Ryan Mac

Harris campaign deceiving people by rewriting Real News Headlines on Google. Sara Fischer Axios: "Examples include The Independent UK, NPR, AP, The Guardian, USA Today, PBS, CNN, CBS News, Time and others, including local outlets like North Dakota radio station WDAY Radio." "The ads include links to real articles from the news outlets, but the headlines and supporting text have been altered to read as though the articles support the Harris campaign's objectives." "The ads say that they are sponsored, but it's not immediately clear that the text that accompanies real news links is written by the campaigns and not by the media publication itself." "For example, an ad that ran alongside an article from The Guardian shows a headline that reads 'VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans - Harris Defends Repro Freedom' and then includes supporting text underneath the headline that reads, 'VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will stop Trump's abortion bans.' " "An ad featuring a link to an NPR story reads, 'Harris Will Lower Health Costs,' with supporting text that says, 'Kamala Harris will lower the cost of high-quality affordable health care.' " "The political ad world has always been murky, but a lack of regulation in the digital world has put the onus on tech firms to decide what's deceptive and what's fair." "Ad-driven tech companies have to walk a fine line between transparency and efficiency. One of the reasons search ads are effective for advertisers is that they are embedded in line with actual search results in a very similar format." Google believes its sponsored disclosures are enough to keep voters from being misled, but media companies whose brands are being associated with political messages in unexpected ways, may feel differently." Google #kamalaharris #kamala #google #bigtech

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A client's spokesperson recently used ChatGPT to help them write responses to a reporter's questions. Here's why that's a no-go (and why I asked them to re-write before I sent it!). ➡ Reporters are REALLY good at Googling and doing online research. They *literally* do this professionally. They don't really need generic quotes from you about information that's already publicly available online (and if it's in a public LLM, likely years old). Plus, in many cases, using AI-generated content violates their editorial or ethical guidelines. If you're stumped at how to respond to a reporter's questions, here are some great ideas for what you might bring to the table that AI cannot: 🌟 Anecdotes/stories that reflect your personal experience with the topic/subject of the interview. 🌟 Unique insights about what's happening behind the scenes - what don't people know or understand about how your industry works? What aren't people paying attention to right now that's going to be huge? 🌟 Stories or examples about your customers - how does this topic impact them? What have you heard from them? 🌟 Advice on who else they should connect with or other potential sources of information that you are aware of as an industry insider. Offering value that goes beyond promoting yourself is a great way to build a strong relationship! I don't believe this spokesperson intended to "cheat" on their media interview - they simply thought they were being more efficient. But just to be safe... I now always use a tool that checks for AI-generated content before I send quotes to a reporter 😁 #PR #journalism #publicrelations #mediarelations

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I see where you're coming from, and I agree with your perspective. However, the rise of owned channels has given brands and businesses more control over their narratives, allowing them to bypass traditional #media #gatekeepers and speak directly to their target #audiences. This shift meant that companies can now deliver their messages on their terms, whether or not they captured the attention of #journalists. In many cases, businesses no longer depend on press coverage to get their stories out—they're becoming the masters of their own stories; thanks to the dominance of Meta - Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (X - I still will call it Twitter, to be honest), and Google as primary distributors of news content. What’s even more interesting, (at least in the East African Market) is the reversal in dynamics: journalists are increasingly looking to brand websites, social media, and other owned platforms to find #business stories. This shows how much control has shifted into the hands of businesses, and why traditional press releases often feel secondary or supplementary. Unless a story holds significant public interest—where media reach can amplify the message—businesses no longer break back to gain #visibility. So let me say this; the press release model has turned into one small part of many broader, multi-channel communications strategies. But innovative media still rules ( I will tell you why), and when it collapses, we will know. Brandcom Consulting Limited.

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When HAI, a history consulting firm in Rockville, Maryland, moved into a new office last November, something important got lost in the changeover: a check for more than half a million dollars. One of the company's clients, a major academic institution, mailed the payment to HAI's old address, and CEO Beth Maser says it took her team about six weeks of cutting through red tape to get the check reissued and deposited. "It is what it is. Do I love having an overhead expense for buying and mailing paper checks? No, but it is a cost of doing business," says Maser. Her team has been aggressively pushing clients to adopt electronic payments, but not always with success. The share that pay by check has dropped from about 50% five years ago, but 30% of customers still prefer to send checks. The 55-year-old CEO says, "Maybe it's my generation, my demographic, but it never crossed my mind to ever say we will never take a check." Checkbooks have become a rare sight in the checkout line. This month, Target became the latest national chain to tell shoppers that its stores will no longer accept personal checks, joining Whole Foods and Aldi. But when it comes to B2B payments, cutting paper checks is still common practice, founders say, and despite the hassle that comes with paper, they have no plans to stop any time soon. I had a lot of fun reporting out this story on the enduring power of paper checks for Inc. Magazine. https://lnkd.in/e2JDi3Ju

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New data from YPulse shows the amount of time teens (ages 13-17) spend per week either gaming or watching TV. Not surprisingly, nearly 14 hours per week is spent gaming on either a computer or console. Mobile gaming accounts for an additional 6.5 hours of time for teens. #teens #genz #videogames #gaming #television #movies #esports #onlinegaming #PCgames #gamingconsoles #mediaconsumption #tvshows #onlinecontent

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If I were teaching a course on communications, this would be on the syllabus. Why? Because the analysis: ✅ Accurately identifies a vision and strategy  ✅ Hones in on messaging ✅ Includes specific tactics that apply to both new and traditional media ✅ Applies to politics, corporations, individuals, or nonprofits Politics aside, read this if you want to understand the key elements of a strong comms plan. https://lnkd.in/evSecn_w   #communications #strategy #commsplanning #publicrealtions #socialmedia

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News Outlets Combat Election Misinformation As the shadows of #misinformation loom larger with each passing #election, news organizations are bracing for a formidable challenge this November 5th. They're passive observers of electoral proceedings and active combatants in a war against falsehoods. With meticulous plans laid out, The Associated Press, The New York Times, and NPR are gearing up to decipher and debunk the barrage of false narratives poised to infiltrate the public discourse. This concerted effort underscores a profound duty to uphold truth, amidst the rapid spread of misinformation that threatens to distort #democracy. From deploying reporters to scour the digital realms for emerging conspiracy theories to emphasizing the importance of patience in vote counting, these organizations are holding fast to a commitment to radical #transparency and factual reporting. In the face of uncertainty and the specter of #disinformation, they stand as sentinels, vigilant and ready, reminding us of the critical role of responsible #journalism in safeguarding the integrity of our democratic processes. https://lnkd.in/dkKXP2Re #news #uselections #elections2024 #uspolitics #politicalnews #falsenews

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