For Immediate Release

FIR #513: Why Communications Must Build the Narrative Code for the Agentic Age

Mon, 11 May 2026 19:46:00 -0000

Neville and Shel dig into a provocative Harvard Business Review article that argues most marketing teams are structurally unprepared for the speed and scale that agentic AI now enables. The bottleneck, the authors contend, isn't the technology; it's the operating model. Neville and Shel connect the piece to conversations FIR has been having for the past year: AI as orchestration rather than automation, professionals shifting from supervisors of tasks to directors of systems, and 2026 increasingly framed as “the year of the agent.”

At the center of the Harvard piece is the idea of a “brand code” — a machine-readable knowledge system that lets specialized AI agents continuously create, adapt, test, and optimize marketing in real time. Communications urgently needs its own equivalent: a “narrative code” containing executive voice profiles, message hierarchies, sensitive-topic guardrails, and escalation rules. Whoever builds it first, he warns, will inherit the agentic stack, and if marketing gets there first, comms will be stuck with a system never designed for crisis, controversy, or stakeholder complexity. The episode also includes some concrete examples and early thoughts on Hermes, Wispr Flow, and where human judgment still has to win.

Complete show notes, including video and transcript

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FIR #511: Doing AI Governance Right and Still Getting It Wrong

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:00:00 -0000

The policies are clear and well communicated. The guardrails are firmly established. Every last employee has been trained. And someone in your organization still releases a public document riddled with AI-generated errors. What went wrong has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with internal culture and accountability. In this long-form April episode, Neville and Shel examine a company that seemingly took all the right steps yet still had to apologize publicly for a court filing riddled with hallucinated citations. Also in this episode:

Gartner predicts that, by 2028, 75% of employees will rely on an internal chatbot to get the news that matters to them. How will internal communicators need to rethink their role to ensure everyone knows and understands what they should in order to achieve strategic alignment?
One of the promises AI executives have made is a leveling of the playing field, giving lower-level employees the opportunity to excel and rise through the ranks. According to one new study, exactly the opposite has been happening.
PR hacks have been accelerating the pace at which they churn out press releases and pitches. That has raised the bar for what it takes to earn a journalist's trust (and journalists do still rely on press releases, according to a survey of reporters).
Apple's announcement of its CEO transition offers communicators a clinic on how to announce a new top executive.
"Slopaganda" from Iran has proven remarkably effective, which means it is undoubtedly coming for your company or clients soon.

In his Tech Report, Dan York outlines big changes coming with WordPress's next update.

Complete show notes, including video, links, and transcript.

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FIR #510: Should Companies Embrace Shadow AI?

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:00:00 -0000

Employees have long found ways to use software tools to get the job done, even when those tools are not approved. It’s called Shadow IT, but ever since generative Artificial Intelligence hit the scene in 2022, employees have adopted a new version: Shadow AI. The company approves Microsoft Co-Pilot, but employees opt to use their smartphones or personal laptops, along with their personal accounts with ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Midjourney, or whatever best suits their needs.

For most companies, this is a problem that needs to be addressed through repeated policy announcements and vigorous crackdowns. One company, though, took a different approach. In this short, midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel outline what the company did and how communicators might advocate for a version of this approach to aiding in AI adoption and speeding up productivity gains.

Complete show notes, including video, links, and transcript.

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FIR #508: Inside AI's Human Raw Material Supply Chain

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:06:00 -0000

When workers lose their jobs, many turn to gig work to earn income while waiting for new opportunities. Increasingly, companies that hire gig workers are shifting from delivering food or sharing rides to creating content to train AI systems. This raises various communication and ethical issues. Neville and Shel explain what’s happening and discuss the implications in this short midweek episode.

Complete show notes, including video and transcript

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FIR #507: Should Nobody Really Ever Write with AI?

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:00:00 -0000

Take a stroll through LinkedIn. You'll find no shortage of posts stridently deriding the notion that anyone should ever use AI to write for them. While that case isn't hard to make for professional writers, there are countless professionals in other fields who struggle with writing, never trained to be writers, yet now have to write everything from emails to reports as part of their jobs. Should they really sweat for hours over wording, time they could be devoting to the core areas of subject expertise, when AI can produce content that is cogent, clear, and direct? In this short mid-week episode, Neville and Shel look at the trends in using AI for writing, despite the plethora of opinions from the pundits. Complete show notes, including links, audio, and transcript: https://wp.me/p5yzJx-6Eg

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FIR #506: Battle of the Bots!

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:00:00 -0000

In this monthly long-form episode for March, Neville and Shel tackle a trio of interconnected themes reshaping the communications profession in the age of AI. The conversation opens with Anthropic’s top lawyer declaring that AI will destroy the billable hour. That thread leads naturally into JP Morgan’s controversial use of digital monitoring to verify junior bankers’ working hours, where Shel and Neville question whether surveillance technology can substitute for genuine managerial trust and engagement.

The episode also examines Gartner’s widely circulated prediction that PR budgets will double by 2027 as AI search engines favor earned media. Shel delivers a detailed report on the escalating misinformation crisis, citing a 900% surge in global deepfake incidents and new research from the C2PA on content provenance standards. The episode closes with a discussion of Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince’s prediction that bot traffic will exceed human traffic by 2027, and a sobering peer-reviewed study on how social bots hijack organizational messaging — research reported by Bob Pickard, who has experienced bot-driven attacks firsthand.

Dan York also contributes a tech report on the state of the Fediverse and Mastodon, as well as on AI developments for WordPress.

Complete show notes, including video, links, and transcript.

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FIR #505: Social Media's Big Shift

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:00:00 -0000

In FIR #505, Neville and Shel dig into Hootsuite’s Social Media Trends 2026 report, which argues that social media is no longer just a communication channel — it’s morphing into a search engine, cultural radar, and real-time research tool. They explore what it means for communicators when younger audiences treat TikTok and Instagram as their primary discovery platforms, and when Google itself starts indexing social content. The conversation also tackles “fastvertising” — the growing pressure on brands to react to cultural moments within hours — and whether that speed actually translates to bottom-line results or just burnout.

The discussion takes a provocative turn when Shel raises Ethan Mollick’s warning that public forums are being systematically overrun by machine-generated content, with research suggesting one in five accounts in public conversations may be automated. They weigh the AI paradox facing communicators: generative AI has become table stakes for social media production, yet 30% of consumers say they’re less likely to choose a brand whose ads they know were AI-created. Neville and Shel agree that social media can serve as both a publishing channel and a listening tool — but only if human-to-human communication can survive the rising tide of bot-generated noise.

Complete show notes, including video and transcript

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FIR #504: When Companies Blame Layoffs on AI -- and Leave Communicators Holding the Bag

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Shel and Neville examine a troubling trend gaining momentum across corporate America: AI washing — the practice of attributing layoffs to artificial intelligence when the real reasons are more complex. The discussion centers on two high-profile cases. Block CEO Jack Dorsey announced a 40 percent workforce reduction, crediting AI tools, despite three prior rounds of cuts that had nothing to do with AI and pushback from former employees who say the moves look like standard cost management. Meanwhile, Oracle is cutting thousands of jobs, not because AI replaced those workers, but to fund a massive data center expansion that Wall Street projects won't generate positive cash flow until 2030. Meanwhile, a new Anthropic labor market study adds context, finding limited evidence that AI has meaningfully displaced workers to date—though hiring of younger workers in exposed occupations may be slowing.

Neville and Shel dig into what this means for communicators who may be asked to craft layoff messaging that overstates AI's role.

Complete show notes, including links, transcript, and video

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FIR #503: When Your Boss Throws You Under the Bus

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:18:00 -0000

The president of the International Olympic Committee didn’t have an answer to a question posed to her at a press conference on the final day of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Or to another question. Or to yet another. Ultimately, she suggested, on camera, that someone on her communications team should be fired. In this short midweek FIR episode, Shel and Neville look at the fallout, what both the president and the head of communications might have done differently, and the possible long-term consequences.

https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-503-when-your-boss-throws-you-under-the-bus/.

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FIR #502: Attack of the AI Agent!

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:00:00 -0000

In the February long-form episode of FIR, Shel and Neville dive deep into an AI-heavy landscape, exploring how rapidly accelerating technology is reshaping the communications profession—from autonomous agents with "attitudes" to the evolving ROI of podcasting. The show kicks off with a chilling "milestone" moment: an autonomous AI coding agent that publicly shamed a human developer after its code contribution was rejected. Also in this episode:

Accenture's move to monitor how often senior employees log into internal AI systems, making "regular adoption" a factor in promotion to managing director.
The "2026 Change Communication X-ray" study reveals a record 30-point gap between management satisfaction and employee satisfaction with change comms.
The PRCA has proposed a new definition of PR, positioning it as a strategic management discipline focused on trust and complexity. However, Neville notes the industry reaction has been muted, with critics arguing the definition doesn't reflect the majority of agency work. Shel expresses skepticism that any single definition will be adopted without a global consensus.
Addressing a provocative claim that corporate podcast ROI is impossible to prove, Shel and Neville argue that the problem lies in measuring the wrong things. They advocate for moving beyond "vanity metrics" like downloads and instead tying podcasts to concrete business goals like lead generation, recruitment, and brand trust.
As consumers increasingly turn to LLMs for product recommendations, brands are "wooing the robots" to ensure they are cited accurately in AI responses. Neville asks if we are witnessing a structural shift in reputation or just another optimization cycle.
In his Tech Report, Dan York explains why Bluesky is having trouble adding an edit feature, Russia's blocking of Meta properties, criticism of Australia's teen social media ban from Snapchat's CEO, YouTube's protections for teen users, and more on teen social media bans.

Complete show notes, including video, links, and transcript:

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FIR #501: AI and the Rise of the $400K Storyteller

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:00:00 -0000

AI isn’t replacing communicators — it’s amplifying the value of communication, especially storytelling and strategic writing. In this short, midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel explore how the hottest jobs in tech are increasingly about telling stories, not writing code, with Netflix, Microsoft, Adobe, Anthropic, and OpenAI all hiring communications and storytelling teams at salaries ranging from six figures up to $775,000 per year. Even AI labs themselves are posting compensation packages around $400K for storytelling and communications roles, signaling that they understand the irreplaceable human value of meaning-making in an age of automated content generation.

The distinction Neville and Shel highlight between traditional messaging and true storytelling proves critical: conventional communications start with what the brand wants to say, while storytelling starts with what audiences actually care about. The strongest communicators will be those who move beyond prescriptive messaging to tell genuine human stories.

Complete show notes, including links, video, and transcript.

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FIR #500: When Harassment Policies Meet Deepfakes

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 21:37:00 -0000

AI has shifted from being purely a productivity story to something far more uncomfortable. Not because the technology became malicious, but because it’s now being used in ways that expose old behaviors through entirely new mechanics. An article in HR Director Magazine argues that AI-enabled workplace abuse — particularly deepfakes — should be treated as workplace harm, not dismissed as gossip, humor, or something that happens outside of work. When anyone can generate realistic images or audio of a colleague in minutes and circulate them instantly, the targeted person is left trying to disprove something that never happened, even though it feels documented. That flips the burden of proof in ways most organizations aren’t prepared to handle.

What makes this a communication issue — not just an HR or IT issue — is that the harm doesn’t stop with the creator. It spreads through sharing, commentary, laughter, and silence. People watch closely how leaders respond, and what they don’t say can signal tolerance just as loudly as what they do. In this episode, Neville and Shel explore what communicators can do before something happens: helping organizations explicitly name AI-enabled abuse, preparing leaders for that critical first conversation, and reinforcing standards so that, when trust is tested, people already know where the organization stands.

Full show notes, including video and transcript.

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FIR #499: When Saying Nothing Sends the Wrong Message

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:22:00 -0000

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) responded to member requests for a statement about the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota with a letter explaining why the organization would remain silent. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel outline the key points in the letter, where they disagree, and how they might have responded.

Links from this episode:

An Open Letter to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 23.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Full show notes, including video and transcript: https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-499-when-saying-nothing-sends-the-wrong-message/

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FIR #497: CEOs Wrest Control of AI

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:03:00 -0000

The latest BCG AI Radar survey signals a definitive turning point: AI has graduated from a tech-driven experiment to a CEO-owned strategic mandate. As corporate investments double, a striking “confidence gap” is emerging between optimistic leaders in the corner office and the more skeptical teams tasked with implementation. With the rapid rise of Agentic AI — autonomous systems that execute complex workflows rather than just generating text — the focus is shifting from simple productivity gains to a total overhaul of culture and operating models. In this episode, Neville and Shel examine this evolution that places communicators at the center of a high-stakes transition as AI moves from a pilot phase into end-to-end organizational transformation.

Complete show notes, including video and transcript:

https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-497-ceos-wrest-control-of-ai/

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FIR #496: A Proposed New Definition of Public Relations Sparks Debate

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 18:28:00 -0000

Neville and Shel dive into the ambitious new definition of public relations proposed by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA). Sparked by a two-and-a-half-page draft that reframes the discipline as a senior strategic management function, Shel and Neville debate whether this comprehensive document serves as a vital “PR for PR” or if its length and academic tone move it closer to a manifesto than a practical, portable definition. The conversation explores the proposal’s emphasis on organizational legitimacy, its explicit inclusion of AI’s role in the information ecosystem, and the ongoing challenge of establishing a unified professional standard that resonates across the global communications industry.

Complete show notes, including video and transcript.

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FIR #495: Reddit, AI, and the New Rules of Communication

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Reddit, the #2 social media site in the US, has surpassed TikTok to become the #4 site in the UK. It has no algorithm that forces you to see what’s most likely to keep you on the site; it just lets users upvote what they think is most interesting, valuable, or relevant. Every topic under the sun has a subreddit. Several organizations, from Starbucks to Uber, have taken advantage of it. So why is it absent from most communicators’ list of social media platforms to pay attention to? Neville and Shel look at Reddit’s growing influence in this episode.

Complete show notes, including links, video, and transcript.

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FIR #494: Is News's Future Error-Riddled AI-Generated Podcasts, or "Information Stewards?"

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:00:00 -0000

In the long-form episode for December 2025, Neville and Shel explore the future of news from two perspectives, including The Washington Post's ill-advised launch of a personalized, AI-generated podcast that failed to meet the newsroom's standards for accuracy, and the shift from journalists to "information stewards" as news sources.

Complete show notes, including full description, links, and transcript: https://wp.me/p5yzJx-6yH

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FIR #493: How to (Unethically) Manufacture Significance and Influence

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 21:36:00 -0000

For somebody who posts on X or other social media platforms to become recognized by the media and other offline institutions as a significant, influential voice worth quoting, it usually takes patience and hard work to build an audience that respects and identifies with them. There is another way to achieve the same kind of reputation with far less work. According to a research report from the Network Contagion Research Institute, American political influencer Nick Fuentes opted for the second approach, a collection of tactics that made it appear like a huge number of people were amplifying his tweets within half an hour of posting them. While Fuentes wields his influence in the political realm, the tactics he employed are portable and available to people looking for the same quick solution in the business world. In this short midweek episode, we’ll break down the steps involved and the warning signs communicators should be on the alert for. Complete show notes, including video, links, and transcript: https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-493-how-to-unethically-manufacture-significance-and-influence/

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FIR #492: The Authenticity Divide in Omicom's Layoff Communication

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 23:22:00 -0000

In this short midweek episode, Shel and Neville dissect the communication fallout from the $13.5 billion Omnicom-IPG merger and the controversial pre-holiday layoff of 4,000 employees. Among the themes they discuss: the stark contrast between the polished corporate narrative aimed at investors and the raw, real-time reality shared by staff on LinkedIn and Reddit, illustrating how organizations have lost control of the narrative. Against the backdrop of a corporate surge in hiring “storytellers,” Neville and Shel discuss the irony of failing to empower the workforce — the brand’s most authentic narrators — and analyze the long-term reputational damage caused by tone-deaf leadership during a crisis. Complete show notes, with links, video, and transcript, are here.

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FIR #491: Deloitte's AI Verification Failures

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:30:00 -0000

Big Four consulting firm Deloitte submitted two costly reports to two governments on opposite sides of the globe, each containing fake resources generated by AI. Deloitte isn’t alone. A study published on the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) not only included AI-hallucinated citations but also purported to reach the exact opposite conclusion from the real scientists’ research. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel reiterate the importance of a competent human in the loop to verify every fact produced in any output that leverages generative AI.

Complete show notes with links and transcript.

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FIR #490: What Does AI Read?

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:38:00 -0000

Studies purport to identify the sources of information that generative AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude draw on to provide overviews in response to search prompts. The information seems compelling, but different studies produce different results. Complicating matters is the fact that the kinds of sources AI uses one month aren’t necessarily the same the next month. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at a couple of these reports and the challenges communicators face relying on them to help guide their content marketing placements.

Full show notes, including links and transcript.

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FIR #489: An Explosion of Thought Leadership Slop

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:00:00 -0000

In the long-form episode for November 2025, Shel and Neville riff on a post by Robert Rose of the Content Marketing Institute, who identifies "idea inflation" as a growing problem on multiple levels. Idea inflation occurs when leaders prompt an AI model to generate 20 ideas for thought leadership posts, then send them to the communications team to convert them into ready-to-publish content. Also in this episode:

A growing number of companies are moving branding under the communications umbrella, detouring around Marketing and the CMO. It's all about safeguarding reputation.
Quantum computing has been a topic of conversation in tech circles for years. Now, its arrival as a commercially viable product is imminent. Communicators need to prepare.
AI's ability to generate software code from a plain-language prompt has put the power to create apps in the hands of almost anyone. There are communication implications.
Share some photos of yourself with an AI model, or companies that provide this as a service, and you can get an amazing likeness of yourself. But is it okay to use it as your LinkedIn profile?
Research finds that leaders not only handle change management badly, but it's also having an impact on employees who have to endure the process. Communicators can help.
In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on WhatsApp launching third-party chat integration in Europe; X is finally rolling out Chat, its DM replacement, with encryption and video calling; Mozilla has announced an AI "window" for the Firefox browser; WordPress 6.9 offers new features, collaboration tools, and AI enhancements; Amazon has rebranded Project Kuper as Amazon Leo; and Open AI says it has "fixed" ChatGPT's em dash problem. (We dispute that it's a problem.)

Complete show notes, including links, video, and transcript.

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FIR #488: Did a Soda Pop Make AI Slop?

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:16:00 -0000

For the second year in a row, Coca-Cola turned to artificial intelligence to produce its global holiday campaign. The new ad replaces people with snow scenes, animals, and those iconic red trucks, aiming for warmth through technology. The response? A mix of admiration for the technical feat and criticism for what some called a “soulless,” “nostalgia-free” production.

Shel and Neville break down the ad’s reception and what it tells us about audience expectations, creative integrity, and the communication challenges that come with AI-driven content. Despite Coke’s efforts to industrialize creativity — working with two AI studios, 100 contributors, and more than 70,000 generated clips — the final product sparked as much skepticism as wonder.

The discussion explores:

Why The Verge called the ad “a sloppy eyesore” — and why Coke went ahead anyway
The sheer scale and cost of AI production (and why it’s not necessarily cheaper)
Whether Coke’s campaign is marketing, corporate signaling, or both
How critics’ reactions reflect discomfort with AI aesthetics in emotional brand spaces
Lessons for communicators about context, authenticity, and being transparent about “why”

Complete show notes, including video, links, and transcript.

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FIR #487: Beyond The Churn -- Slower Publishing, Deeper Thinking, Better Outcomes

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:34:00 -0000

What happens when the AI conversation turns from a quiet side road into a crowded superhighway? Recently, Martin Waxman — digital strategist and LinkedIn Learning instructor — pressed pause on the churn to make room for curiosity, quality, and quiet. He’s not quitting; he’s recalibrating: publishing less often, thinking more deeply, and reminding us not to let AI do the thinking we should be doing ourselves.

For communicators, that raises bigger questions: When do we slow down? How do we trade volume for value? And what does “good enough” look like when our audiences are drowning in near-identical insights?

Neville and Shel dive into this topic in today’s short, midweek episode of “For Immediate Release.”

Complete show notes, including links, transcript, and video.

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FIR #486: Measuring Sentiment Won't Help You Maintain Trust

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:00:00 -0000

Sentiment analysis has become a default metric for communicators. If sentiment is positive, trust must be high. But if your company's words are diverging from its actions, trust could be eroding while sentiment remains constant. You won't know until it's too late. The new metric to consider is "trust velocity." Neville and Shel unpack it in this monthly long-form episode for October 2025. Also in this episode:

Is rage bait a valid marketing tactic?
Lloyd Bank's CEO and executive team are learning AI to reimagine the future of banking with generative AI
A McKinsey report recommends that public affairs teams begin to factor geopolitical issues into their thinking
When conduct, culture, and context collide: Three crisis case studies reviewed
German firm launches ad campaign after its lift is used in the Louvre heist

In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on AI browsers and Mastodon's approach to BlueSky-like starter packs, but in a consent-based manner.

Get complete show notes here, including video, links, and transcript.

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FIR #485: Is It Time to Stop Trying to "Go Viral"?

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 19:53:00 -0000

Things change fast in the digital world. On the other hand, business tactics can be slow to adapt. Crafting content with the intent of “going viral” has been part of the communication playbook for more than a decade. There was never a guaranteed approach to catching this lightning in a bottle, but that didn’t stop marketers and PR practitioners from trying.

That effort is increasingly futile, as the social media companies that host the content have altered their algorithms, and people are paying attention to different things these days. This has led several marketing influencers to suggest that it’s time to move on from the attempt to produce content specifically in the hopes that it will go viral. Neville and Shel share some data points and debate whether going viral should remain a communication goal in this short midweek episode.

Complete show notes, including links, video, and transcript.

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FIR #483: How Tylenol Handled a High Profile Falsehood

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:36:00 -0000

Kenvue’s stock tumbled when U.S. President Donald Trump, with Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., standing behind him, declared that its product, Tylenol, leads to autism in children when taken by mothers during pregnancy. As social channels were flooded with misinformation supporting the evidenceless claim, it’s easy to imagine the stock continuing to slide, mirroring the trajectory launched by attacks on Bud Light.

