Clarity builds credibility. If your audience can’t quickly understand it, they won’t trust it, according to Karen Freberg of the University of Louisville.
From social media to PR to crisis comms, if it’s happening in the real world, Karen Freberg has likely taught it, written about it or advised on it.
A professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville, Freberg blends teaching, research and consulting across social media strategy, public relations and crisis communication. She’s an award-winning author and leads The Bird’s Nest, a student-run agency shaping the next generation of communicators.
Her work extends beyond the classroom, with consulting and certification partnerships spanning brands like Adobe, Facebook, HubSpot, Chipotle and the CDC — helping define how organizations learn, teach and execute modern communications.
The professor will lead Ragan’s upcoming Writing Certificate Course, helping comms pros sharpen their workplace writing skills.
What gaps do you see between what’s taught in school and what the industry actually expects?
The biggest gap isn’t knowledge, but it’s application. Students learn concepts, frameworks and best practices, but the industry expects you to execute under pressure, ambiguity and constant change. In the real world, there’s no perfectly written brief or clean dataset as you’re building strategy while managing clients, deadlines and unexpected pivots. That’s why I push experiential learning so hard. Students need reps. They need to do the work, not just study it.
What’s one writing skill that will matter even more in the next five years?
In a world flooded with AI-generated content, the people who win will be the ones who can say something clearly, quickly and with intention. If you can take something complex and make it understandable (and compelling), you’re going to stand out. Clarity is credibility.
What advice would you give communicators who don’t see themselves as “writers” but have to write every day?
If you’re sending emails, building decks, posting on social, or drafting talking points…you’re writing. The shift is to stop seeing writing as this formal, intimidating task and start seeing it as communication with purpose. Start with what you want your audience to think, feel, or do. Then write like a human and not like a robot.
How can communicators use AI without losing authenticity or sounding like everyone else?
The magic happens in the edit. That’s where your voice, your judgment and your experience come in. I tell my students: AI can give you structure, but it can’t give you perspective.
Outside of work, what’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
Probably that I’m a former track & field thrower back in the day! I competed in track and field for 10 years (high school and college) and ended up as a 4x All-American, 2x SEC Champion. I was the University of Southern California record holder for over 12 years in the shot put and was a 2004 U.S.Olympic Trials finalist.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice at the start of your career, what would it be?
Stop waiting for permission. The opportunities that shaped my career didn’t come from staying in my lane. They all came when I started going down my own path. This means to speak up sooner, share your ideas earlier and build the thing before you feel “ready.” No one hands you confidence, and you build it by showing up and doing the work before you feel 100% prepared.
Don’t miss Karen’s insights on writing for algorithms and busy audiences and writing with AI without losing your voice at Ragan’s Virtual Writing Certificate Course for Communicators on May 6, 13 & 20. Enroll now.
Isis Simpson-Mersha is a conference producer/ reporter for Ragan. Follow her on LinkedIn.
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