Jargony Press Release
United Cargo hired a new communications firm, announced in a press release. Maybe it’s my lack of experience in the cargo industry, but I find the statement confusing and jargony. My AI-antenna is up.
Students might evaluate the message, below, for purpose and word choice. Other than the 100-year anniversary, what distinguishes United Cargo from its competitors? The press release is an opportunity to redefine its position in the market.
Maybe the trouble is whether “appointing a new strategic communications partner” is really news. Of course, the firm wants its own publicity from the release, but how does it serve the client, United Cargo? Students might discuss what a “strategic partnership” means.
Students might be curious about the firm, Lemon Queen. Research into its name and logo, for starters, and its own online presence may give us a fuller picture of the work. (See the website, and Instagram account.)
With a specialty in cargo companies, the firm has particular challenges. The name and graphics just might distinguish it as an edgy, irreverent firm in an otherwise staid industry. Certainly, the link between the logo and the business isn’t obvious.
I will say two positive outcomes from the release: I didn’t know United has a freight company, and now I do. I hadn’t heard of Lemon Queen, and now I have. Maybe that’s enough to achieve.
United Cargo has entered 2026 with a major milestone and a renewed focus on brand storytelling, kicking off its 100th anniversary year by appointing a new strategic communications partner.
As it enters its centennial year, United Cargo is launching a new chapter — both in air cargo and in communication — with the appointment of Lemon Queen as its strategic communications partner, effective January 2026.
The collaboration begins at a symbolic moment in the company’s history: a century of connecting markets, enabling global commerce, and shaping the future of air freight. This new partnership will help United Cargo define and share its vision for the next 100 years through focused, consistent and impactful communication.
Lemon Queen will support United Cargo across public relations, digital storytelling, and strategic messaging, highlighting key milestones and reinforcing the company’s leadership in an evolving global logistics landscape.
With this move, United Cargo joins a portfolio of leading aviation and logistics brands working with Lemon Queen, including ECS Group, Aerion, Swissport, Qatar Airways Cargo, and LGG.
The “Ningnong” Who Wants Replacement Parts
This customer communication from a model train company would make a fun class discussion or activity. The company focuses more on what they won’t do than how they can help.
In the “Limited Warranty” section of product documentation, they try to be funny, and I admire that, but it doesn’t land well. Projecting 44 years into the future when a customer might want to get repairs covered under warranty, the writer suggests that the customer should retreat to a bunker instead. Are we at that point where a pending apocalypse is funny?
I also understand that a company can get whacky requests. This one apparently has customers seeking replacement parts for lesser quality items purchased elsewhere. But are these “ningnongs” likely to read the company’s warranty information? They seem confused about their audience—and calling them ningnongs might not inspire them to become customers.
By far the overarching issue with this section is the company’s focus on the negative rather than the positive—the situations in which you can’t get your train fixed instead of what they can do for you. Even the bit about parts coming loose in shipping is strange. Why not help customers out by telling them the simple fix and apologizing because products really shouldn’t fall apart in transit. This situation seems like a good opportunity for a customer to call, make a connection, and perhaps order more parts.
Students may rewrite this section and compare their revisions. Obvious changes like removing ALL CAPS will immediately improve this missive. Students might want to rephrase “Limited Warranty,” but this is standard language that protects the company. Still, the rest of it doesn’t need to sound like a bad-news message.
That Grumpy Old Period
A writer wonders why we hesitate to use a period in texts and emails. Instead, we overuse exclamation points, question marks, and in less formal writing, emojis, “ha,” or “lol” to soften our message. He theorizes that “It’s the lack of context—the fact that more and more of what we communicate is aimed at somebody we don’t know or rarely speak to, with little base line of what we’re normally like.”
Students might discuss their own punctuation. Does it differ for people they know well? Are they less tentative in these situations and therefore more definitive? This might be tough to answer if they eschew punctuation entirely, as some young people do. The period has long been criticized for its finality, particularly in short texts, as in, “Sure.”—apparently meaning, to some, I will hate you forever.
In business communication, the period can be just a period, doing what it was intended to do: end a sentence. Students might develop the confidence to simply declare something.
