Inside PR Podcast :: Welcome A New Pair of Voices

PR From Toronto, and Ottawa, welcome a new PR podcast to your iPod or computer. Inside PR is a “weekly Canadian public relations podcast hosted by Terry Fallis and David Jones (PRWorks).” Terry and David are from the Thornley Fallis group of companies, “Terry and David are President and Vice-President respectively” of Thornley Fallis Communications.

In the podcast, Terry and David state that this is not their company’s podcast, although they may discuss clients from time to time. Rather, it is two people with an interest, or a passion, for PR. They are stepping out to speak up and “take a look under the hood of the PR world, and ultimately to help redeem our profession.” The conversation goes on to discuss PR’s reputation problems.

Joseph Thornley, their boss, saluted the launch at his blog, ProPR. Both practitioners, Terry and David, bring a combined 33 years of PR experience to the microphone.

The first podcast includes a discussion of PR’s reputation, media training, and how several firms have teamed up to form the Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms (CCPRF). From an initial group of four agencies, the CCPRF now has thirteen or fourteen participating firms. And, the part I loved the most, the group is working with universities in their area to see how they may address PR issues and concerns - the future of PR - together. Bravo!

Terry and David also discussed the upcoming event - Mesh, billed as Canada’s Web 2.0 conference. Overall, their first effort is a good introduction of the hosts and gives you a good idea of their interests and personalities.

I wish Terry and David the best in their new endeavor. I’ll be listening each week. You should check out the podcast, too. Students, crank up your iPods. I think these guys have a bright future in podcasting. The first podcast was enjoyable and quite well produced, too. It lasted about 36 minutes. Since I was multi-tasking, I even listened twice.

Congratulations on a good launch, gentlemen.

Thornley Fallis has three company blogs, by the way:

ProPR (www.propr.ca)
Dedicated to best PR practices, practitioners and building the ideal PR firm. Authored by Joseph Thornley, CEO of the Thornley Fallis Group.
PR Works (www.prworks.ca)
David Jones explores working in and on the PR industry from a Canadian perspective.
shift+control (76design.com/shiftcontrol)
shift+control is the blogspace of 76design, a creative services firm with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. The name comes from our content management system, shift+control, which happens to power the site.

Check those blogs out, too.

Vacuous Bloggers :: Empty Conversations

Pop PR’s Jeremy Pepper has a post on comment moderation. I must agree, I’ve seen this happening, too. It is particularly prevalent in some of the more popular blogs.

OK, first of all - when you visit Jeremy’s post be aware - graphic post. PG-13 (Violence, Graphic Imagery) :blush:

As to his commentary? I agree. Comment moderation is for the faint of heart (or those that have something to protect - like their inadequacies?).

I find it particularly sad when the moderating of comments occurs on those blogs where blogging is touted as the “New PR” and served with cherry koolaid and cookies.

The thin-skinned pseudo gurus are transparently self-serving and rarely (if ever) add anything to the conversation. Perhaps that is why they avoid the comments? Their vacuous posts are unveiled all too often? Just a guess.

Now, whether a politician or practitioner, it is quite likely that either (a) staff or (b) an intern could take up the moderation chores if the blogger is him/herself too lazy (busy) to do so. Set some guidelines and let all but spam, libel or vulgarity through to continue the conversation.

That being said, I’ve noticed that my comments on a few blogs sit idle in moderation while other (more glowing) comments fly through. Then, a day or two later (when the post has been pushed from the front page) the comment miraculously appears. I tend to ask questions. Sometimes they are probing. On a few blogs, they go unanswered. So, I don’t read those blogs anymore - unless someone sends me a link or I see it referenced in another blog. And, I certainly wouldn’t recommend such a blog to a student or other blogger as a ’source of influence’ in any way.
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Irony :: Un-PC Speak

Tomorrow we visit Camp ASCCA / Easter Seals (Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults).

Camp ASCCA is the world’s largest outdoor recreation facility for people with disabilities. Now, that phrase - people with disabilities - would not be used by the guys below for their t-shirts. And, the phrase describes either one - or two - of them, depending upon how you react to their little t-shirt sales campaign.

Today, Adrants runs this item - “Creative Guys Sell Handicapped T-Shirts. WARNING: Several of the t-shirts feature graphic sex acts and the content will likely offend most people. Profanity, too.

A quote from the article goes like this:

PHD Account Planner Torsten Gross and freelance art director Martin Sondergaard have launched a line of t-shirts that unmercifully poke fun at cripples, yes, cripples in a very un-PC manner. Before all you PC types get all worked up, Gross is a cripple himself and enjoys celebrating that fact - even if it’s in a way that some might not like.

Would Camp ASCCA benefit from such a campaign, should they seek out an advertising agency?

