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Public Affairs Trends

Public Affairs Trends explores the ideas, technologies, and strategies shaping communications, public affairs, polling, media, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. Featuring conversations with industry leaders, communicators, policymakers, researchers, and innovators from the United States and around the world.

Latest Episodes:

Beyond the Old Playbook: Why Human Conversations Win in Public Affairs Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

This episode features Nicole Schlinger, founder and president of Campaign HQ, discussing the evolution of public affairs. She emphasizes the diminishing impact of traditional, top-down communication strategies in the current climate of declining trust and rising misinformation, especially on hyperlocal issues like data center development.

Schlinger advocates for identifying supporters and persuadable audiences earlier, leveraging human-to-human interaction through tools like telephone town halls, live calls, and texting to engage effectively, facilitate respectful dialogue, and understand authentic public opinion, proving that direct human connection remains vital amidst digital saturation and increasing polarization.

First Friday, October 2026: AI, Trust, and What Makes Public Affairs Effective Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

In October's First Friday edition of Public Affairs Trends, host Neil Hughes revisits conversations with Katie Harbath, Gerry Gunster, and Megan Bloomgren. Their insights explore preparing for difficult decisions, understanding the people behind the data, and building credible coalitions. Together, they highlight why listening, trust, and sound judgment remain essential as technology changes how public affairs professionals work.

Neil also covers Zack Laven's promotion to principal at Fulcrum, new Public Affairs Council research showing widespread AI adoption but limited formal measurement, and a Virginia experiment testing text messaging alongside door-to-door canvassing. The episode examines a shared challenge across these stories: determining whether new tools and increased activity produce meaningful results.

Disrupting Politics: Katie Harbath on Tech, Democracy and AI's Impact Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, host delves into the complex intersection of technology, politics, and public trust with guest Katie Harbath. Harbath, former head of Facebook's global elections work and author of "Disrupting Politics," shares insights from her front-row seat to pivotal moments like the 2016 election and Cambridge Analytica.

She discusses the 'impossible trade-offs' leaders face, the unintended incentives of the social media era, and the emerging challenges and opportunities presented by AI in political campaigns.

Harbath introduces her concept of 'panic responsibly' for navigating rapid technological change and emphasizes the critical role of individual agency and transparency in shaping the future of democracy amidst evolving digital landscapes.

Beyond the Data: The Art and Science of Modern Persuasion Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Gerry Gunster, CEO of Gunster Strategies Worldwide, breaks down the evolution of political persuasion from the era of "Harry and Louise" to modern digital warfare. He explains why data-driven targeting can never replace qualitative listening and reveals the strategic missteps that led to the Brexit referendum result.

Public Affairs in the AI Era: Megan Bloomgren on Data, Coalitions and C-Suite Strategy Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Megan Bloomgren, a partner at DCI Group, discusses the profound shifts in public affairs over her nearly 30-year career. She highlights the constant need for strategic positioning and action, emphasizing how data now accelerates these efforts. Bloomgren shares insights from her work transforming the American Petroleum Institute's narrative and advising top leaders through challenging transitions. She explains how effective public affairs requires strong judgment, data fluency, and a focus on demonstrable outcomes.

The episode delves into building authentic coalitions and the importance of integrated C-suite strategies to manage reputation and political risk. Bloomgren expresses excitement about AI's potential to revolutionize data analysis, audience segmentation, and content creation, calling herself a "data nerd" proud of the industry's dynamic evolution.

First Friday, September 2026: The New Public Affairs Playbook: Prepare Earlier, React Less Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

In this month's Public Affairs Trends First Friday Briefing, host Neil Hughes examines the latest developments shaping public affairs, government relations and strategic communications. Topics include Craig Stevens of DCI Groupon crisis coordination, Gov Business Review's look at the growing strategic role of public affairs, Nathan Gonzales and the Public Affairs Council on how John Fetterman could affect Senate control, and Nicole Schlinger of CampaignHQon why traditional public affairs campaigns are being challenged by data center development. Plus, a preview of Nicole Schlinger's upcoming appearance on the Public Affairs Trends podcast.

