Talking Shop Podcast

Episode #66: Twitter's New Office Vernacular, Amazon Goes to Court, and Scabby the Inflatable Rat

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 23:40:00 +0800

This week's show opens with an announcement on the podcast's future, so give it a listen and see what's coming! We can't wait.

For our last show prior to the summer break, we sped through several issues including the White House stepping in to block non-compete clauses, Amazon's backtracking on its dispute resolution process after customers found an innovative way to make the e-commerce giant squirm, and speaking of 'giant', a massive inflatable rat has landed in court in the United States!

Tech companies have been experimenting with changes to their working styles, with some opting for more flexibility and others demanding employees return to the office. Twitter is focusing, instead, on the vernacular around remote work. In fact, the social network doesn't even like the term 'remote work' because it's not inclusive enough (which left us scratching our heads). You might be surprised what they prefer instead.

In Check This Out, Ewan looks at a documentary that looks back on the disaster that was Woodstock '99, while Cam looks back as well (much further) on the life of Joan Rivers and how she's viewed today in light of the #MeToo movement.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend or family member. It's the best way to get the word out and we are very grateful! We also frequently post updates to the stories we discuss on social media. You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Takeaways from President Biden's Executive Order on Non-Competes - The National Law Review
Amazon Ends Use of Arbitration for Customer Disputes - The New York Times
Scabby the Rat Survives NLRB Blowup Over Inflatables at Union Protests - Chicago Sun Times
Twitter Chief HR Officer Jennifer Christie Tweetstorm on New Office Culture - Twitter
Logan Mailleux Taken by Montreal Canadiens in NHL Draft Despite Teen's 2020 Troubles in Sweden - ESPN
Logan Mailleux Believes Being Drafted by Montreal Canadiens will Make Him a Better Person - ESPN

Check This Out

The Nightmare of Woodstock '99 Persists in HBO's New Documentary - Pitchfork
How Joan Rivers Got That Way - New Yorker

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

Episode #65: Don't Do This on Slack, and Don't Say This, Either!

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 21:15:00 +0800

With everything going digital in workplaces, it's getting harder and harder to keep secrets or speak with others in confidence. Three leaders in Netflix's marketing team found this out the hard way after they were fired for making disparaging remarks about the executive team at Netflix. Ewan walks us through what happened with advice on avoiding a similar fate. Cam mentions that several parts of the story haven't yet been made public, leading to damaging speculation.

In the PR segment, Cam walks listeners through creating a media brief or issues scan for executives. These are documents that companies, governments, NGOs and other organizations prepare for any executives about to do a media interview. Then he shares a list of terms of all professionals should avoid in their work. There's bound to be something in the list that you've used before!

In Check This Out, Ewan talks about the disruption facing the film industry while Cam goes hip-hop with a Canadian rapper talking about the birth of the music genre in the United States.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Netflix Fires Marketing Execs for Criticizing Bosses Over Slack - The Hollywood Reporter
Recode Media with Peter Kafka - Vox
Digiday Podcast - Digiday

Check This Out

Why Disney's 'Black Widow' Premium VOD Reveal Rattled Hollywood - The Hollywood Reporter
The Hip-Hop Evolution - Netflix

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #64: Why Content is So Important and Iceland's 4-day Work Week

Cam and Ewan — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 21:20:00 +0800

Companies have more tools than ever to broadcast their own messages, whether it's via a website, podcasts, newsletters, social media, or all of the above. Breene Murphy from Carbon Collective and the Forbes Communications Council joins the show this week to share his own experience with content marketing, as well as examine Andreessen Horowitz's decision to launch its own publication called Future (which we discussed at length in Episode #61). Content can help give a company a louder voice in a noisy marketplace, but Murphy talks about some other benefits that comms people and marketers might overlook.

We talk a lot about the future of work these days, particularly as we emerge from the global pandemic. Ewan shares a new study done in Iceland about a four-day work week, something that was obviously popular with workers. The thing is, the experiment also proved to be useful for employers. Ewan explains why.

In Check This Out we return to Britney Spears and her controversial conservatorship, while Cam brings up cancel culture and the case of a brave musician from the band Mumford and Sons.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Episode #61: Andreessen Horowitz Launches Future - PR & Law Podcast
Iceland's Four-Day Work Week Trial was a Triumph for All - Quartz

Check This Out

Britney Spears's Conservatorship Nightmare - The New Yorker
Substack: Winston Marshall was 'Bloody Terrified' to Quit Mumford & Sons. He Tells Me Why. - Common Sense with Bari Weiss

Guest

Breene Murphy is the vice president of strategy and marketing for Carbon Collective, an online climate friendly investment management platform. He is on the Forbes Communication Council, the advisory board for the University of California Irvine's Customer Experience Certificate Program as well as the advisory board for USC's Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies. He's a second generation marketer and an avid literature fan and surfer. He lives in Laguna Beach, California with his wife and two sons.

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #63: A PR Master Creates a Big Ol' PR Mess, LinkedIn's New Pronouns, and Critical Race Theory

Cam and Ewan — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 22:40:00 +0800

We ran through more topics on Episode 63 than we have in any other previous episode! (And somehow managed to keep it under an hour...)

We kicked off the show by mentioning the major anniversaries that are clustered in early July: Canada Day falls on July 1, as does the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty. There's Independence Day in the US on July 4, of course -- and one more: the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. It might not get the same attention in western media, but it might be the most important anniversary among the group. Cam talks about why.

Ewan dives right back into the future of work this week with new questions over the value of meeting in person or via chat and video conferencing apps. Is innovation more likely to happen in person? Do we even know?

Cam touches on LinkedIn's decision to roll out new pronoun options, and also looks at Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's decision to call out a reporter in public on its website. It's a power move that we're starting to see done more often. We also get into the fall of Teneo CEO Declan Kelly and how the #MeToo movement has upped the ante on misbehaving executives.

In Check This Out, Ewan talks Tarantino (as in Quentin) while Cam carefully wades into the hottest debate happening in the US these days: critical race theory.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Meetings. Why? - The New York Times
Do Chance Meetings at the Office Boost Innovation? There's No Evidence of It. - The New York Times
LinkedIn Adds Pronouns - Coywolf
Teneo CEO Allegedly Carried on an Affair with Senior Executive - Page Six
The Rise and Fall of Teneo's Declan Kelly - Wall Street Journal
How Teneo's Master of the Dark Arts Spun Out of Control - Financial Times
Post #MeToo, There's No Hiding Offensive Conduct - Bloomberg
A Statement by Declan Kelly - Teneo

Check This Out

Quentin Tarantino - WTF Podcast with Marc Maron
Fresh Air: The Battle Over Teaching Critical Race Theory - NPR

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #62: Who Wore Their Apology Better: Jeffrey Toobin or Chrissy Teigen?

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 21:40:00 +0800

Episode #62 marks our last show in June, so what better way to welcome in the summer months than by examining two high profile and embarrassing scandals.

Cam and Ewan return to the awkward Jeffrey Toobin apology and explanation live on CNN, but this time look at it from CNN's perspective. Unlike the New Yorker, where Toobin worked for 27 years, CNN didn't fire Toobin and found a way to bring him back onto the channel's airwaves. They didn't try and bury Toobin's return, either -- they went head-first into the scandal and asked Toobin very direct and personal questions to try and clear the air. It seems to have worked. The same can't be said for Chrissy Teigen, who is also mired in scandal after trolling people on Twitter for years. She hasn't found the same acceptance despite her apology, and the hosts discuss why.

We also look at the changing workplace and how COVID continues to change expectations and preferences for both companies and their employees. One trend on the rise - and was even gaining steam before the pandemic - is contract or freelance workers. Ewan walks us through what's happening, why this might be a good choice for employees, and what the pitfalls might be.

In Check This Out, Ewan shares an in-depth look at Amazon and its employee relations in light of the failed union drive in Bessemer, Alabama, while Cam shares this crazy thing. Yeah, we're not sure what it means either.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Workforce 2025: The Future of the World of Work - Randstad
Jeffrey Toobin's CNN Comeback is a Crisis PR Primer for Scandal-Ridden Washington - MediaPost
Episode #32: Jeffrey Toobin's Embarrassing Zoom Call - PR & Law Podcast
Hi Again - Chrissy Teigen (Medium)

Check This Out

Hard Bargain: How Amazon Turned a Generation Against Labor - Harper's Magazine
"This Chart is a Work of Art" - Katelyn Gadd (Twitter)

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #61: Will the Pandemic Affect Paternity Leave?

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 22:05:00 +0800

It was a busy show this week, with Ewan and Cam discussing everything from Covid vaccinations to Netscape; Christiano Rinaldo to Alexander Hamilton. So let's get started.

Paternity leave is a subject people love to debate. Policies on fathers taking leave to help out at home when a newborn comes along vary widely by jurisdiction -- but it could be just another fact of work life that is changing in a post-pandemic world. Millennials and Gen Zers are pushing for more progressive paternity leave policies and seeing some early victories. Ewan looks at the issue in detail, talks about what works and what doesn't, and why it's suddenly getting so much attention.

Cam talked about a big step taken by one of the most famous venture capital firms in the world, which decided to forego traditional media coverage and simply build their own tech news website. Tensions have been rising between Silicon Valley and the journalists who cover it, so the decision by Andreessen Horowitz to launch their own site, Future, could be a harbinger of things to come for other firms, too. Cam looks at why a16z felt compelled to build the site, and what it means for both in-house PR teams and journalists.

In Check This Out, Ewan debunks the crazy rumor that soccer star Christiano Rinaldo removing a Coke from a table led to a share plunge, while Cam recommends the new movie/musical In The Heights despite its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, coming under fire for "colorism" in casing the film. In the Heights was Miranda's first Broadway hit before he wrote Hamilton.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

A Fresh Look at Paternity Leave: Why the Benefits Extend Beyond the Personal -McKinsey & Company
Andreessen Horowitz Looks to Launch Opinion Publication as its Media Ambitions Grow - The Information (Paywall)
The Unauthorized Story of Andreessen Horowitz - Newcomer
Tech and Crypto Funder Andreessen Horowitz Wants to Replace the Media. Is That Bad News? - Fortune
Andreessen Horowitz Goes into Publishing with Future - TechCrunch
Andreessen Horowitz's Future is a Media Machine - Protocol
The New Media Mogul: Andreessen Horowitz - Axios
Doubling Down on the Future - Future

Check This Out

A Post-Truth World: Why Ronaldo Did Not Move Coca-Cola Share Price - Forbes
Lin-Manuel Miranda Responds to "In The Heights" Colorism Criticism - Rolling Stone
Sex, Deceit, and Scandal: The Ugly War Over Bob Ross' Ghost - Daily Beast

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #60: BrewDog Employees and CEO Drown the Beer's Reputation in Embarrassing Public Feud

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 15:00:00 +0800

We've talked a lot about legal cases on the show, but this week Ewan brings our attention to other effective ways to handle disputes. Mediation can be a useful part of any dispute resolution process and help lower the temperature, especially in particularly charged cases. Ewan argues it's also a great way for companies to manage bad press as the mediation process is usually kept confidential. He shares why mediation is often a better choice and why it's not used as much as it should be.

Then Cam dives into the ugly saga of BrewDog, a popular beer brewer that hails from Scotland. Hundreds of former and current employees published an open letter blasting the company and its CEO, James Watt, for creating a toxic work environment driven by fear. The allegations are serious and could damage the brand, but maybe not as much as Watt's reply. The CEO published a hasty response to Twitter around the same time staff leaked an internal memo, exposing the contradiction in the beer brand's messages. As the old PR adage goes, when you're in a hole, stop digging! Unfortunately, Watt appears to only have a shovel. We look at each sordid twist and turn in the dispute, which is likely to give the company's leaders and investors the ultimate hangover.

