SMOOTH OPERATOR: Charles Rangel and the media

Whatever your political persuasion, you have to acknowledge that Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) is a survivor, plain and simple.  He's survived 43 years in office.  He's survived multiple ethics inquiries.  And he's survived a formal censure by his colleagues.   He is a living institution in his Harlem district, and is now the third longest serving member of Congress.

Representative Charles B. Rangel (D-NY).

Although it's rarely spoken about, part of the reason for Rangel's professional longevity is his longtime good vibe with the news media.  Whatever the subject, he is almost always accessible, accurate, and quotable.  He seems to relish the give and take.  In this New York Observer article, journalist Ben Widdicombe tells an intriguing story about how he was once cleverly "spun" by Rangel while he was investigating rumors of an extramarital affair.  He suggests a fresh-faced congressman from Staten Island could learn a lot from him.  

LINK TO ARTICLE>>

GAINING ALTITUDE: Airline's outlook up as gaffe-prone CEO finds his media rudder

Does a more polite media image really translate to better business?  Linking cause and effect is always tricky, but the recent experience of Irish discount airline Ryanair may be instructive. 

In the US, the no-frills carrier is perhaps best known for the outlandish comments of its CEO, Michael O'Leary, who was dubbed "Master of the Gaffe" by Management Today. 

But buffeted by two profit warnings and a torrent of customer complaints, O'Leary has stepped aside as spokesperson-in-chief.  He's also tweaked his pricing formula, and made a number of customer service improvements after acknowledging that some of his policies  did “unnecessarily p--- people off”. 

For whatever reason, the kinder, gentler Ryanair now seems to be putting the turbulence behind.   It just reported record traffic in December, and the Wall Street Journal reports the airline should have no trouble maintaining cruising altitude. 

LINK TO MANAGEMENT TODAY>>

LINK TO DAILY TELEGRAPH>>

LINK TO WALL STREET JOURNAL>>

TRADITIONAL MEDIA MATTERS - And here are 5 reasons why

For nearly a decade now, communications pundits have been heralding the inevitable demise of traditional news media.   Too much competition, say some.  Social media is the new printing press, say others.  But to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of TV, radio, and newspapers are greatly exaggerated.

In this post, a PR executive from Phoenix argues that traditional news media still carries clout that newer, digital-only forms fail to match.  Traditional media remains a trusted source for information, especially when news breaks - and, contrary to perceptions, the big three evening TV newscasts actually added close to a million viewers in a period ending last year.   Courtesy PRWeek.

LINK TO ARTICLE>>

ADVICE FOR UTILITIES: Media train your line crews

From brownouts in the summer to hurricanes in the fall to ice storms in the winter, it seems electric utilities never get a media breather.  That's fine, their PR execs will tell you - the excitement comes with the territory.   And just about all their traditional spokespeople are required to go through some form of media training. 

A linesman repairing damage following the Christmas ice storm in the Toronto area.  Courtesy The Toronto Star.

A businessperson in Canada writes that his local electric supplier, Hydro One, appears to have taken the practice several steps further down the chain of command.  During a recent storm, he said the line crews repairing damage in his neighborhood were so pleasant, compassionate, and forthcoming with information that he could reach only one conclusion: they had to have been media trained. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>>

PR SPAM: A reporter takes revenge

One of the PR outreach techniques most frowned upon by journalists has been dubbed "PR spamming" - where reporters wind up on an email list pitching stories that have no relationship whatsoever to his beat. 

Giving PR spam the boot is the objective of a New York Times reporter.

New York Times reporter David Segal, a/k/a The Haggler, has had enough.   After unsolicited pitches imploring him to write about "Christmas Cookie Treat Boxes, or a document previewer called Igloo, or a liquor called Pura Vida Tequila" - and noting that the odds of his writing about any of these topics "could safely be described as nil" - Segal devised what he calls a "one paragraph get-out-of-PR-spam kit."  He published it in his column and urged reporters everywhere to follow his lead. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>>

CORPORATE REPUTATION MAJOR FACTOR WITH JOB CANDIDATES

If you think a corporation's reputation is only of primary importance to its investors and customers, you should have a look at this eye opening article from Corporate Responsibility Magazine.   In a new study, the magazine found that 69 percent of Americans would rather remain unemployed than work for companies with bad reputations.  And 84 percent would consider changing jobs to work for a company with an excellent reputation.  Courtesy The Bulldog Reporter. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>>

HEALTHCARE UNCOVERED: A town hall meeting

LOS ANGELES:  Dunlop Media specialist and KNX reporter Charles Feldman co-produced an important two-hour broadcast today entitled "Healthcare Uncovered," a live, town hall-style meeting on Obamacare. 

