Season 2 Wrap-Up: Fred Cook on Politics, Polarization and Purpose

PR Future, the USC Center for Public Relations Podcast

This past year and a half has been nothing short of historic. As we’ve chronicled momentous events in real time through a communications lens this season, our guests have provided invaluable insight into effectively addressing some of the most prominent social issues of today. Change, especially large-scale social change, is never easy. But through our research this past year, we’ve discovered that communications professionals have a significant role to play in creating it. How we work, why we create the content and campaigns that we do and who we stand up for will all play a role in the formation of our new normal.

In this special season finale episode, Fred and ZaZu bring together what they’ve learned from prominent communicators, political researchers and journalists this season in the context of the 2021 Global Communication Report. ZaZu and Fred will review some of the best advice they’ve received from our guests on everything from diversifying the workplace and leading with purpose to navigating the complex social media landscape and communicating effectively in a polarized nation.

This discussion is part of our series on the 2021 Global Communication Report, available now at https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/global-communication-report.

For more on these topics, check out the playback of the 31st Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YQGTFQpP8 and the playback of the Relevance Report 2021 Discussion at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK7keTLMP9U.

Featuring:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Guest Host:

ZaZu Lippert (@zazu_lippert), Noemi Pollack Scholar, USC Warren Bennis Scholar, B.A. in Public Relations, USC ‘22. Executive Producer of the #PRFuture podcast, co-author of “Trends and Best Practices in Brand Purpose Communication.”

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Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.