Public Relations Stories and Strategies

Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs tackle everything from President Trump’s militarized immigration crackdown to what brands can (and shouldn’t) learn from his relentless communication machine.  

The trio explore how symbolism, messaging velocity, and the "attention economy" are reshaping both politics and brand strategy. They dissect a compelling new report on navigating the “era of compounding crisis,” debate PR’s role in a post-truth landscape, and end with a sharp take on the commercial and reputational mechanics behind Netflix’s Victoria Beckham doc.  

Listen For

2:33 How is Operation Midway Blitz being framed?
5:46 What makes Trump’s communication so effective?
11:15 What is “compounding crisis” leadership?
13:46 Can crisis comms protect the bottom line?
19:03 Is the Beckham doc PR or journalism?

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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In an age where opinions form faster than facts and headlines spark outrage before understanding, how do brands, leaders, and storytellers stay credible? 

Is your opinion truly yours? Or just an echo of your tribe?

In this episode, Suhel Seth unpacks the transformation of communication in the era of attention deficit — from the collapse of nuance to the rise of instant outrage, and why the art of thoughtful messaging might just be the most urgent skill of our time.

Listen For

3:07 The Cult of Immediacy: A Communication Crisis

7:59 The Lost Art of Contextualization

12:26 Social Identity & Tribal Thinking

14:32 Why Modern Society Fears Disruption

19:14 India: A Market or a Civilization?

23:57 Why India Didn’t Create Google or Facebook

24:50 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Andy Coulson 

Guest: Suhel Seth

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Every Friday at 3pm UK and 10 am Eastern we scan the PR Mega Chat and pick the stories that actually shaped the week.  

This week’s episode is a fiery, globe-spanning dive into the uncomfortable truths of modern communication. From protests on the streets of London to censorship in North America, we break down what’s really going on behind the headlines.  

Farzana delivers a powerful personal reflection on racism and PR spin around far-right movements in the UK, while Doug unpacks Jimmy Kimmel’s removal from airwaves and the free speech debate in the U.S.  

We also dive into AI’s growing role in reshaping communication strategy, the rising cost of silence in the PR industry, and the intricate dance between the UK and US in global affairs.  

Listen For

4:26 The Flag and the Trauma: A Personal Protest Reflection
13:09 Racism, Silence, and the PR Industry’s Reckoning
15:02 Jimmy Kimmel, MAGA, and the Censorship Crisis
21:33 AI Bots Are Your Audience Now
26:25 When Strategic Silence Becomes Ethical Evasion

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

Support the show

Every Friday we scan the PR Mega Chat and pick the stories that actually shaped the week. 

What happens when narrative control collides with tragedy, misinformation, and an unfiltered digital age?

In the second episode of The Week Unspun, hosts Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs dive into the breaking news of political commentator Charlie Kirk’s shocking shooting and the volatile aftermath, both online and off. 

From exploring how disinformation spreads faster than facts to how leadership (or lack thereof) shapes national reaction, the trio offer PR-savvy analysis of crisis communication, media ethics, and the real-world consequences of social media. 

They also explore surprising connections between gender inclusion, menopause in the workplace, and how ageism and AI are reshaping the public relations industry.  

Listen For

4:07 The Vacuum of Information and Divisive Reactions

7:58 Unfiltered Violence: Children, Social Media, and Emotional Fallout

18:53 Menopause in PR: The Silent Career Killer?

24:33 The Great Unbundling of PR Talent

30:15 Are Reputations Still Vulnerable in the Teflon Age?

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

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Farzana Baduel and David Gallagher take on everything from Justin Trudeau’s headline-grabbing kiss with Katy Perry to how PR pros can unwittingly become enablers in global corruption scandals.

In this special mailbag edition, the duo responds to smart, sharp questions from their audience, spanning topics from King Charles III’s strategic image evolution to the silent retreat from ESG and DEI in corporate America. 

They unpack ageism in the PR industry, dissect Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s contradictory branding, and spotlight how London became the global capital of reputation laundering, all through the lens of real-time feedback from their PR community.

Listen For

00:24 What does a Katy Perry kiss do for Justin Trudeau’s PR?

07:34 How can PR professionals avoid becoming enablers of corruption?

