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On this week’s episode of “For Immediate Release,” host Shel Holtz reports on the following stories:

• A lot is changing at Google in the wake of 20,000 employees walking out, but not enough to satisfy the walkout organizers
• Social media is putting CEOs under increased scrutiny
• Helping you create better Stories is a million-dollar industry
• In China, an Artifical Intelligence news anchor is standing by to read news 24/7
• A chain of newsletters in the U.S. Southeast is showing how to attract younger readers
• Voice texting has become a thing, but some people absolutely hate it
• Amazon introduces variable “slots” for Alexa skill-building
• Social media growth in the US is over
• A New York Times Insights Group study explores the psychology of social sharing
• Smartphone cameras are the next marketing battlefield
• Holograms are coming to Vimeo
• Pew explores the most popular categories of YouTube content
• Vine is returning as Byte

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog.

Links from this week’s episode:

• Google updates sexual harassment policies following protest
• Google walkout organizers vow to ‘not let up’ following CEO’s response
• Microsoft Will Keep Pursuing Military Deals Amid Employee Concerns
• In the Age of Social Media, CEOs Are Under Intense Scrutiny
• Designing people’s Instagram Stories is now a million-dollar business
• China’s state-run press agency has created an ‘AI anchor’ to read the news
• White House Spreads Doctored Video to Justify Temper Tantrum Against CNN Reporter
• ‘They Do It All The Time In Sports,’ Kellyanne Conway Defends ‘Doctored” Jim Acosta Video
• Can this network of lit-to-be-local newsletters unlock younger civic engagement?
• Is the Era of Voice Texting Upon Us?
• Voice Assistants Like Alexa And Google Assistant Have A Trust Problem
• Amazon improves Alexa responses with 4 new variable types: foods, sports, video games, and creative works
• Social media growth is over in the U.S. — which is its most valuable market
• The Psychology of Social Sharing—What Makes People Engage with Your Social Media Content?
• Marketing’s next battlefield: Your phone’s camera
• Vimeo launches channel just for holographic video
• Many Turn to YouTube for Children’s Content, News, How-To Lessons
• Vine will be revived as Byte next spring

Links from Dan York’s report:

• IETF 103 Bangkok
• PechaKucha
• Fortune Magazine Sold to Thai Businessman for $150 Million
• Zero-day in popular WordPress plugin exploited in the wild to take over sites
• Update on 5.0 Release Schedule
• WordCamp US 2018
• Internet Governance Forum

About Shel Holtz

Shel Holtz, ABC (Accredited Business Communicator), is director of Internal Communications at Webcor, a commercial general contractor headquartered in San Francisco. Before joining Webcor, Shel spent 21 years as principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. In addition to integrating technology into communications strategies, his expertise includes strategic communications planning, change management, organizational culture, business initiatives and communications research. Full bio