Category: For Immediate Release

A lot is fueling the debate over whether workers should be able to continue working remotely, at least some of the time, or get themselves back to the office. The debate pits workers against leaders, and the assumption is that it’s just a matter of how each side perceives what’s best. But anthropologists see another factor at play: most leaders come from a different generation than those employees who want remote or hybrid work to become the new normal.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 15. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is also available.

Links from this episode:

• Why CEOs are so WTF about WFH (Financial Times; subscription required)

The post FIR #271: Work-From-Home and the Generational Divide appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Topics up for discussion in the monthly long-form episode include the following:L

• Are holograms about to go mainstream?
• There is outrage over revelations of massive wrongdoing by Uber. Will everyone keep riding them anyway?
• Uses of NFTs are expanding far beyond collectible artwork for investment purposes.
• How Wikipedia remediated dozens of fake articles could be a lesson for the rest of the world.
• Bad guys are extorting gift cards in exchange for removing negative online reviews.

Dan York’s report explores NFT adoption by Reddit and Snap; Instagram’s move to let creators confine posts to subscribers; Facebook’s test of multiple profiles; Twitter’s latest innovations; and mobile live-streaming with Starlink.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, August 15. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is also available.

Links from this episode:

• Will The Latest Dramatic Evolution Of Holograms Be The Next Big Media Format?
• This Year’s Tour De France Features AR And Holograms
• Holograms in banking: Is it their time to shine?
• Are Apoqlar’s holograms conquering medicine?
• President Zelensky to the final frontier: How ARHT Media is using hologram technology to transform the in-theatre experience
• Holograms could soon become the next hot smartphone feature
• Five surprising ways holograms are revolutionising the world
• Uber Files (Wikipedia)
• Uber broke laws, duped police and secretly lobbied governments, leak reveals
• The Uber whistleblower: I’m exposing a system that sold people a lie
• EU urged to investigate ex-politician’s Uber links and rein in tech lobbyists
• Uber Files: Massive leak reveals how top politicians secretly helped Uber
• Frequently asked questions about the Uber Files
• ‘We will not make excuses’: Uber responds to Uber files leak
• Uber lobbying scandal shows need for urgent reform — CIPR
• Can Uber recover from another PR crash?
• NFL Expands Ticket Stub NFTs to Over 100 Games for 2022 Season
• Mike Shinoda backs a startup that lets you do video calls as NFT avatars
• You’ve Been Served Via NFT: Court Gives OK to Sue on Blockchain
• UK court allows lawsuit to be delivered via NFT
• Garry Trudeau dives into NFTs, selling ‘Doonesbury’ strips in an auction
• NFT Sales Jump 10% Higher Than Last Week, Cryptopunk #4,464 Sells for $2.6 Million
• NFT market worth $231B by 2030? Report projects big growth for sector
• Reddit is launching a new NFT avatar marketplace
• What are corporate NFTs?
• Bill Murray 1000
• Should you buy an NFT property in the UK?
• To the game industry, NFTs are already dead
• 1 big thing: Wikipedia blazes a trail to agreement in a divided world
• A Bored Chinese Housewife Spent Years Falsifying Russian History on Wikipedia
• Wikipedia:Verifiability
• Restaurants are being blackmailed

Links from Dan York’s Report

• Reddit is launching a new NFT avatar marketplace
• Introducing Collectible Avatars (Reddit)
• Snap eyes adding NFTs as AR filters in Snapchat
• Snapchat adds paid subscription with more features for power users
• Instagram now lets creators publish feed posts just for their subscribers
• Facebook tests a way to add up to five profiles tied to a single account
• Twitter keeps working on Stations for Twitter Spaces
• Twitter is testing custom timelines, and the first one is about The Bachelorette
• The FCC authorizes SpaceX’s Starlink system to be used on vehicles in motion
• My good friend recently live streamed the Baja 500 from inside his vehicle by cutting a hole in the roof of his race truck and mounting a Starlink dish in said hole. He was the first person to ever live stream a Baja race. He has now designed a bullet proof mounting system for mobile use.
• Well the Baja 500 turned into the Heartbreak 500 after we suffered a blown motor.

The post FIR #270: Disgust, Convenience, and Reputation appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Soon golfers and fans of the sport will be able to interact one-on-one with the legendary Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus. Well, not Nicklaus himself, but his digital twin. Nicklaus spent hours in a studio having every facial expression and gesture recorded. The first digital twin will be of his 37-year-old self, but more are planned. And rest assured, Nicklaus won’t be the last celebrity to make himself “available” as a digital twin in the online world. And there’s more to digital twins than celebrities.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is also available.

Links from this episode:

• How we’ll move celebrities into the metaverse
• This AI-powered Jack Nicklaus ‘twin’ will allow fans to interact with the golf legend
• ‘Digital Jack’ is here and he’s going to haunt your freaking nightmares
• The Best Examples Of Digital Twins Everyone Should Know About

The post FIR #269: Doppelgängers Everywhere! appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

While some assume NFTs are on their way out as the value of digital artwork has plummeted, brick-and-mortar retailers are increasingly finding ways to offer the ability to mint NFTs right in their stores. In this episode, Neville and Shel look at some of the latest developments in the evolution of collectible NFTs.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice weekly.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is also available.

