For Immediate Release

Elon Musk's company, Neuralink, claims it has successfully implanted a device in the brain of a human subject who is recovering well. These devices are designed to enable severely disabled individuals to manipulate computers with their minds, moving cursors, typing, clicking, and so on. It's the stuff of science fiction, but, like AI, it seems destined to become just another fact of life. The implications for society are huge, and there are considerations for communicators. Neville and Shel speculate about the concept and what it means for business and society in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #382: Brain Implants Are a Thing Now appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

It happens every year, as surely as the Tiffany ball will drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve: Edelman has released its annual Trust Barometer with a focus on the public's views on innovation and the pace of change, along with the usual dimensions of trust the survey tracks every year. Neville and Shel examine some of the study's core findings and reflect on their meaning for today's communication professionals. Also in this episode, Neville and Shel discuss a court case in the U.K. in which an employee was told she could not work remotely and had to return to the office, along with other developments in the whole remote-hybrid-return-to-the-office battle; a global advertising conglomerate did something remarkably creative with synthetic media, demonstrating some of the positives that are possible with AI-generated hyperrealistic video; and a scandal 20 years in the making has erupted in the UK thanks to a four-part docudrama. In his tech report, Dan York reports on WhatsApp's launch of voice updates, Thre

When the word came down from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that investment companies could offer Bitcoin ETFs, Vanguard shrugged off the opportunity -- but didn't make an effort to let its investors know, leading to high volumes of online criticism and some investors closing their accounts. Neville and Shel dig into the communication failure in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #380: Vanguard Leaves Investors Twisting in the Wind appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

When blogs first got hot, every December, it was the rare PR agency and independent communicator that didn't feel compelled to post their predictions and assessments of trends for the new year. That practice has not slowed down. Rather than try to find and read through them all, just sit back and listen to this short mid-week episode of "For Immediate Release." Neville and Shel will summarize key 2024 trends drawn from a number of sources.Continue Reading → The post FIR #379: Top Communication Trends for 2024 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Deepfakes! Volumes of disinformation generated at scale! Hallucinated information shared as fact! Inherent bias underlying official communication! The number of crises people can imagine AI creating continues to grow. But do AI's abilities to aid in crisis communication outweigh these risks -- especially if we find ways to minimize or eliminate the risks? Crisis expert Philippe Borremans has released a study, "Artificial Intelligence in Crisis Response: Perspectives from Communication Experts," that begins to identify the multiple ways AI can do some heavy lifting during a crisis. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at the study results and discuss AI's potential during a crisis.Continue Reading → The post FIR #378: AI for Crisis Communications appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

While this is officially episode #377 of "For Immediate Release," the fact is that we reset the episode numbers back in 2015 when we retired the show name, "The Hobson and Holtz Report," at episode #824. Add them together, and this is actually our 1,201st episode. It also marks the beginning of our 20th year of podcasting. We released our first episode on January 3, 2005, several months before Apple introduced podcasts to iTunes, an event that is widely associated with the rise of podcasting's popularity. In this anniversary episode, we briefly recount FIR's beginnings but spend more time on podcasting's status today and where it's heading.Continue Reading → The post FIR #377: Two Decades of Podcasting appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

"We are about to see the biggest reshuffling of power on the internet in 25 years," writes Anil Dash, "in a way that most of the internet’s current users have never seen before." That power, Dash believes is a shift from big companies like Meta and Google back to individual users. Among the trends that have Dash believing this pivot is imminent are the nascent fediverse, the failure of X (formerly Twitter), court rulings that will open up alternative app stores, the rise of new networks (like Threads and Bluesky), and the rise of AI as a search alternative. What could a reshaped internet look like and how can businesses continue to take advantage of it when traditional means of customer connection become less and less effective? Neville and Shel consider the possibilities in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #376: Is the Internet Pendulum Swinging Back to Weirdness? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Volumes have been written in the last year about how to apply ChatGPT and other generative AI tools to the practice of public relations and organizational communication. In this midweek episode, we let ChatGPT speak for itself about how it can enhance communicators' work -- and whether communicators are at risk of being replaced by AI. Shel is solo in this episode, so he interviews ChatGPT to ask about its processes for press releases and other PR writing and editing, its non-media and non-writing capabilities, ethical considerations, crisis communication functionality, and much more. Hear ChatGPT in her own words articulate the best approaches professional communicators can take to optimizing their work with an AI collaborator.Continue Reading → The post FIR #375: ChatGPT Speaks for Itself About Its PR Capabilities appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

German publisher Alex Springer -- which owns Politico, among other media properties -- has inked a deal with OpenAI, which means ChatGPT will be able to include news in its responses to prompts. Debate over the pros and cons is robust, and there are implications for organizations trying to get their news into the mix. In the December long-form episode, Neville and Shel explore the ramifications and possible next steps. Also in the show: Starbucks has suffered vandalism and other blowback based on disinformation shared online. Is the iconic coffee company handling it well? The presidents of three top-tier universities gave cringeworthy testimony before a Congressional committee. Who counseled them before their appearances? Researchers worked with generative AI tools to develop a strategic plan for introducing a new service to a metropolitan community. How did it go? There will be a lot of elections across many countries in 2024. How will AI affect the outcomes? People want media organizations to disclose when