Remarkably, the stock recovered after one day, thanks largely to Tylenol’s savvy and almost perfect response to the crisis.

Tylenol isn’t the first brand to find itself in President Trump’s crosshairs. It is unlikely to be the last. In this short, midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore what the company got right, and what other companies can do to prepare for their turn in the glare of the presidential spotlight.

Complete show notes, including video, links, and transcript.

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FIR #482: What Will It Take to Stop the Workslop?

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:00:00 -0000

We've all heard of AI slop by now. "Workslop" is the latest play on that term, referring to low-quality, AI-generated content in the workplace that looks professional but lacks real substance. This empty, AI-produced material often creates more work for colleagues, wasting time and hindering productivity. In the long-form FIR episode for September, Neville and Shel explore the sources of workslop, how big a problem it really is, and what can be done to overcome it.

Also in this episode:

Chris Heuer, one of the founders of the Social Media Club, is at work on a manifesto for the "H Corporation," organizations that are human-centered. A recent online discussion set the stage for Chris's work, which he has summarized in a post.
Three seemingly disparate studies point to the evolution of the internal communication role.
Researchers at Amazon have proposed a framework that can make it as easy as typing a prompt to identify a very specific audience for targeted communication.
Communicators everywhere continue to predict the demise of the humble press release, but one public relations leader has had a very different experience.
Anthropic and OpenAI have both released reports on how people are using their tools. They are not the same.
In his Tech Report, Dan York looks back on TypePad, the blogging platform whose shutdown is imminent; AI-generated summaries of websites from Firefox; and Mastodon's spin on quote posts.

Complete show notes, including links and transcript.

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FIR #481: The Em-Dash Panic -- AI, Writing, and Misguided Assumptions

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:36:00 -0000

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel dive into one of the hottest debates in communication today: what happens to tone and authenticity when artificial intelligence steps into the writing process? From the surprisingly heated arguments over the humble em-dash to fresh research on AI’s “stylometric fingerprints,” we explore whether polished AI-assisted prose risks losing the human voice that builds trust. Along the way, we look at how publishers like Business Insider are normalizing AI for first drafts, how communicators are redefining authenticity, and how Shel used AI to turn years of blog posts into a forthcoming book.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, September 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on [Neville’s blog](https://www.nevillehobson.io/) and [Shel’s blog](https://holtz.com/blog/).

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #479: Hacking AI Optimization vs. Doing the Hard Work

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:00:00 -0000

Posts and videos featuring Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) hacks and formulas are flooding the web. We reported recently on one such hack focusing on press releases. But when you consider the kind of content on which the AI models rely for their answers, it may be more efficient to revert to good, old-fashioned PR and marketing. Complete show notes, including links:

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FIR #478: When Silence Isn't Golden

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:00:00 -0000

For a while, businesses were flexing their social responsibility muscles, weighing in on public policy matters that affected them or their stakeholders. These days, not so much, with leaders fearing reprisal for speaking out. But silence can have its own consequences. Also in this episode: The gap between AI expectations and reality; rent-a-mob services damage the fragile reputation of the public relations profession; too many people think AI is conscious, so we have to devise ways to reinforce among users that it's not; Denmark is dealing with deepfakes by assigning citizens the copyright to their own likenesses; crediting photographers for the work you copied from the web won't protect you from lawsuits for unauthorized use. In Dan York's Tech Report, Dan shares updates on Mastodon' (at last) introducing quote posts, and Bluesky's response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding Mississippi's law making full access to Bluesky (and other services) contingent upon an age check. Full show notes, including links YouTube video, and transcript.

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FIR #477: Deslopifying Wikipedia

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 14:00:00 -0000

User-generated content is at a turning point. With generative AI models cranking out tons of slop, content repositories are being polluted with low-quality, often useless material. No website is more vulnerable than Wikipedia, the open-source reference site populated entirely with articles created (and revised) by users. How Wikipedia is handling the issue — in light of its strict governance policies — is worth watching, especially for organizations that also rely on user-generated content.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-477-deslopifying-wikipedia/.

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FIR #476: Rewiring the Consulting Business for AI

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 16:27:00 -0000

Swarms of consultants descend on companies that have engaged their firms, racking up billable hours and cranking out PowerPoint presentations that summarize the data they’ve analyzed. That business model is at risk, given the amount of that work that AI can now handle. Recognizing the threat, some consulting firms are actively reengineering their businesses, with McKinsey out in front. In this short midweek episode, Shel and Neville review the actions of several firms and agencies, and discuss what might come next for consultants.

Complete show notes, including links to resources cited in this report

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FIR #475: Algorithms Got You Down? Get Retro with RSS!

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 20:54:00 -0000

It has been 12 years since Google shut down Google Reader, its popular RSS news reader. The rise of social media newsfeeds had rendered RSS useless for many people, and declining usage led Google to sunset it.

But RSS feeds never went away. Many websites still make them available; they’re baked into most blogging utilities; and podcasting relies heavily on RSS feeds for distribution of audio and video files.

As algorithms determine what you see in social networks, and newsletter subscriptions require visits to your inbox, where your newsletters are mixed in with all your other emails, RSS news readers are making a comeback. New news readers are emerging, and older ones are making improvements with a range of features, including the incorporation of AI to assist with sorting and other tasks.

In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel explore the benefits of RSS, examine some of the features of the latest crop of readers, and discuss how an RSS resurgence can benefit communicators.

Complete show notes, including links, video, and transcript

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FIR #474: AI is Redefining Public Relations

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:00:00 -0000

In multiple ways, Artificial Intelligence is redefining the role of the public relations professional. Some of that change is the result of new tools that automate processes that once consumed copious amounts of time. One such tool reviews services that solicit expert commentary at journalists' requests, then crafts responses. The marketing of this tool, dubbed Synapse by its Lithuanian founders, has sparked a considerable amount of controversy over ethical considerations. Neville and Shel discuss the pros and cons in this long-form FIR episode for July 2025.

Communicators are now also supposed to be able to detect phishing attacks disguised as media inquiries, to abandon age-old metrics in favor of meaningful outcomes, and overcome old tropes, like one wheeled out by former communicator Melinda French Gates, who claimed without evidence that tech executives like Mark Zuckerberg have aligned themselves with the Donald Trump Administration only at the behest of their communication teams.

Also in this episode:

AI is driving a change in the way we craft press releases, drawing the Social Media Press Release to mind.
PR is at the heart of AI optimization, since third-party sources are a vital factor in determining what finds its way into AI answers.
Social media has transformed from a means of connecting with others to a platform for streaming entertainment. What are the implications for brands?
More and more brands are launching Substack newsletters as a way to control the message and engage directly with customers.
In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on media companies erecting paywalls to prevent AI models from harvesting their content. The consequences could be enormous.

Complete show notes, including links, transcript, and YouTube video

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FIR #473: The Digital Employee Experience is the Message

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 22:09:00 -0000

It has been more than 60 years since Marshall McLuhan told us that the medium is the message. The decades that have passed since then have done nothing to diminish the truth of McLuhan’s prescient statement. For today’s employees, the medium for most information is the digital interfaces the company provides. There’s an interface for the intranet, for email, for internal social networking and collaboration, for emergency alerts, for calendaring, and for all manner of resources employees need to get their work done.

What message do these interfaces send to employees? If they’re unified, consumer-grade, and make it easy to do the job, the message is one of caring. If they’re confusing, difficult to navigate, and result in frustration, employees can perceive that message as one of dismissal or even contempt. It certainly signals that the company doesn’t care.

Who should own the digital employee experience (DEX)? A number of recent commentaries have argued that internal communication should be at the helm, which may be counterintuitive in many organizations where anything digital is IT’s responsibility. We explore the case for internal communication’s DEX role in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Full show notes, including transcript

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FIR #472: The Evolution of Trust

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:53:00 -0000

New research reveals that B2B decision-makers have increasingly recognized the importance of trust. The study also showed that companies that measure trust as a board-level KPI are over three times more likely to report more substantial profits than those that don’t, yet only 22% of companies state that trust is a board-level KPI.

In this brief midweek episode, Neville and Shel analyze the data and explore opportunities for communicators to enhance organizational trust.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Complete show notes, including transcript.

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FIR #471: Can You Be Influential and Anonymous at the Same Time?

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 17:00:00 -0000

There’s a new brand of influencer. Faceless creators wield their influence while never appearing on camera, while VTubers — virtual YouTubers — employ AI-generated avatars instead of showing their faces. This is no flash-in-the-pan trend. One network of faceless creators grew from 5,000 to 21,000 creators in just three months, with some raking in as much as $40,000 per month from brands eager to add their content to the mix. There are numerous reasons this shift is happening, from social networks like TikTok elevating its algorithm over follower counts (enabling someone with few followers to see a post go viral) to the ability for brands to pay for performance instead of impressions. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at the pros and cons of faceless creators.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Full show notes, including video

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FIR #470: Creative Commons Proposes an AI Copyright Solution

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 17:24:00 -0000

Copyright challenges and intellectual property issues are consistently recognized as a serious, top-tier concern when it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI). It may not be the top concern — that's usually related to fake news and the trustworthiness of content, followed by privacy concerns — but many creators are upset and worried about the integrity of their work when it's used as fodder for new training models. The courts will inevitably weigh in — in fact, one already has, with a federal court ruling in Anthropic's favor, asserting that its use of authors' books without compensation constitutes fair use due to the transformative nature of what Claude, Anthropic's LLM, does with them.

More lawsuits and more rulings are indeed coming, and legislation and regulation are also likely. However, Creative Commons has always preferred a voluntary compliance approach, grounded in a logical framework. In 2004, Creative Commons (under the guidance of Lawrence Lessig, a prominent American academic, attorney, and political activist known for his work on intellectual property law, campaign finance reform, and the social and legal implications of technology) developed such a framework that allowed people publishing on the web to designage how others could use their content. (This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution/share-alike license.)

Now, Creative Commons is proposing a similar approach to AI, with a framework that would empower creators to signal their preferences for how their content is used and reused. The nascent framework is currently open for public comment. In this brief, midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the proposal and the role communicators can play in shaping its final form.

Links from this episode:

Complete show notes

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FIR #469: Is Internal Communication Failing?

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 17:00:00 -0000

A growing body of research suggests employees are more disconnected than ever. What are internal communication teams getting wrong? Also in this long-form monthly episode for June 2025:

Buzzstream interviewed over 150 digital PR pros to assess the state of digital PR. It looks a lot like it did five years ago.
Social media has overtaken television as Americans' primary source of news.
Chief Communication Officers are in a precarious position, expected to anticipate and address political and societal upheaval, often sharing information executives don't want to hear.
Pope Leo XIV has called for an ethical AI framework in a message to tech execs gathering at the Vatican.

In his Tech Report, Dan York looks at Mastodon's updated terms prohibiting AI model training, announcements from TwitchCon, and the impact of Texas's mandatory age verification law on Internet privacy and security.

Full show notes, including links and YouTube video

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FIR #468: New Threats to Reputation

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 23:41:00 -0000

While a company’s reputation doesn’t appear as a line item on a profit and loss statement or a balance sheet, it is nevertheless a critical intangible asset that significantly influences financial performance and long-term success. A strong positive reputation fosters trust among consumers and B2B customers, leading to increased customer loyalty, premium pricing power, and greater resilience in times of crisis. It also makes the company more attractive to top talent, reducing recruitment costs and improving employee retention. A favorable reputation can also enhance relationships with investors and partners, providing better access to capital and more advantageous business opportunities.

The public relations profession is in the reputation business. Yet there are new threats to reputations that aren’t yet on most practitioners’ radars — and if they are, they haven’t found their way into plans and strategies. For example, companies that succumbed to political pressure to back away from their DEI commitments have suffered reputational damage, while those that stood by them have seen their reputation scores increase. That may have something to do with general support for DEI, but research found that customers crave consistency from the companies they do business with, and the sudden U-turn away from DEI commitments leadership previously touted was viewed as a failure of integrity.

Add to that the surge of disinformation and job loss AI is already bringing to the business world, and it’s clear we’re facing a new world of reputation management. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at some recent research and reports to zero in on the newest reputation challenges and how communicators should face them.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Link to full show notes, including transcript.

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FIR #467: Mary Meeker's 2025 AI Trends Report

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 22:34:00 -0000

Pick a superlative, and it probably applies to Mary Meeker, the venture capitalist and former Wall Street securities analyst best known for her annual Internet Trends Reports. These reports, released in the form of presentation decks, were the culmination of deep research Meeker conducted. Her last report was published June 12, 2019 at Recode’s Code Conference, but she just released a new one dedicated entirely to AI. With credibility as strong as hers, it’s likely that this report will become the defining source of truth about the state of AI. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel break down the report to focus on elements that are meaningful to professional communicators.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #466: Still Hallucinating After All These Years

Mon, 26 May 2025 17:00:00 -0000

Not only are AI chatbots still hallucinating; by some accounts, it's getting worse. Moreover, despite abundant coverage of the tendency of LLMs to make stuff up, people are still not fact-checking, leading to some embarrassing consequences. Even the legal team from Anthropic (the company behind the Claude frontier LLM) got caught.

Also in this episode:

Google has a new tool just for making AI videos with sound: what could possibly go wrong?
Lack of strategic leadership and failure to communicate about AI's ethical use are two findings from a new Global Alliance report
People still matter. Some overly exuberant CEOs are walking back their AI-first proclamations
Google AI Overviews lead to a dramatic reduction in click-throughs
Google is teaching American adults how to be adults. Should they be finding your content?

In his tech report, Dan York looks at some services shutting down and others starting up.

Full show notes, including links, are here.

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FIR #465: The Trust-News-Video Podcast PR Trifecta

Wed, 21 May 2025 15:48:00 -0000

Seemingly unrelated trends paint a clear picture for PR practitioners accustomed to achieving their goals through press release distribution and media pitching. The trends: People trust each other less than ever; people define what news is based on its impact on them, becoming their own gatekeepers; and video podcasts have become so popular that media outlets are including them in their upfronts. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel find the common thread among these trends and outline how communicators can adjust their efforts to make sure their news is received and believed.

Links from this episode:

What Is News? (Pew Research Center)
Americans’ Trust in One Another (Pew Research Center)
Video podcasts are the next big pitch at media Upfronts
News Consumption in the UK: 2024

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #464: Research Finds Disclosing Use of AI Erodes Trust

Tue, 13 May 2025 00:04:00 -0000

Complete show notes

Debate continues about when to disclose that you have used AI to create an output. Do you disclose any use at all? Do you confine disclosure to uses of AI that could lead people to feel deceived? Wherever you land on this question, it may not matter when it comes to building trust with your audience. According to a new study, audiences lose trust as soon as they see an AI disclosure. This doesn’t mean you should not disclose, however, since finding out that you used AI and didn’t disclose is even worse. That leaves little wiggle room for communicators taking advantage of AI and seeking to be as transparent as possible. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel examine the research along with recommendations about how to be transparent while remaining trusted.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #463: Delivering Value with Generative AI's "Endless Right Answers"

Wed, 07 May 2025 20:44:00 -0000

Google’s first Chief Decision Scientist, Cassie Kozyrkov, wrote recently that “The biggest challenge of the generative AI age is leaders defining value for their organization.” Among leadership considerations, she says, is a mindset shift, one in which there are “endless right answers”. (“When I ask an AI assistant to generate an image for me, I get a fairly solid result. When I repeat the same prompt, I get a different perfectly adequate image. Both are right answers… but which one is right-er?”)

Kozyrkov’s overarching conclusion is that confirming the business value of your genAI decisions will keep you on track.

In this episode, Neville and Shel review Kozyrkov’s position, then look at several communication teams that have evolved their departmental use of AI based on the principles she promotes.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #462: Cheaters Never Prosper (Unless They Get $5 Million for Their Tool)

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:00:00 -0000

A Columbia University student was expelled for developing an AI-driven tool to help applicants to software coding jobs cheat on the tests employers require them to take. You can call such a tool deplorable or agree with the student that it's a legit resource. It's hard to argue with the $5 million in seed funding the student and his partner have raised. Also in this long-form monthly episode for April 2025:

How communicators can use each of the seven categories of AI agents that are on their way.
LinkedIn and BlueSky have updated their verification programs in ways that will matter to communicators.
Onboarding new talent is an everyday business activity that is in serious need of improvement.
A new report finds significant gaps between generations in the PR industry when it comes to the major factors impacting communication.
Anthropic -- the company behind the Claude LLM -- warns that fully AI employees are only a year away.
In his Tech Report, Dan York explains how BlueSky experienced an outage even though they're supposed to operate under a distributed model.

Full show notes here.

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FIR #461: YouTube Trends Toward Virtual Influencers and AI-Generated Videos

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 16:32:00 -0000

Videos from virtual influencers are on the rise, according to a report from YouTube. And AI will play a significant role in the service’s offerings, with every video uploaded to the platform potentially dubbed into every spoken language, with the speaker’s lips reanimated to sync with the words they are speaking. Meanwhile, the growing flood of AI-generated content presents YouTube with a challenge: protecting copyright while maintaining a steady stream of new content. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel examine the trends and discuss their implications.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #460: The Return of Toxic Workplaces and the "Big Boss" Era

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 23:09:00 -0000

The tide is turning.

For several years, workers have enjoyed a seller’s market. Unemployment has been low, and companies have competed for the best employees. Now, for a variety of reasons, we are experiencing a surge in layoffs, exacerbated by sizable staff reductions in U.S. federal agencies. With so many newly-unemployed workers on the street, employers now have the advantage as we shift to a buyer’s market.

Emboldened by the flood of potential recruits on the market, and anxious to be on the good side of the current U.S. presidential administration, some CEOs are trading in their supportive servant-style leadership for old-school tough boss talk. And while they may be able to justify this behavior in the short term, the impact on the culture — and what that will do to the employer brand — could deter the best potential recruits from taking that job, which will be filled by a mediocre performer desperate for employment.

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore the reasons behind the layoffs, the impact of CEO tough talk, and how communicators can help maintain a strong, non-toxic workplace.

Links from this episode:

Full show notes

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FIR #459: AI Transforms Content from Passive to Interactive

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:46:00 -0000

In this episode, Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson discuss the evolving landscape of podcast consumption, particularly in light of Satya Nadella’s innovative approach to engaging with audio content through AI. They explore the significance of transcripts, the potential for AI to facilitate interactive experiences, and the challenges that come with adopting these new technologies. The conversation highlights the future of podcasts as a medium that can be both passive and interactive, reshaping how audiences engage with audio content. Neville and Shel also examine how these same generative AI tools can make other content interactive and the ease with which users will be able to take advantage of it as LLMs become multi-modal.

Links from this episode

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Full show notes.

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FIR #458: Preparing Managers to Manage Human-AI Hybrid Teams

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 23:49:00 -0000

The most common refrain we hear about society and the rapid advances in Generative Artificial Intelligence is, “We’re not ready.” We’re not ready for Artificial General Intelligence, and we’re certainly not ready for Artificial Superintelligence. Yet both are approaching uncomfortably quickly.

Business (along with government) is near the top of the list of unprepared entities; in business, managers lead the list of employees who need to get up to speed…fast. It could be as soon as this year that managers will be asked to lead hybrid teams of human employees and AI agents that autonomously perform multiple tasks — emulating what a skilled employee can do sitting at a computer, but much faster and perhaps more accurately. This will need to result in a new approach to managing. In this midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel look at what this means for managers and how far business is from enabling their managers to succeed in this new work reality.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on

Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #457: Communicating Tariff Impacts

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 19:44:00 -0000

There are few business leaders who won’t need to explain to various stakeholders the impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the trade war it will initiate. How they position those impacts could determine whether they find their organizations in the Administration’s crosshairs. Communicators should counsel leaders on how to address the impacts. Neville and Shel share their thoughts in this short midweek FIR episode.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Complete show notes

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #455: Traditional PR Is Dead (Again)

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 20:51:00 -0000

In the early days of Web 2.0, several pundits told us that traditional PR was dead, especially for startups, where founders would be better served by handling their own public relations. After some disasters, along with many founders finding themselves overwhelmed by the need to build their business and craft thought leadership pieces while handling media inquiries, that philosophy faded. But now it’s back, and getting a lot of attention as Lulu Cheng Meservey, founder and CEO at the agency Rostra, has released a manifesto calling on leaders to skip the agency and “go direct.” Neville and Shel share their thoughts about the advice in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Complete show notes: https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-455-traditional-pr-is-dead-again/

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FIR #456: Does AI Put Communication Expertise At Risk?

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 19:00:00 -0000

It's not just jobs that AI will affect. It's the perception that employees have important expertise. After all, if AI can do the work, it's easy to view employees' special knowledge and experience as less important to the organization. Neville and Shel examine the steps communicators can take to continue to be viewed by leaders as subject matter experts who expertise brings value to the company. Also in this episode:

The publishing platform Ghost is enabling technology to embed it in the fediverse.
New studies reveal that bad communication is leading employees to leave their jobs.
A national UK newspaper has launched AI-curated news for "time-poor audiences."
Unilever is stepping back from its purposeful activities, opting to invest heavily in influencer marketing.
Have fans of your brand given it a nickname? New research suggests you probably shouldn't use it.
Dan York reports on the Internet Engineering Task Force's work on a way for websites to signal what AI can collect and process.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York's Tech Report

IETF's AI Preferences Task Force (you are welcome to join the mailing list and participate)

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on

Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #452: Communicating in Chaos

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0000

"We are once again at a moment in time where things will not — and cannot — be the same again. However it unfolds, the only certainty is chaos will follow."

So wrote global PR practitioner Catherine Arrow in a post on LinkedIn. In this monthly longform episode, Neville and Shel discuss Catherine's observation that communicators are caught in the thick of conflict in which division is actively cultivated and truth is disputed and weaponized.

Also in this episode, YouTube viewing has shifted from mobile phones to television sets, with implications for the way communicators and marketers produce video for YouTube; there is much for communicators to consider when engaging on platforms that have shrugged off content moderation (part of the chaos Catherine Arrow referenced); Gallup's Global Leadership Report is out and we'll share what people want from their leaders; you can now create personas using AI -- does that mean it's a good idea to ask them questions instead of convening a panel of humans for your research? And LinkedIn is deplatforming the value of hashtags -- does this spell the end of hashtags on LinkedIn?

