 Note: I’ve engaged in media relations in previous roles, so I appreciated this overview from IABC Toronto on how the field is evolving. The piece highlights the continued importance of earned media, targeted pitching, strong journalist relationships, and making stories as relevant and useful as possible. As an IABC DC Metro board member, I also value insights shared by fellow chapters. They help strengthen the broader communications community and move the profession forward. Media Relations in 2026: What’s changed, and how communicators must adapt
By Jacqui DeBique, SCMP® Media relations is experiencing a profound shift in 2026. At a recent webinar presented by IABC/Toronto’s Professional Independent Communicators, a panel discussion unpacked the forces reshaping earned media and what communicators must do to stay effective. Three media relations specialists — Masha Mikey (she/her), Jacob Robinson (he/him) and Natalia Smalyuk (she/her) — joined moderator Trish Tervit (she/her) to deliver a clear message: the fundamentals still matter, but the bar has never been higher.
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 Note: I use Canva quite a bit to design social media and website content for IABC DC Metro, so I appreciated this overview of IABC Seattle’s recent webinar on Canva. I found several of the takeaways especially useful. The piece emphasizes good design isn’t just about knowing how to use Canva. It’s about understanding your audience, your brand, and the principles behind effective visual communication. As a board member with IABC DC Metro, I’m always interested in seeing what other IABC chapters are sharing and learning from communications professionals across the association. Creativity Meets Strategy: IABC Seattle’s July ProTalk on Canva
Communicators wear a lot of hats. From creating social media graphics and executive presentations to designing event materials and internal communications, we’re often expected to produce polished visuals – regardless of whether we have a formal design background. That was the focus of IABC Seattle’s July ProTalk, where Chapter President Megan Managan, executive vice president and chief advocacy officer for the Washington Bankers Association, shared practical tips for getting more out of Canva and creating professional, effective visual communications. Throughout the interactive session, attendees explored not just Canva’s features, but the design principles that help communications stand out.  Note: This piece was written by my colleague Saks Jain and first appeared on the IABC DC Metro website. As a chapter board member, I'm pleased to share insights that help communications professionals learn, grow, and succeed. IABC World Conference 2026: Rise of AI Creates Suite Spot for Communications
By Saks Jain Lead with Human Intelligence (HI), not Artificial Intelligence. From sessions like Why AI Sucks, and How We Should View AI as Communications Professionals, to Irreplaceable in the Age of AI: Leverage Your Human Edge, the message was clear at this year’s IABC World Conference in Toronto: Lean into your own cognitive prowess as a starting point for communications strategy, not AI bots that too often serve slop. With World Cup soccer fan cheers as the backdrop, thousands of attendees gathered last month inside frosty conference rooms at the Westin Harbour Castle to hear industry experts share trends, tips, and a cheery outlook for communications professionals. As a first-time attendee, I found ample opportunity to meet with peers or mentors at the networking roundtables, speed mentoring, and regional receptions. But it was the sessions and spotlights that offered meatier considerations on the future of communications and challenged the current AI status quo.
How the Baltimore Ravens Craft a Winning Content Strategy
What does it take to manage the voice of one of the NFL’s most prominent franchises? At our recent IABC Seattle April ProTalk event, we sat down with Ryan Mink, the editorial director for the Baltimore Ravens, to explore the inner workings of the team's content and communications engine. From his beginnings as an intern in 2009 to overseeing written, video, and social media streams today, Ryan shared the strategies that help maintain the Ravens' brand as "classy, authentic," and connected to its fans. “If you can’t be authentic, you’ll lose your audience pretty quickly,” he said, of all communications, but particularly fan bases. The brand's authenticity shines through all of the Ravens' work that Ryan leads, as well as the team’s communications strategy.
The Four Pillars of Effective Internal Communications
By Jenny Jones When we think about internal communications, we often think about the visible outputs: messaging and channels. While important, these components can’t succeed alone. For internal communications to create shared understanding, alignment, and action across an organization, it requires strong supporting infrastructure. This includes four main pillars: decision readiness, governance, sequencing, and listening. Together, these pillars form the infrastructure that supports the internal communications system. When this infrastructure is missing, internal communications often becomes reactive — scrambling to clarify decisions, resolve confusion, and rebuild trust. When it’s in place, communication flows more smoothly because decisions, ownership, and context are clear before messages are shared.
