tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47529097140003444842024-03-13T15:54:35.367+00:00Planet Public RelationsLinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-77525446075508628292011-04-13T18:37:00.000+01:002011-04-13T18:37:15.343+01:00Online privacy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
A few weeks ago in class, we saw an episode in the BBC series "The Virtual Revolution". The episode was called "<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qx4vy">The Cost of Free</a>" and was about how most people didn't realize how much of our online activity that is being watched, made a record of and used for commercial purposes. <br />
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As some of the kids interviewed in the programme said: "We use the search engines and social media for free and in return they get to send us tailored ads on Facebook and the like. We think that's a fair deal". I must say I'm with the kids on this one. I'm just not frightened by the fact that Facebook somehow can detect that I’m searching for a deal on holiday houses in Tuscany, and uses this information to put ads for villas in Florence in the Facebook sidebar. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmPlZZtB5ohV62-bImIEkC9c2Ls2JYb_s5Ovz4cK0w8iow2DGwY5k2kOpa-59hwaEN85JH32GDis0Td8zVt7antiAUzKRA8oDZYilob8BfeHUK8R6SIxMe4FQoWlfi_mm4ilyiAXY7sF1/s1600/online-privacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmPlZZtB5ohV62-bImIEkC9c2Ls2JYb_s5Ovz4cK0w8iow2DGwY5k2kOpa-59hwaEN85JH32GDis0Td8zVt7antiAUzKRA8oDZYilob8BfeHUK8R6SIxMe4FQoWlfi_mm4ilyiAXY7sF1/s320/online-privacy.jpg" width="269" /></a>People who do get worried point to the fact that this means there’s a huge amount of data stored about my internet use somewhere, and that this could be misused if it fell into the wrong hands. And this is true. I’m sure there would be embarrassing bits if someone managed to make my entire Google search history public. For some, it could even be dangerous.</div><br />
There are two main reasons I don’t worry. If some unsavoury character should somehow get hold of all this information, my internet history would be one among billions. Why would they worry about little old me? I’m surely not that interesting. Someone will probably be run over by a car somewhere in the world in the next hour, but I don’t spend time worrying if that will be me either.<br />
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Some people get very upset with all the CCTV cameras there are in the public space these days, feeling that it’s an invasion of privacy to be filmed wherever you go. I feel safer with all the cameras. If someone were to kidnap me, those cameras could help the police track down the culprit! (At least that’s how it works on TV).<br />
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The other reason is that there are other databases with far more sensitive information about me that already exists. There’s information stored about me somewhere detailing my hospital records, my personal economy (in Norway all tax records are made public), where I travel, what I spend my money on, who I vote for and criminal records for some people. Even if I never even went online, these things will be stored about me, and I don’t really worry about that either. Possibly because I don’t really feel I have that much to hide. <br />
</div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-62184406955762962842011-04-12T22:46:00.002+01:002011-04-13T13:51:40.174+01:00The Obama code – not suitable for everyone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Barak Obama’s 2008 election campaign has among other things been hailed for its innovative use of social media and online technology. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Especially voters aged 18-29 can be hard to reach with your message, as they may not read traditional media, or watch political broadcasts on TV. So Obama took his message to them, to where they were, to the internet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XjuFG667Aea8EFYMO0CVVi6ofbjs9RKox8sRJfvCSOd7F8Nuln0hgCu8kF8SwQO11Q1D6icMtN0337HrxujXlci7vBtB77vm1X86xLXCWt4lpfLekfIqN69sIF3IM8IPTu_O7wPGzaeY/s1600/obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XjuFG667Aea8EFYMO0CVVi6ofbjs9RKox8sRJfvCSOd7F8Nuln0hgCu8kF8SwQO11Q1D6icMtN0337HrxujXlci7vBtB77vm1X86xLXCWt4lpfLekfIqN69sIF3IM8IPTu_O7wPGzaeY/s320/obama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and his webpage he was looking like the first two-way presidential candidate and he managed to excite and engage people with his messages of change. The result was a whopping 65% election participation, the highest turnout since the election in 1908, and a comfortable win to Mr Obama himself. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Was this all due to getting his campaign online? Of course not. In politics, as in real life, if you’re going to convince anyone of anything you have to be believable and credible. You have to have a message that resonates with the people you need to convince, and you actually have to be yourself.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When David Cameron tried to copy the success through his YouTube channel “WebCameron”, it failed dramatically. Trying to prove he was a “regular guy” just busy with his kids and the dishes like every other father, just didn’t ring true. The obviously staged clip (if communicating with the British people was so important, why not do it in his office, or somewhere else where he wouldn’t be occupied with his kids and the household chores) just annoyed voters as it seemed dishonest and fake, and at complete odds with his posh image. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>See WebCameron here:</strong></span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="405" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gTd3j31PIPo" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The point is, social media no magic potion in politics either. It’s just another platform to reach people who may have been hard to reach before. The rules are still the same: You still have to have an appropriate, engaging message, credibility and trust. It's about being genuine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I follow Norway's Prime Minister, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/jensstoltenberg">Jens Stoltenberg</a>, on Twitter. He states on his page that most of the tweets are written by him personally, and the rest are dictated by him but written by his assistants (who he names). He tweets about politics, his party and his opinions and the odd personal tweet about the Norwegian football team or the nice weather we're having. In short it seems like genuine stuff, and he also occasionally engages in conversation with other twitter members.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-qN_7-cr9j0IHk1ZCZXDoJSWkLuHb4HiHBlQwc5u9lWK-jGdE8gDOEcZg8rlQYgPkfiZVYkp_-Ub0C8IsHyTVFkVpZAhHNLG763UbPbt0T3W9RlBaRCzdK-WzF9PLeMfo6u5aJLYYmR7/s1600/jens2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-qN_7-cr9j0IHk1ZCZXDoJSWkLuHb4HiHBlQwc5u9lWK-jGdE8gDOEcZg8rlQYgPkfiZVYkp_-Ub0C8IsHyTVFkVpZAhHNLG763UbPbt0T3W9RlBaRCzdK-WzF9PLeMfo6u5aJLYYmR7/s320/jens2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jens Stoltenberg is a popular politician in Norway. He has <br />
also succeeded in building a reputation as a "normal guy".<br />
Photo: Erik F. Brandsborg, Aktiv I Oslo.no</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know his presence on twitter is a carefully thought through PR strategy, but I'm still falling for it. I still feel that I know him better now, and that, if I should so desire, telling him how I feel about something is only a tweet away. It's a transparency that invokes trust. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, should I one day find out that Stoltenberg hasn't tweeted a single thing himself, that whole trust disappears and I will feel cheated. So unless you can be yourself, be genuine and be transparent as a politician, you should probably not try to conquer the social media scene. Voters are not stupid, and cheating is not accepted.</span></div>Sources: <a href="http://www.pr-media-blog.co.uk/obamas-web-strategist-what-pr-people-can-learn-from-the-campaign/">PR Media Blog</a> and <a href="http://www.briansolis.com/2008/11/barack-obama-social-web-and-future-of/">Brian Solis</a>.</div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-166966068608240192011-04-12T15:52:00.000+01:002011-04-12T15:52:38.288+01:00Should CSR be the job of PR practitioners?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As corporate social responsibility is becoming more common and more important, is seems important to consider the logistics of the increasing significance of ethics in business. So far the responsibility of CSR have been largely placed with the public relations departments, but is this really the best solution?