Tamsen Webster, MA, MBA

As evidenced by the dynamics of the presidential election, women continue to be held to a different, much stricter standard than men. In my book "WOKE: A Cultural Competence Guide for Communicators, I delve into why and how women continue to struggle for equality and representation. "Women’s quest for equality is the longest-running struggle in the history of the world. Men have ruled over humanity for millennia, and nowhere has their dominance been more pronounced than over the lives and bodies of women. Although women have made great strides toward equality in the last few decades, they continue to be held to a different standard than men, and society holds many unconscious and deeply rooted biases against them. Nevertheless, women continue challenging traditional gender norms, advocating for equal rights, and reshaping female empowerment narratives." https://lnkd.in/gsTAMAbc

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Authenticity is key for senior executives to be influential on LinkedIn, but not every leader finds it easy to engage genuinely. 🔸In episode 342 of our For Immediate Release podcast, Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I explore how communicators can help executives craft authentic online personas and build influence and trust, focused on LinkedIn, with practical examples. I also dive into this topic in a new blog post published today, arguing that authenticity opens the door to success. Communicators must guide leaders who struggle with authenticity, identifying formats or mediums that play to their strengths. Take a read and listen to our discussion ⬇️ #Authenticity #Communication #LinkedIn #FIRPodcast https://lnkd.in/eMu9D48j

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State of play: A recent Memo report found that 56% of CCOs are reporting to the CEO — an increase of 34 percentage points since last year. I loved seeing insights like that in Eleanor Hawkins's Axios Communicators Newsletter this week. It's a topic that is becoming increasingly important as the look of C-Suites continues to change each year. A separate report by the Observatory of Corporate Reputation found that CCO+ roles have increased by roughly 88% within the Fortune 1000 since 2019, outnumbering traditional CCO roles for the first time. I have been a long-time advocate of the CCO reporting to the CEO, indicating the importance of the role as well as its differentiating the position from the CMO which is complimentary but has a different lens to the brand. This hasn't historically been the case but I love to see this shift and its continued trend upwards! https://lnkd.in/gwEeuKxu

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If you follow me, you’ve seen my posts bragging about generating breakthrough media coverage. No doubt, it’s important. But just as important is counseling clients on how to dominate the discussion. How to set agendas and own dialogues. How to be the thought leader that customers, partners, reporters, analysts, investors, scholars and government officials turn to, to understand the zeitgeist of key publics and key industries. I wrote about ARM yesterday - that’s what we did with them. Challenged them to own mobile, and later data centers. To dare to be the dominant voice to set an industry agenda. That’s not a one-off. With every client served, that’s the nexus of the campaigns we lead - understand your strength and put it to work. If you want this kind counsel and the resulting dominance that comes with it, I’d love to talk.

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👋🏼 Today, I offer a few reflections on the election outcome and how organizers are and can respond in this moment. for social change communicators 📚 📣 this week's topic: How the roots of change agency is moving forward Tired of signing up for newsletters and not finding them helpful for your everyday work? This newsletter is built differently. It’s created for you: 🌱 for cultivating social change in a chaotic digital world 🔮 for folks who want to do it differently ❤️‍🔥 for busy communicators with limited time 🧱 for folks reshaping digital communications 🤓 Read & Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/ggJw3vCf

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"But NPR’s troubles extend far beyond concerns about its journalism. Internal documents reviewed by The Times and interviews with more than two dozen current and former public radio executives show how profoundly the nonprofit is struggling to succeed in the fast-changing media industry. It is grappling with a declining audience and falling revenue — and internal conflict about how to fix it." This article sheds good light on the disruption facing the media industry. #Media #Communications #PR

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Proud to be hosting this video series by Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and sponsored by PRophet entitled AI Tools for the Modern Communicator: Technology, Ethics and Future Trends. This PRSA video series explores the transformative role of AI in public relations, offering insights into ethical considerations, practical tools, and the future of this transformative technology. Each of the modules covers key topics such as the distinctions between generative and predictive AI, the impact of AI on workforce engagement, and AI's role in reshaping communication strategies. Attendees will learn about AI tools, ethics in AI usage, and the evolving regulatory landscape. Designed to equip working PR professionals with foundational AI knowledge, this series emphasizes how AI can enhance strategic decision-making, foster innovation, and ensure ethical practices in the rapidly advancing field of contemporary public relations. After viewing all five modules, participants will be awarded a certificate of completion. Participants with the APR credential earn a total of 2.5 CEUs for the entire course, which includes .5 CEUs in Ethics. https://lnkd.in/engfyK98

