Most crises aren’t sudden. AI, trust erosion, and compound risks expose how unprepared organizations still are. @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz host a new #FIRpodcast interview with Philippe Borremans @riskcomms.bsky.social on crisis communication trends for 2026. 🎧💻 bit.ly/45AKdzn

The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer warns of a crisis of insularity – trust hasn’t collapsed, but has narrowed. In the lead story in #FIRpodcast 498, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz examine Edelman’s idea of “trust brokering”, which has attracted critical response. 🎧💻 bit.ly/4q2FIoL

BCG’s latest AI Radar report shows AI has become a CEO-owned issue – not a tech project. In #FIRpodcast 479, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz discuss confidence gaps, agentic AI, and why communicators now sit at the centre of trust, meaning, and change. 🎧💻 bit.ly/49tiG5k

On #FIRpodcast 496, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz unpack the PRCA’s proposed 2½-page new “definition” of public relations. The public debate will be an important conversation. Big questions about clarity, accessibility, and who gets to define the profession. 🎧💻 bit.ly/49AYJrQ

21 years ago, on 5 Jan 2005, we published the first @firpodcast.bsky.social podcast episode. Yesterday, @shelholtz.bsky.social and I marked the anniversary with a short, reflective conversation. We're grateful to everyone who’s listened along the way. Thank you! 🎧💻 bit.ly/49pBBMY

Reddit has overtaken TikTok as the UK’s 4th most-visited social platform. In FIR 495, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz talk about why search + AI are now amplifying human conversation, not polished messaging, and what that means for communicators. 🎧💻 bit.ly/49HG3rQ

"PR is dead", says Martin Sorrell on BBC Radio 4, challenged live on air by the PRCA's Sarah Waddington. @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz unpack the fallout. They also cover the future of news and more in this long-form episode 494. 🎧💻 six reports - Dec 2025 bit.ly/3Yg01Dy

In #FIRpodcast #493, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz look at how artificial early engagement can trick algorithms into creating visibility that looks like significance. It's alarmingly easy to do. 🎧💻 www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-493-how-...

In #FIRpodcast 492, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz look at how the story of the Omnicom–IPG layoffs unfolded: ▪️ One official, investor-focused narrative. ▪️ Another on LinkedIn and Reddit. When people have platforms, the press release isn’t the whole story. 🎧💻 bit.ly/48X038r

In a new #FIRpodcast interview, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz talk with Josh Bernoff about his major survey of writers and AI – the deep divide between users and non-users, productivity gains, “AI slop,” trust, and why the real story isn’t replacement but re-sorting. 🎧💻 bit.ly/4s3XFp8

FIR 491: One Big Four consulting firm. Two government reports on opposite sides of the world, packed with fake AI-generated citations. Even a CDC-linked study got caught. @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz unpack why “human in the loop” now means “human fact-checker.” 🎧💻 bit.ly/4puRxV8

Communicators are adjusting their content strategies to accommodate the sources AI models use to produce search results. There are problems with the studies that claim to identify those sources. Neville and I dove into the situation in our latest FIR podcast episode.

In FIR 489, @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz dig into “idea inflation” – when leaders fire off AI-generated thought-leadership ideas and teams are left to clean up the mess. Plus: brand under comms, vibe coding, quantum, and more. 🎧💻 Listen or watch: bit.ly/43AUVoy #FIRpodcast

“Going viral” isn’t a strategy – it’s a dice roll. In FIR 485 @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz explain why you should drop it from your objectives and what to measure instead. Plan for compounding attention, not spikes. 🔗 www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-485-is-i... #FIRpodcast

A new #AI tool called #OliviaBrown can create & send entire PR campaigns, even follow up with journalists. In FIR 484, @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz discuss what this means for trust and the future of #publicrelations. 🎧 www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-484-is-o...

Was Tylenol's response to presidential claims that it causes autism in children whose mothers used while pregnant worth holding up as a case study? @nevillehobson.xyz and I break it down in the latest FIR podcast episode. www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-483-how-...

