Andrew Graham

A Bloomberg reporter was fired for breaking an embargo. It’s a nightmare that fuels paranoia whenever someone is working with sensitive information. What if a reporter, despite promising, file a story earlier than planned? I think what’s happened here – a dangerous, very unfortunate action that could have jeopardised an international prisoner exchange – shows us why we don’t have to worry too much. By far the most common reason to give reporters access to information early is so that they have additional time to plan and report a story. We want to make sure they have the ability to put the news in context, hopefully by speaking to someone and adding more context. Time is also a consideration – the ability to release the story at the soonest possible moment. Even though the news hopefully will be covered by others, you desperately, in this world of thousands of sites and accounts, want people to hear it there first. All of this is understandable and, at some level, benefits everyone. What doesn’t is breaking that agreement. I’ve never had a journalist knowingly break an embargo. And a couple of times, something has gone up quicker than expected, it’s usually been because there’s been confusion over a changing embargo time. (Note: don’t do this.) Moreover the vast majority of pieces of news are interesting to a specialist audience. They are noteworthy, yes, but there’s no massive fame and fortune to be made by leaking. On the contrary, the consequences of being iced out of future deals – and potentially even facing legal action are far more dire. Even in the Bloomberg case, there’s been an impassioned response from the reporter in question about how she never, ever would maliciously break a pre-agreed break time. It seems that what happened – while not acceptable – was somewhere in the process of writing and editing. So breathe easy, and let people with trusted relationships have time to review and report on forthcoming stories.

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Check out how creating clarity with complex subjects is building trust, developing understanding, and driving adoption for the financial and technology sector. RF|Binder Armel Leslie https://lnkd.in/eUV3QBj7 #contentmarketing #video #fintech #digitalmarketing #financialservices

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Misinformation and disinformation, the threat of deepfakes, the rise of AI, dwindling workforces and resources - are converging trends undermining the quality of and trust in the media? Have a read of this excellent piece by Tom Harper, APCO European head of media and former Sunday Times journalist, in POLITICO today.

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My latest for MSNBC: The union plan to unleash a tsunami for Biden. "There’s plenty in the former president’s record w/ which these unions can make their case. Former President Donald Trump’s popularity among working-class voters is, to be blunt, a triumph of bluster over substance and presentation over reality. The former president says he is a friend of the common man. His actions demonstrate he is anything but. Trump’s administration was a wrecking ball when it came to worker rights, rolling back multiple safety initiatives. His Supreme Court nominees were instrumental in a major ruling weakening public-sector unions. His appointees to the National Labor Relations Board made it harder for workers to unionize. During his administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration even removed the names of people who died in workplace accidents from the front page of its website. And since he left the White House, he has fought with the United Auto Workers and urged its members to stop paying their dues. Biden’s strong pro-worker actions are a 180-degree turn from Trump’s record. He marched on a picket line last year with striking UAW members (a first for a sitting president) and met with Starbucks labor organizers. His NLRB appointments are more likely to back workers over employers. And he's been an aggressive advocate for nonunion workers. His administration’s ban on almost all non-compete agreements will most likely both increase entrepreneurial efforts and give America’s workers a wage boost of more than $500 a year. And, yes, the names of workers killed in workplace accidents are back on OSHA’s front page. Nothing highlights the difference between Trump’s & Biden’s attitudes toward working Americans better than how they both handled overtime compensation. Trump abandoned an Obama administration initiative to double the salary threshold under which salaried workers would be eligible for mandatory overtime pay. Biden’s administration didn’t just restore the Obama-era rule; it raised the threshold to just over $56,000 annually ... [But] a recent review of databases tracking Democratic candidate statements, social media posts and campaign ads during the 2022 election revealed relatively few House and Senate candidates emphasized kitchen table economics or Biden legislative achievements like the infrastructure bill or the Inflation Reduction Act. That is borderline political malpractice. These issues and achievements mean a lot to voters. But they won’t sell themselves. People, I’ve learned over decades of reporting on these issues, lead busy lives: They don’t spend their days thinking about political gains and losses. They are upset about inflation and the rising cost of living but aren’t aware of what Biden — or any politician, really — is doing (or not doing, when it comes to Trump) to make their financial lives better." #Biden #Trump #Election2024 #OSHA #NLRB #SEIU #noncompetes #overtime #WorkerRights #unions #Fightfor15

