Public Relations Stories and Strategies

The media landscape is changing – and fast. 

In this episode, Tina McCorkindale, President and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, breaks down the shift away from traditional news and the rise of emerging media. Drawing on insights from a recent survey with PepperCom, she explores how trust in media is evolving and what that means for public relations. 

From the rise of podcasts and influencers to the decline of legacy outlets, Tina offers essential strategies for communicators in today’s fractured media world. 

Listen For

6:54 The New Media Relations Battlefield
8:56 The Rise of News Avoidance
14:22 Broccoli vs. Mars Bar: Explaining News to a Teen
19:59 The Power of Owning Your Channels
20:55 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Sue Heuman

Study with Peppercom Navigating a Changing Media Landscape | Institute for Public Relations

Guest: Tina McCorkindale, PhD

Website | LinkedIn | Google Scholar Profile

Check out the IPR Video Series In a Car with IPR

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The public relations industry has long been recognized as a female-dominated field, with women making up approximately two-thirds of the workforce. However, when it comes to leadership, women remain significantly underrepresented, comprising just one-third of top-tier roles. This disparity raises critical questions about the systemic barriers that prevent women from rising to senior leadership positions in PR agencies and organizations.

In this episode, we examine the challenges faced by women in their careers, the personal and societal factors that hinder their progress, and the strategies they’ve employed to overcome these obstacles. 

Sue Heuman is a strong female leader in the PR industry, a designated Master Communicator through IABC, Past Chair of the IABC Global Communication Certification Council, and an executive leader. 

Listen For

7:35 Where Are the Mentors?

9:38 Too Harsh or Too Soft? The Impossible Standards for Female Leaders

12:23 Sue’s Jaw-Dropping Boardroom Story

14:23 The Confidence Gap: Why Women Don’t Apply

22:48 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Carmine Gallo 

Guest: Sue Heuman, IABC Fellow, Master Communicator

Website | LinkedIn 

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Curzon Public Relations website

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Curzon Public Relations CEO, Farzana Baduel, joins the world’s most-listened-to PR podcast, as Guest Resident Co-Host!

Alongside host Doug Downs, SCMP and producers Emily Page and David Olajide MPRCA, this season will explore PR through a truly global lens—tackling industry challenges, leadership insights, and the evolving media landscape.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:
𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘙 – 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 75% 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺’𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘥-𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘨𝘢𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵.

𝘈 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 – 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘻𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘒, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴.

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Ideas shape the world, but only when they’re communicated effectively. Some individuals have a remarkable ability to present their ideas in a way that captivates, influences, and inspires. A well-crafted and powerfully delivered idea doesn’t just inform—it transforms. 

Imagine if you could unlock the exact techniques used by the world’s best communicators, watch them deliver unforgettable presentations, and apply their secrets to engage your own audience. Carmine Gallo, has studied hundreds of TED Talks, interviewed top speakers, and worked alongside neuroscientists and psychologists to uncover why certain presentations resonate so deeply.  

Listen For

8:02 Make Others Feel Like the Most Important Person in the Room

11:43 The Rule of Three: Why Simplicity Wins

16:27 Energy and Passion: Your First 20 Seconds Matter

22:22 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Anne Gregory

Guest: Carmine Gallo

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Check out Carmine’s newest book “The Bezos Blueprint”

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This episode is in honour of Podcasthon and in support of the Canadian Cancer Society

When facing a life-altering cancer diagnosis, how much does communication—between doctors, patients, and loved ones—truly matter? 

In this deeply moving episode, Doug Downs sits down with Tim Kelter and Pete Paczko, two men with firsthand experience navigating cancer’s devastating impact. 

Tim shares the heartbreaking story of losing both his daughter and wife to cancer, while Pete, currently battling stage 4 liver cancer, discusses the power of resilience and the role of community support. 

They dive into the failures and successes of medical communication, the well-meaning but sometimes misguided reactions from friends and family, and how music and simple human connection help them process their grief. This is an emotional and eye-opening conversation about love, loss, and the urgent need for better conversations around cancer.

Listen For

7:25 "Dad, I Don’t Want to Die" – Tim’s daughter, Carolyn, breaks down upon hearing her diagnosis, expressing her deepest fear, while Tim struggles to find the right words to comfort her.

9:35 "You Should Expect to Be Dead" – Pete recalls a temporary oncologist bluntly telling him he had only 12–18 months to live, only for his regular doctor to later dismiss the claim as unknowable.

29:35 "The Song That Woke Her Up" – Tim shares how his son played Bennie and the Jets for Carolyn while she was in a coma, and when she woke up, she remembered hearing it.

Guests: Tim Kelter and Pete Paczko 

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What if the key to development isn’t learning more—but unlearning first? 

