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📘 Fifteen Days of Silence: When Government Shuts Down, Communications Must Stay Open
Read more: 📘 Fifteen Days of Silence: When Government Shuts Down, Communications Must Stay OpenEditor’s note: As of October 15, 2025, the federal government shutdown has entered its 15th day. “Due to the lapse in federal funding, this account will not be updated until further notice.” Fifteen days later, that message continues to appear across dozens of official federal social media accounts. From the Department of Defense to the […]
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📘 Holding Statements: A Communicator’s Quickest Tool in a Crisis
Read more: 📘 Holding Statements: A Communicator’s Quickest Tool in a CrisisWhen a crisis unfolds, time is the one resource communicators never have enough of. Reporters are calling, social media is buzzing, and the public is demanding answers. The reality is simple: silence creates a vacuum that others will fill, often with speculation or misinformation. That’s where holding statements come in. A holding statement is a […]
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📘 In Moments of Tragedy, Communicators Must Be Anchors of Truth
Read more: 📘 In Moments of Tragedy, Communicators Must Be Anchors of TruthI’ve thought long and hard about whether to publish this reflection. The murder of Charlie Kirk was a horrific tragedy, and my first instinct was simply to reflect quietly. But after several days of reflection, I believe there is value for communicators in considering the role we play during moments like this. My intent is […]
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📘 Servant Leadership as a Public Information Officer: Leading Through Service, Not Command
Read more: 📘 Servant Leadership as a Public Information Officer: Leading Through Service, Not CommandI’ve been seeing a number of articles and conversations lately about servant leadership versus command leadership. That got me thinking: what does servant leadership look like in the world of communications? After doing some reading and some critical thinking, I realized that the principles of servant leadership fit naturally with the role of the public […]
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📘 Prepare for the 5%: How PIOs Can Use National Preparedness Month to Sharpen Crisis Readiness
Read more: 📘 Prepare for the 5%: How PIOs Can Use National Preparedness Month to Sharpen Crisis ReadinessSeptember is National Preparedness Month, a reminder that readiness is not just for the public, first responders, emergency managers, or frontline staff. It’s just as critical for communicators. Public Information Officers (PIOs) play a vital role in every incident response, ensuring the right messages reach the right people at the right time. Yet, too often, […]
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📘 When Words Aren’t Enough: Communicating Through a School Shooting
Read more: 📘 When Words Aren’t Enough: Communicating Through a School ShootingI wasn’t going to write about this week’s school shooting — mostly because, as a dad of a four-year-old in pre-K, I didn’t know what to say. The thought of reflecting on it more deeply makes me sad, sick, angry, and overwhelmed with emotions. But I spoke with my mom after the shooting, and she […]
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📘 Good to Great: What Separates a Communicator from a Strategic Communicator
Read more: 📘 Good to Great: What Separates a Communicator from a Strategic CommunicatorWhether in corrections, emergency management, health care or local government, being a communicator means having the skills to share information. But being a strategic communicator means knowing how to lead with it. That distinction matters — especially in high-stakes environments where public trust, safety and credibility are on the line. As someone who has led […]
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📘 ADA Compliance for PIOs: Why Accessibility Should Be a Core Communication Strategy
Read more: 📘 ADA Compliance for PIOs: Why Accessibility Should Be a Core Communication StrategyAs public information officers (PIOs), we’re in the business of communicating clearly, accurately, and inclusively. But how often do we consider whether our materials are truly accessible to everyone? ADA compliance—referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act—isn’t just a legal box to check. It’s a professional standard and an ethical responsibility. For government agencies, public […]
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📘 Announcing Deaths: Why Respecting Families Should Come Before Public Timelines
Read more: 📘 Announcing Deaths: Why Respecting Families Should Come Before Public TimelinesIn the world of public information and crisis communications, timing matters. But sometimes, decency matters more. Whether it’s a homicide, fatal crash, overdose, or other tragic circumstance, the death of a community member triggers a familiar process: agencies prepare a news release, social media post, or media statement. And often, just hours (in some cases […]
