Media Relations

Ego Epidemic Online - Are You in a Nasty Chokehold? A One-winged Bird Has Symbolic Advice

Whew, I cannot believe the "ego epidemic" taking place online.  I've been caught up in it myself...and have chosen to back off.  The result?  Happiness!  And guess what else?  It has not led to poverty or lack of business or the respect of my colleagues.

When everyone is a reporter, publisher, blogger, has their own radio, TV station, film studio and ways to track how many friends and Klout they have, it is easy to see how this has happened.

To my fellow PR practitioners and professional friends, let's all take a deep breath and realize that the universe will continue to affect our lives, regardless of our online popularity or power.  Step back a bit.  Big ego can lead to big pain.  Dismantle it.  You might be surprised how much easier life starts to flow.

If you like symbolism to drive a point home, read this set-up and poem I wrote from my own outdoor observation.  You CAN take a moment to rest and ponder.  And if this post appears egotistical, please accept my apologies.

 *****

Several springs ago, my husband and I noticed a bird in our yard that couldn’t move very well.  A tiny sparrow was feeding on the ground and there are cats in the neighborhood.  I wandered after him/her and she was able to fly as high as a bush.  She even jumped onto my fingers and greeted me for a moment.  She was there throughout the spring and I observed her closely.  She was a survivor.  She fed off the ground.  When the wind would blow and the rain came down, she would cover her face with one wing and hold on tight.  Sometimes she was so weak, she would simply fly to the ground where she didn’t have to balance, and would rest and sometimes shake in exhaustion.  I watched her heavy breathing and knew that she was close to dying or had a wing injury.  I didn’t expect to see her for long but she survived two seasons.   She didn’t return last spring.

Last year, I sat on the porch a lot, watched the birds and I wrote this poem…which has heavy symbolism about the quality of humility.  Thought you’d enjoy it, and the photos of One Wing, my nickname for that darling little sparrow.

A Finch Who Bows

-jeri cartwright

Such haughty green finches.

You dine at my feeder,

in so much arrogance,

hurling seeds to the ground

in gluttonous glee.

There will always be more.

 

And me,

I kowtow to beauty,

permit the wasteful sin.

 

Yet today,

beneath my empty

fast-food-hut for the feathered,

I glanced below

at seeds in mushy mud,

and there, just one of you,

one who has realized

it can bow its head,

flourish in dirt

as others flash and fly away.

 

He sees,

and eats

the wasted seed

as others starve in heavenly trees.

 

Pride aside as he picks between mud and stone.

The greatest feast is his, alone.

 

 

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Another Stranger Welcomed

The Question I Can't Stand to Answer: "What do you do for a living?"

 

 

Noemi Pollack just posted about an experience very familiar and uncomfortable to me.  What do you do when someone asks what you do, and you no longer have a clear definition of that - yet everybody else seems to?

 

By the way, I'm Jeri Cartwright, this is my blog and I'm in public relations.

Here's Noemi's story:  "At a recent dinner party, the conversation at our table of eight, centered politely on the introductory question — 'what do you do' — and went slowly around the table to each guest. When it was my turn and told that I am in public relations and marketing, my dinner partner to the left, a dentist, probed further as to what that really means and exactly what do I really do. By the time dessert came around, I had given him a detailed rundown of all the tools and strategies the we, PR professionals, employ to impact marketplace perceptions and changed behaviors. It didn’t make a dent. He was still at it when dessert came around and, in total defeat and exasperation, I made a lame excuse and left the table."

 

Noemi, I relate.  When people ask me what I do, I've given up trying to answer.  On the back of my business card, I list my best guesses:

 

• Media & community relations
• Image & issue management
• Crisis communications
• Executive counsel
• New media/blogging/social networking

 

And yet, every time I redo business cards, the list changes. I have noticed when someone chooses to refer to me as "in marketing," I am beginning to correct them. When a client calls and tells me about a situation, then says...here's how I want you to "spin it," I respond with a softly spoken, "I do not spin.  I carry your messages to the public.  I work to understand what you want to convey to your publics and then find the most effective and lasting ways to do it." 

 

Over the years, I've watched as political strategists, advertising/marketing agencies and a number of other professions have adopted the tools PR once called its own.  Are we now also regarded as "able to get free advertising," or "able to ruin the reputation of a political candidate?"  Sure hope not.

 

Let me conclude with a question to the masses of people surely to be reading this gripping post (smile).  Which of the following fall under public relations?  Which ones should not?  I can honestly say...I'm not sure anymore.

