When he was 13, Jon Zaghloul started the podcast “Sports Talk Chicago” from his bedroom in Aurora, Ill., near Chicago. Later, as an economics major and aspiring sportscaster at the University of Chicago, he produced the podcast from his dorm room and covered college sporting events for the campus radio station.

Now 26, Zaghloul is director of communications for the city of Aurora.

Those formative experiences “taught me so much about the communications landscape,” Zaghloul said during the Aug. 26 episode of Strategies & Tactics Live, PRSA’s monthly livestream series on LinkedIn.

Producing the podcast — and booking baseball legends such as Roger Clemens, Fergie Jenkins and Ozzie Smith — taught Zaghloul “how to write a press release and get coverage in legitimate news outlets about something that a guest of mine would say on the program.”

That early communications experience prepared Zaghloul to write press releases for the city and “get the coverage that we get here all the time.”

Writing came naturally for him, but “public speaking took a lot for me to learn,” he said. “At 13 or 14 years old, my first podcasts were awful.”

Zaghloul worked to improve his speaking skills, and the podcast eventually expanded to radio, TV and YouTube.

John Elsasser, editor-in-chief of PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics publication and host of S&T Live, asked Zaghloul about his quick rise from communications coordinator to director of communications for the city of Aurora.

The city was overhauling its municipal website, “and I was tasked with finishing the job,” Zaghloul said. “Initially, the expectations were rather low.”

Along the way, however, people started to notice his speaking and writing skills, his knack for hooking readers and his ability to generate media coverage.

“Fortunately, two of my superiors at that time believed in me and continued to give me more and more opportunities,” Zaghloul said.

Listening to residents in government communications

To overhaul the city’s website and make it useful to the public, “We solicited feedback from the residents,” Zaghloul said. People in the community were shown a mock website design and asked how they would like its navigation features to work.

“The residents were involved the entire time,” he said.

A survey asked residents questions about how they preferred to receive information, including: “How do you feel about [the city’s] communications today? What could we improve upon? Which outlets do you want to see us use? Which outlets do you not want to see us use?”

The communications team used that feedback to guide the redesign.

Many people in Aurora were using the neighborhood-based social media platform Nextdoor, “so we made an agency account on Nextdoor, which led to significant viewership and a whole new audience that we didn’t have before,” Zaghloul said. “We try to find different ways to engage our residents and to be creative in our approach.”

Residents also rely on the city’s Facebook page and a weekly digital newsletter that is emailed and texted directly to them.

“The goal is to meet residents where they are,” Zaghloul said.

Reflecting on his start as a teenage podcaster, Zaghloul said, “All those years of prepping, all those years of working to refine my skill set, put me in the position that I’m in today.”

Here, Zaghloul takes part in the S&T Live Lightning Round…

The post How Early Experience Shapes Communications Careers first appeared on PRsay.

For those of us in public relations and communications, the day carries particular significance. Women have helped build, lead and transform our profession, shaping the stories organizations tell, counseling leaders through moments of change and increasingly taking their place at the highest levels of our profession.

There is much to celebrate, and there is still work ahead. Women continue to navigate disparities in pay, advancement, access to leadership and the ability to build sustainable careers at every stage of life. Those experiences can also vary significantly across race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age and other dimensions of identity.

This Women’s Equality Day, the PRSA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee invited women from across our community to share what equality means for women in PR and communications today and where they see the greatest opportunity for continued progress.

We heard from the following dynamic women leaders:

• Patrice Tanaka, Founder & Chief Joy Officer, Joyful Planet LLC and Joyful Planet Foundation, and PRSA-NY Chapter Member
• Cheryl Overton, Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Cheryl Overton Communications
• Jocelyn Arellano, Senior Account Supervisor, Zeno Group
• Nicole Simpson, People & Transformation Executive
• Monica Earle, Global Head of Communications, Tinder and PRSA-NY Chapter Member
• Sade Teel, MA, PRSA Orlando Diversity & Inclusion Chair, and Senior Manager, Communications & PR, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts 
• Christina Withey, SVP, Director of Talent Acquisition, Rubenstein Communications and PRSA-NY Chapter Member
• Adriana Maestas, CEO & Owner, A Call To Action, Inc. and OCPRSA DEI Board Member

Together, their perspectives offer a candid look at the progress women have made and the opportunities before us.

Building on Decades of Progress

Patrice Tanaka has witnessed significant change during more than three decades in the industry. When she cofounded PT&Co. in 1990, women held far fewer agency and senior corporate communications leadership positions than they do today. She credits that progress to sustained advocacy and employers willing to invest in policies that enabled women to build lasting careers.

“What made this progress possible was the ongoing push for gender equity, and employers who understood the value of investing in women and supporting working families. One of my proudest accomplishments at PT&Co. was implementing the PR industry’s FIRST ‘Paid Maternity Benefits’ program in 1991.”

Christina Withey sees the evolution of women’s leadership through her work connecting talent with opportunities across the PR industry. She has watched women grow from entry-level positions into influential roles across agencies and in-house communications teams.