The program's goal was to untangle the complicated ways in which the Affordable Care Act will affect everyday Americans.   Fifteen panelists, including Feldman, and a live studio audience took part.   

Listen to the broadcast by clicking on the link below.  Free HulaMedia account required to access the player.    

LINK TO PODCAST>> 

MORE RESOURCES ON THE HEALTHCARE ISSUE>> 

PUBLISHING "BOOM" ATTRIBUTED TO HYDROFRACKING

It's been a long time since print journalism has spoken of boom times - but that's just the way they're talking in Texas, where history runs in tandem with boom-bust cycles of all kinds. 

Forbes Magazine reports on the sudden growth of print media in the fracking regions of South Texas. 

It seems that hydrofracking - a new technology that frees natural gas trapped in underground wells that conventional drilling cannot extract - has spurred sudden growth in newspapers and magazines.  It's happening in South Texas, home to one of the country's premier fracking regions.  

One new publication is being led by an area advertising executive, who saw untapped audience potential in the influx of a new workforce.  “We found out that these guys down there – and it’s mostly guys – they’re bored,” she said. “We decided to do something that would go after the lifestyle.”  Courtesy Forbes. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>> 

AL JAZEERA AMERICA LAUNCHES IN 48 MILLION HOMES

Cash starved newsrooms of the world are taking note of Al Jazeera America, a new, deep-pocketed competitor with an image problem.   With a staff of 900, the Qatar-based network represents "one of the most significant investments in television journalism in modern times," writes TV critic Brian Seltzer.        

Al Jazeera, the Qatar based cable news network, is launching a US based channel featuring award winning journalists and a commitment to quality reporting.  Photo courtesy Al Jazeera.

By purchasing Current TV for $500 million, Al Jazeera automatically gains access to 48 million homes, or nearly half of those wired for cable television, Seltzer reports.  But that doesn't change a fundamental problem:  that since the days following 9/11, the network's Arabic language flagship channel has developed a reputation as a global mouthpiece for Al Qaeda terrorists. 

Still, the network has managed to attract a number of award-winning American journalists with assurances of a commitment to hard news with editorial independence (Al Jazeera is funded by a charitable foundation established by the royal family of Qatar). 

When a media wag asked newly hired Al Jazeera correspondent Paul Beban if the network had asked him to wear a burqua, he simply paused and replied, "You know what? They were out of 42 long."  Courtesy The Denver Post.

LINK TO ARTICLE>> 

UK STUDY SHOWS LACK OF PRESENTATION SKILLS HURTS SALES

Organizations of all kinds, public and private, routinely kick presentation training for their employees to the back burner: it's something that's nice to have, but it doesn't necessarily contribute directly to the bottom line.  A new study in the UK puts the lie to that misconception. 

According to a survey of over 250 senior business decision makers by Casio Projectors, nearly half (49%) are unlikely to buy from a company that makes a poor new-business pitch presentation.  In addition, some 60% of employees were so bored during a presentation that they admitted to texting or emailing people during meetings.   Courtesy Fresh Business Thinking. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>>

TRADING IN PRINT FOR TV

A giant in the ailing print industry, the Tribune Corporation, announced plans to spend $2.7 billion to acquire 19 local television stations across the US, according to The New York Times.  

The move may seem odd for a company that has been cost-cutting in its core properties, including the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.  But the firm's leadership clearly sees untapped potential in the visual medium, which has been struggling with challenges of its own.  Courtesy Dealbook. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>> 

30 TERRIBLE PIECES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE

Talk is cheap, the saying goes, but good advice is priceless.  By identifying thirty terrible suggestions on how to manage a social media program, blogger Ellie Mirman has done the public a great service.   Her goal: to "debunk all those misguided 'best practices' and steer you in the right direction."

Come to think of it, thirty is probably the short list.  Are there any you'd add? 

LINK TO ARTICLE>>

"NEW NORMAL" FOR NEWS: Digital media goes mainstream in newsrooms

LONDON:  Siloed newsrooms responsible solely for their print editions or broadcast programs are increasingly a thing of the past, reports the Oriella PR network in a new study.  A third of all newsrooms surveyed now embrace a "digital first" policy, breaking news online as it happens. 

