In the before times, there were people whose entire job was to clip your name out of a newspaper. A physical bureau, staffed by real humans with scissors, tracked press coverage for PR firms and their clients. They mailed stacks of paper clippings before anyone had thought to call it a media monitoring service. Burrell's did this for 136 years before quietly shutting its doors in June 2024.
In this episode, Karen Swim, APR, and Michelle Kane take a nostalgic and forward-looking tour through the evolution of public relations practice — from the physical press kits assembled at Kinko's and faxed press releases that were easy to send and hard to get noticed, to the emerging job titles now beginning to appear on org charts at major corporations. What's replacing the old tools isn't just new software. It's a fundamentally different kind of communicator: one who can translate the impact of AI to internal teams, integrate fragmented communications functions across an organization, and serve as a strategic bridge between technology and people.
The through-line connecting the cutting room floor to the C-suite? The translation is still the job. And for solo practitioners, the opportunity to step into these emerging roles, before corporate headcount cycles have even created the title, has never been more immediate.
Timestamp Highlights
[00:00] Welcome and episode setup. Karen and Michelle introduce a look-back/look-forward episode exploring what has changed in PR practice — and what's coming next. The framing: tools evolve, but the core function of the communications professional has not.
[~03:00] The press clipping bureau. Karen recalls Burrell's, the physical press clipping service founded in 1888 that closed in June 2024 after 136 years. Staffers manually combed through newspapers and magazines, cut out mentions, and mailed clippings to clients. It was labor-intensive, not always accurate, and deeply human.
[~07:00] Physical media directories. Before online databases, PR practitioners relied on printed books — massive, quickly outdated directories of journalists, publications, and beat assignments. Getting the right contact meant flipping through pages. Updating the list meant buying next year's edition.
[~11:00] Press kits and the Kinko's run. The physical press kit — printed bios, headshots on actual photo paper, pitch letters, and branded folders — was a staple of the profession. Karen and Michelle recall the logistical reality: designing, printing, assembling, and shipping these kits as a significant part of client work.
[~15:00] Faxed and mailed press releases. Distributing a press release once meant feeding pages through a fax machine or stuffing envelopes for bulk mail. The barrier to sending was low. The barrier to getting noticed was high. Both hosts reflect on how volume has only grown while attention has contracted.
[~20:00] Ragan article: the AI transformation communicator. Karen surfaces a Ragan piece featuring Tricia Taylor of Coca-Cola, who describes the emerging role of the "AI transformation communicator" — a professional who can translate what AI is doing inside an organization to the people who work there. Taylor's framing: this is a "workforce translator" function that most organizations are trying to figure out right now.
[~25:00] PR Daily: the chief integrator. Michelle references a PR Daily article describing a new archetype — the "chief integrator" — a role that is part chief of staff, part strategist, part futurist. This person connects disparate functions, manages organizational complexity, and brings coherence to communications strategy across channels and teams.
[~29:00] MikeWorldWide hires Dave Aguilar. A real-world example: the agency MikeWorldWide hired Dave Aguilar as Chief Integrated Media and Innovation Officer, reporting directly to the CEO. This signals that the "integrator" concept is moving from think-piece language into actual headcount decisions at PR firms.
[~33:00] The solo practitioner angle. Karen and Michelle explore what this evolution means for independent practitioners. The thesis: solo pros can offer AI translation, integration, and strategic advisory services as fractional engagements right now — before corporate job descriptions have caught up. The tools changed. The translation is still the job. And the market for that translation has never been larger.
Full show notes at thatsololife.com