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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.

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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.

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In this episode, AMEC’s CEO Johna Burke joins host Jason Mudd to discuss the Barcelona Principles 4.0 and PR measurement best practices.

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Meet Our Guest:

Our episode guest is Johna Burke, CEO and Global Managing Director at the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC). With more than 30 years of experience in marketing, PR, communications, and strategy for B2B and B2C organizations, Johna is a global leader in communication measurement and evaluation and a sought-after speaker on PR, media relations, and metrics.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. The 7 Barcelona Principles Explained

2. How to apply the Barcelona Principles 4.0 to measure and evaluate PR effectiveness across channels

3. How AMEC’s Integrated Evaluation Framework can guide planning, measurement, and reporting in your organization

4. Practical ways to use data ethically to build credibility, trust, and impact in communications

5. How professional development and resources from AMEC can strengthen measurement skills and PR strategy

Quotables

“When we looked at the Barcelona Principles, because they were rooted in best practice, a lot of them are just making them clearer statements.” — Johna Burke

"Supporting the Barcelona Principles, being compliant, helps communicators make a greater value to their organization and gives credibility and reliability to their data." — Johna Burke

“It gives you the planning elements, and it is a fill in the text box for what you are doing, starting with your objective and going through to put your activities, your outputs, the outcome, so that when you use this with your team and you put everything in the framework, it also helps you understand which efforts are paid, earned, shared, and owned.” — Johna Burke

“Use it as the planning tool as much as you use it as a measurement tool, which arguably, if you're doing measurement effectively, you need to have good concrete planning in place to have those well-defined objectives to know and understand what's working and what's not working.” — Johna Burke

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 Johna Burke

Johna Burke, CEO and Global Managing Director at the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC), has more than 30 years of experience driving results in marketing, public relations, investor relations, general management, communications, strategy, and operations for B2B and B2C organizations. She is an expert in strategic planning, analytics, research, business growth, and operational efficiency and is a national and international speaker on PR, media relations, measurement, social media, and metrics. With over 20 years of focused experience in B2B and B2C marketing and public relations, Johna is recognized globally for her leadership in communication measu

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.