July 2009
MEETINGS
No meeting in July.
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Super Bowl, Super Impact
Come hear about the Super Bowl in 2011 at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington
and what organizers say it will mean to the region, both before the big game
and in the years to follow.
Leading this huddle will be Tony Fay, communications director for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. Fay’s career highlights include 12 years as communications director for the Dallas
Mavericks. He also managed his own public relations practice for nine years and
handled such clients as Dallas 2012, the Heisman Winners Association and
Lifetime Fitness.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, July 8
Place: Petroleum Club, Jacobs/Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St.
Cost: $25 members, $35 nonmembers, students $20
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STRAIGHT STUFF
The DFW Network of Hispanic Communicators promises an evening of fun and
networking at the House of Blues (Foundation Room) in Dallas for area
journalists, PR and media professionals and online communicators, Wednesday,
July 8, 6:30-9:30 p.m., with free appetizers, cocktails and valet parking
compliments of sponsor Time Warner Cable. More from Michael Vega, michael_vega@sbcglobal.net. ...
Grab your cap and goggles and find out how to get atop the submission stack with
a "Masters" in marketing at the Writers’ Guild of Texas meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, July 20, at the Richardson Public
Library. Nancy Robinson Masters will share “10 Rules for Top Gun Writers” — proven ways to sell what you write and write what you sell, regardless of your
writing interest. A pilot and the author of 25 books, including award-winning
books for children, Masters has spoken to more than 200,000 students in schools
across the U.S. through her visiting author programs. ...
The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism selects six to 10
applicants annually who want to broaden their understanding of emotional trauma
and improve coverage of violence, conflict and tragedy. Application deadline is
July 24. The Ochberg fellows attend a week-long seminar led by journalism
experts in the trauma field and participate in the annual conference of the
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. ...
DePaul University will host a McCormick Foundation Specialized Reporting
Institute symposium on covering Chicago's 2016 Summer Olympic bid, Sept. 13-15. All journalists from any medium are encouraged to apply. The foundation will cover the travel and lodging expenses of selected
participants. Application deadline is Aug. 7.
IABC local update: A fine time was had by all at the Bronze Quill awards
luncheon in June, at which professional communicators from throughout Tarrant
County received their just desserts. Emcee extraordinaire Jeff Posey interviewed award winners on the fly about how they made their entries stand
out, and he even threw in a little Master’s golf trivia. Award of Excellence: special events/meetings external, Rachel Black, Pamela Fry and Bobby Nichols; newsletters internal, four-color, Arden Dufilho; e-newsletters internal, Valerie Cooper; campaigns external, Betsy Deck; special events/meetings, Arden Dufilho, Betsy Friauf, Brian Chatman, Cecilia Jacobs, Joel Carranza, Linda Walker, Rick Leal, Tim Tune, Tom Sunde and Veronica Villegas; communications programs internal, Pamela Fry; newsletters internal, four-color, Shelley Hulme and Paige Blankenship. Award of Merit: human interest/feature/profile or professional articles, Arden Dufilho; graphic design logos/graphic identity, Cecilia Jacobs, Joel Carranza, Linda Walker and Tom Sunde; special events/meetings internal, Cecilia Jacobs, Arden Dufilho, Veronica Villegas, Tim Tune and Janice Thompson-Burgess; magazines external, four-color, Stephani Hawkins, Charles Urich and B. Scott Hunt; best improved publication, Valerie Cooper. Honorable Mention: advertising print, one- to three-color, Betsy Friauf, Cecilia Jacobs and Veronica Villegas; campaigns internal, Cecilia Jacobs, Arden Dufilho, Veronica Villegas, Tim Tune and Janice Thompson-Burgess; campaigns external, Arden Dufilho, Betsy Friauf, Brian Chatman, Cecilia Jacobs, Joel Carranza, Linda Walker, Rick Leal, Tim Tune, Tom Sunde and Veronica Villegas; graphic design newsletters/magapapers, Arden Dufilho and Linda Walker.
IABC local update II: Who are tomorrow’s leaders? Dan McCarthy says energy, drive, intellect, decision-making and problem-solving skills,
resiliency and effective communication remain paramount. What will differ is
how much they matter in a future dominated by rapid change, globalization,
economic uncertainty and seismic technological shifts. ... Daria Steigman, owner of Steigman Communications LLC, trumpets the way small businesses are
weathering the economic storm and points to four reasons why they’re succeeding.