“Women aren’t just present in the room — they’re setting agendas, crafting narratives, devising and executing strategy, and mentoring the next generation of leaders along the way.”

Their experiences show how sustained investment, workplace policies and access to career opportunities can change the trajectory of women across an entire profession. The opportunity today is to continue that momentum while ensuring women can translate their growing representation into lasting influence and leadership.

Creating Clearer Pathways to Leadership

For Jocelyn Arellano, progress means creating career pathways that reach women with different identities, backgrounds and lived experiences.

“It means ensuring they have equitable opportunities to lead, advance and shape the conversations and decisions that matter. Our greatest opportunity for continued progress is making sure those doors are open to all women, particularly those whose identities and experiences have historically been underrepresented.”

As a first-generation Latina and member of the first-generation LGBTQ+ community, Arellano has seen how mentorship, community, and intentional advocacy can help women navigate barriers and grow into leadership.

Sade Teel shares that focus on creating opportunities and sees women themselves as an important part of building what comes next.

“To me, women in PR and communications means more than having a seat at the table — it means having the confidence and opportunity to help build the table, shape the strategy and lead the conversation.”

Teel also points to the responsibility women have to bring others forward as they advance.

“When we create opportunities for ourselves while opening doors for the women coming behind us, we don’t just advance individually — we move our entire profession forward.”

Both perspectives speak to the value of mentorship, sponsorship and intentional advocacy. The progress of one woman can create momentum for many others when access, knowledge and opportunity are shared.

Advancing Pay Equity and Advocacy

Compensation remains an essential part of the equality conversation. Adriana Maestas has experienced the frustration of working alongside women to execute sophisticated communications programs while questioning whether gender continued to influence how their work was valued.

“To me, equality for women in PR and communications means women receive the same consideration for opportunities to execute PR campaigns and communications plans and they receive the same pay as their male counterparts.”

Transparency can be a powerful tool in addressing those disparities. Monica Earle recalls how another woman’s candor about negotiating additional compensation gave her a frame of reference when she later found herself carrying expanded responsibilities.

“We need more of that transparency between women, and we also need men to be active allies who advocate for women, open doors, and help ensure pay and opportunity are equitable.”

Earle’s experience demonstrates the impact colleagues can have when they share information and advocate for one another. Conversations about compensation, promotions and professional opportunities can give women greater context to understand their value and negotiate accordingly.

Using Our Influence for One Another

Networking has long played an important role in women’s advancement, particularly during periods of career transition. Nicole Simpson credits her own network with helping her navigate moments of significant transformation.

“Our greatest opportunity now is to turn that kind of community into action: advocate for one another, make the introduction, extend the opportunity, sponsor someone when she isn’t in the room and use our influence to open doors for others. Equality is using our collective power to ensure more women can lead and thrive.”

Cheryl Overton brings another dimension to that conversation: giving women the freedom to lead without diminishing themselves to accommodate the expectations of others. Earlier in her career, she was told she had “smart girl syndrome” because she asked too many questions, pushed too hard and sometimes made people uncomfortable.

“Translation: I was being asked to perform differently, to make my brand of excellence easier for other people to live with. Age, experience and entrepreneurship have changed my relationship with discomfort. Today, I think we need more of it.”

Overton has carried that conviction into GRWN, her company’s practice focused on challenging how brands see and value people over 50, particularly women. Her perspective adds age and career longevity to a conversation that can too often focus primarily on women entering or ascending through the profession.

“The greatest opportunity for progress is to make equality something people have to practice, not just profess.”

Continuing the Work Together

The experiences shared by these eight women reflect how equality shows up throughout a career. It can begin with access to an opportunity and continue through compensation, advancement, workplace policies, mentorship, sponsorship and the ability to exercise genuine influence as a leader.

This Women’s Equality Day, the PRSA DEI Committee encourages our community to consider how each of us can contribute and keep the conversation going beyond Aug. 26. When women have equitable opportunities to contribute, advance, and thrive throughout their careers, we strengthen our workplaces, our communities and the PR profession itself.

Let us celebrate the progress we have made and continue working together toward the progress still to come.

Illustration: your-content

The post Beyond a Seat at the Table: Women in PR Define the Next Chapter of Equality first appeared on PRsay.

For communications leaders navigating rapid change and the rise of artificial intelligence, being a good leader may no longer be enough.

Exceptional leaders distinguish themselves through distinctly human qualities such as empathy, listening and gratitude, David Grossman, APR, Fellow PRSA, said during PRSA’s Aug. 24 Member Mondays livestream.

“Good isn’t good enough anymore,” said Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group and author of the new book “The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: 6 Differentiators of Exceptional Leaders.”

For the book, Grossman worked with The Harris Poll to ask employees about their leaders — “the good, the bad and the ugly,” he said.

The employees surveyed “divided their leaders into three buckets,” Grossman said. “They said about 16% of leaders are outdated, running from an old playbook. At the other end, about 30% are exceptional, the best of the best. In the middle, we have 54% of leaders who employees say are good. That’s where I am, and maybe you are, too.”

