Blog review of 2017 and a new site for the New Year
These are the 21 blog posts that defined my 2017. The posts explore modernity in public relations, my day job at Ketchum, learning, workflow and mental health.
Blog overhaul for 2018
You may have noticed I’ve made some changes to my blog in recent weeks.
The old site had become too large and clunky for WordPress. It had taken a significant SEO hit in the past 18 months.
I’ve migrated to SquareSpace. The new site is optimised for mobile, speed and security. It’s still in beta so please let me know if you spot anything that I’ve missed.
Mu blog is my favourite form of social media. It's my personal learning and development tool. I’m incredibly grateful for the relationships and opportunities that it’s has generated.
Thanks for all your comments over the past year. Your feedback pushes me to think harder and read more widely.
December
Storify will leave a hole in the Internet but there’s a much bigger issue at play
Storify is closing as a free service. It has implications for how individuals and organisations tell stories, and strikes at the cultural history of the internet.
Exploring the impact of AI on public relations and discourse in the public sphere
This post aimed to start a conversation about the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in media and public relations. It’s an important issue.
November
Public relations in 2018
This is my analysis of the opportunities and challenges that I believe public relations faces in the next 12 months. They’re not so much predictions as a work in progress.
Chatbots as a public relations tool: proceed with caution
Chatbots are hot but where and how are they being deployed?
How to listen
Listening is fundamental to good relationships and critical to organisational communication. But it’s a much underrated skill that is seldom taught.
October
How to write a public relations plan in 10 steps
A blog post about writing a public relations plan.
September
Okay Google, I think we’re going to get along
We put Google Home through its paces. The first generation digital assistant is surprisingly good.
July
How to build a newsrooms or press office for the modern media environment
StoryWorks is Ketchum’s worldwide standard for newsroom and press office design and delivery
Chatham House Rule explained
A 90 year old rule aimed at promoting openness in meetings is frequently misunderstood.
Confessions of a public relations industry awards judge
Here are 21 insights that may prove useful if you’re looking to win an accolade for your public relations work.
June
New metric, same old flaws: AVE mutates into EMV
Advertising Equivalent Value (AVE) has mutated into a new form of measurement for the digital and social age called Earned Media Value (EMV). Neither has any place in modern practice.
May
Making sense of modern public relations
There’s never been such an exciting time to work in public relations as we shift to direct engagement with publics thanks to the internet. This blog calls peak pain for public relations.
Mental resilience
This is a story about how I manage my mental health. It's a story about death, illness and relationship breakdown. It's a story about life.
April
Tackling manipulation on Twitter
Twitter users need to be vigilant to sources of abuse.
March
Communication and media response to the Westminster attacks
Best practice communication was critical to allaying fear in the immediate response to the Westminster attacks but sensationalist media coverage needs to be challenged.
Women only speaker list
A list of amazing women speakers for International Women's Day.
Learning and earning in public relations linked for the first time by CIPR State of the Profession survey
A commitment to qualifications and professional development is reflected in remuneration especially in the early years of a public relations career.
February
Mental health typically managed as a performance issue in public relations
A #FuturePRoof report by Sarah Hall and I for the PRCA explores the mental health of the public relations profession.
Four practical ways to support public relations students
The relationship between teaching and working should be a two way street. In public relations we've work to do.
January
President Donald Trump’s communication codex: : rebuttal, dead cats, diversion and hyperbole
Donald Trump’s communication style appears to be a mix of direct rebuttal, dead cats, diversion and hyperbole. Organisations must stand up for what they believe in.
A draft framework to tackle fake news
Public relations is on the front line in helping organisations tackle fake news.
