A headline-grabbing raid, a revolution-in-the-making, and a “beige” prime minister walk into the attention economy… who wins the story?

Farzana and Doug unpack three global flashpoints through a PR and narrative-control lens: the shock capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and the split-screen battle between “law enforcement” framing versus “illegal act of war” backlash; Iran’s surging unrest as the rial collapses alongside a fractured top-level message (empathy from President Pezeshkian, crackdown language from Ayatollah Khamenei, and a mobilizing call from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi); and the UK’s debate over Keir Starmer’s “beige” leadership, whether voters truly want competent quiet or charismatic spectacle in a 24/7 scroll-and-click media world.

Listen For

00:37 How did the Maduro raid become a communications battle overnight?
01:33 Why did calling Maduro a “narco-terrorist” change the debate?
04:57 Does winning the domestic narrative matter if the world disagrees?
07:56 How is Iran’s leadership sending mixed signals during unrest?
13:05 Is quiet leadership still viable in today’s attention economy?

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

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This is a special audio time-jump episode. It’s an immersive journey ten years into the future to explore how public relations has managed three of the biggest challenges: the rapid rise of AI, the disappearing entry-level job, and the ongoing gender gap in leadership.

Doug and Farzana volunteer for a guided “time crossing” to see how the next generation of PR leaders navigated a decade of disruption. What they find isn’t just smarter tech, it’s smarter systems, layered cities, holographic hosts, and workplaces where AI and humans collaborate with clarity and conscience.

This isn’t an episode about how will we fix it, it’s about how they already did… and what we can start implementing right now.

Welcome to 2036

Listen For

5:01 How has technology reshaped the world of PR?

6:56 What does it feel like to communicate in a city designed to respond?

9:57 How does personalized media target people in real time?

10:36 What are holographic briefs and how do they change communication?

16:31 Are women finally stepping into more leadership roles?

17:44 How did society move beyond the culture war over being ‘woke’?

12:59 What’s changed most in how we communicate at work?

14:55 What does it take to guide AI with real nuance?

18:18 How is emotional labor being measured, and addressed, in the future?

19:02 What are the future rules of ethical communication with AI?

Doug

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Farzana

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What happens when protests shake a regime built on control, not consent?

We look at Iran’s largest wave of unrest since 2022. Fueled by economic collapse and skyrocketing inflation, the protests are no longer just about hardship, they’ve become openly anti-government, spreading even into rural areas. We break down Iran’s unprecedented tone shift in crisis comms, explore the influential role of the Iranian diaspora, and consider how narratives are being shaped despite media restrictions.

And we pivot to examine Donald Trump’s striking effort to brand U.S. institutions with his name, followed by a look into 2026 with helpful resources for PR pros preparing for global risks.

Listen For

:47 What’s really fueling Iran’s latest wave of protests?
4:28 How does Iran’s diaspora influence global perception?
5:39 Can Trump gain political advantage from Iran’s instability?
6:14 Why is Trump rebranding national institutions with his name?
12:46 What tools can help PR pros prepare for global risks in 2026?

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Support the show