This November, we’re showing our gratitude for the words, industries and people that inspire us and are making a real difference. To give thanks the best way we know how, each #thankfulthursday we’re sharing a different staff round-up.
Many of our Red Fan staff members were journalists in our past lives. We value the process of reporting and the challenges of life as a journalist, and are especially grateful to investigative journalists who are uncovering the important stories. Here is our collection of journalism that has improved or influenced our lives. We hope it might do the same for you.
BOOKS:
Here are true stories that made an impact:
Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer: If you’ve ever seen “Into the Wild” or “Into Thin Air,” you’ve definitely come across journalist Jon Krakauer’s work. Where Men Win Glory looks at the haunting but inspirational journey of a young man who left the NFL for the army, and the truths about men and war.
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson: Initially serialized in The New Yorker in the 60s, Carson “tells a true story using examples drawn from many real communities where the use of DDT had caused damage to wildlife, birds, bees, agricultural animals, domestic pets, and even humans.” Basically, Carson helped ignite the modern environmental movement.
Fear by Bob Woodward: A masterful storyteller and an award-winning investigative journalist, Bob Woodward crafts an intimate portrait of life inside the White House during Trump’s first few years.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou: Red Fan has several copies of this around the office–it’s just that good. Bad Blood is “the full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of a multibillion-dollar startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end in the face of pressure and threats from the CEO and her lawyers.”
The Splendid and Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson: Erik Larson used to report for the Wall Street Journal before becoming an author of multiple bestsellers. “Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports–some released only recently–Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family.”
PODCASTS:
Many of our team members have their headphones in when they’re not at the office, power-walking and driving while listening to their favorite podcasts. Here are some office faves:
Planet Money: “The economy, explained” by none other than NPR.
Social Pros Podcast: A super popular marketing podcast for “real insight on the real people doing real work in social media.
Armchair Expert: A podcast that interviews celebrities, journalists and academics to celebrate “the messiness of being human.”
Office Ladies: Office co-stars break down episodes of the show and give BTS stories.
This American Life: Started in 1995, this American Life is a radio-show turned award-winning podcast, focusing on telling the stories of the American people.
Houston, We Have a Podcast!: The official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center, sharing stories of humans in space and just how that all works.
NEWSLETTERS:
To keep up with news, e-newsletters are a great way to skim and dive deep as needed. Here are our go-to e-newsletters that will keep you informed:
Morning Brew: This gives you the top business-focused news in about a five to seven minute read. It’s clever and I always learn something new.
The New York Times Morning Briefing: Are you prepared to walk into the office every morning knowing all the current events of the days past? It’s going to be hard without this newsletter.
The Skimm: The news can often be dreary, but not when you talk to your friends about it. That’s where The Skimm comes in, to be your best friend who happens to know everything about everything.
The Hustle: We’re always hustlin’ and we know you are too. The Hustle cuts through the noise and business lingo to bring you information with a fresh twist.
Protocol – Source Code: It’s hard to keep tech news short and sweet with massive changes being reported daily. Everything in tech matters and this newsletter prepares you for a change in trends.
Austin Inno: Any player in the Austin tech scene reads Austin Inno. It’s the eyes and ears of Austin and updates on the status of favorite local companies.
Molly McPherson: Not only is Molly one of our favorite podcasters, (Kathleen was recently on her platform sharing her experience managing through a pandemic!) but one of our favorite newsletter writers. Every email fills our hearts with encouraging love notes to PR and the work that we all do.
PRWeek: Being up to date on the latest PR trends is essential to our livelihood so we hold tight to PRWeek emails that give a deep dive into industry insights and the latest news.
SpinSucks with Gini: Gini Dietrich and her company, SpinSucks’ mission is to change the perception of PR and to do so, she’s sharing amazing tips that give you always a little something extra to think about in every pitch you write.
Business Insider: There’s lots to a Business Insider newsletters, but our favorite part is Sean Czarnecki coverage on PR and marketing agency news. There’s nothing more valuable than seeing what others are doing well in the field.
We hope you’ll find some time to appreciate the ways journalism adds value to our lives. Don’t forget the documentaries, movies, data-wiz’s that make data accessible, and every other form of journalism out there. Honorable mention for “non-journalism words that inspire:” the Hamilton soundtrack, for being engaging, groundbreaking and perfectly written during a recent time of need.
What words are inspiring you? Please share with us!