In his Tech Report, Dan York discussed Mastodon Quote Posts, Apple's ending of end-to-end encryption in the UK, and WikiTok, a TikTok alternative that delivers an endless scroll of Wikipedia.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York's Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #451: Return-to-Office-Obsessed Execs Are Minimizing the Employee Voice

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 23:09:00 -0000

Leaked audio of JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon reveals an executive who has dug in his heels and has no interest in listening to the voice of the employee. In the clip, he essentially tells employees, “My way or the highway.”

While the return-to-office mandates don’t represent a majority of businesses, they have been high-profile, as have employee responses, most of which plead for continued accommodation of remote or hybrid work schedules. Executives, of course, are empowered to make the final decision, but ignoring the voice of the employee comes with high risks, including the loss of top talent and disengagement among those who remain.

The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that productivity and morale are higher with remote workers, but that ultimately depends on the culture the organization has established to support it. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel listen to Dimon’s rant and offer their thoughts on the state of work in this volatile era.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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Links from the episode and a transcript are available at the FIR website.

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FIR #450: Senior Leaders Doubt Communicators' Abilities

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:30:00 -0000

Listen to communicators talk about their impact on their organizations and you would be forgiven for thinking that executives find their communication teams to be indispensable. Recent research says otherwise. As complexities mount in the worlds of business, media, and politics, less than 20 percent of senior executives are confident their communicators and public affairs professionals are up to the task of navigating the current environment. Neville and Shel outline the research results and discuss ways communicators can reverse this troubling trend.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #449: Employees' Use of Shadow AI Surges

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 00:12:00 -0000

Employees everywhere are using AI to save time and be more productive. The thing is, many of them are using tools their employers have not approved and they’re not telling anyone. Companies are benefiting from this stealth approach to using generative AI, but there are plenty of risks, too. Neville and Shel look at the data and discuss approaches companies can take that will benefit both them and their employees.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #448: Has Night Fallen on Change Management and Enterprise Social Networks?

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 17:59:00 -0000

Change leadership consultant Caroline Kealey thinks change management is dead.

Communication leader Sharon O’Dea thinks Enterprise Social Networking (ESN) is dead.

That’s right: It’s time for another installment of “X is Dead.”

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel outline the cases these two communication thought leaders make and offer our own thoughts.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #447: Decisions, Decisions: The Struggle to Communicate in the Age of Ubiquitous Malignancy

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:00:00 -0000

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer characterized the current communication environment as one infected by grievance. Another commentator claimed that we are living in an age of ubiquitous malignancy. Communicating with a broad audience of stakeholders is especially challenging in this landscape. While the Trust Barometer identifies business as the only one of the four sectors trusted enough to do anything about it, the options at this point are anything but clear. Also in this long-form episode for January: Different AI large language models (LLMs) portray brands differently, making it a new requirement that communicators consider how AI will position them when developing their messaging. Muck Rack's 2025 survey on how PR professionals are using AI is out, and it contains a few surprises. The state of content marketing is at the heart of a new report from the Content Marketing Institute. It is apparently harder to quit Meta than it is to ditch X, leaving a lot of people sitting on the fence (your co-hosts included). Meanwhile, Bluesky's growth is surging, and the company is planning to introduce an Instagram competitor as some of the most important voices that had made their home on Twitter have made the transition. In his Tech Report, Dan York explores the tale of two TikTok bans.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 24.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

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FIR #446: Navigating Grievance -- Insights from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 20:52:00 -0000

In this short midweek episode, Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson unpack the findings of the latest Edelman Trust Barometer, revealing a global crisis of grievance and eroding trust in societal institutions—government, business, media, and NGOs. Key topics include the impact of trust inequality, the rise of hostile activism, and the expectations placed on CEOs to address societal issues.

Neville and Shel explore the challenges and opportunities for businesses and communicators, emphasizing the need for empathetic leadership, authentic dialogue, and community engagement. They also discuss the implications of income disparity, the role of stakeholder capitalism, and how communicators can help foster trust through two-way listening and collaboration.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 27.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #445: Media Relations in a Turbulent Media Landscape

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:51:00 -0000

The media landscape is in turmoil. It may not be exactly the turmoil we hear about, though, based on research release in a new Poynter Institute report. For example, it is taken as gospel that “people don’t trust the media,” but a survey finds that’s not necessarily accurate. Local news reporters, for example, are highly trusted, mainly because they have established relationships in the community. That supports a broader notion: These days, connection matters more than credentials, for better or for worse, leading to the rise of the “newsfluencer,” who can be anybody from an experienced journalist with a Substack newsletter to a citizen journalist with no training to a provocateur who is able to build an audience.

If your job involves getting coverage for your company’s news or brand, what was once a straightforward assignment is now a complex maze full of mines. Should you get your CEO onto a podcast? Elevate a frontline employee with a strong personal brand to help get the word out? Start sharing information in small social communities? Or any of dozens of other options?

Neville and Shel delve into this one aspect of the OnPoynt Report in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 27.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #444: Preparing for Trump 2.0

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:07:00 -0000

Media outlets around the world — and in particular in the U.S. — are strategizing how to cover the incoming Trump Administration. Some are even planning to shift their focus to more soft news in order to retain readers and avoid drawing the president’s ire. We look at the implications for the media relations industry in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 27.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #443: From RSS to ChatGPT -- FIR's 20-Year Tech Communications Chronicle

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:49:00 -0000

For Immediate Release launched on January 3, 2005. Episode #1 explained what podcasting is, then looked at the role blogs played in the tsunami tragedy in Asia. On our 20th anniversary, Neville and Shel recall FIR’s origins and the many changes the show has undergone in two decades, some significant milestones, memorable moments, some of the challenges we have faced over the years, and other recollections. We will return to our normal programming next week.

Links from this episode:

FIR Episode #1
First mention of podcasting for business (Rex Hammock) in September 2024
FIR Interview: Michael Whiley at GM on the GM Blog (February 22, 2005)
FIR Interview with Steve Rubel (March 26, 2005)
FIR #100 (January 5, 2006)
FIR #191: Two Decades in 2.5 Hours (January 20, 2020)
Pivoting the FIR Podcast (January 10, 2022)
FIR at 19: A Milestone in Podcasting
FIR #377: Two Decades of Podcasting (January 5, 2024)
Podcast Statistics and Data, Buzzsprout
The Future of Podcasting: 9 Trends for Creators & Companies”, Riverside
“The Power of Podcasts: Why Every Business Needs a Voice in 2025”, One Zero Creative

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 27.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #442: Justin Baldoni's Attack on Blake Lively Explains Why PR Is a Dirty Word

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 22:47:00 -0000

Astroturfing, smear campaigns, social media manipulation, unauthorized release of private information, defamation, character assassination, whisper campaigns, media planting, and gaslighting.

These activities are undertaken by the seamiest, most ethically challenged public relations practitioners. While there are far more PR professionals who abide by ethical codes, the bad actors get all the attention, leading to a sordid reputation for the industry that some believe we will never be able to overcome.

The latest example comes from the agency representing actor/producer/director Justin Baldoni, who responded to accusations of inappropriate behavior by engaging an agency that employed all of the tactics listed above. Initially, the campaign had the desired effect but ultimately backfired as the campaign itself drew more attention than the original allegations.

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the controversy and address the idea of requiring licensing or certification of all PR practitioners and whether it would weed out those who find codes of ethics to be mere inconveniences to be ignored.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 27.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

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FIR #441: PR, AI, and Social Media Are All Shook Up

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:55:00 -0000

The world’s biggest PR agency laid off five percent of its global staff. It’s a sign of the headwinds facing the industry, including reduced opportunities for earned media, which is what PR agencies spend a lot of their time trying to achieve. We’ll explore what’s happening in the PR agency world in the long-form FIR episode for December 2024. Also in this episode, an update on the social media landscape, with Reddit surpassing X (formerly Twitter) in the U.K.; a look at some of the key findings in “AI Activated,” the latest relevance report from the USC Annenberg School; there’s a waiting list for an app that’s being called a feed reader for the fediverse; communicators are gearing up for challenges that face them as Donald Trump prepares to return to the U.S. presidency; and there’s new information about how businesses are adapting to Artificial Intelligence. In his Tech Report, Dan York, recounts his trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the United Nations’ internet governance body’s meeting; he also shares his thoughts on efforts to protect children from social media’s harms.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 27.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Full show notes, including links and transcript, are here.

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FIR #440: Experimenting for Influence

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 23:09:00 -0000

Even when they know it has been rigged, people assign a lot of credibility to experiments. When they see the experiment produce favorable results, for example, potential customers might be more inclined to buy. Experiments can also influence decision-makers in your company — again, even if they assume you put your thumb on the scale. The phenomenon is similar to wrestling, with audiences knowing the match is staged by enjoying it all the same. Neville and Shel review some research on the subject and discuss ways communicators can apply experimentation to their work in this short midweek episode.

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Links from this episode:

Socializing an Idea? Experiments Can Help Convince Your Audience | Working Knowledge

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Complete show notes are at FIR #440: Experimenting for Influence - FIR Podcast Network

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FIR #439: Agentic AI Tops Digital Trends for 2025

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 20:20:00 -0000

There is a common thread among many of the predictions and trends posts that typically blossom across the web as the year draws to a close: AI agents are poised to revolutionize (a word we don’t use lightly) work in 2025. The frontier AI models — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Llama, and a few others — have captured imaginations and led to various uses throughout the business world. But these chatbots, which deliver answers to natural-language queries, will pale compared to agentic AI, which sets off to complete tasks that require multiple steps autonomously. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel delve into agentic AI and its possibilities for communicators, along with five other digital marketing trends.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Complete show notes: FIR #439: Agentic AI Tops Digital Trends for 2025 - FIR Podcast Network

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FIR #436: Nothin' But Bluesky (and TikTok and Threads and Instagram and WhatsApp...)

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 18:01:00 -0000

Bluesky — the Twitter-esque social network that has suddenly started attracting refugees from Elon Musk’s X — had its start when Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey asked software engineer Jay Graber to introduce federation to Twitter. She told him she couldn’t, but she could create a new social network based on a new federation protocol called AT, a decentralized foundation for public social media. At first, Bluesky was an invitation-only network. Many of those who scored invites were underwhelmed. But a surge of migrations from X has reinvigorated Bluesky, which is also adding features as a further incentive for people to join and stay. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss Bluesky’s potential and whether communicators should consider establishing a presence for their companies or clients.

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Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 2.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Complete show notes, including transcript, are available here.

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FIR #435: Physical Presence is Not a Collaboration Magic Bullet

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 18:52:00 -0000

When executives justify their return-to-office mandates, they almost universally cite the collaboration and innovation that results from serendipitous encounters between employees. They also point to the need to boost productivity. The problem with these arguments is that the evidence does not support them. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel look at one financial services company that has seen eye-popping increases in performance metrics since listening to its employees and adopting a policy that lets employees work where they want. We also review a report on what it actually takes to build connections and collaboration in organizations.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #434: Podcasts Defeat Mainstream Media in 2024 U.S. Election

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:54:00 -0000

Among the many post-election analyses flooding media channels are reports that mainstream media and social media wielded far less influence than they have in the past. Instead, influencers and podcasts held sway. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel break down the reports and discuss the impact on communicators far beyond the election and politics.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #433: Something Old, Something New

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Blogs have been with us for 30 years, which qualifies as “something old.” In this long-form episode of FIR for October, we’ll examine the state of the oldest social media category. We’ll also examine the state of generative Artificial Intelligence, which has been around, for all practical purposes, since November 2022, which makes it “something new.”

In this episode, we’ll also explore Reddit’s potential as a channel for government agencies and businesses to engage with stakeholders during a crisis and which agencies and brands are already there. Intuit’s chief communication officer didn’t like the direction a podcast interview with his CEO took, so he demanded the podcast trim the parts he didn’t like. Was he justified? The news media has gained a reputation for clickbait, but it recently took a dark turn. And, executives justify their return-to-office push by citing the need for greater collaboration and connection among employees. But does having everyone in the office produce those results? We’ll look at the research.

In his Tech Report, Dan York (joined by a special guest) shares details of a VC investment round for Bluesky, and how competitors like Mastodon reacted.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Tech Report:

Bluesky Announces Series A to Grow Network of 13M+ Users
Eugen Rochko (@Gargron@mastodon.social) (Mastodon’s founder responds)

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FIR #432: The CEO Authenticity Balancing Act

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 22:02:00 -0000

CEOs and other senior executives are increasingly expected to nurture a presence on social media—especially LinkedIn, which has seen a 35-percent increase in C-suite professionals in the U.S. over the last five years. These executives are also expected to be authentic in their online engagements, even sharing some details of their personal lives. Professionals also expect their leaders to speak out on pressing societal issues. It’s rare to find an executive who is comfortable displaying vulnerability. That’s where communicators need to step in, helping leaders find the most comfortable way to engage authentically online.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #431: The Evolution of Influence

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:22:00 -0000

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel dive into PRWeek’s “The Evolution of Influence” report, exploring the dynamic shifts in how public relations professionals exert influence in today’s fast-changing landscape. We break down the seven key themes revealed by the survey, including the growing challenges of decentralization, the increasing importance of AI in PR, and the ever-present threat of fake news and deepfakes. Join us as we unpack these insights and discuss how communicators can stay ahead of the curve in maintaining consumer trust, authenticity, and influence in a digital-first world.

Links from this episode

New Notified/PRWeek Survey Sheds Light on the Evolving Nature of Influence

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #430: Influencers, Memes, and AI Boost Marketing Transparency Mandate

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:00:00 -0000

Much of the content in this monthly long-form episode of FIR spotlights rising trends in marketing, including employee influencers, Gen Z's rising power as influencers, the role of influencers in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and AI's growing presence in the marketing space. All of this is raising alarms about the need for marketers to be transparent and laser-focused on what matters to their stakeholders. Also in this episode: the dominance of chat podcasts and Dan York's money-focused Tech Report.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 28.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York's Report:

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FIR #428: Which AI Tool Is Best For What?

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 21:11:00 -0000

Edelman, the global PR agency, has vetted the current crop of AI tools, winnowing out those not enterprise-ready, categorizing them, and identifying those that excel at various tasks. Given the dozens (if not more) of new AI tools that appear every day, this can be a big help to overwhelmed communicators who can’t take the time to try out every app that looks potentially useful. Does the report measure up to its promise? Find out in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

Edelman’s 2024 AI Landscape Report

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, September 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #427: The Metaverse Lives! Just Don't Call It the Metaverse.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 21:25:00 -0000

When OpenAI released Chat GPT 3.5 in November 2022, conversations about virtually any other technology were sucked into the vacuum of space. Venture capitalists and other investors shifted priorities overnight, sinking billions into Gen AI and often turning their backs on other endeavors. That and the colossal failure that is Meta’s Horizon Worlds fueled a belief that the metaverse is dead.

It is not. Considerable work is still being done while well over 1 billion people use existing metaverse technologies. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at the state of the metaverse, which is more vibrant and active than you may have thought.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, September 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #426: We've Got Your Share of Model Right Here

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:18:00 -0000

“Share of model” refers to the frequency or prominence with which a particular brand, keyword, or phrase appears in an LLM’s responses to user prompts relative to competing brands or related terms. It measures how often and favorably an LLM mentions or discusses a specific entity or concept in its outputs. Marketers and PR practitioners were accustomed to measuring share of voice in search results as part of the SEO efforts. As searches shift to generative AI models, a new approach is needed. Hubspot has just introduced one, and Neville and Shel take a look at AI Search Grader in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, September 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #425: Stand Up, Stand Out, or Shut Down?

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 15:00:00 -0000

The desire to stand out has declined significantly over the last 20 years, according to a new study. That has serious implications for society, business, and communicators. Meanwhile, shutting off comments on your social media channel could have worse repercussions than putting up with comments you don’t want to see. Also in this episode, The fediverse is gaining traction, which leads one commentator to wonder if it’s time for governments to set up their own instances. Corporate boards are bracing for more anti-DEI backlash, but does that mean they’re backing away from their goals? Gen Z’s enthusiasm for Kamala Harris’s U.S. presidential bid is no accident, as her campaign cracks the content code, notably on TikTok. Generative Artificial Intelligence is changing the search engine optimization (SEO) game. In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on new Threads features, Spotify and YouTube taking Apple’s podcast crown, the photo manipulation capabilities of Google’s new Pixel 9 line of phones, and one company’s stand against AI.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, September 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Tech Report:

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FIR #424: The Rise of the Hybrid Communication Officer

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:32:00 -0000

As we reported nearly a year ago, communication’s influence is growing among organizational leadership. However, in many companies, executive acceptance of communication may be taking a worrisome turn as additional responsibilities are being tacked onto the communication role, including sustainability and DEI. Is this because some companies see a natural synergy between these roles? Is it because the roles are viewed as soft, less important, and easily lumped together? Whatever the reason, it’s worth wondering whether coupling these roles dilutes the communication executive’s ability to do either well. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore the trend of coupling communication with another C-suite job.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #423: As Op-Eds Fade into History, Where Does Thought Leadership Belong?

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 22:50:00 -0000

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FIR #422: Will AI Kill the Consulting Billable Hours Model?

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:36:00 -0000

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FIR #421: GenAI is Paying Off for Individual Employees

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 17:06:00 -0000

The End of the Generative Artificial-Intelligence Bubble

The End of Investors’ Generative AI Honeymoon

Will Generative AI Really Pay Off?

Generative AI Seed Funding Drops 76% As Investors Take A Wait-and-See Approach

Is Generative AI Worth the Investment?

These are all headlines from the last several weeks suggesting, as Gartner believes, that generative AI has arrived at the trough of disillusionment (the low point in Gartner’s technology hype cycle). This skepticism can be attributed to the fact that there haven’t been any breakthrough products that have produced huge revenues. Instead of companies making big investments in AI, individual employees are using free or low-cost tools independently.

While those enterprise tools are undoubtedly coming, employees using ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Copilot are seeing big gains in productivity and even creativity. A new report from Microsoft — which looks at Copilot use by 6,000 employees in more than 60 organizations — reinforces this view. In this midweek episode, Neville and Shel dig into the report, along with a Washington Post study that ranks how individuals are using generative AI.

Links from this episode:

Generative AI in Real-World Workplaces (Microsoft report)
What do people really ask chatbots? It’s a lot of sex and homework

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #420: How Well Did CrowdStrike Handle Its Crisis Communications?

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 14:08:00 -0000

A faulty software update caused the biggest IT outage in history, affecting everything from commercial airline flights to hospitals. The crisis communication demands on CrowdStrike were enormous. How well did the company acquit itself? Neville and Shel look at the company's response and share what some crisis experts have said. Also in this episode, there's increased reporting on the strike between journalists and media relations professionals. People are still searching on Google, but they are not clicking on any of the results, creating headaches for websites that need visitors to survive. Ogilvy has introduced a service to deal with rogue influencers. A newsletter has made its way into the fediverse as social networks like Threads continue to expand their fediverse presence. NATO is taking its case to the public in a novel format: a graphic novel. In his tech report, Dan York shares his thoughts on the U.S. Supreme Court decision dealing with content moderation and why it's important for communicators, the release of WordPress 6.6, and the CrowdStrike outage.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York's Report:

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FIR #419: Is Shadow AI an Evil Lurking in the Heart of Your Company?

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 16:14:00 -0000

The headline is a bit dramatic but it was hard to pass up the “Shadow” reference. In fact, Shadow AI refers to employees covertly using generative AI tools at work without IT, HR, and other departments knowing about it. A recent report found vthat 27.4% of the content employees fed into AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Gemini was sensitive, a 10.7% increase from a year ago. The most sensitive data types shared with AI tools are customer support (16.3%), source code (12.7%), research and development material (10.8%), and unreleased marketing material (6.6%). HR and employee records represent 3.9% of sensitive information uploaded to AI chatbots, including confidential HR details, employee compensation, and medical issues. Neville and Shel examine the problem and the role internal communicators can play in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #418: These Are Our Rock-Solid Beliefs -- Unless You Don't Like Them

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 16:45:00 -0000

For years, Tractor Supply has touted its values and how firmly it has committed to them, as demonstrated by the fact that the Tennessee-based retailer recently set new targets, having already met the ones it established in 2018. But a vitriolic campaign by a right-wing podcaster led the company to summarily abandon those values, leading some employees to quit and diverse members of the company’s customer base to speak up. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss how firmly a company should stand up for what it believes, especially as political divides threaten organizations’ ability to do what’s best for the business.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #417: As AI Adoption Grows, Is Share of Model the New Metric?

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 17:22:00 -0000

Share of voice, share of search, share of conversation—brands are forever measuring their share in whatever space they want to dominate. Now that people are seeking answers from generative AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, brands will need to know whether they show up in the responses these models deliver. There is already a proposal to call this measurement “share of model.” In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel will explain what it means and how brands can get the same out of GenAI models they have been getting out of Google (i.e., share of search) using SEO techniques.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #416: No Likes. No Follows. No Stress!

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 19:49:00 -0000

Maven is a new social network that eschews likes and follows — the features of other social networks that induce stress and anxiety in users who feel compelled to grow their numbers rather than have meaningful conversations. But if brands can’t build a follower base or measure engagement on their posts, is there a use case for establishing a presence on Maven? Neville and Shel look at the possibilities in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #415: A Staggering Failure of Leadership and Communication

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:02:00 -0000

The UK Post Office scandal is a stark example of leadership and communication failures. When a faulty computer system was implemented, it erroneously flagged financial discrepancies, leading to the wrongful conviction of numerous subpostmasters for theft and false accounting. Instead of addressing the software’s errors, the Post Office’s crisis communication strategy focused on concealment and covering up misdeeds. This approach exacerbated the situation and severely damaged the organization’s reputation and trust. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss how transparency and accountability should have been the focus of leadership and how other companies’ crises could have been instructive for the Post Office’s leaders.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #414: Companies Treat Remote/Hybrid Like It's Temporary. It's Not.