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Simon Goldsworthy (Senior lecturer in PR at Westminster University) doesn’t think so. In a chapter entitled “PR ethics: forever a will o' the wisp” in the book “Communication Ethics Now” he argues that PR practitioners are no more qualified to act as ethical councillors than <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">other members of the organisation. He suggests this notion has come about due to the apparent large amount of “socialists” in the PR industry, who wishes to bring about a new dawn for more ethical business, and therefore takes the responsibility upon themselves.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other PR ethicists, like Kathy Fitzpatrick and Phil Seib, points to PR practitioners duty to society as a reason why it’s natural for them to be involved in CSR. They thereby place PR as the social conscience of the organisation linking good, ethical behaviour with a good reputation. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Personally, I side most with the latter argument. While all PR practitioners might not be educated particularly on the subject of ethics any more than CEOs, HR or whoever else could be in charge of CSR, there are good reasons why they should be. There is an undeniable link between good behaviour and a good reputation. What constitutes “good behaviour” changes over time. While it not many years ago might have been enough to ensure financial gains, these days most of an organisation’s publics also crave ethical behaviour on one level or another. It seems to me that public relations practitioners, who are dealing with these publics, are well placed to be involved with CSR.</span></span></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-57415149611433355092011-04-11T23:33:00.001+01:002011-04-11T23:36:07.852+01:00Nonviolent action? Let me count the ways...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonviolent_resistance">Nonviolent action</a> has been the tools of NGOs, freedom fighters and individuals seeking political and social change without bloodshed for centuries. Advocates of nonviolent resistance include Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela, and modern examples are for instance the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the "velvet revolution" in Iran and the recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last examples have by many been <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12522848">attributed</a> to the writings of the American Harvard Professor and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Sharp">Gene Sharp</a> who in 1973 published the hugely influential book “The Politics of Nonviolent Action”. His idea is that no ruler can rule a people who refuse to obey, that any ruler is only as strong as his subjects’ obedience to his orders. Ultimately the power of any state derives from the subjects of the state.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNw6MzsvMiv_hm4vn9p5knfEU31yNoR-hV8a3Gq9zIWc0rM_lyOknBgVPxNshIz2gLn_65j6m2T5wFASimfBcPjacwim_Nvev9xgk4iNr0wM1rxDQb4GjLxWg5WvF-piW9ZaLbKe-Xkez/s1600/gene+sharp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNw6MzsvMiv_hm4vn9p5knfEU31yNoR-hV8a3Gq9zIWc0rM_lyOknBgVPxNshIz2gLn_65j6m2T5wFASimfBcPjacwim_Nvev9xgk4iNr0wM1rxDQb4GjLxWg5WvF-piW9ZaLbKe-Xkez/s320/gene+sharp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gene Sharp</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Included in this work, and in his consequent publications (including the widely distributed and translated work “From Dictatorship to Democracy”, the “guidebook” to nonviolent revolution) is a list of<a href="http://www.aeinstein.org/organizations103a.html"> 198 different methods</a> of nonviolent action, ranging from the <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2009/1229/Iran-protesters-the-Harvard-professor-behind-their-tactics">use of colours</a> to the importance of public assemblies (like the orange in Ukraine and the <span id="goog_293755664"></span>Tahrir Square<span id="goog_293755665"></span> in Cairo).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the list was written back in the 70s, naturally it does not take into account new inventions and developments like the internet and social media, which turned out to be an important part in uprisings such as the one in Egypt). It would be really interesting, especially to those working in NGO PR, to see what tactics could be added to the already extensive list of tools, whether you’re trying to topple a dictator or fight things like racism or social inequality on a smaller scale. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Any suggestions on what should go on such a list?</span></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-10119153731799237932011-03-29T00:20:00.001+01:002011-04-12T15:57:39.904+01:00Has PR and spin undermined trust in politics? To a certain degree.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The original motion at the Westminster University debate was:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“PR and spin have undermined trust in politics”, and it is a complicated matter. It would have been much easier had the motion been “PR and spin is the only reason why people have no trust in politics” or “PR and spin had no part in undermining trust in politics” (the answer would be “no” in both instances). </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Personally I think that PR and spin has some responsibility for the trust deficit, but that politicians and the media also has played their part. What can be done about it?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Knowledge is power. Too much power</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">First of all, the system under Blair with Campbell as the autocratic ruler of all information was bound to be bad both for trust, for transparency and for democracy. In most democratic systems of governance, power is divided (between </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_(government)" title="Executive (government)"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">executive</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislature"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">legislature</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judiciary"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">judiciary</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> branches) to prevent anyone getting too powerful and thus threaten the democratic process. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHfnV6EtqcptGW114ygwMQcC0zNHcYJpOj_QaYVLEMKU0GK9qO8rrKEbp4rjb389GFHLn0Y2FRZJ7aaM9alngvfk9cDIK1TVCiGH_A5WQuQHddWiBZ9z4pjtnX6k9VC-OyRKjCiWqNDl6/s1600/spindoctor+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHfnV6EtqcptGW114ygwMQcC0zNHcYJpOj_QaYVLEMKU0GK9qO8rrKEbp4rjb389GFHLn0Y2FRZJ7aaM9alngvfk9cDIK1TVCiGH_A5WQuQHddWiBZ9z4pjtnX6k9VC-OyRKjCiWqNDl6/s320/spindoctor+2.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A free and independent press is also crucial to a democracy, and “rewarding” “obedient” journalist or “punishing” journalists who dare to write things you don’t like, is a very slippery slope towards corruption. And if there is anything that corrodes trust, it’s corruption.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Together we stand, divided we fall</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">But here journalists and editors also have a role to play. Playing along with this game is completely self-destructive for a so-called free and independent press. I totally understand that being the only one who says no will be catastrophic for that newspaper, being the only one not getting the juicy news. </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">And I also get (and have witnessed first-hand) that there is so little money in newsrooms these days. Journalists are under a colossal pressure to produce sensational news, without being given the time or resources to do their job properly. To also go up against powerful government aids, might be a little too much to ask for.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">But seriously, there is going to have to be a change in culture, and the media will have to put their foot down to such un-democratic tendencies. THAT is their job. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">And it’s PRs job, as an ethical profession to make sure such practices are not being used, no matter how tempting. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Politicians need to get their act together</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">And lastly, if the main problem is a lack of trust in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">politicians</i> (rather than <i>politics,</i> which is the system, rather than the people), then of course the politicians themselves bears the biggest responsibility to act trustworthy. As an elected represent of the people it is your duty to them to be intensely ethical, transparent and above board with everything. All the PR and the media coverage in the world can’t make or break you as good as you can yourself. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the whole debate I ended up (as one of few) voting for the motion. I think PR and spin has at least played a part in the break-down of trust. I was appalled by the stories of the spin doctors’ behaviour, and the lack of backbone in the media. But in the end, if the politicians want to be trusted, then they had better start to act the part.