But being considered a good leader doesn’t necessarily mean employees are thriving.

“Less than 20% of employees working for a good leader felt seen, felt heard, and felt like they were reaching their full potential,” Grossman said.

These good leaders were trained for stable times, he said, but “We’re not in stable times today.”

Today’s leaders need to rethink their attitudes “about being open, about unlearning, in some cases, what we’ve learned in the past,” Grossman said. “Because there are new skills needed today that will help us move from good to exceptional.”

Heide Harrell, M.A., APR, PRSA’s 2026 chair and host of Member Mondays, agreed that unlearning can be difficult.

“It’s so easy to stick with, ‘This is the way it’s always been done,’” Harrell said. “But we’re living in times where the way it’s always been done doesn’t work anymore. It requires different thinking.”

Grossman said he has observed “an invisible, quiet failure” among good leaders in organizations today, which he likens to a slow leak that can cause costly damage in the long term.

From good to exceptional

To elevate themselves from good to exceptional, leaders must make their employees feel seen and heard and help them reach their full potential, Grossman said.

Good leaders thank team members for their work contributions and provide support. Exceptional leaders, however, recognize both the work and the person.

Grossman, a self-described Broadway fan, said that just as every musical’s protagonist sings an “I want” song that makes clear what they hope for, business leaders must understand what their employees want, too.

“The question for us as leaders is, ‘Do you know what that song is? Do you know what’s important to every single individual on your team?’” he said. “Because when you do, you can recognize their work in the context of what’s important to them.”

Why gratitude matters

The No. 1 factor that differentiates exceptional leaders from good leaders is gratitude, Grossman said.

“We need to provide that gratitude in a way that’s not just about the work, but about the person and the contributions they make,” he said. “The top thing that you can do to move toward becoming an exceptional leader is to share gratitude.”

He urges leaders to make employees “feel seen” by expressing gratitude for what the person has done, the impact it had, “and how it connects to who that person is, and what matters to them.”

Doing so also requires leaders to make themselves more visible as people.

Leaders often wear a protective armor, Grossman said. “We think that [being] professional is super important, versus sharing parts of ourselves to help others understand who we are, and what matters to us.”

Sharing more of themselves “encourages them to share their truths, as well,” he said.

To create safe environments where employees can speak up, leaders “need to take off that armor and talk about their own mistakes and vulnerabilities.”

Ultimately, Grossman said, gratitude offers leaders one of the simplest ways to make the people around them feel valued — not only for the work they produce, but for who they are and what they contribute.

Photo credit: ryker

The post Leading With Your Heart and Your Head first appeared on PRsay.

For decades, the industry defined earned media as one thing: a journalist chose to cover a story someone pitched. No payment, no guarantee, just the credibility of a third party deciding your story was worth telling. That definition hasn’t disappeared, but it’s no longer complete.

Today, earned media is any third-party content, paid or unpaid, that signals credibility and authority to the audiences and algorithms that decide what gets trusted, cited, and recommended. The “earned” isn’t in the transaction. It’s in whether the content genuinely builds authority.

I’ve spent my career watching technology change the way consumers discover, evaluate, and trust products. Every time the discovery channel shifts, brands that understand the new signal architecture win.

This is one of those moments. And if you’re a marketer or communicator who hasn’t adapted to that shift, you risk building strategies that are invisible to the audiences you’re trying to reach.

Why earned media matters more than ever

The core value of earned media hasn’t faltered. Third-party validation remains one of the most powerful tools in a communicator’s toolbox. When a journalist, analyst, or credible publication covers your organization independently, it signals to audiences and AI that what you’re saying is trustworthy.

That fundamentally hasn’t changed, and it won’t. What has changed is how people discover information. These signals inform AI algorithms if your content is worth surfacing before a human ever sees it.

AI has become the new customer voice

Think about how your audiences find information today. Consumers are increasingly turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to answer questions, compare solutions, and research brands. According to Bain & Company, about 70% of consumers use AI-powered tools as part of their product research and purchase decision-making process. Instead of clicking through results one by one, audiences are letting LLMs do the work right in the search platform itself.

In this new zero-click environment, brands should strive to be THE answer to consumers’ questions.

This is a crucial shift in how information is surfaced and consumed. AI systems don’t evaluate your content the way a human reader does. They don’t pay attention to how the placement was procured. Instead, they assess whether information appears on credible, authoritative sources, whether your key messages are reinforced consistently across the web, and whether the signals across those sources point to genuine expertise and trust.

In other words, AI doesn’t evaluate content through a media-plan lens. It looks for signals like credibility, quality, authority, and consistency.

Visibility is now a competitive metric

PR success has traditionally been measured by coverage, reach and traffic. Did we get the story? What size audience did it reach? Did it drive clicks? Those metrics still matter. But AI introduces a new layer of value that most of us weren’t trained to think about: visibility as a signal.

I’ve measured consumer behavior across dozens of product categories and hundreds of campaigns. The pattern is always the same: the brands that show up consistently in the right places, with the right message, over time are the brands consumers learn to trust. AI is learning the same way.