Here is the site where they are selling their t-shirts. Again, remember that WARNING above.

So, I ask you. What do you think? Is this OK? Would this tactic, aimed at changing people’s perceptions of people with disabilities - and how we treat PC references - fly for Camp ASCCA’s audiences?

You might read this earlier post of mine to get an idea of how I might react to such an idea. Check it out and I’ll post my thoughts later.

Douglas MacKinnon’s Chicago Tribune Op-Ed | Missing white female alert

Chicago Tribune | Missing white female alert
Why won’t the media cover missing minority women?

An op-ed by Douglas MacKinnon, press secretary to former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole from 1998 to 2003, was published at chicagotribune.com on May 8, 2005.

This is a great editorial and everyone should read it. Then, write to every major news source: cable, network, print (they all did it, you know) and demand better practices in the future.

Note to the news media–with an emphasis on the cable networks: Enough is enough.

Your continual focus on, and reporting of, missing, young, attractive white women not only demeans your profession but is a televised slap in the face to minority mothers and parents the nation over who search for their own missing children with little or no assistance or notice from anyone.

Daly Blogs On City’s Servers :: Unique Questions Arise

The first San Francisco elected official to go blogging - and do it from the city’s servers has raised some very interesting questions.

So, what’s the story with San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly’s blogging activities? Read more

PR on the mend? Not yet, but bandaids have been applied.

Pretty good article in the NYTimes today. Please read it as the story covers much of the Williams/Ketchum story along with a take on PR history. I still fear that this will get worse for the industry before it gets better. Congressional investigations and hearings will drive this story further. The NYTimes story is just the beginning of mainstream press attention. Look for more front page and top of business section ink.

Spinning Frenzy: P.R.’s Bad Press

Kudos to Brenda J. Wrigley, an associate professor of public relations at Syracuse University:

“P.R. has a P.R. problem. We have to get our own house in order before we go around advising corporations what to do. We are advocates and there’s no shame in that as long as it’s grounded in ethics and values.” (NYTimes.com)

Why are we only applying bandaids at present? It doesn’t fit the bottom line philosophy.

What is clear, though, is that the number of large firms communicating those messages has been shrinking. Sweeping consolidation has transformed public relations over the last two decades, with such publicly traded global communications giants as Omnicom, the WPP Group, the Interpublic Group, and Publicis Groupe acquiring a bevy of large, formerly independent firms. These behemoths have picked off well-known companies like Ketchum, Fleishman-Hillard, Hill & Knowlton, Weber Shandwick and Burson-Marsteller, placing them inside holding companies that also operate advertising, strategic consulting and marketing businesses. (NYTimes.com)

Kudos also to Judith Phair:

“It’s an opportunity for people in the industry to stand up and say, ‘Here’s the right way to do things, here’s the ethical way to do things, and we’re in a very new media world and we need to map out a new course of action,’ ” said Judy Phair, president of the Public Relations Society of America, another trade group. “For public relations to be effective, it has to be built on public trust.” (NYTimes.com)

Still, PRSA must walk the talk. Ms. Phair, please become proactive. Please become visible. Seek out all the soapboxes available to you. Appear, repeatedly, on all cable news channels and network newscasts. Visit every editorial board of every major newspaper. Open up to all press. Answer the phone, and instruct your staff to do the same, when industry outlets like O’Dwyer’s call.

Then, in-house, do the same. Become proactive and transparent. Take a stand on decoupling APR from board service. Provide leadership. Open the books. Make your statements more than platitudes and bandaids. Lead.

Another Transparency Issue: Profs paid to play (it up) in media?

Is it just me, or has there been a spate of these stories on a wide variety of fronts. Newsbluntly.com, L.A./F-H, Marqui (or here), PRSA elections (O’Dwyer’s - Reg. Req.), South Dakota blogs … what gives? The common theme is a lack of honesty, or upfront admission, about who the ‘players’ are in the process.

The following case of paid spokespersons (witnesses - of sorts) is not new. The controversy of paid witnesses - or expert witnesses - in court cases is an old one. Hiring a spokesperson is not new. It is all about transparency - once again. These repeated instances of ‘poor practice’ affect (and harm) us all.

More transparency woes … Some professors take payments to express views Read more

PRSA Transparency … a good move

From O’Dwyer’s PR/Marketing Communications: Historic First for PRSA (Registration Required)

Release of the names of the delegates and their votes was a first for PRSA, which this year, for the first time in its history, had not even published a list of the delegates for anyone to see.