In Check This Out, Ewan talks about the race to space while Cam looks at internet culture and how Gen Zers are ridiculing millennials.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Episode #59: Apple Employees Reject Work from Home Plan in Public Letter - PR & Law Podcast
A Popular Podcast Dug Into Bon Appetit's Racism Scandal. Then its Own Host was Accused of Creating a 'Toxic' Workplace - Washington Post
An Open Letter to BrewDog - Punks with Purpose
Our Response from James Watt's Apology - Punks with Purpose

Check This Out

What Space Billionaires Cost Us - What Next: TBD Podcast (Slate)
What is 'Cheugy'? You Know It When You See It - New York Times
How a 17 Year Old's Birthday Party Became the Biggest Thing on the Internet - New York Times
Tik Tok Teens and K Pop Stans Say They Sunk Trump Rally - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #59: How "Work from Home" is Transforming the Workplace

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 20:05:00 +0800

We have dedicated a whole show to a subject that will affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide: flexible working hours and "work from home".

While staff in many Asian countries have been back to the office for a while now, companies in the United States and Canada are now rolling out announcements for an imminent return to the office. The problem? Not everyone wants to go back.

Aside from the pandemic, Ewan looks at some of the demographic changes that are giving the WFH movement an extra push, and shares his ideas on how employers and employees can prepare.

Then Cam gets specific -- with Apple. The company's CEO Tim Cook told staff last week they can return to the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday each week, while granting remote work on Wednesdays and Fridays -- a step widely seen as very accommodating for a company with an old school outlook when it comes to work. But that change wasn't good enough for thousands of employees who penned a lengthy letter taking the company to task for not doing more.

We look at this issue from every possible angle and hopefully stumble on some solutions.

In Check This Out, Ewan recommends an editorial on a horrific mass grave found in Canada, while Cam has bookmarked a New Yorker piece on the strange radio waves targeting US officials worldwide.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Workers are Gaining Leverage Over Employers Right Before our Eyes - The New York Times
New Report Says 'Demographic Drought' will Worsen Labor Shortage - Forbes
The Decline of Young People in America - Emsi
Real Estate Newsletter: Home Prices Hit an All-Time High - LA Times
Apple Asks Staff to Return to Office Three Days per Week Starting in Early August - The Verge
Employees are Quitting Instead of Giving Up Work from Home - Bloomberg

Check This Out

Kamloops Residential School's Unmarked Graves a Painful Reminder of Why We Need Leadership - The Globe and Mail

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #58: Ryanair Becomes Butt of Jokes after Ridiculous PR Statement

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 31 May 2021 21:55:00 +0800

We faced some outright silliness this week.

Ewan brought up Amy Cooper, who we discussed way back in Episode #8 after she phoned 911 because a black man in Central Park - who was bird watching - asked her to put her dog on a leash in a section of the park that requires dogs be on leashes. The video left no ambiguity about what happened, but it seems Cooper wants to try her luck anyway: she's suing her former employer, Franklin Templeton, for how the firm handled the case and her dismissal. Does she have a chance of winning? Ewan fills us in.

Then Cam looks at how Ryanair, the discount European carrier, handled its communications in the immediate aftermath of its commercial flight being forced to land in Minsk, Belarus so the government could detain a political dissident. Ryanair didn't just mess up, it kicked off an entire new hashtag at #RyanAirSummaries. If you need a laugh, go check it out. Cam talks about what might have happened, and how Ryanair could have done better.

Then we touch on the Friends Reunion, a second major embarrassment for a Canadian politician, and how the media is now taking a second look at the lab-leak origin theory for COVID-19.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Amy Cooper Sues Former Employer for Racial Discrimination - New York Times
Amy Cooper Sues Ex-Employer for Racial Discrimination after Viral Central Park Video - ABC News
Episode #8: Amy Cooper's Racist Tirade in Central Park - PR & Law Podcast
Belarus Ryanair Flight Diverted: Passengers Describe Panic on Board - BBC
Ryanair said Belarus Refused Pilot's Request to Contact Airline - Reuters
Ryanair Global Press Office Statement - Twitter
Revealed: The Transcript Between Belarus ATC and Ryanair Pilots - One Mile at a Time
The Ryanair Hijacking Pierced the Delusion of Flight - The Atlantic

Check This Out

Liberal MP's Latest Exposure Incident Being Taken 'Extremely Seriously,' says Whip - CBC News
The Media Lab Leak Fiasco - Slow Boring (Substack)
'Friends' Reunion Special Arrives on HBO Max on May 27 - CNBC

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #57: How Social Media Can Sink Your Job Prospects, and Apple Comms Responds to Damaging NYT Investigation on China

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 24 May 2021 22:00:00 +0800

What a show!

We covered a lot of ground this week, including the issue of social media and its impact on people's job prospects. Somehow we didn't touch on this fundamental issue in the previous 56 episodes of the show but certainly made up for it this week. Ewan provides information on how companies use social when screening candidates and Cam provides real examples from the workplace on how social media can also be used to monitor existing staff -- with sometimes disastrous results.

Then we dive deep into a lengthy investigative piece by the New York Times on Apple's business in China -- namely the compromises the company is making to protect its multi-billion dollar market. Cam peels back the curtain to shed some light on how Apple may have responded behind the scenes, and looks at three key accusations in the article and how Apple shrewdly addressed them in a statement. If you're a tech or PR nerd (or both), you'll not want to miss this.

Then the hosts share a few laughs over the camp Eurovision contest.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Censorship, Surveillance, and Profits: a Hard Bargain for Apple in China - New York Times
Apple Statement - New York Times

Check This Out

Eurovision Song Contest Rotterdam 2021 - Eurovision TV
Tech vs. Journalism - Intelligencer

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #56: How to Build an Inclusive, Millennial-Friendly Company and News Monitoring 101

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 17 May 2021 23:55:00 +0800

We've talked a lot on the show about how the workplace is changing, primarily due to demographic shifts as well as the pandemic. This week, Ewan goes into some detail about how confused managers or executives can navigate this new world and advance their workplace culture. The steps aren't easy -- though they aren't too hard, either -- and definitely worth considering.

Then Cam dives into the wonderful world of news monitoring. Staying on top of news, social media, online sentiment, and industry news is critical for most companies, but what's the best way to do it? Cam walks through some examples and even offers up a few recommendations -- including some powerful searches that are entirely free.

In Check This Out, Ewan talks death (in a good, inspiring way!) and Cam pays tribute to a man who clearly has the right PR skills: Jeff Bezos. He recommends a Bloomberg Businessweek story that looks at how the Amazon CEO beat the National Enquirer.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

How Men Can Be More Inclusive Leaders - Harvard Business Review
Basecamp's Experiment - PR & Law Podcast
Subscribe to RSS - CamMacMurchy.com
Toxic Social Media Leading to Renaissance in RSS Readers - CamMacMurchy.com
Inoreader - Free RSS Feed Reader
Muck Rack - Online Journalist Database
Mailbrew - Create Beautiful, Custom Newsletters

Check This Out

The Untold Story of how Jeff Bezos Beat the Tabloids - Bloomberg Businessweek
Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die - The New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #55: Peloton's PR Stumbles and Creating a Fairer Post-Pandemic Workplace

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 10 May 2021 23:20:00 +0800

Peloton, that premium brand that makes pricey exercise equipment for wealthy urbanites, has a knack for finding itself in the news for the wrong reasons. You may recall a television commercial that featured a man buying his wife a Peloton for Christmas, which thrust the company into social media wars. Now the problem is much worse: a six-year old child died, and dozens of others were injured, from the Tread+ treadmill marketed by Peloton. The company denied any problems at first, which wasn't exactly smart. It got a lot worse after that, giving us an excellent "what not to do" case study. It's these ones that we love to get into!

Ewan raises the issue of women in the workplace, and how they have suffered much more than other groups during the pandemic. He brings up some potential solutions to the problem, one of which could be opening the door to more remote work.

The hosts also discuss Cam's second Pfizer shot, which was given about an hour before recording, Ewan's recommendation of a television commercial, and a darkly funny comedy called "Why Women Kill."

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Experts Fear the Pandemic May Have Devastating Effects on Working Moms - National Post
Tracking Job Losses for Mothers of School-Age Children During a Health Crisis - United States Census Bureau
Child Dies in Accident Involving Peloton Treadmill - New York Times
A Note from Peloton CEO John Foley about Tread+ - Peloton
CSPC Warns Consumers: Stop Using the Pelton Tread+ - United States Consumer Product Safety Commission
Lessons from Peloton's Treadmill Recall Reminiscent of Other Crises - PR News Online
The Six Crisis Management Lessons from Peloton's Delayed Recall of Treadmills - Forbes

Check This Out

Extra Gum: "For When It's Time" | Longform Film - YouTube
Why Women Kill - IMDB

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #54: The Battle Over Zoom Cameras and Basecamp's Controversial Experiment

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 03 May 2021 23:30:00 +0800

It's probably happened to you: a work or school meeting held virtually over Zoom when your boss or instructor asks you to turn on the webcam. Everybody seems to have a different take on whether this is okay, but Cam and Ewan stand firmly in the camp of not wanting to turn on their cameras -- but it might not matter. Can your boss ask you to turn it on? Are there any circumstances where you might be able to defy your boss? The answer to both questions is 'yes'. Ewan breaks it down.

Then the hosts get into a topic that dominated the socials last week -- the case of productivity software maker Basecamp and its founders' decision to halt any discussion on politics or 'societal issues' from official workplace communications channels. The blowback was swift, but was it deserved? Ewan argues the founders are within their rights to run the company this way, but others also have the right to criticize them or resign (which many have). Cam looks at the PR side of things, dissecting the blog posts by each founder and what may have led to their decision to make such a public declaration. It's a fascinating case.

In Check This Out, Ewan looks at a journalism scandal at the New York Times while Cam argues Pfizer is cool and Moderna is... not.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

When is it Necessary to Turn on Your Video in a Zoom Meeting? - Fast Company
Behind the Controversy at Basecamp - The Verge (also syndicated on Platformer)
Changes at Basecamp - Jason Fried, Hey Blog
Basecamp's New Etiquette Regarding Societal Politics at Work - David Heinmeier Hansson, Hey Blog
Trouble at Basecamp, Bezos Fights for the Moon, and a Listener Question about Dating Apps - Pivot
An Open Letter to Jason and David - JaneYang.org
Why Coinbase will Struggle to Ban Politics from the Workplace - The Verge
Basecamp Implodes as Employees Flee Company, Even Senior Staff - The Verge

Check This Out

Sign of the Times: Caliphate and the Perils of Reporting Online - Harper's
The Hot-Person Vaccine - The Atlantic

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #53: Five Practical Tips to Improve Your PR in 2021

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 15:00:00 +0800

Last week Cam talked about preparing for his first Pfizer shot in Hong Kong, and this week we find out that both hosts got their first dose last week after Ewan secured an early appointment as well. Ewan had some side effects with the Astra-Zeneca vaccine while Cam had no trouble with the Pfizer-BioNTech one, but the second dose might not be as easy.

The pandemic is still ravaging many countries around the world, but that hasn't stopped employers and employees from trying to influence the workplace in a post-pandemic environment -- namely how and whether remote work should be a part of this new era. Ewan shares a survey on the question and some interesting anomalies in the results.

Then Cam checks in with an article looking at five key things to consider to improve public relations in 2021, tips that he thinks have merit and encourages PR practitioners to consider. They range from commissioning white papers to paying more attention to Google Maps. If you want an edge on your competitors, don't miss this segment.

In Check This Out, Ewan recommends an unabashedly 90s group's new album, while Cam looks at the mysteries of typing -- yes, typing.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

How to Navigate the Post-pandemic Office - The New York Times
Remote, Inc: How to Thrive at Work... Wherever You Are - Robert C. Polson and Alexandra Samuel (Amazon)
Trust Crisis: Five Changes You Must Embrace for 2021 - PR Daily
Invitation-only Communities for Successful Executives and Entrepreneurs - Forbes Councils

Check This Out

Dinosaur Jr. Balance Noise with Nuance on Sweep It Into Space - Paste
Why Am I Sp Bad At Typign? - Buzzfeed

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #52: A Politician Finds Himself Naked on Zoom, and Why Vaccines Struggle with PR

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 23:55:00 +0800

We made a full year! What better way to mark the first anniversary of the PR & Law Podcast than with another humiliating story of a bumbling, high-profile individual and his lack of computer skills. No, it's not Jeffrey Toobin redux -- it's a federal politician in Canada who went out for a jog, returned to his office, launched Zoom for a high-level government Q/A session, shed his clothes, popped into the shower, and then got dressed. It's all pretty routine except for the fact his camera was on the entire time. It's embarrassing, of course, but what should be done? Should anything be done? How does this compare to the infamous Jeffrey Toobin case we discussed in Episode 32? Ewan gives us some answers.

