Sharon Hurley Hall (she/her)

NEW: UK’s first pop-up school to empower Black girls returns bigger and better 🎉👧🏿💕 Akoma will give girls a program of creative workshops, including photography, arts and crafts, cooking, dance, music and more this summer. ☀️ https://lnkd.in/em7FY4Z9

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Newsrooms aren't what they used to be, and neither are we The first time I stepped into a newsroom was in 1991—barely out of UWI, fresh into The Trinidad Guardian. I covered everything from Labour to Crime, Courts to Business. That newsroom shaped me. Fast forward to today, and the media landscape is different, and transforming still. Fewer journalists. Limited resources. Narrower focus. And even with digital platforms in play, many newsrooms are still catching up to how audiences consume content. At Community 2025, hosted by PRos & COMMS Ltd and Leisel Douglas, we talked about what this means for PR and comms professionals. The consensus? Traditional media still matters, but it’s not what it once was. And for that matter neither are we, so we have to engage differently in the face of this evolution. A few takeaways from my presentation, “The Evolving Face of PR in Traditional Media”: • Build relationships, not just media lists - you should know who’s in the newsroom and how they work • Perfect the modern pitch - be timely, relevant, and human, and tailor your story so that it piques interest and demonstrates why it's newsworthy. • Media can be both channel and audience, and journalists are people, not pipelines - think about their needs, deadlines, and readers. • Traditional still holds power • Front-page stories and news clips still carry weight, especially with decision-makers and stakeholders • Evolve your playbook; your strategy needs to be integrated • Traditional is just one piece of a much larger puzzle After reading Mark Lyndersay's BitDepth blog, he reminded me how fast things are shifting and how much we need to adapt. But even as the platforms evolve, the heart of PR remains the same: credibility, trust, connection. In my latest blog, I weigh in on the evolving media landscape and how PR pros need to respond. #PublicRelations #MediaRelations #PRStrategy #TraditionalMedia #Communications #Storytelling #DigitalPR #IntegratedComms #Community2025 #WestfieldCommunications https://lnkd.in/gynYvygE

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I recently saw a former TV news producer urge Black families on SNAP to decline interviews to avoid being used to reinforce the “welfare queen” trope. I agree — and here’s why: Nothing about news footage is neutral. Who we choose to put on screen shapes whether the audience blames the individual or the system. This isn’t just theory — the distrust is documented: • 63% of Black Americans say news about Black people is more negative than for other groups. • A majority say coverage is stereotyped or overly focused on only certain parts of Black communities. • 52% believe the U.S. news media was designed in ways that hold them back. ( Pew Research, 2023–2024 ) This is why our choices as producers matter. Our Ethical Mandate: 1. Disrupt Stereotypes Don’t default to the same communities to illustrate poverty or struggle. 2. Highlight Systemic Failure Show the policies, not just the “faces.” The story is the same: people are struggling. But when we rely on the same racially-coded visuals, we reinforce public distrust — and we fail our audience. So I’ll ask: How do we move our newsrooms toward more ethical visual decision-making? #JournalismEthics #MediaRepresentation #ResponsibleStorytelling #NewsProduction

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⸻ Transforming Libraries. Transforming Lives. Join me and the GrassROOTS Community as we embark on a five-year intervention and study to transform three libraries across Jamaica—where literacy rates are low and youth crime is high. We know that libraries are more than books—they are safe, inclusive spaces that spark curiosity, creativity, and unite communities. They: • Strengthen educational resilience • Offer technology access and mentorship • Build digital literacy skills, essential for academic and career success • Foster peace and trust, even in conflict zones Research shows libraries can reduce violence by promoting dialogue, literacy, and opportunity. With the help of some amazing folks—including my niece Moriah and her husband Dennis at Desmond Technology—we are transforming these spaces. Literacy is a foundation for freedom, and we need our children to be free. Let’s invest in youth and communities. #Jamaica63 #ReadAcrossJA Lisa Maxwell Abigail Epane-Osuala, MBA Joel Nomdarkham Sabrina Webster Tiana Webb Evans Shelly-Ann Weeks Latoya West-Blackwood Dara N. Byrne

