With a little over a year under the belt with feeding and caring for a company blog, it became clear that we needed to start consolidating.

One of the distractions of blogging is that during all the fun stuff, you can lose sight of all the work involved.  So while the writers get to have their fun  opining on varying concepts of PR, media relations, crisis communication or event planning theory, in the background managing the blog and all the other online activities started to become harder to handle.

So a couple of months back, we started to make the move to a new website and with it a new incorporated blog site.  We still continue to find new and interesting things to opine about, but now the website and blog share a home and serve to help support each other.  Now that the new blog site is up and running, we will be taking this version down in the near future.

Join us now at Vox Voices’s new home  where the same group of folks crazy for public relations gather to seek — as well as offer up — some wisdom in communications.  Thanks for everything, WordPress.  We certainly enjoyed the hospitality, and your systems really rock.

Sometimes something comes along to remind you that a clear, simple course of storytelling can communicate the importance of almost anything.

Even bugs.

A bookseller (and semi-retired research professor) recently turned me on to the writing of J.H. Fabre, a French entomologist who in the 19th and early 20th centuries communicated scientific research to a relatively general audience. Fabre understood our need for stories to unfold, inform, and inspire curiosity in ways that haphazardly compiled facts simply cannot.

In beginning his The Life of the Grasshopper, he recited – and gently corrected – the fable of the ant and the grasshopper (or cicada). He wrote:

Fame is built up mainly of legend; in the animal world, as in the world of men, the story takes precedence of history.

Story is key. In public affairs writing, we see this necessity when our writing delivers. Also, when it falls apart.

I recently reviewed two press releases that show the importance of telling a clear story.

One is from Kraft, which this summer announced a product launch (along with an entertaining Facebook disseminated animated spot) under its Planters brand. Even viewed through a rose-colored monocle, the following press release doesn’t tell the story of a beloved brand returning after 30 years or so to a product that fits it like a glove.

Ultimately, it reads like a release about a marketing strategy, not a product that tastes pretty darn good. (And it does; I conducted both crunchy and creamy research.)

Graf by graf through the top. Lede first:

NORTHFIELD, IL – June 23, 2011 – Is there anything better than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Planters, America’s leading snack nut brand, thinks so and encourages adults to think outside the lunchbox with the launch of Planters Peanut Butter in Creamy and Crunchy varieties.

Implication: Planters’ new peanut butter is the key to helping you unlock a foodstuff better than PB&J. We would expect this to be supported or expanded upon.

Americans haven’t outgrown their peanut butter. In fact, peanut butter consumption is on the rise growing at a rate of five to six percent per year. And while most peanut butters are marketed to families with kids, surprisingly, adults comprise two-thirds of peanut butter consumption in the United States.

Implication: Adults already are consuming more and more peanut butter (meaning, other brands seem to be reaching adults). It says little about how the product improves upon what is out there or is special in its own right.

‘As the reigning nut experts for more than 100 years, peanut butter is a natural extension for Planters,’ said Triona Schmelter, Senior Director of Enhancers, Kraft Foods. ‘It’s no secret that our fans have been asking for peanut butter from their favorite peanut brand. Those peanut butter lovers now have a delicious snack from Planters that can help fuel their active lifestyles.’

Implication: Still avoiding the promise to supplant the PB&J with some wonderPBfood. But here we’re at least mentioning that Planters is a great brand synonymous with peanuts. But is peanut butter a “delicious snack” or a food? And what does the director of “enhancers” do to merit the prime quote in a product launch press release? I suspected the true cause of Mr. Peanut’s muscle tone until The New York Times Media Decoder’s Stuart Elliott explained how in “Kraft-speak, ‘enhancers’ include products like mayonnaise, mustard and salad dressings.”

Whether as a snack or part of a meal, Planters Peanut Butter is a nutrient-dense energy source and plant-based protein, providing 10% or more of the daily value for 7 essential nutrients, including magnesium and antioxidant Vitamin E, when consumed in the recommended two tablespoon serving size.

Implication: Planters peanut butter is both a snack food and a meal food. And, according to mathematics, a mere 10 daily of servings of this here peanut butter will get you squared away on your daily dose of certain essential nutrients.

