Gina Donio

☘️ According to Muck Rack's "What AI is Reading" report Claude’s top-100 most cited outlets have about 50% lower average UVM (unique monthly visitors) than Chat GPT.’s top-100 list. What does this mean for your media strategy and how audiences find you? I'd love to discuss this and more during PRSA Greater Worcester Chapter's Talk Shop Tuesday tomorrow. ☘️

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New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) should prioritize legislation to create an age-appropriate design code (#AADC), according to a kids online safety report by a Sherrill transition action team. Released Wednesday, the report also recommends copying California’s #DeleteAct and championing legislation focused on social media and AI chatbots. Also, referencing Daniel's Law: “The Action Team recommends expanding this power to all those who live in the Garden State.” More in Privacy Daily: https://lnkd.in/e8Fnp-Th

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New Jersey's film and digital tax credit program has been “rocket fuel” for the state’s film industry, the CEO of the state's economic development authority said yesterday. The authority determined Paramount is eligible for expanded tax credits after it signed a 10-year lease to anchor a major studio development in the state. Paramount joins Netflix Inc. and Lionsgate Studios Corp. as the final "studio partner" in the state’s program that offers up to 40% tax credits for qualified labor expenses and good and services.

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Novus Public Affairs turns 30 this year. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built — and deeply grateful to Paul Young, who founded the firm three decades ago and set the standard for the work we continue today. The advocacy business has changed dramatically since 1996. Fax machines gave way to email. Desk phones gave way to smartphones. Social media reshaped the landscape. And now AI is transforming it yet again. Through all that change, one thing has remained constant: this business is about empowering people to engage in the civic process and protect their interests. At Novus, we’re proud of our first 30 years — and energized for the next 30 years of advocacy excellence.

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🔔 Philadelphia foundations are on the move, increasingly investing their endowments for local impact. And using local and impact-specialist advisors to do it. Excellent reporting from ImpactAlpha's stalwart Philadelphia-based reporter Roodgally Senatus on an exciting and noteworthy trend, and a potential model for other local institutions to invest local assets in local initiatives. Read the full story here (gift link): "In Philadelphia, a dozen foundations are starting to deploy local endowments for local impact" https://lnkd.in/g9VCGWfa h/t Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, Glenmede, Zenith Wealth Partners, Jason Ray, Valentine Foundation, Alexandra Frazier, Girl Concrete, Impax Asset Management, Elizabeth Killough, UnTours Foundation, Laura Kind McKenna, Kristina Wahl, The Barra Foundation, Kensington Corridor Trust, WOMEN'S COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROJECT, Jounce Partners, Independence Public Media Foundation, Christopher Capato, De-Carceration Fund, Lawrence F. Williams III, Christopher Bentley, ImpactPHL, Cory Donovan, Kafi Lindsay, Susan Hammel, CFA, Cogent Consulting,

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📰 It takes a village, literally and figuratively to save journalism admidst today’s chaotic journalism landscape. 🗞️🎙️🎥 As a PR professional, today’s The New York Times story by Steven Kurutz hit home. 👍👏❗️Amid reporting restrictions at the Pentagon, CBS hiring Bari Weiss to bring in a fresh POV, layoffs across major outlets, and overall uncertainty in the media, The Midcoast Villager in Camden, Maine shows what’s possible. ✍️ 🌇🏡Journalists including Alex Seitz-Wald, Willy Blackmore , Aaron Britt, Drew Himmelstein left big-city newsrooms for a small-town paper, embracing a slower pace and deeper connection with the community. 🗣️They’re proving that local journalism can be ambitious, meaningful, and trusted covering everything from lawsuits to slice-of-life features while serving the people who live there. 👍They represent a new genre of local heroes, showing that impactful reporting isn’t just national, it’s personal, community-driven, and essential. 🌟 Stories like these remind us that the heart of journalism lives in local reporters who listen, engage, and tell the stories that matter most. 📖 Read the full story: https://shorturl.at/1gh07 (photos by Cig Harvey #LocalNews #Journalism #CommunityMatters #LocalHeroes #Storytelling #MediaMatters #Authenticity

