That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast thatsololife

Discussing ethical and legal challenges for public relations professionals with Cayce Myers, Ph.D., LL.M., J.D., APR, an experienced PR professional, author and professor.

That Solo Life, Episode 244: Language, Landmines And The Peril Now Facing PR Pros
That Solo Life, a podcast dedicated to PR professionals, marketers, and individuals who work for themselves. 
In this episode hosts, Karen Swim of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane from Voice Matters delve into the topic of avoiding generation gaps and cultural miscommunications.
In our discussion, we highlight how the emergence of a multigenerational workforce and multicultural society has made communication more complex. Together, we explore examples of misunderstood terminology, redefined norms, and quickly shifting cultural contexts. All of which could potentially influence the reception of our messages and client communications.
We also bring to the table the reality that not everyone has the same bank of references or base of knowledge. The universality of business references, iconic books, or even pop culture references is no longer a given. We navigate this landscape by encouraging PR professionals to provide context, or use universally understood language, thus facilitating clear and effective communication.
We also examine political influences, shedding light on how political parties or global events can assign new meanings to well-known terms, creating potential pitfalls for those unaware. We encourage communicators to be savvy, removing barriers, biases, and assumptions to truly connect with diverse audiences.
Closing the conversation, we impress upon our audience that everything communicates – the things we say and do (or don't do), often carry a message. PR professionals and communicators need to be involved in all sectors of an organization, as their insights could safeguard against reputation damage.
Episode Highlights:
The modern communicator’s conundrum.  We can never assume that words have a universal meaning. It is important to check everything.
Multi-generations and the mix-ups that can happen.Each generation has shaped language in their own way. PR Pros have to be careful to ensure that they are saying what they mean to say across all generations.
The predicament of politics. How politics has influenced the way we communicate.
Why PR needs a seat at the table. Why PR should never be siloed in companies.
More on this topic:
Managing Across Generations 
Talking About My Generation
Call to Action:Looking for more insights into the PR world? Head over to Solo PR Pro and become part of our community. Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for the latest tips and trends.---Enjoyed the episode? Give us a rating and share the episode with a colleague. Your support helps us keep bringing you insightful content every week. Thank you for tuning in!
 

That Solo Life, Episode 243: What They Think We Do, What We Really Do And How To Bridge The Gap
Welcome to the latest episode of "That Solo Life", the podcast passionately crafted for PR professionals by PR professionals. In this conversation, your hosts Michelle Kane and Karen Swim take you through the frustrations and challenges of people not understanding the role of public relations and the overlooked intricacies of articulating and demonstrating the value of public relations to clients and the public.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The Perception Dilemma: Why the general public and even clients may have a skewed understanding of what public relations truly involves.
Beyond Media Relations: How PR is much more than just press releases and media engagement; it's about vital strategic thinking and communication.
Showcase Success: Why PR pros need to embrace measurement and demonstrating impact.
Join the Conversation: An invitation to become a part of the growing Solo PR Pro community, where you'll find camaraderie and support from fellow professionals.
Key Takeaways:
Recognizing the misunderstanding around the value of PR.
Reflecting on the role of PR in shaping their own perceived value.
Practical advice for PR pros to better communicate the wide array of services they offer.
Effective strategies for PR pros to articulate their true value with confidence and clarity.
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Connect and Discuss:
Don't miss the opportunity to join the insightful discussions in the Solo PR Pro community. Connect with industry experts, exchange ideas, and get support from your colleagues.
Listen, engage, and grow with "That Solo Life." Happy listening!

Show Notes for That Solo Life: Episode 242
In this episode: That Solo Life co-hosts, Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane talk about some of the insights from the "Muckrack 2024 State of Journalism" and discuss the emerging trends shaping media relations today.
Episode Highlights:
Discussing the Muckrack 2024 State of Journalism Report. We dig into the latest findings and what they mean for the future of journalism. What are the new challenges and opportunities for those in media relations? Check out the full report here: Muckrack 2024 State of Journalism
The Art of Storytelling .Why storytelling remains the heart of compelling communication and how it's evolving with the times.
Beyond Earned Media. How can PR professionals leverage their creativity and expertise beyond traditional media? We explore strategies to amplify your message and engage your audience.
Resources Mentioned:
Muckrack 2024 State of Journalism: Read the report
Call to Action:Looking for more insights into the PR world? Head over to Solo PR Pro and become part of our community. Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for the latest tips and trends.---Enjoyed the episode? Give us a rating and share the episode with a colleague. Your support helps us keep bringing you insightful content every week. Thank you for tuning in!