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Now that curation has earned its way into more and more programmatic circles, it's only fitting that Pesach Lattin has dived into the question "are all data curation solutions interchangeable?" Spoiler alert - they aren't, which makes this article a must read both those who are already capitalizing on curation and those just getting started. Drew Stein Audigent Ted Smith Greg Williams Jake Abraham Gina Cavallo Chris Meredith #data #curation #programmatic #programmaticdata

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I shared my thoughts about going "off the record" for Ragan Communications and PR Daily: 1) "I don't know," is quotable and has implications. 2) The idea that "nothing is off the record" is not true. Off-the-record conversations are valuable and sacred to independent journalism. Every communicator should know these basics! Read more in this great piece 👇

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The Wall Street Journal editor Paul Beckett’s account in the Columbia Journalism Review of how the Journal mobilized to free Evan Gershkovich after 16th months as a prisoner in Russia is a tour de force and “a free press triumph” and well worth the read. Some excerpts: A phone call to a senior government official who knows this terrain provided the answer: “There are times to be quiet and there are times to be loud—and this is a time to be loud.” “Yet on days like August 1 (when he was freed), the values that underpin democracy and are the foundation of a free press triumph.” “Few countries that are not democracies could point to such care for their ordinary citizens abroad, let alone noncitizens imprisoned for their political beliefs.” “news organizations must continue to assess and calibrate the risks their reporters face when operating in dangerous terrain. Perhaps they need to make more hard-nosed choices on whether it is necessary to deploy in person to countries that target journalists or whether that terrain can effectively be covered from outside, given advances in technology and communications.” “And they could ensure that press freedom around the world—an issue so fundamental to their existence that it is often taken for granted—is a subject they cover as if their livelihoods and their liberty depended on it.” https://lnkd.in/etZTVCeB

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The @PageSociety just released its newest report Beyond Communication: CCO Leadership in Navigating New Complexity. The findings underscore the CCO as an ever-more-essential partner with the CEO in defining and activating corporate character. Read more here: https://hubs.la/Q02x4nPQ0

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Since Kamala Harris' ethnic background has been a source of discussion, we should all be aware that people of mixed race/ethnic backgrounds are the fastest-growing and youngest demographic in the U.S. They play an increasingly important part in shaping the future of our country. My book "WOKE: A Cultural Competence Guide for Communicators," includes a chapter titled "The Rise of Biracial Americans." According to the U.S. Census: "The population of people who are two or more races is projected to be the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group over the next several decades, followed by Asians and Hispanics. The causes of their growth are different, however. For Hispanics and people who are two or more races, high growth rates are largely the result of high rates of natural increase, given the relatively young age structure of these populations..." https://lnkd.in/gsTAMAbc

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When I founded LAUREL seven years ago, I did it in response to needs within my network for quality support of founders launching new ventures. As I defined my own superpowers over time, established what I could lead well, built a great team and better understood the needs of a two-sided market, LAUREL has grown to address issues of source diversity in media - providing founders who possess a depth of subject matter expertise with the tools and knowledge to go direct with their PR strategy and change the narrative of power while scaling the ventures they launch. This article from American Public Media Group published a few months ago is confirmation that we're building the right thing in the right place where both the need and the desire to build the future of media exist together. The future is collaborative. The future is IRL. It very much depends on how we build it. And it's for that reason the future is bold. "Our goal is not to build a bigger network of sources. It’s to know whose voices are being included and excluded and to use this research as a catalyst for a broader conversation about what topics we choose to cover, who we choose to hire, the importance of cultural competence, and how we can and must do better." Read more in the article below or check out LAUREL's directory of bold leaders building the future in RISING ICONS: https://lnkd.in/gk7bePgi

