Rest. Recover. Rejuvenate.
Newsletter #109
This Week:
Burnout and How to Avoid It
ICYMI: Another Way to Reduce Pressure and Anxiety
Spotted
Before We Go…
1. Communications Burnout Is Real. Here Are a Few Ways to Relieve the Pressure
Some EO Report articles we write for you. Some we write as a reminder to us. Communications is a hard field. We operate in a 24/7 news cycle. Our work is publicly broadcast, along with all of the typos and missteps that others get to make more privately. And in many ways, we are the keepers of our organization’s reputation.
That’s a lot of pressure.
In 2024, Muck Rack surveyed more than 1,500 PR professionals and found some sobering realities about what that pressure looks like in practice:
Roughly 8 in 10 communications professionals work outside regular business hours at least once a week.
58% work more than 40 hours per week, and one in ten report working more than 51 hours.
75% of agency professionals report high stress, most commonly rating it an 8 out of 10.
71% of in-house professionals also report high stress, with 6 out of 10 being the most common rating.
2. ICYMI: “Can We Talk?” Reducing Anxiety For Your Team
While we’re on the topic of mental health, here’s a throwback EO Report that addresses a small change you can make to relieve the anxiety of your colleagues. Know someone who does this? Maybe a subtle forward of The EO Report would help. (Just saying.)
3. Spotted
Details make or break the moment. At a press conference in New York City about child care, a tiny podium (for a handful of tiny and oh-so-charming speakers) stole the show. See the moment here.
4. Before We Go…
From The New York Times: Washington Post begins laying off more than 300 journalists
Last week, the Washington Post laid off around 30% of its workforce, translating to more than 300 of its newsroom of 800 journalists. Sports, local news, and international coverage are the most impacted.
“The cuts are a sign that Jeff Bezos, who became one of the world’s richest people by selling things on the internet, has not yet figured out how to build and maintain a profitable publication on the internet. The paper expanded during the first several years of his ownership, but the company has sputtered more recently.”
From Jay Schwedelson on LinkedIn: Have you tried these email subject line tactics?
Looking to increase your email open rates? Try some of these subject line formulas from email guru Jay Schwedelson.
From The New York Post: The best Super Bowl ads according to experts
“This year, brands duking it out to have the most talked about commercials spent as much as $10 million on a single spot, per Variety. It’s a star-studded affair, with old-school A-listers like Matthew McConaughey, Laura Dern, Ben Affleck and George Clooney — and stars geared towards younger audiences, like Kendall Jenner.”
Know a comms pro who could use a little R&R? Forward them The EO Report.