PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Holly Ellman, Greater Fort Worth PRSA
I love February at PRSA. It's the month we connect with the PRSSA chapters at TCU, ACU, UNT and UTA, inviting their members to spend the morning shadowing one of our people and then join us at the regular monthly meeting at the Petroleum Club. The students requested a return to the Pro-Am Day format so they could experience a "typical" day in the life of a PR professional (wait until they find out there's no such thing!).
The luncheon meeting will be an opportunity for both students and seasoned veterans to gain from others' gaffes as chapter members take the stage for "Live and Learn: The PR Blunders We've Made." Patterned after a successful program several years ago, presenters will discuss mistakes that they or their associates have made. If the program is anything like the last time, expect to gasp, grimace and guffaw.
Mark your calendars now for March 2-3, PRSA's Southwest District Conference at the Fort Worth Radisson Plaza Hotel, co-hosted by the Fort Worth and Dallas chapters. Co-chairs Tracy Sturrock and Ashley Antle (and a busy committee) have been hard at work lining up terrific speakers and programs, not to mention a social event at Reata.
Our web site, fortworthprsa.org, has been repaired and is up and running. Check it for conference information, meeting notices and committee opportunities.
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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
Richard Maxwell, IABC/Fort Worth
Those were 30 great ideas rolled out in 30 minutes at the January meeting. Thanks, Chris Smith at Tarrant County College, Laura Van Hoosier, Harris Methodist Hospitals, and Scott Cytron, secretary-treasurer of IABC international, for an informative presentation.
Don't miss globe-trotting photographer Suzanne Salvo this month as she shows how visuals strengthen any message. Suzanne's web site, salvophoto.com, acquaints you with her exciting -- and perhaps a bit dangerous, certainly adventurous -- world. In March, Colorado-based consultant Stacy Wilson will address the monthly meeting ("Get a Seat at the Table: Become an Internal Communication Consultant") and present a half-day seminar ("Lasso the Moon: Managing New Technology with Real People"). More on Stacy at eloquor.com.
The "Dark Sites: Using the Web in a Crisis" virtual seminar Wednesday, Feb. 22, reveals the effectiveness of "stealth" sites, fully developed and with pre-authorized information, that can go online immediately to get ahead of the negativity caused by delays in responding to a crisis. Seminar organizers assert that being ready with such a site can reduce media relations calls by 90 percent. Studies show that reporters increasingly consult the Internet on stories of all kinds, including emergencies and fast-breaking situations. See p. 1 of this eChaser issue for details on the virtual seminar and the upcoming chapter meetings.
Our annual Bronze Quill Awards luncheon will be Tuesday, June 27. Look for entry information at the February meeting. And February is IABC worldwide membership month. When any new or lapsed member joins or re-joins, the $40 application fee will be waived. If you've been thinking about joining, do it now. Learn more at iabc.com/membershipinfo.
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OVER & OUT
John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ
Count our latest sally into Arlington a resounding success. Dan Korem held 39 members and guests spellbound at the January meeting, explaining why ostensibly normal people suddenly kill other people, and newly opened Shady Oak Barbeque and Grill nailed the food, the service, the room arrangement -- everything it had a say in. You can bet we'll be back someday. And thanks, Dan, for a can't-turn-away presentation. ...
You've already done the stories, so why not grab some glory? FW SPJ's First Amendment Awards recognize work that defends the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution, furthers the people's right to know the workings of the governments and businesses that affect their lives, and champions the cause of the powerless and disadvantaged. If that's your work, you should enter. Proceeds benefit scholarships. More here. ...
Letterman vs. O'Reilly. Your government at work. Funny, sad, tragicomic. And while you're at it, start your free trial to TimesSelect, if only to read more of this from Tom Friedman: "A democratization policy in the Middle East without a different energy policy at home is a waste of time, money and, most important, the lives of our young people." ...
Great idea from Andy Rooney, above. Would be even more impressive if he had learned to do his numbers in grade school. ...
As part of his investigation of how Illinois' "reformed" tenure system truly affects teacher accountability, Scott Reeder filed more than 1,500 requests for documents under the Illinois FOI Act with all 876 of the state's school districts. After much persistence, he received 100 percent compliance, and he credits the nation's first public access counsel, under the auspices of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, with ensuring he received all of the information to which the public is entitled. Can this be the same Madigan who urged the Supreme Court to let the Hosty v. Carter college-censorship ruling stand? In a filing Dec. 28, Madigan argued that the case presents neither the context nor the issues deserving of Supreme Court consideration. The case arose in fall 2000 after a dean at Governors State University in Illinois demanded that she or another GSU official be allowed to approve the student newspaper prior to publication. The editors refused. In June an 11-judge panel of the 7th Circuit reversed a unanimous three-judge decision favoring the students and said that the Supreme Court's 1988 Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier decision restricting the First Amendment rights of high school students applies to colleges and universities as well. News media groups led by the Student Press Law Center filed a brief in October asking the Supreme Court to consider the case. "What is shocking is to see Madigan reject press freedom for such a broad cross-section of student publications, including those newspapers operating as designated public forums," said SPLC executive director Mark Goodman. "Can anyone honestly believe that allowing censorship based on a standard as vague as 'minimum standards of competence' would not prompt efforts by college officials to silence legitimate criticism or enforce political correctness?" The Supreme Court is expected to decide early this year whether it will hear the case. Recall the furor last year over SPJ national giving its Sunshine Award to Madigan. SPJ looks bad on this one. Still.
Closing words: "You can't say, 'Please don't be mean to me. Please let me win sometimes.' Give me a break here. If you don't want to fight for the future and you can't figure out how to beat these people, then find something else to do." -- Bill Clinton, drawing roaring applause from the several hundred people gathered in the Texas House chamber Oct. 29 to kick off the 10th annual Texas Book Festival
