December 2014
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All are invited to the JPS Book Benefit, but otherwise there’s no meeting in December. Stay tuned — website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn — for info on the power-packed offerings of 2015.
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In Retrospect: Merriment, Milestones and More
PRSA members will take a look back at 2014 at a holiday luncheon hosted in part
by chapter historian Jeff Rodriquez. Expect parting words from this year’s fearless leader, Richie Escovedo, as he hands over the keys to the 2015 chapter president, Michelle Clark, APR.
Clark will introduce the incoming board members and committee chairs who make up
the volunteer leadership. Members’ professional achievements will be recognized and chapter awards presented to
exceptional members and students.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10
Cost: chapter members $25, national members $30, nonmembers $35, students $20;
walk-ups add $5
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STRAIGHT STUFF
The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas will host an intensive open
government seminar in Denton on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Designed for journalists,
public officials and interested citizens, the seminar will feature sessions on
the Texas Public Information Act (free) and the Texas Open Meetings Act ($50).
Info here. ...
It’s your turn. WGT participants will have their say at the annual Writers’ Guild of Texas holiday party and meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at the
Richardson Public Library. More on the Writers’ Guild of Texas at writersguildoftexas.org.
IABC local update: Once a year, area communications, media and creative organizations unite for a
common cause. The resulting massive not-for-profit holiday party, the
euphonious Jingle Mingle — 6-10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at Gilley's Dallas — raises money for the DREAM Fund. Info.
PRSA local update: Reminder. Greater Fort Worth PRSA each year awards up to three $500
scholarships to outstanding students who exhibit a commitment to the field
while pursuing a degree in public relations. An applicant must be a full-time
student majoring in PR or communication and attending TCU, UT Arlington or
Abilene Christian University. The application form is here. Application deadline is Dec. 1.
PRSA local update II: Baylor University seeks participation in an academic survey on “Roles in Social Media: How the Practice of Public Relations is Evolving.” The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete; responses are anonymous
and confidential. Questions are related to the job responsibilities associated
with social media. Results will be submitted to academic conferences and
journals, as well as shared with PRSA chapters. Those who complete the survey
will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card. Questions? Contact the
principal investigator, marlene_neill@baylor.edu or 254-710-6322.
PRSA local update III: Wear your tackiest Christmas sweater and bring an unwrapped toy to the PRSA
Dallas 12/4 holiday bus tour and end-of-year holiday fandango, leaving Three
Sheets on Ross Avenue at 4:30 p.m. (returning by 8) Thursday, Dec. 4. The toys
will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters, which reports a special need for
board games and sports equipment (basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, jump
ropes, hula hoops). Or bring a gift card. Info here.
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THIS MONTH IN PR/MARKETING HISTORY BY JEFF RODRIGUEZ
An irreverent look at the people and events that keep us up at night
Fouling the Air
A CEO’s Callous Disregard Caused an Industrial Tragedy — or Did It?
It’s a story we know all too well: Corporate malfeasance causes widespread death
and suffering – and the fat cats at the top walk away unscathed.
That’s how it appeared 30 years ago, on Dec. 2, 1984, when the Union Carbide plant in
Bhopal, India, released tons of toxic gas overnight. In the hours that
followed, more than 3,700 people and thousands of livestock animals died. The
reported number of people injured as a result of the leak would top 500,000.
The man held responsible was Warren Anderson, chairman and CEO of Union Carbide Corp (UCC). It took Anderson four days to
make it to Bhopal, and he was immediately placed under house arrest. Within
hours, he posted bail and left; some reports say the Indian government
encouraged him to leave, while others say the U.S. government pressured India
into freeing him. Regardless, Anderson never returned to India.
Turns out the disaster was far more complicated than it originally appeared.
While Union Carbide was the majority owner, the plant was 49 percent owned by
Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), a consortium of public and private Indian
investors who, according to one study, insisted that their countrymen design
and operate the plant. In addition, UCC later asserted that the Indian
government had impeded the investigation and that plant staff had falsified
documents to cover up mistakes.
A New York Times study in 1985 concluded that the leak resulted from myriad
problems, including “operating errors, design flaws, maintenance failures, training deficiencies and
economy measures that endangered safety.” In 1987, UCC blamed sabotage by an employee during a shift change. An article
in the New York Times that year quoted an unnamed UCC source as saying, ''We
are 100 percent certain that this accident was caused deliberately. … when you look at the evidence, you can come to no other conclusion.”