In this episode, we explore how rural communities in underdeveloped nations can shape their own futures by moving beyond Western-imposed models of engagement. 

Professor Anne Gregory, shares insights from her research in rural Indonesia, where micro-hydro powerplants are transforming villages, and explains how a new approach to participatory communication is empowering communities to take charge of their development. 

Listen For

7:15 Why Top-Down Strategies Fail Without Community Input

9:35 The Importance of Local Partnerships in Community Engagement

14:51 The Problem with Western KPIs in Southeast Asian Communities

19:26 The True Meaning of Empowerment in Development Work

24:46 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Michelle Baty, PhD  

Guest: Anne Gregory, Ph.D., BA, FRSA, HonFCIPR, Huddersfield University

University Website page | Email | X | LinkedIn  

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In a world where technology is increasingly intertwined with human emotions, a new frontier is emerging—artificial intelligence that can understand how we feel. Imagine an AI system that doesn’t just analyze data but senses our emotional state through the words we choose, the way we describe our experiences, and even how consistently we check in with ourselves.

This isn't science fiction. Advances in natural language processing, psychology, and machine learning are making it possible for AI to interpret human emotions with surprising accuracy. Researchers are now using AI-powered systems to classify mood states based on self-reported text, combining insights from neuroscience and behavioral psychology to enhance human decision-making.

But how does an AI system detect emotions through words? What psychological theories guide its ability to distinguish between stress, motivation, or disengagement? And could this technology reshape how we interact with machines—perhaps even with one another?

Listen For

9:46 AI Can Accurately Estimate YOUR Emotional State

12:34 AI Detects Emotions Before Humans Do

18:41 Is this Ethical?

22:48 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Greg Wasserman

Guest: Michelle Baty, Neuro Psychologist

Threads | Instagram | Facebook

Listen to Michelle on the Stronger by Design podcast with Michelle MacDonald

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This episode originally published in May 2024.

At the end of 2023, PRSA assembled a group of 25 senior communicators from a wide range of industries, in-house and firms, for an additional meeting, with several follow-up meetings with subject matter experts, all spearheaded by Ray Day, 2024 PRSA Chair-elect. Three main actions emerged:

1. We need to champion honesty and transparency, recognizing the need to enhance message strategies to outpace misleading information (which will always exist)
2. We need to emphasize the importance of community-based listening and education, advocating for civil discussion to foster a more informed and respectful public
3. The PR industry needs to become a trusted entity by reinforcing integrity and reliability across all communication channels

Listen For
4:54 A Stakeholder Engagement Process for Addressing Misinformation
11:04 Community Level Education Strategies
14:56 Focus on Building Trust
19:26 Civility and Constructive Discourse

Guest: Ray Day, 2024 chair PRSA
LinkedIn

PRSA News Release
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Personal branding isn’t just for influencers or CEOs—it’s for anyone who wants to stand out, build trust, and create new opportunities. 

Whether you’re an employee, entrepreneur, or freelancer, the way you present yourself can open doors or close them. 

In today’s digital world, people aren’t just hiring résumés—they’re hiring reputations. 

A strong personal brand can make you the go-to expert in your field, help you attract new clients, and even future-proof your career. But crafting a brand that feels authentic and powerful doesn’t happen by accident—it takes strategy, consistency, and a clear message.

It’s the business of being YOU.

Listen For

7:08 Why if You Fake it... You WON'T Make it

10:35 The Rise, and Risks, of Influencers

11:54 Imposter Syndrome and Personal Branding

16:58 How to Build a Personal Brand from Scratch

18:58 Your LinkedIn is your Resume – is it Working for You?

21:07 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Michelle Garrett 

Guest: Greg Wasserman

LinkedIn | Linktr.ee

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Ever created a PR or communications plan, only to stash it away and forget about it? You’re not alone.  

Guest Michelle Garrett breaks down why so many businesses struggle to execute their PR strategies—and what they can do to fix it. 

You need to set clear goals, measure meaningful metrics beyond just media mentions, and ensure consistency in PR efforts instead of relying on one-off campaigns. 

Michelle also shares insights on the rising importance of personal branding, the evolving media landscape with AI-driven searches, and how companies can effectively identify and reach their target audiences. 

Listen For

06:02 The Wrong Metrics: What NOT to Track in PR
07:39 Common Mistakes in Evaluating PR Success
11:03 The Rise of Personal Branding in PR
13:06 How AI is Changing PR and Searchability
14:34 Finding Your Audience in a Fragmented Media Landscape
15:49 Why Trade Publications Matter More Than Ever
18:23 How Leaders Can Lend Their Voice to PR Without It Eating Up Their Time
19:34 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Kendall Breitman

Guest: Michelle Garrett

Website | Email | X 

Michelle’s book B2B PR That Gets Results 

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