On the other hand, we teach students to observe others in an organization and, to an extent, match communication styles. An email riddled with exclamation marks sent by a manager warrants one or two exclamation marks in return regardless of the employee’s personal style. Otherwise, exclamation points are more art than science, as the writer says:
It is widely understood that exclamation points must be inserted into the modern professional email at precise intervals—just enough to create a tone of eagerness and warmth without tipping over into sounding fake, sycophantic, or batty.
The period seems simpler, but maybe not to a student or new employee. Tone is trickly, and we don’t know each other at work as we did in the old days, when we met in person, spent time chatting over coffee, and went out after work. We could, in lieu of perfect punctuation rules, give each other the benefit of the doubt, assuming good intentions instead of overanalyzing every dot and dash.
New Dietary Guidelines Website
The new U.S. dietary guidelines are represented visually on a website, realfood.gov. Students can analyze the content and graphics for the primary audience of Americans.
Here are a few points students might identify:
Clear, simple language appropriate for the audience. “Real Food” is a consistent message, and the summary works well upfront:
Better health begins on your plate—not in your medicine cabinet.
The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans defines real food as whole, nutrient-dense, and naturally occurring, placing them back at the center of our diets.
Colorful, but navigation doesn’t work well. Lots of graphics engage the user, but some of the graphics don’t work quite right, at least on my screen. Numbers in red boxes increases with each click without new corresponding text. The static text, “America is sick. The data is clear,” shows for several increasing percentages, so the data isn’t clear. When I tried the mouse instead of keystrokes, I got a blank red screen.
Consistent messages. Language reinforces the connection between diet and health throughout:
90% of U.S. healthcare spending goes to treating chronic disease—much of which is linked to diet and lifestyle.
Debatable evidence. WIthout sources, the user can’t research claims further. Above is a good example we might want to explore, particularly what “much” means in this context. Also, the “links” are quite complex and vary by person.
Misleading history. The site includes a food pyramid from 1992, shown here, which has been updated. Also, the associated text doesn’t match the situation then or now:
For decades we've been misled by guidance that prioritized highly processed food, and are now facing rates of unprecedented chronic disease.
Nowhere do the 1992 guidelines or any since, including the simplest and most recent, MyPlate, recommend processed foods.
Simplistic FAQs. Expanded boxes at the bottom of the site include silly questions and answers, for example:
What about hydration?
Hydration matters. Choose water or unsweetened beverages to accompany meals and snacks.
Few disagree with the push for real food and fewer preservatives. But critics question the emphasis on animal protein—the environmental impacts and the dangers of over-consuming saturated fat and sodium. In addition, the “inverted pyramid,” with its clipart food images, doesn’t offer guidance for limiting quantity or balancing of food choices, which MyPlate tried to address. Finally, the high cost of food makes the recommendations for some families difficult or impossible to follow.
Australian Government’s Comms Banning Social Networks for Kids
Students can analyze the Australian government’s communications to ban social network accounts for kids under 16 years of age. In many ways, this is a classic change communication case study with strategic communication planning and individual messages.
The initiative is bold, and the tone is unapologetic. Clearly, the government has support from officials, parents, and educators to enact this dramatic change. Messaging to young people is trickier, obviously, because they are affected and less inclined to agree. But young people are not the primary audience, as they don’t get a vote in the process.
An enormous number and variety of messages chronicled on the eSafety Commissioner’s webpage comprise the communication campaign called, “For the good of their wellbeing.”
To study the communication strategy and plan, students might work backwards to identify elements of communication planning:
Audiences (segmented for tailored messages)
Communication objectives for each audience
Medium/Channel choice for each
Key points for each
Messenger for each
Timing for each
This communication planning template can be used for this activity or others. (See sample completed template.)
The campaign includes messages to segmented audiences:
A “hub” of resources shown here
Videos for “parents and carers”
Radio/digital audio campaign materials for parents and carers, under 16s, and First Nations (worth discussing why this group is segmented)
Print materials
Community resources (e.g., emails, posters)
Digital toolkit
Research findings report
Additional resources for First Nations (e.g., parenting guide, workbook)
Some resources are translated into ten languages.
As the ban goes into effect, students may revisit the messaging to determine how other countries could communicate their own bans and adapt messaging for cultural differences.
