Hyped

In Episode Three "Dangerous Stunts," we dive into the world of PR stunts that manufacture attention through spectacle—or worse. Public Relations stunts run the gamut from the harmless to the very harmful. In today’s world of image and social media, stunts are even more of an important tactic. We look back at Ivy Lee and the Rockefellers to see how Public Relations stunts began, and then talk with Dylan Bank, director of the fascinating documentary Get Me Roger Stone on how Roger uses stunts for political gain.

Public Relations, Misinformation and the Fight for Truth

In “Hyped,” two award-winning public relations and marketing executives pull back the curtain on public relations and how its misuse is leading to an increasingly chaotic and polarized world. The hosts share real-world stories and first-hand accounts that put a microscope on the impact misinformation is having on society and how we can use public relations for good. In our time of fake news, conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns, it's never been more important to understand how stories are architected and distributed.

In the Dark Side, Jennifer and Amanda take a look at a dark PR case study ripped from the headlines and right in their own backyard (tech). They explore how sophisticated technologies are being used to take shady PR tactics to a whole new level with honey traps, troll farms and end-to-end manipulation systems, and Dr. Jonathan Corpus Ong tells us where we need more transparency in order to stop the spread of digital misinformation.

Flacks to the Front explores how public relations front groups were used in tobacco and how they're showing up today to fuel the climate denial machine. Jennifer Cloer interviews her co-host Amanda McPherson about unwittingly being part of a front group early in her career, and we wrap with an interview with Clean Creatives' Duncan Meisel who says exposing these groups and the agencies that support them can help drive creative talent in new directions.

In episode seven, Amanda talks with digital democracy and open government expert Alex Howard on the state of journalism and what we can do to fight misinformation. Alex details how lack of trust in government has led to the radicalization of a large segment of our population and how direct community connection is the only way out of this misinformation mess. Please give us a review and share with someone who may enjoy Hyped.