Talking Shop Podcast

The pandemic has shaped or impacted nearly every business over the past year, including how PR professionals use social media and other digital tools to get their messages out. This episode marks the first time we've done a "State of Social Media for Corporations", and it contains some surprising trends. Social media use by Fortune 500 companies has actually declined quite significantly since 2019, with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube all trending down. What are companies turning to instead? You might be surprised.

As the post-pandemic economic recovery begins in many parts of the world, the job market is also expected to heat up. Ewan takes us into the world of employment contracts and what applicants should look out for if offered a job. He's got some excellent, practical tips on how to negotiate your benefits package and properly review the offer of employment and contract.

Plus: the radical changes in Hong Kong are picking up speed, and revisiting the greatness of the 1990s Chicago Bulls.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• Going Live Online: The State of Live Streaming and the Opportunities for Brands - Forbes
• Almost 4 Billion Hours Watched as Live Streaming Industry Benefits from Lockdown - Digital TV Europe
• 10 Powerful Podcast Statistics You Need to Know in 2021 - Oberlo

Check This Out

• Il Maestro - Harper's
• The Last Dance - Netflix

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

It was a rough week for New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo after two former staffers came forward to complain of sexual harassment. While many cases have come to light amid the #MeToo movement, Cuomo's case has some unique wrinkles that are worth discussing. We dissect his PR approach and explain why, while it may not work as well as he hopes, it could still usher in the PR 2.0 era when facing these kinds of allegations.

Speaking of #MeToo, the movement has sparked an entirely new profession in the film industry. Ewan introduces "intimacy coordinators" which are now used on Hollywood sets and explains how it's symbolic of the changes that still need to be made in other sectors.

Also: the stressful scourge of email and the civil war inside the New York Times and what it means for media.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• Those Hot Bridgerton Scenes, They Took Practice - The Sunday Times (Paywall)
• Bridgerton's Steamy Sex Scenes Took Practice, Says the Hit Show's Intimacy Co-ordinator - Daily Mail
• 76% of U.S Employees say #MeToo Positively Impacted the Workplace Culture, Surveys Careerarc - HR Technologist
• Kate Winslet on Fresh Air - NPR
• My Story of Working with Governor Cuomo - Medium
• Ex-Aide Details Sexual Harassment Claims Against Gov. Cuomo - New York Times
• Cuomo is Accused of Sexual Harassment by a 2nd Former Aide - New York Times
• I Went on a Date with Aziz Ansari. It Turned Into the Worst Night of my Life - Babe.net
• Aziz Ansari is Guilty. Of Not Being a Mind Reader - New York Times

Check This Out

• E-mail is Making us Miserable - The New Yorker
• Why the Morality Plays Inside the Times Won't Stop - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

It's that time of year when people are out looking for jobs, and employers are posting new openings. Ewan brings some timely advice on how both employers and prospective employees can protect themselves. A hint: even smalltalk can have big consequences.

Then we look at the story of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who was caught red-handed boarding a flight for sunny Cancun, Mexico as millions in his state were left without power in a severe winter storm. It's easy to poke fun at the Senator for bungling this, but he made the situation worse by how he initially responded to critics. We examine the case and discuss how Cruz could've managed the fallout much better.

Then we discuss Britney Spears, who's in the limelight these days over her conservatorship. We also discuss the consequences of being a pugilist in the National Hockey League.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• How Ted Cruz's Ill-Fated Trip to Cancun Blew Up from Twitter Rumor to Major Scandal - Vox
• Ted Cruz Flying to Cancun (@Juan_Gomez18) - Twitter
• Ted Cruz is Being Mocked Over Photos Showing Him Loading Bottles of Water into a Car as he Seeks to Rebuild His Reputation After the Cancun Vacation Debacle - Business Insider
• AOC Raises $2 Million for Texans, Visiting Houston as Ted Cruz Embroiled in Furor Over Cancun Trip - Dallas Morning News
• Opinion: Ted Cruz Wants to be a Populist. But He Can't Get it Right - Washington Post
• Why Ted Cruz Should've Known This was a Bad Idea - Washington Post
• Sen. Ted Cruz Arrives Back in Texas with Armed Police Escort - New York Post
• Anderson Cooper Trashes Ted Cruz's Attempt at Damage Control - HuffPost
• This is the Luxury Cancun Resort Ted Cruz is Missing Out On - Forbes
• Opinion: A Canadian Apologizes to Texas for Ted Cruz - Houston Chronicle
• 78% of job seekers lie during the hiring process - CNBC
• In recruiting new lawyers, think twice before asking diversity questions - Canadian Lawyer

