Every Friday at 5 pm UK and noon Eastern we scan the globe and pick the stories that actually shaped the week then apply a public relations lens. This first live edition explains the format, brings the chat into the room, and sets a simple goal: turn a firehose of posts into practical takeaways for communicators. 

We start with breaking UK politics and what a resignation and reshuffle signal about timing, narrative control, and public affairs workload. Then we track a viral rumor about a US president to show how influence and incentives push disinformation. Finally we hit Westminster for a fresh look at soft power and why language, culture, and education still move markets and minds.

Listen For

1:01 David explains the 1,200-person WhatsApp roundup and why this show exists.

2:28 UK cabinet shakeup. Farzana breaks the Angela Rayner resignation and the PR cost of timing

6:02 Charisma vs competence. The panel weighs why likability keeps beating policy.

10:35 Rumor mechanics. Doug and David map how influencers and gaps in information fuel false news

23:35 Soft power strategy. Farzana reports from Westminster on turning culture and education into influence

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

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PR really is at a crossroads… we’ve got old playbooks and new players coming in who want to change the rules. 

In its report Mind the Gap, USC’s Center for Public Relations reveals sharp divides between Gen Z and older professionals on everything from AI and hybrid work to media influence and corporate purpose.  

While Boomers and Gen X cling to the belief that human creativity will always be irreplaceable, Gen Z is charging ahead, optimistic about technology, eager for flexibility, and expecting brands to stand for something more than just profit. But will that energy survive once they step into leadership — or will they, too, get swallowed by the system?

In this episode, we sit down with Fred Cook, Director of USC’s Center for Public Relations and author of the Mind the Gap report, to explore whether we’re training young professionals for a world that no longer exists. Are we too obsessed with purpose and not focused enough on performance? Are old myths about PR holding us back? And most importantly — can Gen Z avoid the mistakes their predecessors made, or are they destined to repeat them? 

Listen For

3:04 The Weight on Gen Z’s Shoulders

5:15 Communicating Across Generations in a Fragmented Media Landscape

8:08 Polarization as a Business Model

12:02 The Death of Corporate Purpose?

17:56 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Ayeni Samuels

Guest: Fred Cook, Director USC Center for Public Relations

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Mind the Gap Study

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Ayeni Adekunle Samuel argues that Africa is often misunderstood or reduced to oversimplified stereotypes by global brands, agencies, and even tech platforms.  

Despite Africa’s complexity, diversity, and economic importance, key decisions — including PR, marketing, and tech strategies — are still shaped in places like New York and London, often without African expertise or context. 

Ayeni shares his personal journey as a Nigerian entrepreneur building a pan-African and international PR firm, highlighting both the structural barriers (like bias, access to capital, lack of representation) and the opportunities (especially in areas like AI and local innovation).

Listen For

4:15 The Africa Strategy Mistake Global Brands Keep Making

7:41 The Case for Local Advisors

12:36 PR Prejudice: The Hidden Hurdles African Firms Face Abroad

16:30 Africa Has Talent, But Not Opportunity

17:10 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest David Gallagher

Guest: Ayeni Adekunle Samuel

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Why is the PR industry still having the same tired conversation? Year after year, event after event… while the world moves on without us? 

We talk about getting a seat at the table, then sit quietly when we do. 

We debate metrics like we haven’t had decades to solve them. 

We celebrate awards for campaigns that often say nothing and change even less.

We hold events that are same panel conversations… different year.

Somewhere along the way, the industry built for cultural leadership got stuck in a cycle of repetition, imposter syndrome, and comfort. 

David Gallagher of Folgate Advisors is a veteran voice who’s seen the industry from the inside and isn’t afraid to say what others won’t. It’s time to stop outsourcing our thinking and start redefining what this industry is actually for.

 Listen For

4:58 Are We Really as Dynamic as We Claim?
10:22 Why PR Avoids True Innovation
11:34 How PR Lost Its Science-Driven Edge
17:43 Following the Wrong Model: PR as Advertising’s Shadow
19:30 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Bill Welser 

Guest: David Gallagher, Folgate Advisors

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What does it take to rebrand an entire nation? Not just a logo or slogan—but the name itself. Gökhan Yücel helped lead the campaign to officially shift the international name from Turkey to Türkiye.  

It’s a move that goes far beyond semantics—touching diplomacy, identity, and global perception. Gökhan pulls back the curtain on how such a monumental change has been communicated to the world and why it matters more than most of us think. 

But this conversation goes even deeper. From repositioning Türkiye as the “nexus of the world” instead of merely a bridge between East and West, to attracting the next generation of global investors, to reshaping the way governments confront disinformation and how strategic storytelling can reshape the image of an entire country. 

