Four IABC Fellows join moderator Shel Holtz (also a Fellow) for a conversation about how social media has changed the practice of public relations. The discussion covered…

* The relevance (or irrelevance) of the press releases

* The role of social media in media relations, including how PR practitioners build relationships with journalists using social media

* The degree to which influencers have replaced mainstream media in PR efforts to reach audiences

* The role of newsjacking in PR

* Whether employees are appropriate messengers in PR efforts

About the panel

Alice Brink is an internationally recognized communications consultant. Her firm, A Brink & Co., works with businesses and non-profits to clarify their messages and communicate them in ways that change people’s minds. Her clients have included Shell Oil Company, Sysco Foods, and Noble Energy. Prior to launching A Brink & Co. in Houston in 2004, Alice honed her craft both in corporate settings (including The Coca-Cola Company, Conoco, and First Interstate Bank) and in one of Texas’ largest public relations firms, where she led the agency’s energy and financial practices.  Alice has been active in IABC for more than 30 years, including serving as chapter president, district director, and Gold Quill chair. She is the vice chair of the IABC Academy.

Christopher Bunting is president and CEO of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research. For nearly six years, he was the senior managing director of Global Consulting Group London, and for more than 17 years was Chairman and CEO of Weber Shandwick Canada. Christopher was IABC’s chair in 1985-86.

Mary Ann McCauley — Mary Ann is committed to ensuring people communicate more effectively about their organizations’ products and services. With a specialty practice in crisis management, Mary Ann addresses sensitive issues with timeliness, dignity, and minimal backlash. “Managing communication during a crisis requires common sense folded into a structured process,” she says.

Brad Whitworth was most recently senior communication manager at Cisco Systems. Brad joined Cisco in 2007 and today leads integrated communication for the part of the company that builds partner ecosystems for new markets. Before Cisco, Brad led communication programs at HP, PeopleSoft and AAA. He earned undergraduate degrees in both journalism and speech at the University of Missouri and an MBA at Santa Clara University. A former broadcaster, Brad has made more than 300 presentations to executives, communicators, and university classes around the world. Brad has a long history with IABC, including serving as chairman of the international board and president of two local chapters. He is one of the authors of The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication.