Dalvin Brown

In today’s information age, the role of media is paramount in shaping public opinion and guiding the collective consciousness. However, beneath the surface lies a network of covert operations and hidden agendas that manipulate the news we consume. This article delves deep into the mechanisms through which media outlets covertly influence narratives and control the flow of information. The Hidden Hand: Media Manipulation Tactics https://lnkd.in/eQjQywmE

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The blush boom is real. Not only is the category a viral mainstay and a steady driver of makeup growth since 2023, per Circana, but it also raked in $58.9 million in revenue on Amazon during the last 12 months, growing at a rate of 39 percent year-over-year. This outpaces not just makeup’s growth of 25 percent during the same period, but also beauty and personal care’s overall sales growth of 30 percent on the platform. Here, a dive into Amazon's burgeoning blush business for WWD: https://lnkd.in/epuuW9y9

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In today’s Substack, I address an elephant in the room: the growing disconnect between in-house marketing managers and PR agencies. Are we seeing more under-experienced marketing managers who don’t fully understand today’s comms landscape? Is the hiring process broken? I’d love to hear your thoughts. x

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As our world gets more fraught and complex, audiences are increasingly choosing news sources which are more visual, reports are more watched, less read, with YouTube continuing its rise. The implications of this trend for deep understanding of difficult issues is worth pondering. More people are concerned about how to grapple with the rising torrent of fake news, and many having doubts about how AI might be deployed by newsrooms. Edelman has partnered with the Reuters Institute for this annual report as we are all in the business of communicating and good, credible and trusted information is critical to everyone in that process

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How is #GenAI impacting modern #journalism?🦾💪🏻 Great question - thanks FleishmanHillard for asking it and inviting me to a recent talk in NYC to dig into this topic. Senior leaders at ADWEEK, Axios, Business Insider, Harvard Business Review and POLITICO shared that today’s newsrooms are integrating AI to complement the core human elements of journalism - but #transparency and #trust are everything. Here’s how the experts are approaching this: 👁 Continue to be 💯 percent transparent about how AI is being used to enhance storytelling strategies 🖇 Always couple AI with human intelligence 🕸 Ensure training, processes, guardrails and ethical considerations remain at the forefront A few examples of how newsrooms are putting GenAI to work: headline generation, transcribing podcasts, helping with research, summarizing complex reports or bills / itemizing content, digesting meeting notes or building decks. ..sounds a lot like how my team and our agency partners are using GenAI - what about you? Share your experiences and tips below👇🏻

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While A. LOT. has been written about Google’s algorithm leak from earlier this year, I took more of a #B2B approach. In this piece for Future B2B – with thanks to solid guidance from Melissa and excellent editing help from Susan – I dove into how Google tends to approach more niche and B2B publishers in its search engine (hint: it’s not always that favorable) and the world of #slop. Both of which point to the need for proper content curation. https://lnkd.in/gXuPiYHx

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As many of the folks in my network gear up for #ClimateWeekNYC, I wrote about the importance of storytelling for the weekly 17 Communications impact newsletter. DM me if you'd like to be added to the distribution list! See below for an excerpt and read the full newsletter at https://lnkd.in/eGPCPckD I’ve attended Climate Week NYC for each of the past two years and have always come away feeling excited, inspired and curious. There are so many people doing such interesting things to address climate change, even if the news cycle most days seems apocalyptic. News stories about heat waves, droughts or natural disasters don’t seem to have quite the same effect as they used to – perhaps because we’ve all become numb to the tragedy. But there are still some mediums that are capable of breaking through the numbness and motivating changes in people’s behavior. Books. On my train ride to last year’s Climate Week NYC I read “The Ministry for the Future,” a climate sci-fi book that explored what it might look like if the world got its act together in time. The author, Kim Stanley Robinson, recently gave an interview to the FT in which he said that people are attracted to the book because it can replace “feelings of futility or despair” with “relatively justifiable hope.” As for his motivation? “You tell the story in an attempt to forestall it by informing people in advance.” My take is that the book found a way to balance blind optimism and cynical pessimism in a way that felt refreshingly human. Most news coverage these days tends towards the dark and stormy, but long-form writers like Robinson are able to take a step back and offer a more balanced perspective that feels more real and accessible for a general audience. TV. Like many of my colleagues who work in finance, I’ve become enamored by the steady stream of excellent TV series that bring viewers into the wacky world of finance. Billions is the most obvious example, but even hit shows like Silicon Valley and Succession explore complex financial themes that are integral to the narrative. The new show that should be on everyone’s watchlist is Industry, which explores the inner workings and general tomfoolery of an investment bank in London. While their episodes focused on the ESG craze have been cringeworthy, I appreciate that a major company like HBO would green-light a project that offers a somewhat realistic view into how the finance world works, and why it sometimes doesn’t work. The 3rd episode, which is primarily set at a major climate conference, shows how the worlds of finance and sustainability interact, with profit rather than purpose motivating most decision-making. The link between these examples is storytelling... Stories are what power human ingenuity and creativity, and are how we are able to connect across racial, cultural and economic divides. 

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When I ask potential clients what their dream media targets are, the answer is often the same: "Wall Street Journal!" "New York Times!" "TODAY Show!" "Washington Post!" "Forbes!" Oftentimes, those top-tier placements are what clients expect right out of the gate. I'm all for dreaming big, but for the right reasons and with the understanding that big wins (most often) don't happen overnight. Sure, the credibility of top-tier media is unparalleled. But don't poo-poo the power of trade and local media placements. Trade and local media are tremendously valuable for building your media chops and credibility. And, for many businesses, trade or local media is where they can get directly in front of their audience. Again, by all means, dream big, but don't neglect the value trade and local media can provide. #purposedrivenPR - - - - - - - - - - 👋 Hi, I'm Rhiannon. I help purpose-driven organizations (nonprofit and do-good companies) generate consistent media coverage and thought leadership opportunities to increase awareness, influence, and impact. Have a question about PR? DM me!

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Considering a career in public relations? Check out this piece by Christina Fera and Emilita Dela Cruz on the internship experience at Argyle. Thanks for sharing Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) - Toronto! #pr #publicrelations #prcareer

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🙂 We all should be divergents 🙃 On my way to NYC, I watched Divergent for the seventh time — one of my favorite trilogies. The film explores a society divided into factions, each representing a different value: Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent), and Amity (the peaceful). The moral of the story, though, is that humans need all of these traits to be whole. If you’re too brave, you might become reckless and put yourself or others at risk. If you’re too selfless, you could lose yourself in making others comfortable. Too much intelligence without empathy can be dangerous, and if you focus too much on peace, you may overlook justice and urgency. In NYC these past few days, attending the Summit of the Future, UNGA, SDIM, the Climate Justice Summit, and more, I saw reflections of these traits in myself and others. I mapped 53 events, attended 22, and spoke at 9 of them — amazing opportunities to connect with a global community and amplify our impact. Yet I couldn’t shake the sense that we weren’t being candid enough with each other. Sometimes I feel an inexplicable need to say things that I might regret later, and this feeling held me back during my time in NYC. I attended all these events, but I couldn’t help feeling that we were tiptoeing around the real issues. I sat in small rooms with survivors of human trafficking, sexual abuse, and all sorts of violence — people who had every reason to give up but never lost hope. I witnessed history being made but still left feeling it wasn’t enough. Why? Because of mistrust and the lack of radical candor that our society desperately needs. Am I crazy for thinking that honesty could heal us? I talked about storytelling, rebuilding trust, emotional triggers, and community-led projects. I shared ideas like "data basic income," which puts Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) at the center of the digital economy — not only as data collectors but as leaders in biodiversity monitoring and conservation. At one point, in tears, I pleaded with leaders in the entertainment and communications industries to help us redefine our culture — from fear to love, from scarcity to abundance, from trauma to positive experiences. Yet, even after all these conversations, I still think we’re holding back. We fail to address the elephants in the room. Do we want a fair transition? Then the only way forward is to move away from fossil fuels, even if it means less short-term profit for a few shareholders. Do we want to engage youth voices? We must truly recognize their value, open doors, and stop protecting our positions from them. Like in the movie, the solution is to be divergent — to challenge the status quo, to commit to doing the right thing not for personal gain, but for the greater good. Divergence doesn’t mean endless disagreement; it means respecting boundaries, values, and beliefs while pursuing global solidarity over unilateral sovereignty.

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Join me July 11 at 3:30 EST for this Notified webinar, where I'll share advice and tips on effectively pitching your press releases to journalists. Hope to see you there, along with the 800+ people already registered - the link to sign up is in the comments. We'll cover: ➡️ What a press release is - and isn't - for 👍 ➡️ What to include in a well-written release 📝 ➡️ The best methods to pitch your news to journalists 🗣 ➡️ Other ways you can repurpose your release ♻️ #publicrelations #mediarelations #PRtips