 

• PR
• Media relations
• Community relations
• Government relations
• Lobbying
• Public affairs
• Marketing
• Advertising
• Campaign strategy (elections)

 

If you are in PR and are interested in participating as PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) seeks to redefine PR for the first time in 30 years, you'll find a link in the following article.  Think away!

 

 

 

 

Photo copyright: Poppy Thomas-Hill

Sad Times For Public Relations - A Utah Mayor's Ethics Lapse

photo by royal constantine

I don't need or want to rehash this situation.  It has been covered in more than 300 news articles and blog posts across the country, and even by the BBC.  I belong to an organization called the Public Relations Society of America, or PRSA, and I've been red-faced this week after learning about the actions of a part-time elected official in Utah.  He also works for a high profile PR firm but he is not a member of PRSA.  At this PR firm, even though he emphasizes he does not serve a PR role but works in "public affairs," I'm not sure there's much difference.  UPDATE: He has resigned from the PR firm on the evening of November 15.

PR professionals I know are wincing and wondering...how will this impact the reputation of what we do?  I'm also watching the media coverage and public reponse with a careful eye. What worries me most?  When I hear someone say this is no big deal.

For the record, those who do belong to PRSA are asked to abide by an ethics code modeled after the one adopted by the Society of Professional Journalists.

1. If you aren't aware of the Mayor's actions, here's a pretty detailed article by the Deseret News.
2. If you would like to see how the national and Greater Salt Lake PRSA offices responded, here are the statements.
3. And if you'd like to read blog reactions by those who have received their APR, Accredited Public Relations certification from PRSA, go here.

And may we all regularly "check in" with our inner compass. 

A Worldwide "Media Addiction" Study. This Is Getting Serious.

 

                                   Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com☆

It involved five continents and 1,000 students.  The results were quite "raw."  All participants were asked to abstain from "media" for 24 hours. 

Reaction comments were disturbing:

"I was itching like a crackhead because I could not use my phone."

"It was as if my real life and my virtual life were coexisting in different planes but in equal time."

"Sometimes I felt 'dead' ".

"Sad, lonely, depressed."

"A difficult day, a horrible day."

The study was a partnership between The International Center For Media & The Public Affairs and The Salzburg Academy On Media & Global change.

I can't encourage you enough to read on....

Head over to The World UNPLUGGED.  Don't forget to take a look at the "addiction grid" by country. 

 

Salt TV: High-profile TV News Reporters Launch Utah Online News Network

Coming soon to a smartphone, iPad, or computer near you - eleven extremely familiar Utah faces will once again report and deliver news and entertainment via the new Salt TV Network.  They miss their profession and they’re going online to get it back.  Last weekend, I came across their beta site on the Internet. 

Where have they been?  Some had retired, others were downsized during this great recession and revolution in communications.  You know their names, possibly as well as you know those of your children.  KSL (NBC), KTVX (ABC), KUTV (CBS) and KSTU (FOX) once spent millions in branding dollars to showcase their faces, personalities and talents.

One Deep Bench

Here’s the lineup: Dick Nourse, Ruth Todd, Terry Wood, Susan Wood, Randall Carlisle, Kimberly Perkins, Shelley Osterloh, Craig Wirth, Kim Johnson, Reece Stein, Lisa Cline, Jill Atwood, Larry Warren…and even Tom Barberi.  Yes… a radio guy snuck in!  Will they be any competition to their former employers?  Only the future will tell. 

Salt TV Network creator, former KTVX assistant news director Pat Benedict, has a contract with United Press International for national/international news and believes his business model could be franchised in other states.

They Want You To Be Involved

Each reporter will soon have a social page with a welcome video, plus tabs you can click on for bios, their most recent news stories and their personal blogs.  You can fire off your opinions and concerns, communicate via Skype and even post your own video.  Salt TV Network promises exclusive stories, local news that isn’t covered anymore, fresh content every day, along with sports, recreation and features.  And it plans to give time and attention to the issues of every county in the State.

Their Thoughts

“On Salt TV, news and information flows both ways,” says Dick Nourse.  “You won’t have to wait until 10 p.m. to get the news,” adds Ruth Todd.   Randall Carlisle calls Salt TV, “ a bold new adventure in local news.  We are not the same old boring news you watch on your local stations.  With us, you get news from a grass roots level.”  Terry Wood laments the current economic pressure that “has forced broadcast journalism as well as the print media to cut back.  Now journalists are finding they must reinvent the form of the delivery of news.”