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:39:00 -0000

Organizations need to adopt policies and communication strategies based on the acknowledgment that remote/hybrid work is here to stay. The current state of play is rooted in an assumption that it’s temporary, creating tensions between workers and leaders and leaving pre-pandemic company cultures in shambles. In a survey conducted jointly by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the USC Annenberg School of Communication, communicators shared their views about how remote/hybrid is going four years after it was thrust on organizations and its impact on the internal communication function. These results were presented on June 26 at a session of the IABC World Conference in Chicago. A press release is set for distribution the week of July 1, with survey results available soon after.

Links from this episode:

Check back for links after the survey has been released

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #413: AI Is Coming for Copywriters

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 18:07:00 -0000

We are told, “AI won’t take your job.” Instead, “Someone who knows how to use AI will take your job.”

Tell that to the scores of copywriters who have already lost their jobs to generative AI. With ChatGPT and its competitors in the frontier LLM space being used to write more than anything else, agencies and organizations are figuring out how to craft prompts that turn out decent copy. Some copywriters are figuring out how to stay relevant, though, including taking gigs improving the copy these AI tools churn out.

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine these trends and wonder what they mean for other communication jobs.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #412: Don't Let the Door Hit You on Your Way Out

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 18:00:00 -0000

You work for one of the biggest consulting firms in the world. You’ve been told that taking a voluntary separation package from the company is in your best interest. When you agree (not that you had much choice), you’re asked to sign an agreement that not only won’t you disparage the company, but you’ll use the language provided to you to let your colleagues know why you’re leaving (nothing bad about the company) and how great your time there has been. With more than 330,000 employees in this company, won’t anybody think identical farewell messages from multiple employees find this a bit suspicious? That’s what happened at PwC, our lead topic in this monthly long-form FIR episode for June 2024.

Also in this episode: Megainfluencers charge as much as $1.5 million for a single post. Could you do better with a bunch of mico and nanoinfluencers? New studies are out from Deloitte and McKinsey on the state of AI in the workplace. AI avatars and coworkers are starting to show up in some companies as the tools to create them get easier to deploy. Publishers worldwide have been hit by Facebook deleting posts that have been inaccurately identified as spam. And your favorite brand that showed such commitment to that social cause a few years ago? They don’t care about being “woke” anymore.

Dan York is focused on policy in his Tech Report, looking at age verification laws that are popping up all over the place, Canada imposing a tax on streaming services (after a less-than-optimal experience with a link tax), and a U.S. Supreme Court Decision is due about content moderation.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #411: Are We Unnecessarily Panicked About Online Disinformation?

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:38:00 -0000

Several studies seem to suggest that a small cadre of “supersharers” was responsible for spreading 80 percent of “fake news” on X (formerly Twitter) in 2020. Further, by removing these supersharers from the platforms they use to spread misinformation and disinformation, the number of lies appearing on the social network plummeted. What’s more, another study found that most people aren’t swayed by online misinformation and disinformation. As a result, all the panic about online misinformation and disinformation could be overblown.

Or not. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the data and what’s missing to reach a conclusion about communicators’ role in addressing what’s true and what’s not online.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #410: Who's Behind All Those Fake LinkedIn Profiles?

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 15:30:00 -0000

PRovoke Media broke a story about at least 11 fake profiles of people who listed a PR recruitment firm as their employers. LinkedIn removed them as fakes—an action with which the business-centric social network is all too familiar. So far, no other media outlets seem interested in the story. Still, Neville and Shel wonder about the motivation behind the profiles — under other circumstances, fake profiles can easily be used for illicit purposes — and the amount of effort organizations will need to take to ensure profiles listing them as employers are legitimate.

Links from this episode:

LinkedIn Removes Fake Employee Profiles Tied To PR Recruitment Firm

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 17.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #409: Just Another Fad

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 19:10:00 -0000

Despite the excitement over the possibilities generative AI provides, it was easy to predict that doubters would insist it’s just a fad — the same naysaying we heard about email, the web, social media, podcasting, live streaming, and a host of other digital technologies. In this case, the reports conflict with other research showing rapid adoption, even if we’re not anywhere close to widespread consumer use of gen AI tools, which nobody expects after only 18 months since ChatGPT 3.5 was unveiled. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel compare the reports and look at the potential for communicators to fall behind with yet another important technology.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #408: AI's Impact on Jobs, Quantified

Thu, 30 May 2024 15:07:00 -0000

PwC has released a detailed report analyzing over half a billion job ads from 15 countries representing over 30 percent of global GDP. The goal: unearth empirical evidence of AI’s impact on jobs. The results are remarkable, if unsurprising. For example, the analysis found 4.8 times higher growth in labor productivity in AI-exposed sectors and 25 percent higher skills change in AI-exposed occupations. Jobs that require specialist AI skills are growing 3.5 times faster than all jobs. Neville and Shel report on highlights and discuss the multi-dimensional impact on communicators in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #407: AI Is Changing How Managers Manage

Fri, 24 May 2024 21:29:00 -0000

White-collar employees everywhere are embracing AI, even if they’re using their own accounts and not telling their colleagues or bosses. This widespread adoption of AI among workers is already creating challenges for managers, who traditionally evaluate their team members based on outputs that may now be coming in whole or in part from an AI. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore what this means for managers and the internal communicators who recognize them as a discrete audience.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #406: Alas, SEO, We Knew You Well

Fri, 24 May 2024 21:28:00 -0000

Among a flood of AI announcements in the last week -- including remarkable advances in ChatGPT -- Google's move to produce narrative results called "overviews" instead of web links caused the most consternation. Neville and Shel break down all the news and focus in on Google's overviews in this long-form episode for May. Also in this episode, a Baidu executive wound up in hot water after remarks that offended employees and customers; Australian media manipulated a photo of a member of parliament, launching conversations about ethical use of AI when it comes to photos; Apple misfired on both an advertisement and its apology, but Bumble's apology is a prime example of how to apologize for a miscalculation; and a lot of venture capital money is going to companies offering apps that provide people with AI companions. In his Tech Report, Dan York, looks at evolutions among social media alternatives, a renewed interest in online communities, and Google's new AI-generated answers.

Visit the official FIR site for links from this episode.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #405: Gen Z's Connection with Influencers

Wed, 08 May 2024 16:01:00 -0000

Just how much influence do online influencers wield? According to a Sprout Social report, nearly half of all consumers make purchases based on influencer recommendations, and influencers appear to nobody more than Gen Zers. Those born between 1997 and 2012 — the oldest of whom are now in their mid-20s with increasing buying power — are even partial to AI-generated influencers, casting doubt on the importance of authenticity (and even how authenticity is defined). Neville and Shel break down the report and explore what it means to marketers in this short midweek episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #404: Purpose Without the Peril

Fri, 03 May 2024 15:38:00 -0000

For several years, bolstered by research showing the public trusts business more than any other institution to address societal issues, companies have taken positions on everything from the environment to LGBTQ rights. As the U.S. population grew more polarized, though, those on the other side of a company’s position made things increasingly difficult for those organizations. Yet companies understand that the younger workers they want to attract put a high premium on working for purposeful organizations. Some companies are finding an alternate approach to fulfilling that need by turning to a not-so-new activity: company-sponsored volunteerism.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #403: Does Marketing Need a Separate Ethics Standard for AI?

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:30:00 -0000

The author of an AI-focused newsletter suggests that companies need to establish discrete ethics policies for using Artificial Intelligence (AI). With all the codes of ethics out there designed to address anything and everything, is this really necessary? Neville and Shel don't see eye to eye in April's monthly long-form FIR episode. Also in episode 403, there's a new beauty pageant -- just for AI-generated women. While critics pile on with their disdain for this idea, the Dove brand is coming at AI-generated beauty differently, which you might expect if you've followed the Unilever company's 20-year-old Real Beauty campaign. TikTok needs to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned from app stores in the U.S. if the new law can survive the challenges it will surely face in terms of freedom of speech. Peter Shankman revived his free email service, Help A Reporter Out, under a new name. He had previously sold the service to what is now Cision, and Cision has essentially killed it. So Peter re-invented it as Help Every Reporter Out. Imagine an accountant who failed to use AI to review financials when the AI might have caught a fraudulent entry the accountant missed. Could that accountant be held liable for not using AI? It's a question every profession should be pondering. And you may find yourself working alongside a synthetic employee before too long. In his Tech Report, Dan York looks at 20 years of editing Wikipedia, WordPress's announcement of a new way to develop sites locally, Mastodon's establishment of a U.S. nonprofit, the status of Threads' integration with ActivityPub, and the Internet Society's post on the internet and climate change.

For this episode's links, visit the show notes on the FIR Podcast Network.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #402: Your Favorite Social Network Just Shut Down. Now What?

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:34:00 -0000

It has been five years since Google Plus closed down. While it never amassed the number of users of some of its rivals, many called it home and were cast adrift after its demise, unable to find an alternative that offered the same features and vibe. One Goole Plus user lamented the loss and reflected on the lessons learned from her attempts to find a new social network to call home. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss the fragmented nature of social networks and how the fediverse might one day resolve issues like those faced by refugees from Google Plus, Twitter, and other social networks that were no longer available or suited their needs.

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Links from this episode:

Five years after the demise of Google+: reflections on social media
11 social media trends you need to know in 2024 (Sprout Social)
Americans’ Social Media Use (Pew Research Center)
How social media network fragmentation will impact your 2024 strategy (Sprout Social)
Fediverse (Wikipedia)

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #401: The Battle Between PIOs and Journalists

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 23:11:00 -0000

While public corporations employ (or contract with agencies that provide) media relations professionals, government agencies are likelier to have Public Information Officers (PIOs). Agencies, however, are not the only entities with PIOs, who differ from media relations practitioners by virtue of their engagement with multiple external stakeholder audiences, not just media. PIOs have plied their craft for NGOs, educational institutions, civic organizations, religious institutions, and even some big corporations.

Like those in media relations, PIOs are meant to be the first point of contact for a journalist seeking information, interviews, or answers from an organization. Journalists, however, are complaining that, over the last couple of decades, PIOs have been obstacles rather than conduits, hindering their ability to do their jobs instead of helping. It has gotten bad enough that the Society of Professional Journalists is leading a formal, orchestrated campaign to get PIOs to clean up their act; publications like the Columbia Journalism Review and organizations like the Poynter Institute are among many who have gotten onboard.

In this short midweek episode, Shel and Neville look at the SPJ’s argument and discuss whether the PIO (and media relations) profession needs to change or if they’re just whining about organizations’ PR representatives just doing their jobs.

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Links from this episode:

Public information officers (Society of Professional Journalists)
How to deal with obstructive public information officers? Challenge them. (Columbia Journalism Review)
SPJ research suggests that a surge in PIOs negatively impacts journalism (Poynter)

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #400: Love Them or Hate Them, Press Releases Done Well Can Deliver Value

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 18:09:00 -0000

In a LinkedIn post, Techcrunch Sr. Enterprise Editor Frederic Lardinois lamented the ineffectiveness of an event-related press release he received. To date, 42 comments have agreed, many condemning the utter uselessness of press releases and the incompetence of those who produce them. Neville and Shel understand their frustration based on the poor quality of most press releases but defend the practice, when done right, for various reasons in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

Frederic Lardinois on LinkedIn: I understand that PR is hard, but when you’re making an announcement (or maybe dozens, if you’re hosting a major event)

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #399: No More Cookies For You

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 17:53:00 -0000

Google is ending third-party tracking cookies on Chrome, the last of the major browsers to take this privacy-enhancing action. Without these cookies, advertisers could see as much as a 70-percent decline in revenue from online ads. What are the alternatives? Neville and Shel break it all down in this short midweek episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #398: The Perfect AI Version of Your (or Anybody's) Voice

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 16:34:00 -0000

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making significant strides in various domains, and voice technology is no exception. OpenAI, a prominent player in the AI industry, has recently announced Voice Engine, a groundbreaking development in AI text-to-voice technology that will create natural-sounding voices based on a 15-second clip of your (or anybody’s) voice. OpenAI claims Voice Engine will deliver unparalleled realism and naturalness in computer-generated speech, surpassing the capabilities of existing solutions offered by companies like 11 Labs.

In this short midweek episode, we delve into OpenAI’s voice technology and explore its potential applications across different industries. We also discuss the ethical considerations that communicators need to keep in mind. We discuss the potential for misuse, such as the creation of convincing deepfakes and the spread of misinformation, and highlight the importance of responsible development and deployment of AI voice technology.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #397: Some Thought Leadership on Thought Leadership

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 16:44:00 -0000

“Thought leadership” is a term that gets bandied about a lot. (A Google search for the term produced over 100 million results.) You have to question whether everything labeled thought leadership actually is, suggesting the quality of thought leadership leaves something to be desired. In fact, a recent study from Edelman and LinkedIn finds doubts about the quality of thought leadership but also reveals that when it’s done right, it can be huge dividends for organizations, from building trust to driving business. Neville and Shel share some of the study’s findings in this short midweek episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #396: Will AI End Google's Search Dominance?

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:16:00 -0000

AI-powered tools like Perplexity are replacing Google as the go-to search resource for a growing number of people. Even AI tools that are not focused on searching the web, like Microsoft’s Copilot and Claude’s pro version, provide links to resources in their results. Is it enough to dethrone Google, which has held sway over search for decades? Some say yes, while others question whether AI is best for the variety of different uses to which people put Google. Neville and Shel are not in complete agreement on this one.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #395: Extra! Extra! Read All About It! (In Print!)

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:38:00 -0000

We have expectations from our use of social media, but in two recent studies, there is evidence that the outcomes we expect aren’t necessarily what we get. Also in this episode, we look at Gini Dietrich’s latest update to her PESO model for using various media channels in integrated communication efforts, the schoolkids who are bringing back print (along with advertisers, marketers, and others), insights from the 2024 Ragan Communications Benchmark Report, the kerfuffle that ensued when Merriam-Webster posted on Instagram that it’s fine to end a sentence in a preposition, and Glassdoor’s exposure of user names without their consent. You’ll also hear a follow-up to our story a few weeks back about the resurgence of NFTs. In his Tech Report, Dan York looks at Threads’ entry into the fediverse and Reddit’s IPO, among other things.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #394: Marketers, Boards, and AI

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:20:00 -0000

Companies whose boards include a member with marketing experience deliver higher investor returns than those whose boards lack marketing expertise. That higher return increases among companies losing market share. Does Artificial Intelligence (AI) threaten the path to board membership by dramatically reducing the number of marketers? OpenAI CEO Sam Altman thinks 95 percent of the work marketers do could become AI tasks. (Of course, the number of boards that take advantage of that marketing expertise — and improved returns — is very, very small.) Neville and Shel delve into these issues in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #393: Will Jinfluencers Eclipse Traditional Journalism?

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:31:00 -0000

A new type of influencer, known as “Jinfluencers,” is emerging in the media landscape. These influencers, who combine the roles of journalists and influencers, are gaining attention and challenging traditional media outlets. The media landscape has become fragmented, catering to niche interests and creating opportunities for trusted sources with loyal audiences. However, concerns have been raised about whether influencers can uphold journalistic standards. Neville and Shel explore the pros and cons of publishers embracing jinfluencers in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

As influencers replace journalists, a ‘jinfluencer’ is born

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #392: Going Below the Surface into Dark Social Media

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 15:48:00 -0000

Unsavory and nefarious things happen on the Dark Web. But the Dark Web and Dark Social Media are not exclusively a place for ne’er-do-wells, criminals, and extremists. Dark Social includes messaging apps, private discussion groups on popular public forums, and even email. An increasing share of conversations about brands is taking place on the Dark Web, according to new research. How can communicators monitor it and influence the conversation in their favor? Neville and Shel dive into the Deep Web in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR Interview: William Beutler on PR and Wikipedia

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 19:17:00 -0000

Google searches link to Wikipedia more than any other website. It is the largest and most-read reference work in history. It is consistently ranked as one of the 10 most popular websites in the world, and as of 2024 is the fifth most visited website on the net. Wikipedia is also one of the richest sources of information for AI training models. With all those eyes on Wikipedia, it’s no surprise that PR professionals want relevant entries to reflect their priorities and messages. Yet Wikipedia’s rules generally prohibit people and representatives of organizations from editing their articles. Some people try to game the system, frequently facing consequences like bans from Wikipedia. Others work with companies like Beutler Ink, a reputation agency specializing in Wikipedia entries based on founder William Beutler’s knowledge of working with the site’s volunteer editors to achieve the best possible results for his clients.

In this FIR Interview, Shel and Neville talk with Bill about the current state of Wikipedia’s relationship with the PR industry, how AI affects Wikipedia, and a host of other topics of interest to communicators.

About our conversation partner

William Beutler is the founder and president of Beutler Ink, a digital agency specializing in “white hat” Wikipedia consulting for corporate and institutional clients. Since its launch in 2010, Beutler Ink has led successful Wikipedia engagements for hundreds of clients, including numerous firms in the Fortune 50.

Mr. Beutler is considered the foremost expert in public relations for Wikipedia, and is the author of an influential blog, The Wikipedian (www.thewikipedian.net). His commentary has been featured by The Economist, on C-SPAN, at SXSW, and in 2020 he contributed a chapter to the book “Wikipedia @ 20: Stories of an Incomplete Revolution” published by MIT Press.

Links from this episode

Beutler Ink
CREWE (Corporate Representatives for Ethical Wikipedia Engagement) Facebook Group
Phil Gomes’ 2012 Open Letter to Jimmy Wales

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The next monthly, long-form episode of the “For Immediate Release” podcast will drop on Monday, March 25.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #391: Match Group Swipes Right on AI-Generated Press Releases

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 19:10:00 -0000

Match Group wanted the world to know it had secured 1,000 business licenses from OpenAI. In a press release, the company claimed that giving employees access to the full suite of ChatGPT tools has not only improved productivity but also altered the culture. The company disclosed in the press release that it was written by ChatGPT and edited by the company’s communication professionals. Opinions about the propriety of using AI to craft press releases run the gamut. Neville and Shel consider this broad range of views in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #390: The Fall and Rise of NFTs

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:53:00 -0000

Based on the plunge in the value of NFTs last year and the evaporation of business on NFT exchanges, it would be easy to think these tokens were just a passing fad, like Pet Rocks and Beanie Babies, especially given the resounding death knell produced by media. But NFTs never left, with companies like Starbucks and Nike continuing to invest in them, fashion companies continuing to use them, and artists continuing to offer their work via NFTs. The prices are rebounding, too — even among the silly pixelated avatars selling for millions of dollars. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore the resurgence of NFTs and what it means for communicators.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #389: Bloated C-Suites (and Some Alternatives)

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 19:47:00 -0000

The list of CXO titles is proliferating. The addition of chief culture officers, chief AI officers, chief data officers, chief wellness officers, chief diversity officers, chief learning officers, chief experience officers…the list goes on…has increased the size of C-suites across industries. There is strong evidence that larger executive teams can be less efficient than smaller ones. They result in increased complexity and bureaucracy, communication and coordination challenges, reduced accountability, and greater opportunity for conflict. Neville and Shel discuss a BBC report on the issue and explore some alternatives to traditional structures in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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FIR #388: Watch Me Get Fired

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 18:00:00 -0000

GenZers are recording their firings and layoffs, and the videos are going viral on TikTok and elsewhere. This is shining a harsh spotlight on organizations' approach to letting people go, and it's not pretty. What's worse is how some companies plot to avoid being subjects of these videos. Also, in this episode:

Bluesky has taken its first big steps into the fediverse as two protocols battle it out for supremacy in the 21st century of the VHS-Betamax wars, but there may be alternatives in play.
Most big legacy news organizations are blocking the crawlers OpenAI sends out onto the web to collect content to train its models. This has implications for AI's ability to deliver news in response to prompts, but it also has implications for journalism.
The ethics ratings of virtually every profession have fallen in the U.S., regardless of the industries in which these professionals might work. Does this put the onus for strengthening ethical behavior on professional associations, and what, exactly, can they do about it?
LinkedIn offers users an "Open to Work" badge to let others know you're seeking new employment. Does it work, and are there other consequences for showing so blatantly that you're looking for a job?
The Apple Vision Pro is out, and while marketers are exploring ways to deliver their messages in mixed reality environments, a lot of people are sending their headsets back to Apple and looking for a refund.
In his Tech Report, Dan York shares his thoughts on the Bluesky announcement. He also discusses how Google is killing independent websites, Google's $60-million payout to Reddit so it can train its models on Reddit's content, Reddit's plans to go public, and WhatsApp's introduction of markdown-style formatting.

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Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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Links from this episode are on the FIR Podcast Network website.

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FIR #387: Sentiment Analysis, Risk Mitigation, or Big Brother Surveillance?

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 19:01:00 -0000

A long list of A-list companies from across the spectrum of industries have embraced Artificial Intelligence in a way that is raising eyebrows: monitoring employee emails and posts to messaging and collaboration services like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Privacy experts are raising red flags over the trend. When CNBC reached out to these companies about how they’re using it, only two replied, suggesting the others would rather avoid public attention on disciplinary actions taken as a result of the AI’s surveillance capabilities. Meanwhile, research finds that employees who work for companies that engage in surveillance suffer mental wellness consequences. Neville and Shel discuss the trend in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #386: Is AI Too Generic a Label?