IABC local update III: Robin McCasland with Buck Consultants will discuss “Building Your Personal Brand” at an IABC Dallas members-only breakfast Friday, July 10. Info here.
PRSA local update: Blue Marble Media president Lori De La Cruz, Star-Telegram media reporter Sandra Baker and Fort Worth Business Press editor Robert Francis will explore “Fame & Fortune 2.0: Positioning Yourself and Your Company for Success” at the Independent Practitioners SIG lunch and learn Wednesday, July 15, at
Studio 121, 6125 Airport Freeway (five minutes east of downtown). This second
segment of the Independent Practitioners SIG’s business development series will focus on how PR pros can gain prominence in
their industry segment — De La Cruz has established her agency as a leader in the environmental niche — and how the media can help. One attendee will win a 30-second PSA compliments
of Studio 121, including editing, postproduction and graphics but excluding
original video production. The event is free to PRSA and PRSSA members, with
guests paying $10. Bring your own lunch; Studio 121 will furnish drinks and
snacks. Networking and studio tours begin at 11:15 a.m. prior to the noon
seminar. RSVP by July 13. For more info and to register, contact
Paul Sturiale, APR, 817-319-2852, paul@thepaologroup.com.
PRSA local update II: Deadline is July 17 to make nominations in the PRSA
Individual Awards program for the Gold Anvil, considered a lifetime achievement
award; the Outstanding Educator Award, for college and university teaching; the
Patrick Jackson Award for Distinguished Service, named in honor of the late Patrick Jackson, APR, Fellow PRSA, one of the industry’s most widely known and respected practitioners; the Paul M. Lund Public Service
Award, named for the late Paul M. Lund, vice president of public relations and employee communications at AT&T in the early 1970s; and the Atlas Award for Lifetime Achievement in
International Public Relations (recipient need not be a member of PRSA). The
nomination form, criteria and procedures are here.
PRSA local update III: The May-June membership promotion has been extended to
July 15. PRSA national is waiving the $65 initiation fee; mention the promotion
code SPRING2009. New members pay $225 national dues; chapter dues are
additional. Additional info: prsa.org/membership/staysmart.
PRSA local update IV: PRSA’s bylaws have not been thoroughly revised since they were ratified more than 60
years ago, but that’s about to change. Dan Keeney, APR, PRSA Assembly delegate, has an analysis.
PRSA local update V: Reminder. Nonprofit agencies still may submit a request for
assistance to the chapter. A committee is in place to review proposals. More
from Cindy Vasquez at cindydvasquez@yahoo.com.
SPJ national update: Journalism organizations, including SPJ, too cozy with drug industry? ... The Washington Post fired Dan Froomkin. ... Another credit rating downgrade for McClatchy. ... A Stars and Stripes reporter has been banned from returning to his embedded
post with an Army unit in Mosul, Iraq, on the grounds that he refused to
highlight good news about the war. Stars and Stripes editorial director Terry Leonard said the military approved an embedded position for the paper but with the
caveat that the reporter could not be Heath Druzin, who followed the same unit on tours in February and March. Leonard cited
claims that Druzin wrote imbalanced reports and misquoted people. More here and here. ... The Denver Post: Amateur web reporters shame networks.
SPJ national update II: A teacher who advises the West Fargo (N.D.) High School
newspaper has been fired after officials objected to content in The Packer,
particularly student-written columns. Jeremy Murphy said administrators cited a “difference in philosophy” over the adviser’s role. More here. ... The Columbia Journalism Review has published a whopping 727-story list of
the best articles foreshadowing the financial crisis. The stories were written
between 2000 and 2007. More here.
SPJ national update III: As she became the first U.S. governor to funnel
taxpayer money into her state's ailing newspaper industry, Washington state's Chris Gregoire was hailed as a crusader for the survival of the press. More here. ... Would-be Woodwards and Bernsteins hiding out from the bad economy or
learning new skills stormed the admissions offices of top-tier programs last
fall. Columbia, Stanford and NYU applications increased 38 percent, 20 percent
and 6 percent, respectively, from the previous year. Same thing at state
schools. The University of Colorado (up 11 percent), University of North
Carolina (up 14 percent) and University of Maryland (up 25 percent) all saw
gains. More here.
