✅ Monday briefing: Socially Mobile is open for applications for the final cohort of 2023
Artificial intelligence, social media and platforms, media, good and bad practice, and tools
Applications are open for paid and funded places for the final cohort for Socially Mobile of 2023. The application deadline is 20 August, and classes start on 14 September.
Socially Mobile delivers training to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and under-represented and under-served groups through support and funding. We particularly want to attract applications from ethnic minority practitioners, the LGBTQ+ community, and those with disabilities.
The programme is aimed at public relations practitioners who want to develop management skills and aspire to a management role, are returning to work, moving into a new role or want to start their own public relations business.
Check the website for further information and hit the button on the top right if you would like to apply.
Artificial intelligence
📰 AI NEWS EDITOR: European news publisher Mediahuis is developing a so-called Newscondenser tool that uses generative AI to summarise news stories and generate headlines. It will be embedded within the publisher’s Content Management System (CMS). Read more. (Source: Andrew Bruce Smith, Press Gazette).
🕵️ AI DETECTION: The growing category of AI tools used to identify machine-generated text and images aren’t reliable. It raises concerns for the fight against disinformation. Read more. (Source: Alan Morrison, New York Times).
📒 AI PRACTITIONER CODE: The PR Council has published guidelines for public relations practitioners for using generative AI. It covers issues related to accuracy, bias, diversity, and transparency. Read more. (Source: Stephen Waddington, PR Council).
🎙️ VOICE OF AI: Eleven Labs has launched a voice library with hundreds of synthesised voices, including one remarkably like Tom Hiddleston. It has significant implications for impersonation, fake news and misinformation. Read more. Source: Andrew Bruce Smith, Eleven Labs).
Social media and platforms
💼 LINKEDIN ALGORITHM UPDATE: LinkedIn has published insights about its algorithm updates. Posts that share knowledge and advice are prioritised throughout the platform. This should relate to the author’s domain expertise and meaningful comments. Read more. (Source: Alan Morrison, Entrepreneur).
🔎 GOOGLE PERSPECTIVES FILTER: Google has launched a Perspectives filter. It appears in search results and serves content from forums and social media sites. Read more. (Source: Andrew Bruce Smith, 9to5Google).
💼 EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY: LinkedIn has enabled the promotion of any employee's post (with permission) through its new Thought Leader Ads. It's a means for senior executives to ensure their posts hit all staff newsfeeds. Read more. Source: Andrew Bruce Smith, LinkedIn).
Media
🎥 POPBITCH SEEKS EXIT: The driving force behind gossip email newsletter Popbitch, Camilla Wright, is considering working with a larger organisation after 24 years. She says that Popbitch has the opportunity to become a mainstream source of alternative news. Read more. Source: Michael Greer, Press Gazette).
💰 PAYWALL TRIAL: The Manchester Evening News has become the first Reach title to experiment with a paywall. A new app allows users to read 25 articles per week for free but then costs £2.99 per month or £19.99 per year for unlimited access. Read more. (Source: Alan Morrison, Press Gazette).
🗞 MEDIA PITCHING: The media relations business has changed in the last three years. Wadds Inc. spoke to practitioners to understand best practices from pitching to getting published. You can learn about the results in a Vuelio webinar on Wednesday this week. Read more. (Source: Stephen Waddington, Vuelio).
Good and bad practice
👦 JOHNSON SCANDALS: Don’t write off Boris Johnson. That’s the view of the Crisis Communications Playbook. It has plotted 39 crisis events characterising his 35-year career and repeated comebacks. Read more. (Source: Andy Barr, Crisis Communications Playbook).
🚰 WATER WOE: Thames Waters is £14bn in debt and struggling to make repayments. It had no debt when it was privatised in 1989. Over-leveraged utilities face a day of reckoning caused by regulatory failure. Read more. (Source Sarah Waddington CBE, BBC News)
Tools
🚀 RAPID TESTING TOOL: Sticky Beak has launched a new consumer testing product. Agencies and brands can test creative, messaging, packaging, and choice of an influencer with consumer interest groups for $350. Read more. (Source: Stephen Waddington, Sticky Beak).
🐦 TWITTER SCRAPING: Twitter has limited reading and posting access to the platform. It claims that it follows extreme levels of data scraping after it significantly increased the cost of API access for tool vendors. Read more. Source: Julian Christopher, BBC).
I’m heading to Birmingham on Thursday for the CIPR and PRCA #Growing Public Relations in the Midlands Conference. I’ll be running a workshop on the impact of AI on public relations. If you’re there, make sure that you come and say hello.
Wadds Inc. has published a management briefing paper that discusses the impact of AI on public relations and corporate communications and what you should be doing about it.