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In a LinkedIn post, internal communications thought leader Monique Zytnik wonders if there is not enough specificity in the “AI” label. “It’s like trying to have a conversation about different animals and only being able to use the word animal. One person is talking about lions and tigers 🦁and the other about cute chicks 🐣 but you’re only using the word animal,” she writes. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel tackle Monique’s question and explore some real-world business uses of AI that were included in a Microsoft article Monique shared in her post, examine the pending European AI regulations Monique mentioned, and look at some other recent AI developments.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #385: Amazing Search Results That Drive Little Traffic

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 16:52:00 -0000

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing all manner of things. It should be no surprise, then, that it is bound to revolutionize online searching, which has been dominated by Google. A new search engine, Perplexity, threatens Google’s dominance by delivering answers in narrative form with links to the resources from which the narrative was derived in two forms: annotations without the text and tiles that appear above it. Nowhere in evidence are the paid (and often lower-quality) links that occupy most of the first search engine results page these days. But how often will you click one of those links if Perplexity gives you the information you need? Neville and Shel have both become devoted Perplexity users and discuss it in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

Perplexity
Can This A.I.-Powered Search Engine Replace Google? It Has for Me. (The New York Times, paywalled)
Perplexity AI: Here are 10 things to know on search platform
The Future of Online Search: A Closer Look at Perplexity AI (Neville’s blog)
Why I Switched From Google Search to Perplexity (Shelly Palmer)

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Nev

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #384: Social Networks Shift Away from the Public Commons

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 20:00:00 -0000

People are spending less time on the big open public social networks, opting instead for closed communities, hidden away from public scrutiny. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the phenomenon and share their thoughts on the challenges this presents to organizations trying to reach their stakeholders through social media.

Links from this episode:

The end of the social network (The Economist, paywalled)

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #383: Leadership Traits Aren't What They Used To Be

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:00:00 -0000

Back in 2012, business executives thought the most important traits to exhibit when interacting with stakeholders included things like forcefulness, a blue-chip pedigree, and physical attractiveness. No more. A repeat of the study 10 years later found that inclusiveness, a “listen to learn” orientation, and authenticity are among the new traits for a strong executive presence. Neville and Shel discuss the evolution of executive presence and communicators’ role in helping their leaders adapt in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

The New Rules of Executive Presence

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #382: Brain Implants Are a Thing Now

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 19:00:00 -0000

Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, claims it has successfully implanted a device in the brain of a human subject who is recovering well. These devices are designed to enable severely disabled individuals to manipulate computers with their minds, moving cursors, typing, clicking, and so on. It’s the stuff of science fiction, but, like AI, it seems destined to become just another fact of life. The implications for society are huge, and there are considerations for communicators. Neville and Shel speculate about the concept and what it means for business and society in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #381: The State of Trust in 2024

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 18:00:00 -0000

It happens every January, as surely as the Tiffany ball will drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve: Edelman has released its annual Trust Barometer with a focus on the public’s views on innovation and the pace of change, along with the usual dimensions of trust the survey tracks every year. Neville and Shel examine some of the study’s core findings and reflect on their meaning for today’s communication professionals. Also in this episode, Neville and Shel discuss a court case in the U.K. in which an employee was told she could not work remotely and had to return to the office, along with other developments in the whole remote-hybrid-return-to-the-office battle; a global advertising conglomerate did something remarkably creative with synthetic media, demonstrating some of the positives that are possible with AI-generated hyperrealistic video; and a scandal 20 years in the making has erupted in the UK thanks to a four-part docudrama. In his tech report, Dan York reports on WhatsApp’s launch of voice updates, Threads’ plans for integration with the fediverse; generative AI developments, and a couple of milestone anniversaries.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Tech Report:

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FIR #380: Vanguard Leaves Investors Twisting in the Wind

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:28:00 -0000

When the word came down from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that investment companies could offer Bitcoin ETFs, Vanguard shrugged off the opportunity — but didn’t make an effort to let its investors know, leading to high volumes of online criticism and some investors closing their accounts. Neville and Shel dig into the communication failure in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #379: Top Communication Trends for 2024

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:16:00 -0000

When blogs first got hot, every December, it was the rare PR agency and independent communicator that didn’t feel compelled to post their predictions and assessments of trends for the new year. That practice has not slowed down. Rather than try to find and read through them all, just sit back and listen to this short mid-week episode of “For Immediate Release.” Neville and Shel will summarize key 2024 trends drawn from a number of sources.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #378: AI for Crisis Communications

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 21:12:00 -0000

Deepfakes! Volumes of disinformation generated at scale! Hallucinated information shared as fact! Inherent bias underlying official communication! The number of crises people can imagine AI creating continues to grow. But do AI’s abilities to aid in crisis communication outweigh these risks — especially if we find ways to minimize or eliminate the risks? Crisis expert Philippe Borremans has released a study, “Artificial Intelligence in Crisis Response: Perspectives from Communication Experts,” that begins to identify the multiple ways AI can do some heavy lifting during a crisis. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at the study results and discuss AI’s potential during a crisis.

Links from this episode:

Philippe Borremans’ LinkedIn post introducing the report
Download Philippe’s Report
Philippe on LinkedIn
RiskComms
The State of AI in PR 2023 (MuckRack Study)

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #377: Two Decades of Podcasting

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 17:42:00 -0000

Back on January 3, 2005, Neville and Shel released the first episode of “For Immediate Release.” That was several months before Apple introduced podcasts to iTunes, an event that is widely associated with the rise of podcasting’s popularity. Our best guess is that there were about 400 podcasts available at the time. FIR was the first to focus on PR and communication. Since then, we have produced over 1,200 episodes of the show, along with FIR Interviews and a couple of other spinoff shows.

While the newest episode is officially episode #377, we reset the episode numbering back in 2015 when we retired the show name, “The Hobson and Holtz Report,” at episode #824. Add them together, and this is actually our 1,201st episode. It also marks the beginning of our 20th year of podcasting.

In this anniversary episode, we briefly recount FIR’s beginnings but spend more time on podcasting’s status today and where it’s heading.

Links from this episode

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #376; Is the Internet Pendulum Swinging Back to Weirdness?

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 22:42:00 -0000

“We are about to see the biggest reshuffling of power on the internet in 25 years,” writes Anil Dash, “in a way that most of the internet’s current users have never seen before.”

That power, Dash believes, is a shift from big companies like Meta and Google back to individual users. Among the trends that have Dash believing this pivot is imminent are the nascent fediverse, the failure of X (formerly Twitter), court rulings that will open up alternative app stores, the rise of new networks (like Threads and Bluesky), and the rise of AI as a search alternative.

What could a reshaped internet look like, and how can businesses continue to take advantage of it when traditional means of customer connection become less and less effective? Neville and Shel consider the possibilities in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #375: ChatGPT Speaks for Itself about its PR Capabilities

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:49:00 -0000

Volumes have been written in the last year about how to apply ChatGPT and other generative AI tools to the practice of public relations and organizational communication. In this midweek episode, we let ChatGPT speak for itself about how it can enhance communicators’ work — and whether communicators are at risk of being replaced by AI.

Shel is solo in this episode, so he interviews ChatGPT to ask about its processes for press releases and other PR writing and editing, its non-media and non-writing capabilities, ethical considerations, crisis communication functionality, and much more. Hear ChatGPT in her own words articulate the best approaches professional communicators can take to optimizing their work with an AI collaborator.

Links from this episode:

Nomad podcast episode featuring an interview with ChatGPT

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #374: Getting Your News from AI

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 22:30:00 -0000

German publisher Alex Springer — which owns Politico, among other media properties — has inked a deal with OpenAI, which means ChatGPT will be able to include news in its responses to prompts. Debate over the pros and cons is robust, and there are implications for organizations trying to get their news into the mix. In the December long-form episode, Neville and Shel explore the ramifications and possible next steps. Also in the show:

Starbucks has suffered vandalism and other blowback based on disinformation shared online. Is the iconic coffee company handling it well?
The presidents of three top-tier universities gave cringeworthy testimony before a Congressional committee. Who counseled them before their appearances?
Researchers worked with generative AI tools to develop a strategic plan for introducing a new service to a metropolitan community. How did it go?
There will be a lot of elections across many countries in 2024. How will AI affect the outcomes?
People want media organizations to disclose when they use AI in the preparation of reports. How much does that affect their trust of the content?
In his tech report, Dan York dives deep into movements in the fediverse.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #373: Has the Fediverse Reached Its Tipping Point?

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 18:18:00 -0000

The speed with which media companies are announcing moves into the fediverse is accelerating, with Flipboard and Mozilla among the latest to signal their plans to support federation protocols. While most consumers are shrugging over the idea of decentralized social networks, the actual benefits will be evident once the protocols are implemented and people are able to take advantage of them. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel break down what the fediverse is, discuss the competing protocols, and explain what it means for users and social media managers.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #372: More Disinformation Targets Companies

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:20:00 -0000

The rise of “non-credible publications” and the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence have fueled a surge in disinformation attacks aimed at businesses. Knowing where to look for this potentially harmful content and how to prepare your organization to address it proactively can help your company avoid a lot of grief. Neville and Shel explore some recent research and outline recommendations for communicators in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #371: Employee AI Competencies

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:55:00 -0000

How much should a company’s employees know about AI? Some companies are now looking for employees who can bring a range of AI skills with them for virtually any job the company has to offer. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss how companies like software firm Deel and furniture site ufurnish.com are using AI tools like ChatGPT to boost efficiency. For example, they use AI to write website copy, code, and even employee performance reviews. Experts say AI adoption is accelerating, with job posts that reference AI skills doubling over two years globally. However, they caution that AI still requires human supervision, and biases in the underlying data could lead to discrimination if not managed properly. AI is starting to transform workflows, but true transformation requires rethinking processes, not just optimizing what already exists. Are employees ready? Are companies helping them get ready?

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FIR #370: War, Managers, and Empathy

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:16:00 -0000

Most organizations have remained silent about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Leaders don’t see how any reference to the war is relevant to their companies’ operations, purpose, or values, and they can’t imagine any statement would satisfy everyone. Yet most employees want to hear from their leaders about the situation. Research found that trust in leadership rises considerably when they do speak up. But what employees want to hear from leaders, particularly their immediate managers, is not which side leaders are on. Neville and Shel discuss employees’ expectations in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #368: AI and PR Codes of Ethics

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 19:39:00 -0000

PRSA has released a set of guidelines to govern the use of Artificial Intelligence by public relations professionals. The association has used its Code of Ethics as a roadmap. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore the recommendations — and the landscape of AI ethics guides for the PR profession.

Links from this episode

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 25.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #366: DIY GPT

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 19:37:00 -0000

Pundits are proclaiming social media dead (or dying), and they have data to back up their beliefs. If it’s true, what does it mean — for society, for networking, and for business? Neville and Shel examine the evidence and trends and discuss the implications at the 7:03 mark of the monthly long-form episode for November. Also in this episode:

ChatGPT pauses new signups and other news (32:25)
A look at ChatGPT’s GPT Builder (38:57)
The state of news on social media (1:00:42)
Generative AI and journalism (1:12:54)
A high-profile executive’s fake Twitter accounts (1:17:07)
In his Tech Report, Dan York talks about Twitter’s woes, WhatsApp news, Automattic backing off Tumblr growth, and the Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year (51:28)

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #365: RyanAir's Social Media Chief Doesn't Leave Quietly

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 23:15:00 -0000

RyanAir has a reputation: For the lowest airfares in Europe, you’ll get where you’re going with the bare minimum of service. The airline’s social media accounts — notably TikTok — have done a brilliant, irreverent job of setting expectations for anyone planning to fly on RyanAir, which the social media manager’s skills were first-rate. When he left the company — reportedly because of its cultural shortcomings — he abided by the 90-day quiet period, then applied his social media skills to share his experience. His posts (not surprisingly) made headlines. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel break down what this might mean for RyanAir.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #364: Managers' Most Important Communication Role

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 17:00:00 -0000

Internal communicators have long known how important employees’ immediate supervisors are to the communication process. Based on the results of a new study, communicators need to shift their focus. Managers still need to serve as a conduit of information in both directions, but there’s an even more important role they play that communicators are best suited to help them learn and apply. Shel and Neville discuss the study and its implications for internal communications professionals in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

How leaders communicate with employees sets the tone for a respectful workplace culture

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #363: Is the Israel-Hamas War a Communications No-Win Situation?

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 15:42:27 -0000

A review of the trove of articles about how brands have addressed the conflict in the Middle East suggests that there is no way to satisfy everybody, even for brands that opt to say nothing at all. Neville and Shel explore the peril of speaking out, even as expectations continue for companies and their CEOs to address societal issues. Also in this monthly long-form episode:

The closure of Pebble (formerly T2) has implications for the entire fractured social media ecosystem
A global PR body has ratified 10 principles for the ethical use of AI in PR and communications
LinkedIn influencers are becoming a force to be reckoned with
A poll from MIT explores key decision points for deploying AI in the enterprise
Silicon Valley appears to have given up on news in social networks

----

In his tech report, Dan York shares details about the flailing of Twitter, changes in Threads, WhatsApp channels, and Automattic’s purchase of Texts.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #362: Why Did Pebble Sink?

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:23:43 -0000

T2 rebranded as Pebble because when tossed in water, pebbles create ripples (except in the song “Ripple,” in which “there is no pebble tossed, nor wind to blow”). The microblogging social network created by former Twitter staffers never created enough ripples to sustain it. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel lament Pebble’s passing, consider the reasons it is shutting down, and ponder what it means for the post-Twitter social media landscape.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #361: Is There a Seat at the Table in Corporate Communication's Future?

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:41:48 -0000

A new study from Edelman polled hundreds of Fortune 500 Chief Communication Officers about the future of corporate communications. The results include some surprises, including the scope of the CCO’s role and what they’re spending their time on. The study also addresses the old canard about the communicator’s quest for a “seat at the table.” Neville and Shel dig into the report in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #360: Your AI Chatbot Confidant

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 23:52:00 -0000

At a school in southern England, a headmaster worked with an AI developer to create an AI “robot” named Abigail Bailey to serve as his “headteacher,” giving him advice and helping with planning. He has another AI “robot” named Jamie Rainer serving as his head of AI after advertising for a human to handle the job. Can the same principles be transferred to the CEO of an organization? Find out in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

Prep school appoints AI chatbot as its ‘principal headteacher’ (paywalled content)

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #359: Your New AI BFF

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 19:06:08 -0000

OpenAI is rolling out the ability to have a spoken conversation with ChatGPT. Meta is making it easy to converse with the likes of Tom Brady and Paris Hilton (who have lent their voices to the effort). An AI chatbot called PI was built to let you discuss personal matters. Companies are rolling out AI girlfriends. (That can’t end well.) It’s all part of what Casey Newton calls the “synthetic social network,” and it’s the topic of conversation between Neville and Shel in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #358: EY Goes AI

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:58:03 -0000

EY (formerly Ernst & Young), one of the “big four” accounting firms, has launched EY.ai, which is (according to a press release) “a unifying platform that brings together human capabilities and artificial intelligence (AI) to help clients transform their businesses through confident and responsible adoption of AI.” Separately, EY has introduced EYQ, an AI assistant for its 400,000 employees. Neville and Shel discuss the news — and how likely it is that EY’s competitors will follow — in this short midweek FIR episode.

Links from this episode

----

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #357: A Status Report on AI and PR

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:47:00 -0000

Artificial Generative Intelligence (AGI) has been widely available publicly for less than a year, but the public relations industry has moved quickly to assess its potential and begin the process of implementation. How is it going so far? A brief from the PR Academy looks at the state of AGI in PR. Also in this monthly long-form episode:

Acast has risen to the top of the business podcasting services heap
Despite political pressure, marketers continue to focus on diversity
Gen Z journalists are not like their predecessors. What are their values and priorities?
Deepfakes have been a concern for years. Deepfake scams have finally arrived.
Website owners are looking for ways to block AI web crawlers from vacuuming up their content.

In his tech report, Dan York looks at Mastodon 4.2 and the ActivityPub plugin for WordPress.

Links from this episode

Links from Dan York’s report

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 30.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #356: The Long Arc of Network Disruption

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:56:00 -0000

t’s easy to believe that the internet has already demonstrated its disruptive capabilities by pointing to everything from the transformation of the audience to publishers and the rise of disinformation. However disruptive these changes are, they are mainly uses of technology to do things we were already doing — just doing it more easily and efficiently. Real disruption — the invention of entirely new processes and approaches — could take years, decades, even centuries to manifest, according to Jeff Jarvis in his new book, “The Gutenberg Parentheses”. But we are starting to see early examples, and TikTok is the platform on which they are appearing. We’ll share these examples, and provide more insight into Jarvis’s book, in this short midweek episode.

Links from this report:

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 2 (but it will be the September episode).

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #353: Blogging in the AI Era

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:07:09 -0000

Generative Artificial Intelligence has a lot to offer bloggers, from easier research to better SEO. It can also let people crank out torrents of posts. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the benefits and risks AI presents to bloggers and whether blogs are more or less important in the AI era.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 2 (but it will be the September episode).

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #352: AI and Elections -- Should We Panic?

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 18:29:20 -0000

Generative Artificial Intelligence is poised to become a wild card in upcoming elections, most notably the 2024 presidential election in the U.S. Its primary use will be the creation of disinformation. But can voters be swayed by this flood of new content that (let’s face it) joins the flood of disinformation people have been creating without AI? Neville and Shel look at multiple sides of the issue in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 2 (but it will be the September episode).

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

How worried should you be about AI disrupting elections?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #351: No Such Thing as Peak Podcast

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 15:35:08 -0000

Can there be too many podcasts? That’s just one question a panel of podcast luminaries answered for The Hollywood Reporter. Neville and Shel highlight key comments and discuss the direction podcasting is taking and whether it remains relevant for organizational communicators in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 2 (but it will be the September episode).

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #350: Success Breeds Imitation

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 18:08:41 -0000

The spectacular success of the Barbie movie has led Mattel to plan more than a dozen movies based on its brands, including Hot Wheels, Barney, Polly Pocket, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, and American Girl — not to mention a full-blown theme park (with a Barbie Beach, Hot Wheels rides, and a massive He-Man and the Masters of the Universe laser tag arena. Mattel’s competitors are also making plans for movie versions of its products. Movies based on toys are nothing new (we’ve seen multiple Transformers movies, GI Joe movies, and a He-Man flick). But Barbie raised the bar. Will the inevitable flood of toy-branded movies rise to that level or just be the schlock we’ve come to expect? Neville and Shel dissect the possibilities in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 2 (but it will be the September episode).

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Stepping into Barbie’s heels: is a branded content renaissance coming?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #349: Marketing's Pity Party

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:00:00 -0000

"Pity Marketing" is having a moment. Multiple reports have surfaced of people sharing tales of woe, mostly on the X (formerly Twitter) social network, leading many who see the posts to pull out their wallets. Could the same technique work for bigger brands? Also in the August long-form episode of "For Immediate Release":

The Associated Press has published its AI guidelines for journalists
Big advertisers are rushing to take advantage of AI
Gartner has pegged AI at the peak of inflated expectations
Motion identities are now a requirement for brands
Brands are starting to sound alike on social media

In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on Twitch's plans to roll out blocking, new features on Threads, developments with Mastodon, a new fediverse report, and scientists scaling back their use of X (formerly Twitter).

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 2 (but it will be the September episode).

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Links from Dan York's Tech Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #348: The Consequences of AI Panic

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 15:32:44 -0000

Prosecraft was a useful site for wanna-be fiction writers. It violated no copyright rules and did nothing that should have been upsetting to authors whose works were included in the site’s library. For several years, nobody gave it a second thought. But as AI has raised worries among creatives, some authors jerked their knees and demanded their works be removed. The loss of Prosecraft is bad enough. The chilling effect could be worse. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss the potential consequences of AI panic.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

The Fear Of AI Just Killed A Very Useful Tool
Taking Down Prosecraft.io
Shaxpir, Benji Smith’s resource for novelists

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #347: Digital Media, Star Power, and Wrexham

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 18:00:00 -0000

Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney made headlines when they bought the Wrexham Association Football Club. Since then they have poured cash into the team and applied business savvy to build a global fan base for the obscure Welsh club. Among the tactics employed was a digital media strategy focused on entertaining storytelling centered on team members and coaches. Can that approach work for other sports teams or businesses that don't have the star power of a Ryan Reynolds to draw attention? Neville and Shel discuss the story in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #346: The Daily Me, Video Version

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 16:12:10 -0000

In 1995, MIT Media Lab Director Nicholas Negroponte predicted “The Daily Me,” a digital newspaper that would feature articles that aligned with the interests of each individual reader, leaving out news a well-rounded person might need to know. Now, courtesy of AI, a company is planning to develop a daily 30-minute newscast with AI-generated anchors sharing coverage of stories based on each viewer’s interests. The concept can be useful where audience segmentation is important but also raises some serious questions, which Neville and Shel ponder in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

This Startup Wants to Create an AI-Generated CNN

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #345: Sources of Information

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Longtime FIR listener (and one-time contributor) Bernie Goldbach asked Neville and Shel how they find quality conversations. That opened up a discussion about sources of information for staying current on communication and technology trends and how those habits have changed over the years.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Dave Fleet’s Digital Digest
Shelley Palmer (blog and newsletter signup)
Platformer (by Casey Newton)
Christopher S. Penn’s Almost Timely Newsletter
Inside Metaverse Newsletter
Smartbrief Newsletters
Pocket
Mediapost
Techmeme
Jeremiah Owyang Tech + Business Newsletter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #344: Sloganeering with AI

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 13:00:00 -0000

AI rewrote 50 of the best-known brand slogans, and survey respondents preferred the AI version 48 percent of the time — even Apple’s “Think Different” slogan fell to the AI alternative. Also in this AI-heavy monthly long-form episode:

Newsrooms are adopting standards for using AI
Google is pitching an AI news-writing tool to major media outlets
How should newsrooms be thinking about AI?
A study of more than 5,000 ChatGPT conversations reveals how people are using the chatbot
Maybe AI isn’t coming for everyone’s job after all
An NFT platform has launched a limited-edition print magazine
What’s behind Twitter’s poop emoji PR?
In his tech report, Dan York introduces himself to Threads, Mastodon analytics are now available, Vox is ending its CMS, a look at Llam2, worries about AI cluttering the web with useless content, and a new podcast to try.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Links from Dan York’s Tech Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #342: Pulling at Threads' Seams

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 22:30:20 -0000

Meta’s Threads, a new micro-blogging platform, is now available to anyone with an Instagram account — no invite codes or waitlists required — and there has been no shortage of people willing to give it a try. Only about two weeks old, Threads is already the subject of speculation about its future. In the meantime, brands and journalists are jumping onto the platform. Should your company or brand be there, too? Neville and Shel share their thoughts in this short midweek “For Immediate Release” episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 24

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #341: Influencers Amuck

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 17:43:08 -0000

In the world of influencers, brands pay for influencers to say what the brands want them to say. In the case of Shein, what they wanted them to say appears to be at odds with the facts. In this case, the blowback targeted the influencers more than the brand, calling attention to the gloss the company wanted to put on its tarnished reputation. Will every follower of an influencer know every time they’re hearing a manipulated message? We explore the Shein story and its implications in this short mid-week episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 24

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #340: Will AI Destroy the Web?