Regardless, UCC eventually paid the Indian government $470 million and donated
another $5 million to the Indian Red Cross. In 2010, seven former UCIL
employees, including the former chairman, were convicted in Bhopal of causing
death by negligence.
None of this held much sway with the public, especially in India. For years on
the anniversary of the accident, Indian mobs would make an effigy of Anderson
and beat it. When the United States was searching for Osama Bin Laden, Indians were photographed with a sign saying they would exchange Bin Laden for
Anderson. When the Hindustan Times reported Anderson’s death in September this year, it called him “the man responsible for the death of around 15,000 people,” noting that many in Bhopal celebrated and spat on photos of him.
True, Anderson never stood trial for the incident. He was able to avoid civil
subpoenas and, with the help of the United States government and court
decisions, fend off India’s repeated attempts to extradite him. But he also made some wise PR decisions,
the first being going to India. In addition, the day following the leak, UCC
sent supplies and medical staff to Bhopal.
In an interview with The New Times a few months later, Anderson noted how he and
his wife holed up briefly in a hotel, reading newspaper articles about the
tragedy. When they went to a restaurant, they were conscious about laughing,
worried it might give the wrong impression. And he discussed his feelings of
helplessness: “You wake up in the morning thinking, can it have occurred? And then you know it
has. and you know it’s something you’re going to have to struggle with for a long time.”
Anderson retired in 1986, and Dow Chemical bought UCC in 1999. Its website has a
section on the tragedy.
But there was still one more PR twist to come: On the 20th anniversary of the
leak, a man identified as a Dow representative told the BBC that the company
intended to sell Union Carbide and use the proceeds to compensate the victims
and clean up the site. Dow stock plummeted. Dow issue a statement saying the
man was an impostor. The BBC later corrected the error.
Tragically, the effects of the gas leak linger. Many Indians believe their
government botched handling the case and distributing the settlement funds.
Consider it a good reminder that in the PR world, you have to figure out not
only the right thing to do, but the right way to do it.
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Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas update: In case you missed it on p. 1: open government seminar in Denton on Tuesday,
Dec. 9. Info here. ... The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a Freedom of Information Act
improvement bill Nov. 20 that makes several updates to the landmark federal
right-to-know law.The next step for the measure by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, is a vote in the full Senate. Many of the bill’s provisions were included in legislation that already unanimously passed the
House. Open government groups across the country, including the Freedom of
Information Foundation of Texas, are urging passage of the act so it will be
sent to President Obama before the end of the current congressional session. Details.
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GET A JOB
Media and Journalism Fellowships: November 2014 Edition ... ESPN seeks a reporter to cover the San Antonio Spurs in season. Would
contribute to TV, radio and the magazine. Experience required in
writing/reporting on deadline as well as long-form storytelling, online video
and/or TV; bilingualism preferred. Contact patricia.mays@espn.com (executive editor) or henry.abbott@espn.com (NBA editor). ... Boston-based Education Resource Strategies (employer of UTA
Shorthorn ex Alyssa Fry), is hiring for a writer and editor with a background in education. Info here. ... Community Impact Newspaper seeks an account executive for a new
publication coming to DFW. Bachelor's degree in marketing, communication,
business or related field required, plus at least one year of sales experience.
Info here. ... Tarry not, lest the L train pass you by. The Center for Public Policy
Priorities in Austin seeks a dynamic graduate or undergraduate communications
intern for the spring to help monitor the Legislature. Apply by Dec. 1. The
CPPP calls itself an independent public policy organization that uses data and
analysis to advocate for solutions that enable Texans of all backgrounds to
reach their potential. The internship is paid and should be attractive for
someone interested in journalism, advocacy journalism or nonprofit PR. Info
here.
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NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS
SPJ ... Amanda Gleason, Marketwave ... Riley Patterson, Denton Record-Chronicle
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN (The Final Chapter)
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for ... nah, nothing
that formal is required here. What is appropriate is a hearty thank you on behalf of the chapter members to the
dedicated team of volunteers who kept our chapter running smoothly in 2014.