Check This Out

• The paparazzi who stalked Britney Spears have no regrets - Insider
• Protecting the 'Child Inside of Me': Donald Brashear's Toughest Fight - The Athletic

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

Traditional media companies around the world were facing tough economic circumstances before the pandemic started, and are now in an all-out struggle just for survival. It's in this context that Bell Canada, one of the country's largest media conglomerates, laid off hundreds of people across the country. Layoffs happen, but they shouldn't happen like this -- a series of poor decisions left many outraged and vowing boycotts of several of the company's products and services. We dive into how it all went down, and how it could have been done much better.

Then Ewan looks at the prickly issue of vaccinations and news that some companies may foot the bill for their staff to get the COVID-19 shot. Like everything to do with the pandemic and employment law, what seems simple is anything but.

Then the hosts debate some tone-deaf remarks of a UK executive and discuss the movie Mank. Cam then recommends a podcast that might seem dry based on the topic, but ended up being not only helpful but genuinely interesting.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• Vancouver's TSN 1040 Pulled Off Air as Bell Canada Continued with Cuts - The Province
• Should employers give workers paid time off or other incentives to get vaccinated? - USA Today

Check This Out

• Mank Film Review - RogerEbert.com
• KPMG Boss Forced to Resign - Daily Mail
• The Ezra Klein Show: The Senate is Making a Mockery of Itself - The New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

We touched on a couple of cyber-bullying cases during last week's show, with online harassers terrorizing victims for more than two decades and leaving many of them broken. This week, Ewan looks at a recent court case that provides some hope for those who've suffered from online harassment.

Then we turn our attention to Amazon and news that Chief Executive Jeff Bezos will step aside and focus on his new role as Executive Chairman. It's almost always big news when a founder moves on, leaving the company in the hands of his or her successor. It's also a challenge for in-house PR people, who need to understand the business and market sentiment well when planning how to announce the news. Cam looks at what Amazon did right.

Plus: we can't get enough of QAnon! Not the actual conspiracy per se, which is outlandish and almost comical if it wasn't so dangerous. Instead, we recommend some resources that look at how conspiracies take root with some ideas on how to stop them. Ewan also brings us his first record review of 2021: the latest from The Weather Station.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• New Tort, New Remedy - The Canadian Bar Association
• You're Not Powerless in the Face of Online Harassment - Harvard Business Review
• Caplan v. Atas, 2021 ONSC 670 - CanLII
• A Right-Wing YouTuber Hurled Racist, Homophobic Taunts at a Gay Reporter. The Company Did Nothing. - Washington Post
• A Vast Web of Vengeance - New York Times
• Episode #41: A Vast Web of Vengeance Discussed in Check This Out - PR & Law Podcast
• Jeff Bezos to Step Down as Amazon CEO, Andy Jassey to Take Over in Q3 - CNBC
• Amazon.com Announces Financial Results and CEO Transition - Business Wire
• Jeff Bezos will No Longer be CEO of Amazon as of Later This Year - TechCrunch
• Clubhouse App Offers Chinese a Rare Glimpse of Censor-Free Debate - Bloomberg

Check This Out

• Album Review - "Ignorance" by The Weather Station - Exclaim
• The QAnon Delusion has Not Loosened its Grip - New York Times
• Breaking the Myth - On the Media
• QAnon and the Cultification of the American Right - The New Republic

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

This year certainly hasn't started quietly! After intense media focus on Washington DC in early January, it shifted quickly to Wall Street this week after Redditors helped launch a small retail stock into the stratosphere. Some have called GameStop the first "meme stock", but it's no laughing matter for some large hedge funds. If you've heard about GameStop, Robinhood, short-selling and Reddit but aren't entirely clear on what they are -- or what happened -- then this episode is for you. Cam breaks down the chronology with a specific look at Robinhood, the popular stock trading app for millennials. With trust so badly damaged, Robinhood may take up a prominent spot in business and PR textbooks for years to come.