A placement in a credible publication shapes how an AI system responds when someone asks a question in your category, even if no one ever clicks on that article. This is why consistent presence across trusted sources matters more than ever. A single piece of great coverage is a win. A consistent footprint of credible, authoritative content, earned and editorial, is what shapes how AI understands and represents your organization.

What communicators should do next

None of this means abandoning what’s worked. It means expanding our frame. Here’s how I think about it:

Let earned and editorial content work together. Traditional media relations and editorial-style third-party content aren’t competing strategies; they’re complementary signals.

Earned coverage validates your authority through independent voices. Editorial-quality sponsored content, placed in trusted publications, reinforces that authority by expanding your footprint into the same credible spaces at a scale that can impact online visibility.

When both are present, consistent, and aligned in message, they compound each other’s impact. Earned media validates, and sponsored editorial content amplifies. Together, they build the kind of multi-source authority that AI systems are designed to recognize and cite.

Prioritize authoritative placements. Not every publication carries equal weight with AI systems. Focus on placements in outlets that AI recognizes as credible, well-indexed sources- the ones that consistently show up when relevant questions are asked.

Create consistent messaging. When you reinforce key messages consistently across earned, owned, and editorial channels, AI recognizes patterns of authority. Fragmented, contradictory messaging creates gaps, and AI fills those gaps on its own based on patterns it recognizes in online posts and chatbot conversations, good or bad.

Focus on frequency over time. Organizations that show up consistently across trusted sources over months and years, with consistent messaging, are the ones AI learns to trust.

PR teams have the most influential voice at the table

This isn’t a threat to what communicators have built. It’s the validation of it.

Think about what PR has always done: build credibility, establish authority, create consistent presence in the publications audiences trust. This new version of earned media — real, third-party validation in authoritative sources regardless of procurement — is what AI is actually hungry for.

For the first time, the broader marketing world is paying attention to what we’ve known all along. The signals PR has been building for decades are now the exact signals that determine whether a brand gets recommended, cited, or ignored.

PR doesn’t just have a seat at the table anymore. We’re the leading voice in organizations primed to take advantage of this shift. The brands that invest in this compounding strategy- earned and sponsored coverage building cumulative authority over time- aren’t starting over. They’re accelerating.

Discovery has changed. The communicators who understand that credibility, consistency, and trust have always been the point are the ones who will win this next era.

This is our moment. And we’re just getting started.

Stacy Stusynski is chief commercial officer at Brandpoint, where she leads the development of Brandpoint Intelligence, a platform giving MarCom professionals real-time audience and competitive insights and measurable AI visibility. With decades of experience in digital health, consumer tech, and GEO/AI visibility spaces, she is a leading voice on why AI has become the new customer voice and how brands can feed it strategically through earned and third-party content.

AI illustration credit: MAMA Studio

The post The New Definition of Earned Media in the AI Era first appeared on PRsay.

The initiative builds on information previously shared with PRSA leaders. It reflects the organization’s commitment to strengthening governance, supporting long-term sustainability, and providing greater clarity about the responsibilities of PRSA, its Chapters, and its Districts.

Because PRSA holds an IRS group tax exemption that covers many Chapters and Districts, the organization is required to provide general supervision and annually verify and report accurate information about participating entities. The new agreement will help PRSA meet these federal requirements while safeguarding the tax-exempt status many Chapters and Districts rely on.

The initiative is not intended to oversee day-to-day finances or create unnecessary administrative burdens. Instead, it replaces an informal process with a clear, predictable annual schedule. It also gives Chapters and Districts greater clarity on their responsibilities, along with the resources and support PRSA will provide throughout the process.

What Chapters and Districts Will Be Asked to Do

Each Chapter and District will be responsible for:

• Reviewing the Chapter and District Affiliation Agreement with its leadership team or board.
• Confirming whether it operates under PRSA’s group tax exemption or maintains its own independent tax-exempt status.
• Providing or confirming basic organizational information, including its legal name, address, Employer Identification Number, key contacts, general financial information and Form 990 filing status.
• Designating one point of contact, typically the treasurer or secretary, to oversee the annual information-certification process.
• Notifying PRSA when relevant information changes.
• Signing and returning the updated agreement by Nov. 16, 2026, so PRSA can complete its IRS group-exemption submission on schedule.

Most of the requested information is already maintained by Chapters and Districts. Moving forward, it will be collected through a streamlined annual process designed to make expectations more predictable and help identify potential compliance concerns before they affect an entity’s standing.

Updated Timeline

PRSA will provide information, guidance and opportunities for leaders to ask questions throughout the implementation period. The updated timeline includes:

• Aug. 26: First informational session for PRSA Chapter and District leaders and PRSSA Chapter leaders.
• Sept. 14: Follow-up email to PRSA Chapter and District leaders and PRSSA Chapter leaders.
• Sept. 17: Second informational session for PRSA Chapter and District leaders and PRSSA Chapter leaders.
• Nov. 16: Deadline to sign and return the Chapter and District Affiliation Agreement.

