Welcome to Public Perception! Start Here
A new Substack to help professionals better communicate with the public
Did you know only half of adults in the United States can read a book written at an eighth-grade level, according to the Literacy Project?
This one, singular fact is the basis of my ENTIRE career. In fact, a full profession has been built off this premise: media and mass communications (yes, that includes journalism).
Whether you’re a business owner, a creative writer selling books, a coach, a consultant, or simply a professional building your personal brand for a better job, learning how to communicate with the public is a necessary skill. And wouldn’t it be nice if you could learn to do the basics yourself, rather than hiring someone?
Enter Public Perception.
My name is Shari Lopatin, and I write this publication. As a former journalist who’s now been a writer, editor, and communications consultant for nearly 20 years, Public Perception is my way of helping business owners and other professionals to communicate more effectively with the general public.
Subscribing to Public Perception is completely free. If you sign up, you’ll get one or two posts per month covering topics such as:
Writing for the public
Effective messaging
Communications strategy
Public relations
Reputation management
Social media and content marketing
And more …
If you want to learn a little more about my credentials and why my insight could benefit you, here you go:
I have a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northern Arizona University.
As a newspaper reporter, I earned two Associated Press awards as part of an investigative news team.
I’ve been published in The Arizona Republic, Phoenix Magazine, The Daily Courier Newspaper, MilitaryTimes.com, and Latino Leaders Magazine, among others.
I was the social media manager for a major health insurance company when the Obama administration implemented the Health Insurance Marketplace, and I had to field a lot of confusion.
I managed a team of six writers and trainers at a different healthcare company when COVID-19 struck. I wound up leading all crisis communications to a 28-state network of hospitals, urgent cares, and doctors’ offices during the pandemic.
I’ve served as a corporate writer and editor for companies across a range of industries, including horticulture, healthcare, government, non-profits, and small business.
I’m a published fiction author who also did her own book marketing (The Apollo Illusion, BookBooks Publishing LLC, 2018).