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Appreciate the chance to weigh in on New York's budget issues with The Hill. Here's my take: The fundamentals haven't changed ahead of the November election. Voters are upset about cuts to health care and think tariffs have gone too far. https://lnkd.in/e85pka63

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In this latest article from EOS at Federated Hermes Limited’s Q2 Public Engagement Report, Dana Barnes, Navishka Pandit, Velika Talyarkhan and Michael Benedict Yamoah, PhD highlight some of the key votes from the North American, European and Australian proxy seasons. The article includes a look at German automaker AGMs, child safety proposals at #tech companies, and how US shareholder proposals have fared in a changing regulatory landscape. #AI #corpgov #HCM #stewardship #ESG #climatechange #remuneration #digitalrights #tax #ShareholderRights #InvestorProtection

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The memo explaining why CBS killed its 60 Minutes story on conditions inside a foreign prison, written by Bari Weiss, now in senior editorial leadership at CBS News, misses the heart of what journalism is supposed to do. As I understand it, the story was not about legal fine print or political back-and-forth. It was about horrific conditions inside a prison and the treatment of people sent there in America’s name. That was the point. And that is exactly the kind of story television is uniquely powerful at telling. Yes, this issue have been reported before. But seeing suffering on screen is not the same as reading about it. Visual journalism exists to make reality unavoidable, not to first resolve every policy debate that surrounds it. The memo argues the piece did not “advance” the story because it did not fully explore the administration’s legal rationale, criminal histories, and internal debates. But a single 60 Minutes segment cannot cover everything without losing clarity and impact. Those questions have been addressed before and could still be addressed in follow-up reporting. They were not a reason to bury the story that already existed. What the memo also misses is why 60 Minutes has endured for decades. The program excels precisely because of its tightly written, highly focused storytelling. As someone who has produced and reported on thousands of hours of television news, I can tell you that trying to pack every issue raised in the memo into a single story does not make a piece more responsible, it makes it incoherent. Television journalism works when it is disciplined. When everything is included, nothing lands. A story that attempts to answer every objection in advance becomes an unfocused mess, and 60 Minutes has always known better than that. What this will look like to viewers is not caution or fairness, but politics. When a powerful, uncomfortable story is stopped because it might appear one-sided, people conclude that editorial decisions are being shaped by agenda, not evidence. Ironically, the decision only made the story more newsworthy and further damaged the reputation of CBS News and of Weiss herself who should have been aware of the issue long before the story was scheduled and promoted. Not a great way to begin a new chapter of leadership. This was not a failure of reporting. It was a failure to trust the audience to see the truth and decide for themselves.

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Earlier this week, in advance of speaking to Baltimore Public Relations Council, I asked my journalism community for their best advice for PR people who want to break through the noise with their pitches and maintain good relationships with reporters. Their advice is too good not to share: • Be a resource. • Not every pitch will yield an immediate story but it may plant a seed for a future one. • Consider tying your idea/product to a broader narrative even if it may include a rival or competitor. • Stop pitching CEOs as experts if they just intend to hype their company. • Pay attention to breaking news and pitch the expert who is available NOW. • Make a connection/introduction before you have something to pitch. • Do not start by asking me how I am doing and saying you hope I am having a great day. Tell me what you have and why it matters. And no exclamation points. They cheapen the pitch. • Be brief and to the point! • Pitch news, not a topic. • If you pitch every reporter in the newsroom, you are reducing, not increasing, your chance of success. Know who covers your subject.  • Don't call to ask if I got your press release.  • Fergodsake, have someone else proof your release. • Pitch a story that’s got nothing to do with your client, it’s just a good story you heard about. Then pitch your client. • Get my name right. • Offer to make connections to real people impacted by the story who are willing to go on the record and potentially be photographed. • Don't take forever to get back to reporters seeking comments and NEVER say so-and-so is not available and is the only one who can speak about that. • Have some who can speak fluently in another language especially Spanish. • I would be much more interested in an 'introductory conversation' with a source if that source has a news tip or can discuss an angle I've been missing in my coverage. • Avoid gimmicks. No one wants a giant pencil, or a puff of confetti.  • The tone should be, hey, here’s a fresh story for you. If you have to spend a lot of time explaining why it is a good story, it probably isn’t. • Keep it short and don't bury the lede. • Whenever possible, start the relationship with a call or coffee meeting that doesn't involve a pitch. If they get to know your wants and needs, and you theirs, it becomes a business relationship rather than a email loop. • Reporters. Want. News. News to you or your client is not necessarily news to a reporter. • Don’t lie. • If you don't know the answer to a reporter's question, put them in touch with someone who does. Thank you to all the #journalists who contributed. Have more advice? Share it in the comments! #pr #publicrelations #journalism