Finally, we return to a fact that provides some meat suggested in the lede:

Marcus Samuelsson Serves Up Planters Peanut Butter Adult Style

The classic PB&J sandwich will remain an icon, yet Planters is urging adults to explore the versatility of peanut butter. To do so, Planters Peanut Butter teamed up with famed Chef/Owner of Red Rooster Harlem, Marcus Samuelsson, to create exclusive recipes with a contemporary twist for snacking and entertaining. Recipes include Planters Peanut Butter-Chocolate French Toast, Planters Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce with Grilled Chicken Skewers and Planters Peanut Butter Steak Sauce.

Implication: Launch aside, this is the first interesting bite — and a concrete hook.

Phrases such as “think outside the lunchbox” may seem clever in the pitch room, but this press release basically implies that this Planters “story” will somehow help consumers (and, one with Kraft stock hopes, journalists that might have covered the launch) do that. It takes five paragraphs to return to this idea, with Planters “urging adults to explore the versatility of peanut butter.” Please insert your own joke.

Samuelsson’s work might have made a great release on its own: stressing that fact up top and then adding perspective in a graf about the significance and promise of the brand’s new product. The best written, clearest, most compelling language I’ve seen about the launch of this peanut butter line was onSamuelsson’s own blog, where he discusses what peanut butter means to people who (a) love peanut butter and (b) love food. Indeed, The Food Network focused on this angle in their report.

And another post at the same blog, also by the chef, made the very point Kraft’s press release implied:

Peanut butter is a great way to get your protein, especially if you’re a vegan, vegetarian, or just taking part in Meatless Mondays. Plus it’s just plain tasty. But you don’t have to limit yourself to peanut butter sandwiches or PB on celery. Peanut butter is so flavorful and makes for some really interesting combinations with other ingredients – don’t be afraid to branch out!

This report by Marketplace‘s Bob Moon hits the point that Planters is re-entering a market by marketing the product to adults as more than a sandwich filler. Other “news” sites ran the press release verbatim, which might have helped Kraft more if the press release made a better case for the product and anticipated both primary (the press) and secondary (the public) audiences.

I suppose I’ve picked on Kraft enough. Almost. Not to get all Mad Men here, but there was once a 1960s Planters peanut butter campaign that mentioned quality:

It takes better peanuts to make better Peanut Butter and Planters makes both better!

Save us, NASA. You’re our only hope.

NASA (itself an acronym, but one we know and love) breaks my no-acronym-in-the-lede-rule in the following press release, but the lede delivers interesting news. The top shows a pattern of logic by which this press release tells a story in an understandable way. This is not a product launch but an announcement of research results, but I’m looking at how facts and perspective unfold.

The lede:

WASHINGTON — Observations from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have revealed possible flowing water during the warmest months on Mars.

Implication: There may be water on Mars. Cool, but I’d like to now understand why this is a big deal without a lot of scientific lingo.

‘NASA’s Mars Exploration Program keeps bringing us closer to determining whether the Red Planet could harbor life in some form,’ NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, “and it reaffirms Mars as an important future destination for human exploration.’

Implication: This speaks to the importance of the agency’s work examining Mars very concisely with a simple, strong quote that explains why this matters. And the quote is from an important official whose title you understand. Answered my question, too.

The press release continues with greater detail, and a bit more complexity, but it lays groundwork for the general reader to follow and remain interested in the story. Quotes are used to expand upon facts, and also to avoid overly speculative assertions. However, I might have pulled this graf, or an approximation, a bit higher for additional context:

These results are the closest scientists have come to finding evidence of liquid water on the planet’s surface today. Frozen water, however has been detected near the surface in many middle to high-latitude regions. Fresh-looking gullies suggest slope movements in geologically recent times, perhaps aided by water. Purported droplets of brine also appeared on struts of the Phoenix Mars Lander. If further study of the recurring dark flows supports evidence of brines, these could be the first known Martian locations with liquid water.

But this is still a good press release, overall. There is context that communicates to the reader why something is significant. These are fundamentals of news writing that can apply to writing we use to communicate products and information to various audiences.

A former U.S. Navy, Virginian-Pilot and Times Herald-Record journalist, John is a member of our Vox Optima Norfolk team.  He is a prolific social media writer, so you can always find him on Twitter at @johnhdoucette, on Facebook, his personal blog, or at john.doucette@voxoptima.com.