Now (edit: or may be soon), the leadership of PRSA is ‘decoupled’ from the APR certification requirement. This means that the leadership may now draw from all members. Some say that leadership will be diluted by younger, inexperienced members. Well, maybe some new leaders will be young and maybe they will not have attained the APR certification. So what. Diversity is good. PRSA must now make the APR certification more than the ‘key’ to a seat at the PRSA Assembly table. Certainly, the accreditation is already a valuable prize to pursue. I’m not knocking it. But, it has been used (intentionally, or not) to dilute the voice of the majority of PRSA members in leadership decisions. That is never good. Kudos to all who fought for the change.

Blog transparency? another lapse of sound judgement…

With NewsBluntly.com’s unfortunate failure to launch in a trustworthy fashion, it seems that the Thune v. Daschle South Dakota campaign had similar ‘transparency’ problems.

Once again, just as in PR (some professionals/agencies and even our representative associations) and their inability to step up and battle ‘poor practices’ by some, blogs are being hit with general labels that cannot help develop legitimacy in this ’still new’ conversation medium.

Now, I’m not suggesting we have a ‘blog inquisition‘, but we do owe the medium the justice of ‘calling’ such efforts what they are - unethical. State who you’re writing for and who’s lining your pockets. Be transparent.

Blogs: New Medium, Old Politics

(CBS) By David Paul Kuhn
CBSNews.com chief political writer

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader and the National Journal first cited Federal Election Commission documents showing that Jon Lauck, of Daschle v Thune, and Jason Van Beek, of South Dakota Politics, were advisers to the Thune campaign.

The documents, also obtained by CBS News, show that in June and October the Thune campaign paid Lauck $27,000 and Van Beek $8,000. Lauck had also worked on Thune’s 2002 congressional race.

Both blogs favored Thune, but neither gave any disclaimer during the election that the authors were on the payroll of the Republican candidate.

Now, the fact that it is CBS going after blogs and tarring them with this unethical tag, is not lost on me. Hmm? Is it understandable that the network and anchor sent tumbling/packing by blogs is out for stories that bite back? No. But, in this instance, their charges seem strong and justified.

I Hate This! How stupid! Target is cold!

This post should be taken in context with this other post. My goal was to show how one company may experience highs and lows in their PR efforts.

And, how quickly a stupid move can kill a good buzz…

Seems like just moments ago … I was talking about the great idea of “A Wake Up Call” from Target.

Now, Target is a loser. It is painfully obvious that Target is the one in need of a “Wake Up Call”! Hello!

Well, I’m not shopping there this Christmas season unless they reverse their decision and make one big ‘whoppin’ contribution to the Salvation Army. Ah, I feel better.

So, what is it exactly that makes Target look so ’stupid’ . . . read on . . .

Target vs. the Salvation Army

Posted: November 19, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

For years the Salvation Army has been allowed to stand just outside Target stores, ring a bell, and smile as passersby toss in coins of varying amounts to help provide important services to homeless and poor people throughout the cold weather season across the United States. This year Target has changed its mind.

What is unfortunate about this is how impacting it is to the regional efforts of the Salvation Army. In one estimate on Thursday, Illinois Salvation Army revenues are expected to be diminished by as much as $5 million total. In New Jersey, the take from Army red kettles in front of Target stores has been roughly 17 percent of the total kettle revenue. That equates to roughly $200,000 – money that is used to help feed hungry people, help clothe cold people, and help house homeless people in the coldest and harshest of seasons.

Why do companies do such stupid things?

Just moments ago, Target’s cute idea now seems silly … now, they are fools. One thing is certain. They will get more negative buzz from this than the positive buzz from the cute calls.

I’m sending Ice T to their house!

I bet you this changes. Who’s up for the bet? Target will reverse their decision.

Update: I lose. They did not reverse their decision. And, I apologize for writing ‘hate’ and ’stupid’ when the correct terms should have been ‘do not like’ and ‘ignorant’. Still, I think they were wrong to handle the banning of the kettles in this manner. I do feel that they have a right to do so. But, they could have come at the issue with a better plan. See this follow up post.

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More on your viewing habits…

Er, wait a minute … advertisers taking Tivo to court doesn’t sound so crazy, after all. The government wants to stop you from fast forwarding. Hey, could I make this stuff up.

Yes, there is even more on the horizon … congress is again trying to watch what goes on in your bedroom. No, not that. They want to watch what you’re doing in bed while watching TV. Are you ‘fast forwarding’?

It actually goes much deeper than that.

Piracy Bill’s Language Protects DVD Movie Filters

By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 9, 2004

It’s acceptable for consumers to use software that edits out nudity or bad language from a DVD movie — but they had better leave the commercials and promotional announcements in, according to legislation adopted by the House of Representatives this week.

Also see this from Corante regarding Senator John McCain’s views on “H.R. 2391 and H.R. 4077, a package of bills referred to as the “Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2004.”

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