Then Cam, primed and ready for his first dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, discusses the mess Johnson & Johnson has found itself in. The drugmaker had its vaccines suspended in the United States after six women developed blood clots after receiving the jab. It's not the first time a vaccine has run into PR problems (see: AstraZeneca in Episode 48), but the issues facing these companies might be larger and more complex than companies in other sectors. Cam explains some of the psychology behind resistance to the vaccines and how the drugmakers can try and extricate themselves from the powerful news currents that have put their brands at risk.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

MP William Amos Speaks Out: Leaked Naked Photo Sends Message 'Anything Goes' in Politics - CBC
Episode #32: New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin is Fired - PR & Law Podcast
Decision to Pause Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Causes Public Confidence in Vaccine to Sink - YouGov
Episode #48: AstraZeneca's Loss of Trust - PR & Law Podcast
Johnson & Johnson Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine - Johnson & Johnson
How Johnson & Johnson Could Regain Public's Trust in Covid Vaccine Crisis - Forbes
China Considers Mixing COVID-19 Vaccines to Offer More Protection - South China Morning Post

Check This Out

Meet The 40 New Billionaires Who Got Rich Fighting COVID-19 - Forbes
America Ruined My Name For Me - The New Yorker

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #51: What's Next for Amazon Staff and Brands Find Themselves Stuck in the Middle of Culture Wars

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 23:25:00 +0800

This week we learned that the strongest push yet for a union inside e-commerce juggernaut Amazon fell short. Ewan sifts through the wreckage to try and find the way forward for both the company and its staff. We also discuss how labor unions have fallen out of favor and might need an image overhaul.

"Cancel culture" seems to be on everyone's lips these days. When you combine it with severe political and cultural polarization, the result is companies being squeezed in the middle, often forced to take sides. The most recent example was Major League Baseball's decision to pull its all-star game from the US state of Georgia in opposition to new voting laws that could make casting ballots more difficult. Cam looks at the tough choice companies have to face, and provides a few examples from China, where local brands have faced similar pressure for many years already.

Plus: a dive into the world of Biggie and Tupac and the rap war of the 1990s that left both talented artists dead. You'll also be surprised to learn where the term 'cancel culture' came from.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

NLRB Announces Results in Amazon Election - National Labor Relations Board
Amazon Workers Vote Down Union Drive at Alabama Warehouse - New York Times
Blowout in Bessemer: A Postmortem on the Amazon Campaign - The Nation
A Boot Camp for All Things Content and Communications - Marketing Influence 360
The New Cancel Culture Capitalism - New York Times

Check This Out

The Strange Journey of 'Cancel', from a Black-Culture Punchline to a White-Grievance Watchword - The Washington Post
Slow Burn: Biggie and Tupac - Slate
Biggie: I've Got a Story to Tell - Netflix

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Macand shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

Episode #50: Amazon Braces for a Workers' Union and Why You Should Avoid an April Fool's Day Gag

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 21:45:00 +0800

The ballots have been cast and the counting has begun on a vote that could bring foundational change to Amazon.com, the "everything store" that has only grown during the pandemic. Amazon has fought hard against unions in the past, and some are fearful of what Amazon might do once the ballots are counted and the result is known. Ewan looks into what's happening at the Amazon fulfillment warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, and why he thinks unions might be on the rebound after decades of decline.

Then we touch on an issue that often divides communications and marketing people: the April Fool's Day joke. "Voltswagen" had egg on its face for its screw-up this year, but it wasn't the first April Fool's Day joke to backfire on a company and likely won't be the last. Cam looks at some other examples of what has worked and what hasn't, with some advice on how to approach April Fool's Day if your company is considering getting in on it next year.

Plus: a thorough ranking of the Muppets from NPR, professional bowler and trash talker Pete Weber hangs 'em up, and thoughts on two incredible films nominated for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Amazon's Union Vote: What's at stake in the Alabama Warehouse Election - Cnet
Documents Show Amazon Is Aware Drivers Pee In Bottles - The Intercept
Is April Fool's Day Worth the Risk for Brands? - Content Marketing Institute
Forget Voltswagen, it's Volkswagen that is the Real April Fool - Fast Company
Episode #47: Burger King's Controversial (or Just Misunderstood?) Tweet - PR & Law Podcast

Check This Out

The Father - Sony Pictures
Minari - A24 Films
Best Muppets, Ranked Ruthlessly - NPR
'Who do you Think you Are?' He was: Pete Weber's Famous Celebration Endures as He Retires from PBA Tour - The Athletic

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #49: A Debate on Long Working Hours and Facebook PR Floods the Zone

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 21:20:00 +0800

While vaccinations are happening and people are itching to get out from under the year-long COVID-19 pandemic, some parts of life may never go back to normal -- such as remote work. Ewan and Cam have a spirited debate on the merits of remote work, why some people thrive and others have problems adjusting. The discussion is against a backdrop of a Goldman Sachs deck in which analysts complain of a poor work-life balance. We try and get to the bottom of it.

Then we take aim (again) at Facebook. The MIT Technology Review published a lengthy article on Facebook's failures around AI and combatting disinformation -- particularly around the January 6 insurrection in Washington -- which triggered a multi-pronged response from Facebook PR. We talk about Facebook's tactics and debate what might work, and what just seems sleazy.

You'll want to stay right to the end for a hilarious story about 90s muscle man and "I can't believe it's not butter!" spokesperson Fabio, who had a rather unfortunate and bloody incident involving a goose and a rollercoaster. Yeah, you'll want to hear it.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

The Big, Stuck Boat is Glorious - The Atlantic
'I'm in a Really Dark Place': Complaints at Goldman Sachs Set Off a Workplace Debate - New York Times
Goldman Sachs Working Conditions Survey - Google Drive
The Great Vampire Squid Keeps on Sucking - Forbes
How Facebook Got Addicted to Spreading Misinformation - MIT Technology Review
Facebook Created an Employee 'Playbook' to Respond to Accusations of Polarization - BuzzFeed News

Check This Out

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #48: The Boom in Companies Spying on Employees, and AstraZeneca's Loss of Trust

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 23:08:00 +0800

Workers often suspect their bosses may be spying on them, either via security cameras or software that can track their internet use. But as Ewan explains this week, it's gotten much, much worse than that. New, more invasive technology is driving a boom in companies surveilling their staff with tools like real-time monitoring of staff computer screens, keystroke logging, and more. Ewan details what's going on and how workers can try and protect themselves.

COVID-19 remains a dark cloud over most of the world, but there's genuine excitement about the ramping up of vaccinations -- with the possible exception of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. There is so much public skepticism about the British vaccine that even several European governments suspended its use last week. It's an excellent example of how trust can be lost, and how providing facts and reassurance usually aren't enough to rebuild it.

Cam also talks about his experience taking COVID tests in Hong Kong and shares news that he's already got an appointment to get the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the next 10 days.

In Check This Out, Ewan recommends a particular artist and song, despite his description on the show (you'll have to hear it!). Then Cam talks about the controversial four-part docuseries Allen v. Farrow on HBO which looks at accusations that famous film director Woody Allen sexually abused his adopted daughter, Dylan.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Check This Out

Cassandra Jenkins, "Hard Drive" - Youtube
Allen v Farrow - HBO

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Macand shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

Episode #47: Burger King's Controversial (or Just Misunderstood?) Tweet

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 22:20:00 +0800

Sometimes companies inadvertently draw media attention for a mistake -- or gaffe -- in their communications. Amazon is a great example, which just had to change its new phone icon because people felt it resembled Hitler's mustache. Burger King has a different story, though -- it walked itself right into a crisis. Five controversial words landed the company in a boiling vat of vegetable oil. Cam and Ewan debate how the ominous Tweet should have been considered, and Cam explains why ultimately it doesn't matter when planning communications campaigns.

The workplace has already changed since COVID-19 hit a year ago, but more changes are coming. Ewan mentions a clause that companies are beginning to put into employment contracts that could leave the employee high and dry. He explains what to look for and why it's a problem.

We also discuss late-night HBO host Bill Maher, Professor Scott Galloway, and the beautiful film Nomadland.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Amazon Fixes App After Design Furor - TMZ
Burger King's Sexist Tweet Spectacularly Backfires - Yahoo News

Check This Out

Scott Galloway on Recasting American Individualism and Institutions - The Economist
Nomadland - Hulu

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #46: Check Before Signing that Contract, and the 2021 State of Social Media for PR Pros

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 22:10:00 +0800

The pandemic has shaped or impacted nearly every business over the past year, including how PR professionals use social media and other digital tools to get their messages out. This episode marks the first time we've done a "State of Social Media for Corporations", and it contains some surprising trends. Social media use by Fortune 500 companies has actually declined quite significantly since 2019, with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube all trending down. What are companies turning to instead? You might be surprised.

As the post-pandemic economic recovery begins in many parts of the world, the job market is also expected to heat up. Ewan takes us into the world of employment contracts and what applicants should look out for if offered a job. He's got some excellent, practical tips on how to negotiate your benefits package and properly review the offer of employment and contract.

Plus: the radical changes in Hong Kong are picking up speed, and revisiting the greatness of the 1990s Chicago Bulls.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Going Live Online: The State of Live Streaming and the Opportunities for Brands - Forbes
Almost 4 Billion Hours Watched as Live Streaming Industry Benefits from Lockdown - Digital TV Europe
10 Powerful Podcast Statistics You Need to Know in 2021 - Oberlo

Check This Out

Il Maestro - Harper's
The Last Dance - Netflix

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #45: "Intimacy Coordinators" and a New York Governor Fights New #MeToo Allegations

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:30:00 +0800

It was a rough week for New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo after two former staffers came forward to complain of sexual harassment. While many cases have come to light amid the #MeToo movement, Cuomo's case has some unique wrinkles that are worth discussing. We dissect his PR approach and explain why, while it may not work as well as he hopes, it could still usher in the PR 2.0 era when facing these kinds of allegations.

Speaking of #MeToo, the movement has sparked an entirely new profession in the film industry. Ewan introduces "intimacy coordinators" which are now used on Hollywood sets and explains how it's symbolic of the changes that still need to be made in other sectors.

Also: the stressful scourge of email and the civil war inside the New York Times and what it means for media.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Those Hot Bridgerton Scenes, They Took Practice - The Sunday Times (Paywall)
Bridgerton's Steamy Sex Scenes Took Practice, Says the Hit Show's Intimacy Co-ordinator - Daily Mail
76% of U.S Employees say #MeToo Positively Impacted the Workplace Culture, Surveys Careerarc - HR Technologist
Kate Winslet on Fresh Air - NPR
My Story of Working with Governor Cuomo - Medium
Ex-Aide Details Sexual Harassment Claims Against Gov. Cuomo - New York Times
Cuomo is Accused of Sexual Harassment by a 2nd Former Aide - New York Times
I Went on a Date with Aziz Ansari. It Turned Into the Worst Night of my Life - Babe.net
Aziz Ansari is Guilty. Of Not Being a Mind Reader - New York Times

Check This Out

E-mail is Making us Miserable - The New Yorker
Why the Morality Plays Inside the Times Won't Stop - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #44: Oops! Ted Cruz's PR Blunder, and Be Careful What You Say in a Job Interview

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 22:20:00 +0800

It's that time of year when people are out looking for jobs, and employers are posting new openings. Ewan brings some timely advice on how both employers and prospective employees can protect themselves. A hint: even smalltalk can have big consequences.