As millions of Americans celebrate the 235th anniversary of American Independence,  Vox|Optima wants to take a moment to wish our families, friends, and clients a very safe and truly great celebration.

But due to our extensive personal and business connections with the U.S. Navy and the military in general, we also want to offer a reminder of why we get to have these celebrations each year.  There are a lot of men and women all over the world today making sure we Americans can enjoy this anniversary.  So during the fireworks, parades, concerts and hot dog-eating contests, please take a moment to remember those who now serve the interests of freedom and liberty and watch over us all.

Members from Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan hold the flag while the national anthem is played, July 4, 2010. Playing of the anthem officially kicked off the many events hosted by the Defense Contracting Management Agency Company. Those events included basketball tournament, football throw, spades, dominoes, humvee pull, a magician, karaoke and live performances. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. J.T. May III)

And just as a reminder of the history involved of this day, check out the links below:

Declaration of Independence

Independence Day

Founding Fathers of the United States

Happy Independence Day to everyone!

Since when did lying become a generally accepted form of communication?

As a seasoned veteran of the public relations and event planning games, I can tell you flat-out it’s never been an accepted practice in my profession.  My profession is about honesty, clarity and building trust.  Anything else is just spin doctoring.

Now we are wrapping up yet another political scandal (yep, Weinergate) where a formerly respected elected official lied to us  – I know, I know, what a shocker — about inappropriate affiliation with a myriad of women.

And of course, what’s the answer? More PR.  That seems to be Congressman Weiner’s thought process when he offered his PR team to assist porn star Ginger Lee with creating a statement to explain their correspondence.  Not that it mattered much since he still wound up resigning.

So I ask the question again, when did lying become acceptable?  It seems to be assumed in public relations.  Are we mentally taking everything said publicly with a grain of salt?  Are we lying more or just being more open about it?

As a PR professional, I am horrified.  My chosen profession, one that is practiced honorably and ethically by myself thousands of other PR professionals, is taking yet another undeserved hit.

I work for a PR firm where ethics and a strict code of conduct aren’t just adhered to, they are a condition of employment.  If you are a client who just wants someone to clean up your dirty laundry through deception and lying, you will want to go somewhere else. All we can do for you is help manage the self-inflicted damage, start a process of transparency, and rebuild your reputation through honesty and credibility.  I won’t lie for a client, nor would my colleagues.

This “it’s no big deal” pattern of lying and bad behavior is a trend I find disgusting.  Are you asking me to be a party to your lies because I am in PR? Do all PR professionals lie?  No, but as you can see, all it takes is one really bad event to undermine years of honest work.

The bottom line of PR honesty is spelled out clearly in any professional society’s code of ethics.  We follow PRSA’s code and disclosure is pretty simple:

•  Be honest and accurate in all communications.
• Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the member is responsible.
• Investigate the truthfulness and accuracy of information released on behalf of those represented.
• Reveal the sponsors for causes and interests represented.
• Disclose financial interest (such as stock ownership) in a client’s organization.
• Avoid deceptive practices.

How hard is this?

And despite having ethical codes and hundreds of ethical practitioners, the public relations profession is still seen as a bunch of lying villains, or at least covering up for them.  Take Jack Schafer’s comment about the industry:

… But reporters are not innocent, naïve, delicate flowers. Every reporter approached by PR firms knows that the primary focus of PR firms is to push lies. If PR people were being paid to push the truth, they’d be called reporters.  Not to get reductionist on you, but most PR campaigns are “smear campaigns” if the definition of a smear campaign is to spread untruths or half-truths or other deceits in an organized fashion. It’s up to reporters to scrutinize the details tossed to them by flacks at the behest of a client. If reporters don’t scrutinize the details, they’re villains. If flacks push half-truths, they’re just earning their paycheck.

– Jack Schafer, Slate

Maybe this latest escapade is a good time for us in the PR biz to take a stand against being a party to deceit.  How do you handle clients expecting laundry service instead of communication and reputation management?  Do you have a case study or anecdote you can share where a client or potential client expected you to lie or doctor the truth in pursuit of some goal or agenda?  I’d love to hear how you handled the situation, so please leave us a comment here or reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook.

I’ve encountered a number of internal and external communications publications marred by acronyms, jargon, design that over-reaches, and poor writing that delivers information about programs, events, and policies in terms best left to vacuum cleaner assembly booklets.

