Hi! Your Thursday Daily PR Brief has arrived - January 15, 2026
How brands can effectively use Reddit; What 500+ PR pros would change about the industry; How CEO reactions impact crisis responses; more!
Read some of today's best PR and Comms industry news clips:
Davos 2026—Where Leadership Gets Stress-Tested in Real-Time (CommPRO - January 14, 2026)
Understanding the 2026 Risk Landscape (O'Dwyer's - January 14, 2026)
Inside internal comms' content priorities in 2026 (Ragan Communications - January 15, 2026)
CES 2026: How Brands Can Effectively Use Reddit (PR News - January 8, 2026)
How Do CEO Reactions Impact Crisis Responses? (Institute for Public Relations - January 14, 2026)
What 500+ PR Pros Would Change About the Public Relations Industry (Cision Media Research - January 14, 2026)
Leading by Example: What Taylor Swift's 'The End of an Era' Reveals About Great Leadership (PRsay - January 15, 2026)
The new power trio: PR, influencers, and authentic storytelling (Agility PR Solutions - January 14, 2026)
Old SEO vs. new SEO: how to get cited in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity (Axia Public Relations - January 15, 2026)
Our Favorite PR Moments of 2025 (Part 2) (Landis Communications - January 14, 2026)
The Scoop: Wegmans transparently addresses use of facial scan technology (PR Daily - January 14, 2026)
2025 Review: The Year's Best Longreads (PRovoke Media - January 15, 2026)
Summary Section:
Davos 2026—Where Leadership Gets Stress-Tested in Real-Time
By Aaron Kwittken
CommPRO - January 14, 2026
As global leaders head to Davos this week, one veteran observer shares why the world's most powerful stage has become a real-time stress test for leadership, credibility and stakeholder trust.
Understanding the 2026 Risk Landscape
By Jared Nelson, Associate Partner at DGA Group
O'Dwyer's - January 14, 2026
A year ago, I penned a column in O'Dwyer's previewing the reputational minefield that global companies would navigate in 2025. In particular, the column predicted that complex risk would be defined by an increasingly polarized world, an artificial intelligence arms race, new geopolitical conflicts and flashpoints, looming trade wars and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats fueled by AI.
Inside internal comms' content priorities in 2026
By Sean Devlin
Ragan Communications - January 15, 2026
Whether it's providing timely updates from leaders or getting news out about the company to the employee base, the internal communicator's role is expanding. New data reveals what those demands look like today, and how comms pros would like to see it evolve in 2026.
CES 2026: How Brands Can Effectively Use Reddit
By Nicole Schuman
PR News - January 8, 2026
PRNEWS sat down with Adam Collins, the Chief Communications Officer at Reddit, at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. to discuss how brands can effectively utilize the Reddit platform, especially when it comes to AI search and reputation.
How Do CEO Reactions Impact Crisis Responses?
Institute for Public Relations - January 14, 2026
Researchers conducted an online experiment in December 2024 with 406 U.S. adults who were randomly assigned to read one of four crisis scenarios involving a fictional food company. Dr. James Ndone and colleagues explored how different emotional reactions impact public perceptions during crises.
What 500+ PR Pros Would Change About the Public Relations Industry
By Simon Reynolds
Cision Media Research - January 14, 2026
What would PR pros change about the public relations industry? Cision’s survey reveals challenges with ROI, authenticity, AI, and burnout.
Leading by Example: What Taylor Swift's 'The End of an Era' Reveals About Great Leadership
By Brooke Metz
PRsay - January 15, 2026
Taylor Swift’s recently released six-episode docuseries, “The End of an Era,” is more than a look back on the most legendary tour of all time — it’s a masterclass in leadership.
The new power trio: PR, influencers, and authentic storytelling
By Ethan Rome
Agility PR Solutions - January 14, 2026
In today's digitally connected world, authenticity has become the real currency in brand communication. Audiences have developed a sharp eye for polished corporate messaging and generic PR statements. What actually resonates with them?
Old SEO vs. new SEO: how to get cited in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity
Axia Public Relations - January 15, 2026
You have likely noticed SEO does not work the way it used to. Traditional methods like keyword cramming and backlink chasing are not delivering the same results for visibility and authority. This shift is being driven by tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, which influence what users see before they ever click a link.
Our Favorite PR Moments of 2025 (Part 2)
Landis Communications - January 14, 2026
As we kick off 2026, we're taking a moment to look back at the PR moments that defined 2025—campaigns that made us laugh, think, and admire just how powerful creativity is in communication.
The Scoop: Wegmans transparently addresses use of facial scan technology
By Courtney Blackann
PR Daily - January 14, 2026
Wegmans transparently addresses use of facial scan technology. Plus: Google reverses policy after a parent's viral post; Cava embraces fan craze over sweet potato return.
2025 Review: The Year's Best Longreads
By Diana Marszalek
PRovoke Media - January 15, 2026
PRovoke Media's most-read longreads of 2025 reflect a profession grappling with profound change from geopolitical volatility and cultural fragmentation to the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence on everything from reputation management to creativity itself.
If you're interested in setting up a customized report for your company or need any help with monitoring or media research feel free to reach out.
All reports made with the help of Report Mule.
Solid curation here. The piece on CEO emotional reactions during crises caught my attention because it challenges the traditional stoic executive playbook. I've seen firsthand how showing vulnerability (when done authentically) can actualy strengthen stakeholder trust rather than weaken it. The shift from old SEO to AI-optimized content is equally critical, like we're moving from gaming algorithms to genuinely serving user intent.