Futurum Research analyst (and frequent FIR contributor) Olivier Blanchard joins FIR host Shel Holtz to talk about Facebook’s role in the ongoing unrest in France. Also in this week’s episode:

* Google will introduce Stories to its search engine results pages, which could have an impact on the future of content marketing

* Any employee who goes above and beyond for a customer could wind up being the subject of a post that goes viral

* The news on Google Assistant will be like having a personal news radio station in your pocket or on your counter

* Americans still prefer to get their news on an old-fashioned TV screen

* The digital divide in America is far bigger than the FCC led us to believe

* There are algorithms that help journalists fact-check what people say, sometimes even before they say it

* “Brand purpose” is the marketing word of the year

* Pandora’s podcast genome is now open to everyone

* Facebook test seeks to improve the quality of comments

* Admins now have a lot of control over Stories for Facebook Groups

* Dan York reports on WordPress 5

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog.

About Olivier Blanchard

Olivier Blanchard is a French-born, American-based Brand Management and Digital Marketing consultant, the author of two best-selling books, and an acclaimed keynote speaker. As a Senior Analyst with Futurum Research, Olivier helps organizations better understand the crucial role that emerging technologies like Cloud computing, Big Data, Virtualization, Augmented Reality, Smart Automation, IoT and AI will play their industries and markets over the next 10 to 20 years. Though based in the US, his geographic range extends beyond North America to Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. Olivier is the author of the best-selling #1 social business desk reference for digital managers and business executives: Social Media ROI: Managing and Measuring Social Media Efforts In Your Organization (Que/Pearson). Olivier is also a sought-after subject-matter expert and corporate trainer.

Links from this episode:

* 12 Ways The ‘Stories’ Format Could Shape The Future Of Content

* Police find man who lost engagement ring over a Times Square grate after proposing

* Google is launching a voice-driven version of Google News for smart speakers and phones

* Collaborating on the future of audio news for the Assistant

* The new Google News: AI meets human intelligence

* Americans Still Prefer Watching to Reading the News – and Mostly Still Through Television

* Digital Divide is Wider Than We Think, Study Says

* An algorithmic nose for news

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