained a story limited to Europe and Africa. Unfortunately for the reputation of the PR industry here and abroad, Bell… Continued