Registration details for the informational sessions will be shared separately.

Resources and Support

Additional FAQs, supporting documents and staff guidance will be provided throughout the implementation period. Chapters and Districts that are uncertain about their tax-exempt status or whether they participate in PRSA’s group exemption are encouraged to contact PRSA staff for assistance.

Through this initiative, PRSA, its Chapters and its Districts can work together to build a stronger, more consistent foundation for governance, compliance and long-term sustainability.

Illustration credit: natrot

The post PRSA Introduces Chapter and District Affiliation Agreement and Group Tax Compliance Initiative first appeared on PRsay.

Across public relations and communications, Black professionals are building agencies, consultancies and creative firms that counsel organizations, elevate brands, shape culture and create pathways for the next generation. Their leadership reflects the breadth of Black entrepreneurship and the power that comes from turning expertise, vision and purpose into ownership.

The PRSA Black Voices Affinity Group is proud to spotlight 20 Black leaders whose work is helping move our profession forward.

Chuck Wallington, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Cone Health
Wallington brings senior communications leadership and a longstanding commitment to advancing the profession. His career reflects the influence Black communications executives continue to have in shaping organizations, developing talent and opening doors for others.

Fatou Barry, Founder & CEO, PR Girl Manifesto
Barry created PR Girl Manifesto to build community among communications professionals while expanding access to industry conversations, resources and relationships. Her platform has grown into a space where the next generation of PR professionals can connect, learn and see themselves represented.

Marsha Pitts-Phillips, APR, CEO & Founder, MRPP and Associates Communications
Pitts-Phillips has built her career around strategic communications, leadership and service to the profession. Through MRPP and Associates Communications, she brings her experience and perspective to organizations seeking thoughtful communications counsel.

LaMar Holliday, CEO, The Holliday Collaborative Agency
Holliday leads The Holliday Collaborative Agency with a focus on communications, collaboration and connection. His entrepreneurial leadership demonstrates how independent agencies can bring fresh thinking and diverse perspectives to clients and communities.

Bernadette Davis, APR, Founder & Chief Strategist, BDC Strategy Group
Davis leads BDC Strategy Group with an emphasis on strategic communications and counsel. She pairs entrepreneurship with deep industry expertise to help organizations communicate with greater clarity and purpose.

TaQuinda Cylar, Founder, T. Marie Media Group
Cylar has transformed her communications experience into an entrepreneurial platform through T. Marie Media Group. Her work reflects the creativity and business acumen Black women continue to bring to the media and communications landscape.

Damaryan Benton, Founder, The PR Habitat
Benton founded The PR Habitat to create his own space within the communications industry. Through his work, he contributes an entrepreneurial voice to a profession increasingly shaped by independent practitioners, global agencies, and boutique firms.

Renee Malone, APR, President & CEO, KQ Communications
Malone has spent more than 15 years leading award-winning work for business, nonprofit and government clients. Under her leadership, KQ Communications has grown into one of the largest Black-owned PR firms in the Southeast. 

Tequilla White, CEO, TWPR
White leads TWPR as part of a growing community of Black women building and leading communications businesses. Her leadership represents the creativity, expertise and ownership driving the next chapter of the industry.

Chris Gee, CEO, Chris Gee Consulting
Gee brings his communications expertise to entrepreneurship through Chris Gee Consulting. His work underscores the value independent counselors bring to organizations seeking experienced, focused and strategic guidance.

Kosi Harris, CEO & Founder, Kosi Harris PR
Harris discovered public relations as a high school student during a career experience at a PR firm and turned that early exposure into a career in the industry. Today, she leads Kosi Harris PR and brings that entrepreneurial perspective to her work with brands and businesses. 

Cheryl Overton, Chief Experience Officer, Cheryl Overton Communications
Overton has built a communications business grounded in strategy, experience and connection. Through Cheryl Overton Communications, she brings an entrepreneurial lens to helping organizations engage audiences and strengthen their brands.

Omari T. Evans, Founder & Managing Director, PRESSFWD
Evans leads PRESSFWD as founder and managing director, bringing his perspective to an increasingly dynamic communications landscape. His leadership represents the growing influence of Black-owned independent firms in shaping how organizations communicate.

Shakira Monet Johnson, Chief Impact Officer, Maple & Monroe
Johnson has evolved her entrepreneurial work from traditional public relations and events into Maple & Monroe, a global social impact firm. The business focuses on creating sustained social impact and reflects Johnson’s commitment to moving communications toward deeper community engagement.

Dr. Brandi Sims, Founder & CEO, Brandinc PR
Sims leads Brandinc PR, a strategic communications firm that helps entrepreneurs, brands and organizations strengthen visibility and build lasting media relationships. With decades of experience, she has built a business centered on strategic storytelling, earned media, and long-term brand equity. 

Jecoby Carter, Founder, Jecoby and Company
Carter represents a dynamic generation of Black entrepreneurs building businesses around their expertise and vision. Through Jecoby and Company, he is creating his own footprint while contributing to a broader ecosystem of Black-owned professional services firms.

