245: Crisis Control: Unraveling Breaking News Stories for Tips on Mastering Public Relations Blowback

Transcript

WEBVTT

00:00:00.381 --> 00:00:04.110
Last week was a big week for breaking news.

00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:07.730
We have news now to report involving our own network.

00:00:07.730 --> 00:00:10.409
News to us here at CNN and you at home.

00:00:10.409 --> 00:00:14.330
Cnn's Chairman and CEO, chris Licht, is leaving the network.

00:00:14.330 --> 00:00:16.768
Licht took over the network a little over a year ago.

00:00:16.768 --> 00:00:21.631
David Zaslaw, the Chairman of CNN's parent company, warner Brothers Discovery.

00:00:21.631 --> 00:00:24.548
He just made the announcement at the network editorial meeting.

00:00:24.699 --> 00:00:30.829
What it sounds like to me is that the powers that be in golf obviously men's golf, pj Tour, lip golf, etc.

00:00:30.829 --> 00:00:44.365
We're sick and tired of all the squabbling, the drama, the soap opera of the complaining, the arguing, the fighting, as millions are waking up to smoky cityscapes for a third day in a row, the White House stepping in.

00:00:44.365 --> 00:00:46.948
Well, play Canada, play Canada.

00:00:46.948 --> 00:00:58.869
Breaking news stories now move at an unprecedented pace due to the rapid spread of information on social media platforms, information that is spread globally in a matter of seconds.

00:00:58.869 --> 00:01:05.042
However, there is a spillover effect that reveals threats to brands and organizations.

00:01:05.042 --> 00:01:26.287
When it comes to managing the reputation in the event of a PR crisis, welcome to the Indestructible PR Podcast, where we use current events and tested media and PR strategies to help prevent or manage a crisis and build an indestructible reputation.

00:01:27.019 --> 00:01:40.688
In this episode, breaking news makes views on social media very important, which can make it a lose-lose for organizations and companies trying to come out clean.

00:01:40.688 --> 00:01:45.769
I know that was a tortured intro, but I love my rhymes.

00:01:45.769 --> 00:02:12.010
But as difficult as it is to cobble together the words to connect news and reputation, it's a lot easier to spot it, at least as someone who works in it daily In this ever-evolving digital landscape, companies and organizations and brands are facing an array of challenges when it comes to managing reputation and mitigating PR blowback.

00:02:12.010 --> 00:02:27.451
This year, man, it is bringing a set of threats that demand careful attention, but also strategic preparation for when you have to have a plan in action.

00:02:27.451 --> 00:02:39.110
So, in this episode, let's just talk about the three threats that I see that brands and companies and organizations are likely to encounter in 2023.

00:02:39.110 --> 00:02:45.671
And the role that social media, and all that comes with it, plays in these problems.

00:02:46.919 --> 00:03:05.730
Now, last week, i spoke at two events, which would normally make for a busy week, but you're going to add into that that one of the events I needed to travel to, and this was all happening during the week that my kids were graduating And my family was coming into town And my family doesn't come into town lightly.

00:03:05.730 --> 00:03:08.848
They come in like a Canadian wildfire.

00:03:08.848 --> 00:03:12.709
It just happens and you're unprepared for it.

00:03:12.709 --> 00:03:14.111
You can't see anything.

00:03:14.111 --> 00:03:15.746
Sometimes you can't even breathe.

00:03:15.746 --> 00:03:20.564
It gets hot, it gets challenging.

00:03:20.564 --> 00:03:38.810
It's OK They don't listen to the podcast anyway, but it's a similarity there to show that last week was a bit of a week, but I was watching, and the reason why I was watching is because I was rolling out a new presentation about some of the things that I'm seeing in communications.

00:03:38.810 --> 00:03:40.366
I wasn't even planning on doing it.

00:03:40.366 --> 00:03:48.330
As a matter of fact, i had these talks kind of in the can, ready to go, and why I scheduled at the week of my kids graduation.

00:03:48.330 --> 00:03:53.250
I kind of knew it was going to be tight, but when they call, you always want to help people, you want to serve.