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So many of my former peers and colleagues are heading to Cannes this week, and I hope that they will take the time to read this, and discuss it. As a former agency leader, this is an issue that has increasingly unnerved me for years. I avoided speaking up about it because, frankly, I was afraid of how much connective tissue (and revenue) my agencies had with social media platforms. I know I'm not alone in this. But as a parent, I can't keep how I feel about this to myself anymore. It is massively, massively important that we hold social media platforms accountable for the unparalleled influence they have over the fabric of our society and our mental health. The degree to which they operate unchecked in the face of all the things we know to be true is just completely irresponsible. The data is overwhelming- and overwhelmingly clear. For all the good these platforms make possible, there is a very unhealthy and corrosive underbelly that needs to be addressed and reined in. This is an issue where marketers, advertisers and media professionals should use their influence, experience and insight to help neutralize a very serious and tangible problem that is directly tied into what we do. Even requiring every platform to publicly publish their behavioral science data and insights would go an enormous way, as the Surgeon General suggests. People deserve the transparency of understanding the degree to which this tech is engineered to affect their behavior, and to play to and capitalize on their emotions. #socialmedia #cannes #creativity #tech #mentalhealth #advertising #marketing

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We just submitted Fight or Flight’s data for the upcoming PRWeek/People Like Us Ethnic + Gender Pay Gaps Project for the second year in a row. Huge shout out to Sheeraz Gulsher, Darain Faraz and the People Like Us crew, as well as John Harrington and team at PRWeek UK for their commitment to and leadership in advancing this important agenda.   Sheeraz and John asked me to share a few thoughts here about the project, especially for any fellow agency owners who aren’t planning to submit. Last year, only 38 firms participated in the UK.   If you’re conflicted about entering, then I totally get it. It’s daunting to share such sensitive information externally especially if you’re worried certain data points might ‘look bad’. However, we can only make change happen when we are transparent about the size of the problem and committed to measuring our attempts to address it.   If you’re still on the fence, then check out PRWeek UK’s report from last year. It is uncompromising and hard-hitting, but it’s also fair, balanced, nuanced and respectful towards participating firms.

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Is presence > messages? Not exactly...but during election season, debates and TV interviews can be a real life case study on how much executive presence does matter. There is no doubt that what people say, and actually do, is relevant. But the reality is that sometimes confidence takes the day. Consider: 🎙For years, media trainers have used the 1960 Nixon/Kennedy debate as an example to show how preparation--and presentation--are both critical. 🎙During that debate, Nixon wasn’t feeling well and looked nervous.  🎙Kennedy, on the other hand, appeared relaxed and spoke with confidence. I’m not advocating that whoever shows up better is the better candidate. But performance can tip public perception, just as it did in 1960. And when it’s a close race, or business stakeholders need to see their leaders show up strong, every word--and action-- on a public stage counts. A meltdown or losing control of the interview can be disastrous. So communicators, this is the PSA to remind your spokespeople they have to prep with tough questions--even if they think “they've got it” because they were “already media trained” or have “done a ton of press before.” All it takes is one bad interview to make investors, voters or other stakeholders lose confidence. Likewise, a great interview can boost reputation and perception. ↗ #mediatraining #interviewprep #preparation #communications #debate #interviews #PR #publicrelations #reputation #trust https://lnkd.in/gbpKzVav

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✍🏽 I wrote a piece for Human Resource Executive on eliminating #poverty—and #health disparities. 📑 The poverty crisis has long been dismissed as a result of personal choice, a social issue relegated to the purview of nonprofits and government. 📑Interestingly, according to data from the Edelman #TrustBarometer, businesses are the most trusted and sole institutions seen as competent AND ethical. The “and” being the operative word. 📑 “Put simply, being poor is like having just pulled an all-nighter”, researchers say. The strain of poverty costs employees mental and physical health, and those costs are passed to businesses. 📑 As #DEI practitioner, I posit that businesses expand focus to address the pervasive systemic inequities afflicting our society today, notably issues like poverty and health inequities. ⛓️‍💥https://lnkd.in/gr5MJr4b #DEI #Guestviewpoints #HumanResources #Poverty #TrustBarometer #Business #WorkplaceCulture #Wellbeing #Wellness #SocialImpact #SocialChange #Policy #AntiRacism #HealthcareOnLinkedIn #AmiraBarger

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