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you have, too.

By the same token, I’ve often been pleasantly surprised by editors, writers, photographers and designers making smart choices that serve their military or corporate community audiences, as well as other audiences that also may encounter the content.

I’ll give a couple of examples of a smart decision: incorporating employee spotlights into internal and, as appropriate, external products. And, so I don’t continue to type the soul-crushing word “products” until my fingers tear up and your eyeballs bleed, we’ll call internal communications products what they are, at heart: stories.

In the cases I’ll outline, part of telling the organization’s story is a demonstrative act. You show what you are by showing the work of your people. This is done, among other ways, via an employee spotlight.

Some examples are simple Q&A spotlights of an individual employee: name, job, hobbies, what do you do in the company, what do you do in the community, etc. And a picture. Always have a picture of the employee.

One example below serves both internal and external audiences with a multimedia spotlight of employees discussing themselves, their work, and how this ties into the organizational mission.

To further preface this, let me note that I used to edit a shipboard newspaper, and I’m as proud of that work as I am of anything I’ve done in civilian journalism or for Vox Optima clients.

So I’m sad to say I was too dumb to ever institutionalize my first example: the down-and-dirty individual spotlight. So elegant in its simplicity. Hard to beat.

I’ve noticed “Employee of the Month” or “Sailor of the Day” features in several publications, including USS Enterprise’s award-winning paper, The Shuttle. Here’s a recent example, also available at the carrier’s website:

This form works in print and online. It could work in video, too, in the form of a quick Q&A or B-roll matched with words of the worker. If released externally, such stories humanize your organization. Internally, they highlight divisions within the greater organization by focusing on an individual, teaching others about an aspect of the company they might not otherwise learn.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Scottsdale, Ariz., auto auction house accounts payable staff accountant with only four months on the job explaining your dream classic car is a 1965 candy apple red Mustang convertible with white top and interior.

Or a city planning technician in Virginia Beach, Va., who works with developers on names for new streets and addresses.

Or a Fort Collins, Colo., sales and marketing director for a technology solutions firm in the handheld and wireless communications industry that happens to have an awesome name.

Or if you’re a worker for a non-profit or not-for-profit organization, such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., being featured in a neat multimedia presentation that uses your voice and photos as a testimonial.

Okay. I’m belaboring the point with mad linking. I will try to stop doing that so I don’t anger this fine blog’s editor, John Barnett, a.k.a. The Voxecutioner.

I’ll wrap up with a list of points that may be obvious to some and less obvious to others. Spotlights should be regular features in newsletters, custom publications or online outlets for these reasons:

• They demonstrate the value of an organization’s people.
• They demonstrate an organization’s values.
• They humanize the organization.
• They build esprit de corps within the organization.
• The content is relatively simple to produce.
• The content is not dependent upon an event or programmatic announcement.
• They have an internal communications value, showing roles and areas of an organization that not all within it may understand.
• They have an external communications value, as appropriate, because they show the worker’s pride in the organization’s mission and efforts to support it.

I recommend you take a look at St. Jude’s site. Their employee spotlight is very simply and effectively done. It’s a professional product that transcends internal communications and becomes an external public and community relations tool that speaks to the ethos of the research center.

On the page itself is the feature, with multimedia presentations that are played by clicking on an image of a face beneath the main player. Classy, simple, and effective, with great images and audio.

Sure, there may be a place for stock art and repetition of corporate messages.

However, the best images of your work is found in the faces of workers, and just a few of their words about what you do can speak with power and passion about your mission.

Both in and outside your house.

The general assumption is I’m not supposed to get social media since I’m a card-carrying Baby Boomer.

But it’s a job requirement that I try to get it, so I do my best not to let Merritt down.  I read; I listen to the twenty- and thirty-something experts; I watch relevant webinars when I can.  Essentially I plug away at getting the Millennial’s favorite form of discourse.

So it surprised me the other day to hear some twenty- and thirty-something folks discuss their disdain for social media, and why there was no point to integrate it into their physical therapy business.

Since my manufacturer’s warranty ran out, I’m always at PT for something.  Love them all, they’re great folks, they can perform miracles (I’m still moving anyway), and it’s a chatty place.  Our group discussion moves to “New Guy,” his Angry Birds score and my shoulder’s frozen desert diagnosis.  This devolves into his confession of reluctant Facebook use since he’s a recruiter and ”that’s where the kids are.”

