This week in PR (15 December)

News in brief

• Max Clifford’s death was announced on 10 December, reopening old discussions about whether he represented public relations – or even did public relations. Setting aside any qualms about speaking ill of the dead, the BBC’s media editor Amol Rajan condemns Max Clifford for poisoning the public sphere with fake news.
• PR consultancy Edelman celebrated 50 years in London this week
• Former PR Week features editor Maja Pawinska Sims is joining Holmes Report as Associate Editor (EMEA) in the New Year.
• FuturePRoof edition 3 will focus on the NHS at 70, with wider lessons for the PR community. Here’s the outline of the publication (with some opportunities for contributions from new authors).

Calendar

• PR: Back to the Future CIPR Marcoms Group event on 23 January 2018
• An evening for NHS communicators – internal communications, free event, London, 25 January 2018
• CIPR Local Public Services group: Behaviour change workshop, 31 January 2018, London
• Commemoration service to mark CIPR’s 70th anniversary at St Bride’s church, Fleet Street, London on 9 February 2018
• David Weinberger, co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto, will deliver the Sir Stephen Tallents memorial lecture on 14 March 2018 as part of the CIPR’s 70th anniversary celebrations.
• The World Public Relations Forum 2018 is in Oslo, 22-24 April 2018.
• ICA Preconference: Authentic Communication, Trust, Dialogue, and Society, Prague, Czech Republic, 24 May 2018.
• Barcelona International Critical PR Conference is on 2-3 July 2018. Deadline for submissions 1 March 2018 (email callforpapersprconference@upf.edu)
• International History of Public Relations Conference is in Bournemouth, 11-12 July 2018. Deadline for the call for papers is 18 December 2017 (email prhistory@bournemouth.ac.uk)
• Comms Unplugged 2018: 13-15 September 2018 in Dorset
• EUPRERA Annual Congress, Aarhus, Denmark, 27-29 September 2018 (call for papers)

Pick of the posts

These are the editor’s pick of posts about public relations this week. Recommendations are welcome to editor@prplace.com

• Dan Slee: NICE, NICE BABY: Seven examples of good icy weather comms (10 December)
  ‘If local government can get icy weather comms right they can keep people happy. Here is a round-up of some content that worked well.’
• Ross Wigham: Nine leadership lessons for communicators (11 December)
  ‘There are two key challenges for PR people: working out how to lead their own teams, but also providing strategic leadership around comms for the whole organisation.’
• Liz Bridgen: is pr similar the world over? (11 December)
  ‘Putting the book together I was struck not by the differences between public relations in other countries and other sectors but the similarities.’
• Mark Borkowski: From Rags to Riches and Back Again and the Arch Schemer – a PR man’s view of Max Clifford (11 December)
  ‘The man was an anomaly. Not a PR operator exactly, more a dark alchemist – part agent, part deal broker – a one man news agency with a twist.’
• Tim Rutter: Wise men and women should follow the guiding light (11 December)
  ‘Having returned to Port Talbot with our combined tails between our combined legs, we decided to have a post-mortem: How could we make sure this didn’t happen again?’
• Andy West (11 December): AI in storytelling: will the machines take over? (11 December)
  ‘The research challenges the belief that machines cannot deliver emotions. If through machine learning, the system can assimilate enough data to construct a compelling narrative, then what more could it do?
• Danny Whatmough: 2018: Demolish the silos and look to an integrated future (12 December)
  ‘In 2018, we need to be focused on an integrated media approach – one that helps you reach the right audience at the right time, in the right channel.’
• Amanda Coleman: My Christmas tips (12 December)
  ‘As an antidote to all the consumerism and fake sentimentality I have decided to give you my Christmas tips based on trying to have an OK Christmas.’
• Mike Love: You can never ask too many questions (12 December)
  ‘The law, politics and PR are all big on asking questions. They are also three disciplines which require rhetorical skill – the ability to argue a case.’
• Marshall Manson and James Whatley: Key Digital Trends for 2018 (12 December)
  ‘We’ve also reflected on some of the longer term trends that we’ve seen emerge and stick around from year to year.’
• Paul Sutton: A Christmas Wish for the PR Industry (13 December)
  ‘As a profession, PR has little self-respect or self-confidence. It’s no wonder it gets pushed around when it has no self-esteem.’
• Sarah Stimson: Diagnose your unconscious bias in a bid to tackle diversity (13 December)
  ‘Our minds are wired in such a way that we make judgements about people based on stereotypes, even if we don’t mean to.’

#prstudent #bestPRblogs

Here’s our pick of the best posts by those studying public relations and/or aspiring to work in PR.

• Rosie Heaton (Leeds Beckett, 3): Discovering my passion for communications (8 December)
  ‘I fell into PR quite by accident.  I was attending a parliamentary reception with Meningitis Now when I met one of their PR and communications staff.’
• Kate Pawley (Sunderland, PG): 6 mental health blogs PR professionals should be aware of (12 December)
  ‘I have detailed some of the best mental health blogs and resources that would be a great source for PR practitioners working with forward-thinking beauty clients.’
• Anthony Boyd (Ulster, 4): Today I Messed Up (12 December)
  ‘Donald Trump was about to start Tweeting about me in 5 minutes and I had just become the reason for a hard border on the island of Ireland.’
• Chloe Campbell (Ulster, 4): Are you afraid of the dark… or afraid of Moz? (13 December)
  ‘But as always, with major publicity, these campaigns don’t always please everyone.’
• Emma Williamson (Sunderland, PG): Looking Back: My First Year in PR (13 December)
  ‘What started as a secondment turned into a full time PR role, so I thought I would share what I’ve been up to, what I’ve learnt and my Atom highlights so far…’
• Anna Haughian (Ulster, 4): How PR is Changing our Perspective on Mental Health (15 December)
  ‘People do not want to be defined by their mental health issues; they want to be accepted for who they are as a person and valued for their personal qualities and skills.’