Etched Communication

Mother’s Day means something different to each of us.

Today, we honor every experience — the love, the loss, the distance, the choice, the hope and the joy.

Every story matters.

True or False? Trains can move on any track, in either direction at any time.

TRUE. That's what the Etched team shared last week for Dia de los Niños.

It was an honor to be part of a cultural celebration where community partners came together to bring resources, goodies and fun to families in the neighborhood.

This is who...and what they do now!

Turns out our leaders have always had personality.

Meet the little ones who grew up to power the Etched team.

The PR industry is having its own PR moment.

And how we respond — as practitioners, as agencies, as a profession — will define how clients and journalists see us for years.

Our CEO Toni Harrison has been thinking hard about what it means to lead ethically in a politicized environment without becoming partisan. She's named four things PRSA could do right now to serve members without stepping into electoral politics:

→ Define "apolitical" vs. "nonpartisan" — they are not the same
→ Build a toolkit for leading through politicized environments
→ Issue practice advisories when the work is directly affected
→ Defend press access as a profession-specific issue — not a party one

These aren't radical positions. They're professional ones.

This is the kind of leadership our industry is hungry for. And it's the kind of thinking we bring to our clients navigating high-stakes environments every day.

Read Toni's full argument on Substack at https://bit.ly/4d0SpNG

Our founder Toni Harrison has a message for the public relations industry — and it starts with something every journalist learns on day one:

Silence is never silent.

When Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) announced it would maintain an "apolitical" stance, the intent was to protect credibility. But in a moment when journalists are being arrested in connection with newsgathering, when the media ecosystem we rely on is under pressure — apolitical stops being neutral. It becomes neglect.

Toni laid out the case in PR Week. Now she's going deeper on Substack, with four practical steps our industry's leading organization could take to serve members without wading into partisan territory.

Read it here → https://bit.ly/4d0SpNG

If you're a communications professional, a journalist, or anyone who cares about ethical leadership in complicated times — this one is for you.

📩 Subscribe to on Substack for more.

Black History Month invites reflection. It should also prompt recalibration.

In the latest CommPRO article, “Neutrality Does Not Build Trust,” Etched Communication Founder and CEO Toni Harrison explores a critical truth for communicators: Opting for neutrality in moments of cultural tension doesn’t protect brands — it weakens trust.

Research continues to show that diversity and cultural awareness drive stronger performance. Yet many organizations still treat culture as a risk to manage instead of intelligence to leverage.

For those of us in communications:
Are we helping organizations navigate culture with intention — or encouraging them to stay neutral to stay comfortable?

Black History Month isn’t only about honoring the past. It’s about deciding what kind of credibility, leadership, and trust we’re willing to build next.

Read: Neutrality Does Not Build Trust on CommPRO. https://bit.ly/4s7PCqu