“Oh, Facebook (insert a slight eye roll from Jim here) … John uses that for his job too.”

Mutual horror stories are exchanged and the sad fact that we both live our lives on smartphones is acknowledged.  Then, shock of shocks, almost the entire staff  admits to little-to-no social media interest:

• “You want to know my status? Working.”
• “What am I supposed to talk about.”
•  ”Keeping up with Twitter and Facebook is too much work.”
• “If you want to talk with me, come on over.”
• “No one I would know messes with that stuff.”

The jokes continue.  I’d like to think it was really a ploy to distract us from popping and cracking joints (mostly mine, I think), but they were serious.  A bunch of Millennial types — running a business — coming up with reasons to avoid a primary social lifeline and their unwillingness not to engage others online.

Normally I leave the “strategy stuff” to Merritt and our other smart folk, but as Carrie prepared to electrocute my shoulder again, the conversation started putting post-it notes on my brain:

Advertising.  When it comes to affordably reaching large communities, it’s hard to beat social networks like Facebook, Groupon LivingSocial and others.  And as social media advertising investment grows, they are all jockeying and growing their services to see who can provide their users, and advertisers, the best platform for relevant deals, bargains and the like.

And this market is not limited to “that young crowd.”  A survey done last year by eMarketer, shows social media is not just the kids’ playground anymore.  According to the survey, 90 percent of what’s called the “WWII Generation” have a Facebook profile.  Who’da thunk it?  My mom got an iPhone recently, and now she Facebooks, texts and emails more than I do. I’m seriously thinking about putting her on my spammer list.

And since I can personally attest that the older you get, the more you’ll need physical therapy,  I don’t know that I would bypass such a huge audience.

You want to be out there attracting people to your company page or profile, appealing to new customers, building a community of followers, or offering opportunities that get your business noticed.

Customer Relations.  There’s a ton of theories and ideas on how to use social media as customer relations management.  One of the better articles I read was on Social Media Examiner by Jacob Morgan.  Lots of graphics and charts so even I could understand it.

I believe it boils down to offering customers a platform to engage directly with the business owner — ideas for improvements, new services to consider, kudos when things are going great, a smack to the back of the head when they aren’t.  But it has to be part of the overall business and strategic communication plans, not “it would be cool to do.”  Plan it out. Engage customers with purpose.  Get them involved with contests, polls and surveys.

Branding.  Let’s face it; every business owner wants a strong brand.  And it’s not so much about keeping the current customers as it is about potential ones seeing you as the only solution to whatever problem or need they have.

Now there’s nothing saying social media will have you celebrating 125 years later with a brand like Coca-Cola. But a carefully, strategically managed social media program engages your base, builds on it, and shows you are the only expert who cares about — and can fix — the problem.

Community Involvement.  What business doesn’t want to be perceived as a great supporter of the community?  Networking at the Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, church or what have you is still a great way of business development networking.  But what does it hurt to add social media and extend your reach and influence?

You definitely want to be a positive force in the community and that can’t help but increase your influence.  More and more you see calls to action from social media campaigns, so it’s important that you are part of the larger conversation.

OK, so much for the mental post-its.  Electrocution’s done. And I learn my shoulder has improved from its original “slushy” state to “milkshake.”  I’m thinking “banana split” will get me discharged this time.  These are complicated medical terms, and I don’t blame you if you don’t understand.

But here are a few easy concepts to walk away with:

• Kids aren’t the only one using social media; assuming otherwise puts a business at a disadvantage and misses out on a lot of older customers and older, soon-to-be customers.
• Yes, social media can be a lot of work at first … IF you don’t have a plan.  Plan small, build as needed. Adjust as you go, and remember no one said running a business would be easy.
• Who doesn’t like talking face-to-face?  But building your online social community inspires people to seek you out and keeps you involved.
• Social media is powerful communication and marketing tool; your imagination is the limit and social media needs to be integrated into achieving business and strategic communication goals.

Now the big question is: will you keep assuming it’s too much trouble for a too young audience, or will you forego the assumptions and look at it as a viable business and community-building communication tool?

So how do you manage social media for your business?  Got any tips, tricks or suggestions?  We’d love to hear any success or “learning experiences” that might be out there, so drop us a comment!

