PR Insiders

PRNEWS received word of our dear friend and colleague, Mark Weiner’s, passing earlier this week. Tina McCorkindale, president and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, worked closely with Mark, and graciously offered this tribute celebrating his life.

In observance of Veterans Day, we again asked former Pentagon PR pro Steve Manuel for his thoughts.

A key to media relations is treating journalists as human beings. A new survey, provided exclusively to PRNEWS, looks at journalists’ income, workload, mental health and preferences about pitching and video conferences. It concludes that some things have changed with the pandemic, but the basics of media relations endure.

The recruitment, development and retention of Black professionals is vital to bringing new concepts and ideas to the table. To create sustained allyship, we must be prepared to go beyond Black History Month to understand our audiences and our Black colleagues.

One door closes, another opens. One of the last institutions to resist TV coverage, the U.S. Supreme Court has opened up a bit during the pandemic. Now any journalist with WiFi can listen to the court’s proceedings. This means media relations must adapt. Our author finds virtual SCOTUS hearings offer new opportunities for communicators.

As PR pros celebrate Black History Month during a virtual event at the Museum of PR next week, several panelists offer perspectives on the roles of Black PR pioneers and work that’s still needed. They call for increased recruitment and retention of Black PR pros and placement of more Black PR executives in senior positions.

The GameStop explosion means monitoring the social conversation involves a lot more than previously thought. Not only do communicators have to keep track of a slew of channels and private conversations, they need to comprehend how subreddit groups operate and the damage they can do to brands.

You never know where you’ll find a PR takeaway. Even during the pandemic, you can spot media coverage on the walls of your local Five Guys. And it’s often coverage from national and local outlets. In addition to a dangerously delicious burger and fries, some PR lessons are on the menu.

The GameStop/Reddit fiasco offers several lessons for communicators. One is that the savvy PR pro pays attention to all platforms and discussions, including those on private message boards, closed Facebook groups, Reddit and Substack and many more. In addition, prepare your executive to offer more than emotion and staid talking points during TV interviews.

A careful reading of the news can be a boon for PR professionals, argues veteran communicator Arthur Solomon. In his yearly roundup of news items that provide PR takeaways, Solomon offers tips on media relations, PR crisis, workplace relations and other important topics.