News and Views

The Origin of From the Trenches

01/04/2013 09:39:00

A few months ago, The Marietta College (my alma mater) chapter of PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) invited me to come to one of their PR classes and talk with the students about my background, my career history and how I ended up as a PR/Communications Consultant.

I kept trying to think of things to say. What is the most important thing to know about practicing PR, I asked myself. Well, if I knew the answer to that I'd probably be traveling the world and imparting that knowledge on every group of PR Pros who'd pay to see me talk.

As it was, this was a free gig, and 12 people (1 young man in a sea of ladies) showed up. But I felt it was important to say something that would help these (I want to say kids, but I know I shouldn't) nubile PRs as they planned for a career in my chosen profession. So I started making a list of tips to, you know, maybe throw in at the end of my talk - whatever that would be. But the list kept growing and the talk kept, well, not. The night before the event, I sat back and read through my list, determined to cull what had grown into 50-some tips, down to just a few throw-aways to wrap up my speech.

As I tried to pick which thing to chuck, weighing it against other bits of advice, I realized that even though each piece didn't seem like stop-the-world-from-turning information, they did offer insight into what Public Relations is (and more importantly, isn't) and how to navigate through the sometimes murky details related to promoting a noun for a living (person, place or thing - get it?).

It occurred to me after I finished speaking that night that the information I related to the students could really serve as a reminder for all of us PR folks out there in the world. And business owners, and HR people, and Marketing VPs and parents and so on and so on. So that led me here, where each week, in posts much sorter than this one, I will relate some of this wisdom. Who knows, maybe we'll learn something. Maybe (hopefully) we'll be entertained. Maybe some people will argue that I'm way off base in some of my posts. Maybe we can create a dialog about PR and Communications and how is has changed since I started (in 1992 - as a nubile college student myself). Maybe we'll discover new ways to solve problems. Who knows!

Paula's Fat-laden PR Foul

01/17/2012 11:59:00

I know the world was shocked to hear Paula Deen's announcement on The Today Show that she has Type II diabetes. Not. If you haven't seen the interview, check it out.

This story has me shaking my head. Here's my biggest beef: Deen says that she waited to tell the world because she "wanted to bring something to the table when she came forward." She cooks 3 fat and sugar-laden meals in 30 minutes AS HER JOB. Why did it take her three years to announce this? And who told her that was a good idea?

Perhaps we can find the answers over on the Food Network, which has already missed its chance to come out and say that they support Paula as she works to raise awareness for the disease and adapts her lifestyle but they had NOOOO idea that she was appearing on their network for three years (yes, THREE YEARS!) scarfing down food that was literally killing her and not telling people to eat this stuff in moderation. Like once every five-years kind of moderation. It's almost like she was a spokesperson FOR Type II Diabetes. But I digress.

I wouldn't call myself a foodie, but I enjoy cooking and certainly have learned a lot of tips, techniques and recipes from the Food Network. Suffering from a recent bout with the stomach flu I spent a good two days in bed, and aside from writhing around in pain and sleeping A LOT, I watched some TV. And guess what The Food Network is advertising? A new show on the Cooking Channel called Not My Mama's Meals starring - Bobby Deen. Yes. That Bobby Deen.

Here's a description from the Food Network website: Bobby Deen begins his culinary quest to lighten up his mom's meals starting with just desserts. He is tackling two of Paula's most famous dishes - Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding and Chocolate Mousse Pie. Bobby's whipping up a Fresh Fruit Bread Pudding and Frozen Chocolate Pie. He's cutting the fat and calories in these decadent desserts but keeping all of the flavor.

Hmm, mayhaps THIS is what Deen was working to put on the table. Ya think?

And also, clearly, she was working to establish her brand as much as possible to build up her bank of supporters/die-hards/fan girls so that when she did announce that she had Type II Diabetes (THREE YEARS AFTER THE FACT!) she would appear as a sympathetic figure. And not a person who has mislead the entire country in to believing that what she's been cooking (and sampling at the end of each and every show) isn't dangerous.

