In the long-form FIR episode for June, Neville and Shel consider the causes and implications of surging anti-AI sentiment in the US (which is also growing in other developed countries), as well as the increasing use of "shadow AI" in organizations. Other reports include studies documenting the continued erosion of trust in mainstream news media, the growth of personal branding among communication professionals, a shocking self-inflicted reputation crisis for a UK business, and evidence that employees aren't reading your internal communications (unless maybe they are). Dan York shares information on Collections in the Mastodon 4.6 release and the W Social situation in his Tech Report.
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The post FIR #520: AI’s PR Meltdown appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Most companies have corporate values. Most companies get them wrong. In episode 4 of "On the Same Page," Shel and Steve look at what works, what doesn't, and why, with examples and tales from their own experiences.

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The post Episode 4: Are Corporate Values Useless, Harmful, or Necessary appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

We have known about media bias effect for decades: the belief that the media is biased against your side of a debate. New research finds that the same belief applies to misinformation. While the research was focused on political issues, the underlying cause applies equally to misinformation about brands, companies, and business issues. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel find that the PR industry has not yet acknowledged the phenomenon, which requires strategies to address it.
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The post FIR #519: Is Misinformation Biased Against You? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Chip and Gini make the case that the bar for genuine human interaction has dropped so low, clearing it will make you stand out.
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The post ALP 310: In the age of AI, people skills matter more than ever appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

he history of public relations over the last 30 years is a litany of one failure after another -- failures to recognize and embrace technologies that represented seismic shifts in how people and organizations communicate. The internet. The web. Social media. Smartphones. The video shift. And now, with AI, the industry seems poised to do it again. As many organizations explore how AI will reshape them, PR agencies still seem unable to figure out billing models to replace the now-useless hourly rate. In this short midweek episode, Neville looks at a post from Stephen Waddington that laments the industry's intransigence, and Shel and Neville discuss what PR should be doing.
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The post FIR #518: Is the PR Industry Blowing It Again? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Chip and Gini ask if you were on the receiving end of your own agency’s processes, would you be happy?
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The post ALP 309: Is your agency easy to work with? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Are employees suffering from survey fatigue?

The question is asked often, frequently because someone high up in the organization doesn't want to hear what employees think. But if employees see change as a result of someone taking their feedback to heart, you can survey them all day long. If you're sending emails, publishing articles, and posting videos, but not asking employees for their perspectives, you're not communicating.

You're just messaging.

In this episode of On The Same Page, Steve and Shel discuss how to ensure employees' voices are heard in meaningful ways to drive engagement and business success -- and to avoid crises, since employees' voices can serve as the organization's smoke alarm.
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The post Episode 3: If It’s Not Two-Way, It’s Not Communication appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

First, they were told to use AI. Experiment! Add it to your workflows! Go wild! Then the bills started piling up, and companies realized the cost was not tenable. Now the walk-backs are happening. Usage caps! Caution! Slow down! Among the issues communicators need to address is employees questioning leadership's judgment. In this short midweek episode, Shel and Neville explore approaches communicators can take to help employees understand the pivot while maintaining the perception of leader competence.
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The post FIR #517: How to Communicate AI Whiplash to Employees appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss how AI is allowing agencies to increase their PESO Model capabilities.
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The post ALP 308: Using AI to extend your agency’s PESO Model expertise appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The Economist has gone public with an experiment: it has created a shadow website featuring an AI-friendly version of its front-of-paywall content. The idea is to improve the odds of this content surfacing in AI answers and responses to AI queries. It's based on a new standard, llms.txt, which has been described as the robot.txt of AI. What does this mean for communicators? Neville and Shel break it down in this short midweek episode.
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The post FIR #516: Your New Shadow Website appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.