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PR Future, the USC Center for Public Relations PodcastAuthor: USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations, Fred Cook, University of Southern California
The PR Future podcast from the USC Center for Public Relations (CPR) shares the latest trends and provides insight into the future of public relations and strategic communication. Produced at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and hosted by CPR Director and Golin Chairman Emeritus Fred Cook, #PRFuture features discussions with communication executives, academics, students and more as part of our mission to define the future of our industry and to develop those who will shape it. Our fall 2024 and spring 2025 seasons will include interviews with our Board of Advisers members and their agency teams discussing recent research, reflecting on the ethical use of AI, and examining upcoming themes in our 2025 Global Communication Report. Language: en Genres: Business, Courses, Education, Marketing Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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PRWeek Replay: AI Activated Discussion
Monday, 9 June, 2025
This episode is a replay of special podcast hosted by PRWeek about the 2025 USC Relevance Report. This special PRWeek podcast, "AI Activated," brought together three PR industry leaders and PRWeek Hall of Famers to discuss AI's impact on public relations. Hosted by Steve Barrett, Editorial Director of PR Week, the conversation featured:Frank X. Shaw, Chief Communications Officer at MicrosoftMelissa Waggener Zorkin, Global CEO of We. CommunicationsFred Cook, Director of USC Center for Public Relations and Chairman Emeritus at GolinThe discussion centered on research from Microsoft, We. and USC about AI's transformative effects on PR practices. AI's Impact on PR and the Role of Humanity 0:02Balancing AI and Humanity in Storytelling 2:31Fostering an AI-Ready Culture 5:49Challenges and Opportunities in AI Adoption 12:48AI in Media Relations and Measurement 16:21Preparing the Next Generation of PR Pros 22:17The Future of AI in PR 27:34Key insights include:AI as a Tool, Not a ReplacementThe panel emphasizes that AI should enhance human storytelling and relationships rather than replace them. Frank Shaw compared current AI adoption to the early days of personal computers, suggesting we're just beginning to understand its potential.Creating an AI-Ready CultureMelissa Waggener Zorkin highlights the importance of employer encouragement in AI adoption, noting that organizations should empower employees to experiment with AI tools and celebrate early adopters who can share knowledge across teams.Education and Skill DevelopmentFred Cook shares his experience incorporating AI into USC student projects, revealing how prompt engineering skills significantly impact results. He notes that students who crafted detailed prompts received better AI outputs than those using basic instructions.Practical ApplicationsThe conversation covers AI applications in content creation, data analysis, media relations, and measurement. Frank Shaw discusses using AI for strategic planning and information capture, while Melissa emphasizes AI's democratizing effect, allowing professionals at all levels to contribute innovative approaches.Future OutlookThe panel agrees that AI will make PR more exciting for young professionals by automating routine tasks and allowing them to focus on more strategic and creative work. The podcast referenced two reports for further reading: "Energized by AI" and "The Relevance Report."The USC Relevance Report of 40+ forward-looking essays about the current and future use of AI in public relations is available for free download at annenberg.usc.edu/relevance. A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.Host, Fred CookExecutive Producer, Ron AntonetteSeason 6 Producers, Javiera Contreras, Anahita Mehra, Joe Carreon, Marshall WinfieldCreated by ZaZu Lippert LINKSFollow the USC Center for PR (@usccenterforpr) on Instagram and LinkedIn. Follow Fred Cook on LinkedIn. Find all our reports at annenberg.usc.edu/cpr.
