QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” –Ida B. Wells

COVID-19 UPDATE

• At the time of reporting, The New York Times showed 2,910,688 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 129,938 deaths. Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker reported 2,932,047 cases and 132,007 fatalities. Global cases now exceed 11.4 million.
• Testing remains a problem for states fighting surging COVID-19 cases as some states like Arizona have reported lines lasting as long as 13 hours to get tested.
• How far has the economy rebounded in recent weeks? Charts show an uptick in things like restaurant bookings and hotel occupancy, but they haven’t reached pre-crisis levels.

Simplicity is more important than ever. In the current environment, being succinct and clear in your messaging is essential. Here are some ways to think about excising excess wording and making full use of the limited attention span of your audience.

Everyone is responsible for inclusion, not just your DE&I leader. Here’s how some of the industry’s top leaders on diversity and inclusion are pushing for change both inside and outside their organization.

How can your organization get media attention during the pandemic? Here are 10 ideas you can try to get your name into a crowded conversation.

Forty percent of U.S. workers say employers should provide well-being help. A look at the five signs of emotional suffering and what you can learn from IBM’s well-being efforts.

A public spat with a journalist tarnishes tech’s reputation. A group of venture capitalists had a conversation on the private platform Clubhouse about the media’s role covering their work—a conversation that was leaked and derided online. The incident is a reminder to leaders that conversations online are never as private as you think. The spat has led Away’s CEO to step down a second time.

Is your workplace helping introverts to feel included? As organizations think through inclusion and engagement, its crucial to acknowledge how different personalities might approach these goals. Here’s how you can make introverts feel welcome in your organization.

Work within your industry to set health and safety standards during reopening. Cruise lines, an industry hit particularly hard by COVID-19, is hoping to reopen and some operators are trying to work together to set safety regulations.

Norwegian and Royal Caribbean wrote in a post:

Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced a collaboration to "develop enhanced cruise health and safety standards in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic," according to a press release. The companies have asked Governor Mike Leavitt and Dr. Scott Gottlieb to serve as co-chairs of a newly formed group of experts called the "Healthy Sail Panel."

Vogue Portugal apologizes for insensitive cover. The magazine initially defended the cover, which depicted a model as a patient in a psychiatric hospital.

The BBC reported:

"Vogue Portugal deeply apologises for any offence or upset caused by this photo shoot," the company said in an Instagram post, which showed a new cover image of a person holding a human heart.

How are you demonstrating active, empathetic leadership? Here are some important concerns to consider for communicators and business leaders as you guide your workforce back to the office.

Amazon delays “Prime Day” to October. Even for retailers that don’t rely on a big physical storefront, the resources aren’t there for a big sales push. Amazon has told partners via email it is pushing for Oct. 5 as the date for its annual bonanza.

CNBC reported:

The email advises sellers to use the week of Oct. 5 as a “placeholder date” for Prime Day promotions and coupons, but cautions that “exact Prime Day dates have not been announced.”

“A definitive date will be announced as we get closer to the event,” the email states. “We are looking forward to seeing submissions that offer the most delight to customers during one of the biggest shopping days of the year, Prime Day!”

Virtual Conference Alert

Join us for Ragan’s Remote Employee Engagement &Culture Virtual Conference on Tuesday, July 21 to learn internal comms strategies and best practices to meet the challenges of the new reality.

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Have a great story to share about crisis communication or your own take on current best practices? Contact Editor Ted Kitterman at TedK@ragan.com.

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