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In this episode, Martin Waxman joins host Jason Mudd to discuss AI’s impact on communications and marketing, why training matters, and how to avoid “AI slop” by pairing AI with real expertise.

Meet Our Guest:

Our episode guest is Martin Waxman, LinkedIn Learning instructor, adjunct professor at the York Schulich School of Business, and associate director of the Future of Marketing Institute. He writes an AI and digital marketing trends newsletter, delivers hands-on generative AI training workshops, and conducts AI research.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Why using AI only to offload tasks can lower quality and why thinking first matters

2. What Martin predicted correctly about AI and what surprised him about its rapid adoption

3. How to move beyond basic content generation to strategy and analytics

4. Why subject-matter expertise is critical when using AI for insights and data

5. How leaders can manage hype, train teams, and stay ethical as AI evolves

Quotables

“Use their brains first so they can start to push themselves and then get AI tools to push them even farther.” — Martin Waxman

“We have to prompt AI, but we also have to get AI to prompt us to think about things from a different perspective.” — Martin Waxman

“You don't have to go at the pace of AI development, which is really fast, but you need to go at a much faster pace than we as communicators have been used to using.” — Martin Waxman

“There's a new term called FOMO, fear of becoming obsolete, which is really real. Because we don't know what we need to learn to do our job successfully. So managing The hype is job number one, figuring out what's new, when it's going to start affecting us, and what can we do to prepare along the way.” — Martin Waxman

“AI will take your job if you're the master and commander of it.” — Jason Mudd

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

More About Martin Waxman

Martin Waxman writes a popular AI and digital marketing trends newsletter, delivers hands-on generative AI training workshops, and conducts AI research. He’s a LinkedIn Learning instructor, adjunct professor at the York Schulich School of Business, and associate director of the Future of Marketing Institute.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

@martinwaxman on X

@martinwaxman on Instagram

Martin Waxman on Facebook

Martin Waxman on LinkedIn

Future of Marketing Institute

The Neuron newsletter

Axios AI newsletter

LinkedIn Learning course: Using Generative

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this solocast, On Top of PR host Jason Mudd discusses the ethical and practical differences between exclusives, advances, and embargoes and how to use them correctly in media relations.

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Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. The clear differences between exclusives, advances, and embargoes

2. The most common PR mistakes that quietly damage credibility

3. Why advances don’t restrict publication unless you explicitly say so

4. How to structure ethical exclusives without limiting coverage

5. Practical scripts you can use for exclusives, advances, and embargoes

Quotables

“If you promise a national consumer outlet an exclusive and then you pitch another national consumer outlet the same story, you broke your promise.” — @jasonmudd9

“Reporters don't forget. They may confront you; they may not. They may complain; they may not. But they will remember, so always be honest and ethical in all of your communication.” — @jasonmudd9

“Embargoes work best when your organization has a plan for what happens if the embargo breaks. If you want to use embargoes correctly, you must be precise.” — @jasonmudd9

“This is a critical lesson: Don't rely on terminology alone. Don't assume the other party defines the offer the same way you do.” — @jasonmudd9

“Media relations is not about getting coverage. Media relations is about earning trust, earning credibility, and building relationships that last.” — @jasonmudd9

“If your goal is first-class media relations, the standard is simple. Say what you mean, mean what you say, deliver what you promise.” — @jasonmudd9

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

Contact info and resources:

Jason Mudd on X

Jason Mudd on LinkedIn

Axia Public Relations website

Axia Public Relations resources

1:1 consultations and training with Axia

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Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

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In this episode, PRSA CEO Matthew Marcial joins host Jason Mudd to discuss the ethical use of AI in PR and key insights for communicators.

Tune in to learn more!

Meet our guest:

Our episode guest is Matthew Marcial, CEO of the Public Relations Society of America. He leads PRSA’s strategic priorities, focusing on advancing the profession and guiding communicators through emerging challenges, including the ethical use of artificial intelligence.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. The biggest ethical risks with generative AI in PR

2. The “Promise and Pitfalls” principles every PR team should adopt

3. How smart PR teams are using AI without crossing ethical lines

4. PRSA’s role in helping professionals navigate the fast-changing AI landscape

5. Tips for rising PR pros who want to lead the profession forward

Quotables

“As a leader, you really need to be able to set clear expectations with your team around what the role of AI is and what it is for your organization.” — Matthew Marcial

“Being comfortable with that, sharing, and training across your teams is really going to help leverage that (AI) insight and expertise.” — Matthew Marcial

“I think that as a communicator, putting out anything that compromises your reputation is going to be a risk.” — Matthew Marcial

“We are taking a bolder voice on issues that impact our members, the industry, and the profession.” — Matthew Marcial

“The best way to learn is through trial and error.” — Jason Mudd

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.

More about Matthew Marcial

Matthew Marcial, CAE, CMP, is the CEO of the Public Relations Society of America, the nation’s leading organization for public relations and communications professionals. Appointed in March 2025, he leads PRSA’s strategic priorities, focusing on advancing the profession, supporting member growth, and navigating emerging challenges, such as the ethical use of artificial intelligence. With more than 20 years of association leadership experience, Matthew is a frequent speaker on ethical leadership and professional development and has recently led sessions across PRSA’s regional districts on the organization’s AI Ethics Guide for PR professionals.

Guest’s contact info and resources:

Matthew Marcial on LinkedIn

PRSA website

PRSA’s Promise and Pitfalls: Ethical AI Guide

PRSA’s DEI Toolkit

PRSA’s Membership | Promo Code for Listeners: PRPROD25

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.