Ellen McGirt

Paying for content keeps journalists employed, and boy do we need journalism right now. Having a variety of employed journalists is crucial for a free, democratic society. Good reporters who are investigating, uncovering, and holding powerful people and institutions accountable are vital to our society. Good reporters who are actually fact-checked, and edited for grammar, before their pieces get published. When we pay for it, writers get to keep their jobs, and a wider variety of publications are available to us. So do not cheat around paywalls. Do not abandon a beloved news source just because they start charging for formerly free content. If you own a PR agency, multiple subscriptions should be a non-negotiable line item of your annual budgets. I get it, subscriptions can be pricey. But I justify other, higher costs that have much lower stakes and maybe a few of you do too?

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You can’t overcommunicate with a communicator.* One reason former reporters make exceptional communications professionals is we know how to ask questions in order to pull the answers we need from leaders and we know what questions to ask because we instinctively know what the public expects. Will there be times when not every question can be answered immediately? Of course. But giving comms pros access to information that can’t yet be shared still helps them strategize. Having the big picture helps the planning process. If your communicator is too intimidated to ask questions, that’s a problem that needs addressing. If your communicator isn’t trusted, same. Are they not trusted for valid reasons? Or not liked because they press hard for information? Two different scenarios. Leaders, encourage those who surround you to share information. Yes, info is power, and that’s the point. Your communicators hold the power, in part, to your reputation. Arm them with information. *One example where this does not hold true is during a crisis. Please don’t inundate us with minituea, rather follow the BLUF method. (Bottom Line Up Front) Communicators will always ask for more details if they need it. Trust me on this.

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For a few years, I've seen the term "digital twin" pop up in pitches and headlines. This week, I had the chance to write about it. In today's Endpoints News Health Tech newsletter, I spoke with Rock Health's Julia A. Croxen about what this approach contributes in an area like metabolic care. (up until now, I'd mostly heard of digital twins used in research, rather than clinical care) Ngai Yeung's latest piece on Twin Health's $53M raise spurred my interest in digital twins, be sure to check out her piece on the fundraise. Also inside: - Ngai had the scoop on ALIGNMT AI's seed round - Walgreens has a new CEO and split up its business as the take-private deal closes Check it out (link in the comments) + be sure to subscribe!

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