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Alrighty, I've been reading many of these, so my turn to chime in. I worked at WTOP News for nine years, filed stories for CBS Radio as a reporter, used their content when I was a producer. I'm disappointed but not surprised. People consume news on social media through their phones. People also don't need traffic reports as much due to Waze and Google Maps. So the question becomes: what makes a radio outlet unique with content that's not available elsewhere. WTOP News and other local affiliates are in good shape, in my opinion, despite the loss of WCBS 880 in NYC. You can't get hyperlocal coverage of Montgomery County, MD or Fairfax County VA without WTOP. It doesn't exist. Julie Ziegler preaches the same message Jim Farley did years ago: local, local, local. CBS Radio News didn't have that on a national level. Now what they brought that the market may miss are the quality stories from the stringers, like I was, across the country. An important story in Detroit that matters in Philadelphia, but the national news doesn't cover. That's what we'll miss. On Bari Weiss: I don't wish her ill will. If CBS News Radio was operating deep losses, then it's a necessary business decision while painful. However, all her slashing and slashing of costs will amount to a bunch of nothing UNLESS she replaces it with new MONEY-MAKING content. Anyone can cut costs with a scalpel or sledgehammer. What's her idea to make CBS News profitable? We wait and see...

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Excellent perspective from Chrissy Buteas on how imperative it is for NJ to maintain its life sciences leadership. One point that especially resonates: "In 2026, we must strengthen partnerships between industry and our K-12 schools, community colleges, vo-tech programs, and universities; expand recruitment programs to attract out-of-state talent; and create targeted incentives to encourage graduates to build their careers here." Some of this exists, but it is spot on as a top priority.  

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The latest debate in #rent & #politics takes shape in #providence - read more on #golocal #rhodeisland #realestate #landlord #developer #tenant #municipal #city #urban #publicpolicy

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📺 Media Disruption Alert 🚨 • CBS President & CEO Wendy McMahon is stepping down amid mounting legal and editorial pressure. • Last night John Oliver spotlighted how political and corporate forces are shaping what broadcasters are willing (or afraid) to air. • Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, speaking at an event I attended earlier this year, reminded us broadcast stations operate under a public-interest mandate because they use a scarce and powerful resource: our airwaves. So how do communicators do our jobs in this chaos? 👉 Use your own channels. Own your message. Leverage the power of your own voice within your community. 👉 Collaborate with trusted, influential voices. Credibility travels farther when it's shared. 👉 Get creative about broadcast—especially local. If you're working in the public interest, tell that story in the community you're serving. Craft your message. Own your story. Communicate through the chaos. #CommsStrategy #PublicAffairs #MediaRelations #FCC #BroadcastMedia #LocalNews #OwnedMedia #DigitalComms

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Important story by Boston Globe arts reporter Malcolm Gay and photographer Jonathan Wiggs on essential programs and services that are now at risk. The threat of cuts to the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will impact cultural organizations in Massachusetts and across the country. https://lnkd.in/d5pFKBbN

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Finch Media launched its survey, A.I. and Communications – Game Changer or Major Pain?, to understand how organizations are approaching A.I. in communications. The results show most teams are already using A.I., but many remain concerned about risks and see ethical guidelines as essential — even though few have formal policies, governance, or training in place. A clear signal that adoption is moving faster than structure.

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The City of Boston Retirement System added $40 million to its private markets exposure as the board of trustees gets ready to consider real estate funds next week. https://lnkd.in/ghhaHr_v

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Local wins, for now: In a rare refusal, Philly area credit union members reject merger with a national operator. It's not even close. My story: https://lnkd.in/ewwRWRrR

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