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 15:50:02 -0000

All the signs are there, according to observers. As one tech publication put it, “Google is trying to kill the 10 blue links. Twitter is being abandoned to bots and blue ticks. There’s the junkification of Amazon and the enshittification of TikTok. Layoffs are gutting online media. A job posting looking for an ‘AI editor’ expects ‘output of 200 to 250 articles per week.’ ChatGPT is being used to generate whole spam sites. Etsy is flooded with ‘AI-generated junk.’ Chatbots cite one another in a misinformation ouroboros. LinkedIn is using AI to stimulate tired users. Snapchat and Instagram hope bots will talk to you when your friends don’t. Redditors are staging blackouts. Stack Overflow mods are on strike. The Internet Archive is fighting off data scrapers, and ‘AI is tearing Wikipedia apart.'”

Is the worst-case scenario inevitable? Neville and Shel explore the possibilities in this short mid-week episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 24

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #339: Still Virtual After All These Years

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 15:00:00 -0000

The hype around the metaverse rises and falls, but Second Life is 20 years old and continues to draw users and make money. Neville and Shel explore the reasons Second Life enjoys its ongoing modest success in the June monthly long-form episode of “For Immediate Release.” Also in this episode:

The state of digital news raises concerns for the public’s news literacy, how companies can get their news into the hands of stakeholders, and what “news” means to people today.
The political assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is producing polarization among employees and, in some companies, questionable decisions by leaders.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have an impact on every department in an organization. That makes it a key focus area for Chief People Officers.
The merger of the PGA and the LIV golf tour caught many players by surprise. They should have been a top priority.
The metaverse, contrary to popular opinion, is not dying while AI rises. In fact, AI is breathing new life into the metaverse.
In his Tech Report, Dan York looks at the Jetpack AI Assistant for WordPress users, why thousands of subreddits are going dark on Reddit, and why we should pay attention to Canada’s C-18 Online News Act.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 24

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Links from Dan York’s Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #338: Adding Activism to PR

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 16:45:15 -0000

Public relations, both in academia and in practical application, has always been seen as a business practice. A new study produced by researchers from the Missouri School of Journalism and Penn State argues that community activism employs PR strategies and tactics. By recognizing community activism as a form of public relations, traditional PR professionals can incorporate some of the things it does better, including listening and taking a long view. Neville and Shel dive into the research in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 19.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

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FIR #337: Is It All Over for Influencers?

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 21:35:00 -0000

A new survey finds that 90 percent of Americans don’t trust influencers. What does this mean for the multi-million dollar influencer industry? And where can brands turn now, since the old celebrity approach also doesn’t carry much weight with consumers? Neville and Shel fill you in during this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 19.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #336: Trust, Likability, and Confirmation Bias

Wed, 31 May 2023 16:39:39 -0000

Multiple studies confirm that Americans (like most of the rest of the world) have lost their trust in the media. But people get their news and information from somewhere — or, as a Gallup/Knight Foundation study finds — someone. “Public individuals” attract followers who turn to them for news and information based on a number of qualities, ranging from likability to subject matter expertise. Many of these public individuals host shows on mainstream media outlets. What does this mean for PR professionals looking for the right outlet to pitch? Neville and Shel break down the study in this short midweek FIR episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 18.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

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FIR #335: BBC Fires a Shot in the Disinformation War

Wed, 24 May 2023 16:25:51 -0000

BBC Verify is the venerable broadcaster’s latest effort to combat disinformation. With a staff of 60 journalists, Verify will provide details about the BBC’s own reporting and debunk disinformation it finds online (as it has already done with a photo purportedly of a Pentagon bombing that was, in fact, AI-generated). Are there lessons in the BBC’s approach that communicators can apply to their companies’ online activities? And will other media outlets follow suit, even as they slash budgets and newsrooms?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 18.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #334: Employees Really Do Hate Change

Mon, 22 May 2023 15:00:00 -0000

The number of change initiatives companies impose upon employees has skyrocketed from two per year in 2016 to 10 in 2022. That has left employees with a serious case of change fatigue, increasing the likelihood that these initiatives will fail. Shel and Neville look at data from Gartner and advice on how to better handle the surge of change programs, many of which companies are undertaking in response to challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also in this episode:

Web3 has never captured the public’s imagination. The lingo of Web3 may be partly to blame.
Over half of public relations practitioners lack confidence in their data literacy skills. That’s a problem when the simple but useless AVE metric is no longer the communicator’s fall-back metric.
The pandemic influenced the ways companies communicated with employees, leading to a shift in the elements of communication that lift organizations’ internal brands.
A quarter of Twitter users don’t expect they’ll be using the platform within a year.
The uproar over perceived or real copyright violations inherent in the Large Language Models used by generative AI tools is poised to find its way into laws and regulations.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 18.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Links from Dan York’s Report

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FIR #333: When to Disclose That You've Used AI

Thu, 18 May 2023 21:08:17 -0000

“Disclosure and transparency are the currency of the internet,” wrote journalist and author Evan Osnos. That has proven to be true time and again. It undoubtedly will be true of using generative AI in marketing and communication. But will it be true every time we use AI? Even when we’re just using it as a tool, like a calculator? The challenge of establishing guidelines for disclosing the use of AI is the subject of this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

How media agencies are tightening brand safety and transparency measures as influencers tap AI

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FIR #332: Wikipedia Editors in Tug-of-War over AI-Authored Articles

Wed, 10 May 2023 18:10:49 -0000

The volunteer editors responsible for Wikipedia content are divided over the role ChatGPT and other generative AI writing tools can or should play in the creation of articles for the online encyclopedia. Their struggle is most likely being repeated in businesses around the globe.

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FIR #331: AI Completes Tasks and Raises Fears

Wed, 03 May 2023 18:22:24 -0000

The recent releases of Agent-GPT, AutoGPT, and BabyGPT have taken ChatGPT to a new level. Rather than simply responding to user prompts, these tools identify a series of tasks that must be completed to achieve a goal and then completes them autonomously. It’s still early days, but the potential is huge. So is the growing risk of bad actors using these tools for nefarious purposes. We discuss these recent developments in this short mid-week episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #330: Help Wanted -- Prompt Engineer

Wed, 03 May 2023 18:17:20 -0000

If your generative AI prompts aren’t producing exactly what you want, there’s help — for a fee. You can buy pre-written prompts from prompt marketplaces like PromptBase and Prompt Attack or hire a prompt engineer through services like Fiverr. We dig into this newly-emergent cottage industry in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #329: Post Once, Socialize Everywhere

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 15:37:11 -0000

Imagine posting to your favorite social network, the one you want your brand to be associated with, and having it appear for all of your followers in the social networks of their choice. It could be possible if the ActivityPub standard continues to spread the way it has been lately. And that could be an important evolution given the meltdown that Twitter is undergoing. Those are just two of the stories in the April long-form edition of the “For Immediate Release” podcast. Also in this episode…

The “have a go” era of podcasting could be coming to an end, depending on how you interpret the data
LinkedIn is going through some changes that not everyone likes
A coalition of 500-plus ad agencies is taking a stand against fossil fuels
A song reportedly produced using AI imitated the voices of some A-list artists, and the music industry isn’t happy
Dan York reports on the demise of Spotify Live, some Twitter news, Wikipedia’s one-minute video, and more

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

For links from this report, visit the official FIR website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #328: What's In Your Crypto Wallet?

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:39:48 -0000

Traditional wallets are stuffed full of cash, credit cards, debit cards, and identification. Crypto wallets have only held public and private keys needed to trade cryptocurrencies. Users are increasingly filling their crypto wallets with NFTs and other digital assets. It won’t be long before digital wallets hold crypto, NFTs, digital assets, and your credit cards and identity verification. The only physical wallets you’ll see will be in museums. Why communicators and their clients/employers should care is the subject of this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #327: Laid Off in the Comfort of Your Own Home

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 21:53:20 -0000

During the pandemic-related lockdown, with everyone but essential workers working from home, companies had little choice but to inform employees that their employment was being terminated using Zoom, Teams, or other digital channels. Now that people are back in the office, full-time or under a hybrid model, many companies have retained the practice. Some have asked all employees — even those working in the office — to stay home during a layoff so those who are being terminated can get the news remotely. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss whether this approach is here for good and, if it is, whether there are implications for companies engaging in the practice.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #326: The (Metaverse) Winter of Our Discontent

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 18:36:59 -0000

Can the metaverse survive? Is this the Metaverse winter? Is the metaverse dead? Headlines like these appear across media as attention — and investment dollars — shift from the metaverse to Artificial Intelligence. Is the metaverse really destined for the trash heap of tech history? Neville and Shel take issue with all the doom and gloom in this short midweek episode.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR Interview: PRophet Founder and CEO Aaron Kwittken

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 20:34:14 -0000

While journalists are sick of spray-and-pray pitches and press releases, they are equally heartened to see pitches that are tailored to their interests. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained prominence since the November 2022 public release of ChatGPT, more public relations practitioners may be open to the idea of using AI to help identify the right journalists for their stories and craft pitches that will be more likely to appeal to them.

In this FIR Interview, Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz spoke with Aaron Kwittken, founder and CEO of PRophet, which is billed as “the only generative and predictive PR platform.” Once you have created an initial pitch, PRophet evaluates it, predicts media interest, and then helps draft personalized pitch copy to interested journalists.

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FIR #325: Making AI-Generated Brand Magic

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 23:54:02 -0000

Coca-Cola is one of the first companies to demonstrate a big commitment to generative AI, launching a contest that requires contestants to use both of OpenAI’s public tools: ChatGPT and DALL-E 2. Neville and Shel discuss the contest and some other brand experiments with generative AI tools in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #324: Pitching Original Content

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 21:53:02 -0000

Some PR pros think you should withhold original research, infographics, and other original content from a pitch to a journalist. Others think you can share it, but only under some circumstances. Still others think it best to give reporters what you have. Neville and Shel explore the various recommendations in this short, mid-week episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

Should PR Pros Include Original Research In Pitches? 15 Comms Leaders Weigh In

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FIR #323: Outright Theft or Fair use?

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:00:00 -0000

All generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) works fundamentally the same: AI neural networks learn from large training sets, gleaning patterns from the contents of those training sets in order to create original content based on their understanding of those patterns. When the companies behind those AI tools use content available on the web for training, do they need to ask permission from the content creators? You and I don’t. We can look at as much as we like and learn as much as we can. Is it the same for AI training sets or is it something else altogether, more akin to Napster using existing music without compensating the artists? Neville and Shel are on opposite sides of the debate. Also in this episode:

The University of Iowa’s school of business has introduced a program to teach students how to tell stories. Storytelling is a crucial business skill that few businesses value. Communicators can help change that.
A BBC football analyst — a contractor, not an employee — made some partisan remarks on a social network and was punished for violating standards by which employees are required to abide. It reopened a long-dormant discussion about social media policies.
Did Silicon Valley Bank communicate too little, contributing to its failure? Or did it communicate too much? Is it possible the bank did both?
ChatGPT and Midjourney have both been upgraded and the updates are substantial. Midjourney images are scarily photo-realistic and ChatGPT can now create a web page — Javascript included — based on a sketch of a wireframe. And that just scratches the surface of these updates.
Microsoft has introduced Co-Pilot, the tool that will let users of its software tap into the power of Artificial Intelligence.

Dan York shares news from WordPress, WhatsApp, the world of ChatBots, and more in his Tech Report.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 22.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Find links from this episode at the FIR website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #321: Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Crisis Comms

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:37:08 -0000

In the laundry list of mistakes and missteps from Norfolk Southern in the wake of the disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, what stands out the most is that the company seems to be making it all about them and not the people suffering the fallout of the crisis. (At a town hall meeting, a company representative kept repeating how awful everyone at Norfolk Southern felt about the incident. Nobody in East Palestine cares how anybody at Norfolk Southern feels.) You have to wonder if they’re getting and ignoring good crisis counsel, if the counsel they’re getting is bad, or if they’re not getting any professional input at all.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #322: If Not Twitter, Then Where?

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:30:12 -0000

Network outages. Fleeing advertisers. Disaffected staff. News reports of abusive behavior. Rents in arrears. And news feeds are increasingly swamped with posts from trolls and bots. Things are not looking good for the bird site. But if it fails, what’s the alternative? The fediverse is questionable. LinkedIn is solid, but its focus is on business. Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky is coming, but it’s federated, too. Is there anything out there that can serve the function Twitter does? Neville and Shel examine the situation and explore the alternatives in this short midweek episode.

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FIR #320: The Chorebots of 2033

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 14:00:00 -0000

Artificial Intelligence is already embedded in daily life, from product recommendations based on past purchases to playlist suggestions. If you use a smartwatch or health-monitoring wearable, you’re using AI. The leap demonstrated by recently released generated AI apps suggests that future developments are going to come at an accelerated pace. We’ve also seen amazing robotic developments. (Have you watched a recent Boston Dynamics video or checked out Loona, the robotic pet that was the hit of CES in January?) Mix the two, bake for a decade, and imagine what you’ll get.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #319: Return to Work Mandates Damage Engagement and Productivity

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0000

A lot of company leaders believe a return to the office is a prerequisite to raising productivity and employee engagement metrics. A look at the data seems to reveal exactly the opposite: Productivity rose near the start of the pandemic and plummeted when companies began demanding employees come back to the office. Engagement numbers also fell well after the start of the pandemic in 2020, according to the premier engagement researcher. The world of work has changed, whether senior leaders understand that or not, which puts a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of in-house communicators.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #318: AI, Mastodon, the Metaverse -- Headlines vs. Reality

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 18:00:00 -0000

Mainstream and tech media alike have filled their pages with headlines about disastrous demos, worrisome uses, fleeing users, and evaporating investments. Is it all true? Or is it a combination of clickbait and a failure to understand what's really happening? In the February long-form episode of the "For Immediate Release" podcast, Neville and Shel look at generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) developments, mostly having to do with ChatGPT and Microsoft's integration of it into limited-release versions of Bing and Edge. Also in this episode:

With all the AI coverage and some media still paying attention to the Metaverse, reporting on NFTs and other aspects of Web3 seem to have fallen off the radar, but there was a big Web3 development when the world's largest pharmaceutical company invested big money in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that was launched to circumvent big pharmaceutical companies.
To read the coverage, you would think that all those people who signed up for Mastodon when Twitter became a less desirable platform are fleeing faster than high school students when the bell rings after the last class before summer vacation. But are they really?
Most of the metaverse reporting that suggests investment is drying up and business interest has cratered is based on a false premise. There's plenty of movement and investment in the metaverse, assuming you understand that it's a network, not a place.
New research finds that a fast-growing number of podcast fans would rather watch a podcast than just listen to one.
In his tech report, Dan York also looks at third-party Mastodon apps, how Roblox plans to use generative AI, the opening of a new Federal Trade Commission Office of Technology to fight "AI snake oil," and the upcoming Supreme Court hearing that could have a profound impact on communicators and our ability to publish information online.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report can be found in the original post.

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FIR #317: The Rise of the De-Influencer

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0000

Influencer marketing is a multi-billion-dollar industry, with Instagrammers and TikTokers with large followings pitching products in exchange for cash and other considerations. In response, some on Instagram and TikTok have taken to slamming those very same products — for free. It’s a trend that’s on the rise.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #316: Back to Blogging

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 02:00:00 -0000

Before Twitter, before Facebook, there were blogs. People who shared an interest in the blog’s theme congregated there and had conversations. The general tone was positive, even when people disagreed. As the social media space deteriorates and Twitter’s future is in doubt, storyteller and freelancer Monique Judge suggests a return to blogging as the primary means of online social engagement. Is such a pivot possible? Neville and Shel share their thoughts in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Bring back personal blogging
Diversity Vs. Merit: It’s A No-Brainer (Shel’s post referenced in the episode)

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FIR #315: Does Every Company Need a CCO?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 02:00:00 -0000

In a lot of companies, the PR and communications functions live under Marketing. For a variety of reasons, that is not the best approach. Marketing, after all, has a distinct role to play in short-to-mid-term lead generation and other outcomes based mostly on paid outreach. PR, on the other hand, is all about earned media designed to build reputation and promote thought leadership. Someone needs to sit at a senior level to ensure these efforts and other communication functions, like advertising, investor relations, and community relations, are coordinated and consistent. Call that person the Chief Communications Officer. Is it time every company anoints one? Neville and Shel explore the issue in this short midweek FIR episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Why 2023 is the year of the chief communications officer

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #314: Show Or Tell?

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 03:00:00 -0000

Are written and spoken recommendations received equally? Contrary to what may seem logical, they are not, according to new research. In this short midweek FIR episode, Shel and Neville explore what the study’s findings could mean for how marketers and communicators wield influence over the decisions people make.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Effective Recommendations Are Better Heard Than Seen

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FIR #313: Will Gen Z Finally Kill Email?

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:00:00 -0000

There’s a perception that people in their 20’s, raised with digital technology and accustomed to more effective messaging technologies, simply don’t use email. Could that spell the beginning of the end of this clunky, 50-plus-year-old business tool? Neville and Shel consider the possibility in this short, midweek FIR episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 20.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #312: The Social Media Press Release Redux

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Everything old is new again, the saying goes. Despite touting the idea of a press release as a destination being a new idea, it actually dates back about 15 years — and retains all of its value. Neville and Shel explore the idea of defeating paywalls with destination press releases in this monthly long-form episode of “For Immediate Release.” Also in this episode:

Follow-ups to stories about Artificial Intelligence (AI) interns and facial recognition used for nefarious purposes.
The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer — and whether Edelman can claim to be trust experts
A roundup of news and commentary about ChatGPT
A decline in Mastodon users
Dan York’s Tech Report, which looks at some Twitter changes, good news for Mastodon users, a Mastodon instance for Medium users, Getty’s lawsuit targeting the generative AI image tool Stable Diffusion, Wikipedia’s new look-and-feel, and WordPress’s upcoming 20th birthday.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report are available on the FIR website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #311: What Communicators Can Learn From Librarians

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 22:00:00 -0000

Library TikTok is growing — organically. Librarians are meeting teenagers where they are, on TikTok, with videos that attract their attention and lead to library visits and more reading. Can this unorganized, grass-roots approach translate to marketing and communications? Is it looking at the idea of “influence” through a different lens? Neville and Shel explore the idea in this short mid-week episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Librarians Are Meeting Younger Readers Where They Are: TikTok (New York Times)

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FIR #310: Shake Up Your Work-From-Home Routine

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 01:00:00 -0000

Working from home has become more commonplace in the wake of the pandemic, with executives who once believed productivity would plummet now reconciled to the fact that remote work, for the most part, has little impact on productivity (unless, as is the case in some organizations, it actually boosts employee outputs). And a lot of employees are thrilled to be working from home. That doesn’t mean that things aren’t getting a little stale. A Harvard Business Review article suggests remote workers might want to consider making some changes to their routines. The article even inspired Neville to take action he has been considering for a while. It’s all part of this short mid-week FIR episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Is It Time to Shake Up Your WFH Routine?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #309: Measuring Stuff That Didn't Happen

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 02:00:00 -0000

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel tackle a question from listener Kris Hansen about developing a metrics dashboard for her organization’s leadership.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

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FIR #308: Here Come Virtual Workers

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:00:00 -0000

The virtual worker industry is booming in China. For about $14,000 a year — 80 percent less than it cost just a year earlier — you can get a three-dimensional virtual person to handle everything from tours to customer support. With expectations that the industry will grow by 50 percent annually for the next three years, the arrival of virtual persons in the West is inevitable. Neville and Shel dive into the industry in this short midweek episode of “For Immediate Release.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

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FIR #307: We'll Pay You...In A Year

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 03:00:00 -0000

Keurig Dr. Pepper has stirred up a controversy by issuing an RFP that included payment terms of 360 days. While some big PR and advertising agencies may be able to wait a year to be paid for their work, it’s most likely a non-starter for small and minority-owned agencies. (If most big clients turned to one-year payment terms, even the big agencies might have difficulty accommodating the requirement.) The agency world has united in its condemnation of the move, and Keurig Doctor Pepper’s response is tepid, to say the least. Neville and Shel discuss the situation in this short midweek episode of “For Immediate Release.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

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FIR #306: Brand Name Pronunciation as a Marketing Ploy

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 23:00:00 -0000

It’s not unlikely that you have been mispronouncing some well-known company and brand names like IKEA, Hyundai, Porsche, Bayer, and Adidas. Some brands use common mispronunciations as the foundation for a marketing campaign, as Hyundai has undertaken in the UK. Neville and Shel explore some of these campaigns and examine the broader issue of hard-to-pronounce brand names in this short midweek episode of the “For Immediate Release” podcast.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

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FIR #305: We See You And You Can't Come In

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 19:00:00 -0000

A petulant venue owner is using facial recognition software to keep people with whom he has issues from entering his spaces — including a mom with a Girl Scout troop. Also in this monthly long-form episode of the “For Immediate Release” podcast, Neville and Shel discuss the value of virtual goods and whether brands should start taking them seriously; business schools are exploring the potential for teaching in the metaverse — especially classes about digital technology; it hasn’t been a great year for metaverse activations, but at least brands are learning; it has been a year since Lush closed its Instagram and Facebook accounts, which means it’s time to see how that decision turned out; and the better ChatGPT (the AI text-generating chatbot) gets, the more worried some people get about its impact on truth; and Dan York shares a year-end Tech Report with a range of updates including using WordPress for newsletters, WordPress’s State of the Word 2022, and Tumblr Live.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Links from Dan York’s Report

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FIR #304: Reaching Employees Through Social Medi

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 20:00:00 -0000

Social media consultant Arik Hanson wrote recently in a LinkedIn article that companies should consider devoting some of their LinkedIn activities — 20 percent is the volume he suggests — to matters of interest to employees. That’s because data shows that 30 percent of a brand page’s engagement comes from the company’s employees. In this short mid-week episode of “For Immediate Release,” Neville and Shel discuss the opportunity for communicators to reach employees on LinkedIn, along with the challenges and possible pitfalls.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #303: The Quest for a Twitter Alternative

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 02:00:00 -0000

One list includes 50 potential Twitter replacements — none of which will offer every one of Twitter’s features and none of which includes everyone you’re currently following on the bird site. How do you decide where to go when you conclude that maintaining your current Twitter activity is no longer feasible? Neville and Shel sort it out — with a focus on Mastodon — in this short mid-week episode of “For Immediate Release.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this report:

Mastodon (social network) — Wikipedia
Mastodon Features That Twitter Should Steal (but Won’t)
What Fleeing Twitter Users Will—and Won’t—Find on Mastodon
The new face of Twitter verification (from Neville’s blog)
Mastocomm (the communications instance Shel set up)
Twitter suspends Mastodon account, prevents sharing links (response from Mastodon)
Twitter Suddenly Reverses Course on ‘Policy’ That Banned Links to Competing Social Media Sites
Shel’s Twitter exchange with Guy Kawasaki

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FIR #302: Blockchain's Widely Exaggerated Demise

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0000

New York Times columnist and Nobel economics laureate Paul Krugman wrote recently that the crypto crash is far worse than even the direst descriptions and that it is proof that blockchain was never a viable technology. At the same time, Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon sees value in blockchain technology, but only if companies like his control it. The truth is, blockchain is thriving outside of speculative crypto investing. Neville and Shel explore blockchain’s future in this short midweek episode of “For Immediate Release.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is also available.