And she's also been cooking up brand extensions beyond just Bobby (who by the way, I really like as a personality and as a son) Deen. Check out her latest blog - and follow the link to see her ideas on cooking "in a new light." And let's not even get into the endorsement she netted for Novo Nordisk, the makers of the diabetes medication she's been taking (I'm gonna guess FOR THREE YEARS!). Their website features a testimonial from a woman named Zandile who is pull-quoted as saying, "I needed to take my medicine, change my lifestyle, and change from eating junk food to healthy food." Well, Zandile, do I have some news for you! Paula's here and she's not going to let diabetes change the way she cooks. So you shouldn't either. That southern comfort food she's cooking is as harmless a hamburger with a fried egg and bacon between two doughnuts.

At least that's what Paula's told us for the past three years.

What You Should Be Reading

01/24/2011 21:42:00

When my oldest son, now almost 9, was born, we faced enormous pressure by some family members not to vaccinate him. We read up on the vaccine debate, tossed and turned many a night, consulted experts, then ultimately decided that we had a responsibility, first and foremost, to protect him from the figuartive and literal ills of society.

We did what we thought was right for our sons, and respect that some people do not feel that vaccinating is the right choice for their children.

That said, our choice, and that of many other parents in the country, would have been much easier had writer Seth Mnookin published The Panic Virus (2011 Simon and Schuster, $26.99 US) back then. His powerful book tells, according to the cover, "the true story of medicine, science and fear" by delving deeper into the vaccine/autism controversy than any publication has to date.

It is also a cautionary tale about what can happen if corporations, government entities, etc. do not understand the impact of proper communications, messaging and transparency. It tells the reader what can happen when emotion gets in the way of facts - the heart trumps the head.

Some points Mnookin makes in The Panic Virus that could benefit PR and Marketing Pros as we navigate an imperfect world where issues aren't always black and white:

A deflated economy and other matters of "social unrest," such as those in the UK in the mid-70's, leaves an open door for people to feel victimized, especially by their government. Mnookin explains that due to a 1 million+ unemployment and the "seemingly imminent threat of everything for a nuclear war to a world without oil led to a nihilistic disdain for the traditional forces ruling society." (61) This, in-turn, caused the British press to seize upon a study reporting that three-dozen kids "purported to have suffered neurological problems following DPT vaccination." The media mirrors the society in which it exists - if the people mistrust, the media reflects that. Why do you think the paparazzi are so bad now? We ask for it.
Biased reporting perpetrates myths and untruths until they become the gospel. Mnookin remarks on a special that aired on the DC-NBC affiliate WRC-TV in spring of 1982, "Vaccine Roulette." Reporter Lea Thompson focused on families with terribly sick children that she connected to having become ill from a DPT vaccine. She focused on only one study that stated that adverse reactions to that vaccine could be as high as 1 in 700. She paraded statistics and experts who said vaccines make kids sick. (69) Only the JAMA looked further into her claims to find, "a dispatch rife with mistakes and misrepresentations." Thompson had an agenda and she made the information fit it. And people bought it. Happens all the time.
"Vaccine Roulette" was re-aired and information from the report was published because journalists were lazy and didn't try to do the footwork themselves. In fact, Mnookin reports, British newspapers had access to information for 10 years that indicated Andrew Wakefield, the former medical doctor who is credited with tying the issue of vaccinations to Autism, was paid to examine the children he used in his study as part of a lawsuit against drug manufacturers. They also failed to uncover the fact that Wakefield had applied for a patent for a split MMR vaccine. (236) I don't know how many times I've seen this happen in recent times (ahem - false reports that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was killed in Tucson) but we must demand more out of the media and up and coming journalists. Wikipedia and the Internet are not sources!!
People need a reason for everything. Story after story chronicled in The Panic Virus from parents who blame vaccines for the illnesses that befall their children end in the phrase, "...I just know it was the MMR shot that caused my child's autism." He talks about women citing their mother's instinct that the autism was caused by vaccinations, people searching for answers in the Internet and, upon discovering the hundreds of websites linking autism to the MMR vaccine, see the clouds part and hear angels sing because they FINALLY found out the cause. Never mind that there is no scientific link, never has been. Never mind that unfortunately the last in the series of MMR shots comes at about the same age that children begin to exhibit the signs of autism. Never mind that some of those parents have been hearing from doctors for a few years that their child might have learning disability. Never mind that the child's head size tracked large from birth. People want to find a cause, a reason, something to blame. Because then, they don't have to consider that sometimes terrible things just happen. As PR practitioners, we need to know that, and to tell our clients that - before they become THAT reason.
The more "conventional society" eschews an idea, concept, claim, person, the more sub-cultures in society will flock to it/them. Mnookin's example: "On Monday, May 24, 2010, Andrew Wakefield's name was officially struck off of the U.K.'s medical register, which left him without a job or the ability to practice his chosen profession. Later that week, he received a standing ovation at the AutismOne conference in Chicago, where he also headlined a rally, gave two presentations, took part in an Age of Autism panel, posed for pictures with Bob Sears, and held a book signing. Wakefield might have been a lightning rod for negative attention from state medical boards and public health agencies, but it appeared as if his support among his core followers was as strong as ever" (304). As corporate communicators, as community relations experts, as stakeholder managers, we have to realize that we can't change everyone's opinion. But what we have to do - what we must do - is strive to educate as many people as we can, using multiple approaches, to try to catch those people, who like me, were confused about the issue and just looking for answers. You can't reach those on the fringe no matter how hard you try - what you have to strive to do is connect with those people who have questions and legitimate concerns and show them the science on a level they understand.

