March 3, 2026
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TV - It's Not Just for Humans Anymore
Introduction By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications
What does “TV for pets” have to do with crisis communications? Everything. This New York Times piece explores the booming world of videos designed specifically for dogs and cats, content engineered for attention, emotion and response. It’s a smart reminder that you are never the audience; your audience is. In a fragmented media landscape, even small cues can trigger comfort, anxiety, or action. The lesson: know who’s watching, and design accordingly.
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The Duty of "No": The Rule of Law in 50 Films
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications
In a moment when “just doing my job” is becoming an all-purpose alibi, this piece is a reminder that every profession has a line it can’t cross; lawyers just happen to swear it out loud. Yes, it’s written with attorneys in mind, but the lessons are universal: when the pressure comes, will you enable, stay quiet, or say no? The film list that follows is an ethics playbook for leaders, executives, public officials and anyone who may be asked to trade principle for convenience.
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The Mass Shooting Playbook
Introduction by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications
A mass shooting is not just a tactical emergency. It is a communications crucible. This article introduces the Mass Shooting Playbook, a research-driven, practical handbook for leaders and communicators responsible for communities under threat. Built on real-world cases, it offers checklists, clear roles, and guidance for preparedness, response and recovery, so you’re not improvising when fear, scrutiny and grief collide.
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A Guide to Which AI to Use in the Agentic Era
Chatbots are yesterday’s AI. In just a few months, the real shift has been from talking to models to assigning them work, agents that browse, run tools and complete multi-step tasks. Ethan Mollick argues that choosing “which AI” now means understanding three layers — models, apps, and harnesses — because the same model can behave wildly differently depending on what’s wrapped around it. If AI is entering your workflows, this guide will change how you choose and use it.
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When Newspapers Cut Book Coverage, Communities Lose More Than Reviews
Newspaper book sections are vanishing—and the loss is bigger than a few reviews. This piece traces how shrinking coverage frays local literary culture, sidelines writers, cuts off readers from discovery, and weakens the bond between newsrooms and their communities. From the Star Tribune’s once-bustling “book room” to today’s layoffs and click pressures, it’s a quiet cut with loud consequences.
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How You Show Up In The Room Matters More Than You Think
In crisis moments, your credibility is on the line before you say a word. This essay is framed for in-house counsel, but the takeaway is universal: how you enter the room, when you speak and what you don’t say can either build trust — or drain it fast. Think of every interaction as a deposit or a withdrawal, and learn the habits that make you the steady, value-adding voice when the stakes spike.
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Car-Salesman ‘Player’ Causes Car-Lot Crisis
A “small” incident can become a reputational wildfire in hours, especially when a customer hits record. This case study follows how a Metro Honda salesperson’s “date to buy” insistence turned into a 10M-view viral scandal, and why the response landed only a B-minus: delayed action, deflected responsibility, and no direct outreach to the customer. The takeaway for any organization: micro-crises are where preparedness (and training) gets tested first.
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Personal Brands Pose Growing Risk for Company Reputations, Warns the Corporate Governance Institute
Your CEO’s “personal brand” isn’t personal anymore, it’s a corporate risk surface. The Corporate Governance Institute warns boards to treat executive visibility like any other reputational exposure, because headlines, weddings and hot-take politics can ricochet straight into brand trust and business performance. In an era of hypervisibility, governance can’t wait for the blowup: it has to monitor, anticipate and manage how leaders show up, on and off the clock.
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3/12/26 Consortium of State School Boards Association Annual Conference
3/16/26 Case Western Reserve University Law School
3/26/26 Community Development Corporation Leadership Conference
4/13/26 Private
4/13/26 American Public Power Association CEO Roundtable
4/21/26 Cleveland State University School of Law
4/23/26 Judicial Conference
4/30/26 Federation of State Medical Boards
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5/18/26 Managing Partner Bootcamp (Winding River Consulting)
6/28/26 American Public Power Association Annual Conference
7/30/26 South Carolina Council of School Attorneys
9/29/26 Iowa Association of School Business Officers
10/1/26 Judicial Conference
9/29/26 Iowa Association of School Business Officers
10/25/26 American Public Power Association
12/8/26 Akron Bar Association
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