Calibri Oust Offers a Lesson in Typeface and Analyzing Claims
The U.S. State Department demanded that agencies revert back to Times New Roman (14-point font!) instead of Calibri, offering an opportunity for students to learn about typeface and analyze claims for the change. In a cable, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cites the importance of “a unified, professional voice in all communications,” the “tradition, formality, and ceremony” of serif fonts, and “yet another wasteful DEIA program,” that is, the switch to a sans serif font to increase accessibility. Without the flourishes (little legs) of serif fonts, sans serif fonts may be more easily read by people with low vision, dyslexia, and other disabilities. (Here’s a deep dive into questions of legibility, readability, and accessibility.)
Students can analyze Rubio’s argument. One claim is that changing from Calibri back to Times New Roman “did not lead to a meaningful reduction in the department's accessibility-based document remediation cases.” They might question whether remediation—changes to documents—is that best way to measure success. Most often read on screens, what does the research say about serif and sans serif fonts? In addition, he doesn’t include the cost of what news reporters called an “about face”; after all, reprinting existing documents is remediation.
Rubio also argues for consistency with letterhead, but that could be modernized. Finally, what’s the value of what he refers to as “decorum” and “professionalism,” terms that have connotations of their own?
Poor Calibri. First replaced, after a 17-year run as Microsoft’s default font by taller, curvier Aptos, and now this.
Chatbots for Persuasive Arguments
New research shows how GenAI sways political opinions. Students can discuss the strategies AI tools use and opportunities for their own persuasive arguments, while considering ethical issues and potential misinformation.
Research published in Science concludes,
When AI systems are optimized for persuasion, they may increasingly deploy misleading or false information. This research provides an empirical foundation for policy-makers and technologists to anticipate and address the challenges of AI-driven persuasion, and it highlights the need for safeguards that balance AI’s legitimate uses in political discourse with protections against manipulation and misinformation.
In an article in Nature, the authors write,
Examining the persuasion strategies used by the models indicates that they persuade with relevant facts and evidence, rather than using sophisticated psychological persuasion techniques. Not all facts and evidence presented, however, were accurate; across all three countries, the AI models advocating for candidates on the political right made more inaccurate claims.
Students might discuss how they can use a chatbot for their business arguments. For example, in what circumstances, might encouraging people to search for their own answers through an AI tool be more effective or more practical than presenting an argument? These studies recognize the value of unleashing a massive amount of evidence that students might not have at their fingertips. In addition, inviting people to converse with a chatbot allows them to ask unfiltered questions, avoiding fear of judgment.
An interesting class activity could involve a short student presentation with individual chatbot time following, either to replace or precede a Q&A session. Then, potential misinformation can be explored as a class.
Netflix Announces Warner Bros. Acquisition
The acquisition called an “unprecedented threat to the global exhibition business” is getting surprisingly little communication from Netflix, the acquirer. This situation illustrates positive news that is also persuasive, trying to convince readers that the business decision is a sound one.
In an email to subscribers, “Welcoming Warner Bros. to Netflix,” the company says little. The emphasis is on nothing changing at the moment, but the merging of media and genre is jarring: Casablanca, Game of Thrones, and KPop Demon Hunters in one breath and “TV shows, movies, games, and live programming” in another.
Company leaders express more excitement in the news release. At the top, all criticism seems to be addressed with the promises of increased customer value and, sounding vague but confident, greater opportunities for creatives and a stronger entertainment industry.
Transaction Unites Warner Bros.’ Iconic Franchises and Storied Libraries with Netflix’s Leading Entertainment Service, Creating an Extraordinary Offering for Consumers
Netflix to Maintain Warner Bros.’ Current Operations
Combination Will Offer More Choice and Greater Value for Consumers, Create More Opportunities for the Creative Community and Generate Shareholder Value
Acquisition Will Strengthen the Entertainment Industry
Students might analyze these claims against criticism of the acquisition. Critics argue potentially higher prices for consumers, fewer jobs because of consolidation, the death of movie theaters—and an antitrust violation.
A search of my inbox revealed this 2011 email from Reed Hastings about spinning off the mailed DVD business. What a quaint, simple time that was, when the CEO signed his own emails, acknowledged members who felt “we lacked respect and humility,” and apologized for a small, but deeply felt change.