Listen For

3:06 Renaming a country… where do you even start?
6:53 How “country as brand” became a global strategy
9:42 “Hype is the new narrative” 
13:57 Branding Türkiye for audiences in the West
16:33 From SEO to AEO — marketing in the AI era
18:15 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Bill Welser IV

Guest: Gökhan Yücel, Campaign Designer Hello Türkiye Country Rebranding Campaign

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Hello Türkiye Campaign (YouTube)

Türkiye Century Campaign (Official Site)

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What if the most powerful tool in public relations isn’t a pitch deck or media list, but your own story? In this episode, we’re joined by technologist-turned-storytelling-evangelist William Welser IV, founder of Lotic, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to help people uncover the data hidden inside their own narrative. From his days building satellites to his unexpected pivot into behavioral science, Bill shares why he believes personal storytelling isn’t just therapy, it’s strategy. 

The most powerful communication connects the head and the heart, the human and the machine and yes, the PR and the AI.

 Listen For

4:36 Why Story is the Richest Data Set
 6:34 What lotic.ai Actually Does
 12:15 Why PR Pros Need Self-Awareness Tools
 17:28 How lotic.ai Makes Money (Hint: It’s Not Your Data)
 21:09 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Brett Farmiloe

Try lotic.ai for yourself, FOR FREE

Guest: Bill Welser, Lotic

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What if the expert quote you just read in a news article wasn’t written by a human — but by AI? 

That’s already happening.  

A PR tool called Synapse is selling agencies the ability to fire off automated expert pitches to journalists, complete with research, personal-sounding anecdotes, and polished email copy — all with minimal human input. It promises one person can do the work of five and crank out twenty media pitches an hour.  

But is this innovation, or is it a warning sign for the future of public relations? 

In this episode, we’re unpacking what Synapse means for PR and media. We’ll explore why this kind of automation raises ethical alarms, how journalists are likely to respond, and what PR professionals need to do right now to protect trust, credibility, and the real value we bring to the table.  

Listen For

6:12 Creepy or Clever? How Synapse Targets Reporters

7:48 Fabricated Experts: Ethical Red Line Crossed

10:35 Should the PR Industry Be Regulated?

11:16 How Journalists Will Fight Back With Closed Networks

22:40 Don’t Blame the AI—Blame Ourselves

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In today’s media landscape, journalists are drowning in pitches while PR professionals scramble for attention—often missing the mark entirely. But what if the problem isn’t the story, but the way it’s being told—and the tools we’re using to tell it? 

In this episode, we sit down with Brett Farmiloe, the revivalist behind Help a Reporter Out (HARO), to unpack why this once-iconic platform fell off the radar, how he brought it back to life, and what it now takes to genuinely stand out in a journalist’s inbox.

Listen For

5:56 Why Journalists Are Still Drowning in Spam
7:05 The HARO Pitch Formula: Helpful, Authentic, Relevant, On-Time
10:20 Is the Definition of “Journalist” Changing?
14:05 What Journalists Really Want from PR People
20:15 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Graham Goodkind 

Guest: Brett Farmiloe

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What if everything you’ve been taught about pricing your work—tracking time, logging hours, justifying effort—was wrong? What if the real value of what you do isn't how long it takes, but what impact it has? 

In a world where generative AI can draft press releases in seconds and churn out strategy decks before your coffee cools, PR professionals face a crossroads: race to the bottom by charging less for faster work—or redefine what clients are actually paying for.

In this episode, Graham Goodkind, founder and chairman of Frank, one of the UK’s most creatively disruptive PR agencies challenges how we think about pricing, pitching, and protecting our creative value—because if you’re still selling time, you’re selling yourself short.

Listen For

3:25 Why Time Is Not Your Currency in PR 

4:49 Building Frank PR on Selling Ideas Not Hours

7:57 Frank PR Revenue and Profitability Stats

10:37 AI’s Role in Creativity and Workflow

17:42 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Lauren Passell

21:17 Graham’s Best Advice for Starting in PR 

Guest: Graham Goodkind, Frank PR

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What if the smartest pitch you ever sent didn’t sound smart at all—but sounded real? 

In a world where inboxes are flooded with AI-polished messages, Lauren Passell makes a strong case for going the other way: writing like a human, listening like a fan, and leading with a story—not a sales hook. This episode unpacks how to stand out by showing up differently, not louder.

Listen For

6:44 Authenticity: Real or Just a Buzzword?
9:43 The Empathy Wake-Up Call for PR Pros”
10:59 Pitching as Love Letters, Not Spam
12:00 Tink’s Radical No-AI Policy
18:34 Why PR Has a Reputation Problem
21:53 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Bradley Davis

Guest: Lauren Passell, Tink Media

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Podcast the Newsletter

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