For Immediate Release

Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz
  • 5.0 (20)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
For Immediate Release

In addition to news items and in-depth discussion of trends and issues, you'll hear the Internet Society's Dan York report on technologies of interest to communicators.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    FIR #448: Has Night Fallen on Change Management and Enterprise Social Networks?

    Change leadership consultant Caroline Kealey thinks change management is dead. Communication leader Sharon O’Dea thinks Enterprise Social Networking (ESN) is dead. That’s right: It’s time for another installment of “X is Dead.” In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel outline the cases these two communication thought leaders make and offer our own thoughts. Links... Continue Reading → The post FIR #448: Has Night Fallen on Change Management and Enterprise Social Networks? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    23 min

  2. JAN 27

    FIR #447: Decisions, Decisions: The Struggle to Communicate in the Age of Ubiquitous Malignancy

    The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer characterized the current communication environment as one infected by grievance. Another commentator claimed that we are living in an age of ubiquitous malignancy. Communicating with a broad audience of stakeholders is especially challenging in this landscape. While the Trust Barometer identifies business as the only one of the four sectors trusted enough to do anything about it, the options at this point are anything but clear. Also in this long-form episode for January: Different AI large language models (LLMs) portray brands differently, making it a new requirement that communicators consider how AI will position them when developing their messaging. Muck Rack's 2025 survey on how PR professionals are using AI is out, and it contains a few surprises. The state of content marketing is at the heart of a new report from the Content Marketing Institute. It is apparently harder to quit Meta than it is to ditch X, leaving a lot of people sitting on the fence (your co-hosts included). Meanwhile, Bluesky's growth is surging, and the company is planning to introduce an Instagram competitor as some of the most important voices that had made their home on Twitter have made the transition. In his Tech Report, Dan York explores the tale of two TikTok bans. Continue Reading → The post FIR #447: Decisions, Decisions: The Struggle to Communicate in the Age of Ubiquitous Malignancy appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    1h 48m

  3. JAN 20

    FIR #446: Navigating Grievance: Insights from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer

    In this short midweek episode, Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson unpack the findings of the latest Edelman Trust Barometer, revealing a global crisis of grievance and eroding trust in societal institutions—government, business, media, and NGOs. Key topics include the impact of trust inequality, the rise of hostile activism, and the expectations placed on CEOs to... Continue Reading → The post FIR #446: Navigating Grievance — Insights from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    19 min

  4. JAN 14

    FIR #445: Media Relations in a Turbulent Media Landscape

    The media landscape is in turmoil. It may not be exactly the turmoil we hear about, though, based on research release in a new Poynter Institute report. For example, it is taken as gospel that "people don't trust the media," but a survey finds that's not necessarily accurate. Local news reporters, for example, are highly trusted, mainly because they have established relationships in the community. That supports a broader notion: These days, connection matters more than credentials, for better or for worse, leading to the rise of the "newsfluencer," who can be anybody from an experienced journalist with a Substack newsletter to a citizen journalist with no training to a provocateur who is able to build an audience. If your job involves getting coverage for your company's news or brand, what was once a straightforward assignment is now a complex maze full of mines. Should you get your CEO onto a podcast? Elevate a frontline employee with a strong personal brand to help get the word out? Start sharing information in small social communities? Or any of dozens of other options? Neville and Shel delve into this one aspect of the OnPoynt Report in this short midweek episode. Continue Reading → The post FIR #445: Media Relations in a Turbulent Media Landscape appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    25 min

  5. JAN 9

    FIR #444: Preparing for Trump 2.0

    Media outlets around the world -- and in particular in the U.S. -- are strategizing how to cover the incoming Trump Administration. Some are even planning to shift their focus to more soft news in order to retain readers and avoid drawing the president's ire. We look at the implications for the media relations industry in this short midweek episode. Continue Reading → The post FIR #444: Preparing for Trump 2.0 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    23 min

  6. JAN 3

    FIR #443: From RSS to ChatGPT -- FIR's 20-Year Tech Communications Chronicle

    For Immediate Release launched on January 3, 2005. Episode #1 explained what podcasting is, then looked at the role blogs played in the tsunami tragedy in Asia. On our 20th anniversary, Neville and Shel recall FIR's origins and the many changes the show has undergone in two decades, some significant milestones, memorable moments, some of the challenges we have faced over the years, and other recollections. We will return to our normal programming next week. Continue Reading → The post FIR #443: From RSS to ChatGPT — FIR’s 20-Year Tech Communications Chronicle appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    53 min

  7. 12/26/2024

    FIR #442: Justin Baldoni's Attack on Blake Lively Explains Why PR is a Dirty Word

    Astroturfing, smear campaigns, social media manipulation, unauthorized release of private information, defamation, character assassination, whisper campaigns, media planting, and gaslighting. These activities are undertaken by the seamiest, most ethically challenged public relations practitioners. While there are far more PR professionals who abide by ethical codes, the bad actors get all the attention, leading to a sordid reputation for the industry that some believe we will never be able to overcome. The latest example comes from the agency representing actor/producer/director Justin Baldoni, who responded to accusations of inappropriate behavior by engaging an agency that employed all of the tactics listed above. Initially, the campaign had the desired effect but ultimately backfired as the campaign itself drew more attention than the original allegations. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the controversy and address the idea of requiring licensing or certification of all PR practitioners and whether it would weed out those who find codes of ethics to be mere inconveniences to be ignored. Continue Reading → The post FIR #442: Justin Baldoni’s Attack on Blake Lively Explains Why PR is a Dirty Word appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    20 min

  8. 12/23/2024

    FIR #441: PR, AI, and Social Media Are All Shook Up

    The world’s biggest PR agency laid off five percent of its global staff. It’s a sign of the headwinds facing the industry, including reduced opportunities for earned media, which is what PR agencies spend a lot of their time trying to achieve. We’ll explore what’s happening in the PR agency world in the long-form FIR... Continue Reading → The post FIR #441: PR, AI, and Social Media Are All Shook Up appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    1h 29m
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5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

In addition to news items and in-depth discussion of trends and issues, you'll hear the Internet Society's Dan York report on technologies of interest to communicators.

Information

  • Creator
    Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2025
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
  • Show Website
    For Immediate Release

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