How To Keep Your Best Communicators Engaged
By Tanya Pikula In communications, strong performers make all the difference. Whether it’s crafting a message that lands, managing a crisis, or navigating new tools and channels, these are the people who bring clarity and calm to the chaos. They’re the ones you can count on to get it done well, even when you’re not in the room. You recognize them easily. They’re responsive but thoughtful. When they raise a challenge, they usually come with a few ideas for how to solve it. They can juggle multiple priorities, stay composed under pressure, and often see issues before they appear on most people’s radar. Of course, no one is flawless, but with strong performers you never have to wonder about commitment or follow-through. They’re the ones who give you peace of mind. But here’s the thing: those same strong performers are often the ones most at risk of leaving if they’re not recognized or challenged. They’re driven by curiosity and learning. They want to grow, to try new things, to be part of the next interesting project. And when that doesn’t happen, they’ll eventually find a place where it does.
This year brought change to the communication profession, from the growing role of AI to evolving expectations around culture and leadership. Communicators were asked to adapt, clarify, and lead through complexity. Throughout 2025, authors and thought leaders across the IABC community shared their experiences, strategies, and perspectives, helping peers navigate these challenges and shape the way the profession works today.
Drawing the Line: What Communications Is — And Isn’t
By Tanya Pikula Most communications professionals know the feeling: you’re looped in late, after the decisions are made, the strategy is set, and now it’s time for a press release, a slide deck, and a social plan. We’ve long advocated for earlier involvement, and rightly so. Our work shapes how something is understood and received, which means we need a seat at the table from the start. But just as importantly, we need to be clear about what communications doesn’t own. We are responsible for the corporate voice and channels. And while we can support more individual or program-specific content, we do so as strategic partners, not as owners. When those boundaries blur, roles get distorted, expectations drift, and the work suffers on all sides.
Telling Your Story: Five Tips from First Idea to Final Draft
By Jill Marquardt Bylines, blog posts, profiles, listicles — articles today take many names and forms. But they all share a few things in common: They tell a story, whether it’s about your organization, a new product or service, or a point of view. And they’re competing for attention in a crowded digital landscape. How can you stop the scroll and communicate your message in a way that sticks? And how do you get there in the drafting process? Here are a few thoughts from the Garfinkel + Associates writing team, who grapples with this challenge every day. 1. Start at the finish line Articulate what success looks like. For thought leadership, this could involve a certain number of views, citations, and shares, with low bounce rates. For sales and fundraising, measure how well the piece moves the needle from clicks to cash. Consider value from the other side as well. Readers seek many things: new information, fresh takes, helpful tips, entertainment. (Never underestimate the power of being a light pause in someone’s heavy workload.) Have a clear picture before you begin.
AI Can Make Us Better Thinkers, If We Let It
By Tanya Pikula In an age of unpredictable technological advancement — so fast that even experts struggle to forecast five years ahead — the arrival and rise of generative AI have been truly seismic. I remember the first time I used ChatGPT. Like so many others, I was astonished. It pulled together a travel itinerary in seconds that would have taken me hours to research. It offered social media posts, email drafts, and creative content ideas, all with startling fluency and immediacy. It was hard not to feel dwarfed by it. In communications, where language is the core product, the sensation of being overshadowed is especially acute. We’ve always relied on our ability to distill complexity into clarity. Suddenly, here was a machine that could articulate things more quickly and, often, more cleanly. Yes, it made mistakes. Yes, its output needed editing. Still, its speed and coherence left many of us wondering, “Where does this leave me?” That question lingered, but, as I began experimenting with AI more regularly, my perspective started to shift. What began as simple, low-stakes tasks — proofreading, drafting itineraries, brainstorming titles — soon evolved into something more meaningful. I started using AI to stretch my thinking, stress test arguments, and clarify expression. Rather than feeling diminished, I felt empowered. Perhaps most significantly, I found myself with more mental space to think deeply and creatively. |
AuthorI'm Eli Natinsky and I'm a communication specialist. This blog explores my work and professional interests. I also delve into other topics, including media, marketing, pop culture, and technology. Archives
September 2026
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