Beat Reporting

Some have specific beats. Susan Wood will cover medical news, Carlisle will report on downtown business, development, entertainment and the people and non-profit groups doing good things in the community.  Reece Stein will have a program called Outdoor Family Fun, including hiking, camping, fishing and hunting news.  He encourages all of us to be his field reporters. Ruth Todd plans to focus on education and family issues.  Craig Wirth, Utah’s version of the famous Charles Kuralt, will offer up his  well-loved brand of personal humor.

Then there’s this radio guy...Tom Barberi, the longtime radio Voice of Reason.  Tom will be back with his own program of rants and raves.  “Have an issue with something I said?  Who doesn’t?” he says, encouraging his audience to spar via email, Twitter or Facebook.  “This is a 21st century town hall meeting in which you are front and center.”

Household Names

These individuals were my household brands.  They’ve been in my living room for decades.  Here they are again in a colorful line-up photo.  Great genes, white teeth, clear eyes and not a hair out of place.  I’d like to see them succeed.  I’d like Salt TV to give new opportunities to citizen journalists and other print journalists who’ve lost their jobs.  I hope Salt TV has advertisers and investors who will give it the time needed to establish and strengthen its audience.

Bye Bye TV Consultants

I have but one suggestion.  Relax.  Online you don’t have to be “TV perfect.”   Soften the make-up and the broadcast voices.  No TV consultant will bug you about your wrinkles, gray hair, lack of hair, or sudden extra pounds.  Even better...no more big investments in fine clothes and dry cleaning. Be real. Just have a great time doing what you love.  www.salttvnet.com

People "Perspiration"...A Neat Research Approach For Campbell's Soup

No...no...say it isn't so!  We will soon be saying farewell to that familiar little red Campbells soup can label.  The company chose to perform what it calls neuromarketing research...hooking up people in a focus group with wires and a vest measuring heart rate, perspiration, etc. as they shopped for soup.

What an interesting new direction for research to take - measuring physical and emotional engagement before it is filtered through the brain and delivered verbally by the person. 

New media, social media is successfully teaching product producers to build more personal and warm-hearted relationships with their consumers, something display ads have a hard time doing.

I will miss the old Campbell's labels...they contain so many childhood memories.  But to tell the truth, the label has not persuaded me to buy it in my adult years.  Did I have a bad childhood?  Have my taste buds changed?  Am I buying heartier, perhaps more adult-tasting soups?  Or am I overwhelmed at the store?  Too many choices for me!  I found one brand I liked and stuck with it.  Some people love variety.  I have trouble ordering coffee at Starbucks.  I'd like some simplicity in a detail fixated world.

See the article and video here, in the Wall Street Journal.

If Everyone's A Celebrity, Who Is The Audience? Do All Social Media Dreams Come True?

Disclaimer:  Don't get me wrong.  Social media is amazing. I love it and respect those who've harnessed its power. 

When you meet a high-level blogger, Tweeter, FBer, etc., can you see the stars in their eyes?  They've tasted the drug of celebrity.  Addiction levels are off the charts.  Visions of speeches at conferences, their books sold at the back as the audience exits. Webinars, Amazon orders & profits rolling in.  Attorney level consulting fees and the joy of the freebies.  It's a heady rush.

When Seth Godin spoke in Salt Lake several years ago, an audience member cried out, "we want to be like you!"  For some reason...that made me sad.  It seemed to bother him a bit, too. 

The slice and dice of once powerful media into cell sized morsels has brought power to the people.  May we use it wisely.

Can this be sustained?  Some questions I'd like you to ponder with me.

1. If we can all get our 15 minutes of fame, who will be our audience?
2. If we each publish our own newspaper, blog, have our own TV & radio (podcast, YouTube) outlets, how many followers can we attract before the excitement levels drop?  How much information can one human consume in a day, let alone generate? 
3. And now that we have all written and published a book (or plan to), who will read it?  What profit, if any, will we see as our copy joins the thousands of advice books outdated within mere months?

Online activity resembles a blur of swarming bees, all buzzing around each other, all frantically trying to give each other attention....and asking the same in return.  Pedestrians, drivers, people on dates, kids at the dinner table...eyes locked on mini-screens as their latest Google alert, Alexa rank, and online analytics confirm their new star status.

So it has come to this.  A country that strives to be so respectful of individual rights is now packed with citizen celebs.  In the anxious grab for audience...any audience...whatever audience is out there, to what lengths will people go?  Balloon boys?  Crashing presidential dinners?

PR Job Prospects For 2010 Are "Very Good" - The Latest From CareerCast.com

New research by job search site CareerCast.com indicates that of 200 selected careers, public relations is ranked #79 of 200 professions (#1 being the best, #200 the worst).  The best part?  PR job prospects look very good for the coming year.

