Shaun Dakin calls it his "15 minutes of fame," but his foresight in creating a nonprofit last year devoted to adding automated political phone calls to the national, voluntary "Do Not Call" registry is generating media attention lasting quite a bit longer than that.

It is very important for Big Pharma to learn how to work well with patient advocacy groups

For years, radio has taken a backseat to TV - and, more recently, the Internet - when it comes to obtaining press interest. Yet, thanks to the influence of political chat, as well as a host of new technologies, radio is re-emerging as a hot and influential medium for other reporters to cover.

LinkedIn invitations are piling up in the inboxes of PR pros. Yet, the value of getting involved in this business-focused social networking site depends on the end goal.

Real-time communication tactics such as Twitter are providing technology-focused companies with a way to quickly address consumer concerns.

In recent weeks, newsroom layoffs at daily and weekly newspapers have seemingly increased throughout the US. Just last week the Los Angeles Times announced a plan to let 75 people go, which is 10% of its newsroom staff. In addition, the Star-Ledger in New Jersey said it planned to cut about 40% of its staff through a series of buyouts.

I'm going out on a ledge here, and writing this column two weeks before Election Day. There's a decent chance you're reading this after we know the identity of our next president. So if Sen. John McCain won the election, what follows won't hold much water. But, if Sen. Barack Obama is our next president, I think there are some lessons we should all consider.

director of recruitment, Kaplow

With turmoil in financial markets, reverberations continue to spread throughout the economy. Volatility continues, its impact felt across industries around the world. As fortunes shift, companies need to communicate new priorities to stakeholders. Even for companies not directly affected, stakeholders will want to know what the current situation means and how their company will be affected in the long term.

Keith O'Brien and Ted McKenna were in Washington, DC to discuss public affairs