Public Relations Stories and Strategies

This week, we look into the murky ethics of media leaks and their growing role in shaping political, corporate, and cultural narratives. From leaked peace plans that spark international diplomacy to budget details released minutes before parliamentary debate, we dissect whether leaks are ethical whistleblowing or manipulative PR tactics. 

Farzana argues that leaks often reveal broken internal cultures, while Doug, from a journalistic perspective, explores how leaks are used to test narratives and steer public perception. 

Also in this episode, David wonders if written reports are becoming relics in a world obsessed with video and visual storytelling.  

And we ask: Can AI help restore strategic thinking in PR? And should public relations finally be regulated like other professions?  

Watch/Listen For

1:45 How will AI reshape PR, tactically or strategically?
5:36 Should PR be regulated like law or finance?
9:28 Are media leaks ethical, or just PR strategy?
14:33 Can visual storytelling replace traditional comms?
22:04 Are algorithms killing media access for everyone?

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

Folgate Advisors

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Trust isn’t built in boardrooms or over Zoom. It’s built in the quiet moments. A conversation that lingers, a promise kept, a drink shared between people who still believe words matter. 

In this episode, we explore how the foundations of influence have shifted from handshakes to hyperlinks, and what that means for anyone trying to shape opinion or policy in a world that’s forgotten how to connect.

You’ll hear stories from inside the world of public affairs, where relationships once forged in the late hours of party conferences now play out on screens and social feeds. We unpack why the human side of persuasion still decides who gets heard, who gets trusted, and who gets left behind. Because in the end, every message, every movement, and every bit of influence still comes down to people.

Listen For

6:42 Can you build real relationships online?
9:13 Is polarization killing cross-party lobbying?
12:52 Are autocrats on the rise?
15:00 How is public affairs different from stakeholder work?

16:05 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Nick Usborne

Guest: Lionel Zetter

Website | X | LinkedIn

Lionel’s new book The Lobbyist

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What happens when PR meets scandal, tech chaos, and gender bias? 

This episode of The Week UnSpun is a whirlwind of explosive headlines. The trio of David Gallagher, Doug Downs, and guest host Miranda Mitchell look into the renewed Epstein files controversy and its potential to dominate headlines well into 2025. 

They unravel Cloudflare’s swift crisis response and debate the alleged gender bias in LinkedIn’s algorithm. 

Add a healthy dose of Cracker Barrel branding blunders and viral live-TV moments, and you’ve got a jam-packed show.

Listen For

2:03 What’s coming with the Epstein files and who could be impacted?
6:57 How could media coverage of the Epstein case harm innocent people?

10:46 How did Cloudflare’s apology turn disaster into a win?
13:27 Does LinkedIn’s algorithm favor male voices?
18:47 Is AI helping or hurting your brand voice?

Watch For

2:10 What will the release of the Epstein files reveal, and who gets hurt?
6:00 Should we worry about innocent people in raw investigative data dumps?
13:21 Is LinkedIn’s algorithm biased against women, and how do we know?
20:02 Will AI kill or save PR agencies in the era of LLMs and brand drift?
26:09 Did Cracker Barrel’s rebrand backfire, and what’s the PR lesson?

Guest Host Miranda Mitchell, Pretail
Website | LinkedIn | Contact

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

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AI can imitate your voice, your words, even your face, but it can’t steal your story. 

What happens when companies hand their storytelling to machines that don’t understand who they are? 

As businesses race to automate, they risk losing the very thing that makes them distinct: the human truth that built their brand.

Listen For

3:15 How are story, narrative, and voice different?
7:00 What is brand drift and how does AI cause it?
10:04 Why do people distrust AI-generated content?
11:33 How does story protect brand identity?
14:54 How can you fight disinformation about your brand?

15:25 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Jessica Hope

Guest: Nick Usborne

Website | Email | LinkedIn | Instagram | Link to Nick’s Courses

Follow Farzana on Substack

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Is the BBC losing its grip on journalistic credibility? Or is it being pushed?  

This episode of The Week Unspun unpacks a chaotic week in media and politics with sharp insight from PR veterans Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, Doug Downs, and special guest Adrian Monck. The BBC’s controversial editing of a Donald Trump speech for Panorama sparks a fierce debate on ethics, institutional accountability, and media governance. From internal BBC politics to the broader implications for press freedom, the team dissects why this incident led to resignations at the highest levels.  

The conversation then pivots to the political circus of the U.S. government shutdown and the erosion of trust in public institutions, before exploring the branding brilliance behind Dubai’s appeal to wealthy expatriates fleeing taxation and uncertainty in the UK.  

Audio Chapters

4:06 Should One Edit lead to Top BBC resignations?
13:49 Are Governments Held to the Same PR Standards as Corporations?
17:45 Why are UK Tech Billionaires Fleeing to Dubai?
20:58 Is the UAE Winning the Global Nation Branding Game? 
 

Video Chapters

2:02 What did the BBC really edit out of Trump’s speech, and why does it matter?
4:06 Should one error lead to top BBC resignations?
13:49 Are governments held to the same PR standards as corporations?
17:45 Why are UK tech billionaires fleeing to Dubai?
20:58 Is the UAE winning the global nation branding game?

Guest: Adrian Monck

Wikipedia | Website

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at Noon ET/5pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

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In public relations, success often depends on one quiet skill: knowing how to adapt. The best communicators read the room, sense the temperature, and adjust their tone without losing their message. 

In this episode, we explore what it really means to be a PR chameleon – someone who can blend into the cultural landscape enough to connect, yet still stand out enough to be remembered. 

