Podcast Episodes

The LinkedIn Confidence Gap for Public Relations Pros

Season 4 Episode 202

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 confident…

Published on 6 hours ago

Rebranding Climate: Alarmism vs. Optimism in PR

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 Dow…

Published on 3 days, 16 hours ago

Flattered to Death: The AI Sycophant in the Room

Episode 201

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. Th…

Published on 1 week ago

The Mamdani Effect: Can TikTok Win a Mayoral Race?

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 rew…

Published on 1 week, 3 days ago

Is Attention the New Currency in Public Relations?

Season 4 Episode 200

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 y…

Published on 2 weeks ago

The PR Community Asks: Can We Fix Ageism, DEI Retreats, and Reputation Laundering?

Farzana Baduel and David Gallagher take on everything from Justin Trudeau’s headline-grabbing kiss with Katy Perry to how PR pros can unwittingly become enablers in global corruption scandals.

In this…

Published on 2 weeks, 3 days ago

What’s the Point of Public Relations if You Can’t Prove it Worked?

Season 4 Episode 199

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 he…

Published on 3 weeks ago

Is PR still powerful when public opinion no longer matters?

Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs tackle everything from President Trump’s militarized immigration crackdown to what brands can (and shouldn’t) learn from his relentless communication m…

Published on 3 weeks, 3 days ago

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is here… is Public Relations Ready?

Season 4 Episode 198

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 i…

Published on 4 weeks ago

Keir Starmer’s Image Crisis: Can Labour Win Over Its Own Members?

This week on The Week UnSpun, the trio of Farzana Baduel, Doug Downs, and David Gallagher dive headfirst into a whirlwind of global news through a comms lens, touching on everything from the chaos an…

Published on 1 month ago