00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:56.808
But I ended up changing the presentation.

00:03:56.808 --> 00:04:00.950
Like I kept the title the same but I had to introduce new information.

00:04:00.950 --> 00:04:15.288
So the basis was the same, but I see these threats there And, based on how it was received and when I say received, the looks on everyone's face as I was telling this information I felt like it was necessary.

00:04:15.288 --> 00:04:17.766
The feedback that I got was tremendous.

00:04:17.766 --> 00:04:19.887
The questions that I got was tremendous.

00:04:19.887 --> 00:04:26.108
It made people think and it worried them, but in the end I told them there is light.

00:04:26.108 --> 00:04:40.211
Well, i should say this The smoke will clear, the fire and the heat will clear And then something will be revealed, and that is a way to effectively manage in 2023 when it comes to the reputations.

00:04:40.211 --> 00:04:52.889
So I want to mention three threats that I think is crucial for all businesses, companies, organizations to understand to effectively navigate this complex realm of PR and safeguarding their reputation.

00:04:52.889 --> 00:04:58.028
Because that's the bottom line If you're not prepared, it's like you're dead.

00:04:58.028 --> 00:05:01.850
You're absolutely going to be struggling to recover.

00:05:02.660 --> 00:05:20.725
Now, the reason why I opened up with three breaking news stories is because, when they happen, i happen to be tracking them, because not only do I follow news, i follow it by reading, i follow it by notifications that pop up on my phone, but certainly because I'm social media, because I tend to post more now to Instagram, not as much on Twitter.

00:05:20.725 --> 00:05:24.708
I got to get my Twitter game back on, but I just have nothing to say on Twitter anymore.

00:05:24.708 --> 00:05:35.706
But I'm noticing a news story and then I'm watching the public opinion and the spillover effect from these news stories and what happens on social media.

00:05:35.706 --> 00:05:42.387
And, when it comes to social media, what's said on social media cycles right back along around and goes back to news.

00:05:42.387 --> 00:05:51.206
So these are the three things that I do talk about in this presentation, this keynote that I'm giving, but something I want you all to think about.

00:05:51.206 --> 00:05:57.987
The first one is, of course, just social media platforms, one of the events that I spoke at.

00:05:57.987 --> 00:05:59.807
I told them, I gave them a timestamp.

00:05:59.807 --> 00:06:01.283
I said in 2016,.

00:06:01.303 --> 00:06:13.670
When I started working within this industry and presenting to this industry this association, i told them I remember asking people in the room how many of you are your organizations using Facebook?

00:06:13.670 --> 00:06:15.826
And not even a third of the room would raise their hands.

00:06:15.826 --> 00:06:19.208
But now social media, it's omnipresent.

00:06:19.208 --> 00:06:20.050
Everyone use it.

00:06:20.050 --> 00:06:27.863
These platforms have become powerful catalysts for public opinion and can significantly impact the company's reputation.

00:06:27.863 --> 00:06:34.983
And when these news stories happen, they almost are always negative because there will be some negative blowback on social media.

00:06:34.983 --> 00:06:56.468
So, while these platforms do offer unprecedented opportunities for these brands to promote whatever that it is that they have to promote and this is what I was discussing it also presents these substantial risks that come in the form of negative feedback and complaints and these controversial incidents that can rapidly spread on social media.

00:06:56.468 --> 00:07:05.783
And what makes it more difficult to contain is when opinion is mixed with fact, to create misinformation and spread When that spreads out.

00:07:05.783 --> 00:07:08.947
That's what gets picked up in the news.

00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:12.629
Case in point last week's breaking news about Chris Licht.

00:07:12.629 --> 00:07:17.567
He's the CEO and the chairman of CNN Now the former CEO and chairman of CNN.

00:07:17.567 --> 00:07:27.990
There was a piece in the Atlantic that came out that was designed to be a profile to position Licht as a stronger leader.

00:07:27.990 --> 00:07:30.447
He succeeded Jeff Zucker and Jeff Zucker.