Then we look at the story of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who was caught red-handed boarding a flight for sunny Cancun, Mexico as millions in his state were left without power in a severe winter storm. It's easy to poke fun at the Senator for bungling this, but he made the situation worse by how he initially responded to critics. We examine the case and discuss how Cruz could've managed the fallout much better.

Then we discuss Britney Spears, who's in the limelight these days over her conservatorship. We also discuss the consequences of being a pugilist in the National Hockey League.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

How Ted Cruz's Ill-Fated Trip to Cancun Blew Up from Twitter Rumor to Major Scandal - Vox
Ted Cruz Flying to Cancun (@Juan_Gomez18) - Twitter
Ted Cruz is Being Mocked Over Photos Showing Him Loading Bottles of Water into a Car as he Seeks to Rebuild His Reputation After the Cancun Vacation Debacle - Business Insider
AOC Raises $2 Million for Texans, Visiting Houston as Ted Cruz Embroiled in Furor Over Cancun Trip - Dallas Morning News
Opinion: Ted Cruz Wants to be a Populist. But He Can't Get it Right - Washington Post
Why Ted Cruz Should've Known This was a Bad Idea - Washington Post
Sen. Ted Cruz Arrives Back in Texas with Armed Police Escort - New York Post
Anderson Cooper Trashes Ted Cruz's Attempt at Damage Control - HuffPost
This is the Luxury Cancun Resort Ted Cruz is Missing Out On - Forbes
Opinion: A Canadian Apologizes to Texas for Ted Cruz - Houston Chronicle
78% of job seekers lie during the hiring process - CNBC
In recruiting new lawyers, think twice before asking diversity questions - Canadian Lawyer

Check This Out

The paparazzi who stalked Britney Spears have no regrets - Insider
Protecting the 'Child Inside of Me': Donald Brashear's Toughest Fight - The Athletic

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #43: Layoffs are Never Easy, but Bell Canada Shows How Atrocious PR Can Make it Much Worse

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 23:05:00 +0800

Traditional media companies around the world were facing tough economic circumstances before the pandemic started, and are now in an all-out struggle just for survival. It's in this context that Bell Canada, one of the country's largest media conglomerates, laid off hundreds of people across the country. Layoffs happen, but they shouldn't happen like this -- a series of poor decisions left many outraged and vowing boycotts of several of the company's products and services. We dive into how it all went down, and how it could have been done much better.

Then Ewan looks at the prickly issue of vaccinations and news that some companies may foot the bill for their staff to get the COVID-19 shot. Like everything to do with the pandemic and employment law, what seems simple is anything but.

Then the hosts debate some tone-deaf remarks of a UK executive and discuss the movie Mank. Cam then recommends a podcast that might seem dry based on the topic, but ended up being not only helpful but genuinely interesting.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up for the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Vancouver's TSN 1040 Pulled Off Air as Bell Canada Continued with Cuts - The Province
Should employers give workers paid time off or other incentives to get vaccinated? - USA Today

Check This Out

Mank Film Review - RogerEbert.com
KPMG Boss Forced to Resign - Daily Mail
The Ezra Klein Show: The Senate is Making a Mockery of Itself - The New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #42: How Amazon's PR Team Handled Jeff Bezos' Departure as CEO, and What to do About Cyber-bullying

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 22:08:00 +0800

We touched on a couple of cyber-bullying cases during last week's show, with online harassers terrorizing victims for more than two decades and leaving many of them broken. This week, Ewan looks at a recent court case that provides some hope for those who've suffered from online harassment.

Then we turn our attention to Amazon and news that Chief Executive Jeff Bezos will step aside and focus on his new role as Executive Chairman. It's almost always big news when a founder moves on, leaving the company in the hands of his or her successor. It's also a challenge for in-house PR people, who need to understand the business and market sentiment well when planning how to announce the news. Cam looks at what Amazon did right.

Plus: we can't get enough of QAnon! Not the actual conspiracy per se, which is outlandish and almost comical if it wasn't so dangerous. Instead, we recommend some resources that look at how conspiracies take root with some ideas on how to stop them. Ewan also brings us his first record review of 2021: the latest from The Weather Station.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

New Tort, New Remedy - The Canadian Bar Association
You're Not Powerless in the Face of Online Harassment - Harvard Business Review
Caplan v. Atas, 2021 ONSC 670 - CanLII
A Right-Wing YouTuber Hurled Racist, Homophobic Taunts at a Gay Reporter. The Company Did Nothing. - Washington Post
A Vast Web of Vengeance - New York Times
Episode #41: A Vast Web of Vengeance Discussed in Check This Out - PR & Law Podcast
Jeff Bezos to Step Down as Amazon CEO, Andy Jassey to Take Over in Q3 - CNBC
Amazon.com Announces Financial Results and CEO Transition - Business Wire
Jeff Bezos will No Longer be CEO of Amazon as of Later This Year - TechCrunch
Clubhouse App Offers Chinese a Rare Glimpse of Censor-Free Debate - Bloomberg

Check This Out

Album Review - "Ignorance" by The Weather Station - Exclaim
The QAnon Delusion has Not Loosened its Grip - New York Times
Breaking the Myth - On the Media
QAnon and the Cultification of the American Right - The New Republic

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #41: Robinhood's Huge Unforced Error

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:40:00 +0800

This year certainly hasn't started quietly! After intense media focus on Washington DC in early January, it shifted quickly to Wall Street this week after Redditors helped launch a small retail stock into the stratosphere. Some have called GameStop the first "meme stock", but it's no laughing matter for some large hedge funds. If you've heard about GameStop, Robinhood, short-selling and Reddit but aren't entirely clear on what they are -- or what happened -- then this episode is for you. Cam breaks down the chronology with a specific look at Robinhood, the popular stock trading app for millennials. With trust so badly damaged, Robinhood may take up a prominent spot in business and PR textbooks for years to come.

Ewan shares a surprising moment from a courtroom in Canada, where counsel and a judge showed some compassion for stressed-out workers. Many are balancing their day jobs with kids suddenly being at home during the pandemic, stretching many people to their breaking point. Ewan tells us why this is a big deal in the context of a culture that idolizes professional pursuits.

Plus: an article almost certain to scare readers about the online dangers to one's reputation, and how alcohol is a bit like cigarettes.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

In Granting Adjournment, Judge Comments on Difficulty of Lawyering While Parenting During COVID-19 - Law News
Did Lulz Break Wall Street? - On the Media
Timeline of a Crisis: r/WallStreetBets and GameStop - PR Week
An Update on Market Volatility - Robinhood
What Happened This Week - Robinhood
Robinhood is Living Through a Branding Nightmare. PR Experts Explain How the Company can Rehab its Image - Business Insider
Robinhood's Poor Decision will Haunt the Brand Forever - AdWeek
Robinhood Brings New Investors to the Market - PR & Law Podcast Episode #14

Check This Out

Canada's Drinking Problem: Why Alcohol is the New Cigarette - Globe and Mail
Chinese Culture Doesn't Belong to the Chinese Government - Wall Street Journal
A Vast Web of Vengeance - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Macand shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

Episode #40: What Communicators Can Learn from Amanda Gorman's Powerful Poem at the Inaugural

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 20:45:00 +0800

Public speaking is often a big part of the job for PR professionals, and this past week provided some excellent examples of how to do it right. We mention the inaugural address of US President Joe Biden, of course, but focus much more closely on Amanda Gorman, the young poet laureate who stole the show with her emotional and uplifting poem. Her performance was universally praised and clearly touched a chord, but why? What makes a good speech? Why was this poem so powerful? We dive in, with lots of examples.

We also look at another case of unwanted sexting, this time from ~~New York Mets General Manager~~ Jared Porter. He lost his job for sending a long series of unanswered texts following a chance encounter in an elevator several years ago. Ewan breaks down the case from the perspective of Porter's employer - the Mets - and looks at how the team handled the scandal. Ewan and Cam also look at how the incident was handled publicly.

Also: some longread recommendations from the New York Times on the life and times of former CNN talk show host Larry King, who passed away last week, and how US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci managed to survive four years with Donald Trump as his boss.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Why Biden's Inaugural Address Succeeded - The Atlantic
Vin Scully Calls Hank Aaron's Historic 715th Home Run - YouTube
The Tone from the Top with Edelman's Simon Murphy - PR & Law Podcast Episode 32
New York Mets GM Jared Porter Acknowledges Sending Explicit Images to Female Reporter When He Worked for Chicago Cubs - ESPN
National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman at Presidential Inauguration - YouTube
'Overjoyed': Hear from Poet Who Stole the Show at Inauguration - YouTube

Check This Out

Fauci on What Working for Trump Was Really Like - New York Times
Larry King is Preparing for the Final Cancellation - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #39: WhatsApp's Self-Made -- and Disastrous -- PR Fail

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 22:15:00 +0800

WhatsApp has won the title of biggest #PRfail of 2021! The popular chat app, owned by Facebook, created its own crisis when it sent a sloppy notification to two billion people that sparked an exodus from the service. Cam provides some important context and explains what went wrong, with lessons about how poorly-executed communications can lead to actual and material hits to businesses.

Then, with so many people continuing to work from home, people are asking: is an employer obligated to pay for office supplies for employees? Can employees submit receipts for reimbursement? Ewan fills us in.

In Check This Out, we recommend a long read from New York Magazine on the novel coronavirus and the theory that the virus accidentally leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China. Plus, a fascinating series of photographs that depict the relentless passage of time.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

WhatsApp Delays Privacy Changes Amid User Backlash - New York Times

Check This Out

The Lab Leak Hypothesis - Intelligencer
The Photographer Who Set Out To Watch Herself Age - The New Yorker

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #38: Facebook Can't Get Anything Right, and Google vs. Labor Unions

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 23:15:00 +0800

Happy New Year!

It's great to be back to kick off 2021 -- and already there's no shortage of topics to discuss.

While the storming of the US Capitol dominated coverage last week, Ewan focused on some news that flew under the radar: Google staff are unionizing. Actually, that's not entirely true, but a group of staff at the search engine giant has taken its first steps towards collective bargaining. Ewan walks us through what happened and why it matters.

We couldn't ignore the biggest news of the week, so Cam looked at how Facebook handled the insurrection which rocked Washington. Facebook has long been under fire for questionable -- and sometimes violent -- content uploaded by its users. Its flimsy pretext, that it's a "platform" and not a "publisher", finally collapsed completely on January 6. We examine Facebook's public handling of the protest and how it communicated privately to staff (hint: it wasn't good).

In Check This Out, Cam mentioned a brand new podcast (at least to him) that he fell in love with over the holidays, while Ewan recommends a weightier documentary that has close parallels to the 2020 US election.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Check This Out

'537 Votes' Revisits Florida Election Chaos in 2000 as a Prelude to 2020 - CNN
Heavyweight - Gimlet Media

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Episode #37: Employment Lawyer Matthew Dewar on How Companies and Employees Can Navigate COVID-19

Cam and Ewan — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 21:35:00 +0800

The vaccines are being rolled out as we speak, but that doesn't mean COVID-19 is behind us. The pandemic has left tens of millions of people out of work and companies struggling to stay alive. This week, Duntrune LLP's Matthew Dewar joins the show to share his expectations for employer/employee relations in 2021. While some long layoffs might be considered termination, seeking a settlement from cash strapped companies could be futile in the midst of a pandemic. He's got some ideas on how employers can manage risk and what laid-off employees should consider, too.

Then we look at some positive news from last week: Major League Baseball's decision to include player statistics from the Negro Leagues into the official baseball stat book. The Negro Leagues stopped playing 72 years ago, so it was a long-time coming. While it might appear to be an easy win for MLB, Cam explains why it wasn't quite so simple, and shared his thoughts on what MLB did right as it rolled out the announcement.

In Check This Out, we look at the much maligned (but excellent) U2 album Zooropa, which was released 25 years ago. Staying on the music theme, Cam talked about Britney Spears (!?!?), Henry Kissinger, and growing up in Kentucky. You won't want to miss it.

