6 Crisis Management Lessons From the Florida Condo Collapse
From Devin Partida, writing for Worth… The tragic condominium collapse that occurred recently in Surfside, Fla., has shed light on the importance of crisis management. Identifying threats before they arise can be a challenge. Emergencies can be difficult, if not impossible, to anticipate, but how to respond to them can be thought out beforehand. Proper planning […]
How ‘Engagement’ Makes You Vulnerable to Manipulation and Misinformation on Social Media
Filippo Menczer, Luddy Distinguished Professor of Informatics and Computer Science at Indiana University, writes… Facebook has been quietly experimenting with reducing the amount of political content it puts in users’ news feeds. The move is a tacit acknowledgment that the way the company’s algorithms work can be a problem. The heart of the matter is the distinction between […]
Fighting Misinformation: How to Inoculate Your Audience Against Troll Trash Talk
By Howard Fencl/Hennes Communications Fact: The COVID-19 vaccine will make you glow in the dark. Fact: Migrants crossing the southern border are causing the latest U.S. outbreak. Fact: Dr. Anthony Fauci is covering up U.S. support of research that unleashed COVID. Fact is, none of these allegations are fact. They’re nonsense. And none of […]
Express Your Best Self: Go for Connection, Not Perfection
From Stephanie Scotti, writing for SmartBrief… When you are about to step up to deliver a presentation, you may feel like the audience is an adversary. If so, you may be surprised to learn that, with rare exceptions, your audience is really cheering for you; they want you to succeed. Whether listening by choice or […]
Events and Emergency Comms Takeaways From Tropical Depression Henri
By Sophie Maerowitz, writing for PR News… As the climate changes and severe weather events become more frequent, all PR pros have a relatively new discipline to master: emergency weather communications. While public notices around dangerous weather conditions were once solely the realm of local governments and first responders, just about every type of organization […]
Social Media Jeopardizes our Lives
By Evan Nierman, writing for PR News… The swift downfall of “Jeopardy!” host Mike Richards is the latest example of the jeopardy that surrounds us in today’s lightning-fast unforgiving age of social media. Whether you make a wrong move, say something offensive, or have ugly skeletons in your closet, the career-ending rush to judgement can be fast […]
It’s National Preparedness Month
National Preparedness Month (NPM) is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” Week 1 September 1-4: Make A Plan Talk to your friends and family about […]
Why Jim Cantore and Hurricane Reporters in the Eye of the Storm Matter
By Tom Jones, writing for Poynter… If the world can see what is happening, help is more likely to follow. One of the most powerful storms to ever hit the U.S. — 16 years to the day that Hurricane Katrina hit the same part of the country — dramatically overtook the news on Sunday. Right […]
9/11 at 20: Not Just Another Anniversary
Tim O’Brien writes… There are anniversaries and then there are anniversaries. The one that’s coming up is the latter. On September 11, 2021, the country will mark 20 years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that not only shook a nation, but changed it. The event created a new term that defines the era in […]
The Media Revolution is ‘Iterative’ and Social: Experts Share How Not to Get Left Behind
From Bar Leader, a publication of the American Bar Association: “You’re all living in a media revolution,” said Thom Fladung, vice president of Hennes Communications. “And you don’t even know it.” Offering a window onto one aspect of that revolution, Bruce Hennes, president of the same crisis communications firm, said, “I don’t think there’s a reporter […]