Links from this report:

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FIR #301: A Communicator's Look at ChatGPT

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 02:00:00 -0000

ChatGPT is the latest buzzworthy Artificial Intelligence tool. Released just this month by OpenAI, ChatGPT has stirred up a considerable amount of conversation, much of it about experiments people have conducted, while others now seriously question how much longer writers will be employable. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at ChatGPT from the communicator’s perspective.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, December 26.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #300: Communicating Pay Transparency

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:00:00 -0000

In New York, pay transparency is required by law. It will also be a requirement in California after January 1. There’s a lot of good that can come from pay transparency, but for organizations with cultures unready for it, the consequences could be dire. Are companies enlisting their internal communicators to help lay the groundwork for this level of disclosure?

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FIR #299: From the Metaverse to the Fediverse and Back Again

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Despite the forecasts of some pundits, it is still too early to predict Twitter’s complete collapse. Still, it is not outside the realm of possibility. (Since we recorded this episode on Saturday, November 19, CBS has halted its activity on Twitter, blaming Elon Musk’s “turbulent and potentially devastating moves following his takeover of the company,” according to Variety. It is worth considering the consequences of Twitter’s demise. How big a loss to society at large would it be? We can take that idea one step further. With Facebook experiencing its own declines and Gen Z demonstrating a preference for smaller social networks over broadcast-style social media, what would happen if social media completely faded into the background? Also in the November episode of The Hobson and Holtz Report:

Thousands of Twitter users are migrating to Mastodon, a Twitter-like interface with some important differences, the key being that it is not owned by a single entity. Instead, it is a federation of Mastodon “instances” (including one Shel has launched for communicators). The fediverse could be awesome, one report suggests, assuming we don’t screw it up — and average users are able to figure it out.
Gallup has released a study on how connected people feel to others, whether it’s in person or online. It’s a field of study that has gotten scant attention in the past and the results could be useful to marketers.
There’s some nation-building going on in the metaverse, with one Pacific island country building a digital twin to preserve its heritage as global warming raises sea levels, threatening to completely submerge it. Another country — a physical entity not yet recognized by the global community of nations — is working with an architectural firm to build a metaverse version that it hopes will be the primary place its citizens interact.
Whether you believe it is ethical or not, there is a fair amount of ghostwriting going on in the social media space, notably with ghostwriters cranking out LinkedIn thought leadership posts for executives. But there’s more than that, with one social media ghostwriter, for example, earning close to $200,000 so far this year writing mainly Twitter DMs for employees. We’ll dive into this emerging cottage industry.
Dan York’s Tech Report is a buffet of topics this month, ranging from the fate of Twitter Spaces to Walmart’s Augmented Reality effort, and from enhancements to TikTok Live to Google’s “Live View in Maps.”

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

For links from this episode, visit the original show notes.

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FIR #298: Social Listening in a Post-Twitter World

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 04:34:18 -0000

While things are not looking good at Twitter, it is not yet time to characterize it as the social network’s death spiral. Still, speculation is fun (and inevitable), and one of the prospects about which some people are speculating is the impact a Twitterless world will have on social listening activities. Neville and Shel explore the possibility — along with some other potential fallout should Twitter shut down — in this short midweek episode of “For Immediate Release.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #297: A Stirling Example of Augmented Reality

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 01:00:00 -0000

The Scottish city of Stirling is investing in creating Augmented Reality (AR) layers throughout the city, available on a free dedicated app, to become what they claim is “the first augmented reality city.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #296: What Elon Musk Can Learn from Patrick Collinson

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 20:00:00 -0000

Twitter and Stripe both laid off employees last week. The contrast between how these layoffs were conducted is striking. One CEO went to great lengths to ensure the employees remaining post-layoff would feel the least amount of survivor’s guilt and be ready to move forward. The other didn’t seem to care how survivors felt. Neville and Shel examine these approaches and some of the other fallout from Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in this short midweek episode of “For Immediate Release.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #295: The Value-Add Potential of NFTs

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0000

Neville attended NFT.London, the UK version of the NFT.NYC, which has been held since February 2019. There, he attended sessions that covered various topics, but he was particularly struck by those addressing the value-add potential of NFTs as well as their community-building characteristics. He reports from a semi-quiet corner of the conference in this short mid-week episode.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

NFT.London

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FIR #294: What Hath Elon Wrought?

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0000

It’s not exactly a news flash that Elon Musk now owns Twitter (Chief Twit, he calls himself). Does he know what he’s gotten himself into? It’s doubtful, according to much of the evidence we’ve seen so far, in addition to some stinging commentary.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #293: Big Changes at Wikipedia

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 23:14:01 -0000

For virtually all of its 22 years, Wikipedia has confined its technology to the wiki, which was already nearly 10 years old when the online encyclopedia was introduced. But some big changes are in store, including the use of machine learning, all in service of enticing more people to become editors.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #292: The Sure And Steady Evolution of NFTs

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 20:30:00 -0000

To hear the media talk about it, NFTs are overpriced works of digital art on which a lot of gullible people will lose bundles of money. In fact, NFTs have utility far being investments, and savvy marketers are figuring it out, right down to local car washes. Neville and Shel share a handful of stories about such applications in this short midweek episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #291: Adding AI to Applications

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 01:00:00 -0000

AI tools that turn text prompts into images, video, and music are definitely cool, but they get a boost in utility when incorporated into a larger tool designed for a specific purpose. Omneky is one such tool, designed to improve the effectiveness of your social media ads. One element: DALL-E 2 is baked into the software, helping you create images that align with the software’s assessment of your current and previous ads.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #290: Alas, Poor GIF, We Knew You Well

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0000

The first graphic format for the web to gain widespread adoption was the GIF. Even the advent of better formats replaced it for graphical display, it gained new strength through animation; what was once called an “animated GIF” became just a GIF. But today, for multiple reasons, the end appears nigh for all but the most die-hard fans. This short midweek episode is an homage to the GIF.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #289: Bloggers, AI, and the Future of PR

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 17:00:00 -0000

New data suggests a lot of bloggers are employing practices that are the opposite of those that deliver results. Shel and Neville dive into the data from a new blogger survey. Also in this episode: Microsoft is bringing the DALL-E 2 AI graphic generator to Office 365 via a new app called Designer, as well as a tool called Image Creator that will be deployed through Bing and Microsoft Edge; virtual influencers, already a big deal in Asia, are making inroads in the US, performing in concerts, signing record deals, and pitching products for brands; Edelman’s CEO, Richard Edelman has given an interview in which he outlines his vision for the future of PR and his company; the category of meme creators is heating up, but a lot of these people aren’t happy with Instagram’s rules; a new Danish political party is being led by an Artificial Intelligence.

In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on more digital services copying others, including yet another “stories” feature, this time on Signal; Facebook is dropping support for its Instant Articles mobile format amidst a decline in its support for news in general; meanwhile, TikTok is becoming more of a news source; and a volunteer opportunity awaits those interested in working with the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, November 21.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from the episode can be found here.

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FIR #288: A Humanoid Robot Artist Gives Testimony

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0000

October 11, 2022, was not your typical day at the UK House of Lords, where Ai-Da, a humanoid robot artist, delivered testimony in response to questions posed by peers. The testimony came as some of Ai-Da’s original artwork was displayed in a museum. In her answers, Ai-Da was candid about AI’s threat to human artists but was also realistic about the role technology has always played in art. In this short mid-week episode, Neville and Shel review the testimony and explore some of the issues Ai-Da raises.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #287: Internal Podcasts Gain Momentum

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 02:00:00 -0000

Some companies were experimenting with internal podcasts — for employees only — before companies sent employees home to work remotely as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. Faced with reaching and engaging employees who now never interacted face-to-face with their colleagues elevated the value of a podcast, which could establish a personal connection. At the same time, podcasting had gone mainstream, making more employees receptive to listening to one from their employer. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at some of the companies that have adopted internal podcasting and how they plan to evolve them in the new post-pandemic world of work.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #286: Managers Believe Remote Work Produces Lower Productivity

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 22:53:19 -0000

We read everywhere about increased productivity resulting from the remote work the pandemic forced upon companies. In fact, that increased productivity is leading several companies to adopt remote or hybrid work as the new status quo. But research conducted by Microsoft finds that not everyone agrees with the assessment. Managers are not on board with the notion that remote work has led to greater productivity, and the gap between what managers believe and employee perspectives is considerable.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #215: Alignment Through Conversation

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 19:00:00 -0000

You have a business initiative, an organizational change, a new value proposition. Success depends on getting employees aligned around the vision and the path to get there. Could small group conversations be the means of achieving that alignment? A new study suggests it’s at least worth a shot.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #284: Ad Agencies Embrace AI Image Generators

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 20:00:00 -0000

From experimentation, ideation, and storyboarding to producing the actual images to be used in an ad, advertising agency creatives are finding Artificial Intelligence image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion instantly useful, saving time and money without sacrificing the end results. Does this spell the end of the graphic arts business?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this report:

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FIR #283: Communicators Helping Leaders Lead Through Communication

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 18:00:00 -0000

Neville and Shel were together in person to record this episode, which focuses exclusively on leadership communication. The recording happened on Neville’s dining room table as Shel and his wife were on a two-week vacation in England and Ireland.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop sometime on Monday, October 17.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from Dan York’s Report

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FIR #282: If You Need Me, Text Me

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:12:48 -0000

A lot of the communication with customers for which businesses once used email has transitioned to text messaging — along with communication among friends, families, and pretty much everyone. To some extent, that even includes employee-to-employee communication. Whether it’s SMS messaging or a messaging app like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram, people increasingly prefer the functionality and speed of response with text messages. Email isn’t going anywhere, but its uses may be diminishing.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop sometime in late September. Neville and Shel will be together in the UK and plan to record face-to-face. Watch for more information as our plans firm up.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Sorry I Missed Your Text: Messaging Is the New Email (WSJ paywall)

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FIR #281: Advertising and Marketing in the Metaverse

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 23:15:40 -0000

Advertising on the Web is two-dimensional, with a consumer on the outside looking in. In the Metaverse, consumers will be active participants in virtual worlds, participating directly with virtual objects and one another. That opens the door for entirely new forms of advertising. In this short mid-week episode, Neville and Shel discuss what advertising might look like in virtual worlds and some of the technical, ethical, and legal challenges that organizations will face selling their wares to denizens of these immersive spaces.

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Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Deception vs authenticity: Why the metaverse will change marketing forever

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FIR #280: What's Behind the "Quiet Quitting" Trend?

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 20:51:49 -0000

“Quiet quitting” is all over TikTok, with mostly Gen Zers talking about their disdain for going “above and beyond” at work. Is this really anything new, or is it just the first time a generation has used a label to share their feelings online? Or, as some suggest, is it that most Gen Zers entered the workforce during the pandemic when the boundaries between work and life were not clear and now that companies are getting back to what executives perceive as normal, they don’t agree with the expectations the company has of them? Is this even confined to Gen Z? Neville and Shel look at “quiet quitting” in today’s short mid-week episode.

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Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

What is ‘quiet quitting,’ and how it may be a misnomer for setting boundaries at work (NPR)
If Your Co-Workers Are ‘Quiet Quitting,’ Here’s What That Means (Wall Street Journal)
How TikTok is making it cool to do the bare minimum at work: New ‘Quiet Quitting’ craze sees Gen Z workers refuse to work hard to avoid ‘burnout’ after Covid made them ‘reset’ – but bosses warn staff risk being sacked as Britain faces labour crisis (Daily Mail)
Why Work Won’t Love You Back (December 2021 segment from “On the Media”)
Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone (Amazon U.S. listing for the book by Sarah Jaffe)

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FIR #279: Business Buys Into the Metaverse

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 17:00:00 -0000

According to a new PwC survey of 1,000 senior U.S. business leaders from across industry sectors, businesses have bought into the inevitability and utility of the metaverse. The study also surveyed 5,000 U.S. consumers who are less aware and enthusiastic than executives are. Also in this monthly long-form episode of “For Immediate Release”:

Gartner has released ins 2022 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies.
Consumer trend experts anticipate the impact web3 will have on consumer trends.
Ukraine has perfect the art of advertising in support of its resistance to Russia’s invasion.
Each quarter, Microsoft adjusts the language it uses to advise the investment world of its ambitions.
One CEO who had to lay off staff took to LinkedIn to explain how hard it was on him, including a selfie of him weeping over it. Was it effective?

In his Tech Report, Dan York recounts his experience with Reddit’s new social audio tool, looks at “snipping,” a new Twitter Spaces feature, and explains a Google update designed to elevate “helpful content.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 22. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report:

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FIR #278: For Every News Outlet: Churn, Churn, Churn

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 21:02:29 -0000

As news media outlets that traffic in the written word — print and online — economic pressures have led to more repurposed content and less original material. What impact does this have on trust in these media sources, and is there a role businesses and their communication teams can play?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 22. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Churnalism 2022: Where do UK’s leading news websites get their stories from?

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FIR #277: Do Graphic Designers Have a Future?

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 22:01:52 -0000

More and more people are experimenting with a growing collection of Artificial Intelligence-based graphics tools. Some of these tools produce stunning images in a variety of artistic styles, leading some to wonder if art directors will generate their own images rather than continue to pay for graphic design services. Neville and Shel discuss the possibilities in this short mid-week episode.

Below are images Shel generated. The left is from Midjourney with a prompt calling for a wizard to wave a wand and create a skyscraper in space. The other is from Dream; the prompt calls for a race car driver on a tricycle on the surface of Mars.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 22. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

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FIR #276: Should I Tay or Should I Go?

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 23:51:53 -0000

Remember Microsoft Tay? The 2016 Twitter chatbot suffered from a concerted effort to teach it all manner of vile things, prompting Microsoft to withdraw the service and apologize. That experience is top of mind for pretty much everyone talking about Meta’s new chatbot, now available in public testing in the U.S. The developers behind BlenderBot 3 insist that they, too, had the Tay experiment in mind when they developed the process for teaching this new chatbot to behave. In fact, the beta is designed so people can report when it says something inappropriate that it may have learned from another user. That information is used to teach it what is not appropriate. Will it work?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 22. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

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FIR #275: Will You Have An NFT With Your Coffee?

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 22:35:01 -0000

Brands have been tripping over themselves to jump on the Web3/metaverse/NFT bandwagon, but few have articulated a strategic and comprehensive approach at the level Starbucks has. In this short mid-week FIR episode, Neville and Shel look at how Starbucks plans to build loyalty and community using these emerging tools, along with some other organizations that are starting to give Web3 similarly serious looks.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 22. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

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FIR #274: Is Unbranded Unethical?

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 23:21:25 -0000

According to one definition, unbranded content “isn’t specifically about your company but is relevant to your industry or product in some way.” There are unbranded videos like this one from WREN, an online clothing retailer. Released in 2014, it’s a film in which the filmmakers asked 20 couples who had never met to kiss. The only reference to WREN is at the very beginning of the video, “WREN Presents.” There isn’t even a link to the retailer in the film or on its YouTube page.

And there are entire unbranded websites. We even interviewed Ike Pigott from Alabama Power about Alabama News Center, where Alabama Power’s involvement is barely noticeable.

There are sound reasons for brands to produce unbranded content. From the perspective of the audience reading or viewing the content, is it underhanded? A failure to disclose? Does it matter? Neville and Shel have differing points of view in this short mid-week episode of For Immediate Release.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 15. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Is an Unbranded Content Site Worth It? All Signs Point to Yes at SAP
The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience (SAP’s unbranded content site)
Alabama News Center (from Alabama Power)
Is unbranded content ever worthwhile?
Branded vs. Unbranded Content

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #273: What Is The Metaverse? It's A Network

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 22:28:06 -0000

If you peruse search results for “the metaverse,” it will seem like half the content you find focuses on defining it. At Nvidia, executive Richard Kerris thinks it’s pretty easy to define. “The metaverse is not a place,” he says. “It’s the network for the next version of the Web.” Neville and Shel explore that definition and related developments in this short midweek FIR episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 15. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #272: Tick Tick Tick Tick Search

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 21:39:18 -0000

Research conducted by Google found that nearly 40 percent of Gen Z are using Tik Tok and Instagram for search instead of Google. It’s a real-world example of significant shifts exhibited by this group of 10-to-22-year-olds. By 2025, they will represent 30 percent of the workforce and be a considerable presence in the consumer marketplace.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 15. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #217: Work-From-Home and the Generational Divide

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 16:46:08 -0000

A lot is fueling the debate over whether workers should be able to continue working remotely, at least some of the time, or get themselves back to the office. The debate pits workers against leaders, and the assumption is that it’s just a matter of how each side perceives what’s best. But anthropologists see another factor at play: most leaders come from a different generation than those employees who want remote or hybrid work to become the new normal.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 15. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Why CEOs are so WTF about WFH (Financial Times; subscription required)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #270: Disgust, Convenience, and Reputation

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 15:00:00 -0000

Topics up for discussion in the monthly long-form episode include the following:L

Are holograms about to go mainstream?
There is outrage over revelations of massive wrongdoing by Uber. Will everyone keep riding them anyway?
Uses of NFTs are expanding far beyond collectible artwork for investment purposes.
How Wikipedia remediated dozens of fake articles could be a lesson for the rest of the world.
Bad guys are extorting gift cards in exchange for removing negative online reviews.

Dan York's report explores NFT adoption by Reddit and Snap; Instagram's move to let creators confine posts to subscribers; Facebook's test of multiple profiles; Twitter's latest innovations; and mobile live-streaming with Starlink.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 15. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

For links from this episode, visit the primary show notes page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #269: Doppelgängers Everywhere!

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 22:29:46 -0000

Soon golfers and fans of the sport will be able to interact one-on-one with the legendary Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus. Well, not Nicklaus himself, but his digital twin. Nicklaus spent hours in a studio having every facial expression and gesture recorded. The first digital twin will be of his 37-year-old self, but more are planned. And rest assured, Nicklaus won’t be the last celebrity to make himself “available” as a digital twin in the online world. And there’s more to digital twins than celebrities.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #268: NFTs in the Checkout Lane

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 16:50:46 -0000

While some assume NFTs are on their way out as the value of digital artwork has plummeted, brick-and-mortar retailers are increasingly finding ways to offer the ability to mint NFTs right in their stores. In this episode, Neville and Shel look at some of the latest developments in the evolution of collectible NFTs.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #267: Rebuilding Trust After An Ethics Scandal

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 16:20:48 -0000

For years, Ernst & Young auditors have been cheating on an ethics test required for them to retain their Certified Public Accountant status. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has levied a record $100 million fine, both for the cheating and the Big Four accounting firm’s failure to assist in the SEC’s investigation. Now that it has all gone public, what can E&Y do to rebuild trust among its clients and the public? Neville and Shel share what reputation experts have to say along with their own recommendations.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #266: How Many Trillions Will the Metaverse Be Worth?

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 21:44:11 -0000

Big Four accounting firm KPMG has committed $30 million to the metaverse in order to establish an “innovation hub” and train employees so they will be prepared to work with clients as the metaverse becomes a more common interface. Like many organizations, KPMG is citing breathtaking figures as it predicts the metaverse’s eventual value. Neville and Shel discuss KPMG’s move, various metaverse valuations, and other metaverse-related news and information in this FIR short.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #265: Fired Over Zoom

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 22:16:33 -0000

As the economy cooks, inflation ratchets up, and interest rates rise, some companies are faced with laying off staff. As we have moved to remote and hybrid work, how those layoffs are handled is changing. But is it ever a good idea to lay someone off over Zoom or Teams? And if so, are there good and bad ways to go about it?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #264: On Background

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 20:17:18 -0000

From the title of this episode, you might think we were talking about company sources going on background when speaking to a reporter. (Quick advice: Don’t. Either be on the record or don’t talk to a journalist.) But that’s not what this episode is about. Instead, we’re talking about Zoom backgrounds (or Teams, or Skype, or Webex, or Google Meet, or whatever). With flexible work the order of the day in many organizations, is it time to give serious consideration to what people see behind you in a call? There’s a book (that’s right, an entire book) on the subject. We cover it in 15 minutes.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

You’re Still on Mute (The New York Times)
Room Rater on Twitter
How to Zoom Your Room: Room Rater’s Ultimate Style Guide (Claude Taylor’s book on Amazon)
Fathom (free Zoom note-taking app)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #263: It's Alive! (AI, That Is. Or Is it?)

