Comms and Coffee

Even he can't believe it, but it's now been 30 years since my friend Scott Braddock dropped out of high school to start a full time career in media. He started as a small town Texas disc jockey in Brenham and worked his way up to prominent positions in some of the state's top newsrooms in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Now, in Austin, he runs the essential news outlet for Texas political professionals. This past year he also launched the state's new #1 politics podcast: Quorum Report Radio, available on all podcast apps. 

Is local journalism dying, or just evolving? Former Spectrum News anchor Karina Kling joins us to discuss the 'age of rage' in media and her transition from the anchor chair to the world of political communications.0:00 Intro & Coffee Order3:12 Meet Karina Kling: Communications Director at Hillco Partners5:06 The "Why" Behind Journalism: From Kansas to Graduate School7:14 Early Career: Reporting from a Bureau in Nebraska10:46 Moving to Austin: Joining Spectrum News (News 8 Austin)13:13 Why Politics? Holding Power Accountable15:44 Life as an Anchor: Much More Than Reading a Teleprompter17:35 The Evolution of Media: From MySpace to Instant News21:32 Launching and Anchoring "Capitol Tonight"25:00 Maintaining Non-Partisanship in a Polarized World29:00 Navigating AI and Disinformation in the Modern Newsroom32:05 Pro-Tips for PR & Comms: Building Relationships with Journalists36:06 Healthy News Consumption: Advice for the "Age of Rage"41:05 The Pivot: Transitioning from Media to Hillco Partners43:29 Affecting Change: The Power of Strategy and Storytelling in Policy46:10 Closing Thoughts and Cheers#publicrelations #communications #mediarelations #politics #politicalreporting #media

Political reporter Patrick Sviteck talks politics, media relations, and the future of the media. He recently worked for The Washington Post, covering campaigns and breaking political news. Before that, he covered Texas politics for nearly a decade. You do not want to miss this conversation!#publicrelations #newsmedia #communications #podcast #mediarelations #journalism #strategiccommunication #strategiccommunications #politics #politicstoday

Emmy award winner, Brittany Eck, joins us on the show to discuss communications after a natural disaster. Additionally, we discuss how her team at the GLO, under Commissioner Bush, received an Emmy Award for its public service announcement regarding flood insurance purchases. This achievement marks only the second time a state agency has earned this award.Brittany Eck is the Director of Communications for the Disaster Recovery at the Texas General Land Office. If a natural disaster strikes, then she is on the ground helping get the message out to Texans on how they can recover.#communications #podcast #publicrelations #disaster #mediarelations #crisiscommunication #publicpolicyAsk

Merrill Davis is the Vice President of Communications at Texas 2036, the nonpartisan organization using data and storytelling to help Texans prepare for the future — in our schools, our workforce, and our water supply. She worked her way from an entry-level role to senior leadership at Public Strategies, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, and Mercury Public Affairs, leading major campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and statewide partners. And Merrill believes something every communicator in Texas understands: the right story, told well, can still change everything.You can find Merrill Davis here at Texas 2036: https://texas2036.org/posts/staff_mem...She is currently focused on March Matters, which aims to get more people to vote in the primary elections. https://www.marchmatters.org/#communications #mediarelations #media #politics #policy #strategiccommunication #publicrelations #politicstoday

Incredible conversation with James Barragan, who anchors Capital Tonight for Spectrum News. He tells his story from LAX to ATX. James gives great insights into the financial challenges of the media. He also explains the past, present, and future of the media dealing with politics.hashtag#communications hashtag#publicrelations hashtag#mediarelations hashtag#media hashtag#strategiccommunication hashtag#crisiscommunication hashtag#politics

Marjorie Clifton details her over two decades of experience in communications, public relations, and media relations. Her experience gives her a front seat to the changing environment during the modern era of communication and messaging. Marjorie has her own firm that guides clients through a vastly diverse portfolio of issues. https://cliftonconsultingllc.com/team...Her latest project https://www.marchmatters.org/ forces to use all of her expertise as she tries to educate an electorate on the importance of voting in the primary elections in March. Viewers will get a highly entertaining and thought-provoking conversation. #communications #mediarelations #publicrelations #politics #voting #strategiccommunications

Preeminent Texas political reporter, Brad Johnson, breaks down issues with the media and what the future holds.#communicationstrategies #communications #strategiccommunication #publicrelations #media #policy #politics

"In the age of rage and disinformation, Comms and Coffee goes to the frontlines to find the truth. Join us as we interview the unsung heroes and brightest minds to learn how to move policy, inform the public, and make a real impact—not just an impression." Series Premiere on Jan 5, 2025 #communications#strategiccommunications#publicrelations#media#politics#policy