Analyzing an Opinion About Climate Disclosure
Students can analyze and debate an argument that Zillow should include climate risks on real estate listings. The situation raises questions about integrity—transparency in communication and consistency.
In an opinion letter, a nonprofit climate marketing executive argues that, despite pressure, Zillow should reinstate information about flood, wildfire, air-quality, and other home risks (shown here). Critics (mostly realtors and home sellers) argue that disclosures affect home prices.
This situation is ripe for student analysis and research. They might pursue questions such as the following:
Do home buyers want to know climate risks of homes for sale? What do they say are the reasons and how the information might affect home buying decisions?
Related to the first question: What is the reality? How does knowledge of climate risk affect home prices and home purchases? For example, how does location factor in, for example, whether people are looking locally or nationally?
Should home sellers be required to disclose climate risks? What are the ethical arguments of disclosure from the sellers’ perspective? How does this argument balance the consumer’s right to know?
Research mandated disclosures by U.S. state.
Zillow’s information, from the risk-modeling company First Street, has been questioned. How can we measure the quality of the data?
What are the strongest and weakest arguments in the opinion piece?
How does the opinion writer use logical arguments, emotional appeal, and credibility to persuade the reader?
To what extent does displaying or removing climate risk information align with or contradict Zillow’s mission? How is this a potential issue of integrity?
These assignments involve ethics, integrity, data, and persuasive communication. Students also might be interested in this topic for their own future—whether they buy or rent in an area vulnerable to climate events.
Ole Miss Coach Accused of Lying
Lane Kiffin, football coach for University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), claims that he was asked to stay on after resigning, but players and the athletic director say otherwise. The situation raises questions of character, particularly honesty.
The dispute happened publicly, with Kiffin posting to X. Several players posted responses, with sophomore Brycen Sanders, on the team leadership council, weighing in first, as you see here. That post was reposted enthusiastically by Jayden Williams and supported by others.
Kiffin’s post is surprising, considering how easily it’s proven untrue by several observers. Unless players and the athletic director had a good reason to lie, fans would more likely believe them, particularly because Kiffin’s move was so highly criticized. Kiffin may have underestimated the power of team solidarity.
In addition to the obvious issue of lying, without psychoanalyzing Kiffin too much, students might discuss why Kiffin would include this claim in his X post at all. Why not graciously leave, with a new job in hand? That entire middle paragraph could have been omitted, leaving the decision up front and a few kind words at the end.
Instead, Kiffin’s reputation might be tarnished as he starts his new job at Louisiana State University (LSU).
Comparing Elon Musk’s Likely $1 Trillion
We teach students to help audiences grasp large numbers, and Elon Musk’s wealth is a good example. What is the value of $1 trillion, a number Musk is estimated to hit in the next decade given his current $475 billion? How can we everyday people wrap around what this type of wealth?
One approach is to compare data to concrete purchases or costs. CNN provides a few examples, and students might identify their own:
Every car sold in the United States in 2024
Five times the total endowments of Ivy League universities
Every house in Hawaii
Another approach is to create a visual. In this example, students might question the $100 bill and stack of bills, which are out of line with the other graphics. Also, this visual shows what $1 trillion looks like but not the value. Students will find other creative visualizations.
The exercise encourages students to put their own data into perspective. For example, tons of emissions, wasted food, corporate travel expenses, etc. The closer the comparisons are to the data point, the more reasonable—and the more likely the audience may be persuaded to, for example, upgrade computer systems instead of travel for in-person meetings.
Sondor Displaces Guests Without Warning
A hotel’s abrupt closure left guests stranded and offers communication planning lessons for students.
Short-term rental and boutique hotel company Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy filed for bankruptcy after Marriott pulled out of the agreement. Sonder communicated news by placing printed messages under hotel guests’ doors.
Trouble had been brewing, as the founder and former CEO chronicled in a LinkedIn post back in July. But, of course, guests don’t necessarily see “the writing on the wall”—and even his post ends on a positive note about the Marriott deal. So they booked stays expecting the company would honor its commitment, an issue of integrity. (Cue Seinfeld at the rental car counter.)
Marriott’s statement promises to help guests—or, those who booked through Marriott. This message (click to expand/download) was posted by a guest on Reddit. Imagine how a guest feels receiving this note: “[w]e are kindly requesting that you check out of the property as soon as you are able.”