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-31637046385210180072011-03-28T15:48:00.000+01:002011-03-28T15:48:48.200+01:00Has PR and spin undermined trust in politics? NO!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday we looked at the arguments for why PR and spin should take the blame for the lack of trust in politics, today we'll here some opposing views. Francis Ingham and Lance Price were on the panel athe the Westminster University deabte speaking in defence of PR, and here is what they had to say:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Francis Ingham agreed that spin has played a part in the loss of trust in politics, and then especially the excessive control practised by Alastair Campbell. He also agreed the PR gimmicks and obvious lies make politicians less trustworthy, as the public sees right through it. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">He however refused to accept that PR was the singular or even main culprit, and pointed to the politicians themselves and the media as other possible offenders.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">He pointed to the expense scandal, tory MPs preaching about family values only to be exposed as cheaters, and the hiring of Russian beauties (who turn out to be spies) as examples of how MP behaviour undermines trust, entirely without the help of spin doctors.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The media crisis</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">An increasingly sensationalist media also has to take part of the blame, he said. Political journalists have gone from reporting without question what politicians say, to now assume that everything that comes out of their mouths is a lie.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">24-hour news and the incessant need for new angles and stories coupled with vicious cuts in news teams, demands sensational and dramatic stories.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A politician having a re-think about a decision becomes “an embarrassing U-turn”, and not only in the tabloids. Ingham concluded that while PR does play a part, it is a junior part compared to the other two culprits.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Spin is nothing new</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Lance Price then claimed that professional political communication is actually good for politics, and indeed increases democracy. He pointed out that 20-30 years ago only the Tory party were using all the classical spinning techniques, and that Thatcher managed to convince voters that there was no real alternative to a Tory government. He felt that since only one side used spin, democracy suffered.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">His other argument was that spin doctors are only as good as the politicians they work for. The only reason they could help get Blair into power was that he was already popular, and no amount of spin seemed to be able to save Gordon Brown.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He was also of the opinion that the politicians did a fine job of eroding trust themselves, with the help of a witch-hunting media. He said: “trust in politics is lost when politicians say one thing and do the oposit” and mentioned examples like the changing stances on tuition fees, forests and the importance of libraries.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow I will look at both sides and analyse what we can learn from this debate.</span></span></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-54893476563768169722011-03-27T21:06:00.002+01:002011-04-12T15:59:47.700+01:00Have PR and spin undermined trust in politics? YES!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You often hear that political ‘spin doctors’ are to blame for the lack of public trust British politicians are experiencing these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PR practitioners claim that it’s the journalists who are doing the spinning, and that the British press is the cause of politicians being so untrusted. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Interesting debate</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I attended a debate at Westminster University a few weeks ago where the motion: “PR and spin have undermined trust in politics” was put forward. On the panel we found Kevin Maguire (political editor of the Daily Mail) and Sheila Gunn (formerly political journalist and John Major’s press spokesperson) for the motion and Lance Price (Former Labour spin doctor) and Francis Ingham (Chief Executive PRCA) against the motion. It was a really interesting debate and I found myself being swayed each time a new person presented their views.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I will today sum up the arguments <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for</i> the motion, and tomorrow I will look at the arguments <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">against</i> it.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Abuse of power<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Sheila Gunn told us about her experiences with Alastair Campbell during the Blair years. She told of how he had gotten himself in a position where he had full and absolute control of all information, and how he was not afraid to use this power to his advantage.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsoLFFlmM6sfCdmS5iIqYk6bMIi4g5M7V5Kz6bP7JrT5ghffyiOFNL6iPgzDuFdB3UA4UNHjfDjHyn3ZdFKJ2HKUywVJ-vAgyekaJZ4AFi3No0ey4onzEDlqeWb3TdzYxTyfc9SnQwu7i/s1600/spindoctor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsoLFFlmM6sfCdmS5iIqYk6bMIi4g5M7V5Kz6bP7JrT5ghffyiOFNL6iPgzDuFdB3UA4UNHjfDjHyn3ZdFKJ2HKUywVJ-vAgyekaJZ4AFi3No0ey4onzEDlqeWb3TdzYxTyfc9SnQwu7i/s320/spindoctor.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">If journalists displeased him, he would refuse to talk to them again, and keep them from getting important info other, less upsetting journalists would get. If he was happy with you, he would drip feed you good stories.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Her point was that an all-powerful spin doctor is not healthy for democracy and that when good headlines becomes more important than running the country, a lack of trust will surely follow.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Personal experience</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kevin Maguire also blamed PR, saying that it’s the spin doctors that has to step up and take their part of the responsibility. And with a fine selection of anecdotes from his experiences with both Campbell and David Cameron when he used to work in PR, he made a very good case for the motion.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So spin doctors’ abuse of power and letting headlines become more important than politics are good reasons for why PR is guilty for the lack of trust in politics, but there are also very good reasons why they should not take all the blame. Find out tomorrow!</span></span></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-48976816383832241102011-03-12T00:32:00.001+00:002011-03-12T00:38:23.455+00:00Social media vs. traditional media: A trust issue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By a lot of PR practitioners social media, is seen as this fantastical new tool that will trump all traditional media when it comes to getting your message out. In their book "Online Public Relations", David <span class="searchword">Phillips and</span> Philip <span class="searchword">Young goes as far as claiming that "everything will change" now that we have social media.</span> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Trust takes time</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">Recent research indicates that most people might not agree, at least not yet, with that assessment.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword"></span></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywRSFckl850wEYckFUrs_rWwoyrhnwbnU9lVPIp7zXqgMx-cLb4kpjYzaUBBfdj9yvTOBWWlJzOuoOO8PDa6r5HQkOttCVkYniI1UOqrcJDDeF1sJaYC4YMjhucbHvk4GbGSKQquzEWAN/s1600/trust+platform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywRSFckl850wEYckFUrs_rWwoyrhnwbnU9lVPIp7zXqgMx-cLb4kpjYzaUBBfdj9yvTOBWWlJzOuoOO8PDa6r5HQkOttCVkYniI1UOqrcJDDeF1sJaYC4YMjhucbHvk4GbGSKQquzEWAN/s400/trust+platform.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">Public relations as all about building relationships and creating (good) reputations. An important aspect of both, is trust. Bombarding your stakeholders with your message will not achieve anything unless the stakeholders trust the information.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span class="searchword">Not unexpectedly <a href="http://www.edelman.com/trust/2011/">Edelman Trust Barometer</a> shows that different sources have different levels of trust. Most trusted are academics and "experts", and at the other end of the scale we find employees, government officials and CEOs. The advantage of third party endorsement is in other words still alive and kicking.