Can You Trust the Polls? Inside the High-Stakes Battle to Measure Public Opinion Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Veteran Republican pollster Micah Roberts, partner at Public Opinion Strategies, takes listeners inside the high-stakes world of public opinion polling. He explains how pollsters turn relatively small samples into meaningful insights, how the industry has evolved from landline calls to voter files and text-based surveys, and why reaching a representative audience is now more difficult and expensive.

Roberts also explores how social media can rapidly reshape public opinion, how researchers detect bots and unreliable respondents, and what listeners should examine before trusting a headline-making statistic. Looking ahead to the U.S. midterm elections, the conversation considers declining institutional trust, economic concerns, ideological shifts, and what polling must do to remain credible in an era of AI, misinformation, and political division.

AI in Public Affairs: Why Faster Tools Demand Better Human Judgment Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

AI is transforming how public affairs professionals research issues, analyze audiences, create content, and respond to events. But as the technology becomes faster and more accessible, human judgment matters more than ever.

In this special solo episode, host Neil Hughes revisits insights from recent conversations with Jordan Lieberman, Matt Kenney, Curt Mercadante, and Jonathan Grella. He explores why AI should remain the assistant rather than the architect, how smaller organizations can access increasingly sophisticated capabilities, why owning your audience matters, and how speed must be balanced with trust, authenticity, and restraint.

Because when everyone can produce more content and target audiences more precisely, the real advantage is knowing what to say, who needs to hear it, and when saying less will be more persuasive.

The Science of Persuasion: Scaling Influence with AI and Range Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Jonathan Grella joins the show to discuss why public affairs is fundamentally a business of persuasion rather than just communication. He explains how pattern recognition and 30 years of cross-industry experience inform his strategy, and why he's embracing AI as an 'influence multiplier' to scale impact without sacrificing authenticity.

First Friday, August 2026: Public Affairs Trends: Data, Prediction Markets and the Changing Public Affairs Landscape Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

What happens when public affairs organizations have more data, more technology and more intelligence than ever before, but still struggle to turn that information into better decisions?

In the August edition of the Public Affairs Trends First Friday Briefing, Neil Hughes looks at five stories shaping government relations, advocacy, strategic communications and the wider business of influence.

Jordan Lieberman of Powers Interactive argues that organizations are not suffering from a shortage of data, but a shortage of decision-making capability. With government affairs teams now tracking legislation, polling, stakeholder engagement and media coverage in real time, the advantage increasingly comes from turning information into action rather than simply collecting more of it.

The episode also examines why Campaign Trend believes political campaigns need clear policies around prediction markets before their use becomes widespread, raising broader questions about how organizations should govern emerging technologies before reputational or ethical problems arise.

Elsewhere, Washington public affairs firm Adfero is closing after 17 years, while DCI Group continues investing in senior communications and policy talent with several new hires. Neil also looks beyond Washington as Echo Canyon Consulting expands its government affairs practice with former Congressman Matt Salmon joining as Managing Director of Government Affairs.

Across these stories, a common theme emerges. Public affairs is becoming more disciplined, with greater emphasis on governance, experienced counsel, integrated communications and the ability to translate technology and information into sound judgment.

As AI, prediction markets and advanced analytics become more common across the profession, will the organizations that establish their rules and processes early gain an advantage over those that wait for problems to appear?

Listen to the August 7, 2026 First Friday Briefing and share your thoughts on where public affairs is heading next.

Jordan Lieberman, Vendor Trap: "Data Supply, Meet Demand"
Campaign Trend: "Your Campaign Needs a Prediction Market Policy"
O'Dwyer's: "Washington PA Firm Adfero Closes After 17 Years"
DC Newsline: "Former CNN Correspondent Kate Bennett Joins Washington Public Affairs Firm DCI Group"
DC Newsline: "DCI Group Expands Team with Two Senior Hires"
Echo Canyon Consulting: "Former Congressman Matt Salmon Joins ECC as Managing Director of Government Affairs"

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