Friday is here! Read today's Daily PR Brief - February 20, 2026
CBS leans into policy language after Colbert strikes back; PR crisis fatigue in the C-suite; Forget B2B — Think P2P; and more!
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Read some of today's best PR and Comms industry news clips:
As prices rise, corporate America braces for the blame (Axios - February 19, 2026)
The Scoop: CBS leans into policy language after Stephen Colbert strikes back (PR Daily - February 18, 2026)
PRNEWS Announces Winners of the 2026 Content Marketing Awards (PRNEWS - February 19, 2026)
How Generative AI is Evolving PR Workflows (Institute for Public Relations - February 18, 2026)
RIP to Content that Died Because of Misaligned Strategy (Spin Sucks - February 19, 2026)
Food Beverage Crisis Plans Build Trust Fast (5W Public Relations - February 20, 2026)
Forget B2B—Think P2P (People-to-People), and Other Tips For Genuine Thought Leadership (Inc. Magazine - February 19, 2026)
Understanding public relations crisis fatigue in the C-suite (Axia Public Relations - February 20, 2026)
Is PRCA's PR Redefine a Necessary Update or a Solution in Search of a Problem? (CommPRO - February 19, 2026)
frankly… Episode 85: A Lot Has Changed (and Stayed the Same) Since 2016 (Franco - February 19, 2026) [PODCAST]
Culture Watcher: MBooth's Dale Bornstein (PRovoke Media - February 20, 2026)
Stellantis' RTO comms and the art of culture shift messaging (Ragan Communications - February 19, 2026)
Q&A: Dr. Jamila Cupid on authentic allyship and representation in PR (Muck Rack - February 20, 2026)
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Summary Section:
As prices rise, corporate America braces for the blame
By Eleanor Hawkins
Axios - February 19, 2026
Rising costs remain a vulnerability for the Trump administration and the GOP, and the president can blame the "Biden economy" for only so long. The next most likely target: corporate America.
The Scoop: CBS leans into policy language after Stephen Colbert strikes back
By Courtney Blackann
PR Daily - February 18, 2026
On Monday, Stephen Colbert told viewers of "The Late Show" that an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico would not air on CBS. Plus: Ars Technica apologizes for AI-fabricated quotes; YouTube quickly responds to outage.
PRNEWS Announces Winners of the 2026 Content Marketing Awards
By Jessica Dombrowski
PRNEWS - February 19, 2026
PRNEWS today announced the winners of the PRNEWS Content Marketing Awards, recognizing the campaigns, creators, and communicators redefining what public relations can achieve through content.
How Generative AI is Evolving PR Workflows
Institute for Public Relations - February 18, 2026
Muck Rack analyzed how generative AI adoption is expanding and reshaping public relations in 2026. A survey of 564 PR professionals was conducted between December 5-24, 2025.
RIP to Content that Died Because of Misaligned Strategy
By Melissa Wickes
Spin Sucks - February 19, 2026
Content without alignment is just expensive noise. Melissa Wickes breaks down how amplification and shared goals drive real ROI.
Food Beverage Crisis Plans Build Trust Fast
5W Public Relations - February 20, 2026
Learn how food beverage crisis communication plans build trust through speed, transparency and preparation. Discover proven strategies to protect your brand.
Forget B2B—Think P2P (People-to-People), and Other Tips For Genuine Thought Leadership
By Morgan Brady
Inc. Magazine - February 19, 2026
As a young CEO, Daria Leshchenko's leadership journey proved fodder for an honest and successful thought leadership approach.
Understanding public relations crisis fatigue in the C-suite
Axia Public Relations - February 20, 2026
Learn why executives tire during a public relations crisis and how smart planning, media relations, and clear messaging keep leadership focused.
Is PRCA's PR Redefine a Necessary Update or a Solution in Search of a Problem?
By Mike Klein
CommPRO - February 19, 2026
As the PRCA reopens the debate over how public relations should be defined, the industry is left asking whether this is a timely evolution of the profession or an unnecessary reinvention of something that already works.
frankly… Episode 85: A Lot Has Changed (and Stayed the Same) Since 2016 [PODCAST]
By Nina Scarpelli
Franco - February 19, 2026
Rachel and Dan revisit 2016 and unpack a decade of transformation in communications, trust and the way we work.
Culture Watcher: MBooth's Dale Bornstein
By Diana Marszalek
PRovoke Media - February 20, 2026
Culture Watcher is a new recurring PRovoke Media Q&A in which communications leaders share one thing they've recently seen, read, heard or watched that other communicators should know about — and explain why it matters. For the debut installment, Dale Bornstein, CEO of M Booth and CEO of The Booth Group, shares her pick.
Stellantis' RTO comms and the art of culture shift messaging
By Sean Devlin
Ragan Communications - February 19, 2026
Last week, Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa told employees in an all-hands meeting that the automaker could take inspiration from the tech industry in its approach to its return-to-office process. According to Business Insider, Filosa said his commitment to in-office work deepened after a recent trip to San Francisco, which included visits to startups and tech companies.
Q&A: Dr. Jamila Cupid on authentic allyship and representation in PR
Muck Rack - February 20, 2026
As Dr. Jamila Cupid worked toward her Ph.D. in mass communications then launched her career in public relations and digital media, she continually sought to learn more about Black PR practitioners and their impact on the industry. Time and again, though, she struggled to find in-depth stories.
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