This marks the final episode of the PR & Law Podcast in 2020. We managed to complete 37 episodes in 37 consecutive weeks, made simpler by the fact Cam and Ewan have both been locked at home throughout much of the pandemic! We have big plans for the show in 2021 and are always looking to improve it. We welcome your thoughts, criticisms, suggestions, ideas, whatever you've got! You can reach us at podcast@prand.law. We will be back with Episode #38 on January 4.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

As it Celebrates the Centennial of the Negro Leagues, MLB May Undo a "Major" Mistake - The Ringer
MLB Can Add Negro Leagues to Official Records but Can Never Change What it Did to Black Players - ESPN
MLB is Correcting a Longtime Oversight in the Game's History by Officially Elevating the Negro Leagues to "Major League" Status - @MLB on Twitter
MLB Officially Designates the "Negro Leagues" as Major League - MLB News Release
Sean Gibson Discusses Grandfather Josh Gibson - MLB Film Room
Willie Mays to get More Home Runs from Negro Leagues? - MLB Film Room
Episode #36: Why a Blog Beats a News Release - PR & Law Podcast
Canva - Design Graphics Quickly and Easily
Lumen5 - The Easiest Video Maker for Social Media Marketing

Check This Out

U2 - Zooropa - Pitchfork
The Unexpected Resonance of Zooropa, U2's Least Remembered Album, 25 Years Later - Vox
How the Enlightenment Ends - The Atlantic
The Oracle of Britney - Vanity Fair
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis - Amazon
Hillbilly Elegy - Netflix

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #36: How to Fire People Properly (and Respectfully), and Why a Blog Beats a News Release

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 19:55:00 +0800

It's the end of the year, and that can sometimes mean layoffs. It's cruel to let somebody go right before Christmas - at least in western countries - but it happens more than you'd think. This week Ewan helps explain the meaning behind terms like "terminated with cause" and "without cause," and the steps employers should take to reduce risk and treat the employee respectfully. There's lots of good and practical information in this discussion, so don't miss it!

Then Cam talks about how blogs are becoming equal to - or even more effective than - the traditional news release. He explains how this change has happened over the last few years, why some continue to resist blogs, and advice for companies who want to tell compelling stories to their audiences and customers.

In Check This Out, Ewan shares a remarkable story about well-known website (which we can't name here without triggering all kinds of bots!) and the damage it's causing, while Cam looks at the new docuseries on Netflix about former International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Khan.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Episode #29: The Dreaded Workplace Investigation - PR & Law Podcast
Why Your Press Release Doesn't Belong on Your Blog - Prezly
Episode #32: How PR has Change with Edelman's Simon Murphy - PR & Law Podcast
Blogging vs. Press Releases vs. Coverage - Sword and the Script
Blog vs. News Release - Concentric Solutions

Check This Out

The Children of P**nHub - New York Times
An Uplifting Update on the Terrible World of P**nHub - New York Times
Room 2806: The Accusation - Netflix

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #35: The Controversial Firing of an Anthem Singer for Joining an Anti-Lockdown Protest, and Avoiding Trouble at Holiday Parties in a Pandemic

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 19:00:00 +0800

We had lots of content planned this week, but a late-breaking story drove a number of requests to the PR and Law Podcast... and we definitely take requests! The longtime anthem singer of an NHL team was fired in a public way after taking part in a "freedom rally" to oppose government restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Did the team have grounds to fire him? What rights does the anthem singer have? And what about the PR fallout? We go through all of it - in detail.

With Christmas around the corner, Ewan also brings up the thorny issue of company holiday parties. They can be rife with potential risk in the best of times, but during a pandemic those risks are exponential. Ewan talks about what companies should think about and how they might be able to avoid some costly problems.

In "Check This Out" both hosts turn to business news, with Ewan examining Warner's decision to release 17 feature films on HBO Max, while Cam looks at the Salesforce acquisition of Slack and how Microsoft Teams played a role.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Canucks fire anthem singer Mark Donnelly for performing at anti-mask rally - New York Post
Canucks cut ties with anthem singer Mark Donnelly over plan to sing at anti-mask rally - Vancouver Sun
Inside the decision to have Mark Donnelly on TSN 1040 hours after his firing by Canucks - TSN 1040
Episode #9: HBO Max's Marketing Mess - PR & Law Podcast
The Verge's Casey Newton turns to newsletters, the latest well-known journalist to go independent - CamMacMurchy.com

Check This Out

Hollywood, theatre owners sound off over Warner Bros' bold HBO Max move: 'they're playing with fire' - Variety
How Microsoft crushed Slack - Platformer

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #34: Can Your Employer Force You to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine?

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 23:58:00 +0800

It looks like we're getting closer to a COVID-19 vaccine, and maybe several of them. Once they're approved and available for widespread distribution, it raises the question of whether employers can demand their employees be vaccinated. There are a number of thorny legal issues around vaccinations and safe workplaces, so Ewan walks us through the possibilities while avoiding the landmines.

Cam then looks back at one of the biggest PR and marketing crises of 2020: the Burger King "Rebel Whopper" fiasco in the United Kingdom. Burger King released a burger targeted at vegans, but grilled alongside all-beef patties. The campaign was questionable to begin with, but Cam explains why Burger King's reaction only made the situation worse.

Then we look at the loneliness epidemic, Momofuku Chef David Chang's hardscrabble upbringing, and the Queen's Gambit.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources

Burger King adverts banned for claiming 'Rebel Whopper' is suitable for vegans - The Independent
What we can learn from Burger King's latest PR error - MD Communications

Check This Out

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #33: Are You Slacking Off While Working From Home? Plus: Why YouTubers Should Be Included In Your Communications Plan

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 23:45:00 +0800

An article appeared in a Canadian newspaper this week alleging that workers are slacking off while working from home, "stealing" time from their employer. Ewan completely debunks this argument, saying work has only infiltrated more parts of our lives and left us working longer hours than ever before. Cam and Ewan also discuss what a modern workplace would look like.

In this week's PR segment, Cam dives into the world of YouTube influencers. He documents the growth of influencers in general and why they should be an important component of PR or marketing plans. He also shares a few ideas of how to get started.

Also: two terrific long reads. One is about MS-13, a gang that terrorized Long Island a few years ago, while the other is a heart wrenching story from Girls' star Lena Dunham on losing her fertility. Ewan also recommends an ambient album he claims is perfect to play while working.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Australians are doing $100 billion worth in unpaid overtime, as remote working comes at a cost - Smart Company
Influencers are the new PR tour - Crane's Cleveland Business
Surprising best friend with Borat - David Dobrick's YouTube Channel
Borat streaming with DrLupo is as chaotic and hilarious as it sounds - Screen Rant
Borat offers Katy Perry NSFW birthday wishes in video gifted by husband Orlando Bloom - Movieweb

Check This Out

A Betrayal - ProPublica
Michael J. Fox - WTF with Marc Maron
False Labor: Giving Up on Motherhood - Harper's Magazine
Gabriel Olafs "Absent Minded" - Bandcamp

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #32: How PR has Changed, What Companies Often Overlook, Jeffrey Toobin is Fired, and a Baseball GM Smashes the Gender Barrier

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 18:35:00 +0800

We had the privilege of welcoming Edelman Hong Kong Head of Corporate Simon Murphy to the show this week to get his perspective on how the PR industry has changed over the years, what companies often overlook when putting a communications plan together, how the recent US presidential election affected clients far beyond the United States, and what advice he'd give to small businesses struggling with PR.

Then Ewan updates the infamous Jeffrey Toobin case. You may recall from Episode 29 that Toobin, a New Yorker staff writer and CNN pundit, accidentally exposed himself during a staff Zoom call. Well, the ax has finally fallen, and Toobin is now out of a job after nearly 30 years with the magazine. Ewan looks at what happened while Cam dissects the trite staff email sent around by New Yorker corporate owner Conde Nast.

Also: you won't believe what former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski's wife had to say about her husband catching COVID-19. It's about as bad as it gets!

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Check This Out

The Crisis Isn't Trump, it's the Republican Party - Ezra Klein Show
Parler App Grows as Conservatives Debate Free Speech on Social Media - WSJ
The Atlantic's Caitlin Flanagan Rips 'Leftist' Media, 'Crying' Anchors: Gotta 'Suck it Up,' 'be Less Partisan' - Fox News
Miami Marlins Hire Kim Ng, Breaking a Baseball Gender Barrier - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #31: The Election Episode: Trump and Biden's Election Night PR Strategies, Speeches, News Coverage, and Prop 22 Battle in California

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 15:15:00 +0800

We wondered if we'd have a winner declared by the time we recorded Episode #31, and we just made it: Joe Biden was declared President-Elect after securing enough votes in the electoral college to secure victory -- but not without some drama. We dive into all things election, including the chronology of events on election night and the advice PR teams may have been giving the candidates. We also look at the speeches from Trump and Biden on election night and thereafter, picking out parts that worked and others that didn't.

Of course, selecting a president wasn't the only thing on the ballot, at least in California. Ewan updates us on Proposition 22, which asked Californians whether they believe gig economy workers like Uber and Lyft drivers should be treated like employees. Ewan and Cam debate the subject, with Ewan detailing why the results matter for gig economy workers.

We also look at the future of work, whether Zoom can replace face-to-face interaction, and much more.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

California Proposition 22, App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policy Initiatives (2020) - Ballotpedia
President Trump's Election Night Remarks - YouTube
Joe Biden Speaks Live on Election Night - YouTube
Joe Biden Addresses the Nation After Election Victory - YouTube

Check This Out

How Joe Biden Changed, and Changed, and Changed - and Made it to the White House - Vox
Imprecision 2020 - WNYC Studios
Leading from the Living Room: One CEO's Quest to Make the Work-from-Home Revolution Last - Globe and Mail (Paywall)hg

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #30: What It's Like Arguing Before the Supreme Court, What Companies Must Do to Prepare for a PR Crisis, Jeffrey Epstein and Glenn Greenwald

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 21:00:00 +0800

We welcomed special guest Allyson Lee to the PR & Law Podcast this week to talk about her case, which was heard before the Supreme Court of Canada. Very few cases make it that far, so Lee's experience is more rare than you'd think. She walked us through it, from strange book binding to the feeling of directly addressing the seven justices. Lee won the case, which set an important precedent that companies are going to have to contend with, too.

Then we look at how to prepare your company for a PR crisis in a year that feels like one big never-ending crisis. Rushing to put out fires is common, but it's always wiser to prevent them before they ignite. We discuss five key points for companies and PR teams to consider.

Plus: online services to track journalists and media outlets, a doozy of a story on Jeffrey Epstein, and Glenn Greenwald's tantrum.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Allyson Lee - Sherrard Kuzz llp
Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition Canada - Canlii
Preemptively Planning for a PR Crisis: How to Protect Your Company - Forbes
Journalist Database Tools:
Muck Rack
Cision
Telum Media

Check This Out

I Called Everyone in Jeffrey Epstein's Little Black Book - Mother Jones
My Resignation from the Intercept - Substack
The Real Scandal: U.S. Media Uses Falsehoods to Defend Joe Biden from Hunter's Emails - Substack
Glenn Greenwald Resigns from The Intercept - The Intercept
The Aftermath of my Move to Independent Journalism - Substack

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #29: A Humiliating (and Costly) Zoom Call for a Prominent Journalist, Why ESG and CSR are Critical to PR, the Joy of RSS feeds, and Canada's Contribution to the Alt-Right

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 14:00:00 +0800

It's not everyday that a case like this lands on our lap: a prominent journalist exposed himself on a company Zoom call, apparently unaware that his colleagues could see what he was doing. It's embarrassing, to be sure, but what's the legal case against the New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin? He claims it was an accident, so is he still liable for sexual misconduct? What about the PR fallout for Toobin, The New Yorker, and CNN, where he also works as a pundit? It's a fascinating case and we look at it from every angle.

Then Cam looks at the top five trends expected to drive corporate communications in 2021, with ESG at the top of the list. ESG and CSR aren't new concepts, but their importance is continuing to grow and become a much larger part of a company's corporate story. Large corporations have been involved in CSR for a while, but what can small or medium-sized businesses do? We explore the answers.