Thank you, Michelle Clark, APR (membership VP and president-elect); Sandra Brodnicki, APR (programs VP); Liz Heck (treasurer); Lisa Albert (treasurer-elect); Claire Bloxom Armstrong (secretary); immediate past president Chris Smith (nominating committee chair); Jahnae Stout (director); Joe Stout (director and Worthy Awards co-chair); Gigi Westerman, APR, Fellow PRSA (Assembly delegate); Holly Ellman (Assembly delegate and Worthy Awards co-chair); Julie O’Neil (advocacy chair); Linda Ld Jacobson, APR (APR committee co-chair); Carolyn Bobo, APR, Fellow PRSA (APR committee co-chair); Megan Murphey (bylaws chair); Lesley Dupre (digital media chair); Anthony Spangler (diversity chair); Kay Barkin, APR (ethics chair); Jeff Rodriguez (community service chair and historian); Beth Lamb (hospitality chair); Brian Murnahan (Independent Practitioners SIG chair); Jerrod Resweber (job bank chair); Hope Caldwell (Masters SIG co-chair); Nancy Farrar (Masters SIG co-chair); Claire Olson (newsletter and PR chair); first lady Kristen Escovedo (PR After Dark chair); Tom Burke, APR (President’s Council chair); Mindia Whittier (student liaison); and Rebekah Moore (website chair). A special thank you to John Dycus for staying in constant communication throughout the year and providing
excellent, timely reminders for (and editing of) these missives.
I feel blessed to have worked with these priceless individuals to advance the
profession in our little corner of the world. The chapter is in good hands with
Michelle as president. She has been busy putting together another solid team of
volunteers ready to propel Greater Fort Worth PRSA into 2015. PRSA is what
members make it, and Michelle and her board will make it great.
Cheers,
Richie Escovedo
(Soon-to-be-Past) President, Greater Fort Worth PRSA
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STAYING CONNECTED
Betsy Deck, IABC Fort Worth
Time flies when you're having fun, and BOY, has time flown! This Thanksgiving
I'm grateful for many things in my life, chief among them the friends I have
made through IABC, SPJ and PRSA. Thank you for being a part of the IABC family
and for your continued support.
We’ll take December off from the monthly luncheon schedule, but we will join our
communicator counterparts at the JPS Book Benefit. Dedicated volunteers have been working hard to make your Christmas shopping
easy and fun. It's a terrific party for a noble cause.
Our monthly luncheons resume in January with “Social Media Listening.” The program was originally scheduled for November, but low reservations caused
it to be rescheduled. Please help us keep a good thing going and plan to attend
the luncheon Jan. 27.
I hope this season finds you filled with gratitude for the many blessings you
have. Happy Thanksgiving!
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OVER & OUT
John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ
Don’t forget to pull the RSVP trigger on the JPS Book Benefit and Splendiferous Gift
Drawing, Wednesday, Dec. 3, in the “Glass Front” Building at UNT Health Science Center on Camp Bowie Boulevard. Here’s the evite and RSVP. Great fun, great friends, great food, great googly-moogly! ...
Check out the updates made to Journalist’s Toolbox in November, including a collection of strengtheners on police brutality and
reasonable force, “75 Tools for Investigative Journalism” and resources on all branches of the military plus Veterans Day and a
military/bioterrorism page. The next update will be Dec. 5.
Caught my eye. Solar and wind energy are finally cheaper than fossil fuels in the U.S. ... World’s first breathable Ebola vaccine proven 100% effective in trials. ... Toshiba's 'clean' factory farm produces 3 million bags of lettuce a year without
sunlight or soil. ... Four couples establish Llano River Tiny House Community in Texas. ... A toilet that's a lot more than flush and forget. ... Guess which country may stop investing in fossil fuels. ... Rainwater used to generate electricity. ... Dutch students design revolutionary solar power 'skins' for historic homes. ... Orbital Systems’ recycling shower claims to conserve 90% of its water. ... Scientists turn table salt into compounds that violate textbook rules. ... Want really cheap solar cells? Make them out of wood. ... Bioglow’s Starlight Avatar world’s first light producing plant.
Closing words: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." — Samuel Johnson, as quoted by his biographer, James Boswell; Johnson said a lot of things, including, "When a man is tired of London, he is
tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford" and, "A decent
provision for the poor is the true test of civilization." ... "[W]e should
consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once." — philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche ... "Every absurdity has a champion to defend it." — 18th-century writer Oliver Goldsmith