00:07:30.447 --> 00:07:32.264
I did a podcast about him.

00:07:32.264 --> 00:07:33.567
I'll add it into the show notes.

00:07:33.567 --> 00:07:36.067
He was well regarded at CNN.

00:07:36.067 --> 00:07:39.608
He was someone who earned his stripes at NBC.

00:07:39.608 --> 00:07:40.310
He was at NBC.

00:07:40.310 --> 00:07:44.249
He was an executive producer for the Today Show during 9-11.

00:07:44.249 --> 00:07:49.180
And he has a strong following of respect, i should say, in CNN.

00:07:49.180 --> 00:07:58.584
But he was let go for having an inappropriate relationship with one of his lieutenants, alison Gullist, and both of them had to leave.

00:07:58.584 --> 00:08:05.382
They needed to fill his shoes and it appears that they filled it with someone who had the same path as Zucker.

00:08:05.990 --> 00:08:09.319
Chris Lick started out at NBC, or at least that's when he first heard about him.

00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:21.336
I know he clearly had experience prior to that, but he was one of the architects behind Morning Show with Joe Scarborough and the team around him That came out in 2007.

00:08:21.336 --> 00:08:23.790
He moved on to CBS and he was an EP there.

00:08:23.790 --> 00:08:27.420
He worked for Stephen Colbert as his EP and then came into CNN.

00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:30.519
He's not known for being a very strong leader.

00:08:30.519 --> 00:08:46.789
I mean he is an executive producer, but whereas Zucker was able to kind of make that leap from producer behind the scenes to fill more of a management role, lick, it appears, was still in an executive producer role and it's kind of difficult to just jump into a CEO position.

00:08:46.789 --> 00:09:00.750
He wasn't known for being very strong And he also got caught up in a lot of corporate mischievous because of what is happening behind the scenes with CNN but also the ownership coming in with Warner Brothers.

00:09:00.750 --> 00:09:06.663
So part of the problem for him is he just was likely never going to succeed anyway.

00:09:07.191 --> 00:09:15.403
But as this relates to social media, how you knew this was going to happen to Lick and why he was going to be out soon is because of the chatter.

00:09:15.403 --> 00:09:19.750
It's how people comment on social media about CNN.

00:09:19.750 --> 00:09:24.761
You know CNN typically was the middle road for cable news networks.

00:09:24.761 --> 00:09:31.383
We had MSNBC that was more liberal in their programming compared to Fox, which was clearly more conservative.

00:09:31.383 --> 00:09:37.789
Cnn always found a place in the middle breaking news and they seem to be very strong.

00:09:37.789 --> 00:09:46.789
But as social media started to grow, news that spread on social media it created some issues and challenges for cable news.

00:09:46.789 --> 00:09:48.789
People just do not watch cable news anymore.

00:09:48.789 --> 00:09:50.778
They watch social media.

00:09:50.778 --> 00:09:52.789
Younger people do not watch cable news.

00:09:52.789 --> 00:09:54.789
It is a dying medium.

00:09:54.789 --> 00:09:58.640
Without a doubt cable network news is going to be challenging.

00:09:58.640 --> 00:10:03.264
I discussed this in a TikTok I recorded.

00:10:03.264 --> 00:10:06.572
I don't know if I posted yet, maybe or maybe not, we'll see about.

00:10:07.072 --> 00:10:31.576
The cable news industry is changing so much because what became very successful at a time when Chris Lick, for instance, was at Morning Joe, when promoting on air talent and turning them into brands became an important catalyst for driving viewers to these network shows, like you look at a Rachel Maddow, for instance, on MSNBC people went to watch her, one would argue, chris Cuomo.

00:10:31.576 --> 00:10:33.636
He had strong numbers before he left CNN.

00:10:33.636 --> 00:10:37.259
Cable news networks were built around brands and names.

00:10:37.259 --> 00:10:46.524
Now, with more people becoming known on social media, parasocial relationships people don't care as much about on air talent.

00:10:46.524 --> 00:10:55.423
I don't think the same applies to local news, because local on air talent is going to have local followers and fans.