Apparently, Sonder employees at hotel properties had no notice either, learning about the failure when guests told them. Corporate employees say the same:
Even most of us at the corporate level were left in the dark. We didn't find out anything until our city teams started messaging us for more information, which if course we didn't get.
We received notice Sunday that more information would be sent to us today (Monday the 10th), and literally senior leadership was silent ALL DAY.
The only thing we received was an email saying "thanks for your service to the company, here's a link to the DOL's unemployment website. Your employment is terminated effective immediately."
No email from SLT, no messages, nothing. Yet, Janice had enough time to go give out a press release.
The writer is correct that Sondor published a statement about the “Chapter 7 liquidation” plan but mentions nothing about current guests.
It’s time for another lesson in communication planning for any change but, particularly, for bad news. One of the most important lessons is that employees should be notified before customers or the public.
In addition to the communication issues, this situation raises questions about integrity and accountability. What is owed to guests who had reservations? Some guests received help rebooking; others did not. Some had to book at places far more expensive than their Sondor property. What is the right, compassionate thing to do?
“Mistakes Have Been Made” by BBC Editing Trump Video
In a BBC documentary about President Trump, footage was edited in a way to mislead the audience. The situation is worth a class discussion about the ethics of editing and accountability.
The director general (top executive) and the head of news have resigned after criticism that combined segments of President Trump’s speech on January 6, before the Capitol attacks, seemed to purposely misled viewers. Here are the edited and original versions (click the image, right) showing parts spliced together:
BBC Video: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you don’t have a country anymore.”
Original Video: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and I’ll be there with you, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
President Trump said that underlined part 54 minutes later—so the “fight” parts weren’t so closely connected to approaching the capitol.
The BBC executives demonstrated accountability by resigning, but they use passive voice, which makes their apologies sound evasive:
“Overall, the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made, and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility.” (director general)
“While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear: recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.” (head of news)
We might question who did the actual editing? Who made the mistakes? Yes, these leaders ultimately are in charge, but how did this happen? Without clearer accountability, critics may be more likely to assume bias in reporting, a serious accusation for a news organization of BBC’s stature. The issue also raises bigger questions about BBC’s editorial process. BBC failed to isolate the event, which is common advice in crisis situations.
Amazon’s Layoff Texts and Email to Employees
Students can analyze Amazon’s layoff email against principles for delivering bad-news messages. Let’s look at the reasons given for the downsizing and what the Economist called the “impersonal text-message blast.”
As always, context is important. In this case, the planned layoffs are not news to employees, as it’s not news to anyone who has seen the media reports about 30,000, about 10%, planned cuts. This week, 14,000 were laid off.
For the communication, this means that the Amazon statement, posted on the website for the public, is not delivering the news for the first time. Students will note that two previous messages (from last year and earlier this year) are linked to illustrate to employees—and the critical public—that they had ample warning. Still, of course, employees are feeling the pain.
In her email, Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology, addressed the reason by first acknowledging skepticism:
Some may ask why we’re reducing roles when the company is performing well. Across our businesses, we're delivering great customer experiences every day, innovating at a rapid rate, and producing strong business results. What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, and it's enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before (in existing market segments and altogether new ones). We’re convinced that we need to be organized more leanly, with fewer layers and more ownership, to move as quickly as possible for our customers and business.
CEO Andy Jassy also said the decision is not “really” financially or AI driven:
The announcement that we made a few days ago was not really financially driven, and it’s not even really AI driven—not right now, at least. Really—it’s culture.
If you grow as fast as we did for several years . . . you end up with a lot more people than what you had before, and you end up with a lot more layers. . . . When that happens, sometimes without realizing it, you can weaken the ownership of the people that you have who are doing the actual work.
We could argue that all decisions for a for-profit corporate are ultimately financially driven. Why do culture and too many layers matter? Why do they need to be more “nimble”? Sure, they want to make quicker decisions and get the right products to the right customers as quickly as possible (same-day paper towels!), but in the end, doesn’t that all serve the bottom line? Do they solely want people to feel “ownership” over their work?
Neither Galetti or Jassy say it explicitly, but AI might be replacing some of these roles. In a June email, Jassy wrote,
As we roll out more Generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done. We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs. It’s hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company.