Jessica Hope, founder of Wimbart, has built one of Africa’s most respected tech PR agencies by mastering that balance. From WhatsApp-based storytelling to navigating privilege, identity, and power across 54 distinct markets, Jessica reveals how empathy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence have become the true currencies of influence in global communications.

Listen For

4:36 How Do You Break the “One Africa” Myth in PR?
7:40 What Is Emotional Intelligence in African Business?
9:22 How Do Comms Channels Differ in Africa?
12:06 Should Brands Adjust Their Values in Africa?
16:26 What’s Africa’s Media Landscape Really Like?

18:30 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Jo Jamieson

Guest: Jessica Hope, Wimbart

Website | Contact Page | Email | LinkedIn | X | Instagram

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ted Talk Farzana mentioned

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

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Follow Farzana on Substack

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Stories and Strategies Website

Curzon Public Relations Website

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In this audience-driven “mailroom” episode of The Week Spun, the conversation opens with a provocative idea from the PRovoke Summit: AI is now being discussed in full-time equivalent (FTE) terms, signaling a shift in how agencies and organizations think about synthetic labor. Guest host Kim Sample, President of the PR Council, joins Doug Downs and David Gallagher to explore what this means for the future of work in PR.

From there, the trio digs into listener-submitted questions on everything from Apple’s conspicuous silence in the podcasting space, to why PR professionals struggle with personal branding, how fairness is driving consumer outrage, gender representation in politics, and the surprising TikTok-fueled backlash to a Halloween ad campaign from Hatch Sleep.

Audio Episode Chapters

 1:51 What is a “synthetic FTE” and how is AI reshaping PR teams
 4:29 Are brands finally taking owned content like blogs and podcasts seriously
 8:11 Does Apple still care about podcasts or is their silence a statement
 13:05 Why do PR pros struggle with confidence and self promotion
 21:03 Does visibility for women in politics actually equal shared power 

Video Episode Chapters

1:54 What is a “Synthetic FTE” and How Will AI Change PR Teams?
 5:16 Are Brands Finally Getting Serious About Owned Media and Podcasts?
 10:51 Does Apple Still Care About Podcast? Or Are They Quietly Quitting?
 13:15 Why Do PR Pros Struggle With Their Own Personal Branding?
 26:14 Does Representation Equal Power in Politic? Or Just PR Optics? 

Guest Kim Sample, PR Council

Website | Email | LinkedIn

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

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Afraid of posting on LinkedIn? You’re not alone, and it’s not about time or talent, it’s about confidence.

In this episode we look at why communicators, especially women, struggle to show up confidently on LinkedIn. 

Fear, not time or skill, is the biggest barrier to visibility. PR professionals who are used to writing for others often stumble when the byline is their own. 

From how to post authentically without oversharing, to navigating gendered expectations in professional visibility, to practical LinkedIn content strategies (yes, including algorithm hacks!), we’ve got smart, tactical advice for anyone looking to show up and stand out online. Whether you're battling imposter syndrome or just wondering what to post next, this conversation is your confidence booster and content guide in one.

Listen For

• 4:25 Why don’t communicators post on LinkedIn?
• 6:44 How do you stay authentic without oversharing?
• 9:40 Why is visibility harder for women online?
• 13:25 What’s a simple LinkedIn strategy?
• 16:07 Can you beat the LinkedIn algorithm?
• 17:59 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Tina McCorkindale

Guest: Jo Jamieson

Email | X | LinkedIn | Website

Rate this podcast with just one click 

Follow Farzana on Substack

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Stories and Strategies Website

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What do a billionaire climate pivot, AI-fueled layoffs, and a scandalous Italian election have in common? They all got the PR treatment in this episode.  

Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs peel back the media layers behind some of the week’s most buzzworthy stories, from Bill Gates’ controversial “climate realism” memo and its impact on corporate sustainability narratives, to Amazon’s AI-framed mass layoffs and what that messaging means for employer branding.  

They also take a wildly entertaining detour into Italian politics where ex-lovers are facing off at the polls, with leaked documents and social media drama in full swing.  

Add in royal baseball cap faux-pas and you’ve got a sharp, witty, and deeply PR-savvy breakdown of the week’s biggest headlines. 

Listen For

:58 Is Bill Gates backtracking? Or just reframing climate change?
7:54 How is Amazon using AI to spin layoffs as progress?
13:43 How does branding tie into an Italian political scandal?
16:05 What if your opponent knows all your political secrets?
19:26 Did Prince Harry’s hat choice betray Canada?

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

Support the show

We live in a moment where artificial intelligence can write our emails, plan our meetings, even give us life advice. But here’s the problem: these systems are often too agreeable for our own good. They’re less like truth tellers and more like digital echo chambers. They nod along, validate our choices, and tell us exactly what we want to hear. 

To use an outdated term… GenAI is too often like a Yes Man.

In this episode we’re looking at the rise of sycophancy in generative AI, the tendency of machines to flatter us instead of challenging us. What does this mean for employees, for leaders, and especially for communicators who rely on AI as a tool? And how do we make sure our AI mirrors are giving us clarity, not just compliments?

Listen For

3:49 Is ChatGPT too nice for our own good?

6:55 Can AI flattery mislead leaders?

8:52 Do AIs just tell you what you want to hear?

14:36 Is generative AI breaking social unity?

20:45 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Mark Lowe

Guest: Tina McCorkindale, PhD

Website | LinkedIn | Google Scholar Profile

Link to Tina’s LinkedIn article on The Danger of Sycophancy in GenAI

Check out the IPR Video Series In a Car with IPR

Rate this podcast with just one click 

Stories and Strategies Website

Curzon Public Relations Website

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

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