00:10:55.423 --> 00:10:58.769
They speak to a different audience, a more necessary one.

00:10:58.769 --> 00:11:01.700
It's a more contained audience when it gets into local news.

00:11:01.700 --> 00:11:13.085
But national news, you're fighting for the attention and for the fandom from people who are more drawn to facts and to content.

00:11:13.085 --> 00:11:15.416
I mean, look at Don Lemon, cnn.

00:11:15.416 --> 00:11:17.917
Look at Tucker Carlson, gone.

00:11:17.917 --> 00:11:22.660
Look at Chuck Todd, moderator of Meet the Press, on NBC, gone.

00:11:23.191 --> 00:11:31.789
I think a lot of the reasons why they were is they created problems online because there's so much negative feedback about them And they just weren't worth the effort anymore.

00:11:31.789 --> 00:11:35.730
So that's why social media can be a double-edged sword.

00:11:35.730 --> 00:11:51.778
If there's a lot of public opinion against you and it's not really verified, but let's say there's a lot of public chatter about you, but then the press picks it up and then the press starts speaking negatively about you And now the stories are starting to come out.

00:11:51.778 --> 00:11:57.201
That's why you knew Chris Lick was going to be gone As soon as that Atlantic piece aired or was published.

00:11:57.201 --> 00:11:59.789
Then people started chatting about it on social media.

00:11:59.789 --> 00:12:04.682
Then the news picked it up and everybody was was waiting for the sword to fall.

00:12:04.682 --> 00:12:11.778
It was reported that the PR team behind the two people behind that piece they were merely let go And that's how you knew it was the end for Chris Lick.

00:12:11.778 --> 00:12:13.738
But I think that's an example.

00:12:14.091 --> 00:12:15.496
So what can brands learn from this?

00:12:15.496 --> 00:12:19.660
If there is an issue that comes up, it doesn't even have to be a crisis or something negative.

00:12:19.660 --> 00:12:22.769
It could just be an issue where your brand is in the news.

00:12:22.769 --> 00:12:25.379
Your company is in the news for whatever reason.

00:12:25.379 --> 00:12:29.154
It brings in the chatter, it brings in the conversation.

00:12:29.154 --> 00:12:31.789
If that conversation goes negative, the press could pick it up.

00:12:31.789 --> 00:12:44.760
It's likely to pick it up because now they're going to have their If it leads it bleeds headlines, which is going to create more clicks and shares, which is what local news needs, which is what national newspaper needs as well.

00:12:44.760 --> 00:12:45.682
That's what everybody needs.

00:12:45.682 --> 00:12:46.732
It's driven by that.

00:12:46.732 --> 00:13:01.875
So that's why it's really important that your operations are sound, that the decisions that you make are sound and that they're clear, so it can mitigate a lot of that chatter, so you can put out the truth and make it go away, snuff it out like a wildfire.

00:13:02.750 --> 00:13:07.461
And number two, another issue that's coming up is this idea of the amplification of echo chambers.

00:13:07.461 --> 00:13:11.774
Now, echo chambers when I say that, that's straight out of the classroom, it's straight out of the college classroom.

00:13:11.774 --> 00:13:17.013
It's not common speak for social media, but I can't think of anything else to say because that's what I taught.

00:13:17.013 --> 00:13:19.715
But echo chambers are what kind of creates?

00:13:19.715 --> 00:13:29.113
it's where polarized audiences go, and a challenge for companies right now is trying to navigate that, because what an echo chamber is?

00:13:29.113 --> 00:13:41.642
it's a space where all the like-minded people get together and they reinforce their beliefs and their opinions, and it just results in this spread of information, but spread of polarized information.

00:13:41.642 --> 00:14:03.775
Companies are going to find themselves not only caught in the middle of these two audiences, they're going to be caught in the crossfire, particularly if their actions or statements are misinterpreted or if they're intentionally misinterpreted and misrepresented and spread as misinformation And then they filter into these echo chambers.