The speed with which media companies are announcing moves into the fediverse is accelerating, with Flipboard and Mozilla among the latest to signal their plans to support federation protocols. While most consumers are shrugging over the idea of decentralized social networks, the actual benefits will be evident once the protocols are implemented and people are able to take advantage of them. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel break down what the fediverse is, discuss the competing protocols, and explain what it means for users and social media managers.Continue Reading → The post FIR #373: Has the Fediverse Reached a Tipping Point? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The rise of "non-credible publications" and the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence have fueled a surge in disinformation attacks aimed at businesses. Knowing where to look for this potentially harmful content and how to prepare your organization to address it proactively can help your company avoid a lot of grief. Neville and Shel explore some recent research and outline recommendations for communicators in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #372: More Disinformation Targets Companies appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

How much should a company's employees know about AI? Some companies are now looking for employees who can bring a range of AI skills with them for virtually any job the company has to offer. In this short midweek episode, we discuss how companies like software firm Deel and furniture site ufurnish.com are using AI tools like ChatGPT to boost efficiency. For example, they use AI to write website copy, code, and even employee performance reviews. Experts say AI adoption is accelerating, with job posts that reference AI skills doubling over two years globally. However, they caution that AI still requires human supervision, and biases in the underlying data could lead to discrimination if not managed properly. AI is starting to transform workflows, but true transformation requires rethinking processes, not just optimizing what already exists. Are employees ready? Are companies helping them get ready?Continue Reading → The post FIR #371: Employee AI Competencies appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Most organizations have remained silent about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Leaders don't see how any reference to the war is relevant to their companies' operations, purpose, or values, and they can't imagine any statement would satisfy everyone. Yet most employees want to hear from their leaders about the situation. Research found that trust in leadership rises considerably when they do speak up. But what employees want to hear from leaders, particularly their immediate managers, is not which side leaders are on. Neville and Shel discuss employees' expectations in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #370: War, Managers, and Empathy appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In Paris, commercial murals on walls are permitted only without logos or product images. Oatly, the non-dairy milk company, was entering the French market and planned and out-of-home (OOH) campaign that involved wall murals. Intent upon showing their product without violating the law, the company turned to a guerilla marketing effort that has gone viral. Neville and Shel explain in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #369: Outdoor Guerilla Marketing Campaign Goes Viral appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

PRSA has released as set of guidelines to govern the use of Artificial Intelligence by public relations professionals. The association has used its Code of Ethics as a roadmap. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore the recommendations -- and the landscape of AI ethics guides for the PR profession.Continue Reading → The post FIR #368: AI and PR Codes of Ethics appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Individual employees can reap a clear benefit from participating in online social networks. The companies for which they work also benefit from smarter employees who can reach out for help that can speed up the completion of projects. New research suggests that the company's advantage goes deeper depending on how many employees are participating robustly in these networks. Neville and Shel share the research and discusses what businesses need to do to tap into that benefit in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #367: Innovation Thrives When Employees Engage in Professional Networks appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Pundits are proclaiming social media dead (or dying), and they have data to back up their beliefs. If it's true, what does it mean -- for society, for networking, and for business? Neville and Shel examine the evidence and trends and discuss the implications in the monthly long-form episode for November. Also in this episode: ChatGPT pauses new signups and other news A look at ChatGPT's GPT Builder The state of news on social media Generative AI and journalism A high-profile executive's fake Twitter accounts In his Tech Report, Dan York talks about Twitter's woes, WhatsApp news, Automattic backing off Tumblr growth, and the Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year Continue Reading → The post FIR #366: DIY GPT appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

RyanAir has a reputation: For the lowest airfares in Europe, you'll get where you're going with the bare minimum of service. The airline's social media accounts -- notably TikTok -- have done a brilliant, irreverent job of setting expectations for anyone planning to fly on RyanAir, which the social media manager's skills were first-rate. When he left the company -- reportedly because of its cultural shortcomings -- he abided by the 90-day quiet period, then applied his social media skills to share his experience. His posts (not surprisingly) made headlines. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel break down what this might mean for RyanAir.Continue Reading → The post FIR #365: RyanAir’s Social Media Chief Doesn’t Leave Quietly appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Internal communicators have long known how important employees' immediate supervisors are to the communication process. Based on the results of a new study, communicators need to shift their focus. Managers still need to serve as a conduit of information in both directions, but there's an even more important role they play that communicators are best suited to help them learn and apply. Shel and Neville discuss the study and its implications for internal communications professionals in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #364: Managers’ Most Important Communication Role appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A review of the trove of articles about how brands have addressed the conflict in the Middle East suggests that there is no way to satisfy everybody, even for brands that opt to say nothing at all. Neville and Shel explore the peril of speaking out, even as expectations continue for companies and their CEOs to address societal issues. Also in this monthly long-form episode: The closure of Pebble (formerly T2) has implications for the entire fractured social media ecosystem A global PR body has ratified 10 principles for the ethical use of AI in PR and communications LinkedIn influencers are becoming a force to be reckoned with A poll from MIT explores key decision points for deploying AI in the enterprise Silicon Valley appears to have given up on news in social networks In his tech report, Dan York shares details about the flailing of Twitter, changes in Threads, WhatsApp channels, and Automattic's purchase of Texts.Continue Reading → The post FIR #363: Is the Israel-Hamas War a Communications No-Win