Eric Olsen: Navigating PR & Politics in the Era of Mistrust

April 13, 2023

Eric Olsen has been Senior Advisor and Communication Director for Congressman John Garamendi of California’s eighth district in northern California since 2017.

Previously, he managed congressional campaigns and consulted on several presidential campaigns. His work as a senior PR communication staffer on Capitol Hill and for political campaigns has given him unique insight into the relationship between government and public relations. 
Eric has deployed a broad array of communication tactics throughout his career to communicate the complicated and multifaceted work that takes place in our federal government. He has also worked with major broadcast outlets and media outlets, like 60 Minutes and Meet the Press, and he has managed highly-targeted PR campaigns.
Eric is a graduate of the University of California Davis with the highest honors. In his free time, he works to bring a greater level of awareness and insight into politics and how our government functions.
On this episode of MsInterPReted, CEO Kelly Fletcher and Director of Media Relations Allison Lester talk with Eric about an array of topics pertaining to the world of political communication, including: 
  • The relationship between politics and media 
  • Crafting political messages 
  • How to navigate the mistrust of the media as a PR professional in the world of politics 
  • The value of reputable and trustworthy sources 
  • The relationship between communication professionals of opposing parties 
  • The possible future of AI use in the political communication arena 
  • Crisis management 
  • The myths about the political communications field 

Listen to this episode of MsInterPReted to learn more about communications in the political world. 

 
Follow Eric on:
On LinkedIn: Eric Olsen
On Instagram: @eric_olsen4
On TikTok: @ericolsen44
 
Follow Fletcher Marketing PR:
On Twitter:  @fletcherpr
 
Follow Kelly on Twitter: @KDFletcher