The M-Dash Report

Arthur Baker, Christopher Barger, Dan Roth

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Business
Updated Biweekly

Communication is a sport. Teams compete, metrics keep the score, and stars emerge. The M-Dash Report takes a sports desk approach to looking at what moves perception, trust, and influence. Hosts Arthur Baker and Christopher Barger break down high-stakes moments to unpack the patterns beneath the headlines, and explore why human judgment matters even more in an age of automation.

3d ago

It Always Comes Back To Basics | Bob Knorpp

Long-time host and creator of The BeanCast, Bob Knorpp, joins us to talk about consistency, marketing and communications, and how little AI has actually changed what it means to do great work.
Aug 3

Community Is The Asset | Ali Rahman "Pop" Bugg Returns

Pop is our first repeat guest. He returns to talk about the challenge of personal work and how it can help you find and define your value. Part of that value can be found by taking stock of your unique experience and sharing what you have learned to strengthen the communities you're a part of.
Jul 23 · Bonus

BONUS: Scott Monty | Buzzer Beaters

Check out these rapid-fire answers as we go around the table for the most dynamic segment of the M-Dash Report podcast
Jul 18

Like In That Story... | Scott Monty

Every day in communications is different. That's exciting, terrifying, and your problem to solve. Spotting patterns and deeply understanding people are the special skills that get honed to a razor's edge. Experience brings the ability to see around corners. There's less and less that you haven't seen before. That applies to all of humanity, as well. Scott Monty, coach, speaker, an publisher of the Timeless & Timely newsletter joins us to discuss the wisdom we can learn from studying the Classics, and why there's nothin' that ain't never been seen before.
Jul 2

The Architecture of Attention | Rahman Ali "Pop" Bugg

In a world where content is measured in seconds of attention, how do you decide which stories are worth fighting to tell — and how do you make the case for them to networks and executives? Director and Executive Producer Rahman Ali "Pop" Bugg has built his career around stories that matter and the people they belong to. He joins the M-Dash Report to talk about his unique background and how an internship Yo! MTV Raps led to everything. Listen and learn about the mastery of the mechanics of raw human storytelling.
Jun 13

The Saul Experience: Why Safe Marketing Is Killing Your Brand | Saul Colt

Word-of-mouth legend Saul Colt joins AB, CB, and Dan for one of the wildest, sharpest, most unfiltered conversations in M‑Dash Report history. From minor league baseball hats to killing mascots, from skywriting for cloud software to recreating Evel Knievel jumps for accounting tools, Saul brings the full “Saul Experience” — bold, weird, emotional, and unforgettable. This episode dives into: Why attention is oxygen in modern marketingHow fear-based corporate culture kills creativityWhy AI is making the middle mediocreThe (very real) cost of playing it safe Plus: The Savannah Bananas debate Why minor league baseball is better than the majors The infamous “kill the mascot” pitch A LinkedIn post about pubic hair that proves a point A guest who literally walked off a podcast mid‑episode This one's a burner, Baby...
May 28

What Did You Just Say? Communicating Through a Crisis | Ann Marie van den Hurk, Mind The Gap, CrisisOS5™

When a crisis hits, you don’t have days—or even hours—to figure out what to say. In the age of AI deepfakes and viral social media storms, the traditional "golden hour" of crisis PR has officially shrunk to a frantic golden 20 minutes. If you lose the narrative in those first 20 minutes, it’s gone. In this episode of the M-Dash Report, hosts Arthur Baker, Christopher Barger, along with producer Dan Roth, sit down with Anne-Marie van den Hurk, a premier cyber and AI crisis advisor and creator of the Crisis OS 5 framework. They dive deep into the chaotic reality of modern organizational panic and outline the exact governance structures leaders need to prevent total reputational meltdown. Inside this episode: The Death of "Confirmed Facts": Why waiting for the full story to break will completely destroy your response plan, and how to execute on "incomplete" information. The Ultimate Blindspot: The single governance gap that Fortune 500s and mom-and-pop shops alike carry without even knowing it (Hint: It’s all about Decision Authority). The 2-4-24 Rule: Christopher breaks down the classic crisis formula and how it has to be condensed for today's breakneck digital cycle. Tesla’s No-PR Strategy: The team takes aim at Tesla's recent self-driving hardware lawsuits and debates what happens when a company ditches its communicators entirely. Plus, stick around for a fiercely entertaining Buzzer Beaters round where the crew spills the tea on everything from corporate "canoodling" in sports journalism to Nike's controversial Boston Marathon marketing swagger. Are your organizational plans built on muscle memory or just paper? Hit play and find out how to stress-test your bench before you get punched in the mouth. Connect with Anne-Marie: Learn how to protect your brand at MindTheGapCyber.com.
May 13

