Public Relations Stories and Strategies

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“Journalism is dead.” 

You've heard it. You've probably said it. 

And honestly, the evidence seems pretty hard to argue with. 

Newsrooms gutted, trust in tatters, cable news turned into a gladiator sport.  

But what if that story, the one we keep telling about journalism, is itself bad journalism? 

Neil Brown thinks so. He’s a 40-year editor and president of the Poynter Institute, and he is, by his own admission, an optimist about the media. When he tells you why, it might genuinely change how you think about where good information comes from.

Listen For:

04:09 What Makes Someone a Journalist Instead of Just a Publisher?

06:22 Why Does Democracy Need Real Journalism?

12:24 Can Local Journalism Rebuild Public Trust?

13:03 How Did the Baltimore Banner Turn Bus Data Into Accountability?

17:30 What Responsibility Does the Audience Have in Fighting Misinformation?

Guest: Neil Brown, Chairman of the Board and President at Poynter Institute for Media Studies

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Doug Downs

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Every PR professional has sat in a meeting where leaders ask you to “show up in AI”

Here’s the problem. The AEO/GEO industry has built an entire measurement apparatus around citations… the moment an AI visibly names your brand. But the research shows that moment is essentially an echo of a decision that was already made, upstream, in conversations that left no trace. 

Brands have been optimizing for the receipt, when the purchase decision happened days ago.

The deeper irony is that the work which does move the needle in those invisible conversations looks exactly like what PR teams have always done. Original research. Expert voice. Earned credibility. Third-party validation. The toolkit that has historically been the hardest to attribute is, it turns out, the one doing the most work in the AI era. The people who were always right about what good looks like just never had the data to prove it… until now.

Listen For

3:35 Why Does AI Influence Start Before the Conversion Stage?

7:41 Is AEO Really Just Earned Media Strategy in Disguise?

10:09 What Are the Three Levers That Shape AI’s View of a Brand?

13:13 Are “Hey AI” Pages and Schema Tricks Ethical or Effective?

15:49 How Can PR Teams Prove Earned Media Builds AI Influence?

Guest: Tom Rudnai, Founder and CEO Demand-Genius

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Doug

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There is a prayer that crisis communicators have been quoting for decades. 

“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

It sounds right. It feels grounding. 

But maybe it’s been pointing us in the wrong direction the whole time. 

The problem is the concept of CONTROL. Because control, in a crisis, is a myth. And every strategy built on the assumption that you can control the outcome of a crisis is a strategy built on sand. 

Let’s replace that idea with INFLUENCE. Doing that replaces an entire philosophy.

Alongside that shift comes something more uncomfortable… the suggestion that when a crisis hits, the quality of your advice has almost nothing to do with your frameworks, your playbook, or your years of experience. It has to do with who you are as a human being. As a parent. As a citizen. As a person who is also living through the same world your client is trying to navigate. 

The professional and the person are not separate. And pretending they are, may be the most dangerous crisis communication strategy of all.

Listen For

3:41 Why Are Global Risks Becoming More Connected and Harder to Manage?

6:09 Is Employee Mental Health a Bigger Business Risk Than AI?

9:32 Why Do Companies Know the Risks but Still Fail to Prepare?

11:20 What Is “Agency” in Crisis Communications and Why Does It Matter?

14:29 How Can Leaders Use Empathy and Understanding to Respond to a Crisis?

Guest: Rod Cartwright, Principal, Rod Cartwright Consulting

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2026 Reputation, Risk, and Resilience Report 

Doug

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Stories and Strategies is the Official Podcast Sponsor of IABC World Conference in Toronto June 14-16, 2026

Click here to check it out https://wc.iabc.com 

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This episode first published in April, 2021

We haven't always seen color the same way.

Pink used to be for men. Blue for women.

People HATED colorful outfits when they first emerged. One aristocrat complained of "loud, swearing colors," because the new bright fabrics distracted him from his reading.

In this episode Carolyn Purnell takes us on a magical journey through the history of color.

Guest Carolyn Purnell, Ph.D.
https://www.carolynpurnell.com/contact

Doug

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This episode first published in July 2024.

Those big networking events. Many of us enjoy those but the repetitive small talk can be exhausting and challenging especially when conversations are frequently interrupted. In this episode we look at strategies for engaging storytelling in brief interactions, making meaningful connections, and ensuring your conversations stand out.  

