PR Nation

If you had to read one book about public relations, what book would it be? Would you read a book about social media? Maybe one about research and planning? How about one on writing or marketing techniques? That sounds like a lot of books, maybe too many.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get everything you need to know about all these topics and more in one handbook? We’ve found one that covers every PR topic in a format that doesn’...

Who in PR Nation likes to give media interviews? Some of you probably love it. But we’re guessing an equal number are just fine not standing in front of a TV camera. And we can’t blame you. The interview process can be frightening. It can be invasive. It’s rarely fun.

But there is a new book that can help you manage, survive, and possibly even enjoy the media interview process. Robert visits with one of the authors, former TV ancho...

There’s been a lot going on in the world the last year. How has social media impacted the debate over policing, race, politics, and the pandemic? PR Nation’s favorite doctors, Ph.D’s that is, join Robert to discuss their new book Social Media and Society. Whether you know a lot or a little about social media this book is for you!

Also, Summer gets bullied by aggressive buyers fighting over a blender on Facebook Marketplace, Rachel ...

This week, we talk about internal communications, and why the audience you work with, the one right in front of you, is so important to your organization’s success. PR Nation contributor Pooja Kamat joins the crew from Mumbai, India to kick off her interview with Jennifer Thomas, an internal comms pro with GSK in London.

Also, the crew reveals the biggest news of the week, and it has nothing to do with PR, but rather a mystery box ...

Do you worry that you might be missing something when you write a PR plan? Are your pitching skills current? Do you know the easiest way to get a PR effort started? So many questions, so little time.

Luckily, Amy Rosenberg has written a book full of tactical PR advice, addressing those and many other PR mysteries. Robert has read the book, “A Modern Guide to Public Relations – Unveiling the Mystery of PR.” On this episode, he kicks...

Most of us know TikTok as the social media platform for short-form videos used mostly by younger people. But is it just for Gen Z-ers who need to dance or is it more than that? Many well-known brands are using TikTok with impressive results: Guess, the NBA and NFL, Chipotle, and even the Washington Post.

So maybe there’s hope for the rest of us? If you’ve been on the sidelines watching the TikTok game play out in front of you, this...

For university and college students about to graduate with degrees in public relations and communications, this can be a stressful time. From now until May, seniors across the PR Nation will be laser focused on finding a PR job. Young pro and PR Nation contributor Paula Chirinos, in New York City, talks about the job-hunting process and tips for landing that first PR agency position with Danielle Calhoun, VP of Inclusive Practices ...

It’s been a year since we first had to jump on Zoom for staff meetings, client updates, and other conversations, working through the technology, learning how to share documents, use the chat feature, and arrange our backgrounds.

The pandemic also has forced clients to conduct agency reviews online through the cold lens of the teleconference platform.We’ve all had to pitch our wares to people we’d like to meet but now can’t see beca...

This week, another PR Nation young pro, Zane Landin, contributes his perspective on the topic of Hispanics in our industry. Is the PR business doing a good job of recruiting and promoting Hispanic practitioners? Zane examines the progress and the possibilities with Stephen Chavez, CEO of Chavez PR in the greater Los Angeles area, and an adjunct professor at the University of La Verne, in La Verne, California.

Also, the crew discuss...

NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars on February 18th. But even before that historic moment, audiences were engaging with the mission, signing up to send their name on a microchip to the red planet, taking pics with the lander in a virtual photo booth, and making plans to watch the landing live on social media and other NASA-owned channels. The mission is a PR bonanza for America’s space agency.

So how does NASA do it? And what...

Today, young PR pro and PR Nation contributor Michaela Lewin tackles two topics important to practitioners today – mentorships and diversity. In her second conversation for the podcast, Michaela discusses the importance of PR mentors and explores diversity issues facing our business. Her guest is her mentor, Lauren Brooks, the Director of Public Relations and Marketing at Kettering College in Dayton, OH.

Also, the team gives a Club...

Clubhouse is the new audio-only social media app causing quite a stir all over the internet. It’s been around for almost a year but only recently have most people discovered it.

Clubhouse is an invitation-only platform where people on the inside can wander virtual hallways, popping in and out of rooms filled with groups of members from around the world having live conversations about all kinds of topics.

Can Clubhouse be used as a ...

One of the biggest PR challenges during the pandemic has been event planning. Many events that worked in person are not translating well on Zoom. The result has been fewer registrations and less audience engagement. Recently, students at Boston University’s PR Lab held a virtual all-night event for charity, and their results were more than impressive. How did they do it? This week, Sarah asks PR Lab leaders Rachel Rubinstein and Re...

As chaotic as the last four years were under former President Trump, is there anything PR pros can learn from the experience? We ask longtime public affairs pro George Franklin what public relations people should take away, or leave behind, from the previous Administration. Franklin, the author of three books about his craft, chats with Robert in an interview recorded on Inauguration Day.

Also, the crew talks about astrology, hints...

What does it take to get an audience to pay attention these days? Screaming? Shouting? Using the F-word?

In normal times, the answer might be none of the above. But these are not normal times. And a campaign created by a group of PR students at Boston University is no normal campaign.

Why? Because the F-word is the first word in a tagline aimed at students who might otherwise blow off COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

Robert c...

PR Nation wraps up its first season as America’s PR Podcast with a holiday sing-along. Robert and Sarah treat listeners to their rendition of the holiday classic “12 Days of Christmas” with a version written just for PR pros everywhere.

Robert also talks about the future of PR and advice for PR students with Gemma Puglisi, a 2020 inductee into the PRSA National Capital Chapter’s Hall of Fame. And Summer’s debut on the big stage is ...

Have you ever lied about pitching the media? Our guest says he did when he was younger and working for a big global PR firm. Ed Zitron is the CEO of E-Z PR, a firm that handles media relations for tech clients. He’s also the author of a PR book called “This is how you pitch – How to kick ass in your first years of PR.” Robert caught up with Ed for a conversation about the PR business. Right from the start, Ed tells it like it is, s...

Is it time for you to become your own PR Boss? Maybe you’re tired of working for a PR agency or in-house for an organization. Perhaps you’ve lost your job due to the COVID-19 pandemic? Whatever the reason, if you’re thinking now might be the right time to work for yourself, then you’ll want to hear Sarah’s conversation with Michelle Garrett, a freelance PR pro since 1999. Garrett manages a weekly Twitter chat for freelancers, #Free...