Communication News
Expert commentary on the communication events shaping business, politics, culture, and technology.
RTX Annual Meeting: What Calio Got Right Communicating
RTX held its 2026 annual shareholder meeting virtually, with Chairman Chris Calio at the helm. Calio presented a $271 billion order backlog alongside production improvements and ambitious investment plans for the year ahead. The meeting featured a cross-functional leadership bench, including the CFO, Chief HR Officer, and Chief Communications Officer, presenting a unified front to investors.
Why Brands Fail on Social Media (And How to Fix It)
Several major brands have stumbled publicly on social media, turning minor missteps into full-blown reputation crises. The pattern is consistent: a tone-deaf post, a clumsy response, then a spiral that costs far more than the original mistake. These failures are not bad luck. They are the result of specific, avoidable communication decisions made under pressure.
Why Low Employee Engagement Is a Communication Failure
Gallup's latest research shows employee engagement has stalled at troublingly low levels across the workforce. The numbers point directly at one culprit: managers who are not connecting with their people in any meaningful way. This is not a benefits problem or a compensation problem. It is a communication problem sitting in plain sight, wearing a leadership title.
Why Remote Managers Lose Their Teams in 2025
Organizations in 2025 are still fumbling through remote work management, and HR teams are scrambling to find strategies that actually stick. Years after remote work became standard, the core problem remains unsolved: managers are physically absent but still expected to build trust, deliver feedback, and hold people accountable. The gap between remote policy and remote reality has never been wider.
Why Communications Belongs in the C-Suite
A growing body of business analysis now argues that communications should be treated as a core executive function, not a support service bolted onto marketing or HR. The argument is straightforward: companies that elevate their communications leaders to the C-Suite make better decisions, faster, and with fewer public disasters. This is not a new idea. It is simply one that most organizations have been too shortsighted to act on.
Celebrity Scandal Recovery: Communication Lessons That Work
Celebrity reputation collapses follow a predictable pattern: a public scandal, a chaotic initial response, and then a slow (or fast) climb back to public favor. What separates the celebrities who recover from those who disappear is not luck or fame. It is deliberate communication strategy. The ones who survive make specific choices about timing, tone, and transparency. The ones who fail make those choices badly, or not at all.
Gordon State Debate Win: Communication Lessons That Apply at Work
Gordon State College's debate team walked into the third annual Regents Cup tournament as the new kid on the block, facing established programs from across Georgia. They walked out with the best finish of any state college in the competition. For a program in its first year of tournament play, that result is not an accident. It is a communication story worth unpacking.
What To Do When Executives Ignore You in Meetings
In professional settings, being interrupted or dismissed by senior executives is one of the most common and demoralizing experiences people face in meetings. A recent SmartBrief piece tackled this specific scenario: what do you do when you are in the boardroom and the people with power simply talk over you or act like you are not there? The piece attempts to offer guidance on surviving these moments.
Solo Earnings Call: Bold Move or Communication Risk?
Lotus Resources Limited, a uranium-focused mining company, held its Q3 2026 earnings call with CEO Gregory Bittar as the sole company representative on the line. No CFO. No investor relations handler. No supporting cast. Just one executive standing in front of shareholders and analysts to account for the quarter's performance. That is either a bold communication choice or a costly mistake, and the difference matters enormously.
Malema vs Mchunu: A Crisis Communication Masterclass
EFF leader Julius Malema has sent lawyers after activist and former radio presenter Ngizwe Mchunu, demanding R1 million in damages plus a public apology. The trigger: Mchunu's claim that Malema received R60 million from Nigerian drug dealers. Malema's legal team wants the allegation retracted and compensated. The clock is ticking on Mchunu's response.
Why Workplace Conflict Is a Communication Failure
Workplace conflict is getting renewed attention as a core operational problem, not just a human resources nuisance. Research points to a cluster of recurring triggers: unclear roles, poor information flow, clashing personalities, and competition over limited resources. Organizations that ignore these patterns pay for it in turnover, lost productivity, and fractured teams. The conversation has shifted from "how do we calm people down" to "why do these fights keep starting in the first place."
How Leadership Communication Is Changing in 2024
Leadership communication is undergoing a visible shift. The polished, distant, corporate-speak style that defined executive presence for decades is losing ground. Leaders who speak plainly, respond directly, and show genuine conviction are pulling ahead in trust and influence. The old playbook of carefully managed messaging and committee-approved statements is being replaced by something harder to fake: clarity with a human voice behind it.