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Harris campaign deceiving people by rewriting Real News Headlines on Google. Sara Fischer Axios: "Examples include The Independent UK, NPR, AP, The Guardian, USA Today, PBS, CNN, CBS News, Time and others, including local outlets like North Dakota radio station WDAY Radio." "The ads include links to real articles from the news outlets, but the headlines and supporting text have been altered to read as though the articles support the Harris campaign's objectives." "The ads say that they are sponsored, but it's not immediately clear that the text that accompanies real news links is written by the campaigns and not by the media publication itself." "For example, an ad that ran alongside an article from The Guardian shows a headline that reads 'VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans - Harris Defends Repro Freedom' and then includes supporting text underneath the headline that reads, 'VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will stop Trump's abortion bans.' " "An ad featuring a link to an NPR story reads, 'Harris Will Lower Health Costs,' with supporting text that says, 'Kamala Harris will lower the cost of high-quality affordable health care.' " "The political ad world has always been murky, but a lack of regulation in the digital world has put the onus on tech firms to decide what's deceptive and what's fair." "Ad-driven tech companies have to walk a fine line between transparency and efficiency. One of the reasons search ads are effective for advertisers is that they are embedded in line with actual search results in a very similar format." Google believes its sponsored disclosures are enough to keep voters from being misled, but media companies whose brands are being associated with political messages in unexpected ways, may feel differently." Google #kamalaharris #kamala #google #bigtech

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🔮 Prediction: As podcast listenership continues to grow in the US, we can expect to see a surge in niche content creation and diverse voices entering the space. 🎙️ With the rise of platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, the landscape for content creators is more dynamic than ever, providing greater opportunities for podcasters to reach diverse audiences. 🔍 Data shows that listeners are seeking out podcasts that cover a wide range of topics, from personal finance to pop culture, indicating a demand for both entertainment and educational content. 💡 This trend suggests that podcast creators who can find the sweet spot between engaging storytelling and valuable insights are poised for success in the ever-evolving podcast industry. Bottom line: As the popularity of podcasts continues to grow, there is immense potential for content creators to carve out their niche and engage with audiences in meaningful ways. Command Your Brand.

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A new survey from Edelman Financial Engines takes a look at where money and life intersect. The chart(s) below highlight a growing trend on social media... so-called #finfluencers. These people are essentially social media influencers/creators that share financial advice and information. Nearly three in ten US adults have believed false financial advice they have received on social media. When broken down by age, 42% of respondents in their 30s have believed this false information and 31% of those in their 40s. #finfluencers #socialmedia #finance #personalfinance #financialadvice #socialmediafinance #financialinfluencers #creators #socialcreators #creatorcontent #influencercontent

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How will AI impact the world of journalism? This report from Columbia Journalism Review is worth a read (or skim, it's lengthy). Felix M. Simon examines the use of AI across editorial, commercial, and technological domains and looks at the structural implications of AI in news organizations. Based on 134 interviews with news workers at 35 news organizations in the US, UK, and Germany and 36 international experts, the report explores the integration of AI with newsrooms and the question of whose interests are served by the increasing adoption of AI in the news and how this shift stands to reshape the public arena.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SWIFT IMPACT: POP SUPERSTAR'S ENDORSEMENT MAY BACKFIRE, SAYS LEADING U.S. MEDIA EXPERT Michael Levine Cites Poll Showing Taylor Swift's Support for Harris-Walz Ticket Turning More Voters Away Than It Attracts According to leading U.S. media expert and best-selling author Michael Levine, Taylor Swift's recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz might not be the vote-swaying move some expected. It could be driving more voters away than pulling them in. A new YouGov post-debate poll released on Saturday reveals that while 8% of voters said Swift's endorsement makes them "somewhat" or "much more likely" to vote for Harris and Walz, a staggering 20% said they are "somewhat" or "much less likely" to vote for the Democratic ticket now that Swift has thrown her weight behind it. A majority of 66% reported that Swift's endorsement will not influence their vote in November. Swift, a Grammy-winning artist with a massive social media following of 283 million, clarified her position shortly after the recent debate, stating, "I've done my research, and I've made my choice," in an Instagram post. Levine, renowned for his media and public influence expertise, suggests this polling data reflects a growing backlash against celebrity involvement in politics. "It's a fascinating example of how public figures may be miscalculating the influence they wield," Levine said. "While Swift's voice carries weight in popular culture, political endorsements may be an entirely different beast—one that could alienate more voters than it engages." As the 2024 election intensifies, this celebrity endorsement raises fresh questions about the power of star influence on American politics. https://lnkd.in/gM38yqZD #taylorswift #2024election #careeradvice #selfgrowth #motivationalcoach #businesscoach #personalcoach #michaellevineconsulting #michaellevine #whatisyourwhy #losangeles #wisdom

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"Best Practices For Pitching In 2024, a cold outreach email probably isn’t going to suffice. With journalists receiving hundreds of email pitches daily, we must get creative to ensure our messages stand out." Read more at the Forbes article here: https://lnkd.in/e7PQGP53 #pr #mediarelations #pitches

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