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Gary Sheffer, vice president of corporate communications & public affairs at General Electric, will be the first recipient of the Jack Felton Medal for Lifetime Achievement. Sheffer will be thanked for his major contributions to the advancement of research, measurement and evaluation at IPR's Distinguished Lecture and Awards Dinner on November 17 in NYC.

"Gary is one of the true leaders in our field and he epitomizes the foresight and leadership of Jack Felton," said Dr. David Michaelson, IPR research fellow and a member of the award's selection committee. "His contributions to the advancement of PR include his significant support for the development of research standards and his effective use of measurement and evaluation at GE." Read more.
Five Strategies to Cope with Twitter Crises 
John Brummette, Ph.D., Radford University & Hilary Fussell Sisco, Ph.D., Quinnipiac University

During a crisis, it is critical for PR leaders to respond to the needs of their stakeholders immediately. Twitter is a social medium that allows managers to provide real-time information and gauge the emotional state of their stakeholders.

An organization must assess the level of urgency and then formulate an appropriate response to provide a resolution for their audience. To effectively handle a crisis on Twitter, PR practitioners should compose their tweets with rational thinking, positive thinking, emotional support, recognition and instrumental support. Read more.
Don Stacks, Ph.D., University of Miami

The 22nd International PR Research Symposium, also known as BledCom, had 120 academics and practitioners from 22 different countries deliberate the latest communication and management problems. This past summer, the theme was "Sleeping (with the) Media," an examination of how media relations is approached internationally and theoretically.

BledCom featured a joint session with Miami's International PR Research Conference, where round-table discussions were led on media relations, ethics and corporate social responsibility. The 2016 symposium will be held on July 1-2, 2016 in Bled, Slovenia and the theme will be "Engaging People in a Disengaged World." Read more.
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