</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">Another piece of research that is even more interesting when it comes to the topic of social media and traditional media, is that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">where</i> the source is delivering his message is also of great importance. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">While there are many good reasons for getting your messages out through social media, it appears that creating trust should not be high on that list. Social Media is the second-to-last media platform, beaten only by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">advertisement</i> when it comes to not being trusted. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">Traditional media, and those who work for them, often show up on lists like these of untrustworthy sources. But this recent research shows that they are still more trusted than information we get from social media. My teacher, Pam Williams, mentioned an article she read where it said that while people might have gotten a piece of news first on Twitter or Facebook, they wouldn't trust it until they saw it confirmed in traditional media.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword"><strong>Choose your media platform</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">If you’re looking to traditional media to make sure your message is trusted, it’s also useful to realize that some traditional media is more trusted than others.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mWiasjSthufF2jrYbbXoTLkV2tYVOCtm6E0ic1wD3hbPXmaApNpC__CNxa4EtF5JDSEl7jZ2v7dtycLQFBBwLS5RnmyN4eQI7d4UVN6KarInlHVCsX26yEVREMIDGieoWIgGqW-qztBU/s1600/trust+sources.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mWiasjSthufF2jrYbbXoTLkV2tYVOCtm6E0ic1wD3hbPXmaApNpC__CNxa4EtF5JDSEl7jZ2v7dtycLQFBBwLS5RnmyN4eQI7d4UVN6KarInlHVCsX26yEVREMIDGieoWIgGqW-qztBU/s400/trust+sources.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">Business magazines are at number two, only beaten by stock or industry analyst rapports. We then find radio at number four, TV at number six and newspapers down at number eight. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">I’m not sure why people perceive newspaper journalists less trustworthy than their colleagues on the radio, but I will guess that in Britain the BBC might have something to do with it, as one of the most trusted media institutions in the country. Radio (and also TV) is perhaps seen as a more sombre medium than newspapers with their tabloid shenanigans. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="searchword">Readers build relationships with newspapers, radio programmes and TV News for years. It's no wonder they tend to trust them more than a new media outlet.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For PR practitioners the lesson is that not everything that glimmers is gold. Just because social media is new and shiny and exciting, doesn’t mean that we should completely turn our backs on traditional approaches. I think the best practice is to combine the two, and to find out in which situations we should chose social media and in which situations we should go with traditional media.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/12/09/consumers-say-your-corporate-blog-is-not-trusted/">Here</a> is another piece of research from 2008 that suggests that spending a lot of time on corporate blogs, might not be worth it…</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-61100301516604488552011-03-08T00:36:00.001+00:002011-03-13T18:16:38.157+00:00Is political spin really such a new invention?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you listen to the arguments against political spin, you’re almost left with the impression that the concept was singlehandedly invented by Alastair Campbell in the mid-90s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even though you might already suspect that this is an exaggerated claim, you might be surprised how long politicians have been spinning the truth, wanting to look good themselves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We can find a lot evidence of public relations techniques in ancient times such as Roman emperors’ usage of bread and circus. Making sure the people was fed and entertained is an effective way to lead attention away from poor policy making. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7geAEgjQD7Jd5u6uUJVeu7HLMsMYzHZy0g2tY_MyTs8NY6xa9d299JcLDLw_SJDVmoMIqZ2nnXyQ14ZX9Ud32x9OrNfQXXH9sk68d14OxUWp0_7gis3pHnxGLcNRpL8kRr6axv7zKzen/s1600/crusaders%2526moslems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7geAEgjQD7Jd5u6uUJVeu7HLMsMYzHZy0g2tY_MyTs8NY6xa9d299JcLDLw_SJDVmoMIqZ2nnXyQ14ZX9Ud32x9OrNfQXXH9sk68d14OxUWp0_7gis3pHnxGLcNRpL8kRr6axv7zKzen/s200/crusaders%2526moslems.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/619378/Urban-II">Pope Urban II</a> also employed many “modern” PR techniques in rallying up support for the first crusade, including a catchy slogan (“God wills it!”), “press conferences” (the <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/121349/Council-of-Clermont">Council of Clermont</a>), appropriate advocates (<a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/453856/Peter-the-Hermit">Peter the Hermit</a>) and a good old fashioned slander campaign of the enemy consisting of both true and totally made up atrocities committed by the Muslims. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So how about spin? Are the origins of spin just as old? You bet! </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As with all incidents set so far back in time it is hard to know with certainty exactly what happened. History is often written by winners, and is in itself a good example of how the victorious side can put a positive spin on appalling events making themselves look good for future generations. What we do in life may echo in eternity, but with a good spin doctor (historian) it can echo so much nicer, valiant and heroic.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still I find the <a href="http://www.decodingtheheavens.com/blog/post/2010/09/23/The-assassination-of-Archimedes.aspx">theories</a> of Italian historian Cettina Vozi both interesting and plausible. Her specialty is Greek scientist and inventor Archimedes, and in her <a href="https://springerlink3.metapress.com/content/r162556h02053220/resource-secured/?target=fulltext.pdf&sid=scusfj45vbqg3455ctwhuqva&sh=www.springerlink.com">article</a> “The death of Archimedes: A reassessment” she explores possible alternatives to the popular account of his untimely death.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGziDO7oZaxGW4grcmmcanltufRmeXCrQ165TrkhrSx4EXftxe9pDQBLY9ItC3BBs412T0Ptfi1lpRFgl7pzhX8YdM6ZvldtaK7xbMToOx8VPVaPMJ_1GUb0VYJlr0jIM7w_1PUakKyLj/s1600/domenico-fetti_archimedes_1620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGziDO7oZaxGW4grcmmcanltufRmeXCrQ165TrkhrSx4EXftxe9pDQBLY9ItC3BBs412T0Ptfi1lpRFgl7pzhX8YdM6ZvldtaK7xbMToOx8VPVaPMJ_1GUb0VYJlr0jIM7w_1PUakKyLj/s320/domenico-fetti_archimedes_1620.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archimedes Thoughtful by Domenico-Fetti 1620</td></tr>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes">Archimedes</a> lived in the city of Syracuse, on Sicily, and died there during the Second Punic War in 212 BC. After a two year roman siege, the city was captured by the forces of General Marcus Claudius Marcellus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to the story, Marcellus was a great admirer of Archimedes work, and had ordered that he should not be harmed as he saw him as a valuable scientific asset. But as his city was falling down around him, the great scientist was apparently so engrossed in his mathematical studies, that when a roman soldier ordered him to get up, he refused, wanting to work on his studies instead. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enraged, the soldier killed him not knowing who he was. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to the greek-roman historian who wrote down the account (over a hundred years after it happened) Marcellus “was said to have wept” as he heard the news and subsequently arranged for a grand funeral.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vozi however, is not buying the “death by misunderstanding”-theory, and claims it was most likely an excellently executed early example of political spin by the romans. Archimedes didn’t just dally in finding formulas of volume and other math theories, you see. He was also an inventor of war machines, like catapults and an alleged mirror-device that could make ships catch fire, inventions that made Syracusans a feared enemy. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Such a man would probably not sit in his room oblivious to the destruction around him, and more importantly, due to his involvement in the siege, Voza argues that Archimedes would have been Roman target number one.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2D8KlweXpIKapilINV7l8w5awJ2iA2wNDfegrpDlNga2qecg8xFEcIiHk7NsrzWoI6AQP5hWcc-nDN_khvu00Bb38s8u2D8XGgirflExy3MbqD7iftGE1EZxWYUZxotS8-umM7A2MyVm/s1600/archimedes_death_ray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2D8KlweXpIKapilINV7l8w5awJ2iA2wNDfegrpDlNga2qecg8xFEcIiHk7NsrzWoI6AQP5hWcc-nDN_khvu00Bb38s8u2D8XGgirflExy3MbqD7iftGE1EZxWYUZxotS8-umM7A2MyVm/s320/archimedes_death_ray.