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When “Empowerment” Costs Money: A Word of Caution for Artists Applying for Grants At The Artist’s Helpdesk, we work daily with artists navigating opportunities for funding, mentorship, and growth. Recently, we came across a grant opportunity that appeared to be designed for disadvantaged creatives — but when completing the online application, it led to a $25 PayPal payment request. That’s about R450 in South African Rand, ₦40,000 in Nigerian Naira, or KSh 3,250 in Kenyan Shillings. Here’s the form in question: https://lnkd.in/d4E6WxC9 Funders need to be upfront about administrative fees. Creative practitioners are already battling for financial access to keep producing work, with rampant hunger and homelessness in the artistic community. We urge funders not to put more roadblocks in their way. While some legitimate fellowships or residencies do charge small administrative fees, these are generally: Clearly disclosed before you start the application, Waived for applicants who cannot afford them, Justified with transparency (e.g., to cover processing costs). When fees are not openly stated in promotional materials — or when no waiver is offered — this can create unnecessary barriers for those who need the support the most. Our advice to artists: 1. Always read the fine print before applying. 2. Ask the organisation if they offer a fee waiver. 3. Verify their nonprofit registration or track record of past recipients. 4. Share questionable experiences with your network to help protect others. Empowerment should never come at the cost of excluding the very people it claims to uplift. #ArtistSupport #FundingOpportunities #GrantApplication #CreativeEconomy #Transparency #FairAccess #NoMoreRoadblocks

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We're proud to announce the Fellows of our inaugural Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP)TM: Community Schools Cohort, designed to build the capacity of Community Schools leaders to drive change in their local context through policy and advocacy. The program’s curriculum will focus on grassroots advocacy planning and outreach, root-cause and policy analyses, policy strategy, including politics and asset mapping, how to build and expand cohorts, and how to make an impactful ask during policymaker meetings. It will also include skill-building and awareness around national partner collaborations, the federal branches’ intersectionality, the federal education policy outlook, and assessing the federal landscape. Learn more about the program and Fellows here: https://lnkd.in/eQQDtsxg

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Another important tip for my #InternalCommunication fellows out there: BE INTENTIONAL IN THE WATERCOOLER CONVERSATIONS. Most times we are afraid of being seen spending five minutes saying "hello" to a colleague. But in our case, that's a necessity! Understanding how people are feeling and what's on their minds has helped me craft messages that STICK! E-mails that are read, felt and acted upon. An invitation that stays beyond people's calendar. My most recent experience? A general meeting with few days notice. I had to be slightly and respectfully absurd. Remember my last post about this? [feel free to come to my profile and check]. Back to it... I needed people to WANT TO COME. To look forward to that meeting. And I am not sure if my colleagues even know how proud I am of myself whenever they come to me and joke around a message I sent. "It definitely worked", one said when I shared that I do that purposefully. To make the message memorable. And we can add that to the list of things I love about my work. Some days I am crying and others, I can have fun, institutionally speaking 😉. #institutionalcommunication #communication #allhands

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I’m proud to share that applications are open for the Reconstruct Thriving Youth Challenge — a $1 million initiative launched by our Belmont Innovation Labs to find, fund and scale solutions for young people as they transition from foster care to adulthood.  The complex challenges these men and women face can derail their greatest intentions and ambitions, leading to 70-80% of them experiencing homelessness, addiction, incarceration or trafficking within just three years. Through this venture philanthropy model, we’re looking to invest in and support solutions focused on consistent adult relationships, reliable housing and accessible mental health care. Organizations, founders and even youth-led teams are invited to apply now through January 30, 2026. Many thanks to our partners in this creative, innovative and community-focused work: Tennessee Department of Children's Services, TN Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative, Every Child TN, Access Ventures and Essential Innovations. https://lnkd.in/eju-jXqv

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📒 From Intent to Impact:  The New Blueprint for Inclusion Author: Dr. Asif Sadiq MBE Chief Inclusion Officer Warner Bros. Discovery Category: Finance Publisher: Emerald Publishing   From Intent to Impact is a practical and strategic guide for leaders, organisations, and changemakers seeking to move beyond surface-level diversity efforts and create workplaces, products, and services where inclusion is embedded, measurable, and transformative.   Drawing on decades of experience across various industries both in the corporate and public sectors, Asif Sadiq offers a bold new blueprint for embedding inclusion into the DNA of an organization.   This timely work challenges the idea that good intentions or one-off initiatives are enough.   Instead, it emphasises the shift from passive declarations to active, sustained impact.   Through real-world examples, frameworks, and step-by-step strategies, readers learn how to redesign systems, policies, and behaviours to ensure that every individual—not just those in dominant groups—feel heard, respected, and valued.   Beyond internal culture, the book explores how inclusive design in products and services can unlock new markets, deepen customer trust, and drive innovation.   By embedding inclusion into every stage of development—from ideation to delivery—organisations can create offerings that better reflect the diverse needs of their users, resulting in stronger brand loyalty, improved performance, and long-term business growth.   📚📔📕📙📓📒📗📘 Lance Scoular 🔹️ The Savvy Navigator 🧭🌐 #amazoninfluencer #book #ad #amazonbooks #fromtheauthorsmouth #Intent #Impact #Blueprint #Inclusion   https://lnkd.in/gJfTsWtv

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