As a practitioner who focuses one aspect of my business on issues management, I was overwhelmed by the things I learned - or related to from past experiences - in Mnookin's book. The concepts of commuincation and media engagement aren't rocket science, but they can be difficult to understand when explained in the abstract. The Panic Virus illustrates how these concepts work and what happens when they fail in one giant case study.

As a communicator I appreciate the wisdom gained from reading this book and legitimization of some theories I'd had regarding emotions/science for a long time. As a writer, I am awed by the amount of research Mnookin put into this book and amazed by the remarkable prose he uses to continually engage the reader. As a mother, I am thankful that Seth Mnookin took the risks he did to write this book, and hung the virtual target on his back upon its publication. He's saved many parents from endless worry and the very real chance that their child could suffer from a decision NOT made.

Hindsight and all that...

01/19/2011 16:53:00

Over the past week and a half I've lamented not having a "professional blog" upon which I could post my impressions of events taking place in Tucson, Arizona. There, on Saturday, January 8, 2011, six people were murdered, including a federal judge, and 13 people were wounded, most gravely of which was Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

I tore up Twitter that day, kicking myself for only being able to type with my index finger on my iPhone, remarking on the breaking news as it happened. I believe that it is in the heart of every professional communicator to study events such as the Tucson tragedy - especially in real-time to see how things happen in the real world. Here are some lessons learned - or again confirmed:

Sheriff Dupnik served as an excellent source for the news media in the first minutes of the crisis. He called in to the major networks and gave them the information from the scene that he was learning and confirming - all the while driving back to Arizona from California. He told MSNBC that Giffords was not dead as they had been reporting, he confirmed mutual aid, he confirmed that the suspect was in custody. In the press conference he said things that a sheriff should not say, especially during an initial briefing of that nature, but in those first crucial moments, he got the info where it needed to be.
What the Pima County Sheriff's Dept. PIO was doing during this time remains a mystery - this person could and should have kept the sheriff focused and managed the information for him, as is happening now.
In all of my years as a reporter and communications pro - never in a million years would I ever report a person was dead from hearsay. Ever. A client had an onsite employee fatality several years ago. It happened at 9 a.m. The media did not get the employee's name until 10 p.m. And then it was through the sheriff. We took care of internal needs, took care of his family, then let the rest of the world in.
The president of the University of Arizona had no reason to be on the stage during a press conference held the day of the shootings. his big involvement was that victims were at university hospitals. Save the speech for the quarterly magazine. His PR Team should have locked him in his office if he insisted on speaking.
NASA trains its astronauts very well on speaking with the media. Mark Kelly, Giffords' husband, has handled himself with dignity and grace when giving interviews.
Sometimes people get caught in the crossfire - and I don't mean to be insensitive by saying that. Former friends of Loughner expressed disbelief that he could be the shooter on social media and reporters jumped in for the kill. They desperately needed someone to help them sort out their thoughts, answer questions effectively and manage the amount of publicity they were getting.

Rather long for a blog post, I know, especially a first. But let this serve as an example of the kind of communicator I am, how I analyze situations and what I intend to share here.