The Internet is a hard place to get your content noticed.  Everyone has something to say, sometimes similar to what you are saying, and the steady stream of new and fresh content never ends.

It takes a strong blend of engaging content, targeted distribution and the smart use of definitive keywords and phrases. Creating specific, relevant keywords and phrases is the first step to getting attention for your blog, company news and updates, the services you offer, and the list goes on.

Step 1: Identifying Keywords and Phrases.

To grab that ever-elusive user attention span, you have to concentrate on the keywords and phrases (usually no more than 2-4 words) that are relevant to your content, add value and integrate well into your content.  You need to identify keywords with high search counts and moderate to low competition.  A great place to start in finding your keywords in Google Adwords’s keyword tool.  There are several other online tools that can help you out.

Step 2: Determining Word Count Percentages.

Once you have determined your keywords and phrases, they should make up about 2-3 percent of your overall word count.  This percentage is a key factor in you SEO tactics. And it takes a bit of creativity to work them into your article for a natural appearance while adding relevance and value to the story. If you overload your articles, most search engines may determine you are spamming instead of providing useful information.  This is commonly referred to a “black-hat SEO.”

Step 3: Creating Content.

While balancing keywords and phrases is important, content is still king.  Your material has to be informative, relevant, engaging or entertaining.  If not, your message will be lost.  Readers who feel they are reading a canned message most likely won’t finish the article.

But with an informative and engaging article, you will want to makes sure that it leads back to you and your organization.  All your content  should lead back to your website (this is called creating back-links).  This helps Google, Yahoo!, Bing and other search engines find it and provide search results leading back to you. So you must always include a back-link at the end of your article to help drive traffic back  to your website.

And therein lies the ultimate goals of getting noticed and getting traffic directed to where you need it.  But as content creators, we all must remember that keywords and phrases are merely tools and not a magic wand.  The emphasis always needs to remain on relevant, engaging content.  Keywords may work for search engines, but quality content is the only thing that will hold interest.

New content floods the Internet daily, so it can be hard to raise your voice above it all.  However, if you structure your articles just right and strategically plan the distribution, then your information is primed for discovery.  As always, it’s not a magic bullet.  It takes time, patience and commitment.  But as you  create and add informative, relevant content, you will see your spot in the search engine results climb.

Stop the presses – journalism is under attack.

Okay, cliché and sarcasm aside, this statement doesn’t even qualify as news. Not a day, or an hour, or a minute, goes by without someone blaming “the media” for something, from the coarsening of the culture to war and famine to the end of the world (possibly by the time you read this, according to some folks. Hey, fellow survivors! Let’s meet at the bar.)

Recently I have seen or heard a number of folks taking the media to task for a variety of transgressions, some which are perfectly valid and some of which are laughable.

An editorial in the Virginian-Pilot (my old employer) takes issue with some members of the national media descending on Virginia Beach in search of nuggets of information about SEAL Team 6. I assume if you’re alive and not living in a cave, or a lightly guarded compound in the suburbs, you know who they are.

Apparently some media types have been visiting the area trying to find out stuff that, frankly, they probably shouldn’t know. I’m as in favor of open government as I can be, but some things are secret for very good reasons.

The Washington Post, which as the editorial points out is really better than this, published story including a list of possible place where SEALS might hang out and tips for spotting one in a crowd.

The article is obviously tongue in cheek, and mainly points out that pretty much no one in Virginia Beach wanted to talk to a journalist about the SEALs. But it still seems like a pretty flimsy excuse to join the SEAL hunt, so we’ll give this one to the Pilot.

The Pilot even found its own way to write about the situation with a funny column from Mike Gruss about how to tell if your neighbor is a SEAL (the answers were so broad that it didn’t serve as an actual how-to, don’t worry.)
The same day’s Pilot, by the way, carried a front-page story quoting Joint Chiefs chairman Adm. Mike Mullen basically telling people to shut up about the SEALs.

On another front, a guest on a recent episode of NPR’s “Diane Rehm Show” excoriated some in the media for questioning the motives of the hotel maid accusing International Monetary Fund chairman Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault.

While this is obviously pretty wretched, as an avid consumer of a wide variety of news in a number of formats, I have never heard anyone say anything like this. Of course there are plenty of news outlets and even more bloggers out there, so it’s possible that this is a widespread perception I just missed, but the guest spoke about it as if that were a predominating aspect of the coverage of this case, which is simply is not.

