The PR Watercooler – Trust, Local News and Impressive Person Edition

PR watercooler

Welcome to the “PR Watercooler” a semi-regular series where I scour the web for interesting PR trends, news and people.

It was a schizophrenic January full of snow and 60-degree weather in Richmond. Much like me at the end of a House Hunters episode, the first 31 days of the year couldn’t make up its mind. Here are a few PR-related stories I’ve enjoyed recently – just as easily read in a sweater or a short sleeve shirt.

2018 Edelman Trust Barometer Reveals Record-Breaking Drop in Trust in the U.S.: Trust me, this isn’t good. Edelman released its annual Trust Barometer and the U.S. has suffered the largest-ever-recorded drop in the survey’s 17 year history. Trust among America’s informed public plummeted a dizzying 23 points to 45. Of the 28 countries surveyed, U.S. trust ranked the lowest. If there’s one sliver of good news for PR pros, it’s that trust toward subject matter experts like CEOs, technical experts and entrepreneurs went up.

Google Bulletin is the company’s first foray into crowdsourced, hyperlocal news: PR pros specializing in local media relations, pay attention to this one. Google is testing local news strategies with a new app called Bulletin in Nashville, Tennessee and Oakland, California. From the Verge, “Bulletin lets users post photos, video, and messages directly to the web straight from their phones, without needing an existing blog or website. According to Google’s bare-bones website about the app, Bulletin stories are public and can be accessed through Google search, shared on social networks, or sent in emails and messaging apps.”

How to Win Founders and Influence Everybody: Meet the Olivia Pope of startup and tech PR. Wired.com profiles Margit Wennmachers, a communications pro and venture capitalist who’s helped shape the narrative of Silicon Valley. No, really: She’s worked with Amazon, Facebook and Etsy, just to name a few. The piece is full of interesting gems, from crisis communications tips to how Wennmachers worked to ensure positive news coverage when Skype went public.

Cameron McPherson

Cameron builds strategic communication campaigns that increase awareness and build public support. His familiarity with Virginia’s local markets helps clients navigate and understand complex and emerging issues. He frequently assists new companies, restaurants and other organizations launch in the Richmond market through public relations tactics.

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