Ewan shares a surprising moment from a courtroom in Canada, where counsel and a judge showed some compassion for stressed-out workers. Many are balancing their day jobs with kids suddenly being at home during the pandemic, stretching many people to their breaking point. Ewan tells us why this is a big deal in the context of a culture that idolizes professional pursuits.

Plus: an article almost certain to scare readers about the online dangers to one's reputation, and how alcohol is a bit like cigarettes.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• In Granting Adjournment, Judge Comments on Difficulty of Lawyering While Parenting During COVID-19 - Law News
• Did Lulz Break Wall Street? - On the Media
• Timeline of a Crisis: r/WallStreetBets and GameStop - PR Week
• An Update on Market Volatility - Robinhood
• What Happened This Week - Robinhood
• Robinhood is Living Through a Branding Nightmare. PR Experts Explain How the Company can Rehab its Image - Business Insider
• Robinhood's Poor Decision will Haunt the Brand Forever - AdWeek
• Robinhood Brings New Investors to the Market - PR & Law Podcast Episode #14

Check This Out

• Canada's Drinking Problem: Why Alcohol is the New Cigarette - Globe and Mail
• Chinese Culture Doesn't Belong to the Chinese Government - Wall Street Journal
• A Vast Web of Vengeance - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Macand shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

Public speaking is often a big part of the job for PR professionals, and this past week provided some excellent examples of how to do it right. We mention the inaugural address of US President Joe Biden, of course, but focus much more closely on Amanda Gorman, the young poet laureate who stole the show with her emotional and uplifting poem. Her performance was universally praised and clearly touched a chord, but why? What makes a good speech? Why was this poem so powerful? We dive in, with lots of examples.

We also look at another case of unwanted sexting, this time from New York Mets General Manager Jared Porter. He lost his job for sending a long series of unanswered texts following a chance encounter in an elevator several years ago. Ewan breaks down the case from the perspective of Porter's employer - the Mets - and looks at how the team handled the scandal. Ewan and Cam also look at how the incident was handled publicly.

Also: some longread recommendations from the New York Times on the life and times of former CNN talk show host Larry King, who passed away last week, and how US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci managed to survive four years with Donald Trump as his boss.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• Why Biden's Inaugural Address Succeeded - The Atlantic
• Vin Scully Calls Hank Aaron's Historic 715th Home Run - YouTube
• The Tone from the Top with Edelman's Simon Murphy - PR & Law Podcast Episode 32
• New York Mets GM Jared Porter Acknowledges Sending Explicit Images to Female Reporter When He Worked for Chicago Cubs - ESPN
• National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman at Presidential Inauguration - YouTube
• 'Overjoyed': Hear from Poet Who Stole the Show at Inauguration - YouTube

Check This Out

• Fauci on What Working for Trump Was Really Like - New York Times
• Larry King is Preparing for the Final Cancellation - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

WhatsApp has won the title of biggest #PRfail of 2021! The popular chat app, owned by Facebook, created its own crisis when it sent a sloppy notification to two billion people that sparked an exodus from the service. Cam provides some important context and explains what went wrong, with lessons about how poorly-executed communications can lead to actual and material hits to businesses.

Then, with so many people continuing to work from home, people are asking: is an employer obligated to pay for office supplies for employees? Can employees submit receipts for reimbursement? Ewan fills us in.

In Check This Out, we recommend a long read from New York Magazine on the novel coronavirus and the theory that the virus accidentally leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China. Plus, a fascinating series of photographs that depict the relentless passage of time.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• WhatsApp Delays Privacy Changes Amid User Backlash - New York Times

Check This Out

• The Lab Leak Hypothesis - Intelligencer
• The Photographer Who Set Out To Watch Herself Age - The New Yorker

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

Happy New Year!

It's great to be back to kick off 2021 -- and already there's no shortage of topics to discuss.