Make Story Your Superpower | Danielle Krischik and The Story Effect

How do you communicate in a world where content is everywhere—but meaning is scarce? There’s a moment in every communicator's life where: You’ve got the facts. They’re accurate. They’re tight. You deliver it and... Crickets. No movement. No reaction. Nothing. And then someone else steps in with less data. Fewer slides. No mountain of proof points. But they tell a story. …and magic happens. People lean in. They nod. They remember. That’s the difference. In this episode of The M-Dash Report, we sit down with Danielle Krischik—author of The Story Effect, host of The Story Effect Podcast, and Partner at The Knight Agency—to break down why story still moves people when information alone doesn’t. Because in a world where everyone can publish, anything can be generated, and the flow of content never stops The edge isn’t output anymore. It’s resonance. In this episode, we get into: Why facts inform—but stories drive actionHow trust is built through narrative, not noiseWhat AI can produce—and what it still can’t feelThe gap between sounding smart and being understoodHow great communicators create meaning people actually carry with themBecause winning in this game isn’t always about having the most to say. It's about knowing how to make people feel something when you say it. The Story Effect book and podcast detail how story connects with people on an emotional level, creating better relationships for better results by putting our shared human experience at the center.
Apr 29

AI & the Future of PR Careers | Prof. Tony D’Angelo (Syracuse University – Newhouse School)

How is AI changing public relations, marketing, and communications careers? In this episode: Are entry-level jobs disappearing because of AI? How do you build trust in a world where you can’t believe your eyes or ears? What skills actually matter now—and what’s becoming obsolete? Are we preparing people for jobs…or for five different careers? This is a candid, real-world conversation about the future of communications—what’s changing, what still matters, and what it takes to stay in the game. In this episode of The M-Dash Report, Arthur Baker, Christopher Barger, supported by producer Dan Roth, sit down with Tony D'Angelo, Chair and Professor of Practice at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, to break down what’s really happening in the business of preparing people for the PR profession. From the collapse of traditional media gatekeeping to the rise of generative AI, this conversation explores how communications professionals can stay relevant, build trust, and navigate a career landscape that’s changing faster than ever. 🎧 More from The M-Dash Report Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMDashReport Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VSKnp7OEKXKRfrTgmKeI3
Apr 22

How To Start A Podcast | The M-Dash Starting Lineup

Most podcasts start with an idea. Very few start with a plan. The M-Dash Report launches with both. Hosted by all-star business communicators Arthur Baker (ex Mastercard, Deutsche Bank, HSBC) and Christopher Barger (ex IBM, General Motors, Owens Corning), and supported by polymath producer Dan Roth (ex Ford, Slate Automotive), this first episode of the M-Dash Report introduces a high-energy sports-desk approach to exploring the intersection of Marketing, Media, and Messaging. Come for the intros, learn about why podcasting is more than a couple of dudes with mics, and stay for the excitement of the Buzzer Beaters as the clock runs down.

10 Episodes

Communication is a sport. Teams compete, metrics keep the score, and stars emerge. The M-Dash Report takes a sports desk approach to looking at what moves perception, trust, and influence. Hosts Arthur Baker and Christopher Barger break down high-stakes moments to unpack the patterns beneath the headlines, and explore why human judgment matters even more in an age of automation.

Creator

Arthur Baker, Christopher Barger, Dan Roth
Episodes

10
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Arthur Baker, Christopher Barger, Dan Roth
Show Website

The M-Dash Report