Understandably, this talk makes people more nervous than they already are. But to not attribute some job loss today to AI seems inconsistent and dishonest.
Another business communication issue worth a class discussion is how some of the layoffs were communicated: through text message. These messages are highly criticized in an Economist article, but that might not be fair. First, we should consider how employees typically receive communication, which may be by text, particularly remote employees. Second, two messages ask them to check their email, and then, call the help desk if they didn’t receive an email, so the news isn’t actually delivered via text. Even more than email, texts are efficient methods to get a consistent message out to many people at the same time. The company is balancing compassion with fairness in addition to efficiency.
Students might conclude that texts are the best possible option. It’s simply not practical for managers to meet with 14,000 at the same time and deliver the same message: not to show up for work because they wouldn’t have access to the building. Now, that, too, sounds cold, but it’s a sound business decision to have people whose job was eliminated not work. Amazon is continuing to pay people, and they are encouraged to another job within the company, or they will receive severance pay.
Layoffs are messy in the best of situations. No one wants to see employees lose their jobs, particularly in an uneven labor market. But students might accept the process for what it is, while planning to include more transparency in their own bad-news messages.
Image source.
“Care and Connection” Webinar
My friend and colleague, Christy McDowell, and I will present, “Care and Connection” through eCornell. The webinar is scheduled for this Wednesday, November 5, and more than 800 people registered so far!
Here’s our focus:
How to approach everyday communication interactions with care for yourself and for others
Practical strategies to build meaningful connections and meet work challenges with ease
How greater calm keeps us agile and open to possibilities, yet grounded enough to avoid extreme reactions
You’re welcome to join! Register here.
Faculty Respond to Students’ AI-Generated Apology
Students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sent a similar AI-generated apology to their faculty. Let’s look at the communications about the situation, including the faculty members’ response.
Accused of cheating and falsifying their class attendance in their introductory data science class, dozens of students (faculty say about 80% of more than 100) wrote something similar, including “sincerely apologize.” The faculty showed a slide in class with the repeated phrase, and then the story spread. In a video on Instagram, the faculty describe the situation. It’s lighthearted, and students weren’t disciplined. A New York Times article explains a lack of AI policy—and, based on the faculty response, they seem unlikely to punish students, anyway.
I wish I found this story funnier, but I think it’s sad.
In the upcoming 12th edition of Business Communication and Character, I offer advice for working with AI in ways that reflect well on students’ character. I suggest, “Write important and sensitive messages in your own voice.” Later in the book, I offer suggestions for making a sincere apology. I know many business communication faculty teach these principles, which students either aren’t exposed to or may not put into practice.
An apology is not difficult to write if it is truly sincere. These examples aren’t. Why would students—just caught in a lie—suddenly be sorry? An apology requires self-reflection, which in turn, requires time.
Maybe what bothers me most is how little thought students seem to put into both the apology and the class. At the end of the NYT article, a recent graduate who found the first-year class useful is quoted:
You’re not even coming to the class, and then you can’t even send a sincere email to the professor saying, ‘I apologize’? Out of any class at the university, why skip that one?
I think the answer is, because they can. Business communication faculty I know have clearer expectations for their courses and for their students, including how they use AI. I also hope we expect an honest, personal apology. It’s not too late for these students to reflect on their behavior.
Slop Videos in Business Communication
Students might be entertained by slop videos, but they should consider the dangers of this new technology, including misuses in business communication.
Slop videos are low-value, AI-generated content designed to get clicks and views. They have little creative value or other purpose. Apps like OpenAI’s Sora makes it easy to spit out repetitive scenes both banal (a cat driving a car) and frightening (Hitler spewing hate). AI tools like Sora label content, but it’s small, and already people found ways to remove the mark.
Students might defend this content, but a classroom discussion could explore potential harms, particularly related to course topics. Here are a few examples of how slop could be used against companies:
Misuse of brand identities
Fake ads promising results products can’t deliver
Deepfakes of company leaders
The potential consequences for companies follow:
Reputation damage
Difficulty establishing credibility and building trust with authentic content
Reduced engagement
Increased legal expense
Diminished creativity and professional standards to compete with slop for engagement
Other harms are worth discussing, for example, the tremendous energy demands, an increasing shift towards quantity over quality, and, at its worst, a slow degradation of reality.