Listen For
5:06 The Power of Listening
9:13 When You’re an Introvert
13:30 Finding Your Wedge into Group Conversations
20:14 Tailoring Your Stories 

Guest: Robert Kennedy III

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Stories and Strategies is the Official Podcast Sponsor of IABC World Conference in Toronto June 14-16, 2026

Click here to check it out https://wc.iabc.com 

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This episode first published in January 2025.

Communication is the most important weapon a Navy SEAL can carry. More vital than physical strength, endurance, or even firepower.

I was in Salt Lake City recently at a conference and saw former Navy SEAL William Branum speak. He served for 26 years with the US Navy and 23 of those years was a Navy SEAL. In his presentation he talked about how clear, concise, and often nonverbal communication plays a critical role in high-stress, life-or-death situations—whether underwater, in a firefight, or clearing a house. He broke down the lessons SEALs learn on the battlefield that can be applied to leadership, teamwork, and personal growth.

So, when I had a chance to sit down with him in the lobby, I grabbed my mobile phone, and we recorded an episode together. This is a conversation about the power of communication and how simplifying your message can lead to greater impact.

Listen For
4:26 The Power of Nonverbal Communication
6:36 Simplicity is Key in High-Stress Environments
10:33 Self-Communication Shapes Success
12:24 Adaptability in Crisis Situations

Guest: William Branum, former Navy SEAL
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This episode was first published in May 2021.

Nudge Theory burst onto the scene in 2008 when Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler published their book “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness.” The simplest models of economics take preferences as given, but nudge ideas suggest we can be moved, steered, and in some cases manipulated. 

Nudge has influenced politicians around the World. There are “Nudge Units” in government in the UK, US, Germany, Japan, and even Canada. The World Bank, United Nations, and European Commission have “Nudge” teams.

Guest Rory Sutherland, Vice chairman Ogilvy UK

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To book Rory for your event email

Canadian Nudge Team = BeSci Team 

UK Nudge Team = Behavioural Insights Team 

Australian Nudge Team = Behavioural Economics Team of Australia 

American Nudge Team = Social and Behavioural Sciences Team 

Stories and Strategies is the Official Podcast Sponsor of IABC World Conference in Toronto June 14-16, 2026

Click here to check it out https://wc.iabc.com 

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You’ve been in that room. Maybe you are in it right now. The table is full, the voices are loud, and somewhere between the agenda and the first agenda item, you go quiet. Not because you don't know what to say. Because something in the room tells you it isn't your turn. You leave and you call it imposter syndrome. You make it about yourself. You wonder what's wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with you. The room did that.

Confidence is not something you’re both with. It’s not the absence of nerves. And it’s not volume. It’s not the ability to dominate. It’s trust. Trust in yourself that no matter what gets put in front of you, you will handle it. And the confidence gap that so many communicators feel is not a personal failing. It is an environmental one. 

Listen For:

3:26 Is imposter syndrome really a personal problem, or is the room the problem?

6:40 What kinds of rooms make professionals feel safe or excluded?

9:14 How can you speak up when someone dominates the conversation?

11:17 How did Advita Patel build confidence after years of self-doubt?

15:09 What is an energy audit, and how can it protect your wellbeing?

Guest: Advita Patel, Founder Comms Rebel, former President CIPR

Website | Confidence Coaching site | LinkedIn

Book Decoding Confidence

Doug

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Farzana

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Your client is wrong. You know it. They know it, somewhere underneath the certainty. 

And you have two choices. You can tell them they're wrong, which will end the conversation and cost you the relationship. Or you can find the thing they want more than being right and take them there instead.

This is something most communications professionals learn the hard way and never quite put into words. Every difficult client, every resistant leader, every person digging into a position that will hurt them, they are not just wrong. They are running two competing motivations at the same time. 

The need to be right. And the need to succeed. 

And those two things are almost never the same thing. The PR professional who understands that distinction doesn't argue. They redirect. And the client ends up exactly where you needed them to go, convinced it was their idea all along.

Listen For

4:40 Can communicators actually motivate people to act?

7:17 Is PR returning to behavioral science, or losing its way?

8:55 What are system one, system two, and system three thinking?

11:17 How do you challenge a client without losing trust?

14:08 Will AI replace PR professionals or reveal who thinks strategically?

Guest: Roger Hurni, Founder & Chief Brand Strategist, Off Madison Ave

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Outthink. Outperform. Transform Your Organization Through Behavioral Marketing

Doug

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Farzana

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Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it.

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