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Have you had a chat with a #clone today? How about the hot topics in #GenAI #AI and #SDGs we are called to meet by 2030? Record your convo in zoom and share it... 🏆 https://bit.ly/3YGGsW0

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This article from Columbia Journalism Review is fascinating, and an argument for the importance of a reputation management communication plan. There are volumes authored by PR pros advising against ignoring reporters inquiries, yet this article documents how frequently it happens. Throughout my career, I can count on one hand the number of times I have made a calculated decision not to respond to a media request, and 99.9% of the time it was after multiple engagements with a reporter who repeatedly misrepresented or distorted information (even if not intentionally). I suspect, more often than not, reporters get ghosted because the brand is caught off guard. They haven't planned how they will respond in a reputation crisis. Or haven't socialized the planned response with stakeholders. If the PR team is haggling with executives and lawyers on what to say or how to say it when the reporters' questions start rolling in, the opportunity to frame the narrative is quickly lost. Thanks for sharing the article Jennifer Johnson Avril! https://lnkd.in/gYmTA9CW

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The Portable Test & Stimulus Standard 3.0 Draft is available for public review! Version 3.0 adds many new features, corrects errors, clarifies aspects of the language and semantic definitions and much more. The most substantial feature added is support for Behavioral Coverage. To download the draft standard visit here https://bit.ly/44xF0Xf. Make comments, leave feedback, and ask questions via the PSS Community Forum https://bit.ly/4dsC4z8 #PSS #Accellera

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💡 From the fediverse to the Kamala Harris election campaign, SEO, and more: Insights in FIR 425. In this episode of our For Immediate Release podcast, Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I explore six key topics that are shaping the future of business, communication, and technology: 🔹 Fediverse and Digital Sovereignty: We discuss the growing disillusionment with platforms like X and the potential for governments to establish their own instances on the fediverse to maintain digital sovereignty and control over public discourse. 🔹 The Decline of Individuality: A recent study shows a significant decline in people’s desire to stand out over the past 20 years, which has implications for society and how businesses engage with their audiences. 🔹 Corporate DEI Backlash: With growing political and social backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, some companies are scaling back their efforts. But are they abandoning these goals or just changing how they communicate them? 🔹 Impact of Disabling Social Media Comments: Research reveals that disabling comments on social media can harm the perception of influencers and public figures, making them appear less sincere and likeable. 🔹 Kamala Harris’s Gen Z Campaign Strategy: We delve into how Kamala Harris’s campaign successfully engages Gen Z voters by mastering platforms like TikTok and leveraging influencers to drive massive engagement. 🔹 AI and the Future of SEO: The rise of generative AI and concepts like 'zero-click search' are changing the SEO landscape, with new strategies needed to maintain visibility in an increasingly AI-driven search environment. 🔊 For a deeper dive, listen to episode 425 of the podcast - check out the full blog post with audio player here: ⬇️ #Podcast #BusinessTrends #AI #DEI #DigitalMarketing #SEO https://lnkd.in/eCM9mj9d

