The Thoughts Library
Every month we publish a practical take on school communications — what worked, what backfired, and what to say next time. The whole archive lives here.
Two recent surveys on where people get their news and whether they trust it show that local television news is still very much relevant. No, people aren’t rushing home anymore to catch the 6pm news…
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We say it all the time. Social media is your unfiltered newsroom for information sharing. But tread carefully. Innocent mistakes can cause unintended consequences. We’ve seen it before: a student athlete flashes a gang sign…
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As the new school year begins, administrators across the nation are increasingly confronted with how artificial intelligence is reshaping classrooms and school districts. From teacher lesson planning to student assignments, a growing number of districts…
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We just wrapped up several weeks of media and crisis communications training for one of the biggest cities in the country. Last week, I was called in to a senior leader’s office for a chat.…
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If the thought of artificial intelligence in school excites, overwhelms, and scares the heck out of you, you’re in good company. How should you begin using it? How should you begin communicating it? We spoke…
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Well, that was fast. Literally, in the blink of an eye, Cold Play is hot, Astronomer is seeing stars, and everyone knows precisely what I’m talking about. THE video. Seen 122 million times in a…
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I get the question A LOT. If a local TV reporter calls asking for a comment about an issue that will likely put the school district or agency in a negative light, do I really…
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We’re constantly scouring news reports nationwide for examples of school crises that offer insights and teaching moments for administrators. One particular case caught our attention last month. In fact, we even made a short…
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CASE STUDY: In 2018, a Starbucks manager in Philadelphia called the police on two black men because they were sitting in the store without ordering anything. The event sparked a week of crisis communications cleanup…
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An Analysis of how school districts in one county utilize social media For years, we’ve been beating the social media drum that schools and government agencies have access to their own dedicated “newsrooms” to showcase…
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Welcome to The Warning Bell, a free monthly online newsletter for school superintendents, administrators, and communications specialists across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and beyond. When I was in school, the warning bell between classes signaled…
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We get this question a lot from public relations specialists at schools and municipal governments: should I ever talk to a reporter off-the-record? Simple question. Not so simple answer. Coming from a reporter of three…
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