Also: RSS and why it's critical to tracking news and social conversations, how Canada could be the biggest "swing state" in the upcoming US presidential election, and the Greater Vancouver-born alt-right starlet that has galvanized the white supremacist movement in the US and Europe.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

New Yorker suspends Jeffrey Toobin for masturbating on Zoom call - VICE
Don't show your dick on work Zoom - Rolling Stone
5 powerful PR trends for 2021 - Public Relations Today
Feedly RSS Reader - Feedly
Toxic social media leading to renaissance in RSS readers - CamMacMurchy.com

Check This Out

American voters living in Canada increasingly being counted in presidential race - Toronto Star
Why the alt-right's most famous woman disappeared - The Atlantic
White Noise Documentary - The Atlantic
The alt-right's sad decline documented in White Noise - CamMacMurchy.com

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #28: The Dreaded Workplace Investigation, All About Content Marketing, Travel Bubbles and New Albums

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 23:15:00 +0800

We've all heard about workplace investigations, and many of us have been a part of them in some form or another. This week Ewan talks about why workplace investigations are sometimes necessary, how employers should conduct them to ensure they mitigate risk, and provides some surprising advice for employees who find themselves in investigators' crosshairs. It's definitely worth a listen.

Then Cam explains content marketing, which has taken off in recent years to become a staple of many successful companies. Cam explains how content marketing works, what you should know before starting, and why it's beneficial.

We also discuss three new albums perfect for fall listening, the prospect of war over Taiwan, and how to pronounce "Toronto".

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Coronavirus: Hong Kong, Singapore reach agreement in principle on 'world's first' two-way, quarantine-free travel bubble - South China Morning Post

Check This Out

Matt Berninger - 'Serpentine Prison' review: poise and prowess from The National frontman - NME
Kevin Morby - Sundowner - Music OMH
James Blake - 'Before' EP: A gorgeous, much-needed trip back to the dance floor that'll leave you buzzing - The Forty-Five
That photo of Billie Eilish isn't brave. It's just typical. - BuzzFeed

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #27: What To Do If Your Boss Gives You A Performance Improvement Plan, Trying to Spin Your Way Out of an Extra-Marital Affair, and eBay's Cockroach Scandal

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 12:35:00 +0800

The dreaded Performance Improvement Plan is something workers want to avoid, but employees do have ways to protect themselves. Ewan gives some great advice on how to respond to PIPs, as they're known, and ensure that your voice is heard. On the management side, Ewan explains what companies should do to make sure their PIPs are air-tight.

Then Cam dives into the sexting and extra-marital affair scandal that has engulfed North Carolina Senate candidate Cal Cunningham. Politicians cheating on their spouses is a story as old as time, but the expectations are changing and so have PR approaches. Cam makes the case that Cunningham has only made the situation worse, and provides some advice on how to approach these thorny issues in a more advantageous way.

Plus: Mental Health Day and the crazy story of eBay executives stalking bloggers.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Check This Out

Inside eBay's Cockroach Cult: the Ghastly Story of a Stalking Scandal - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #26: Dissecting White House Communications over President Trump's Health, Walmart's $20 million Discrimination Settlement, and US Militias

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 13:10:00 +0800

We debate Walmart's recent settlement of a class-action lawsuit claiming the company had discriminatory hiring practices because of a physical test used to screen candidates. Ewan looks at the thorny issues of candidate screening, what Walmart did wrong, and what other companies should be careful of during the hiring process.

US President Donald Trump's health is making headlines around the world, but communications from the White House have left a lot of questions unanswered. Cam dives into the chronology of events and looks at the performance of doctor Sean Conley, the president's physician, during media briefings.

Plus: the history of militias in the US and the widening education gap as a result of COVID-19.

Don't miss any future episodes and get updates about the podcast by signing up to the PR & Law Podcast newsletter. We promise: no spam. Ever.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Walmart settles female applicants' hiring-bias complaint for $20 million - Society for Human Resource Management
President Trump has COVID-19: A timeline of his travels leading up to a positive coronavirus test - USA Today
Sean Conley: Who is the Trump doctor whose updates are raising questions - The Guardian

Check This Out

The students left behind by remote learning - New Yorker
Street Food Asia - Netflix
Ezra Klein Show: A dark, dangerous debate - Apple Podcasts
Armed and Dangerous - WNYC Studios

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #25: Facebook Staff Challenge Zuckerberg in Leaked Audio, Zuck's Friendship with Trump, Managing a Cyberattack PR Crisis, and How to Stay Safe Online

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 22:55:00 +0800

We hit the quarter century mark by looking closely at the internal strife at Facebook after audio from staff meetings was leaked to reporters. Ewan looks at the situation from an employment lawy point of view, but it also raises several big questions about how the company deals with PR challenges both internally and externally -- made even more complicated by CEO Mark Zuckerberg's relationship with President Donald Trump.

Then we dive into some tips and advice for managing a PR crisis related to cyberattacks, which are on a steep rise. Nearly all companies collect data of some kind, and understanding how that data is stored and managed in advance is critical to reporting quickly and accurately if there happens to be a breach. We discuss the questions you should be asking of your own IT and business teams and how to put a crisis communications plan together.

Then we offer up an album recommendation for the fall, along with a podcast series that may not make relax you, but will definitely capture your attention.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

Don't miss a new episode or an update to topics discussed on the show by following us on social media. You can find our accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Soundcloud.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

The election that could break America - The Atlantic
The Atlantic Daily: A Q&A with Barton Gellman - The Atlantic
Mark in the Middle - The Verge
Steering a Cybersecurity PR Crisis in 2020 - Forbes
Hong Kong Airline Cathay Pacific Apologizes Over Data Breach but Denies Cover-up - Hong Kong Free Press

Check This Out

Fleet Foxes Release New Album Shore - Pitchfork
Locked Up Abroad - Wondery

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #24: Shock (Again) over Racism in China, Why it's Important to Have Unfettered Access to Case Law, TikTok's Aggressive PR Statement, Enya and the Beastie Boys

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 12:00:00 +0800

While America continues to wrestle with racism, most people would be shocked at how tolerant other countries are of overt discrimination. Case in point: the removal of Star Wars actor John Boyega from Jo Malone's advertisements in China -- because he's black. It's not the first time this has happened to black actors in China, and not even the first time it's happened to John Boyega! Cam looks at what went wrong, why this is not a situation with easy answers, and what PR teams can consider before signing off on a global ad campaign.

Ewan dives into the issue of public access to case law and other legal documentation in the United States, and explains why this seemingly mundane issue is so critically important to people everywhere.

Also: looking again at Enya and the Beastie Boys, TikTok's combative PR statement, and the thorny issue of intellectual property.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Travel bubble for Hong Kong: will overtures to 11 countries get the city anywhere amid COVID-19 pandemic? - South China Morning Post
The class of RBG - Slate
Bill to tear down federal courts' paywall gains momentum in congress - Ars Technica
What should brands do when they're 'cancelled'? - The Drum
John Boyega drops Jo Malone after being cut from brand's China ad - The Drum
John Boyega gets apology from perfume brand Jo Malone after being cut out of Chinese commercial - Variety
'Star Wars' China poster sparks controversy after shrinking John Boyega's character - Variety
The 'racist' China washing powder ad and the truth about Afrophobia in China - Quartz
Black man is washed whiter in racist Chinese detergent advert - The Guardian
TikTok says Trump ban attempt shows 'no adherence to the law' - The Verge

Check This Out

Enya is everywhere - Pitchfork
The 'Beastie Boys Story' documentary is both a history lesson and a raw live experience - Pitchfor
QAnon explained with NBC's Ben Collins - Recode Media Podcast
Buying myself back: when does a model own her own image? - The Cut

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #23: China's 2 Food Delivery Giants Face the Same PR Crisis Differently, Who COVID-19 Hurts Most, Fleeing to Taiwan, and White Parents

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 23:00:00 +0800

It's not widely known outside of China, but the country's food delivery services are already light years ahead of everyone else. The food delivery market - estimated at US$45 billion per year, or double the size of the U.S. market - has grown by cutting costs to the bone and promising shorter and shorter delivery times. Then a magazine's expose looked at the safety shortcuts drivers were taking, pushing the issue into the forefront of news coverage and online discussion. Both Meituan and Ele.me found themselves in the midst of a PR crisis, but they handled it completely differently. We look at what worked -- and what didn't.

COVID-19 has obviously taken a huge toll, forcing millions of people out of work and giving national economies a massive body blow. As bleak as it's been, some people are suffering a lot more than others. We look at what's wrong and how to fix it.

Also: 12 Hongkongers flee to Taiwan but are nabbed by China's coast guard before they reach their destination, Ewan recommends a new podcast from Serial and the New York Times, and much more.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Beijing labels 12 Hongkongers caught at sea as separatists, as Shenzhen Police confirm group under criminal detention - South China Morning Post
When it comes to the pandemic economy, we are not all in this together - Globe and Mail (paywall)
Why China's food delivery is better than yours - Radii China
"A painful read": New report on the dangers facing China's Delivery Drivers Goes Viral - Radii China

Check This Out

Nice White Parents - Apple Podcasts
Once Upon a Time... in the Valley - Apple Podcasts
Why are conservatives obsessed with pedophilia right now? - David M. Schell

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter.

Episode #22: Never Say "No Comment" and More Foundational PR Tips, the Perils of Navigating Workplace Cultures, and How to Manage a Bad One

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 23:55:00 +0800

We open the show talking about renewed protests in both the United States and Hong Kong, then dive right into the confounding issue of workplace cultures after Netflix's ~~strange~~ unique work environment became public. How do office cultures form? Are they top down or bottom up? Regardless, they are contentious because workplace cultures can often be fodder for legal cases. Ewan talks about what to look out for.

Cam then goes into some foundational PR lessons with some help from former US presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, including why spokespeople should never, ever, say "no comment".

Then we find an ideal escape from the doom and gloom with the quirky and lovable Poolside FM.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Show Notes

Netflix's company culture is not for everyone, and that's how it should be - Business Insider
Why Netflix's uncomfortable office culture works - Globe and Mail
How to say "no comment" without actually saying it - PR News Online

Check This Out

The Eco-Yogi Slumlords of Brooklyn - New York
Poolside FM - Poolside FM
Poolside FM is the most fun you will have on the internet today - TechCrunch

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #21: Communications During Racial Unrest, Comparing Convention Speeches, Hair Discrimination, and NBA Players Take a Stand

Cam and Ewan — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 22:09:00 +0800

What a week! Another senseless killing of a black man in America by law enforcement, an historic boycott by NBA players, more violent protests in U.S. cities, and the 2020 Republican National Convention thrown in too. We get through all of it, looking for PR wins and tough lessons, particularly for companies looking to find the right words to communicate to their employees, the community, and their customers.

Then Ewan dives into hairstyles, and why a growing number of U.S. states and Canadian provinces have already made clear that employers can't discriminate based on hairstyle. He explains what this means for both employers and employees.

Plus: why the NHL was a day late from their NBA counterparts in boycotting games, E. Jean Carrol's remarkable story and new series with The Atlantic, and even a reminder to be on the lookout for colorectal cancer in light of the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Show Notes and Links

Check This Out

Colorectal cancer statistics 2020 - The American Cancer Society
Hideous Men: Donald Trump assaulted me in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room 23 years ago. But he's not along on the list of awful men in my life - New York Magazine
'I moved on her very heavily': Part 1 - The Atlantic

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #20: Should Uber Drivers be Treated Like Employees? Also: "Cancel Culture", a Baseball Broadcaster Ruins His Career in a Split Second, and Groundhog Day

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 23:05:00 +0800

Uber and Lyft drivers in California are demanding to be treated as employees, with all the benefits and protections that entails -- but will it work? Could the ride sharing companies survive? We tell you what the law says, dissect the PR battle being waged, and explain why it's a fascinating case that could reverberate across the entire gig economy.

Then we hear some shocking audio from a live, televised baseball broadcast and the surreal apology interrupted by a home run. Should Cincinnati Reds on-air guy Thom Brennaman lose his job? And is his legacy be ruined? Is "Cancel Culture" a thing?