Meredith LeJeune, Founder & CEO, Amplify Good PR
LeJeune leads Amplify Good PR, an award-winning, Black woman-owned boutique communications firm. With nearly 20 years of experience, she has developed high-impact media relations campaigns while remaining deeply engaged in organizations advancing Black communications professionals. 

Monique Kelley Gigliotti, Founder, Monique Kelley Consulting
Gigliotti is an associate professor of practice at Boston University’s College of Communication, the CEO and founder of Monique Kelley Consulting, LLC, a fractional communications consultancy for Fortune 50 and global biopharmaceutical companies, and the author of Redefining Networking: How to Lead with Your Unique Value.

Joseph Williams, Founder, The Carnell Agency
Williams leads The Carnell Agency as part of a thriving community of Black agency founders and entrepreneurs. Through ownership, he is helping expand representation among the decision-makers building businesses and shaping client work to redefine communications.

Angela Betancourt, Founder, Betancourt Group
Betancourt brings an entrepreneurial perspective to communications through the Betancourt Group. Her work contributes to a broader legacy of Black professionals building firms, creating opportunity and strengthening the presence of diverse leadership throughout the industry.

Black Business Month gives us an opportunity to celebrate these leaders while recognizing what their businesses represent. Ownership creates agency. Entrepreneurship creates opportunity. Representation expands what future generations can imagine for themselves.

As communicators, we understand that visibility matters. This August, we encourage the PRSA community to discover Black-owned agencies and businesses, hire Black entrepreneurs, recommend their expertise, invest in their ideas and amplify their work throughout the year.

The future of our profession is being built today, and Black leaders are helping lead the way.

 Illustration credit: yassine

The post Black Excellence in Business: 20 Leaders Building, Creating and Shaping the Future of Communications first appeared on PRsay.

AI doesn’t read your content. It navigates it.

If you want to get cited, give AI a map — clear headings and organized sections — so it can find exactly what it needs.

Here are three ways to structure content AI will cite:

1. Use clear headline hierarchy.

Pages with clear headline hierarchy — H1, H2, H3 — are nearly three times as likely to be cited by ChatGPT as pages without headline hierarchy, according to AirOps’ analysis of 12,000 URLs across 900 high-intent queries.

Here’s how:

• H1: Deliver your core topic. Define your big idea clearly. How to structure content for AI citations
• H2s: Ask core questions. Label the questions your audience is actively asking about your topic. How do you write H2 subheads AI will cite?
• H3s: Answer the question you posed in H2 with sub-subheads, lists, tables and data. Keyword headers vs. question headers

A flat structure — all H2s, nothing nested — reads as undifferentiated. Logical nesting — topics, subtopics and sub-subtopics — suggests expertise and depth.

AI rewards expertise with citations.

2. Ask questions in subheads.

Phrase your subheads as questions, not topics.

Traditional SEO used keywords in headers — weight loss tips, performance tips, content strategy. AI search favors headers phrased as natural questions — the kind people actually ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini: What are the most effective ways to lose weight safely?

AI engines are built to answer those questions — and they cite the content that matches them best.

So write your subheads as questions. Ask the questions your audience members would actually ask their AI tools.

3. Answer first, always.

Start each section with a direct answer to the question you posed in your subhead — before any context, backstory or setup.

Answer first; elaborate second. Think inverted pyramid. Or use the U.S. Army’s approach — Bottom Line, Up Front, First! (BLUFF).

Skip the throat-clearing:

• Weak: In today’s digital landscape …
• Strong: To write webpages that rank in AI search, include clear answers, structured sections, and verifiable sources.

AI systems don’t scroll. They scan for the answer, extract it, and move on. If your payoff is buried in paragraph four, AI skips you.

Structure each section in three parts:

1. The subhead asks the question.
2. The opening sentence delivers the answer — clear, complete, immediate.
3. The remaining paragraphs support the answer with evidence, examples and data.

Make sure each section is self-contained — able to stand alone when AI pulls it out of context.

Then close with a short recap AI can lift directly. Like this: Ask questions in subheads, answer them immediately, then support with verifiable detail.

Structure is the new strategy.

AI doesn’t reward the best ideas. It rewards the most extractable ones.

So use structure to make your ideas visible. Do that, and you’ll make it easy for AI engines to give you the credit you’ve earned.

Ann Wylie (WylieComm.com) helps PR professionals Catch Your Readers through writing training. Her workshops take her from Hollywood to Helsinki, helping communicators in organizations like Coca-Cola, Toyota, Eli Lilly and Salesforce draw readers in and move them to act. Never miss a tip: FreeWritingTips.wyliecomm.com.

Copyright © 2026 Ann Wylie. All rights reserved.

Illustration: mitay20

The post Structure Your Way to AI Citations first appeared on PRsay.

It’s a common lament for entry-level jobseekers: They submit résumés to online portals where AI screens the applicants, and never get a response.

Why are new professionals, even those with impressive credentials, having a hard time finding work? Is artificial intelligence replacing jobs and freezing out people who are trying to start their careers?