In #FIRpodcast 482, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz dig into #workslop – workplace content that looks good but adds no real value Also: human-centred organisations, the evolving role of internal comms, Amazon’s AI audience targeting, AI and press releases, and more. 🎧 bit.ly/42i54Wy

#AI can polish our words, but at what cost to authenticity? In #FIRpodcast 481, @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz discuss tone in AI-assisted writing and the 2025 em dash kerfuffle. Plus, Shel’s project to turn 28 blog posts into a new book with AI’s help. 🎧 Listen: bit.ly/42c8n1n

AI nightmare by Republicans, medicare. Profit share to deny government claims…https://www.nytimes.... #AI #Republicans #medicare

#SEO vs #GEO. In #FIRpodcast 479, @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz ask: is generative optimisation the future, or just the latest acronym soup? Spoiler: trust and clarity still win. 🎧 www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-479-hack...

Silence isn’t golden - or neutral. In FIR 478, @shelholtz.bsky.social and I ask: when does not speaking up do more damage than saying something? We also dive into AI, PR’s reputation, deepfakes, and more. 🎧 Tune in: www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-478-when...

#Wikipedia is under pressure from AI “slop” and from UK regulation. In FIR 477, @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz discuss Wikipedia’s new speedy deletion policy, and losing a legal challenge under the UK’s Online Safety Act. What does it all mean for communicators? 🔗 bit.ly/4fOwRUc

RSS never died, it just faded from view. In #FIRpodcast 475, @nevillehobson.xyz & @shelholtz.bsky.social talk about the quiet comeback of RSS, powered by AI and fediverse vibes. That's powerful, and it might be key to taking back control from the algorithms. bit.ly/4lYTZ4h #RSS #AI #fediverse

In a new FIR Interview, @nevillehobson.xyz, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @silviacambie.bsky.social speak with Monsignor Paul Tighe from The Vatican on the ethical challenges AI poses to humanity, work, and dignity. Tune in: 🎧 www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-intervie... #AI #ethics #AntiquaEtNova

➡️ FIR 474 is out now. @shelholtz.bsky.social @nevillehobson.xyz discuss AI and PR, covering: – Synapse: an AI tool writing expert quotes – Press releases as AI training data – The comeback of brand newsletters 💡Plus @danyork.bsky.social and more 🔗 bit.ly/4oaEace #FIRpodcast #AI #PR #Comms

Who really owns the digital employee experience (DEX)? In FIR 473, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz argue it's time internal communicators step up. It's not just about the tech - it's about how employees feel when using it. 🎙️ Listen: bit.ly/4mdE7ed #DEX #InternalComms #FIRpodcast

B2B decision-makers see the importance of trust. Companies that measure trust as a board-level KPI are over 3x more likely to report higher profits, yet only 22% of boards have trust as a KPI. Learn more in this short midweek FIR podcast episode: www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-472-the-...

"Faceless creators" and VTubers are assuming a prominent position among influencers. In this short midweek FIR podcast episode, @nevillehobson.xyz and I examine the reasons behind the phenomenon and its implications for communications and marketing. www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-471-can-...

New FIR Interview: @nevillehobson.xyz & @shelholtz.bsky.social spoke with AMEC's @richardbagnall.bsky.social about the just-released Barcelona Principles 4.0 - a major refresh of the global standards for communication measurement. 🎧 Tune in: bit.ly/401oUEh #FIRpodcast #AMEC #Measurement

In FIR 470: @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz discuss Creative Commons’ new #CCsignals project: a framework to tell AI how your content should be used. Communicators have a key role to play in sharing feedback to influence development. 🎧 Listen now: bit.ly/4lhVgTR #AI #FIRpodcast

#FIRpodcast 469 just dropped. @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz cover: 🧠 Disconnected employees 📺 Social media beats TV for news 🧘 AI ethics meets theology at the Vatican 🤖 Creators use AI agents for fan engagement Plus @danyork.bsky.social on Mastodon’s new rules for AI bit.ly/3HRcHM8

