Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes Wadds Inc.'s Stephen Waddington to explore engineering-style rigour in PR. They discuss: elevating the function during the pandemic, building multi-source datasets for the "Pints & Profits" case study, why "synthetic audiences" are "ultimately junk," McDonaldization and repeatability, balancing numbers and narrative, and the pitfalls of AVE and proxy metrics - plus a call for all PR practitioners to contribute to Stephen's PhD research.

Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

Resources and social media

• Contribute to Stephen's PhD research: https://publicrelationsmanagement.phd
• "Pints & Profits" (Brew case study) http://bit.ly/3KC7qcE
• Market Research Society: "Campaign for Better Data" http://bit.ly/4pD2RyZ
• Stephen's blog: https://wadds.co.uk/blog
• Stephen's Substack: https://wadds.substack.com
• Stephen's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwaddington/

Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes AI Pathfinder and TED Talker, Susan Etlinger, for a conversation about AI, meaning-making, and agency. Topics include the influx of new data types, Orwell vs Huxley (after Neil Postman' Amusing Ourselves to Death), why we're "intentionally ceding control to machines", the burden of proof for automation, inclusion across languages and models, and why "facts can't defend themselves against being misconstrued". Susan also highlights core skills for a new curriculum for the AI era: History, Statistics, and Social Sciences.

Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

Resources and social media links

• Susan's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanetlinger/

• TED@IBM talk: "What do we do with all this big data?" http://bit.ly/3Ioh423

• Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death - http://bit.ly/3Iwrk8r

• Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles,speaks with Angela Balakrishnan, Executive Director of Strategic Communications & Public Affairs at the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) about information rights, public trust, AI, and why "data is about people". Topics include the ICO's role, rights awareness, AI priorities and consultation, practical tips (think about your digital footprint; strong passwords; MFA), and the Ripple Effect campaign ("It was one admin error") with trauma-informed research and charity partners.

Resources and links

- ICO website - https://ico.org.uk/

- ICO on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/information-commissioner's-office/

- ICO on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@informationcommissioner

- Ripple Effect campaign - http://bit.ly/4m9o2FX

Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com