We also dissect President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention, find some lessons in the movie Groundhog Day, and useful tips on navigating the internet. Plus: never forget that Google is your friend.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Show Notes and Links

Check This Out

What Ellen's Kindness Concealed - The Atlantic
Groundhog Day (1993) - IMDB

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Episode #19: McDonald's Plunged Into Crisis Over Serial-Dating CEO, Why His Severance is Threatened, How to Manage Crises on Social Media, and the Booming 1980s Adult Film Industry

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 14:30:00 +0800

We dissect the fascinating case of former McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook, who was fired last year for having a consensual relationship with an employee in violation of the company's policies. Fast forward to this week, when McDonald's management announced they uncovered other relationships and sued Easterbrook to claw back his severance package. We'll explain why this case is groundbreaking, and take a look at the fascinating legal and PR implications.

Then Cam dives into social media, particularly how companies should plan for a crisis. He shares a number of tips to lower risk and make sure companies are communicating effectively online.

Also: a look at Norsemen on Netflix, an incredible podcast on the 1980s adult film industry and scandal that nearly brought it to its knees, and a few jokes at Quibi's expense!

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Show Notes and Links

McDonald's Steve Easterbrook: A New Approach to Sacking? - BBC
Ellen DeGeneres Scandal (Discussed on Episode #18) - PR & Law Podcast
Americas are Wary Over the Role Social Media Sites Play in Delivering the News - Pew Research Center
How to Use Social Media for Crisis Communications and Emergency Management - Hootsuite
China Law Blog
'We're All Being Fired! Exciting!': HMV Staff Take to Official Twitter Account to Liveblog Their Own 'Mass Execution' - The Independent

Check This Out

Norsemen - Netflix
The Porn Industry's Biggest Scandal is Also an Unsolved Mystery - Vanity Fair
Once Upon a Time... in the Valley - Apple Podcasts
Is Anybody Watching Quibi? - Vulture
'You guys, we have three new shows out today. (thread)" - Quibi on Twitter
Ryan Renolds Now Owns Mint Mobile - CNET

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is the director of global communications with one of the biggest technology companies in the world, which is listed in Hong Kong. He is also the curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter and blogs at CamMacMurchy.com.

Episode #18: Top PR Minds Share Ideas to Save Ellen DeGeneres, Why Accepting a Demotion During COVID-19 Isn't a Given, and Jim Carrey Opens Up

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 16:25:00 +0800

The scandal engulfing Ellen DeGeneres has been a PR nightmare for the popular talk show host, but also creates a significant challenge for the brightest minds in PR. We dissect what has transpired so far, where mistakes were made, and sift through advice from PR professionals on what to do next to save the show -- and her own reputation.

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the economy, pushing 40 million people out of a job in the US alone. But while layoffs and furloughs are common, those aren't the only tools in management's toolbox. More employees are finding themselves facing pay cuts or demotions, some of which leave employees in very different roles from what they were hired to do. If this sounds like you, Ewan has some excellent advice -- so listen up!

Then we look at how some of the lowest paid jobs turned out to be the most "essential" during the pandemic, how Canadian comedian Jim Carrey overcame his own fears to become a star, and some wrenching photos from ground zero in Hiroshima and Nagasaki mere weeks after nuclear bombs utterly destroyed both cities.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Show Notes and Resources

Former Employees Say Ellen’s “Be Kind” Talk Show Mantra Masks a Toxic Work Culture - Buzzfeed
Dozens of Former “Ellen Show” Employees Say Executive Producers Engaged in Rampant Sexual Misconduct and Harassment - Buzzfeed
Dakota Johnson YouTube
How Ellen will Try to Fix Her Scandal, According to Crisis PR Experts - Vice

Check This Out

Red Lobster is Not Essential - New Yorker
Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America - Kurt Anderson
I Was a Useful Idiot for Capitalism - The Atlantic
After Atomic Bombings, These Photographers Worked Under Mushroom Clouds - NYT
Jim Carrey - WTF Pod with Marc Maron

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter.

Episode #17: Crisis Comms Expert Edward Segal on Communicating COVID and Facebook's Fumbles. Also: New Work Contracts, "Karen", and Success Addiction

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 20:20:00 +0800

The author of "Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies" Edward Segal shared practical advice for companies communicating with staff about COVID-19, including how to manage layoffs or furloughs in a caring, empathetic way. He also critiqued Facebook's communications performance from the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2016 to today, and why companies currently boycotting the service could find themselves with their own scandals to manage. The 30-year communications veteran also shared tips on preparing a great speech, how to stay calm before facing the media, and why keeping up with technology is important.

We also discuss some changes to employment contracts as a result of COVID-19 that gives employers much more room to layoff staff. Ewan encourages people to read their contracts carefully.

Also: the death of Regis Philbin, Hong Kong's embarrassing reversal on restaurant closures just one day after implementation, and why 'success addicts' are choosing being special over being happy.

A transcript of the entire episode has been published on CamMacMurchy.com.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

Don't miss a new episode -- or an update to topics discussed on the show -- by following us on social media. You can find our accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. You are also welcome to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources

Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies - Amazon
Crisis Ahead Podcast - EdwardSegal.com
Hong Kong Bans Eating in Restaurants. And then it Doesn't - New York Times
Regis Philbin, Legendary TV Host, Dies at 88 - People
Wilford Brimley, 'Cocoon' Star and Quaker Oats Pitchman, is Dead at 85 - New York Times
A Brief History of 'Karen' - New York Times
'Success Addicts' Choose Being Special Over Being Happy - The Atlantic
The World Quietly Inches Closer to War - CamMacMurchy.com

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter.

Episode #16: How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Nailed Her Speech, the Seattle Kraken Give a Lesson in Marketing, and Unsafe Workplaces

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 00:50:00 +0800

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shows off her communications skills in a passionate rebuttal to Republican Ted Yoho following a confrontation earlier in the week. We dissect her approach and explain why it worked so well, then mentioned a few other tips to become a compelling public speaker.

COVID-19 cases may still be on the upswing, but companies are asking reluctant employees to come back to the office. If you don't feel safe, what options do you have?

Then...

"Release the Kraken!" went from an obscure movie reference to centerstage in a genius marketing maneuver in Seattle. We also look at the ice cream museum meltdown, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and more.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources

How Trump is Helping Tycoons Exploit the Pandemic - New Yorker
Zoom Embroiled in Data Scandal (Discussed in Episode 2) - PR & Law Podcast
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Full Response to Rep. Ted Yoho - YouTube
The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain - Amazon
The Class of RGB - Slate
Seattle Kraken Officially Announce Team Name and Logo with Banner Unveil - YouTube
I Scream. You Scream. The Meltdown at the Museum of Ice Cream - Forbes

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter.

Episode #15: Can You be Forced to Wear a Mask? Also: PR Tips from a Veteran Spin Doctor, Canada v. USA, Trump's Twitter, and a Homeless Baseball Team

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 21:40:00 +0800

Lessons from the world of PR and employment law are more pertinent than ever, especially as the pandemic continues to spread rapidly across the US and now in Hong Kong, too. Ewan provides a definitive answer on whether stores can make you wear a mask, and when a person might have a legitimate case to ignore the policy.

Then we dive into some PR lessons from 30-year PR veteran Edward Segal, the author of a new book called "Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare For and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies". We dissect some of his key takeaways, including advice for companies on managing a #MeToo crisis, monitoring social media 24/7, why it's important to engage with reporters, and whether to even think about getting involved with Twitter.

We also discuss the feelings on both sides of the Canada-US border and how COVID-19 has left the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team without a place to play.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful!

If you have a question we would be happy to answer it on the show! Just post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources

'Toronto is in Canada': Twitter Fires Back at Laura Ingraham Tweet - HuffPost
Amy Cooper Fired after Central Park Tantrum (Discussed in Episode 8) - PR & Law Podcast
United Airlines Hits PR Turbulence (Discussed in Episode 13) - PR & Law Podcast
Spray Tans, Pants-Wetting and Little Hands: the GOP Race Goes in the Gutter - Washington Post
Pandemic Threatens Decades of Women's Labor Force Gains - RBC
Kicked Out of China, and Other Real-Life Costs of a Geopolitical Meltdown - New York Times

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter.

Episode #14: What is TikTok, and Why are Governments Banning It? Plus Discrimination on Religious Grounds and Robinhood

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 23:58:00 +0800

We raced through the show this week with so much to cover. We kicked off looking at how COVID-19 has come back with a vengeance, and not just in the US this time. We look at how discrimination works on religious grounds, and then dive into the story of TikTok, what it is, how it works, and why governments are banning it.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. You can also subscribe to the PR & Law Podcast on YouTube.

If you have a question for the hosts, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources

SCOTUS Holds Teachers are 'Ministers,' Rules Religious Schools Don't Have to Follow Anti-Discrimination Laws - Law and Crime
Proposed Class Action Against Skip the Dishes Moving Forward After Supreme Court's Uber Ruling - CBC
AB 5 Employment Status - State of California
What TikTok Said a Day After Being Blocked - NDTV
TikTok's New CEO is Facing His First Big Challenge After India Banned the App and Left Tiktok's Thousands of Indian Employees Stuck in Limbo - Business Insider
The Humbling of the Anglo-American World - Financial Times (Paywall)
Slate Star Codex and Silicon Valley's War Against the Media - New Yorker
Robinhood Has Lured Young Traders, Often with Devastating Results - New York Times
Vietnam's Successful Fight Against Covid (Discussed in Episode #13) - PR & Law Podcast
Uber Driver Sues Uber (Discussed in Episode #12) - PR & Law Podcast

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter.

Episode #13: United Airlines Hits Some PR Turbulence, Hong Kong Falls, Advertisers Unlike Facebook, and Vietnam and Canada Find COVID Success

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 15:00:00 +0800

United Airlines runs into both legal and PR trouble this week after some ill-advised comments from its Chief of Communications on precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on board.

Hong Kong's freedoms virtually vanish overnight (literally), leaving the city firmly in the clutches of Beijing and potentially making criminals out of people who support Hong Kong's protest movement all around the world. Cam speaks about what it's like having such a monumental change in the city he calls home.

We also discuss Facebook's slow-moving train wreck, as the list of advertisers boycotting the company continues to grow. We play a clip of Mark Zuckerberg that gives a glimpse into how he thinks about free speech.

Then we talk about employee rights in an era of COVID-19, why kids like the darkness in Roald Dahl's novels, the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell, and the markable story of a COVID-infected British pilot on life support in Vietnam and how doctors saved him from the brink of death to maintain the country's sterling record of zero deaths from COVID-19.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. We are also on YouTube. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources

Rebranding Hong Kong Will be a Hard Sell - South China Morning Post
Unfriending Facebook: New Research on Why People Like Facebook Less - Startup
United Airlines Turns a Manageable Situation into a Total Disaster - CamMacMurchy.com
See How Canada Crushed the Curve While the US Struggles - CNN
Patient 91: How Vietnam Saved a British Pilot and Kept a Clean COVID-19 Sheet - BBC
U.S. v. Ghislaine Maxwell Indictment - Scribd
The Dark Side of Roald Dahl - BBC

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter.

Episode #12: A Raucous Debate Over the 'Gig Economy', Uber Driver Sues Uber, When Doxxing Goes Too Far, VIP Parties and Root Bear

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 19:30:00 +0800

Cam and Ewan debate the 'gig economy', going back and forth over whether millennials and Gen Z have lucked out with all the cool digital opportunities, or whether they're stuck building a career with scraps of work here and there without any benefits. The debate stems from an Uber driver in Toronto who is suing Uber, claiming he's an employee of the company and not a contractor.

Then we dive into the controversial practice of doxxing and whether it's justified to punish bad behavior. Mob justice doesn't come without risks, of course.