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archimedes' solar powered "death-ray"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She believes Archimedes death was nothing more than a “state-sponsored assassination”, conveniently spun to blame the killing of one of ancient world’s greatest scientist on a case of mistaken identity, and throwing in a portrayal of Marcellus as a honourable and cultured man for good measure.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The theory is hard to prove without a time machine, but I find is as plausible as the popular account written down by roman-friendly historians with no primary sources. </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spin was not invented by Alastair Campbell and his minions, nor will it be possible to get rid of it completely. But with a functioning press, and a general public able of critical analysis, I am confident democracy is safe for a while yet.</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LUsNsyG4ehA5chDMa0Y_lYEXXjOvRgzDXAMvcRYjct1ZnbvFjqf3ddDC_EerFKM_bNfBo8_ZedEjIMIqiu1SipOtwGjF0LV29ScYIIP5iHDiL821j2ZuMcv3G9RIgLaQJ5duxG7i6X_F/s1600/archimedes_circles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LUsNsyG4ehA5chDMa0Y_lYEXXjOvRgzDXAMvcRYjct1ZnbvFjqf3ddDC_EerFKM_bNfBo8_ZedEjIMIqiu1SipOtwGjF0LV29ScYIIP5iHDiL821j2ZuMcv3G9RIgLaQJ5duxG7i6X_F/s400/archimedes_circles.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archimedes too engrossed in his work: Truth or clever spin?</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By the way, if more examples of ancient PR is of interest, I'd like to recommend Tom Watson's article in Public Relations Review (vol 34 (2008) 19–24): Creating the cult of a saint: Communications strategies in 10th century England. It's really interesting to realize how sophisticated the PR machinery was even more than a thousand years ago.</div></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-12839418706926392112011-03-04T01:50:00.007+00:002011-05-14T17:18:11.867+01:00Hope, not despair, brings support to NGO campaigns<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When working in the NGO sector, dealing with victims of poverty, war, deforestation or other serious hardship, it can be tempting to try and use the despair to make people want to help. Thinking something like “If we can only make people see how hard life is for this little girl in the slums of New Delhi, surly they would give us money to make it better” may seem to make sense, but actually often has the opposite effect. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When faced with overwhelming problems like world poverty, or global warming, you find that they often feel paralyzed by the enormity of what needs to be done. If you also add in messages of suffering, or guilt for not doing enough, chances are that you potential donor will just switch the channel, or walk away.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One NGO that has understood this is </span><a href="http://wwf.panda.org/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">WWF</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> who found that their old scare campaigns about the effects of global warming should we chose to ignore it, just weren’t working. They decided to device one that was positive and empowering instead, and that was the start of </span><a href="http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Earth Hour</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. By giving people an achievable task (turning off their lights for an hour each year) WWF have managed to mobilize a billion people worldwide, including local governments, companies and celebrities, making a stand for sustainability and against climate change. By focusing on happiness, positivity and the message that by standing together we can move mountains, WWF has managed to engage with people in a way a scare campaign would never do.</span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While the act of turning off your light for 60 minutes a year won’t achieve much in that respect, it is always easier to ask people who are already involved to up the ante. And when engaging those who have the power to accomplish the needed structural change, it is always nice to point to a billion supporters championing your cause in a very visual way.</span></div></div></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="311" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vMwArLkF0oU" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-15235115677757669712011-03-01T15:58:00.002+00:002011-03-01T23:38:38.130+00:00Webcast about current trends in PR: Trust and transparency<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As part of our master degree in public relations, we've been asked to produce a video adressing a current trend in PR. We are to pretend that we work for a PR agency and that the video is meant for our clients.<br />
<br />
So while *Firefly PR is completely made up, the research is all real.<br />
<br />
Transparency and accountability is becoming a key aspect of gaining trust, and the PR industry should definitly pay attention.</div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="405" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UZk0o_FYCGo" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-86026966353790883412011-02-20T18:59:00.001+00:002011-02-20T19:06:49.625+00:00Publics and stakeholders: The bread and butter of PR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the most important aspects of Public Relations is exactly that; building a relationship with your publics. But before you can communicate your carefully scripted message to those you need to reach, step one is to find out who those people are. And which publics should be on the top of your list of importance?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Often the words “publics” and “stakeholders” are used interchangeably, as if they mean the same. Others have tried to differentiate between them. R. Edward Freeman claims in his book “<span class="googqs-tidbit1"><i>Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach” </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">(1984) that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">stakeholders</b> are people or groups of people who either affects your organisation, or are affected by it. These could include (depending on your organisation) customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, members, local community and pressure groups.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Here Freeman explains the importance of stakeholders</strong></span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="405" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bIRUaLcvPe8?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Grunig and Hunt and Grunig and Repper are more interested in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">publics</b>. They are also more concerned with issues and situation, rather than the organisation per se. Grunig’s Situational Theory is a good theory because it takes into account that the publics aren’t necessarily static. They are often dynamic groups that may change continually. One public can at one time be closely linked to your organisation as a stakeholder that is affected by your organisation, only to move to the periphery of your publics a few months later as the situation that made them affected has changed or disappeared. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Grunig divides publics into four groups: </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Non public</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Latent public</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aware public</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Active public</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Non public</b> is the people not in a relationship with your organisation. They don’t affect you and you don’t affect them. As such it is not important to communicate with them, but one should still keep a little eye on them, in case they become involved at some point,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Latent public</b> is people who are affected, but don’t know it yet. They are possibly on their way to become more involved, and you should think about what sort of message you send out to them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aware public</b> is an informed public that is affected and realise that they are. They are the people who will ask for more information about the issue, and they may want to influence the outcome.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active public</b> is your loudest public. They have taken an active interest in your organisation/issue and are trying to do something about it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Grunig’s theory means that to know how to communicate with your publics, you need to continuously keep an eye one them and analyse at which stage they are.