Finally, there’s an essay going around on Facebook and other sites. It was written in 2010, according to the author’s website, but it has popped up now and is causing some stir in the journalistic community. I hesitate to give it any more play than it has already received, but in truth it’s too funny not to share.  Be warned, this is an 11-page screed against news. Not TV news, not the liberal media, but the entire concept of knowing about stuff that happened.

After warning readers that we “probably won’t be able to skim it,” author Rolf Dobelli lays out 15 points proving, to his mind, that news in any form should be avoided at all costs. Just a few of the chapter titles include “News is irrelevant,” “News kills creativity” and, most frightening, “News changes the structure of your brain.” Yikes.

I can’t even begin to sum up this guy’s argument, but it may be instructive to know that reading magazines and books is still okay, but the preferred method of informing yourself about important events going on in the world is – people will tell you about things you need to know. Eventually.

While there is certainly some good and valid criticism of news and the media out there, this ain’t it. Hopefully, as it always has in the past, journalism will live to fight another day.

Most public relations experts will tell you when the media call about a story — good or bad — the smart move is to respond.

Never let the reporter say you or your organization had no comment or could not be reached for comment.  While this is true, there is a deeper strategic rationale for ensuring that the right person responds and does so in a timely manner.

It’s your story; you need to own it.

Regardless of the topic, if there is a reporter interested enough to be calling you, you can rest assured you will  be reading about it.  Now you need to make the media opportunity your platform for offense in the story.

A recent issue in Portsmouth, Va., is a perfect example of hunkering down, acting defensive, and not only failing to seize the offensive initiative, but looking guilty of something in the process.

The city had just hired a former Coast Guard admiral as a consultant to assist with Coast Guard, military and nautical issues.  The city released his contract, disclosed his salary, then clammed up.  They refused to respond to media queries about his responsibilities, the hiring rationale, or to allow the admiral to speak about his new role with city.

Their final response was a conference call with the admiral, the city manager, the economic development director and a different reporter than the one who broke the story.

Too little to late.

That media relations plan made the city look like it was hiding something, created even more mystery and intrigue, and gave the story a longer life than necessary if the city had just opened up.

While public relations practitioners would say this lack of response failed to put this story to bed, that is only part of the story.  What the city of Portsmouth failed to do was highlight the investment they had made in the future of the city by hiring a well-respected former flag officer, who is not only knowledgeable about the maritime and military issues impacting Portsmouth residents, but also personable, charismatic and influential.  At least that’s why it appears they hired him.

They should have seized the offensive initiative and taken the story to the bank.  They should have owned the story and been overjoyed with the media interest.

Sure, a brief response would have gotten the media off their backs and would have avoided an atmosphere of mistrust.  But the real mistake was missing the golden opportunity presented to them — a perfect forum to present city taxpayers with a vision for the city.

In public discourse there will always be detractors. Someone will question every decision made, every penny spent, and even decision-makers’ integrity.  But that’s the reality city officials signed up for.  It should never discourage them from engaging with their stakeholders about decisions and plans.

Media relations, communication and public relations is more than a press release.  Public perception must be considered with every strategic initiative undertaken.  Not only the what, but also the why must be considered.  Once a decision is made, it’s time to sell it to your stakeholders.  If the plan is hoping the media won’t call after a fairly big decision, that plan has already failed.

Proactive, effective and planned communication must be at the center of any organizational strategy.  The successful organizations will own their stories with a strategic media relations plan that goes on the offensive the same time decisions announcements.  They control the message with transparency, honesty and effective responses.

What do you consider to be critical elements of your communication plan?  Do you bring trusted communication counsel and public relations expertise to the table when you’re making decisions?  I’d love to hear opinions and start some discussions on strong and effective media relations, so please leave us a comment.  I will answer back!

What About Mark McDonald?  Mark has more than two decades of expertise in defense industry, international and national public relations consulting, crisis and strategic communication planning, media relations, media training, and reputation and branding management. Along with managing most of Vox Optima‘s western accounts, he is the primary public relations consultant for our clients in Lincoln, Omaha, Hastings, Fremont, York, and throughout Nebraska.

I did something I wasn’t sure I would do.

Ever.

I created a Twitter account.