00:14:03.775 --> 00:14:08.018
So it's important that your message is stronger than that.

00:14:08.018 --> 00:14:18.380
Like an example from my podcast last week about Target, even though the CEO of Target wrote a message about the safety of his employees, it came out as a polarizing message.

00:14:18.380 --> 00:14:21.881
The people who are against trans, lgbtq+.

00:14:21.881 --> 00:14:41.916
They're the ones that are going to go into the echo chamber and spread stories and information about the billions of dollars that Target is losing, where the other side of it is going to talk about the importance of the message that was said about LGBTQ+ and trans, and it could even go down another area where now they're fighting against conservatives Again, these echo chambers.

00:14:41.916 --> 00:14:44.618
It's important that your message is a strong one.

00:14:45.389 --> 00:14:48.619
Now the example that I pulled from the open live golf.

00:14:48.619 --> 00:14:50.855
That's a story that broke last week.

00:14:50.855 --> 00:15:01.744
It's not just a story about live golf, backed by Saudi Arabia, forming a deal between another golfing organization, the PGA Tour.

00:15:01.744 --> 00:15:04.056
That story did not end there.

00:15:04.056 --> 00:15:06.697
What it did is created a whole new round of stories, a big one.

00:15:06.697 --> 00:15:12.802
It's talking about the human rights activists and members of people who support the families of 9-11.

00:15:12.802 --> 00:15:16.841
They're going to blast the PGA Tour for joining forces with live golf.

00:15:16.841 --> 00:15:18.735
It's backed by Saudi Arabia.

00:15:18.735 --> 00:15:21.275
It created a spillover effect.

00:15:21.889 --> 00:15:31.434
Then the lawmakers get involved, then all the people online start chatting about it as well, a term that many people likely haven't heard before Hashtag sports wash.

00:15:31.434 --> 00:15:32.773
Go ahead and Google it.

00:15:32.773 --> 00:15:40.216
Once you Google it, you're going to see all the stories about live golf and PGA and this transaction that the two of them made together.

00:15:40.216 --> 00:15:55.023
Even with the deals that you have or the decisions that you make, or the policies, or perhaps something with pricing, expect there to be a blowback and prepare for the blowback.

00:15:55.023 --> 00:15:56.455
Who's going to say something?

00:15:56.455 --> 00:16:05.139
The PGA would have to know right away that, with this decision, there was going to be blowback from families of 9-11.

00:16:05.139 --> 00:16:06.153
It's almost a given.

00:16:06.153 --> 00:16:08.072
Were they ready for it?

00:16:08.072 --> 00:16:17.500
One of the stakeholders that PGA clearly did not bring into the fold when it came to these negotiations or even delivering the news, were their marquee golfers.

00:16:17.500 --> 00:16:23.682
There were news stories that Tiger Woods was caught unaware of what was happening, completely shocked by it.

00:16:23.682 --> 00:16:27.379
A lot of marquee golfers there were unfamiliar with what was going to happen.

00:16:27.379 --> 00:16:29.397
Now they become part of the news story.

00:16:29.397 --> 00:16:37.854
If they have a negative reaction, that's going to create more negativity, which is going to fall right into that echo chamber.

00:16:37.854 --> 00:16:49.447
If you have an event, if you have a merger, if you have a decision that's going to impact stakeholders, it's important that you are prepared to speak to all stakeholders.

00:16:49.447 --> 00:16:56.889
And now the third one, and this is key I'm beating this drum, beating it, beating it, beating it, and that's the impact of the algorithms.

00:16:56.889 --> 00:17:02.287
The algorithm is another double-edged sword.

00:17:02.287 --> 00:17:08.807
It's something that can create and build your brand and as quickly as it builds it, you can absolutely lose it because of it.

00:17:09.756 --> 00:17:13.385
Now, the example that I gave in the open was the story about the wildfires.

00:17:13.385 --> 00:17:29.107
It was a national news story, definitely, but if you lived in the Midwest or if you lived down South, it wasn't going to be as prominent in your social media feeds because, just by location, this was definitely a geo-targeted story.

