Comey's a PR Natural

The recent unexpected firing of former FBI chief James Comey surprised me like everyone else. His goodbye letter, which was sent out by others since his FBI email was disabled, is an excellent example of CEO communications that is genuine and heartfelt while reaffirming the mission of the FBI. Comey's next move? He should become a communications strategist. He's a natural.

Here's a toast to the men of women of the FBI: Let us all hope they continue to do the right thing. Our country and democracy are depending on you.

comey-goodbye

What does the rise of fake news mean for the future of public relations?

At the latest presidential press conference Trump repeated invoked the phrase "fake news" and he has been successful in getting his supporters to believe what he says over facts. Even a Fox News poll indicated that 61% of Americans are "very concerned" that fake news is hurting America. John McCain, Republican Senator from Arizona understands that a free press is essential to a functioning democratic society. Without a free press:

"I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That's how dictators get started."

You can watch the full clip here.

Unfortunately for us, the Economist Intelligence Agency recently downgraded the US from full democracy to a flawed democracy because of the president's persistence on avoiding facts, promoting fake news and criticizing the press. The criticisms of the press are taking a toll on Americans' trust in the media and this may have major future implications for the public relations industry.

What will the value of public relations be in the future when the public no longer trusts the media and the cache to be quoted in the press is gone?

New PR Rules for Media Engagement

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Today's NYimes article Journalists, Battered and Groggy, Find a Renewed Sense of Mission describes a Washington press corps that is exhilarated and exhausted from the stories, controversies and leaks coming out of the Trump White House. Through this glimpse, we see how the rules for media engagement has changed:  

Twitter is the News 

My master's thesis back in 2009 was "Rumors in Financial PR" how quaint that feels now. Twitter is the rumor mill. With the President tweeting his thoughts, journalists are now scrambling to keep up. We also see Twitter as a tool for rebellion with numerous alternate Twitter profiles from government agencies handcuffed by executive orders. In corporate PR, the SEC approved social media as a form of public disclosure since 2013.

Media Sources Are Going High Tech with Encryption

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been in the news lately for their climbing share price and Warren Buffet's attention. But the Times article alerts many non-tech people, that yes, those text messages you send via iMessage are encrypted automatically, every time:

Anonymous sources are driving bombshell stories, but leaks are springing from encrypted iPhone messaging apps rather than from meetings in underground parking garages.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has defended Apple's position on strong encryption, extended encryption to iMessage and Notes and required

No Need for Quotes, Just Use Twitter

Social media infiltrates everything, even the sacred interview. It is routine now for articles to include tweets for corroboration. Here's an example from the article:

On Wednesday afternoon, the Atlantic staff writer Rosie Gray tweeted, “only 9 hours or so till the next massive newsbreak that will prevent us from having lives again.” Hallie Jackson, White House correspondent for NBC News, replied jokingly a minute later — “wuts a life” — to which Ms. Gray replied: “I remember vaguely there was a time when i had one.” By evening, Ms. Gray’s original message had been “liked” more than 850 times.

Will corporate PR follow this trend? Only time will tell.

What Trevor Noah Can Teach You About Communications

Trevor Noah in his Fresh Air interview with NPR high priestess Terry Gross talked about how he observed language as a powerful cultural assimilation tool. He watched and learned from his mother, who got out of tight situations by forming bonds with others by using the same language as her aggressor. 

Some highlights from the interview:

  • Communication is more important than your grasp of language. You know, can you communicate effectively with a person?

  • I realized you've got to be careful in deciding what your intention is. Are you using language, you know, as a flourish, or are you trying to communicate as effectively as possible with another human being?

In communications and public relations sometimes we forget this, communicating includes intention, how do you want the person to feel or behave after reading or hearing what you have to say? And as we have seen in this year's election, speaking simply and repeating one's self are powerful forms of communication.