12:32 Is King Charles III succeeding at modern monarchy PR?

17:22 Has Europe followed America’s retreat from ESG and DEI?

21:21 How do we confront ageism in the PR industry?
 
 

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

Support the show

What do Tylenol, Jimmy Kimmel, and Disney all have in common? 

They’re all caught in the crosshairs of public opinion this week. 

On this episode hosts David Gallagher and Doug Downs are joined by B2B PR powerhouse Michelle Garrett to dissect a week of PR minefields. From President Trump’s dangerous misinformation about Tylenol and pregnancy, to the backlash and brand gymnastics following Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial monologue.  

The trio also touches on the shifting global perception of American brands and how companies can (and must) navigate reputational risk in polarized times.  

Listen For

5:42 What did President Trump say about Tylenol? And how should PR teams respond to misinformation?
14:52 Why did Jimmy Kimmel get pulled off the air, and what does it say about Disney’s PR strategy?
26:33 How can political polarization affect brand trust and corporate reputation?

Special Guest Michelle Garrett

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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

Support the show

This week on The Week UnSpun, the trio of Farzana Baduel, Doug Downs, and David Gallagher dive headfirst into a whirlwind of global news through a comms lens, touching on everything from the chaos and opportunity of the UN General Assembly, to Keir Starmer’s image struggles within his own party, to the ethics of AI-generated media.  

Farzana shares her rookie experience navigating UNGA week in New York, revealing the sheer magnitude, and confusion, of diplomatic and fringe events.  

Doug flies the flag for ostrich rights in a bizarre Canadian court case that’s become a comms conundrum.  

Meanwhile, David unpacks the stark contrast between rage-fuelled and reasoned political playbooks, and all three tackle the growing unease about the tidal wave of AI-generated content.  

Serious insights, global stories, and yes… ostriches. 

Listen For

1:36 What’s it really like to attend the UN General Assembly as a first-timer?
3:16 Why is Keir Starmer unpopular even within his own party?
8:31 Can corporates cut through the noise at UNGA? Or is it just theatre?
14:48 Are AI-generated podcasts ruining the media landscape?
20:20 What should the Canadian government say if they’re forced to cull healthy ostriches? 

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

Support the show

You’re using LinkedIn wrong

Not because you’re not smart… you are. 

It’s because you’re using yesterday’s LinkedIn. 

The platform is changing fast. The feed has changed, and the rules for reach have changed with it. 

This episode shows you what’s different now, and how to adapt without turning into a “content person.”

Listen For

3:29 What happens when you hit publish on LinkedIn?
7:21 What makes a post perform well—and why does so much content flop?
10:23 Should leaders be posting at all, and if so, how?
14:49 Why did Alicia double down on LinkedIn as a career focus?
20:42 Why are professionals afraid of being visible on LinkedIn?

Guest: Alicia Teltz, The Hype Department

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Doug

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Farzana

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When the streets erupt, the headlines explode, and public pressure hits boiling point… can business leaders still afford to say nothing?  

In this episode tackle the growing tension between corporate responsibility and political risk. From a CEO letter in Minnesota addressing immigration-fueled violence to Keir Starmer’s high-stakes diplomacy in China, we ask: when the world demands clarity, is strategic ambiguity still a safe PR move? 

Listen For

2:08 What is safety in numbers for corporate protest
5:03 Is strategic ambiguity a smart way to stay neutral
7:12 What is the Business and Democracy Commission
9:48 How do leaders speak when policy moves faster than people
12:09 Can the UK and EU trade with China and India without angering the US

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

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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Personal branding is changing in real time. The first impression is no longer a handshake or a conversation. It is a clip you did not choose, a post someone else shared, a comment you left, or a quote that gets passed around without context.

What actually builds trust across today’s platforms? It’s the different channels and how they shape different versions of you. Consistency matters more than polish. Algorithms and AI search now “interpret” your reputation. 

Today you need to build a personal brand that holds up when you’re not in the room.

Listen For

:22 What if people meet your story before they meet you?
4:00 How does media reshape your message?
5:23 How do you stay consistent across platforms?
8:40 How do algorithms impact your brand?
14:34 Why does personal branding really matter?

Guest: Liz Brooks, Interview Valet

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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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Request a transcript of this episode

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