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We have all seen articles talking about perceived downfalls of the millennial generation. Often mentioned is the fact that this cohort is known to be flighty, with a penchant for leaving a job after perhaps two years. As a person who falls within the millennial bracket, the author can discuss for days the merits of her generation. Instead she provides tips on how to attract and retain millennials in your PR shop.

Brands are grappling with several issues that have become political with the new administration in Washington, D.C., including energy policies and immigration. Data from APCO Worldwide , shared with PRNews Pro exclusively, looks at the issues surrounding buy American, hire American, namely, What is an American brand?

Arthur W. Page Society president Roger Bolton argues that there has been a significant shift in CEOs’ perception of the value of corporate communications and the role of the chief communications officer (CCO). CEOs increasingly are relying on CCOs not just for occasional counsel and advice, but also as key leaders and contributors playing a critical role alongside other C-Suite members in creating and implementing company-wide strategy.

PR is about advising top management and ensuring that ethical business practices, good judgment and transparency are not only communicated, but implemented and enforced, argues Adriana Stan, PR director for W magazine. If you are Uber, United or Pepsi these lessons are clear by now, she says.

Sometimes the idea you need is right in front of you. With PR and marketing pros enmeshed in their brand, it’s easy to miss obvious angles. A helpful idea is to clear the mind and try to look at your messaging with a fresh perspective. Looking at your brand sideways can help, writes an executive at Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care.

At some brands, PR and social media are part of the same department. At others, the two mix as easily as oil and water, which is to say almost never. Allen Plummer of Vanguard argues, though, that PR and social media departments need each other to provide optimal return to a business. He provides useful lessons that Vanguard has learned as a result of integrating the two.

In our regular feature on trends in PR, an Aflac executive whose portfolio includes reputation building discusses how brands are putting increasing importance on reputation and CSR activities. He provides a look behind the scenes of how Aflac improved its reputation scores by expanding perception of its CSR activities.

Many people think of communication as a simple process, merely a series of statements and responses. They probably have never tried reaching hundreds or thousands of people. Such communication can grow cumbersome and complex. Corporate communicator Myranda Grim finds it helpful to remind herself that no matter what she’s doing, at the root of it she is having a conversation with her coworkers.

Right or wrong, media is in the crosshairs. The White House targets the press regularly. Distrust of the press is rising, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer and journalists themselves feel the struggle to maintain the public trust, a new report from Cision says. With media in a precarious state, Starbucks’ SVP, global communications & international public affairs Corey duBrowa believes it’s important for brands to have an alternative and create content themselves. He discussed this during the Arthur W. Page Society’s New CCO podcast. In an in-depth interview with us after the podcast, we asked duBrowa about branded content, storytelling, integration and challenges ahead.

Our regular feature where we ask communicators about trends in PR. This week we speak with veteran cable TV communicator Anne Cowan. “I think demand for transparency is trending. It’s probably been driven in part by the political climate of the last several months. But I think the demand for transparency was occurring before that time, just a bit more slowly. Kim Scott, a CEO coach and former faculty member at Apple University, has written a book that espouses transparency in management, although she calls it radical candor, which also is the name of her book. I love that term.”