“We firmly believe that AI isn’t taking jobs,” Sheena Karami Hollander said. “The skills gap is.”

Sheena Karami Hollander, international spokesperson and director of corporate communications & public relations at Express Employment Professionals SA, was among the guests on Aug. 10 for “AI Pulse,” PRSA’s monthly livestream that helps communicators stay up to date on how artificial intelligence is changing the PR profession. Ray Day, APR, vice chair of Stagwell, executive chair of Allison Worldwide, and PRSA’s 2026 immediate past chair, served as the host.

In partnership with The Harris Poll, Express Employment International has collected data on how AI is affecting the U.S. workforce.

In a survey, 35% of those who make hiring decisions say jobs at their organizations are not being filled because applicants lack soft skills. Asked which skills or qualities they consider “absolutely essential” in job applicants, 60% of hiring managers cited work ethic.

Hiring managers also look for dependability (cited by 59%), willingness to learn (57%), accountability (54%), and communication skills (52%).

In the research, soft skills outpace AI skills significantly, with only 23% of hiring managers saying AI skills are essential for jobseekers. Still, 69% of hiring managers say the gap between the skills they consider essential and those young jobseekers possess has never been wider.

Leaders and workers see AI differently.

Nearly all business leaders polled (92%) say they use AI daily or weekly. Some 80% say their company’s reliance on AI has significantly increased in the past year. But 68% of U.S. workers surveyed say they’re navigating the transition to AI largely on their own. Some 41% say they have received “zero” support on AI from their employers in the past 12 months.

Among employed jobseekers, 55% fear their employer lacks the resources to train them on how to use artificial intelligence technology.

Further illustrating the discrepancy between how business leaders and employees see AI in the workplace, 94% of business leaders surveyed say they’re optimistic about the next generation’s economic prospects. But 46% of employees believe they are training the technology that will replace them.

“Whether these fears are accurate or not, they’re very real in the minds of the American workforce today,” said panelist Jennifer Musil, global president of research at The Harris Poll. “The organizations that we see transitioning most successfully [to using AI] aren’t necessarily the ones with the most advanced technology,” but “those who are communicating with their workforce and bringing people along.”

Among hiring managers, 90% don’t believe AI will ever fully replace human employees. Nearly the same share say they value human assessments of a job candidate’s soft skills such as communication, trustworthiness, judgment, and attitude.

At the same time, business leaders might not be as confident about AI as they appear, Musil said.

“It’s important that they project confidence to the market in their AI strategies,” she said. But privately, some business leaders “admit talking a good AI game while they’re still figuring it out behind the scenes.”

Communications skills will always be relevant.

Panelist Michael Patino, managing director and CEO of Patino Associates, an executive-search firm for communications and public affairs professionals, said not all communicators have the soft skills they need. In the next five to 10 years, a big challenge for young communications professionals will be to gain skills such as interpersonal communication while using AI, which tends to supplant that human connection.

Even as AI advances, companies still need people who can build trust and relationships, “which are the things that communicators do,” said panelist Jamie McLaughlin, CEO and founder of Monday Talent, a search firm for marketing and communications executives based in Beverly Hills, Calif.

“With communicators, it’s always been about trust and experience and curiosity,” McLaughlin said. “In the world of AI, that is magnified a hundred times.”

While “there is short-term pain at the moment,” McLaughlin said, “the skill set that the communicator has is one that’s always going to be relevant.”

Illustration credit: Lianlian Liang

The post In an AI Job Market, Human Skills Still Matter Most first appeared on PRsay.

Artificial intelligence can generate content. It can’t make you memorable.

That’s a central theme for Sally Hogshead, a New York Times bestselling author, expert on the science of fascination and frequent “Today” show contributor. Her work has helped leaders and brands communicate with authenticity and influence and understand how they are perceived.

Those ideas will take center stage during Hogshead’s keynote, “The Fascination Factor: Authentically Communicate Who You Are at Your Best,” at PRSA ‘s ICON 2026, Oct. 20 in Orlando, Fla.

In this conversation with PRsay, she explains why standing out doesn’t mean trying to be better than everyone else, but embracing what makes you different.

What can people attending ICON expect to take away from your session?

Imagine that every time you walk into a room, you’re intentionally or unintentionally giving cues and signals. Whether it’s a client, someone you’re pitching to or someone reading your website, they’re receiving a first impression. Emotionally and rationally, they’re deciding whether they should hear you, remember you, and take action.

Over the last decade, I’ve studied those hidden cues. It’s not just about public relations. It’s also about what’s actually happening behind the decision-making process and why people choose to trust, remember and respond to someone. 

PR professionals spend much of their careers helping organizations, executives and brands stand out. How can they apply those same principles to themselves?

Whether we’re a brand, an organization, a team or an individual, the goal used to be to be better. Today, it’s better to be different. Different is better than better.

The goal isn’t to look at your competition and outdo them. It’s not about studying everyone else’s press releases or SEO strategy and asking, “How do I outrank them?” Instead, ask: “What am I already doing right that resonates with my ideal audience?”