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Is Shannon Running? It Shall be Revealed in the Fullness of Time
by Steve Knight
Tarrant County’s recently appointed district attorney told SPJ members at their June meeting
that he has not yet committed to running for office when his term expires in
2010. Primaries will be in the spring.
“We will address that at the proper time,” said Joe Shannon Jr., a longtime Tarrant County assistant DA whom Gov. Rick Perry appointed in May to serve the remainder of Tim Curry’s term. Curry, who served as district attorney for 36 years, lost his battle
with lung cancer in April.
In a far-ranging, relaxed talk, Shannon said he will operate the office of 156
lawyers much as Curry did. He expects that the office, with its $35 million
annual budget, will grow because of an increase in white-collar crime.
“Mortgage fraud is up,” he said. “We have former IRS and FBI agents on these cases.” More than 400 properties in Tarrant County, worth about $50 million, are under
investigation, he said, adding that fraudulent identification and paperwork are
used to “steal real estate.”
Shannon said his office prosecutes more than 30,000 misdemeanors and 15,000
felonies a year. Attorneys also work civil cases, collecting millions of
dollars in child support restitutions. “A prosecutor seeks truth, not victims,” he said, defining the prosecutor’s role as “to seek justice, not convictions.”
Concerning the stream of DNA-test exonerations in Dallas County, Shannon said
that although DNA procedures have advanced in the last 10 years, only one case
was overturned using DNA testing under Curry’s leadership. “We keep biological evidence. There is no indictment until lab results are
complete. If he’s (the suspect) a crook, we’ll see him again.”
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PEOPLE & PLACES
Greater Fort Worth PRSA and SPJ member Kay Colley, assistant professor of mass communication at Texas Wesleyan University,
co-authored an article in the PR Strategist spring 2009 issue titled "An
Overlooked Social Media Tool? Making a Case for Wikis." The article link is
actually located on a wiki that supports research on using wikis in public
relations: kaycolley.wik.is/. ...
Bob Schieffer, CBS News chief Washington correspondent and moderator of “Face the Nation,” will address the annual Outstanding Citizen for Seniors award dinner Tuesday,
Sept. 15, at Ridglea Country Club, benefiting Senior Citizen Services of
Greater Tarrant County. More here.
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NEW MEMBERS
SPJ ... Chris Whitley, Tarrant County College Northeast
PRSA ... Megan Murphey (associate member)
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Andra Bennett House, APR, Greater Fort Worth PRSA
GFW PRSA corralled four publishers/editors of local weeklies and an
ex-ombudsman — Lucie Allen of the Spanish-language Panorama News; Lee Newquist, Fort Worth Weekly; Blake Ovard, The Star Group Newspapers; and Kay Pirtle, Wedgwood News, with moderator David House — at the June meeting to hear how they were doing financially and how we could
work together on news stories. Not all of the answers rang sweetly on happy
ears.
“PR companies, at least on the journalism side of what we do, are problematic
because they’re in between (us and) the person with the real answer,” FW Weekly publisher Newquist said. “I don’t want to talk to a PR person whose sole role in their career is to spin it and
make it sound good.”
Cue nervous laughter in the audience. Tweets flew.
Star Group managing editor Ovard echoed: “All of the cities have a PIO, and their job is to keep you from getting the
story, so they don’t understand why I don’t want to talk to them. They say, ‘Well, I have all your information.’ ”
Tarrant County PIO Marc Flake stepped forward and told how he had aided the Weekly’s requests for a recent Peter Gorman cover story that examined issues related to the medical examiner’s office. “I was very helpful with Mr. Gorman,” Flake said, “and told him who he needed to talk to, gave him background, gave him all the
documents (and) contact information he needed. I don’t stand between you guys (and the county). … I help you get the information you need.”
Applause erupted. I found the exchange candid and enlightening. It brought home
that the adversarial relationship between hacks and flacks plagues us still.
But I would hope that the PRSA members in the audience all hold to the PRSA
Code of Ethics, which emphasizes advocacy, honesty and fairness.
We PR practitioners are obligated to our clients, their stakeholders and the
public interest. Journalists are obligated to the public’s right to know, to readers and to advertisers (yes, the panelists said
advertisers are an important audience). So here’s the rub: A PR pro being honest and ethical doesn’t always translate to being as “open” as some would like. The reasons can range from proprietary information and SEC
regulations to security concerns and political sensitivities.