Big deal, right? Millions, and I mean millions, of people have them, so why is it a big deal? Because I just don’t think I’m that interesting. I don’t really want to tell you what I had for dinner, or what I’m doing this very second. Much as I sometimes find those amusing, I steer clear of these things on all my social media sites.

So why did I do it you may ask? Because I want to be part of the cool kids, of course!  And as a public relations person, there’s no better way to reach out to my peers than tweeting about cool things going on in the PR world.

I’ve learned from months of following people and their blogs that Twitter is rapidly becoming the place to tweet details for the 30-second society we live in.  A recent count shows about 200 million Twitter users. Even when you dump out the ones who  leave fairly quickly, that’s still a lot.  Even advertisers understand the reach of Twitter and can poke fun at how many Tweeters (or is it “Twits,” “Twitites” … oh, whatever) are out there.

But honestly, it’s evolutionary when you think about it.  If you can’t find the details you need rapidly, how quick are you to move on to the next task?  Since I’m a Millennial, and part of that increasingly targeted generational group, I can say, with confidence, “pretty quickly.”

All that aside, I learned a few tips during my Twitter creation day:

Identify your need.  Do you really need Twitter? Or are you just going to be one of those roughly 200 million people who want to tell the world you had a cheeseburger from Five Guys for lunch (I love Five Guys by the way!)?  What I’m asking is, “do you have something to contribute people would find useful?”  Whether it’s a RT (re-tweet) of a news article about a 9-year old performing CPR ,the latest blog post from Redhead Writing, an article about becoming a TED speaker, or creating your own content – it’s all about what your need and your goals are for Twitter. You want to be known. You want to engage. You want someone to know you’re there with something to say.

Think of a relevant (but cool) username. This was not something I thought about before. With all the other SM sites, it’s simply your name. Before I completed the details I researched articles discussing this very issue. Did you know there are tons of stories/blogs about this very topic? I had no clue. Apparently it’s all in the name. One thing I learned is you can never go wrong with using your name. It makes you easier to locate, and it’s pretty simple.

If you have fancy user name like “@ilovesports” then chances are I won’t know who you are. It’s important to put something in there that relates to you. I know some bloggers would disagree and say that this creates a common bond, but using a name like this makes it hard to know who it is. If you’re a sportswriter who happens to be a Red Sox fan, then it’s helpful. If you’re a closet hockey fan (eh hum) then it wouldn’t really do a lot for you. And remember, Twitter is about engaging and building relationships.

Check your username. Twitter allows you to search for individuals, so after you’ve created your new, cool username, check it out before pushing the button. Before I created my account, I searched for a few of the names I was considering. Luckily I found none. I read a blog about someone who discovered she had the same name as a porn star, so there went the idea of using her real name. I’m tellin’ ya, double-check this first. Kind of like Googling yourself every now and again (I discovered I’m a second-page Google name sadly …).

Go forth and create.  Now that you have an idea of what your goal is and your super-fancy username, it’s time to create your account. Twitter has easy steps to accomplish this, so have at it. But once you create:

• Take the time to listen first.
• Find your niche and listen to the conversation.
• Jump in where comfortable and when you have something to say.
• And don’t worry about looking stupid.  From what I hear, that sort of thing is a moment-by-moment occurrence.  It’s going to happen, so don’t sweat it; just say “I’m sorry,” on tweet on.

Download the apps. I downloaded the Twitter for Android application for my phone so no matter where I am, I’m digitally free to tweet like a maniac.  Now my Five Guys cheeseburger tweeting requirement is covered. It also gives me the advantage of tweeting about not only personal stuff, but also engage with fellow PR tweeters and colleagues about related things that pop up during conferences, meetings, etc., as long as I can do it in 140 characters.  Not as exciting as the cheeseburger, but again, it’s all about engaging your niche.

So what have I learned today?

• I learned that in a few short minutes, I can create a Twitter account and follow 20 people (and growing).
• I learned that one of the best ways to learn how to tweet it to watch others tweet (though I have yet to do it).
• I learned that LinkedIn has a direct link to Twitter which makes my social connectivity so must easier.
• I learned that it really is a lot of fun to follow and listen to people!

So the next time you’re out for a spin in the Twitterverse, look me up @MorganOverPR. Just follow the second star on the right and head straight on until morning …