Oura CEO debunks rumors on Reddit, showcases crisis comms strategy

EDIT: Turned off comments now because it was turning into lots of AI spam. Thanks to the real humans who shared your insights - lots of food for thought! PRs: can you *please* stop taking screenshots of journo requests made on closed request sites and sharing them on LinkedIn just to make a statement about the media industry? In the past week I’ve seen two examples of this, where a PR has said: “Look, this journo said *this* in their request and that means XYZ about the state of media today…” - and hasn’t blacked out out the journalist’s name or publication. This is NOT COOL for lots of reasons. The main one being that often journalists don’t want the general public (and our rival publications) to know exactly what we’re working on before it’s published. Yes I know journo request sites aren’t private, but I assume my requests are going to a closed group of PR professionals who are going to keep it to themselves because they respect my story is exclusive to me until it’s out in the world. Maybe that’s naive... But the fact that I now risk having that info shared publicly, for the sole purpose of point scoring on social media, really puts me off sending out requests. That’s annoying for me because these sites are really useful for finding experts, and annoying for you because you’re going to miss out on opportunities to get your expert some decent press coverage. OK, #rantover.

PR Tip Tuesday: Build genuine relationships with journalists before you need them. Engage with their content on social media, comment on their stories, and provide valuable insights without always pitching. This is more important now than ever because the proliferation of AI is creating a deluge of emails in journalists' inboxes, making it hard to cut through the clutter without an existing relationship.

Hate to say that I called it, but I called... some of it. Sherwood News posted this story about Google getting sued by the publisher of Rolling Stone and Variety. The graphic below appeared in the story. Here's the TL:DR: 1) Yet another lawsuit - Publisher vs. AI 2) Serious decline in news site traffic from search year-over-year 3) Hello Substack! (earlier this year, I opined that Substack would see traffic growth because of Meredith Klein (she/her) and other creators going to the platform for many reasons, AI being one) As many have now caught up on the "AI is disrupting search" conversation, we are seeing more proof about the pressures being put on journalists. In some respects, the fundamentals of PR still hold - know your audience, where to reach them, what to say to them, how best to say it, and at the right time. The "where" part of this equation is the challenge/opportunity in front of us as an industry, because the calculus of this graphic and the GEO media relations data isn't mathing in favor of PR professionals. I believe the opportunity to overcome this challenge can be found in your playbooks from 2012-2018 - among many things: 1) Smarter/faster/better media relations - more swings for fewer opportunities, so we need the goods to break through 2) Build a home for the content your audience craves - re-read the Muck Rack report, but pay attention to the "corporate blog" data 3) Expand/enhance the reach of your message through digital channels - it was Twitter back then, LinkedIn today

Censorship on social media—and the algorithms that enforce it—is a direct violation of free speech and expression. Every political perspective has faced “content moderation.” It’s as if some uptight grandmother wrote the rules, strictly forbidding anything that might offend, treating people’s sensibilities as if they were paper-thin. Constant monitoring, restriction, and dilution of ideas is not freedom—it’s a direct threat to free speech and open expression.

Social media is reshaping our brains. Studies show that constant scrolling reduces attention span and increases anxiety — yet it also connects us, educates us, and gives marginalized voices a platform. A 2019 study published in Nature Communications found that dopamine-driven feedback loops on platforms reinforce addictive use patterns. The paradox: tools designed to connect us may also fragment our focus.

There are dubious PR agencies out there spamming journalists with AI drivel, touting fake experts. Another thing making all our jobs harder. One way of telling a good PR agency, or even a legitimate one from a dodgy one, is to see how many journalists follow its founder on LinkedIn. Or X. And how many journalists the founder followers. Shows genuine contacts, and genuine interest in the media. More on the ‘fake PRs’ here in the comments. Another good piece by Rob Waugh

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭-𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠? Can crowd-sourced fact-checking be deployed as an effective alternative to traditional expert-based moderation? In their new PNAS paper, Isaac Slaughter, Axel Peytavin, Johan Ugander, and Martin Saveski analyze > 40,000 posts on X (formerly Twitter) to assess the impact of 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬, a system that lets users collaboratively write and rate fact-checks on potentially misleading posts. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 Community Notes significantly reduce engagement with false content: Reposts: ↓ 46.1% Likes: ↓ 44.1% Replies: ↓ 21.9% Views: ↓ 13.5% Cumulative reductions over a post’s lifetime: Reposts: ↓ 11.6% Likes: ↓ 13.3% Replies: ↓ 6.9% Views: ↓ 5.5% Notes alter how misinformation spreads: ➡️ Shallower and less “viral” cascades ➡️ Reduced depth and structural virality of reposts Most effective when notes are added quickly, especially within 12 hours of post creation. Simpler, moderately long notes and those addressing altered media or satire are more impactful. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ➡️ Platforms can meaningfully reduce the reach of misinformation using scalable, community-driven tools. ➡️ Speed and clarity matter: early, simple, and well-targeted notes are most effecitve. ➡️ Encouraging crowd-sourced participation in moderation may complement professional fact-checking and restore trust. In sum, with millions of users actively rating notes and open-source algorithms, Community Notes offer a promising blueprint for democratized misinformation control. #socialmedia #crowdsourcing #society #engagement Sander van der Linden Stephan Lewandowsky Jon Roozenbeek Steve Rathje

📢 🆕 NEW in Local Government Studies: 'Twitter communication in times of crisis: how do German local governments use and frame social media messages and how do citizens react to them?' Hannes Lampe & Dominik Vogel explore how different message framings – analytical vs. emotional – affect citizen responses: approval (likes), diffusion (retweets), and engagement (replies). #openaccess https://lnkd.in/gH4HPf_k

Friday has rolled around again, so it’s time for the next instalment of my bi-weekly (ish) Pitch Smarter post. This is where I share a round-up of tools and tips that can help PRs understand what journalists need and ultimately pitch better. If you work with cybersecurity or enterprise tech clients like me, The Stack is a must-read. The site covers interviews, sharp analysis and genuine, helpful insight and intelligence for digital leaders. Reading through the site is useful both for spotting angles and understanding what’s cutting through in UK tech media. I’ve also recently subscribed to the newsletter, which is well worth adding to your weekly routine. Sign up free here: https://lnkd.in/eV4yxgET Placing comments and bylines is an everyday task in PR, but sometimes even the best pitchers need some inspiration. Featured is a platform that connects subject-matter experts with publishers looking for contributed pieces and expert comment. Make sure to vet the outlet, brief carefully and check the contribution serves a genuine editorial purpose (not pay-to-play). While pitching directly to your contacts based on your knowledge of the media should not be abandoned, this is another tool to add to your arsenal of pitching techniques. Check it out here: https://featured.com/ AI is coming at us all so fast that it can feel impossible to keep up. This newsletter tracks exactly what OpenAI has been up to, from new releases to experiments and updates. Then it explains why it matters. For PRs working with tech clients (or any sector where AI is having an impact), it’s an easy way to stay on top of AI news without drowning in hype. Also great fodder for spotting newsjacking opps and client conversations. Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/etnWx3JM If you’ve got a tool, tip or journalist resource that PRs should know about, I’m all ears. Send it my way and I’ll include the best in the next round-up.

Traditional social platforms thrive on disconnection, keeping you engaged but isolated. PULZ flips the model by making your location the center of your social graph. Discover what it means to be truly present in your community while using technology as a bridge, not a barrier. https://rebrand.ly/pulz