Stories by Matthew Schwartz

In the PR field, an effective employee knows how to pitch a story, cultivate relationships with the media and knock out a press release that stakeholders are going to want to read. But there are other facets that make a great employee, and transcend the day-to-day operation, as indicated by an informal inquiry of PR News’ audience.

Guinness USA has joined a growing list of major beer brands to boycott the St. Patrick Day’s parade in New York because gay and lesbian groups had been excluded. The brewer waited till pretty much the last minute to make its announcement, ensuring that the message surrounding the boycott would get maximum impact with the public.

They’re breeding. In the last couple of years, social networks have started to proliferate in a big way, coursing through the brains of communicators who are still trying to figure out how to monetize some of the original social channels à la Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. New social networks and apps are coming fast and […]

South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, of course, has become a mecca for PR and marketing executives. This year’s event, which just finished, was yet another opportunity for brands of all stripes to get their message out and capture some precious “earned” media. Here’s one example of on organization that was able to cut through the clutter.

You may not even be aware of it: Saying certain things in the workplace in which some people may take offense, We’re all guilty of it every now and again, particularly when it comes to invoking the term “bossy.” But now Sheryl Sandberg’s LeanIn.Org is joining forces with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Girls Scouts of America to launch a public service campaign called “Ban Bossy.”

What do Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z and Kanye West have in common? They play a key role in helping PR pros get through the afternoon and finish up the workday on a strong note.

Is the landline telephone headed for a museum near you? It increasingly seems that way, what with more and more people wedded to their cell phones and myriad hand-held devices. If landline phones do get mothballed, though, so, too, will what remains an effective communications tool for PR pros. But we may be getting ahead […]

Maybe they’ll make a movie about it. Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars-night selfie was retweeted more than 3 million times, busting the record previously held by President Obama. At the same time, DeGeneres (and Samsung) may have changed the game when it comes to how brands and organizations distribute charitable donations.

Traditionally, PR and sales have been like two ships passing in the night. No more. As communicators play a strategic role for their companies and organizations, they must condition themselves to sales cycles, financial objectives and the top and bottom lines.

Winner: Airlines for America – Don’t Ground America It was shaping up as the mother of all delays: The Federal Aviation Administration last April notifying Airlines for America (A4A) and airline carriers that furloughs of… Continued