Voice Matters Blog

It’s the first day of August, which means a lot of people will be vacationing this month. The process of planning a vacation is actually similar to launching a new venture, be it a business, a blog or personal improvement. Purpose You know exactly why you're going on vacation. You need time... Read More

Every Friday we round up the week’s most compelling stories about social justice, human rights, public health, and public relations. Gabrielle Douglas becomes the first African-American all-around Olympic champion [Time Magazine]   Amazon’s Founder Pledges .5 Million in Support of Same-Sex Marriage [The New York Times]   Another One Bites the Dust: Swiss Olympian Expelled... Read More

In this episode of "A Quick Minute with Gwen," our President Gwen McKinney takes a minute to discuss gaffes, gaps and mistakes. Case in point: Mitt Romney's recent trip abroad to England, Israel and Poland where he made several of these communication missteps. Gwen applies communication lessons to Mitt Romney's examples,... Read More

You arrive to the party looking good, ready to meet new people and see familiar faces. Introductions begin with the usual "Hi, my name is [blank]," they give their name and you shake hands. You can likely guess the next sentence/question to emerge from their lips, and you're primed with... Read More

First Lady Michelle Obama shops for fresh produce with Assistant White House Chef Sam Kass at a Washington, DC, farmers market. Phtograph by Win McNamee/Getty Images. It’s an honor to shake the hands of the person who grew your food. This back to basics notion, proffered by the sagacious author Michael Pollan... Read More

Photograph courtesy of The Atlantic. Every Friday we round up the week’s most compelling stories about social justice, human rights, public health, and public relations. Study finds states passing fewer immigration laws in 2012 [Reuters]   In the shadow of Olympic Park, local black residents feel forgotten [The Root]   A growing number of potential organ... Read More

Recently, our President Gwen McKinney wrote a wonderful blog post entitled, "Back to Basics: Reap what You Grow" about going to the roots of our food, the soil and the ground for sustenance and goodness. In this episode of "A Quick Minute with Gwen," she continues the "good food" discussion by... Read More

By Nicole Hayes Just when you think your writing is better than ever, someone reminds you there's always room for improvement. Writing can be sharpened to become better, clearer and more concise. In a recent PR Daily article, author Kevin Allen provides tips on words to avoid, which I have now... Read More

By Samantha Miller In Chicago, several thousand people lined up at Navy Pier to get information about the deferred action program for young illegal immigrants. Photograph by Nathan Weber for The New York Times. Every Friday we round up the week’s most compelling stories about social justice, human rights, public health, and... Read More

By Llenda Jackson-Leslie Activist Betty Friedan leads a group of demonstrators outside a Congressional office in 1971. Photograph courtesy of Veteran Feminists of America. In honor of US Women's Equality Day on August 26, we bring you this special post on women's rights. The war against women isn’t limited to control of our... Read More

By Nicole Hayes Rep. Todd Akin said that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant. Photograph courtesy of AP, via Politico. Incompetence. Ignorance. These two words share commonalities: both begin with “I” and are dangerous when enacted. Any media relations person who has had a client misspeak understands how deadly and devastating... Read More

By Danielle LeFlore Photograph courtesy of ROC4LIFE. There was recently a story in the news about an African American couple who were forbidden from getting married at a church because of their race. When it was revealed that this took place in Mississippi, I thought, it figures. Don’t get me wrong—I have... Read More

By Samantha Miller Nearly 1 in 2 US physicians report at least one symptom of burnout, according to a new study. Photograph courtesy of CNN. Every Friday we round up the week’s most compelling stories about social justice, human rights, public health, and public relations. Rep. Todd Akin Says "Legitimate Rape" Rarely Leads... Read More

By Ryan Duncan In this episode of "A Quick Minute with Gwen," our President Gwen McKinney sits down to discuss the controversy surrounding voter ID laws in the United States. With the upcoming Republican and Democratic National Conventions calling attention to democracy in action, Gwen highlights how the recent adoption of... Read More

By Shannon Mouton Photograph by Associated Press, courtesy of Deseret News. This is a true story. I witnessed the scene several Sundays ago in DC’s Eastern Market. In fact, I have a part: the “2nd Woman.” I was angry, very angry. Yet again, a Black person—a Black man—had been denied his humanity,... Read More

By Nicole Hayes Photograph courtesy of Public Relations Blogger. Last week I attended a pitching webinar hosted by VOCUS and Help A Reporter Out (HARO). Scott Stratten, founder of UnMarketing, instructed listeners on “How Not to Suck at Pitching the Media.” Although I was already aware of most of his tips, it... Read More

By Samantha Miller Residents are rescued Wednesday in LaPlace, about 25 miles northwest of New Orleans, where the storm surge was unusually bad. Photograph courtesy of CNN. Every Friday we round up the week’s most compelling stories about social justice, human rights, public health, and public relations. More Young Illegal Immigrants Facing Deportation... Read More