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This second article in a 5-part series about measurement we compile cases where communicators have moved beyond the fundamentals of measuring data to prove ROI and instead focused on using insights mined from data to change the way they operated their business. The series is produced with partner PublicRelay, a media monitoring and analytics firm.

UCLA’s and Pac-12’s extended media moment following the incident in China is nothing new in an era in which not responding—as UCLA did by declining to take questions from the press—is a form of response in itself. We can now add UCLA to the list of brands ensnared in our divisive cultural and political climate.

Measurement is said to be PR’s albatross. Heck, many PR pros entered the field specifically so they could avoid working with numbers. Fortunately, measuring and mining data for PR insights are far less complicated operations than measurement naysayers would have you believe. Advocating for measurement programs, our author says you can begin a measurement effort simply and inexpensively.

At the PR People Awards luncheon, which will be held Dec. 5 at the historic National Press Club in Washington, D.C., PR News will announce the winners of categories such as Crisis Manager of the Year, Digital Leader of the Year, Marketer of the Year, PR Intern of the Year and Media Relations Professional of the Year, among others. And as we celebrate these champions, we’ll also raise a glass for the future and shine a spotlight on the 2017 Rising PR Stars.

The infrastructure renewal plan for New York’s Penn Station could’ve been a PR nightmare for Amtrak, which owns the station. But after the work was completed and service resumed as usual in early September, commuters seemed to come through the other side unscathed. Amtrak’s communications team can claim some of the credit for that success.

Let’s start with this morning’s initial apology from a powerful man accused of sexual assault: “I certainly don’t remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann. As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn’t. I shouldn’t have done it.”

All politics is local. Our author argues all digital storytelling is, too, with local translating to familiarity. He also urges communicators to spend more time shaping story ideas instead of expending a lot of effort on deciding what digital medium will best convey their stories.

What should brands do when an employee says something controversial and headlines result? Is the consequence immediate suspension? Should there be a warning first? What about issuing a public warning that not only puts the employee on notice but serves to inform all other staff? The examples of Shepard Smith and Bob Costas bring these questions to light.

This year, Cards Against Humanity’s annual Black Friday stunt takes a political direction. It bought a plot of land on the U.S./Mexico border that would obstruct the building of a border wall, and is sending its customers “an illustrated map of the land, a certificate of our promise to fight the wall, some new cards, and a few other surprises.”

Launching a thought leadership program at your company is relatively easy. Getting an organization’s thought leaders to participate in the program and give you what you want? That can be painful on many levels. Here are some tips that have worked well and will for you, too.