Reputation threats are evolving, a rich topic for @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz in #FIRpodcast 468. Top 3 threats: ⚠️ AI misuse & deepfakes ⚠️ Elon Musk associations (!) ⚠️ DEI U-turns We say brands need new playbooks for a volatile world. 🎧️ bit.ly/4lf6Ej6 #comms #PR #reputation

New #FIRpodcast interview dropped: @nevillehobson.xyz and @shelholtz.bsky.social speak with @craigsilverman.bsky.social about Indicator, his new venture exposing digital deception. Discover why comms pros need #OSINT skills now more than ever. 🎧 Tune in: bit.ly/3HPUuhT

Shout out to the Global Alliance for today's announcement of the Venice Pledge, a set of guiding principles for responsible AI use in the organizational communication profession. www.globalalliancepr.org/guiding-prin...

The next IABC Circle of Fellows will be streamed LIVE from the IABC World Conference in Vancouver at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10. If you'll be in B.C., join us! If not, watch the live stream as we talk all things communication: www.youtube.com/live/wfqb8Ny...

Mary Meeker’s new AI Trends report is huge, and mostly aimed at Silicon Valley. In #FIRpodcast 467, @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz unpack the core themes and break down what matters for communicators and business leaders. 🎧 Tune in: www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-467-mary...

Still hallucinating... In #FIRpodcast 466, @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz talk about AI models that confidently make things up that make smart people look very foolish 🙄 We also dig into Veo 3, MailOnline’s click-through traffic drop, and more. Tune in! 🎧 bit.ly/4kB83jB

People trust each other less than ever. "News" is only news if it has an impact on the news consumer. And video podcasts are now part of media upfronts. What do these trends have in common? Listen to the latest FIR podcast and find out. www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-465-the-...

🤖 New FIR Interview: Eric Schwartzman on how bot farms are hijacking public opinion. @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz unpack what it means for PR, ethics, politics, and trust online. And more... 🎧 www.firpodcastnetwork.com/eric-schwart... #PR #AI #bots #disinformation #FIRpodcast

Today, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz sat with Eric Schwartzman to discuss his article in @fastcompany.com on how social media is being weaponised through sophisticated bot farm amplification. The FIR Interview will be published on 21 May. www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-intervie...

We had a visitor this morning.

Admitting you used AI might hurt your credibility, even if you’re being honest. In @firpodcast.bsky.social 464, @shelholtz.bsky.social & I dig into Elsevier’s latest research on why people trust AI tools more than the humans who use them. 🎙️ bit.ly/433inti #AI #trust #transparency

Is there a point in adopting generative AI at work if you're not going to be strategic about it? In the latest FIR podcast, @nevillehobson.xyz and I explore what strategic adoption means and look at some communication teams that are doing it. www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-463-deli...

🎙️ In FIR 462, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz cover a $5M-funded AI cheating tool, 7 types of AI agents communicators must know, and much more, from new social network verification to onboarding challenges and generational shifts in PR. 🎧 Tune in: bit.ly/4jKORiW #FIRpodcast #AI

In the latest FIR podcast episode, @nevillehobson.xyz and I dig into the new report from YouTube, which anticipates dubbing every video into every language (among other things). www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-461-yout...

Surging layoffs and a shift in tone among CEOs who want their tough talk to employees to be heard beyond company walls are occurring in a shift to a buyer's market, the focus of my conversation with @nevillehobson.xyz in the latest FIR podcast episode. www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-460-the-...

Everyone blasting Gretchen Whitmer for calling for reduction in red tape to spur building needs to read Ezra Klein's new book, "Abundance." He's not wrong, and neither is Whitmer. It's not capitulation. It's the new liberalism.

If you've ever wanted to interrupt a podcast to ask the host a question, we'll explain in the latest #firpodcast episode how to do just that using the episode's transcript and generative AI. It's how Satya Nadella listens to his podcasts. www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-459-ai-t...