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Providing a moral compass for SPJ and the newsroom ...
PHIL RECORD, 1929-2010
When Phil Record died Oct. 31, he left behind more than a legacy at the Star-Telegram, where he
retired in 1997 as associate executive editor, and at the TCU Schieffer School
of Journalism, where he was professional-in-residence, teaching two classes
this semester. There are memories, too.
“My memories of Phil are a massive jumble — like the piles of odds and ends in every drawer of the huge old wooden desk
that we had used. He was always generous in his response whenever I needed
guidance, ideas or encouragement,” colleague David House recalled. Mr. Record and House each had seven-year tenures as Star-Telegram
ombudsman. Mr. Record was the paper’s first, 1990-1997; House took the job in 2001.
“Anyone who really knew Phil knew that he was a man of faith,” House said. “One spring day in 2001, I was cleaning out a bookcase in the ombudsman office
and came across a Bible that was Phil’s, according to the filled-in ‘this Bible belongs to’ line. I called Phil to see if he wanted me to mail it to him. ‘Keep it,’ he said. ‘You’ll need it.’ And remember, he added: Jesus listened. So do good ombuddies.”
Paul Harral, retired Star-Telegram editorial director, and Mr. Record used to play tennis
together. Harral: “He had a problem with one of his eyes — a stroke of sorts, as I remember it now, and lost his sight in that eye — and started to play again after a long layoff. I was serving, taking care to
take a little speed off the ball and serve only to his sighted side. He crawled
my frame severely for taking it easy on him.”
Harral went to a wedding reception once where Mr. Record was the self-appointed
champagne pourer. “Keeping with the tennis theme, he spent the evening demonstrating his forehand
and backhand pour.”
Former Star-Telegram publisher Wes Turner said Mr. Record deeply cared for his community. “Phil was a prince,” Turner said. “TCU was fortunate to be able to hire him to teach ethics. He epitomized
everything about ethical behavior. He was a compassionate, loving, caring human
being.”
And from Dorothy Estes, retired director of Student Publications, UTA: “Phil provided a moral compass for SPJ and the newsroom.”
Mr. Record joined the Star-Telegram in 1954 and held a variety of jobs,
including police and government reporter, city editor and managing editor. He
also worked for the paper before college, beginning in 1944.
He received the Wells Memorial Key from the Society of Professional Journalists
in 1991, given for distinguished service to SPJ and to journalism. He had been
a director, vice president and president of Fort Worth SPJ. He was the SPJ
national president in 1983-84.
He was considered an expert in journalism ethics and was awarded the Ethics
Award by the TCU Journalism Department in 1991. He was inducted into the Texas
Tech University Mass Communications Hall of Fame in 1994.
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MEETINGS
Your Organization’s Reputation: Guided or Misguided?
More and more, communications pros are the ones to whom senior C-Suiters are
turning to ensure that the group’s reputation is good — and in good hands. This creates a golden opportunity for communicators to
increase their profile within their organizations. Are you ready to take
advantage of the opportunity? What should you do to get ready? And what are the
pitfalls if you don’t?
The answers to these and other questions surrounding reputation management will
be revealed at the November meeting by organizational reputation guru Bonnie Caver, head of Caver Public Relations in Austin. She will discuss the changing
communications environment, the basic elements of reputation, and how your
to-do list affects this situation and your ability to manage it.
Caver is a 20-year communications veteran who serves a diverse global client
base, primarily mid-level companies experiencing rapid growth. Her firm fuses
social communications with traditional communications to guide her clients’ reputations. She is certified in reputation management through the
multinational Reputation Institute.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16
Place: City Club, 301 Commerce St.
Cost: with reservation, members $15, nonmembers $20, students $10; without
reservation, members $30, nonmembers $35, students $20
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PR, Trust and the F-35 Lightning II
Just down I-30 in Fort Worth, assembly line workers at Lockheed Martin are
building perhaps the most sophisticated, and controversial, jet fighter ever
designed. The F-35 Lightning II, dubbed the largest military weapons program in
history, is expected to anchor the air defense capabilities of the U.S. Navy,
Air Force and Marine Corps for the next 40 years. But it also faces intense
scrutiny for technical challenges, delays and cost overruns.
Johnny Whitaker, APR, has heard the criticism. As Lockheed Martin’s director of program and international communications, it’s his job to keep information flowing among U.S. and international military
customers, government officials and the public. Whitaker will describe at the
November meeting the role public relations is playing in building trust in this
$300 billion program.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10
Place: Colonial Country Club, 3735 Country Club Circle
Cost: $25 members, $35 nonmembers, students $20, walk-ups add $5
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STRAIGHT STUFF
The Hispanic Communicators are mixing it up from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov.
11, at Eno’s Pizza Tavern in the Bishop Arts District, Dallas. Expect door prizes,
appetizers, perchance the Eno’s beer special. Cash bar. RSVP here. And check out the Hispanic Communicators’ new-look website, dfwhispanic.org, crafted by Michael Vega. ...
The Association for Women in Communications has arranged a discount for the Nov.
5 (7 a.m.) First Friday Book Synopsis at the Park Cities Club in Dallas. Guests
of AWC and the Dallas Freelance Alliance will receive $5 off the usual $29
price of the event, which includes full buffet breakfast, to hear Karl Krayer and Randy Mayeux do a speed recap of “Derailed: Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership” by Tim Irwin and “Rebooting Business and the World” by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams. Pay at the door. RSVPs urged by Nov. 3. Call Krayer at 972- 601-1537; mention AWC or the Dallas Freelance Alliance to secure the special
rate. ...
