Expect another round of great gift items, plus the return of Euphonium
Pandemonium — Christmas tunes with a little brass — and, reprising his role as the world’s greatest emcee this side of Rodeo Drive, Bob Ray Sanders!
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MEETINGS
Fa-la-la-la-la and Hedrick, Too
Greater Fort Worth PRSA will celebrate the season and George Hedrick,
among other chapter worthies, at the long-anticipated (since last year)
holiday luncheon Dec. 9.
Hedrick, a 44-year career veteran of Texas Electric Co. (now TXU Corp.), will
receive the Team Spirit Award in recognition of his support of the chapter and
its activities. He retired as TXU public information manager in 1992 and
remains an active member of the chapter and Fort Worth SPJ.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9
Place: Petroleum Club, Jacobs/Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St.
Cost: $25 members, $35 nonmembers, students $20
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That Santa kid at the top of the page is calling your name.
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STRAIGHT STUFF
Dec. 15 is applications deadline for the 2010 Korea-U.S. Journalists Exchange
Program, sponsored by the East-West Center. More at the web site or e-mail journalismfellowship@eastwestcenter.org.
IABC local update: CEOs often find themselves in the role of company spokesperson, when they lack
both the background and training to be effective. The real media relations
person at the company can do several things to prepare the executive suite for the microphones and notepads. ... Media training that emphasizes bridging to messages does little to help spokespeople mitigate risk during interviews. In fact, by
encouraging more talk in an environment in which it’s already difficult to stop, the bridging tactic increases the risk of being
misquoted. ... Most explanations of human behavior in the business world assume
that people are best persuaded by reason. Thus senior managers strive to
address the public and the press with “just the right words.” But what if that view is flawed?
IABC local update II: Several area nonprofits will join IABC Dallas for lunch Tuesday, Dec. 8, at
Popolos. Each nonprofit guest will bring a communications project to discuss
with her tablemates. Register here.
PRSA local update: The 2010 Texas Public Relations Association Silver Spur/Best of Texas Awards
competition, co-sponsored by the Austin, Central Texas, Dallas, Greater Fort
Worth, Houston and San Antonio PRSA chapters, is now open for entries. Info here. Enter early, enter often, but don’t wait for the Call for Entries brochure to hit your mailbox, as the organizers
are going green this year and not mailing one out. Deadline is 5 p.m. Jan. 14,
then late entries will be accepted (with an additional $50) through Jan. 21.
More from TPRA contest manager Julie Fix, APR, at awards@tpra.com.
PRSA local update II: Students will meet with professionals and receive career advice as well as résumé and portfolio critiques and possible job leads at a speed networking session
from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, in the Concho Room of the UT Arlington
University Center. Info here or from UTA PRSSA president Kathelin Buxton, kathelin.buxton@gmail.com.
PRSA local update III: Another shout out to the judges for the Totem Awards: round 2 who got ’er done Nov. 5, including coordinator Lauren Burkett and Kay Barkin, APR; Andra Bennett, APR; Carroll Burney; Diane Rhodes Bergman, APR; Mary Dulle, APR, Fellow; Richie Escovedo; Joan Hunter; Linda Jacobson, APR; Dan Keeney, APR; Cathy Mueller, APR; Margaret Ritsch; Kim Speairs, APR; Jahnae Stout; Paul Sturiale, APR; Laura Van Hoosier, APR; and Cindy Vasquez.
PRSA local update IV: A graphic designer is needed to help the chapter complete its Kids Who Care pro
bono publication. Organizers tout the project as a great opportunity for
students or up-and-coming PR pros. E- Cindy Vasquez, cindydvasquez@yahoo.com. ... Through December, PRSA national is offering a professional interest
sections promotion. Current members get $20 off if they add a section during
December, and new members receive a section membership. More at prsa.org.
PRSA local update V: Dallas PRSA will deck the halls at its holiday social Wednesday, Dec. 9,
5:30-7:30 p.m. at Sambuca Uptown. It’s free for members and one guest if registered in advance, or $10 at the door.
Participants are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Dallas Area
Rapid Transit Police Santa Cops program. Info here.
PRSA local update VI: Standing reminder. The DFW Communicators Job Bank lists full-time, part-time and internship positions in PR, media affairs,
advertising/sales, event planning, graphic design, marketing, and corporate and
employee communications throughout North Texas. Employers who are members of
the participating organizations may post a job listing for $50; the cost for
nonmembers is $75. Nonprofits get a 50 percent discount. Each posting runs
three weeks. Greater Fort Worth PRSA receives a portion of the proceeds when a
member marks his or her membership status on the submission form. More from
Jerrod Resweber at jresweber@webershandwick.com.
Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas update: In Texas if the majority of a governing body conduct official business in
private they risk criminal conviction and six months in jail. No more back-room
deals. That’s been Texas law for 42 years, but now the Texas Municipal League wants more
than 1,100 Texas cities to sign on to a federal lawsuit that would find those
penalties a violation of the constitutional right to free speech. The FOIFT,
Texas Daily Newspaper Association, Texas Press Association and Texas
Association of Broadcasters oppose tampering with the Texas Open Meetings Act,
and former Lt. Gov.
Bill Hobby is none too pleased, either. More here and here and here and here. The FOIFT advances the rights and responsibilities of citizens to access their government.
Texas Watchdog update: Texas state senators, Democrats and Republicans alike, have used taxpayer money
to attend a conference in Maui, stay overnight at a Ritz-Carlton in New York
and fly on charter or private planes. That’s according to a Texas Watchdog review of expense reports and travel logs covering a year and a half (Nov. 5). ... Houston mayoral candidate Annise Parker has made public the personal federal income tax returns for herself and her
longtime domestic partner, responding to a request of both Parker and her opponent, attorney Gene Locke (Nov. 13). Texas Watchdog is a Houston-based news web site and training center that scrutinizes the
actions of government agencies, bureaucracies and politicians in Texas.
