eChaser: June 2012 / p2

PRSA local update II: This month in PR history. Yet when “Gigli” was released, not one person went to the Big House. June 8, 1949: Prominent Hollywood figures, including Edward G. Robinson, Frederic March and Danny Kaye, were named in an FBI report as Communist Party members. Two years earlier, Congress cited 10 Hollywood writers and directors for contempt because they refused to divulge their political leanings or name others who might be communists. The “Hollywood Ten” were later convicted and sent to prison for varying terms. • No one got busted for “Achy Breaky Heart,” either. June 8, 1990: Florida record store owner Charles Freeman was charged with illegally selling the rap album “As Nasty as They Wanna Be” to an undercover officer. Immediately after the sale, six deputies rushed into the store, handcuffed Freeman and charged him with distributing obscene material. The arrest came two days after U.S. District Judge Jose Gonzalez ruled 2 Live Crew’s recording legally obscene. • June 14, 1954: The United States held its first nationwide mock nuclear attack drill. At 10 a.m. alarms were sounded and citizens were supposed to stop what they were doing and seek shelter. Even President Eisenhower took part. After 10 minutes, an all-clear was broadcast and people returned to their routine. Organized by the Civil Defense Administration, the drill was held in 54 cities and was deemed a success, even though more than 12 million Americans “died.”

PRSA local update III: Standing reminders. 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 $75; the cost for nonmembers is $100, for nonprofits $50. Each posting runs a month. 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, Greater Fort Worth PRSA job bank chair, at jresweber@webershandwick.com or 469-375-0216. ... Stay on top of emerging trends and industry news, extend your network while increasing your knowledge, and keep learning and stay competitive. Any practitioner with at least two years in the field is eligible for membership in the world’s leading organization for PR professionals. Those with fewer than two years experience or who recently graduated from college and were active in PRSSA may join as an associate member. More from chapter president-elect Chris Smith at csmith501@charter.net.

PRSA local update IV: As tornadoes ripped through the area April 3, Anita Foster with the American Red Cross was taking cover in her bathtub while conducting phone interviews nonstop with national media outlets such as CNN, The Weather Channel and Fox News. At the same time, her communications team was tweeting updates and safety tips. Of the 19 communications professionals who responded to the crisis, only three receive a paycheck. High drama plus selfless service in the face of danger should equal a powerful Dallas PRSA meeting Thursday, June 14. Register here.

Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas update: The Transportation Security Administration gets its share of complaints these days about everything from intrusive full-body pat downs to insensitive and sometimes embarrassing demands reportedly made in the name of homeland security. When ProPublica reporter Michael Grabell filed a freedom of information request on just what airline passengers were grousing about back in 2008, he expected he might have to wait for the information. But not for four years to see 87 pages. ... Secrecy surrounds the Formula One race track project in Austin. What are Texas taxpayers not supposed to know? The Austin American-Statesman has prevailed in its legal challenge to have previously sealed Formula One records unsealed by a state district judge. Statesman managing editor John Bridges: ‘The F1 project is too important and involves too much taxpayer money for any records in this case to be sealed from public view.” ... State District Judge Scott Jenkins of Austin has reversed his earlier stance and ruled that the Texas Department of Public Safety does not have to release travel records of Gov. Rick Perry’s security staff. The Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News had gone to court to have security detail travel vouchers released in the public interest. In 2008 Jenkins issued a ruling in the newspapers’ favor, saying the vouchers were subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. The Third Court of Appeals agreed with that decision, but the Texas Supreme Court reversed those lower court rulings, finding that “the public’s right to ‘complete information’ must yield when disclosure of that information would substantially threaten physical harm.” Jenkins said May 10 that the Supreme Court’s direction that he must consider “prospective” harm left him little choice but to issue the new ruling. All nine members of the Texas Supreme Court are Republicans; Jenkins is a Democrat.

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