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May 3, 2024 | 
cnn.com | Jon Williams
Editor’s Note:Jon Williams is executive director of the Rory Peck Trust, an international NGO that supports freelance journalists and their families in crisis. He is the former foreign editor of BBC News and ABC News. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more CNN Opinion. In a shaded wood outside Bayeux in Northern France, a series of white memorial stones record the names of more than 2,000 journalists who paid the ultimate price while reporting on assignment since 1994.
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Apr 24, 2024 | 
shots.net | Jon Williams
While it's important for us all to think about the future of the industry, when it comes to talent and workforce, we need to be thinking about our staff in the here and now, or there won’t be a future to think about. The current agency set-up allows for nothing more than the chewing up and spitting out of staff.
The ad industry needs to totally overhaul a huge chunk of its working practices.
It’s not just depressing, it’s borderline barbaric.
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Jan 3, 2024 | 
creativebrief.com | Jon Williams
For too long, what passes for culture has been toxic masculinity, long hours and little reward, writes Jon Williams, Founder and CEO of The Liberty Guild CEO The Liberty Guild This is not another slab of scaremongering AI hyperbole. This is about remembering the reason we all got into this mad little sideshow in the first place. Why do we care? Why do we get up in the morning? Ideas. Ideas and the crazy odd-shaped people who have them.
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Oct 5, 2023 | 
mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Nazli Selin Ozkan |Jon Williams |Seoyoung Lee |Andrea Buzzi
dentsu released its annual media trends report, The Pace of Progress: dentsu 2024 Media Trends. The report, which was created with input from Carat, dentsu X and iProspect globally, defines the technological and behavioural changes that will shape the media industry in the upcoming year. The continued rise of AIThe report predicts that generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) will increase in importance next year, with 91% of CMOs stating they believe the underlying technology is here to stay.
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Oct 4, 2023 | 
mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Natasha Randhawa |Paul Pilbeam |Amy Lane |Jon Williams
We humans are a bit obsessed with balance…For Aristotle, ultimate happiness demands maintaining the ‘Golden Mean’; that sunny sweet spot between excess and deficiency. In Buddhism, the ‘Middle Way’ separating self-satisfaction and self-denial leads to enlightenment. Our brains are hardwired towards symmetry. Today we catalogue our macros, carefully measure our screen time and crave the ideal work/life balance. In the context of our capricious, intractable world, the allure of equilibrium is clear.
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Sep 27, 2023 | 
mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Victoria Gerstman |Paul Pilbeam |Amy Lane |Jon Williams
It’s fitting that MediaCat Magazine’s September theme is Equilibrium. September’s mildness belies the true nature of the month as a period of transition, and a bellwether for things to come. There’s that familiar old ‘back to school’ feeling that accompanies cooler temperatures and shorter days (depending, of course, on the hemisphere). For Jewish people the world over September can also mean Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a period of deep reflection around the changing over to a new year.
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Sep 19, 2023 | 
mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Jon Williams |Mike Chivers |Andrea Buzzi |Simon Akers
As someone deeply embedded in the creative industry (and as a keen observer of my generation’s experiences) I’ve witnessed a fascinating and concerning phenomenon. It revolves around this question: When Gen Z are thrust into the world of the creative industry, can maintain equilibrium whilst navigating this terrain? A balancing act…The creative industry is renowned for its rapid pace, where innovation, inspiration, and ingenuity converge to produce (hopefully) ground-breaking work.
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Sep 6, 2023 | 
mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Jon Williams |Simran Gill |Nick Mason |Emily Rich
In the cinematic world of The Matrix, the chilling perspective of Agent Smith labelled humans as viruses, parasites incapable of coexisting harmoniously with their environment. The metaphor resonated deeply for many, portraying our often-times insatiable drive to consume, expand, and dominate. Yet as we emerge from a period of global tumult, the question looms large: Has recent history allowed us a reflective pause, or are we simply reverting to old habits?
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Aug 1, 2023 | 
mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Sam Collenette |Jon Williams |Emily Rich |Oliver Budworth
With purpose-driven campaigns continuing to generate industry headlines and plaudits in equal measure, the words of Spike Lee at the recent Cannes Lions Festival feel like a very timely reminder. Over the last decade the idea of ‘purpose’ has become a core tenet of brand marketing, and it is easy to understand why it would be so appealing to us marketers. As an industry we are routinely vilified, being consistently voted less trustworthy than bankers, estate agents and politicians.
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Jul 17, 2023 | 
mediacatmagazine.co.uk | Jon Williams |David Wethey |Catherine Turner |Odd Morten Sørensen
International life sciences marketing agency, ramarketing is opening a new office in Toronto, Canada, as it continues to bolster support for US clients and grow globally. The decision to establish a presence in Canada is part of a long-term vision to bolster the agency’s footprint in North America. It follows the successful opening of its Boston office in 2018.