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“Did not respond to a request for comment.” Seems there’s a growing trend of companies and sources simply 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 requests from the media to respond to a journalist’s questions. But – is it wise? In a piece from the Columbia Journalism Review (link below), Paul Farhi cites a It cites a fivefold increase in this trend over the past 10 years. The article delves into why it’s in a company’s best interests to respond to a journalist’s questions. Reasons include: ✅ It allows a source to share their side of the story. “It’s the job of spokespeople to tell the best story about the companies they represent,” says Oliver Darcy of CNN. ✅ Sources can dispute facts before publication and, in some cases, steer a reporter away from publishing it (“Reporters don’t want to publish something that’s not true”). ✅ Working with a reporter can help you build trust and a relationship that brings benefits over time. It's important to remember that building and maintaining a business's reputation is, after all, a long game. ✅ If a company says nothing, it may appear as though it’s confirming a story is correct – and staying quiet or ghosting reporters could lead to even more scrutiny. Often, the 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 way to approach a reporter’s request for comment is to fail to respond. While it may be uncomfortable to answer questions, imagine how unsettling it'll be if the story runs 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 the company's point of view represented? ✅ It takes A LOT to get a correction made if the story runs with an error and the company tries to correct it after the fact. Speaking from experience, I can say it’s a 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 more straightforward path to respond to the original request than to try to correct it later. 👉 On that note, be sure to have a media contact listed on your company’s site. The contact should monitor and respond to messages daily. Reporters are often on deadline and need a prompt response to their questions. Side note: I appreciate this story’s use of the terms “earned” and “owned” media, which we don’t see used often enough (although ads, which are also mentioned, fall under "paid" media). #B2BPR #publicrelations #earnedmedia #PRTips

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In today’s information age, the role of media is paramount in shaping public opinion and guiding the collective consciousness. However, beneath the surface lies a network of covert operations and hidden agendas that manipulate the news we consume. This article delves deep into the mechanisms through which media outlets covertly influence narratives and control the flow of information. The Hidden Hand: Media Manipulation Tactics https://lnkd.in/eQjQywmE

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Defending Digital Campaigns Michael Kaiser sheds light on the tactics used by bad actors in election interference, emphasizing their goal could be to sow chaos and apathy rather than influence voting. “They’re trying to divide us at another level,” he said. “For some bad actors, the misinformation and disinformation is not about how you vote. It's just that we're divided.” Learn more in Paige Gross’s article in States Newsroom about combating misinformation and disinformation in the upcoming elections. #Misinformation #Disinformation #Election2024 #ArtificialIntelligence #AI https://lnkd.in/eBypvBP6

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The October monthly episode of our For Immediate Release podcast explores critical communication trends. Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I discuss six compelling topics, including Reddit's potential for crisis comms, the state of blogging in 2024, ethical concerns in celebrity news coverage, workplace connection challenges, and AI's impact across industries. In a blog post, I've set out some key takeaways that present opportunities for communicators, including leveraging Reddit for stakeholder engagement and preparing to guide organisations through AI adoption. Read more and listen now for valuable perspectives and insights on navigating today's complex communication landscape. https://lnkd.in/e5_CcMR2

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20+ years of writing and reviewing press releases has left me with a deep hatred of the words "iconic", "innovative", and especially "paradigm shifting"! This is a smart piece by Eleanor Hawkins. And I agree - as long as the time investment is kept to a minimum and all parties are aligned on the goals of a "press release", there's still a place for them in the comms toolkit as a way to memorialise a moment in time. One add though. With data hungry LLMs looking for more and more content to ingest, and given the shift among many publishers to block the use of their IP, will we see a resurgence in the impact of press releases as influencers of AI answer engines? I predict yes.

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🎤🎸🤘🏻🚨 Latest from The Repute: "Crisis Comms Under the Microscope: Dave Grohl’s Approach" 🎤🎸🚨 In this edition, we take a real-time look at how rock legend Dave Grohl is handling the media fallout from his recent infidelity scandal. Using data-driven insights, we break down the New York Times' coverage of Grohl’s crisis communications strategy and analyze what worked—and what didn’t. https://bit.ly/3MIZy76 The analysis explores: - The effectiveness of proactively addressing scandals before they spiral - Why timing didn’t minimize media coverage as others have suggested - The nuanced balance between controlling the narrative and avoiding sensationalism Whether you’re dealing with a major PR issue or simply curious about how the media operates during high-profile scandals, this edition offers valuable lessons for managing your brand’s reputation. Read the full analysis and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have a great weekend everyone! Will Valentine Publisher, The Repute Founder and Principal, Valentine Advisors

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How are you valuing your reputation as an organisation? The Hotwire PRC Relational Capital Reserve can help! Read more here....

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