</span></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-47607780433365962672011-02-02T19:12:00.001+00:002011-02-02T19:13:22.539+00:00Crisis management and celebrity PR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Protecting a brand’s reputation may be difficult enough when your brand is a company, but when your brand is a person, it’s a whole other ball game.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People are as we know only human, and if you set yourself up to be an idol and an inspiration to the world, that pedestal can be the source of a mighty fall once you mess up. And at those times your PR team, and their crisis management will be crucial to your reputation’s possible survival.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4iTCbo1tG_TnMV1rA6aYE4Q-riQNxFCG3EXQXT8XnIaXkmoBkE0mtE_KCmUuAZuNo5Csw7R12KN70xxBQZCBkSWE0i6xikJa_Tj5ZN-quH5vLWbfaePflc6BNEw-GLlxOxqqne1XQuPO/s1600/Tiger+woods.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4iTCbo1tG_TnMV1rA6aYE4Q-riQNxFCG3EXQXT8XnIaXkmoBkE0mtE_KCmUuAZuNo5Csw7R12KN70xxBQZCBkSWE0i6xikJa_Tj5ZN-quH5vLWbfaePflc6BNEw-GLlxOxqqne1XQuPO/s320/Tiger+woods.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What was that Tiger? Pictures or it didn't happen?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take the case of Tiger Woods; Deeply respected athlete, at the top of his game, hardworking family man with impeccable morals, and inspiration to us all. He’s been called the most marketable athlete in the world, and has made obscene amounts of money on his endorsement deals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/11/29/2009-11-29_hostess_tells_the_mostest_tall_tales_sez_gossip_tabloid.html">scandal broke</a>. The not too reputable celebrity magazine, the National Enquirer, claimed Woods had had an affair. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tiger’s response was deafening silence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few days later he had <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/tigerwoods/6680928/Tiger-Woods-car-crash-throws-spotlight-on-family-life-of-this-most-private-of-sportsmen.html">a car accident</a> in the early hours of the morning, reportedly because his wife had chased him down the road threatening to smash his head in with a golf club, and all hell broke loose.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A dozen women came forward <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/golf/article6939787.ece">claiming to have had affairs</a> with the so-called family man, some with irrefutable <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/text_messages_between_tiger_woods_lh2ptFU8WhzJEBD8f2CCgO">evidence</a> of his indescretion. His infidelity had a devastating effect on his reputation, but his PR team’s crisis management made everything a lot worse. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The plan seemed to be to deny everything that couldn’t be proven, and to refuse to talk about anything else. In the first week after the crash, the only thing the world heard from Tiger were <a href="http://web.tigerwoods.com/news/article/200911297726222/news/">two</a> vague <a href="http://web.tigerwoods.com/news/article/200912027740572/news/">statements</a> on his webpage, sort of apologising, but mostly stating that whatever he’d done, it was nobody’s business but his family’s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this vacuum of information, he let the press run riot with speculation, rumours and everybody else’s opinions. When he finally decided to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA7ty2LQwc0">talk</a>, almost two months after the story broke, the damage was already done.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRY4aXMjHGrV_v8l-DFCdsq-InkS1WKw7EUEntITQ87Nx86Hz9df9F08ZkpU_WhUmC3FgfGeMtvQJMn8uF9K2V3cteoxU59TXgjF4hbdhUog0FM3pSH7isFSFoX7aCkvEW8qJjVJrIdDEg/s1600/tiger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRY4aXMjHGrV_v8l-DFCdsq-InkS1WKw7EUEntITQ87Nx86Hz9df9F08ZkpU_WhUmC3FgfGeMtvQJMn8uF9K2V3cteoxU59TXgjF4hbdhUog0FM3pSH7isFSFoX7aCkvEW8qJjVJrIdDEg/s640/tiger.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">His endorsement deals were being <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tiger-woods-lost-22-million-in-2010-endorsements-2010-7">dropped in droves</a>, his wife divorced him, and his reputation was in tarnish (although he is still an excellent golfer).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We don’t know the reasons for Tiger’s silence. As a person, it might have been the best thing for him. Maybe his wife asked him to say nothing to diminish the humiliation of the truth (the National Enquirer at one point reported that he had had 120 affairs…), or maybe he just honestly felt it was nobody’s business. As a human being, it might have been the best solution, but as a Tiger Woods the brand, it was a disaster. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are other tried and tested methods of dealing with moral failure for celebs. The tell all, apologise and beg for forgiveness-strategy seems to have a higher level of success. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kCPc5vCP5G8DqvS9TUv25hkPyNew5ffzBNDJMmzvg18wotJCmytTlYgWnR0raiDwtWnUKJKxvlMrVdKg3QvuUW8yDpgK2-L7xCN5cMWW3SGp3wOJc-gveFPWqAaWej26Caj8zBmAuGVC/s1600/mark-emma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kCPc5vCP5G8DqvS9TUv25hkPyNew5ffzBNDJMmzvg18wotJCmytTlYgWnR0raiDwtWnUKJKxvlMrVdKg3QvuUW8yDpgK2-L7xCN5cMWW3SGp3wOJc-gveFPWqAaWej26Caj8zBmAuGVC/s320/mark-emma.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Owen and his wife Emma.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mark Owen of Take That is another person loved by his adoring fans. He also cheated repeatedly on his loving wife, in much the same manner as Tiger Woods. It was The Sun that found out first, and called up Mark to tell him that they were breaking the story. <a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/michaeldeacon/100029518/mark-owen-cheated-on-his-wife-but-hes-smarter-than-tiger-woods/">Unlike Tiger</a>, Owen decided to spill his guts, and hope for forgiveness. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Under the headline “<a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2888005/Mark-Owen-on-his-10-affairs-Im-a-love-cheat-a-drunk-and-a-complete-idiot.html">I am a love-cheat, a drunk… and a complete idiot</a>” he admitted ten affairs. This was the first mention of the scandal the public hears and with the press and the fans knowing all the facts from the very start, the consequent coverage was about his wife’s reaction, Owen’s atonement and his wife’s <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2892325/Mark-Owens-wife-agrees-to-take-him-back-for-the-sake-of-their-children.html">subsequent forgiveness</a>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">David Letterman managed even better. His habit of sleeping with his co-workers was first discovered by one of his mistress’s new boyfriend, who subsequently tried to blackmail the popular talk show host.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of paying up, Letterman went to the police and assisted them in a ploy to catch the blackmailer red-handed. Knowing that he would not be able to keep his cheating secret from his family or the public, he then daringly and unexpectedly told everything during his late night show. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Again with no more secrets to uncover, the press concentrated on the blackmailing plot and the following trial, and Letterman escaped his misadventures relatively <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/odd_touch_of_class_in_this_whole_yseOLlIMsVWtcvVuHp0ngM">unharmed</a>. Hell, he even got to joke about it on his show.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The moral is, I think:</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t cheat</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you do anyway, don’t lie about it once you’ve been caught</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If all else fails, go on Oprah and cry. All will be forgiven.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-13311489443117901582011-01-30T18:19:00.001+00:002011-01-30T18:53:32.315+00:00Power to the Twitter people<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back when I was in high school I’d bought a camera at a local photo store. It constantly broke, yet they refused to give me a new one. Both me and the shop knew that I was by law entitled to one (as I had gone down there with a book of Norwegian law, and read them the relevant paragraphs), but it wasn’t until my mum went down and threatened to contact the local paper, or the Norwegian version of “Watchdog”, that they gave in.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everyone involved knew that there was a very slim chance my broken camera-story was spicy enough to be picked up by any media we might contact, but I suppose they still didn’t want to risk it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXks8H6QeGY5Q8YgLDT0kXtz2aF_BnvCqbZ3-xMiB3j73LBsuC1_Tj6_TRzv2TS2b7iqXU5VnQFJSyT6qUWQsFY1S9Xgj83EewKwWp9-XI0_T3Ub40wAas17biGyrto_YwvQixJIE8ueYd/s1600/writing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXks8H6QeGY5Q8YgLDT0kXtz2aF_BnvCqbZ3-xMiB3j73LBsuC1_Tj6_TRzv2TS2b7iqXU5VnQFJSyT6qUWQsFY1S9Xgj83EewKwWp9-XI0_T3Ub40wAas17biGyrto_YwvQixJIE8ueYd/s200/writing.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I fear the art of writing a strongly <br />