PR people daily weigh the benefit vs. risk of dealing with the media. Brave,
skilled responders will answer even a hostile reporter in order to provide
balance. Cautious ones will favor silence if they have been repeatedly
mischaracterized or taken out of context.
In a changing media landscape, PR practitioners should eschew derogatory terms
for alternative or community weeklies — all newspapers, really — and appreciate their scope of influence. At the same time, journalists should
reexamine their generalizations of PR practitioners as spinners and blockers.
As resources continue to shrink, ethical PR pros provide information,
assistance and access to high-level sources that will only become more critical
for journalists who want to report the truth.
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Betsy Deck, IABC Fort Worth
The Bronze Quill luncheon every June marks the end of our fiscal year. What an
amazing year this has been, and none of the chapter’s accomplishments would have happened without our wonderful volunteer board — Betsy Black, Amy Yancey, Pam Fry, Tim Tune, Liesl Gray Logan, Laura Hanna and Sara Reynolds; Pam Huff, ABC; Lori De La Cruz, ABC; and Ken Roberts — the most dedicated, hard-working communicators in Texas! These individuals
prove that it’s the people who make IABC the outstanding group it is.
Now get ready for our new and improved president, Cheryl Hart. With her boundless enthusiasm, Cheryl will lead IABC Fort Worth in an exciting
direction. Fresh events are already in the works to exchange ideas with other
organizations in this terrific network of communicators that is at our
fingertips. I can’t wait to see the great things Cheryl will implement.
In my seven years in IABC I have seen example after example of how it benefits
members and nonmembers alike. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank you
for your support and hope you will stay with us and take advantage of the many
opportunities during the upcoming year.
IABC traditionally takes July off, so enjoy the break and we’ll see you at the Aug. 25 meeting.
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OVER & OUT
John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ
I was never around Diane Turner much, but still I miss her. Likewise Jeff Henderson, with whom I shared memorable Society of News Design conventions in Fort
Lauderdale and San Francisco. Both were exceptional journalism
teachers/newspaper advisers (Diane at Tarrant County College, Jeff at Texas
State), storytellers and characters. Diane played a little poker and stayed immersed in Delta Gamma sorority and
Altrusa. Jeff was a published author and actor. Both are in the Texas
Intercollegiate Press Association Hall of Fame, both had legions of admiring
ex-students, both made you laugh, made you think, and both died last month,
unexpectedly and way too soon. SPJ national lost executive director Terry Harper in June, too, to the brain tumor he blogged about with such courage and humor.
Terry will be remembered for getting SPJ’s finances in order. Go to your address book and call an old friend and tell him
thanks for everything. We never know. ...
If you’re a good writer and want to be better, a great writer and want to be the best — if you can’t write a grocery list but are fascinated by the way words, cleverly dispatched,
snggle up to each other on the page — then the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference beckons. Can’t afford it? Scholarships are available. Too busy? Rearrange something. ...
Jeff Biggers, the American Book Award-winning author of “The United States of Appalachia,” presents an indictment here of President Obama’s failure to stop mountaintop removal for coal mining. OK, the man has a lot on
his plate, but what a disappointment, what a disgrace. ...
Welcome back, conservative media monitor John Wallace, who found the John Kerry quote below at bostonherald.com. Haven’t heard from John in a while. Surely it can’t be because Democrats have quit saying dumb things.
Closing words: "You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of
the night to write." — Saul Bellow ... "A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for
other people." — Thomas Mann
Closing words II, Democrats talking stupid division: “Too bad if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin.’’ — Sen. John Kerry, discussing with a group of business and civic leaders how South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford had disappeared for four days and claimed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Twenty-four hours later Sanford confessed that he had actually been in
Argentina over Father’s Day weekend — a long way from the Appalachian Trail — and with his paramour
Closing words III, quick, find the person with integrity in this paragraph: “In all my life I have lived by a code of honor and at a variety of levels know I
have crossed lines I would have never imagined.” — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford in an e-mail to his lover ... “Am I OK? You know what? I have great faith, and I have great friends and great
family. We have a Good Lord in this world, and I know I’m going to be fine. Not only will I survive, I’ll thrive.” — Jenny Sanford, the governor’s wife, to reporters ... “I disagree with the idea that this shows problems for the modern Republican
Party. I think instead it shows that sexual attractiveness of
limited-government conservatism.” — Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, assessing the effects on the GOP of
Sanford’s and Nevada Sen. John Ensign's admissions of extramarital affairs