00:17:29.107 --> 00:17:34.807
It was a New York story, it was partially a New England story, but it was a New York-Mid-Atlantic story.

00:17:34.807 --> 00:17:43.388
It was national, definitely, but it was a big local news story for the Mid-Atlantic state and around New York and particularly New York City as well.

00:17:43.388 --> 00:17:51.909
You saw a lot of the photos and the video and just the time capture of the smoke coming in and just that eerie orange glow.

00:17:51.909 --> 00:17:53.961
And where did you see all of it?

00:17:53.961 --> 00:17:57.640
A lot of it was in the news coverage, but where did the news coverage pick it up?

00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:10.249
In many cases, it was social media, because everybody in New York Tri-State area, mid-atlantic they were posting photos of the smoke and what it looked like where they were.

00:18:10.895 --> 00:18:21.454
Subtext of a lot of these stories was about, you know, maths and who's prepared and the air quality and the environment and climate control and all of it.

00:18:21.454 --> 00:18:25.346
You know it kind of spun off you know all these other secondary stories there.

00:18:25.346 --> 00:18:27.261
How does the algorithm come in?

00:18:27.261 --> 00:18:38.961
Well, the fact that this was happening somewhat locally in a part of the region of the country it was national but it's spiked in the region It was a huge story locally.

00:18:39.141 --> 00:18:45.039
A lot of that had to do with the algorithm, the algorithm for a story like this.

00:18:45.039 --> 00:19:04.144
One of the ways that you could use it proactively is if your company or business has something to do with the wildfires you know, have something to do with smoke or air quality, you could absolutely newsjack this story and work within the algorithm Hashtag, wildfires hashtag, smoke hashtag, whatever it is.

00:19:04.144 --> 00:19:08.384
You know, wherever you are, you could newsjack if it was something that was helping.

00:19:08.384 --> 00:19:15.414
We don't want to newsjack for a wildfire story where it's causing clearly a lot of damage not a lot of injuries but damage.

00:19:15.414 --> 00:19:33.746
You don't want to do something that doesn't strike the same tone, but if it's something that can help someone perhaps it's a specific type of mask or something that seals a house or something from the damage, from the smoke you know, whatever it is, it's this idea of the algorithm behind it is how quickly it works.

00:19:33.746 --> 00:19:39.454
Now, what it also does is has a spillover effect, because the wildfires did not originate in the US.

00:19:39.454 --> 00:19:42.454
They originate in Canada, so this is a Canadian story.

00:19:42.454 --> 00:19:50.414
So a lot of the stories that you saw were about blame, canada and the relationship between Canada and the US.

00:19:50.414 --> 00:19:53.527
There are also a lot of stories about crisis preparedness.

00:19:53.527 --> 00:19:58.343
Wildfire preparedness That was one of the jobs that I had to do at FEMA is work.

00:19:58.363 --> 00:20:04.528
A wildfire, and there are a lot of considerations when it comes to wildfires, because you need to know where it started.

00:20:04.528 --> 00:20:07.454
Who started it, why isn't it being contained?

00:20:07.454 --> 00:20:14.328
What are the factors that are allowing this wildfire to spread and create damage and wreak havoc?

00:20:14.328 --> 00:20:22.454
In many cases, when you hear wildfires, they're contained within a country, but this one, which is overtaking these parts of Canada, but, of course, because it's in the US.

00:20:22.454 --> 00:20:28.788
Now it's a US story and aided in large part because of the algorithm.

00:20:28.788 --> 00:20:33.826
So they play a vital role in shaping the content that users see on social media platforms.

00:20:33.826 --> 00:20:44.638
It can help influence brands positively, but it can also inadvertently amplify negative PR blowback for companies and organizations.

00:20:44.638 --> 00:20:51.038
So algorithms tend to prioritize the engagement and user preferences, so what people are looking for.

00:20:51.038 --> 00:21:00.164
So, in other words, it's reinforcing not just what they want, but perhaps what they already believe.