The study found that nearly a quarter of all journalists often prepare multiple versions of the same story as it develops.  Oriella's director calls it "the new normal for news," and describes 2013 as a "watershed year" for the world's media.   But while journalists are increasingly using social media for news gathering, they continue to place an emphasis on trusted sources and preexisting relationships.  Courtesy The Bulldog Reporter. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>> 

JOURNALISM'S GOLDEN AGE? The case for optimism on the news industry

NEW YORK:  "Ignore the doomsayers," advises a columnist for Slate, on reading the Pew Report on The State of the News Media 2013.  "The news-reading public has never had more and better information at its fingertips."  ​

More information?  OK, we'll grant you that.  But better?  The author sticks to his guns, arguing that "today's media ecology lets you add depth and context to the news" - a fact, he argues, that the Pew report effectively ignores.   ​

LINK TO ARTICLE>>​

STATE OF THE NEWS MEDIA: An unexpected "rock of stability"

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  The Pew Research Center has released its annual State of the News Media report, and - to the surprise of no one - traditional print media continues to lose ground to ​newer forms.   Online ad revenue is growing, but not fast enough to offset growing losses in print. 

Deeper in the report, however, is news of an encouraging trend.  ​ In a time of shifting audience loyalties and fast-paced experimentation in local and cable TV news, traditional network news broadcasts have remained what the report calls a "rock of stability." 

​LINK TO REPORT>>

STATE OF THE NEWS MEDIA: "Shrinking reporting power"

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  "A continued erosion of news reporting resources" is the headline from the new report on the State of the News Media from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. 

Personnel and content cutbacks are coming in tandem, the report says.  CNN's produced story packages have been cut by nearly half in five years in favor of interview segments, which are cheaper to produce.  In the newspaper industry, the number of full-time professionals in the US dipped below 40,000 for the first time in 35 years.  And on the news magazine front, Time is the only major print newsweekly left standing. 

​LINK TO REPORT>>

TECHNOLOGY ISN'T JOURNALISM: Why Google and Facebook have it wrong

"The worlds of technology and journalism (will) increasingly become one," said Google, in a brief blog post heralding the winners of its first ever Journalism Fellowship.   Facebook, meanwhile,  announced changes to its home page's News Feed that will automatically individualize content (and advertising) more closely to its users. 

There's just one problem, writes reporter Jeff Nesbit: while journalism may increasingly be about technology, technology is most emphatically not about journalism.   And efforts to make it so will leave us all worse off.   Courtesy USA Today. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>>​

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT: How your body language shapes who you are

UNDATED:  Those of us who have had to present before large audiences know the importance of "physical" communication - and how good body language is one of those physical principles.  But if we don't feel confident and secure in presenting, how can we make use of proper posture, gestures, and facial expressions?

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy has studied this very subject, and has found that the opposite is true.  Her studies show that positive body language - in particular, a set of easy-to-practice "power poses" - bolsters confidence and security in a presenter by raising testosterone and lowering stress hormones.  A fascinating 20-minute lecture.  Courtesy Ted Weekends via The Huffington Post. 

LINK TO ARTICLE>>

THE DARK SIDE: Views from a vanished New York past

NEW YORK:  "When young people today look at my shots from the 1980’s," writes photographer Steven Siegel,  "they are aghast. To them, New York of the 1980’s is almost unrecognizable. And they are right."

Bushwick, Brooklyn, in 1982 as photographed by Steven Siegel.  The World Trade Center towers are visible in the distance on the extreme left.  Courtesy The Gothamist.

Around 1980, Siegel began documenting urban wreckage as a New York art form.  Today, his photographs will be nostalgic for some, but shocking to others.   Either way, they evoke a vanished city - the site of crack dens and fiscal crises, a gritty, dangerous place that has long since yielded to espresso bars and free range chicken.   Courtesy The Gothamist. 

LINK TO GALLERY>>

DEATH BY POWER POINT: Timeless tips on underwhelming your audience

UNDATED:  Time was when a mediocre PowerPoint presentation didn't hurt you all that much.  After all, had anyone really mastered the enigmatic art of matching thoughts to slides?  And did it really matter, when half your intended audience either wasn't paying attention or didn't bother to show up?  

All that is history now.  Bad presentations aren't just water cooler talk anymore.  They are the butt of jokes in standup comedy routines.  Exhibit A: this all-too-true exposé of how NOT to make your point with PowerPoint.