GRANT

This Week: Press Release Picks

Posted on by CAKinney412

Some people in the public relations and marketing fields believe that press releases are irrelevant.

I don’t believe this is true.  Now more than ever, we need a recognizable form of communication that is reliable and factual.  The press release, when handled properly, is the perfect way to share information that is important.

In defense of the press release, I will share a few  you may have missed during the week that are especially important to journalists, and public relations and marketing pros. 

 

Press Release Picks: Dec. 31, 2016 – Jan. 6, 2017

  • Career Builder, Inc.:  “Forty Percent of Employers Plan to Hire Full-Time, Permanent Employees in 2017, CareerBuilder’s Annual Job Forecast Finds”.

The two most important things for you to know is that (1) 41% of employers will communicate with potential job seekers via email to schedule interviews and (2) 63% of employers said they expect employees across job functions to have some experience with social media.

 

  • Today, January 6th, would have been Louis Harris‘ 96th birthday.  Mr. Harris was the founder of the Harris Poll, that helped shape the way marketers, public relations pros and politicians conduct and analyze surveys and polling. Mr. Harris passed away on December 17, 2016. If you’ve ever conducted market research or a focus group or followed political predictions on the news, you can thank Mr. Harris for his innovative approaches to the science of gathering data.

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    Photo of Louis Harris courtesy of The New York Times

 

  • CyberVista:  “Cyber Experts Revealed Biggest Threats For 2017, How To Secure Connected Devices At 2nd Annual CES CyberSecurity Forum, Presented By CyberVista”.  

What you need to know about the results of this forum held in Las Vegas is that “Every company not only has to have a cybersecurity plan but it must be communicated to everyone, including the CEO” (Dell Data Security Vice President Brett Hansen).  Part of the PR/marketing team’s responsibility is to communicate information to employees and management in order to achieve a cohesive atmosphere.  Cybersecurity continues to be a hot topic and it’s important to understand your company’s or organization’s policies and objectives in this matter. 

 

“The Anti-Defamation League and The Natan Fund are pleased to announce Innovate Against Hate, an innovation prize intended to catalyze the creation of grassroots approaches to counter the rise of hate online, to deter abuse, and to protect users from cyber harassment. While the findings in a recent ADL study documenting a troubling year-long rise in anti-Semitic hate focused specifically on journalists, the growth of various forms of bigotry, online harassment, and cyberbullying warrants a broader focus. This partnership is intended to catalyze creative approaches to uncovering and combating not only anti-Semitism, but a myriad of forms of hate online.

Applications will be screened and five finalists will participate in a “fast pitch” competition in front of a panel from ADL and Natan at an event.

One first-place winner will receive a grant of $35,000;

One runner-up will receive a grant of $15,000.

WHO

Innovative nonprofit organizations and individuals, including but not limited to programmers, students, academics, journalists, artists, and social entrepreneurs in the United States should consider applying. Innovate Against Hate project proposals should seek to do one or more of the following:

  • Develop positive, constructive efforts to understand, expose and undermine some form of online hate, such as harassment, extremism, or cyberbullying;
  • Educate diverse audiences about the contours and dangers of hate online, particularly those that chill the ability or willingness of people to use social media;
  • Build awareness of existing tools available on various social media platforms to tackle hate, and encourage not only their active use, but also ways to improve them; and
  • Encourage counter speech initiatives that bring Jewish and other ethnic and religious communities together to speak out against and overwhelm hate speech online.”

To apply for consideration of this grant, visit the Innovate Against Hate page of the ADL.