The rankings compare physical demands, the work environment, income, stress and the future hiring outlook.  Each profession is scored in all areas.

Guess what profession comes just before us, at #78?  Cosmetologist.  Guess which one comes after at #80?   Attorney...(gasp).  AND, the PR salary listed (which I assume is an average) is about $90,00.

Being sandwiched between such different careers does make me question the research a bit.  But read on....

PR Has One Major Flaw

Surprisingly, according to CareerCast.com, "there are more high-paying, well-respected jobs ranked between 61 and 80 than there were from 41 - 60. However, while positions such as attorney, federal judges, psychologist and public relations executive boast average median salaries ranging from approximately $89,000 to $152,000, each career has at least one major flaw that prevents it from finishing higher in the rankings. Judge, for example, is the highest-paying position in the group but suffers from a poor hiring outlook, while attorney is hurt by high stress levels and a difficult work environment."

Go here to see the top ten jobs.  Click here for the ten worst.  And if you'd like to see all of the research, here you go!

Meet Utah's New Media - Utah Mama and Today's Mama

Two moms once pondered why there wasn't a more central information site for parenting issues and info.  Today, they manage employees in Utah and have 27 licensed Websites in the U.S.  This "Mommy Blog" network started with Utah Mama and moved into a more global "Today's Mama."

They have a payroll to meet, they have advertisers and you can read all about them here, on Utah Pulse or on Utah Policy Daily. 

Bloggers Be Warned, Time To Be Crystal Clear About "Blogola" ....Freebies, Payments

This is a big one. Pay attention. Bloggers...this means us too.  This week the Federal Trade Commission issued new and final guidelines that reach into social media, PR and marketing.  After clarification discussions with an FTC staff attorney, the Public Relations Society of America issued the following letter today. I hope it helps you in your business decision-making.  Thanks PRSA!

[Email begins]

Dear Members,

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued final changes to its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. While advisory in nature, the new guidelines will reset standards of behavior that public relations, marketing and advertising professionals should adopt to avoid violating underlying laws against unfair competition and false advertising.

The Guide changes, as set out in the FTC's notice, make three key departures from previous guidance that could impact public relations practice:

• The FTC advises that "endorsers" as well as advertisers can be held liable for false or unsubstantiated claims or for failing to disclose material connections between the parties.

• The Guides no longer offer the "safe harbor" whereby testimonials can be qualified by a "results may vary" disclaimer.

• Regarding endorsements, the Guides specify that celebrities should disclose relationships with advertisers.

While the FTC will approach each potential violation on a case-by-case basis, the new guidelines will impact how professionals should approach some common practice scenarios. Here are some applications of the guidelines:

• Bloggers who receive cash or in-kind payment (including free products or services for review) are deemed endorsers and so must disclose material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.
  

• Any firm that engages bloggers by paying them outright to create or influence editorial content or by supplying goods or services to them at no cost may be liable if the blogger does not disclose the relationship.

• Advertisements or promotions that feature a consumer who conveys his or her experience with a product or service as "typical" should clearly disclose what results consumers can generally expect or specify how the results were unique to the individual circumstances.

• If research is cited in an advertisement or promotion, any sponsorship of the research by the client or the marketer should be clearly disclosed.

• Celebrities who make endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media, should disclose any relationship with the advertiser or marketer.

From an ethics perspective, the new guidelines parallel key transparency principles in the PRSA Code of Ethics, as well as Professional Standards Advisory PS-9 condemning "pay for play" practices. However, for practitioners, the guidelines go beyond ethics to recommended practice to avoid legal liability. While the ethics are clear, the triggers and nature of adequate disclosure are not fixed. As I recommended in a recent PRSAY post, thorough understanding and self-regulation can help public relations professionals avoid legal repercussions.

While the guidelines are advisory in nature, failure to comply increases the risk of professionals finding themselves in violation of the law. Moreover, non-compliance can result in a communication from the FTC warning professionals against the potential offending action. If that warning is not heeded, it may be followed by a cease-and-desist order. Intentional violation of that order may result in referral to FTC enforcement, which may include civil monetary penalties.

There has been information circulating publicly on the new guidelines that is confusing and conflicting. With this notice, PRSA hopes to bring members up to date on the facts as currently understood. This information is based on FTC documents and an in-depth conversation with a Commission staff attorney. Going forward, PRSA will continue to provide you with information, clarification, case studies and interpretations as they unfold.


Best regards,



Michael Cherenson, APR

[End of email]