Written by Theodora Jean, President, CPRS Vancouver
It was only two short months ago that we held our “Mental health and resiliency in the PR sector” event in Vancouver. The timing of this event could not have been more apt, as shortly thereafter COVID-19 fundamentally changed not just the volume of our work, but also the nature of it.
While some PR practitioners are working in overdrive and running on very little sleep these days (all hail our health care comms workers!), others—such as some entrepreneurs and consultants—are low on work and clients. One thing is certain for all of us: COVID-19 has changed our lives and had a significant impact on us personally and as a community.
With that being said, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some tools and resources available to you during this time:
-
COVID-19 Resource Centre and Discussion Forum on CPRS Connect
-
Angus Reid COVID-19 Response Tracking Study: Angus Reid is providing access to a special series of reports f of the evolving opinions and behaviours of Canadians on a wide range of issues related to the COVID-19 crisis. We update the data on our site weekly, so continue to check back for the most up-to-date reports.
-
Free CPRS Vancouver Zoom Webinar: Crisis Communications During a Global Pandemic sponsored by Munro/Thompson Communications (now at full capacity!): on April 30th from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Senior crisis manager Renu Bakshi will share her expertise on how to pivot your PR business and communicate in uncertain times, and will offer practical tips and guidance, including:
-
The importance of having a crisis management plan before a crisis hits—and what you must do to evolve quickly in the midst of one;
-
How to manage fear through risk assessments and risk communication; and
-
How to communicate leadership to mitigate damage.
Renu will share practical examples of organizations that are responding well…and those who have work to do.
Registrants may submit questions before the webinar here, some of which Renu will address during the discussion portion.
For those who were not able to get a seat, the webinar will be made available to CPRS members after this week.
Lastly, I want to encourage you to stay connected with your CPRS community by following us on social media or subscribing to our newsletter. Please also continue to provide feedback to me ([email protected]) or other members of the Board if there are other ways in which we can support you during this time. I believe that it’s in times like these that we really see the greatest value from our involvement with CPRS and that we should lean on each other for support, ideas, and inspiration.
Wishing you good physical and mental health, resilience at work and at home (we see you working parents!), and hope for better days.
Theodora Jean
President, CPRS Vancouver
About the Author
Theodora has over 10 years of public relations and communications experience in private industry, government, and non-profit sectors. Through her public relations consultancy, Coldwater Communications, Theodora provides earned media strategies, publicity services, and thought-leadership for those working in the arts and entertainment, tech, and retail sectors.
Theodora is also a senior communications advisor with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and has been working in the federal government since 2010.
Theodora is currently the President of the Vancouver Chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society and a member of Women in Film and Television Vancouver. She was also recently a protege of the Women’s Executive Network’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Mentoring Program and holds a Master’s in Communication from the University of Ottawa.