Whether you’re a publication, a communicator or a content creator, the opportunity is to demonstrate what makes you distinct.

 Many communicators feel pressure to develop a personal brand. What’s the difference between building a personal brand and becoming more authentically yourself?

For any of us, the goal isn’t to create a “personal brand.” It’s to have an identity that authentically matches who we already are on the inside. You don’t have to change who you are. You need to become more of who you are. Figure out what you’re already doing right, then do more of it, and do it on purpose.

In a study of more than 100,000 high-performers across industries, income levels and geographies, we found that the people who consistently outperformed weren’t reinventing themselves. They identified the one way they naturally created tremendous value and leaned into it. For example, the detail-oriented people became exceptionally detail-oriented. They didn’t try to become someone else; they amplified what already made them valuable.

Great teams are built on differences. Everyone contributes something unique, and the same is true for communicators.

Professionals spend a lot of time trying to fix their weaknesses. Why is it often more valuable to double down on your strengths instead?

You’re touching on a vulnerable truth that all of us feel. There are things we’re simply not great at. If you try to be great at everything, you’ll be great at nothing. You’ll never be perfect for everyone, and that’s OK. That’s why we have teams and partnerships.

Bigger networks, stronger résumés or more credentials didn’t define the highest performers. They understand how they fundamentally add value, and they double down on it.

Imagine an executive assistant who’s extraordinary at attention to detail. They become indispensable because everyone knows they’re the person who can organize the impossible, keep track of every detail and make things happen.

We all have situations in which we’re naturally wired to over-deliver, and others where we’ll struggle no matter how hard we try. Understanding those patterns allows us to put ourselves in positions where we’re most likely to succeed instead of trying to become someone we’re not.

Here, Hogshead discusses what she hopes PRSA ICON attendees will take away from her keynote…

The post ICON 2026 Preview: Sally Hogshead on Standing Out by Being Yourself first appeared on PRsay.

Neumeier is CEO of the Atlanta-based Arketi Group, a marketing agency. He was the guest for the July 29 episode of Strategies & Tactics Live, PRSA’s monthly livestream on LinkedIn that delves deeper into the topics covered in its Strategies & Tactics publication.

When attempting to measure the impact of public relations campaigns, “For decades now, we’ve been talking about ad-equivalency being dead, and audience-reach being a red herring, and everyone knows [those things] won’t cut it,” Neumeier said.

Today, that shift “has not only earned PR folks a seat at the table, but made it an important seat.”

In May, the Arketi Group released its first  “CMO Signals & Shifts” report, based on a survey of marketing and public relations executives. The research found that although chief marketing officers have greater influence and stronger executive relationships than ever before, only 38% of CMOs surveyed say the role is positioned to succeed.

John Elsasser, editor-in-chief of Strategies & Tactics and host of S&T Live, asked Neumeier what accounts for the apparent contradiction.

“I think that number will increase over time,” Neumeier said. But for now, “The role has expanded faster than the resources, authority and organizational support behind it. That could have left many comms leaders feeling like they don’t yet have the ability to control the outcome, even though it’s not their own fault.”

As Elsasser pointed out, the report also calls alignment with the CEO the number-one driver of success for communications leaders. But what does alignment with the CEO look like in practice?

It used to be that a brand’s image could be tightly controlled with the marketing mix, Neumeier said. “Today, people don’t have to look very far to see if you treat your customers and employees in alignment with the brands you’re putting out in the marketplace,” he said. “It’s so transparent now, which is what I think has earned the chief communications officer and CMOs and the heads of PR a seat at the table, at the right hand of the CEO.”

In the past, the job descriptions companies used to recruit communications leaders often didn’t match what the CEO wanted, Neumeier said.

“The job description might have talked about brand awareness and perception, but when you dug into it, the CEO cared about lead generation. That means they hired the wrong person” for the top communications role.

In recent years, CEOs have become more sophisticated in understanding the types of communication professionals they need, Neumeier said. As a result, more companies are recruiting communications leaders who will enter their roles positioned for success, he said.

Communicators underestimating AI’s impact?

The Arketi Group report shows that public relations leaders have widely adopted artificial intelligence tools in their work. Elsasser asked if some communications leaders nonetheless still underestimate the impact of AI on their industry.

The rise of AI in communications and in the world at large “is moving at rocket speed,” Neumeier said. “Communicators may very well be underestimating how profoundly AI will change not just content creation, but how audiences discover information, how they evaluate criteria, and the opinions they form about your organization.”

Large-language models — artificial intelligence systems that can understand and communicate in human language — “are devouring our content and producing their own interpretations of that content,” Neumeier said. The AI’s interpretation “might not be the interpretation that you or your organization thinks or hopes it will be.”

In the age of AI, Neumeier said, communicators must figure out “how to put the right message out there that is being interpreted in the right way, to showcase what we think, feel and believe.”

Here, Neumeier takes part in the S&T Live Lightning Round…

The post As They Gain Respect, Comms Leaders’ Responsibilities Grow first appeared on PRsay.