Is the BBC losing its grip on journalistic credibility? Or is it being pushed? This episode of The Week Unspun unpacks a chaotic week in media and politics with sharp insight from PR veterans Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, Doug Downs, and special guest Adrian Monck. The BBC’s controversial editing of a Donald Trump speech for Panorama sparks a fierce debate on ethics, institutional accountability, and media governance. From internal BBC politics to the broader implications for press ...

In public relations, success often depends on one quiet skill: knowing how to adapt. The best communicators read the room, sense the temperature, and adjust their tone without losing their message. In this episode, we explore what it really means to be a PR chameleon – someone who can blend into the cultural landscape enough to connect, yet still stand out enough to be remembered. Jessica Hope, founder of Wimbart, has built one of Africa’s most respected tech PR agencies by master...

In this audience-driven “mailroom” episode of The Week Spun, the conversation opens with a provocative idea from the PRovoke Summit: AI is now being discussed in full-time equivalent (FTE) terms, signaling a shift in how agencies and organizations think about synthetic labor. Guest host Kim Sample, President of the PR Council, joins Doug Downs and David Gallagher to explore what this means for the future of work in PR. From there, the trio digs into listener-submitted questions on everything ...

Afraid of posting on LinkedIn? You’re not alone, and it’s not about time or talent, it’s about confidence. In this episode we look at why communicators, especially women, struggle to show up confidently on LinkedIn. Fear, not time or skill, is the biggest barrier to visibility. PR professionals who are used to writing for others often stumble when the byline is their own. From how to post authentically without oversharing, to navigating gendered expectations in professional visibi...

What do a billionaire climate pivot, AI-fueled layoffs, and a scandalous Italian election have in common? They all got the PR treatment in this episode. Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs peel back the media layers behind some of the week’s most buzzworthy stories, from Bill Gates’ controversial “climate realism” memo and its impact on corporate sustainability narratives, to Amazon’s AI-framed mass layoffs and what that messaging means for employer branding. They al...

We live in a moment where artificial intelligence can write our emails, plan our meetings, even give us life advice. But here’s the problem: these systems are often too agreeable for our own good. They’re less like truth tellers and more like digital echo chambers. They nod along, validate our choices, and tell us exactly what we want to hear. To use an outdated term… GenAI is too often like a Yes Man. In this episode we’re looking at the rise of sycophancy in generative AI, the tendenc...

Can a cyclist-turned (accused) communist New York mayoral candidate teach the PR world a thing or two about emotional storytelling? This week we unpack the “Mamdani effect” how Zohran Mamdani is rewriting the rules of political communications with cultural fluency, TikTok charm, and unforgettable soundbites. Other topics, what are the comms implications of the Omnicom-IPG mega-merger, and what is the likely impact on agency identities, client retention, and the war for talent?&n...

Is attention the new currency? Politicians, brands, influencers, even your neighbor’s viral TikTok are all competing for the same scarce resource: your focus. But attention is slippery. It can make you a household name overnight and it can vanish just as quickly. In an age where algorithms decide what we see and artificial intelligence rewrites how we discover information, the fight for attention has never been more intense. What happens when public relations and communications ag...

The call for better measurement in public relations is not new. For decades, leaders in the field have warned that counting impressions, likes, and advertising value equivalents is not enough. Yet here we are, still leaning on the same empty numbers while the C-suite is asking for proof of outcomes that matter. The urgency has been with us for years, but too often the industry has not listened to its own advice. We aren’t listening to ourselves! Now, as budgets are cut and...

Search is changing faster than most PR professionals realize. For years, SEO was about keywords and backlinks. Now, with AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity shaping how people find information, the game is shifting to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). Instead of tricking algorithms, brands need to prove expertise, authority, and trustworthiness at every turn. To stay discoverable, we need to craft smarter prompts, produce content that actually engages, and choose the right AI...

Getting Hispanic communications wrong is not just a slip. It can cost brands credibility, trust, and millions in wasted campaigns. Too often, companies think a simple translation is enough, only to find their carefully crafted message falls flat or even offends the very audience they are trying to reach. With more than 65 million Hispanics in the United States, representing one of the fastest growing and most influential communities, PR professionals cannot afford cultural blind spots. In thi...

What happens when your newsfeed becomes a battlefield? In the US and UK, political leaders trade accusations, social media thrives on outrage, and communities are left simmering in distrust. What used to be disagreements over policy now look more like open hostility, with violence creeping closer to the center of public life. Attacks on lawmakers, threats to schools, and the killing of high-profile figures are no longer shocking outliers but part of a troubling pattern. This episode ask...

Google Search still holds about 90% of global search volume as of mid‑2025, but change is underway as more users begin turning to AI. AI search is rewriting the rules of discovery, and PR needs to adapt. With ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity each scraping different corners of the web, the old focus on big-name publications is no longer enough. The most influential sources may now be niche review sites, specialized forums, or content hubs you have never pitched. Knowing what each Large La...

More women are now leaving the PR industry because of perimenopause and menopause than because of childbirth. That’s a staggering, often invisible, that’s shift happening right at the top. It’s not burnout or work-life balance pushing them out, but a phase of life that’s rarely acknowledged and even more rarely supported. This episode is an unflinching conversation about the real pressures senior women face. Why is menopause still a taboo topic at work? How misunderstood are...

PR really is at a crossroads… we’ve got old playbooks and new players coming in who want to change the rules. In its report Mind the Gap, USC’s Center for Public Relations reveals sharp divides between Gen Z and older professionals on everything from AI and hybrid work to media influence and corporate purpose. While Boomers and Gen X cling to the belief that human creativity will always be irreplaceable, Gen Z is charging ahead, optimistic about technology, eager for flexibility,...

Ayeni Adekunle Samuel argues that Africa is often misunderstood or reduced to oversimplified stereotypes by global brands, agencies, and even tech platforms. Despite Africa’s complexity, diversity, and economic importance, key decisions — including PR, marketing, and tech strategies — are still shaped in places like New York and London, often without African expertise or context. Ayeni shares his personal journey as a Nigerian entrepreneur building a pan-African and international...

Why is the PR industry still having the same tired conversation? Year after year, event after event… while the world moves on without us? We talk about getting a seat at the table, then sit quietly when we do. We debate metrics like we haven’t had decades to solve them. We celebrate awards for campaigns that often say nothing and change even less. We hold events that are same panel conversations… different year. Somewhere along the way, the industry built for cultural leader...

What does it take to rebrand an entire nation? Not just a logo or slogan—but the name itself. Gökhan Yücel helped lead the campaign to officially shift the international name from Turkey to Türkiye. It’s a move that goes far beyond semantics—touching diplomacy, identity, and global perception. Gökhan pulls back the curtain on how such a monumental change has been communicated to the world and why it matters more than most of us think. But this conversation goes even deeper. From ...

What if the most powerful tool in public relations isn’t a pitch deck or media list, but your own story? In this episode, we’re joined by technologist-turned-storytelling-evangelist William Welser IV, founder of Lotic, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to help people uncover the data hidden inside their own narrative. From his days building satellites to his unexpected pivot into behavioral science, Bill shares why he believes personal storytelling isn’t just therapy, it’s strategy...

What if the expert quote you just read in a news article wasn’t written by a human — but by AI? That’s already happening. A PR tool called Synapse is selling agencies the ability to fire off automated expert pitches to journalists, complete with research, personal-sounding anecdotes, and polished email copy — all with minimal human input. It promises one person can do the work of five and crank out twenty media pitches an hour. But is this innovation, or is it a warning si...