In episode 242 we dissect the implications of the Department of Labor’s recent rule changes and what it means for solo PR professionals. We welcome Nathan Gibson, an authority in Employment Law and Independent Contractor Compliance, who is the Senior Director at MBO Partners. Nathan provides in-depth insights on staying compliant and the potential impacts on solo public relations businesses.

If you’re still feeling the effects of springing forward into daylight savings time, recovering from St. Patrick’s Day or are still wondering what is going on with the royals, in this episode we talk about it and how there’s a PR lesson in everything.
 
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Transcript
Michelle Kane (00:03):
Thank you for joining us for this episode of That Solo Life, the podcast for PR pros and marketers who work for themselves, people like me, Michelle Kane with VoiceMatters, and Karen Swim of Solo PR Pro. Hey, Karen, how are you today?
Karen Swim, APR (00:17):
Hey, Michelle. How are you? I am, I wasn't drinking last night, but I was partying with my family. We threw my sister a big birthday bash, and so I have a party hangover.
Michelle Kane (00:31):
There we go.
Karen Swim, APR (00:32):
I'm not sure if you're seeing straight. I'm tired, but so happy. My voice just came back like an hour ago.
Michelle Kane (00:39):
Well, that was good. That was it. And for our listeners, this will hit March 18th, but we are recording this March 11, which is the day, also the day after the Oscar. So since that's my Super Bowl, I have an Oscar hangover. Not to mention, we all lost an hour this weekend to daylight savings, so we're all just kind of coming into this day going like, what? But we're here, so we're going to keep it a little light. We're dubbing this The Hangover Episode since, hey, not for nothing. It's going to be airing the day after St. Patrick's Day. So if you all do your due diligence, you'll be feeling like us when you hear this so,
Karen Swim, APR (01:19):
So true.
Michelle Kane (01:20):
We'll try and keep it a little quiet.
Karen Swim, APR (01:21):
Okay.
Michelle Kane (01:24):
But yeah, it was an interesting weekend, I have to say. And we're just really going to riff on some things that we have seen. Of course, the Oscars usually give you a lot of things to chew on. And during the Oscars as I was too, screening the event as I do, this weird thing came up with, in the UK it was Mother's Day, Mothering Sunday, and this weird thing came up with a photo that the Princess of Wales had posted with her kids, and four major – AP, Getty -- agencies issued a kill order for this photo, which apparently is not done very often. And due to it not being what they called a true photo, apparently there was some manipulation that caused concern. Now, I'm not going to wear a tinfoil hat today and get into the weeds of all the conspiracies of Catherine. Where is she? I mean, look, this is not Scientology and Shelly Miscavige. No, but it's just like you're already watching a major event and you're scrolling. What? Huh? And people are pointing out some Photoshop issues. And although to say AP is saying, look, we expect things like if you do some burning, you do some tone changes. Those are okay as if you're a comms pro. But I don't know, it was just weird. Another weird blip in our lives of where every day is like, huh?
Karen Swim, APR (02:54):
Yeah. What's interesting to me about the recall. And then she had to apologize. And so I think as communications professionals, we all know that we hire photographers for clients, for events, for headshots, and we edit the photos. I believe that we are all safely in the zone of what passes as ethical and truthful editing. Correct? Correct. You're editing out flaws, you're editing for a better resolution, but you're not changing the narrative or presenting something that may have been a previous photo as brand new. And we're starting, I feel like this leads into this whole new era where we are with AI being able to create things and to change things so easily. There's an AI tool for absolutely everything these days. And it's interes