We also talk about a surprising milestone in the music world, the origins of the A&W Root Bear and its catchy jingle, and the economics around VIP parties.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. We are also on YouTube. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources:

A&W Root Beer Theme Song - YouTube
Trader Joe's 'Karen' Goes Berserk After Being Asked to Wear a Face Mask - New York Post
Court Supervisor Fired After Seen on Camera Tearing Down 'Black Lives Matter' Signs in South Philadelphia - ABC
Episode #8: How Brands are Responding to George Floyd, the Firing of Amy Cooper After a Racist Outburst in Central Park, and Hong Kong Might Not be Dead Yet - PR & Law Podcast
Various Artists, Pure Moods Vol. 1 - Pitchfork
The Secret Economy of a VIP Party - The Economist

Episode #11: The US "Gives Up", the Supreme Court Defines "Sex", a Glimpse into the Horrific Culture of Hazing, and Jon Stewart Returns

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 12:15:00 +0800

Hazing is an ugly ritual that permeated junior hockey for years, but those responsible are now facing a reckoning. We discuss why the toxic culture behind hazing is a PR disaster for a sport that is already considered violent.

Ewan goes into the US Supreme Court decision last week that defines the word "sex". We look at the ruling, the dissent, and what it means for employers and employees.

Then it's back into COVID-19, which is continuing to infect people in many parts of the United States as economies open. We talk about what the rising numbers could mean for both the global economy and the stock market. Then we have a brief discussion over 2019 Best Picture winner Parasite and Jon Stewart's searing interview in New York Times magazine.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. We are also on YouTube. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources:

In Countries Keeping the Coronavirus at Bay, Experts Watch US Case Numbers with Alarm - Washington Post
A Former NHL Goon Used Twitter to Create a Hockey Abuse Hotline. His Inbox Exploded. - Washington Post
Carcillo's Teammates Back up Hazing and Sexual Assault Allegations - The Hockey News
Episode #5: The Embarrassing Leak of Private Misogynistic Chats on Instagram, COVID Chaos in the White House, and Why People are Unhappy in Retirement - PR & Law Podcast
Jon Stewart is Back to Weigh In - New York Times
Parasite - Rotten Tomatoes

Episode #10: Social Justice and #BLM Raise Stakes for Brands, Cathay Pacific Bailed Out, Harry Potter and Gender Dysphoria, Seinfeld vs. Maron

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 11:50:00 +0800

What a show! A lot is packed into this week's episode, including a look at how companies are increasingly under-the-gun in an age of social justice, with consumers demanding more than platitudes and simple statements of support of the Black Lives Matter movement -- they want real action. We also welcome journalist Danny Lee from the South China Morning Post to talk about the surprise bailout of Cathay Pacific by the Hong Kong government and how COVID-19 has decimated airlines globally.

Ewan shines some light on a story that didn't manage to break through in a busy news week: the US has taken a startlingly punitive stance against the International Criminal Court.

We also explore the war underway in the New York Times newsroom, furore over JK Rowling and trans activists, and the awkward conversation between comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Marc Maron.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. We are also on YouTube. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources:

Breaking the Law: How the State Weaponizes an Unjust Criminal Justice System - Globe and Mail
The Outcry over 'Both Sides' Journalism - New York Times
J.K. Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking Out on Sex and Gender Issues - J.K. Rowing's Blog
Jerry Seinfeld - WTF Pod with Marc Maron

Episode #9: HBO Max's Marketing Mess, Facing Your Own Decline, and Why Women are Carrying the Burden of COVID-19

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 23:55:00 +0800

The impact of COVID-19 is being felt worldwide, but not evenly. We look at how women have an even heavier burden, particularly with kids unable to attend classes. Also, with HBO Max officially launched, we join many others in asking: what exactly is this service? How's it different from HBO Go or NBO Now? It's the perfect case study of a marketing mess.

We also recommend an excellent interview with famed US writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and why it's in your own best interest to confront the inevitable decline in your professional capability.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. We are also on YouTube. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources:

The Inescapable Pressure of Being a Woman on Zoom - NY Magazine
Why Ta-Nehisi Coates is Hopeful - Ezra Klein Show
The Best Way to Handle Your Decline is to Face it Head On - The Atlantic

Episode #8: How Brands are Responding to George Floyd, the Firing of Amy Cooper after a Racist Outburst in Central Park, and Hong Kong Might Not be Dead Yet

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 15:30:00 +0800

We just lived through one of the busiest news weeks since we started the show, and we tackled all of it! We dive into the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and the nationwide riots that followed. A poll by PR firm Edelman shows that 2/3 of consumers want brands to take a moral stand on issues important to them, so we take a look at what Nike and Reebok have done about Floyd's death and changing consumer expectations.

We also play the shocking video of a confrontation in Central Park, where an employee of Franklin Templeton has a racist outburst after a man asked her to put her dog on a leash. After the video went viral, she was fired by her employer. We look at employee rights in this kind of situation, and what employers are allowed to do.

We also look at US President Donald Trump's announcement of sanctions against China as a result of the national security law being introduced in Hong Kong and what it means for the city's future, as well as Vietnam's remarkable success fighting COVID-19. The country has not had a single death from the virus.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. We are also on YouTube. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources:

Episode #7: Beijing Pulls Hong Kong Closer with Security Law, Why Some Legal Firms Wrongly Insist on Paper, and COVID Becomes a Part of Life

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 25 May 2020 10:45:00 +0800

Hong Kong was in the headlines again this week after Beijing took a drastic step to force a national security law on the semi-autonomous region. We dive into the issue and potential fallout, which includes protests over the weekend in which police fired more tear gas. To fix the city's image, Hong Kong's government has put out a call for PR firms -- but is improving the city's image even possible?

Then we look at a strange argument declaring paper use at law firms superior to digital-only firms. Sorry, what?! We get into that, and a depressing look at what a post COVID-19 world might look like.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. We are also on YouTube. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Episode #6: Shocking Anger at the "Fake News" Media, Balancing Law and PR Risks, COVID Delirium and Get it in Writing!

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 18 May 2020 12:00:00 +0800

We play a shocking piece of audio from a protest in New York where people shout profanity at a journalist who turned up to cover the protest. The news media may have a bigger PR problem than news organizations would like to admit. We dive into the issue and look at how to get a balanced news diet.

We got into some interesting debates in Episode 6 around when to be litigious and when to be more trusting. If you get promises from your boss, make sure you get it in writing -- even if it's just in an email. At the same time, you don't want to come across as not trusting your superior. It's a fine line that we try and straddle!

COVID-19 is leading to huge numbers of job losses, some that may never come back. And we look at some scary delirium suffered by patients who need ventilators. If you weren't scared of COVID-19 before, you will be after hearing this story.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. We are also on YouTube. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Links and Sources:

Video of Anger Towards the Media - Cam MacMurchy Tweet
An Excellent Discussion on How Journalists Got COVID-19 so Wrong and What to do About it - CamMacMurchy.com
What Should the Media Learn from the Coronavirus? - Vox
'COVID-19 is a Delirium Factory' - The Atlantic
The Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow - Apple Podcasts

Episode #5: The Embarrassing Leak of Private Misogynistic Chats on Instagram, COVID Chaos in the White House, and Why People are Unhappy in Retirement

Cam and Ewan — Thu, 14 May 2020 20:30:00 +0800

**This episode is being republished due to technical issues. If you've already listened to Episode 5 you can obviously skip this. If not, hope you enjoy and sorry it's late.**

This is a good one! It moves fast, too, as we dive into the embarrassing leak of an athlete's misogynistic and damaging private Instagram messages followed by his weak apology. Ewan looks at the lawsuits over COVID-19 piling up as people demand compensation for being put at risk of contracting the disease or refunds from products and services that were never delivered. We also explore a reflective article in The Atlantic that looks at why so many people are unhappy in retirement and what people in high achieving jobs can do to avoid a similar fate.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the account name PRLawPodcast. If you'd like to ask us a question, please post it to social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

Episode 5 Resources:

Brendan Leipsic's Apology - Twitter
Why so Many People are Unhappy in Retirement - The Atlantic

Episode #4: Guns as an Identity, Battle Over Victoria's Secret, China's Newfound Diplomatic Aggression and The Last Dance

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 04 May 2020 01:15:00 +0800

This week, Cam and Ewan look at how COVID-19 has impacted the sale of Victoria's Secret, the soaring stock market, China's new "wolf warrior" diplomats, the massacre in Canada and rapid adoption of strict gun laws, the Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance and a whole lot more.

If you enjoy the podcast, please tell a friend or family member. We are very grateful! You can also follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have a question for the show, please post it on social media with the hashtag #PRLawPod.

If you'd like to support us with a small donation or subscription, please visit our Patreon page.

Episode 4 - Show Notes

The Victoria's Secret Contract that Anticipated a Pandemic - New York Times
NRA Tweet on Canada's New Gun Laws - Twitter
A Split over Zhao Lijian and His Claims, or a Shift in Messaging? - Sinocism
Top Chinese Official Disowns US Military Lab Coronavirus Conspiracy - Axios
‘Let America Degenerate on its Own’: Scholar Implores China to Take the High Road vs. US - SupChina
Does brash, rash Zhao Lijian really speak for the government? - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: They're Only Answering Xi Jinping's Call but are China's 'Wolf Warrior' Diplomats Doing More Harm Than Good? - South China Morning Post
Cancel Rent - The Atlantic

Episode 4 - Recommendations

The Last Dance - ESPN
Michael Jordan's 1992 Team USA Olympic Practice Proves Best Sport is Behind Closed Doors - South China Morning Post

Episode #3: How to Sue China for COVID-19, Funerals in an Era of Social Distancing, and China Battles with Thailand... Online

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 01:20:00 +0800

This week, Cam and Ewan look at US courts potentially opening the door for individuals and companies to sue China over the economic fallout from COVID-19, the potential permanent changes to global supply chains and to globalization itself, funerals in an era of social distancing and much, much more.

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Episode 3 - Show Notes

33 Signs from "Re-Open" Protests That are 100% Real - Buzzfeed
With Selective Coronavirus Coverage, China Builds a Culture of Hate - New York Times
A Million N95 Masks are Coming from China -- on Board the New England Patriots Plane - Wall Street Journal
Tucker Takes on ex-McKinsey Exec Over Praise of China - It Seems Like an Apology for Fascist Behavior - Fox News
Two Cargo Planes Return Empty to Canada from China Without Medical Supplies - Globe and Mail
Can China be Sued Over the Coronavirus? - Bloomberg
Suing China Over the Coronavirus Won't Help, but Here's What Can Work - Washington Post
Thailand and China go Toe-to-Toe in Online War with Wonderfully Creative Memes - CamMacMurchy.com

Episode 3 - Recommendations This Week

A Funeral, Reinvented for the Pandemic - The Daily Podcast by New York Times

Episode #2: Zoom Scandal, a Debate Over the "China Virus", and What to Do if Your Workplace is Unsafe

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 01:30:00 +0800

We open the show by looking at COVID-19 from two very different spots: Toronto, where a "shelter in place" edict continues to leave streets empty and businesses closed, and Hong Kong, where things are almost back to normal. Restaurants and shopping malls are even full of people!

We also look at popular video conferencing app Zoom and it's long list of security blunders, what employees can do if they feel unsafe at work, and a look at comedian Bill Maher's insistence at calling COVID-19 the "Chinese virus".

Episode #1: Laid-Off Employee Rights During COVID-19, Permanent Changes to Work, and Masks as a Cultural Symbol

Cam and Ewan — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 01:55:00 +0800

With COVID-19 continuing to cause mayhem around the world both medically and economically, there was no shortage of angles to discuss in episode one of the PR & Law Podcast.

Below are links to some of the topics, items, or resources mentioned during the show. If you have a PR or legal question, please send it to us on Twitter with the hashtag #PRLawPod and follow us at @PRLaw_Podcast. We are also on Instagram and Facebook.

#WearAFuckingMask - a straight-talk website from Larry Salibra that cuts through the disinformation with practical and actionable steps (some may even say common sense steps)
Cam's blog post on the complexities of mask culture - hopefully published soon at CamMacMurchy.com!
US Weekly Jobless Claims Jump by 6.6 Million and We've Now Lost 10% of Workforce in Three Weeks - a CNBC article on the economic impact of COVID-19 in the United States