Spitfire Sparks

I recently attended an unconference in Peekskill, New York at a maker space. With the help of a very astute curator, we did indeed plan an interesting day where I learned about fusion, getting the most reluctant people to vote, and participating in the circular economy where we...

Inga Skippings and Erin Uy have a great deal in common, and it’s not just because they both began working at Spitfire’s Washington, DC office within less than a month of each other this summer. They share a deep commitment to elevating the stories of people who stand up for...

At the Communications Network Annual Conference in Austin, Texas, Spitfire Strategies was proud to host a breakout session called “Decolonizing Narratives: Authentic Messaging, Ceding Control and Reckoning with Reality.” The panel, moderated by Spitfire Director Nima Shirazi...

Convincing the NFL to revise its player personnel policy after Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice committed domestic violence. Defending Planned Parenthood and the Affordable Care Act. Achieving progress at all levels on issues, including climate change, LGBTQ rights...

Communication professionals are no strangers to the challenges that journalists are facing today, from the demands of the 24-hour news cycle to budget shortfalls and understaffed newsrooms. We respect them for their tenacity and commitment to uncovering the truth, and we value...

An interest in politics isn’t new to Paige Swanson, a Karel Fellow who is working at Spitfire this summer before returning to Yale University for her senior year. But what is new to Paige is using strategic communication to make the case for political and social change. “I’ve...

Faridat Animashaun, a junior at Howard University, drafted the following blog post during her internship with Spitfire this Spring. Seen. Heard. Prioritized. A successful communicator is all three of these things. But as a young, Black woman at the start of my career, I know this...

2002. It was a big year. George W. Bush came up with the term “Axis of Evil.” Serena Williams won her first single’s title at Wimbledon. American Idol premiered and MTV unleashed “The Osbournes” reality show. I also started my own reality series – Spitfire Strategies. It is in...

Last week, I was thrilled to hear from Caty Borum Chattoo, an award-winning communication strategist, producer, author, professor and director of the Center for Media & Social Impact. Caty stopped by Spitfire’s D.C. office to share her fascinating work to bring comedy into the...

Kamara Jones loves to tell a good story. The new Spitfire Director started reporting professionally when she was 16 years old. While attending journalism camp in high school, one of her instructors saw promise in Kamara and convinced the editor of the local newspaper to give her...

In the first installment of this two-part series, I shared some insights from my years working in TV news and media relations, focusing on the best methods to get your pitches seen by reporters. In this part, I review some strategies for increasing the odds those reporters will...

April is National Poetry Month, which means there is no better time to dust off a volume or two from your bookshelf or tune into U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith’s five-minute podcast The Slowdown (there are new episodes every weekday and it’s incredible). Through my work at...