00:21:00.224 --> 00:21:07.442
And if there's existing beliefs around it For example, let's say, someone just hates Canada, blame Canada.

00:21:07.442 --> 00:21:09.286
I think that's what I'm gonna do.

00:21:09.286 --> 00:21:11.028
I'm gonna add a South Park in the open.

00:21:11.028 --> 00:21:12.017
That's what I need to do.

00:21:12.017 --> 00:21:15.305
Okay, i'm doing a real-time edit right here for all of you to see.

00:21:15.305 --> 00:21:16.688
I have to find South Park in there.

00:21:16.688 --> 00:21:19.098
We could be adding to the blaming Canada.

00:21:19.098 --> 00:21:21.884
We could be talking about politics with Trudeau.

00:21:21.884 --> 00:21:25.176
We could talk about Trudeau-Biden relationships.

00:21:25.176 --> 00:21:30.439
We could talk about the lack of funds to respond to this crisis.

00:21:30.439 --> 00:21:34.954
It could even be, you know, like local, like maybe local emergency management.

00:21:34.954 --> 00:21:43.848
This is their time, you know, to highlight that we don't have the funds, or it could highlight that they are adequately prepared to handle it, and then that creates another one.

00:21:43.848 --> 00:21:45.940
So you can see the algorithms.

00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:49.268
It's fed on beliefs and ideas.

00:21:50.056 --> 00:21:54.788
What do brands do about this is you have to adapt your communication strategies accordingly.

00:21:54.788 --> 00:22:00.768
You have to recognize that the algorithm is in play with any issue that you are dealing with.

00:22:00.768 --> 00:22:03.568
So, for example, this is hashtag wildfire.

00:22:03.568 --> 00:22:08.984
Oh, my goodness, you have got to get into that wildfire algorithm as quickly as possible.

00:22:08.984 --> 00:22:17.763
Yes, with a hashtag, but it also means sharing, liking, talking, engaging, putting your information in there.

00:22:17.763 --> 00:22:23.545
You almost have to shoehorn it in there and thrust it in there, so you're part of that conversation, so it doesn't get away from you.

00:22:23.545 --> 00:22:36.046
You need to engage with your target audience, your key stakeholders, to ensure that there aren't any misleading narratives that are gaining undue prominence because you've let it go.

00:22:36.046 --> 00:22:50.328
So, as you forge ahead in 2023, you have to be prepared to navigate the very intricate world of PR social media algorithms by proactively addressing these challenges.

00:22:50.328 --> 00:22:53.286
So managing PR blowback.

00:22:53.286 --> 00:23:03.182
It requires a deep understanding of social media platforms, the ability to effectively engage with these audiences and a keen awareness of the impact of these algorithms.

00:23:03.182 --> 00:23:10.095
You want to stay vigilant, you want to adapt to strategies and you want to foster this open and transparent communication.

00:23:11.419 --> 00:23:13.525
Now, in every episode, i leave you with one easy to remember.

00:23:13.525 --> 00:23:17.095
Take away to help you build that indestructible reputation.

00:23:17.095 --> 00:23:26.290
And here it is Your next public relations issue, your next public relations crisis is going to be a social media issue and a social media crisis Full stop.

00:23:26.290 --> 00:23:27.095
Plan for it.

00:23:27.095 --> 00:23:35.095
And one of the ways that you can plan for it is you can invite me to speak to your organization, to your company, about these issues.

00:23:35.095 --> 00:23:38.633
You can head on over to my website, mollymcfersoncom.

00:23:38.633 --> 00:23:42.025
On the front page You're going to see a tab about speaking.

00:23:42.025 --> 00:23:45.095
You can fill out that information and I will get back to you.

00:23:45.095 --> 00:23:48.479
That's all for this week on the podcast.

00:23:48.479 --> 00:23:49.800
Thanks so much for listening.

00:23:49.800 --> 00:23:51.102
Bye for now.

245: Crisis Control: Unraveling Breaking News Stories for Tips on Mastering Public Relations Blowback

Listen On

Recent Episodes

communications Episodes

PR Episodes

Browse episodes by category