Lessons Earned: How I Stopped Being Busy... Some of the Time
Jamie McLaughlin, IPR Trustee; CEO, JWM Talent
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Being busy can be a good thing. It likely means you are in demand, essential to your customers and staff and you are achieving things. But if it is your default setting, it can indicate you’re taking on too many activities and not giving yourself time to think, problem solve, be proactive and, arguably most important, invest time in yourself.
Being too busy has many negative connotations. It often means you're not present. You might miss opportunities and fail to prioritize effectively. Being busy can mean you don’t have time to think or invest in your growth or self-development.
Read the rest of Jamie McLaughlin's blog to discover how a rude awakening prompted him to reevaluate his approach to work and life.
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Societal Acumen: What Every Communications Leader Needs Today
Oscar Suris, IPR Trustee; Executive Managing Director, Zeno Group
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It has been one of the surest ways for a communications professional to reach the C Suite: Show the kind of business acumen and crisis management skills that puts CEOs, CFOs, and boardrooms at ease.
However, 2020 has demanded something different. We’ll call it “Societal Acumen” – the ability to discern what today’s societal currents mean for businesses and their stakeholders. Communications professionals have never needed it more.
The simple reason: Business is no longer just about business, and this is demanding communications professionals who are intuitive, observant, learned, and empathetic enough to guide clients through a world today where the convergence of business and social issues is now an everyday occurrence.
Read the rest of Oscar Suris' article to understand how modern leaders must possess "Societal Acumen" at a time of social unrest and reenergized movements.
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Gendered and Intersectional Complications in The Heart Truth Media Campaign
Jennifer Vardeman-Winter, Ph.D., University of Houston; Natalie T.J. Tindall, Ph.D., Lamar University
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Dr. Jennifer Vardeman-Winter at the University of Houston and Dr. Natalie T.J. Tindall at Lamar University examined how intersectionality affects women’s understanding, perception, and interpretation of a heart health communication campaign. Intersectionality is the intersection and interconnectedness of identities, such as race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.
The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 59 women from various racial minorities. Intersectionality was analyzed using questions that combined multiple identities simultaneously. For example, researchers asked, “How do you feel about heart disease as an African American/Hispanic/Asian woman that might be different from other groups affected by heart disease?”
Key findings include:
- Campaign representation of women from racial minorities sparked conflicting feelings.
- Some respondents said the campaign reified social and political stigmas about their race.
- Other respondents felt that the representation of gender and race were respectful.
- The intersection of culture and American ideals of healthy living created a conflict in some cases.
- Some respondents expressed that their cultures’ foods may contribute to health disparities.
- Messages in the campaign did not resonate with some participants due to the intersection of factors such as age and race.
Read more to discover how campaign message design can be interpreted differently due to intersectionality.
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Globalizing Public Relations Training: Benefits of Multinational PR Teams
Bond Benton, Ph.D., Montclair State University
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This abstract is summarized by IPR from the
original journal article
published in the Journal of Public Relations Education.
Bond Benton, Ph.D., explored the outcomes of a multinational public relations training program.
The study focused on a U.S. State Department project which trained multinational staff at U.S. posts to better tell the American story to global audiences. Training groups' composition included homogeneous groups (with all participants from the same country) and heterogeneous groups (with participants coming from multiple countries). Training sessions were evaluated on understandability, stimulation toward content, active participation, and overall benefit for public relations skills. The population of the study included 85 practitioners from 27 different countries.
Key findings include:
- Stimulation scored 10% higher for heterogeneous groups than for homogeneous groups.
- Heterogeneous training groups scored 5% higher than homogeneous groups for participation.
- Overall benefit for heterogeneous groups was 6% than for homogeneous groups.
- When teams include multiple perspectives including different global and cultural backgrounds, collaborative problem solving is strengthened.
Read more to learn how diverse teams yield favorable project outcomes.
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News Deserts and Ghost Newspapers: Will Local News Survive?
Penelope Muse Abernathy, M.B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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This abstract is summarized by IPR from the
original report
published by the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Penelope Muse Abernathy, M.B.A., assessed the local news landscape and recent changes in newspaper consumption.
Data were collected from a proprietary database that is housed by the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The collection includes data on more than 9,000 local newspapers, 1,400 broadcasting outlets, 950 ethnic media and 525 digital sites.
Key findings include:
- The U.S. has lost 25% of its newspapers since 2004.
- About 95% of lost newspapers have been weeklies or non-dailies, and about 5% have been dailies.
- Total circulation decreased by 55 million between 2004 and 2019.
- Newspapers lost 36,000 journalists during that period.
- Despite a decline in surviving newspapers, newspaper chains are larger than ever.
- Newspaper chains have grown recently due to the union of large publicly traded newspaper companies with hedge funds and private equity chains.
- A variety of start-up news outlets are attempting to fill the local news void, including digital sites, ethnic media, public broadcasting, and independently owned and operated newspapers.
Read more to learn about news deserts and how the local news landscape has shifted.
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The Great Reopening: How Do Americans Feel About Reopening Schools?
The Harris Poll
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The Harris Poll explored Americans' perceptions of reopening schools and colleges this fall.
An online survey of 1,974 U.S. adults was conducted from July 10-12, 2020.
Key findings include:
- 44% of Americans said they "favor having children learn remotely until a vaccine is created."
- Political parties are divided on the decision to reopen schools: 33% of Republicans said, "The risks from COVID-19 are still too great and favor remote learning," compared to 56% of Democrats.
- 53% of Americans reported that their top concern regarding remote learning is that children will "lose out on the ability to socialize with their peers and teachers."
- 44% of respondents think that all college classes should take place online this fall.
Read more to see what Americans think about reopening schools in the fall, and how these opinions differ according to political affiliation.
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