Archive for June, 2009
The Ideal Online Newsroom
These days, it seems pretty obvious that any smart company has to prominently position its expertise/experience to:
Be clearly heard and stand out in all of the right ways.
Best “manage the conversation” around its image and reputation.
Be timely and relevant.
The Passing of Icons
All at once, the ranks of baby boomers are thinner. And the ranks of boomer icons: Farrah Fawcett, a leading-edge boomer, and Michael Jackson, on the other end of our generation. My friend Mike Petrie writes this tribute about the passing of icons.
The Image of Neda
Nothing has been more profound, in my opinion, than watching video of a young woman named Neda die on the streets of Tehran yesterday. According to reports, she was shot by a police sniper while standing with her father, watching protesters.
What They Mean When They Say …
Do you ever wonder about all the jargon and cliches you hear on TV news, especially the 24-hour cable news channels? They all say the same thing. So, here’s a crib sheet to what they really mean.
Don’t Make Up Stuff
When coaching people to be interviewed, especially live on television, I always counsel them to listen closely to questions they are asked and to answer those questions. I also advise not to make up stuff if you don’t know. Unfortunately, for many people, that’s not always how they behave before the cameras.
Witnessing the Media’s Seismic Change
Just to get an idea of how important Twitter has become as a news source during the current election crisis in Iran, the United States State Department today asked executives of Twitter to postpone maintenance that was scheduled today for the site.
Doing “A Heck of A Job”
As we enter another summertime storm-tornado-wildfire-hurricane-disaster cycle, one would think that the communications people at FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, would be ready, especially online, with the latest communications techniques. But, that’s not the case.
Twitter: News Media of Choice
If you watched most cable TV news channels (and completely dismiss local news) the last couple of days, you would see only shallow coverage or mention of the explosive situation in Iran following the questionable “re-election” of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Crisis Communications: It’s Online
I had a terrific time last evening speaking before members of IABC’s Washington, DC, chapter to share some idea about crisis communications in the Internet era. The whole landscape has changed for how to handle a crisis.
