• FIR #363: Is the Israel-Hamas War a Communications No-Win Situation?

A review of the trove of articles about how brands have addressed the conflict in the Middle East suggests that there is no way to satisfy everybody, even for brands that opt to say nothing at all. Neville and Shel explore the peril of speaking out, even as expectations continue for companies and their CEOs to address societal issues. Also in this monthly long-form episode:

• The closure of Pebble (formerly T2) has implications for the entire fractured social media ecosystem
• A global PR body has ratified 10 principles for the ethical use of AI in PR and communications
• LinkedIn influencers are becoming a force to be reckoned with
• A poll from MIT explores key decision points for deploying AI in the enterprise
• Silicon Valley appears to have given up on news in social networks

In his tech report, Dan York shares details about the flailing of Twitter, changes in Threads, WhatsApp channels, and Automattic’s purchase of Texts.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, October 30.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Links from this episode:

• Artificial Intelligence in Public Relations and Communications: cases, reflections and predictions (Edited by Ana Adi)
• Pebble, the Twitter alternative previously known as T2, is shutting down
• Twitter clone Pebble is shutting down just five weeks after a rebrand
• The Pebble falls: A ‘friendly’ Twitter replacement closes its doors
• Pebble, the ‘Twitter killer’ social media app, meets an abrupt demise and shuts down after 10 months
• The hunt for the next Twitter: all the news about alternative social media platforms
• Bluesky for Journalists 
• X usage plummets in Musk’s first year as owner
• Brands Play It Safe On Israel-Hamas Conflict
• Brand Safety Controls Are Demonetizing Publishers’ Israel-Hamas Coverage
• Israel-Hamas war fallout spilling into workplaces
• McDonald’s Caught in Crossfire of Gaza Conflict
• Restaurant Brand Whose Founders Fled Nazis Targeted Over Israel Ties
• How brands are responding to the Israel-Gaza war | News | Campaign Asia
• MediaDailyNews: The High Cost Of Misinformation For Brands, Publishers, Platforms
• WGA West Apologizes for ‘Tremendous Pain’ Caused by Its Silence on Israel Attack
• Global PR body ratifies 10 ICCO Warsaw Principles for ethical use of AI in public relations and communications
• LinkedIn influencers are a thing now—and brands like Intel and Hootsuite are courting them
• Influencers and CEOs take their brands to LinkedIn
• LinkedIn is becoming the home of executive influencers
• LinkedIn influencers face scrutiny over disclosure norms and legal compliance
• Why is 20-year-old Linkedin now ‘cool? We’ve not changed, says editor-in-chief
• Generative AI deployment: Strategies for smooth scaling

Links from Dan York’s Report:

• X launches two new subscriptions to boost your replies
• Twitter/X is now charging a $1 annual fee to let new accounts post
• Elon’s X Rolls Out Voice and Video Calls
• X to take on newswire services with new product, XWire
• Threads is adding polls and GIFs as it continues to chase X
• WhatsApp Channels: Everything You Need To Know
• Streamlining Communications: Automattic Acquires Texts.com