worded letter is a dying skill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back in those days, before Facebook, Twitter and well, internet for most of us, newspapers, TV consumer shows, or the government consumer council were the only way to create a reputation crisis for a company that had treated us badly.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These days, it’s a brave new world for consumers, a world with a lot more consumer power. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of taking time to write a strongly worded letter, or wait for an hour on the phone to get through to customer service, the internet will in many cases provide you with a much swifter reply.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have the slightest celebrity status, you can create a media frenzy in minutes!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">About a year ago filmmaker Kevin Smith (creator of cult classics like Dogma, Clerks and Chasing Amy), <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article7027725.ece">got thrown off</a> a Southwest Airline flight to Burbank, because he was apparently to overweight to fit in his seat. The airline’s guidelines for “customers of size” stated that if you can’t lower both armrests while seated, you have to book two seats. As it were, only one seat was available, and an enraged Smith had to leave the flight. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Furiously her tweeted a series of angry <a href="http://twitter.com/ThatKevinSmith/status/9079723541">tweets</a> about the incident, tagged the airline in them, and sent them out to his 1.6 million followers. The reaction was instant, and as the rant was retweeted around the world, Southwest Airlines was suddenly facing tide wave of complaints from people who sympathised with Smith, and thousands of newspaper articles potentially giving people a very negative view of the company.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHfKDqNTdvrAGJRlzxR0hL9TfEO8Rv9WOt6wV1dPGNuZ9fuRPdbtOibeepOVVfMh0QIbFKMVes7L7zxOFT9oXMmD5pGFUfHdDedER8J-VvI27rlBArJQjdwCGyOBvacJfhwQKEDKQozBx/s1600/kevin+smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHfKDqNTdvrAGJRlzxR0hL9TfEO8Rv9WOt6wV1dPGNuZ9fuRPdbtOibeepOVVfMh0QIbFKMVes7L7zxOFT9oXMmD5pGFUfHdDedER8J-VvI27rlBArJQjdwCGyOBvacJfhwQKEDKQozBx/s320/kevin+smith.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too fat? The verdict is inconclusive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Southwest quickly realized they had a PR crisis on their hands, and after frantically trying to<a href="http://mashable.com/2010/02/14/southwest-kevin-smith/"> apologise via Twitter</a>, Southwest was forced to issue a lengthy, public apology and a refund to the film director. They also explained their decision on their <a href="http://www.blogsouthwest.com/not-so-silent-bob.html?q=blog/not-so-silent-bob">blog</a>, in a careful attempt of self-defence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This case wasn’t entirely a win for Smith and a loss for Southwest though, proving that you can’t always count on the people backing you up against companies. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As anyone who’s ever been on a flight next to a “person of size” can vouch for, it is quite annoying to have your own, already small, personal space crowded by someone else’s fat, and many people applauded Southwest on their guidelines, and told Smith to go on a diet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, most of us do not have nearly 2 million followers on Twitter, nor would our predicament cause worldwide media attention, but stories like the Smith-incident have caused many companies to pay close attention to what is said about them on Twitter and Facebook, and firing off a complaint on social media can be wise.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/the-problem-solver/2010/04/social-media-as-a-consumercomplaint-avenue.html">Chicago Tribune</a> tells the story of completely normal consumers who got their complaint dealt with instantly by tweeting. It’s a good way to get noticed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Southwest Airlines now have two employees devoted to their Twitter page, and three people monitoring their Facebook fan page.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The advantage of online complaining is that your predicament is visible to everyone on the internet, and companies are aware of the possible crisis arising from angry consumers united. In a consumer world where reputation is key and crisis can be generated from the smallest incident, the power is continuing to grow for the consumer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">PR practitoners will ignore this trend at their own peril...</span></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-40535872089615834162011-01-23T14:05:00.001+00:002011-01-23T16:01:25.411+00:00When war PR backfires<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s hard drumming up support for war, especially a war as unpopular as the war in Afghanistan. The war effort is especially unpopular in Germany where </span><a href="http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/28/declining-support-in-germany-for-afghan-operation/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">a poll last year</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> revealed that 70 per cent of Germans want their forces pulled out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a PR-tactic to increase support for a continued presence, the popular talk show host Johannes B. Kerner brought his entire crew down to Afghanistan to co-inside with a visit to the troops by defence minister <span lang="EN" style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The plan was to interview the minister and the troops in an on-location talk show, a program that was expected to be watched by millions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">This seemingly fluffy plan backfired totally when it transpired how much the production had cost the German army, and thus the tax payer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">17.000 euros was the final price tag, and the already war weary Germans, were not amused. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Ministry of Defense had been open about the talk show being a part of their PR effort to gain support among the people and in parliament, but instead it resulted in a plethora of negative articles of the extravagant spending.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Not exactly PR gold.</span></div><strong>If you speak German, you can see the talk show here:</strong><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="311" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/22W1bh42EEs?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="500"></iframe></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-1296709653061273882011-01-22T18:33:00.001+00:002011-01-22T23:56:39.960+00:00PR and journalism in the time of war – An uneasy relationship<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">War is by definition violent, bloody, ugly and gruesome. It’s a PR job to convince the people at home that it’s necessary. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To do this job it is necessary to work with, and the PR practitioners find themselves in a bit of a catch-22. PR needs journalism to report stories that will make the people at home support the war, but by letting them have information and access to the front, they might lose control and end up with stories the world over damning the war.¨</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ-E4JijpQZGWqH70_E0xn3pmY9IBrX72-qhVrn7GK1Jw0NPAYb2kW_l-wdT7BKTMNjFSTjVghSXJvk03pA8FeWW3FghF0Aj1U_bzarh4Pui6kHx5MgsPjpEtyw1L1Z6lGUY_MJHSvbN_/s1600/war_correspondent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ-E4JijpQZGWqH70_E0xn3pmY9IBrX72-qhVrn7GK1Jw0NPAYb2kW_l-wdT7BKTMNjFSTjVghSXJvk03pA8FeWW3FghF0Aj1U_bzarh4Pui6kHx5MgsPjpEtyw1L1Z6lGUY_MJHSvbN_/s400/war_correspondent.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The images of war</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pictures make the whole difference. They say a picture says more than a thousand words, and it is never truer than in wartime journalism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There have been war reporting for as long as there has been journalism, but before the invention of the telegraph, the news was often not published until long after the events described, and contained few, if any, photographs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the new camera technology and moving images, the Second World War became the first war the people at home could SEE. But as cameras were still big and bulky, most of the images and footage was filmed by the army themselves, used in propaganda reports designed to boost morale at home. War journalists in those days mostly saw themselves as a part of the war effort, and happily kept in line with military policy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Hitler’s brutality spread across Europe, PR practitioners in Britain didn’t have a particularly difficult job getting across the message that the war was necessary.