OpenAI’s blog post, “Launching Sora Responsibly,” acknowledges the tip of these harms. But students may see limitations in the plan, just as we see limitations in how Meta manages content on Facebook and Instagram.
Neurodiversity in the Classroom
I’m just back from the Association for Business Communication conference, where I presented “Supporting the Neurodiversity Represented in Our Students” with colleagues:
Lance Cummings, University of North Carolina Wilmington
David Lennox, Walla Walla University
Ashley Patriarca, West Chester University
Phillip Wagner, College of William & Mary
As you can read in the slides, our focus is on all cognitive and learning differences in our classes. We suggested ways to adjust grading rubrics, practice ungrading, use AI tools to improve executive functioning, and decide whether to disclose a disability or difference.
A QR code at the end brings you to more materials, including two video presentations from Lance, who couldn’t join us live.
Blunt Signage
Signage near Joshua Tree National Park is direct. Students might analyze this display board, shown at the visitor’s center and at the beginning of a trail, to find the following and more:
What Works Well
The title certainly catches the eye and encourages visitors to read more.
The thermometer and sun graphic show the issue.
“Hike Smart,” at right, is catchy.
The bullets, at right on the lighter background, are parallel and provide useful information.
Although not essential, the woman on the path adds visual interest.
The “10 essentials” are clear and cleverly placed on the lightened terrain.
Overall, the visual balance and colors work well.
What Could Be Improved
The paragraph text in reverse type is hard to read and not necessary. The first sentence states the issue, but the others don’t seem to add value.
The long list of bullets and 10 essentials might be categorized in some way.
Much of the information is useful only before we reach the park.
Is that a bullet hole at the top? Not sure what happened there.
The suggestion to call 911 is moot; the park has almost no cell service.
The second sign, in a Vons grocery store, appropriately warns people against swinging a door open from a back room. Maybe “hitting” would work better than “striking”? Either way, the advice is good practice, regardless of the door swing.
Layoffs and Private Jets: Integrity Issue?
A Wall Street Journal article describes a lack of consistency, which students might identify as an integrity issue: employees are laid off while companies increase use of private jets for executives. Students may analyze the reasons provided and draw their own conclusions.
Although other executive perks have declined, private flights have increased 76.7% since 2020. The WSJ article cites safety as the most common justification, with the murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson as an example.
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) helps companies with proactive messaging. A long webpage is titled, “Toot Your Own Horn: Bizav [business aviation] Operators Tell Their Own Stories,” with the subtitle, “The value of building a proactive internal campaign to support your flight operation.” Although we’re seeing more external criticism, the article focuses on internal communication:
Business aviation is often misrepresented in the mainstream media, cast as a villain for the sake of a soundbite. Are you prepared to share the value your flight department brings to the company and the community, whether to principals or shareholders?
Long-time business aviation professionals shared with Business Aviation Insider their business aviation “whys” and also offered suggestions on how to build a proactive internal campaign to support a flight operation.
The arguments are fascinating. Students can analyze the claims, including data comparisons, for example, these:
[Business aviation] actually contributes less than one-half of 1% of man-made global emissions.
The reality is only about 3% of the approximately 15,000 business aircraft registered in the U.S. are flown by Fortune 500 companies.
Although the percentages are small, the figures may not be convincing. Another claim, an environmental “goal,” doesn’t have much meaning:
In your environmental discussions, reinforce that business aviation has adopted the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Students can analyze other arguments about efficiency and do their own research to update the 2003 business aviation page. For example, the safety issue—the primary rationale given by executives interviewed in the WSJ article—isn’t included in this 2023 article. On the other hand, the WSJ article provides context of the recent economic environment—the contrast between cutting costs by layoffs and, presumably, increasing costs by adding private air travel.
Addressing the issue today, organizations might take a more balanced approach. They might explain the efficiencies and safety issues for executives, yet acknowledge that the “optics” aren’t good. In other words, private flights may appear to be an ethical failure, but the decision may be consistent with corporate goals for increasing efficiency and ensuring safety. Executives might convey the message themselves to demonstrate accountability for the decision. That would be a different approach than what the NBAA recommends.