Focusing on 2020
By John Elsasser
January 2020
Are you ready for 2020, and all the vision-related puns that will come with the start of this new year? (We tried to keep those to a minimum here!)
We’re focusing (sorry!) this January edition on topics related to health and wellness. Doug Swanson, Ed.D., APR, a professor at California State University, Fullerton, is conducting research on mindfulness in public relations and PR education. He shares some of his findings with us in this issue.
“Practicing mindfulness can bring about more thoughtful work, more ordered workplaces and more content employees and clients,” he writes. “In the process, it can increase the value of PR engagement with clients, publics and the world at large.”
That sounds like an inspired way to start the new year.
We also have articles on the reality of achieving work-life balance, and the importance of using PTO and paid sick leave.
Additionally, we’re introducing a new monthly column titled “Workplace Wellness.” In the months ahead, Jaya Koilpillai Bohlmann, M.A., APR, an educator and consultant, will address aspects of well-being in the workplace, including culture, mental health and diversity.
We also have another new column to announce. Cedric Brown, APR, is writing “D&I Explained.” Cedric is the digital campaigns strategist at Advancement Project National Office, a Washington, D.C.-based multiracial civil rights organization. For his first column, he discusses the role of authenticity in organizational diversity and inclusion efforts.
In other column news, Tim O’Brien, APR, returns, though he’s changing up the emphasis of his “State of Independence” feature to center more broadly on work and life in the PR profession. Find “Business Class” here. And Christina Stokes, vice president, director of talent acquisition, Rubenstein, will continue her regular “Hire and Seek” column with advice and information for talent professionals as well as for job seekers.
We thank 2019 columnists Andrea Gils and Ken Jacobs — look for contributions from these writers in our Insights section in 2020.
Speaking of contributions, we welcome your ideas and bylines for stories in the years ahead. We’ve added our 2020 content calendar here for your reference. Please let me know if you have an interest in writing for us. You can reach out to me at john.elsasser@prsa.org.
Meanwhile, wishing you good health and wellness in the coming year and always.
photo credit: shutterstock