While the storming of the US Capitol dominated coverage last week, Ewan focused on some news that flew under the radar: Google staff are unionizing. Actually, that's not entirely true, but a group of staff at the search engine giant has taken its first steps towards collective bargaining. Ewan walks us through what happened and why it matters.

We couldn't ignore the biggest news of the week, so Cam looked at how Facebook handled the insurrection which rocked Washington. Facebook has long been under fire for questionable -- and sometimes violent -- content uploaded by its users. Its flimsy pretext, that it's a "platform" and not a "publisher", finally collapsed completely on January 6. We examine Facebook's public handling of the protest and how it communicated privately to staff (hint: it wasn't good).

In Check This Out, Cam mentioned a brand new podcast (at least to him) that he fell in love with over the holidays, while Ewan recommends a weightier documentary that has close parallels to the 2020 US election.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• Maryland Company Terminates Employee Who Participated in US Capitol Riot - Twitter
• 'This is Historic': Google, Alphabet Workers Form First-Ever Union - Human Resources Director
• What Can a Small Union for Well-Paid Google Workers Accomplish? Quite a Bit, Experts Say - MSN
• Mark Zuckerberg Explains Ban of US President in a Status Update - Facebook
• Trump Blocked on Facebook Indefinitely, Suspended by Twitter as Tech Platforms Finally Take Action - Salon
• Facebook Forced its Employees to Stop Discussing Trump's Coup Attempt - BuzzFeed

Check This Out

• '537 Votes' Revisits Florida Election Chaos in 2000 as a Prelude to 2020  - CNN
• Heavyweight - Gimlet Media

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

The vaccines are being rolled out as we speak, but that doesn't mean COVID-19 is behind us. The pandemic has left tens of millions of people out of work and companies struggling to stay alive. This week, Duntrune LLP's Matthew Dewar joins the show to share his expectations for employer/employee relations in 2021. While some long layoffs might be considered termination, seeking a settlement from cash strapped companies could be futile in the midst of a pandemic. He's got some ideas on how employers can manage risk and what laid-off employees should consider, too.

Then we look at some positive news from last week: Major League Baseball's decision to include player statistics from the Negro Leagues into the official baseball stat book. The Negro Leagues stopped playing 72 years ago, so it was a long-time coming. While it might appear to be an easy win for MLB, Cam explains why it wasn't quite so simple, and shared his thoughts on what MLB did right as it rolled out the announcement.

In Check This Out, we look at the much maligned (but excellent) U2 album Zooropa, which was released 25 years ago. Staying on the music theme, Cam talked about Britney Spears (!?!?), Henry Kissinger, and growing up in Kentucky. You won't want to miss it.

This marks the final episode of the PR & Law Podcast in 2020. We managed to complete 37 episodes in 37 consecutive weeks, made simpler by the fact Cam and Ewan have both been locked at home throughout much of the pandemic! We have big plans for the show in 2021 and are always looking to improve it. We welcome your thoughts, criticisms, suggestions, ideas, whatever you've got! You can reach us at [email protected]. We will be back with Episode #38 on January 4.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

• As it Celebrates the Centennial of the Negro Leagues, MLB May Undo a "Major" Mistake - The Ringer
• MLB Can Add Negro Leagues to Official Records but Can Never Change What it Did to Black Players - ESPN
• MLB is Correcting a Longtime Oversight in the Game's History by Officially Elevating the Negro Leagues to "Major League" Status - @MLB on Twitter
• MLB Officially Designates the "Negro Leagues" as Major League - MLB News Release
• Sean Gibson Discusses Grandfather Josh Gibson - MLB Film Room
• Willie Mays to get More Home Runs from Negro Leagues? - MLB Film Room
• Episode #36: Why a Blog Beats a News Release - PR & Law Podcast
• Canva - Design Graphics Quickly and Easily
• Lumen5 - The Easiest Video Maker for Social Media Marketing

Check This Out

• U2 - Zooropa - Pitchfork
• The Unexpected Resonance of Zooropa, U2's Least Remembered Album, 25 Years Later - Vox
• How the Enlightenment Ends - The Atlantic
• The Oracle of Britney - Vanity Fair
• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis - Amazon
• Hillbilly Elegy - Netflix

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.