Links from this episode:

• NFTs become physical experiences as brands offer in-store minting
• Wawa Adds NFT Topping to Hoagiefest
• GameStop’s NFT Marketplace Now on Public Beta Despite Crypto Winter
• GameStop launches NFT marketplace as it hunts for growth in digital-fueled turnaround

The post FIR #268: NFTs in the Checkout Lane appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

For years, Ernst & Young auditors have been cheating on an ethics test required for them to retain their Certified Public Accountant status. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has levied a record $100 million fine, both for the cheating and the Big Four accounting firm’s failure to assist in the SEC’s investigation. Now that it has all gone public, what can E&Y do to rebuild trust among its clients and the public? Neville and Shel share what reputation experts have to say along with their own recommendations.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• Ernst & Young hit with $100 million fine over cheating on ethics tests
• Accounting giant Ernst & Young admits its employees cheated on ethics exams
• PR pros on how Ernst & Young can rebound after cheating scandal results in $100m SEC fine

The post FIR #267: Rebuilding Trust After An Ethics Scandal appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Big Four accounting firm KPMG has committed $30 million to the metaverse in order to establish an “innovation hub” and train employees so they will be prepared to work with clients as the metaverse becomes a more common interface. Like many organizations, KPMG is citing breathtaking figures as it predicts the metaverse’s eventual value. Neville and Shel discuss KPMG’s move, various metaverse valuations, and other metaverse-related news and information in this FIR short.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• As KPMG enters the metaverse, the Big 4 firm calls multitrillion-dollar estimates ‘conservative’
• KPMG enters the metaverse, invests $30M in Web3 employee training
• Metaverse Could Contribute $3 Trillion to Global GDP Within a Decade
• Elon University & Pew Research look ahead to the metaverse of 2040

The post FIR #266: How Many Trillions Will The Metaverse Be Worth? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

As the economy cooks, inflation ratchets up, and interest rates rise, some companies are faced with laying off staff. As we have moved to remote and hybrid work, how those layoffs are handled is changing. But is it ever a good idea to lay someone off over Zoom or Teams? And if so, are there good and bad ways to go about it?

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• The art of giving out virtual pink-slips
• Tidal wave of layoffs hits San Fran
• When Remote Layoffs Are Inevitable, How to Cut Ties Gracefully
• Pokémon Go developer Niantic cancels four projects and lays off more than 80 people
• Can Employees Be Dismissed Over Zoom?
• Can employers really fire people over Zoom?

The post FIR #265: Fired Over Zoom appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

From the title of this episode, you might think we were talking about company sources going on background when speaking to a reporter. (Quick advice: Don’t. Either be on the record or don’t talk to a journalist.) But that’s not what this episode is about. Instead, we’re talking about Zoom backgrounds (or Teams, or Skype, or Webex, or Google Meet, or whatever). With flexible work the order of the day in many organizations, is it time to give serious consideration to what people see behind you in a call? There’s a book (that’s right, an entire book) on the subject. We cover it in 15 minutes.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• You’re Still on Mute (The New York Times)
• Room Rater on Twitter
• How to Zoom Your Room: Room Rater’s Ultimate Style Guide (Claude Taylor’s book on Amazon)
• Fathom (free Zoom note-taking app)

The post FIR #264: On Background appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In the monthly long-form episode for June, Neville and Shel consider a Google employee’s claim that the company’s AI has become sentient, the reactions the claim has provoked, and what it might mean for business communicators. Also in this episode:

• Is being in the office really the only way for employees who don’t normally work together to encounter one another?
• Copyright trolls are suing people over Creative Commons photos
• Now that the metaverse is gaining momentum, it’s time to consider how to market and communicate there
• Should you spend any more time developing your personal brand?
• The state of PR is changing

In his tech report, Dan York talks about countries that want to change the Internet from a “permissionless” place to one where you have to pay for access to users.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 18. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will appear once or twice each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• FIR on Spotify
• Google engineer put on leave after saying AI chatbot has become sentient
• The Google engineer who thinks the company’s AI has come to life
• The dangerous fallacy of sentient AI
• Blake Lemoine Says Google’s LaMDA AI Faces ‘Bigotry’
• Google has not created sentient AI — yet
• The old rules don’t apply (The Small Data Forum Podcast)
• ‘Sentient’ artificial intelligence: Have we reached peak AI hype?
• Why We Need More Than Offices to Foster Connection and Belonging at Work
• Staying Visible When Your Team Is in the Office…But You’re WFH
• The Personal Brand Is Dead
• Marketing in the metaverse: An opportunity for innovation and experimentation
• SALT food and beverage marketing consultancy launches in metaverse
• Communicating In The Metaverse? Keep Your Eyes Wide Open
• ‘Copyright Trolls’ Are Suing People Over Creative Commons Photos
• New Muck Rack survey: The State of PR 2022
• ‘First to be chopped from the budget’: PR professionals weigh in on changing communications landscape as clients seek viral fame
• New #StateOfPR research finds a growing industry stunted by skills shortage
• CIPR State of the Profession 2022 (Slideshare; paywalled site)

Links from Dan York’s Report

• EU Telcos Want Big Tech and Streamers to Invest in Their Networks
• “Sender-pays” rule doesn’t necessarily increase telecom investment (from 2012)
• Old Rules in New Regulations – Why “Sender Pays” Is a Direct Threat to the Internet

The post FIR #263: It’s Alive! (AI, That Is. Or Is It?) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In the tech industry, there’s a trend: Rescinding offer letters as a cost-cutting measure. In this short episode of “For Immediate Release,” Neville and Shel explore the PR and internal comms repercussions of these moves.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 19. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• Revoking job offers is an increasingly common cost-cutting strategy
• Beware: Rescinding Job Offers Can Prompt Legal Consequences

The post FIR #262: You’re Hired! Or Not… appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.