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>In search of the truth</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the 1960s journalism had changed, and the wartime PR-business had failed to notice. Armed with SLRs and film cameras, independent journalists roamed free in Vietnam, reporting back on a war that was much harder to sell back home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The journalists themselves were not playing ball anymore with the propaganda efforts. Showing the “true face of the war” was the new goal, and especially photojournalism became a nightmare for the American government.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apart from maybe the Second World War, the Vietnam War is one of the most visually iconic wars in history. As striking photographs and film of Vietnamese suffering, and American brutality reached the American people, the protests and anti-war movement grew to astronomical hights.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziU2AjsRg8xs4i-EVesG_3SBFQQg8D-a2RqTSMDAnC9rCQnWX8Zg7btjeb3Otw1jAg72HMMYAWlMh0D136h8tIcgnIkXy5Oy81aj75xdHaKH9EqBOehOHLOqcTFsfy70rksYXXIk7TAlj/s1600/vietnamgirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziU2AjsRg8xs4i-EVesG_3SBFQQg8D-a2RqTSMDAnC9rCQnWX8Zg7btjeb3Otw1jAg72HMMYAWlMh0D136h8tIcgnIkXy5Oy81aj75xdHaKH9EqBOehOHLOqcTFsfy70rksYXXIk7TAlj/s400/vietnamgirl.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This image, taken photographer by Nick Ut, of a little naked girl running away from a napalm attack won the Pulitzer Prize in 1972. The girl’s story and new of the horrific burn damages to her back, was spread around the world. For the American administration it was a PR disaster.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also on the home front was photojournalism a nuisance for the government. Millions of protesters make for striking visuals, and young girls putting flowers into guns is not something you forget easily</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYAOtYTARPpOIqvfRdSg5Dt9rx_Msj8L0py_rzsNPJSsK2R-_wiZbpfayJ40kAWMXV1dJOwCfvquCtO2gTM1yjtZjOJdiuAdB6tIKDRwQMB3r9baX0uejFuVrhLsH-ZdamzUxR0wqxh2o/s1600/vietnam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYAOtYTARPpOIqvfRdSg5Dt9rx_Msj8L0py_rzsNPJSsK2R-_wiZbpfayJ40kAWMXV1dJOwCfvquCtO2gTM1yjtZjOJdiuAdB6tIKDRwQMB3r9baX0uejFuVrhLsH-ZdamzUxR0wqxh2o/s400/vietnam.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Blackout</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">American trust in war time journalism was none-existent after the war finally ended, and in the subsequent conflict, the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Grenada"> invasion of Grenada</a> in 1983, the US government decided that no journalists would be allowed in. “The Grenada Blackout” was seen by many as a direct result of the PR disaster that was the Vietnam war. The Reagan administration claimed that the Grenada invasion was a “special case” where media participation was not “appropriate”. (<a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/t315455714843461/">You can read more here</a>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This approach might work on the invasion of a small Caribbean island (an invasion that by the way had a lot of support in the US), but as the first Gulf War loomed, the PR machinery had to come up with a new strategy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Strickt control</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By 1991 we had mass media, including live coverage of the bombs raining over the enemy . The war was hailed as a “technological war” where the new weapons were so precise that there would be hardly any civilian loss of life </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still not wanting to lose control over what the media was reporting, they preferred keeping them in warehouses far away from the actual front, feeding them exactly the news they wanted to get out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This strategy received a lot of criticism, and both the media and the people were suspicious that they were being kept in the dark, not allowed to know the “real truth”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Embedded journalism</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the Bush-administration was gearing up for the war on Iraq, allegedly saving the world from Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction, yet another PR strategy was implemented: Embedded journalism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The PR people promised journalists full access to the front line, and the freedom to see experience exactly what the soldiers experienced, many journalists felt this was finally a good way of cooperation between the military and the media. The embedded journalists were in addition to those who stayed at the media headquarter, very much in the same style as the 1991 gulf war, being fed carefully selected bits of information. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The very bravest went in to Iraq as independent reporters, without military back-up. And although they undoubtedly got other angles and stories the military would rather be without, the practice is extremely dangerous and <a href="http://cpj.org/reports/2008/07/journalists-killed-in-iraq.php">many paid with their lives</a> (several as a result of friendly fire), including ITVs Terry Lloyd.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>A success?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">War is an ethical minefield for PR practitioners. You are required to routinely lie, mislead, keep journalists in check and hide any facts that might swing the public opinion against the war effort. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In many ways embedding journalists have been a PR success. It is obvious that it is hard for journalists to report negative stories of the men they live, sleep and sometimes risk their lives with. They come back with spectacular action shots of war, and it’s often even harder to know what is really going one, while you’re in the middle of it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whether it is a brilliant deal for the free press, is another story.</span></div><div align="left">Here's a short, but quite good little documentary on the history of war correspondents:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cJPZYfOOrb8?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="480"></iframe></div></div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4752909714000344484.post-52189466173498690252011-01-12T12:43:00.001+00:002011-03-01T16:30:10.183+00:00Will blog for good grades!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi!<br />
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My name is Linn Madsen, and I am currently doing a master degree in public relations at Westminster University in London. As part of our course we are to do this blog "to reflect on what you learned from the lecture and class exercises" in addition to add things we have read and found online. <br />
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Our lectures cover topics like spin, PR in wartime, PR and NGOs, social media etc.<br />
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I come from a background in journalism, something my blog will probably also show signs of. The only form of blogging I have done before, was an exercise blog as part of an experiment at my old newspaper. We were going to try to get in shape in four weeks with the help of a personal trainer, and if you can read Norwegian, you can read about my trials and tribulation here: <a href="http://www.side2.no/helse/article2892507.ece">http://www.side2.no/helse/article2892507.ece</a><br />
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But this kind of blog I have never done. So bear with me while if find out how to blog :) We started out blogging experience by doing a social media workshop, which you can find here:<br />
<div id="__ss_6529785" style="width: 425px;"><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mattmoo/blogging-and-video-workshop" title="Blogging and video workshop">Blogging and video workshop</a></strong><object height="355" id="__sse6529785" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=bloggingandvideoworkshop-110112062902-phpapp02&stripped_title=blogging-and-video-workshop&userName=mattmoo" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed name="__sse6529785" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=bloggingandvideoworkshop-110112062902-phpapp02&stripped_title=blogging-and-video-workshop&userName=mattmoo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br />
<div style="padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mattmoo">Matt holland</a>.</div></div>So welcome to my blog, and feel free to ask if there's anything you want to know!<br />
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Linn</div>Linnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01526076400804016801noreply@blogger.com0