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:00:00 -0000

In the monthly long-form episode for June, Neville and Shel consider a Google employee's claim that the company's AI has become sentient, the reactions the claim has provoked, and what it might mean for business communicators. Also in this episode:

Is being in the office really the only way for employees who don't normally work together to encounter one another?
The tangled truth about NFTs and copyright
Now that the metaverse is gaining momentum, it's time to consider how to market and communicate there
Should you spend any more time developing your personal brand?
The state of PR is changing

In his tech report, Dan York talks about countries that want to change the Internet from a "permissionless" place to one where you have to pay for access to users.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York's Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #262: You're Hired! Or Not...

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 22:05:24 -0000

In the tech industry, there’s a trend: Rescinding offer letters as a cost-cutting measure. In this short episode of “For Immediate Release,” Neville and Shel explore the PR and internal comms repercussions of these moves.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 19. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #261: Crossing the Line When Surveilling Employees on Social Media

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 21:40:04 -0000

As it faced a unionization effort, Tesla contracted with a PR agency (where one of its communication directors once worked in an executive capacity) to spy on employees, including those in a semi-private Facebook group, an activity one academic found unethical. While there is nothing wrong with a company monitoring employees’ online activities, there are lines that should not be crossed. Was one of those lines crossed in this case?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 19. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #260: Grappling with Authenticity

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 16:04:58 -0000

We all know that leaders should strive for authenticity. What does that mean, exactly? It’s easy to say authenticity is being who you are, but when you’re meeting with a department that is struggling to succeed, are you the person who rocks out at concerts? The one who coos little nothings in the ear of your significant other? There’s more to authenticity than just being genuine. Communicators need to understand the nuances since most leaders don’t have the time for a graduate-level course on the subject.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 19. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

The Authenticity Paradox (Harvard Business Review, 2015)
What’s Authentic Leadership, & How Do You Practice It? (HubSpot, 2019)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #259: Trust Rises in Companies That Left Russia

Thu, 26 May 2022 23:56:43 -0000

A new mid-year Trust Barometer is out from Edelman, and the news is excellent for most things Western (and bad for all things autocratic). Who in the West didn’t fare well? Companies that have opted to continue doing business in Russia.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

2022 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Geopolitical Business (highlights)
2022 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Geopolitical Business (full report)
New global poll: Trust in West’s democracies rises (Axios)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #257: Purpose Vs. Polarization

Mon, 23 May 2022 11:00:00 -0000

For the past several years, momentum has been building as more and more organizations -- recognizing public expectations that they take steps to address social and environmental issues in the wake of declining trust in other institutions -- articulate strong positions on issues ranging from climate change to transgender rights. Then came the leak of the U.S. Supreme Court's abortion decision, indicating the Court will overturn 50 years of precedent with Roe v. Wade. The response from the corporate world has been tepid. In this monthly long-form episode, Neville and Shel look at the few organizations that have spoken out and how some are taking internal measures rather than public-facing positions, while most remain silent.

As if that's not enough heavy discussion, we also spend time looking at the culpability of social media that provide access to live-streamed footage of hatred-motivated mass shootings, from Christchurch to Buffalo.

Also in this episode:

A Facebook executive has released an 8,000-word analysis of the metaverse, arguing that Meta can't own it, and nor can anyone else
The hybrid work model that many companies have adopted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic means an end to many employees being forced to participate in mandatory "fun" activities. Is that a good thing?
New research finds that employees are experiencing notification fatigue, and it's worse than Zoom fatigue or email fatigue
There's a correlation between a CEO's reputation and that of the brands in their companies
Dan York's report focuses on TikTok, including a spate of new features and a look at some of the video-sharing app's plans

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 20. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

For links from this episode, visit the FIR website

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #256: Comms Influence in the C-Suite

Thu, 19 May 2022 21:11:14 -0000

The COVID-19 pandemic created a host of new communication pressures on company leaders, so they, in turn, leaned on their communicators, who evidently came through for them in a big way. The result: increased influence in the C-suite, according to a Gartner survey. Neville and Shel have questions.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #255: How TikTok Makes Spreadsheets Cool

Tue, 17 May 2022 22:22:17 -0000

Micro-learning is the formal label for the upbeat, music-backed TikTok videos that demonstrate how to accomplish tasks on Excel, Microsoft’s ubiquitous spreadsheet tool. The videos are racking up billions of views and the influencers behind the videos are making fistfuls of cash. Microsoft played no part in getting the video trend started; the company is just taking advantage of what the influencers are producing. Lessons abound for companies and communicators.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Spreadsheets are now cool, thanks to TikTok (Financial Times, subscription required)
TikToks on how to use Excel spreadsheets are getting billions of views and building one of the best communities on the platform
Miss Excel Takes Tips to TikTok and Builds 7-Figure Business in 1 Year

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #254: AR You Ready?

Thu, 12 May 2022 21:53:00 -0000

Google used a short video to tease a feature for its Augmented Reality (AR) glasses that could be AR’s killer app. They don’t look bad, either.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #253: Blockchain In Your House

Tue, 10 May 2022 21:30:15 -0000

Search “blockchain” and you’re sure to find plenty of commentaries that proclaim the core Web3 technology doomed. It can never work, they say, and they outline a broad range of reasons. Yet blockchain is already managing processes in the background — some of which you may already be using in your own home. Neville and Shel explore some of the ways blockchain-based technologies are becoming everyday tools and what this means for communicators.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #252: Managers, Not Bosses

Sat, 07 May 2022 16:00:00 -0000

Matthew Rechs confesses that he was not a great manager at first but he learned some fundamental rules that will benefit anyone who hopes to be more than an old-school boss. For internal communicators, Rechs’ “promises” — first published as a series of tweets — can serve as the foundation for a targeted effort to elevate effective management in your organization.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #251: Proof of Attendance

Tue, 03 May 2022 22:33:41 -0000

POAPs are getting to be a big deal, with Warner Music inking a deal with the organization behind them. Never heard of POAP? It’s the Proof of Attendance Protocol, used to mint a special kind of NFT that serves as proof you were there, whether it’s a concert, a conference, or some other kind of event or activity. Their use by businesses is inevitable. Even internally, companies can award POAPs to employees who attend the town hall, for example, some of which could wind up being highly coveted. In this episode, Neville and Shel break down POAPs and their potential for organizations, especially those looking to engage Gen Z-aged individuals.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #250: Go for a Drive in the Metaverse

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 19:49:56 -0000

Nissan and Toyota are entering the metaverse, one with a focus on employees and the other targeting consumers. They join some other auto manufacturers that have already established a metaverse presence. Fidelity Investments is also setting up shop, as is Vanity Fair. And these are a drop in the bucket among the businesses staking metaverse claims.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #249: Getting Authentic with BeReal

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 22:10:36 -0000

For those who are weary of the staged, curated images people share on social networks like Instagram (as if their lives were truly that enviable), BeReal wants to be the antidote. It is finding favor with the college-aged crowd but there could be untapped opportunities for businesses to participate, too.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #248: Cross-Posting Do's and Don'ts

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 21:56:23 -0000

Cross-posting your social media posts is a great way to extend reach and get more bang for your image/video/text buck. It can also backfire when not done well and some platforms actively discourage it. Neville and Shel share some thoughts on cross-posting in this episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Cross-Posting in 2022: What It Is & Why You Should Use It

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #247: Permission to Scrape

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 23:10:52 -0000

Mining big data is a routine activity among many organizations. That’s exactly what a company called Hiq was doing with data it obtained from public LinkedIn pages. LinkedIn sued and now an appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling determining that such web scraping is legal.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Web scraping is legal, US appeals court reaffirms

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #246: Who Wants to Live Forever?

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 11:00:00 -0000

In the April edition of The Hobson and Holtz Report, Neville and Shel discuss these stories:

The advertising industry weighs in on an Ogilvy policy banning influencers from photoshopping their images
A metaverse company plans to offer a form of immortality with its "Live Forever" mode
Coca-Cola is offering a limited-edition drink that tastes like pixels and includes a Fortnite code
Corporate America seemed bound for a more purposeful existence. Has it all fallen by the wayside?
Elon Musk believes in unfettered free speech, a key reason he wants to buy Twitter. Is it a good thing?

Research reveals consumers care more about how a company donates than how much

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s "asides" blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York's Tech Report

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #245: Chatbots for Search? It Depends.

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 16:35:44 -0000

Google’s nascent MUM technology could evolve into a chatbot replacement for search engines. For some searches, that’s fine. For others, it’s beyond problematic.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 18, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Chatbots could one day replace search engines. Here’s why that’s a terrible idea.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #244: April Fool's! Or Not.

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 03:25:47 -0000

Twitter tweeted a tweet on April 1, leading a lot of people to believe it was an April Fool’s prank. That got it more attention than it otherwise might have. Was it just luck or a well-planned ploy?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 18, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #243: New Creator Tools from LinkedIn

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0000

LinkedIn has added a host of new tools for creators. Some look valuable, including better content analytics, profile video tools, and a subscriber bell for update notifications. Others, like the newsletter options, need work, and even that may not be enough to attract subscribers.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 18, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

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FIR #242: Can't Brands All Just Get Along?

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 17:38:27 -0000

A new study suggests that saying nice things about your competitor (notably on social media) can lead consumers to spend more money on your brand’s products and services.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 18, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Research: When Praising the Competition Benefits Your Brand

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FIR #241: Your Personal Brand, Journalist Edition

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 21:02:58 -0000

A public kerfuffle between two journalists on Twitter revolved around whether journalists need to establish a personal brand. The fact is, everybody already has a personal brand; the question is how you approach the maintenance of that brand in a social media world. Neville and Shel explore the elements of personal brand-building in this episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 18, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

In Today’s Journalism Job Market, Having Your Own Brand Is Key To Survival

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FIR #240: You're Fired! Get Off Our Boat!

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 21:45:20 -0000

Radio Shack and Better.com can rest easier these days, now that P&O Ferries has established a new low for how to lay off employees. Outrage is evident everywhere from government responses to citizen protests and tweets from horrified social media users. The fallout is just beginning, yet P&O’s leadership just doesn’t seem to give much of a damn. What’s a communicator to do?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 18, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #239: Communicating Climate Risk

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 21:40:33 -0000

New U.S. regulations may require companies to disclose both the impact of their operations on climate change and the risk they face from global warming. With similar requirements already law in the U.K., communicators need to consider the best way to protect their companies’ and clients’ reputations as this self-reported information goes public.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 18, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

The U.S. may force companies to disclose climate risks, marking a historic change
UK to enshrine mandatory climate disclosures for largest companies in law
How PR Firms Can Evaluate Their Work For Fossil Fuel Clients
Climate Risks for Construction: A LinkedIn Article from Webcor’s President (an example of how one company disclosed its risk)

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FIR #238: Deepfakes and Other Weapons of War

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine tops the coverage in the March edition of The Hobson and Holtz Report, the long-form monthly “For Immediate Release” podcast, with a look at the motivations for companies to cease their operations in Russia, the use of an AI deepfake as an element of Russian disinformation, and the White House’s appeal to TikTok creators to help offset propaganda; Dan York shares his thoughts on the internet in Ukraine and Russia. Also in this episode: an update on the UK’s Online Safety bill; why the revelations about Ronn Torossian’s ethical misdeeds should lead the PR industry to finally take steps to clean its own house; the top technology trends of 2022, according to Accenture, and why Clubhouse may have launched the social audio movement but may not be around long enough to reap the rewards. In his Tech Report, Dan York shares news from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and looks at proposed web usability guidance from the U.S. Justice Department.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, April 18, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report

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FIR #237: Are NFTs the New Social Layer?

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 16:28:38 -0000

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced, in somewhat cryptic fashion, that NFTs are coming to Instagram. Speculation about what that means is running rampant, with some proclaiming that NFTs will become the next social layer and may “prove to be the catalyst needed to usher in a new wave of crypto users.”

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #236: Crafting the Right Message

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 18:45:40 -0000

It’s easy to fall into the assumption trap: assuming the right message is always about outcomes. In the case of research conducted about organizations dealing with the prevention and countering of violent extremism, promoting outcomes didn’t produce the intended effect — in fact, it could actually produce unintended negative results. Building trust with key stakeholders required a different approach. It takes a professional communicator to conduct the stakeholder analysis that will surface this kind of information, but many organizations continue to believe they can handle communications without professional assistance.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

The Importance of Public Relations in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism

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FIR #235: Is It Tenable to Keep Doing Business in Russia?

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 21:53:35 -0000

Russia is experiencing a stampede of companies exiting the country, either permanently or temporarily, in support of Ukraine and in some cases under pressure from consumers and shareholders. Is there a case for remaining in Russia and how much damage can a brand sustain by staying?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #234: You're Always On The Record

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 21:40:24 -0000

With declining trust in media, many media outlets have found themselves in the position of reinforcing and re-explaining what it means to be “on background” and “off the record,” because too many organizations and their PR representatives don’t seem to understand it — or they do understand it and are wilfully abusing it. Neville and Shel take a look at the extent to which some news organizations are going to make their positions clear.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #233: Wondering About Web3

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:57:19 -0000

While some of us are immersed in Web3, most Americans are pretty clueless about it, according to a new survey. But survey responses also reflect dissatisfaction with Web 2.0, identifying issues Web3 is meant to fix.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Survey: US consumers’ dissatisfied with Web2, limited knowledge of Web3
How Consumers Feel About Web3 (including links to press release and full report)

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FIR #232: Decentralized Branding

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 23:51:20 -0000

One DAO — a Decentralized Autonomous Organization — is taking its visual brand very seriously. And true to its nature, Cabin DAO has decided to decentralize the creation of its brand. As DAOs grow in popularity, expand the scope of their focus, and become a routine approach to some kinds of business activities, could decentralized branding become more common?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

We are hosting a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

DAOs and the Future of Decentralized Branding
Wikipedia listing for DAOs
What is a DAO? Explained with Animation (YouTube Video)
Cabin DAO
Vita DAO

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FIR #231: Are All Companies in the News Business?

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:17:55 -0000

A Gallup-Knight Foundation survey finds a precipitous decline in the number of Americans paying attention to national news. For many organizations, some national news provides important context to company decisions and actions. Is it incumbent on businesses to make sure their stakeholders know that news? And given that 25 percent of Americans get news from podcasts, is audio a key channel for delivering pertinent news?

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #230: Employees vs. NFTs

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 17:56:47 -0000

After learning their company was planning a cloud-based NFT service, a group of Salesforce employees sent a letter to leadership expressing their vehement opposition. They are part of a growing backlash against NFTs, objecting to everything from their impact on the planet to the scammers and fraudsters they attract.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #229: Much Ado About Wordle

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 21:59:00 -0000

It will not go down in business history as one of the most consequential mergers or acquisitions of all time, but The New York Times’ acquisition of the extraordinarily popular word game, Wordle, has produced an avalanche of criticism and even threats to cancel subscriptions. There are lessons here for any organization acquiring a company with an engaged fan base, and even for companies planning to make changes to existing popular products.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Wordle Transition Provokes Discussion on Mergers and Acquisitions (PR News Online)
My five-letter reaction to the New York Times taking over Wordle? I quit (The Guardian)
Wordle clones have jumped the S_ARK (Engadget)
Wordle fans call out ‘villain’ NY Times for ‘trolling millennials’ with hard words (New York Post)
NY Times faces controversy after making changes to Wordle (CNN)
Wordle Isn’t Getting Harder Because of The New York Times (C|Net)
Quordle
Worldle
Lordle of the Rings
Sweardle
Lewdle

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FIR #228: Rethinking Silos

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 17:04:22 -0000

Conventional wisdom argues that silos in business are bad, preventing knowledge and information from spreading beyond the silo’s walls. When it comes to returning to work, proponents of all hands on deck in the office insist that remote work creates silos and all but eliminates the opportunity for chance encounters that lead to new ideas or shared knowledge. A new study from Harvard, which analyzed billions of employee emails from 2020 and 2021, found that silos did solidify but that the results were actually positive.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #227: DAOs and Crypto and Blockchain, Oh My!

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0000

In February's long-form Hobson and Holtz Report, Neville and Shel spend more than half the show with news and commentary about a variety of Web3 elements, including the metaverse, NFTs, DAOs, cryptocurrency, and blockchain -- all of it from the perspective of the impact these fast-emerging technologies will have on public relations and organizational communication. In the first part of the episode, the focus is on three non-Web3 stories:

How to make a good first digital impression
The communication industry's responsibility for addressing non-binary and trans matters
The UK's online safety law undergoing revisions to stamp out illegal content

In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on "static videos" becoming a thing on Instagram, a British band's protest against Spotify's algorithm, a Twitter test to send DMs by bypassing the DM button on your profile, Wired's review of the messaging app Telegram, the release of WordPress 5.9, and a new project Dan's working on.

Find links for stories and reports in this episode here.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #226: The Metaverse Goes Corporate

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 18:31:24 -0000

Deloitte, the global consulting firm, has launched “Unlimited Reality,” a practice designed to help clients “harness next-generation strategies, tools, and technologies to create and connect virtual worlds for industrial, workplace, enterprise, and consumer contexts.” In other words, Deloitte wants companies to engage with them to find their way into the metaverse. Neville and Shel discuss what all this means and look at the role the metaverse is beginning to play for enterprises.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 14, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #225: Bait and Switch

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 16:21:41 -0000

As interviewing job candidates switched from in-person to video during the pandemic, some candidates have been paying shills to stand in for them. Others have shelled out money to be fed answers to interviewers’ questions. Neville and Shel dive into one case of a job candidate who had someone else interview on his behalf and discuss ways to detect this unique and baffling new fraud.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 14, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #224: Viral and Unhinged

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 16:51:39 -0000

What does it take for a business to get attention on TikTok? In the case of Duolingo, the language training app, it’s a giant green owl and the kind of content that is outside most organizations’ comfort zones. Neville and Shel review the program and talk about how going viral on TikTok requires a different mindset than any other social media channel.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 14, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #223: COVID, Return to Work, and the Growing Trust Gap

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 23:56:00 -0000

LinkedIn labeled its news item, “Do we have a failure to communicate?” The article expanded on details shared in a Bloomberg article that found “after so many fits and starts, employees are losing faith that their managers can get this right.” What employees believe managers can’t get right is the return-to-the-workplace agenda that has created headaches for all involved. Employees are feeling uneasy with all the changed dates. Fully three-quarters of executives believe they are being “fully transparent” about their remote working policies but less than half of employees agree, according to one survey. In this episode, Neville and Shel take a look at the story from the communicator’s perspective.

We also have a brief update on the Hermès NFT kerfuffle we reported in episode #222.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 14, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #222: NFTs, the First Amendment, and Trademarks

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 21:36:08 -0000

An artist is selling NFTs of Hermès Birkin bags which (unsurprisingly) provoked a response from the company in the form of a cease-and-desist letter. The artist, Mason Rothchild, has fired back, claiming he has a First Amendment right to create art representative of the world around him and suggesting that NFTs represent an evolution that Hermès should be part of. Do the legal precedents favor Hermès or Rothchild?

Note: Since we recorded this episode OpenSea has removed Rothchild’s art from its NFT marketplace.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 14, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #221: Filling the Podcasting Diversity Gap

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 01:30:00 -0000

The world’s first multicultural podcast agency network has signed a multi-year deal with McDonald’s to produce custom segments and content feature McDonald’s menu items along with specialized targeted ads. It’s not the first business Pod Digital Media has signed, suggesting companies are interested in reaching diverse audiences through podcasting. It makes sense since podcast audiences are pretty diverse — unlike the ranks of podcast hosts.

The next episode will drop on Monday, February 28, 2022.

We are hosting an FIR Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday during the stay-at-home period at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode

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FIR #220: Psst. Wanna Buy Some Disinformation?

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:16:49 -0000

In the January Hobson and Holtz Report, Neville and Shel dive into the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. Also in this episode, disinformation is now available as a service — DaaS; we review some journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions for 2022; TikTok and LinkedIn are both copying successful features of other social media services but adding their own twists; authenticity in virtual communication doesn’t mean what you think it does (according to one researcher); organized labor is having a moment in the U.S., which should lead internal communicators to rethink some of their strategies. In his tech report, Dan York looks at Twitter Spaces’ capabilities, the rebirth of Tumblr, Instagram’s test of a chronological feed, Instagram and TikTok testing subscriptions, and some reports on NFTs.

The next episode will drop on Monday, February 28, 2022.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode

Links from Dan York’s Report

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FIR #219: Get Your NFTs at a Brick-and-Mortar Retailer

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 22:43:25 -0000

Selfridges — the high-end UK fashion retailer — is making NFTs available at its retail stores. It’s not alone. Can NFTs at the Walmart checkout counter be far behind?

The next monthly episode is scheduled to drop on January 23.

Join the Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday during the stay-at-home period at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from This Episode

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FIR #218: Disney is Auditioning TikTok Creators

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:11:39 -0000

The Walt Disney Company’s parks division is looking for two part-time, on-site TikTok creators to generate content. The Disney Parks Experiences and Products account on TikTok may be the official account but there are also hundreds of Disney influencers sharing videos, too. When it comes to this kind of content, though, we still mostly hear about Instagram, even though Disney has far more followers on TikTok than on Instagram and Twitter combined. What does this mean for other brands?

The next monthly episode is scheduled to drop on January 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from This Episode

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FIR #217: Would You Buy an NFT of a Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photograph?

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 21:45:00 -0000

The Associated Press has announced it will launch an NFT marketplace for some of its most iconic photos, including some that have won Pulitzer Prizes. The possibilities for other businesses are mind-boggling.

The next monthly episode is scheduled to drop on January 23.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from This Episode

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FIR #216: FIR and MPN

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:27:00 -0000

The “For Immediate Release” podcast is joining the Marketing Podcast Network (MPN), the new podcast network from Jason Falls. What does this mean to current listeners? Not a damn thing. The podcast will continue to be available on the FIR Podcast Network and your current subscription will work just fine. But we wanted to let you know about the MPN and why we’re making our show available there. Listen for details.

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FIR #215: 2022 Trends

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 12:00:00 -0000

Neville and Shel list 10 trends communicator about which communicators should be aware as 2022 begins.

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