eChaser: January 2012 / p3

PRSA local update IV: This month in PR history. 1777: A convention of delegates in what would become Vermont declared their independence from both Britain and the colony of New York. The delegates originally called their state “New Connecticut” but later settled on “Vermont,” a rough translation of the French term for “green mountain.” The state’s constitution was the first national constitution to give the right to vote to all adult males (not just property owners), as well as the first to prohibit slavery. All this progressive thinking did not sit well with the other states, and throughout the 1780s Congress refused to acknowledge Vermont’s independence. In response, frustrated Vermonters inquired if the British would readmit their territory to the empire as part of Canada. Even two years after George Washington became president, Vermont remained an independent nation. It was finally admitted to the Union in 1791, to counterbalance the admittance of Kentucky, which was a slaveholding state. ... 1961: John Kennedy became the first U.S. president to hold a live televised news conference. Speaking from the State Department, he discussed the famine in the Congo, the release of American aviators from Russian custody and impending negotiations for an atomic test ban treaty. He then opened the floor for questions from reporters. Kennedy’s calm demeanor, thoughtful answers and telegenic looks helped define the presidential image in the age of mass media. ... 1941: Orson Welles’ classic film “Citizen Kane” was previewed — and prompted an immediate PR backlash from newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, on whom many believed the title character was modeled. Hearst instructed his publications not to run ads for the film. He also publicly condemned the excess of “immigrants” and “refugees” working in Hollywood, and his newspapers questioned Welles’ patriotism. MGM boss Louis B. Mayer offered to pay $842,000 in cash if RKO would destroy all prints of the movie as well as the negative. RKO president George Schaefer refused and threatened to sue the Fox, Paramount and Loews theater chains for conspiracy for refusing to distribute the film. After Time magazine and other publications published reports, the theater chains relented and permitted a few showings. “Kane” was nominated for nine Oscars but won only one, and the film barely broke even. Now widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, it would not receive meaningful recognition for another 25 years.

Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas update: Presidential campaigner Rick Perry on what people think about politicians who do one thing and say another: “People are fed up with this. The Freedom of Information Act, they have exempted themselves from that. They don’t have to show the conversations or the e-mails or the texts.” Perry did not tell the Fox News audience that until recently he had an official policy of deleting all e-mails within seven days. Or that his office routinely tries to block requests for information about millions of dollars handed out from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, many times to individuals or companies with ties to his political campaigns. Or that his office led the effort to block details about his security travel costs until after the presidential election.

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BOOKS

Kat Smith of TomKat Productions would have you know that ”Romantic Retreats in Texas: Places to Relax, Rejuvenate and Reconnect” is a timely guidebook for couples who wish to explore the romantic side of the Lone Star State without driving (or flying) very far. From Dallas to the Hill Country, the Rio Grande to the Panhandle and south to the Galveston coast, more than 300 B&Bs, spas, resorts, ranches, hotels and campsites offer seclusion, amenities, tranquility, luxury and/or rustic living. Once you’re there and want something to read, you might consider Smith’s ”Seeds from Mama’s Garden,” an inspiring, based-on-truth account of a woman’s journey led by the apparition of herself at 9 years of age. Katarina LeBlanc revisits haunting memories and finds the strength to uproot the trauma of abuse and unearth the source of her family’s pain. Caught up in the intricate torment, husband Jonathan is supportive as he awaits their reunion. As the seeds of love are planted, Katarina is pursued by co-worker Braxton while dealing with the appointment of a new client, Survivors of Abuse and Incest in Families (SAIF). In addition, Tellani Grayson, a representative of SAIF and a clairvoyant, sees the child spirit and helps guide Katarina through visions of the past and future.

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GET A JOB

Affiliated Computer Services in Dallas seeks a marketing manager (cloud job).

B.B.A. required, plus must be familiar with ITO and cloud functions and understand marketing campaigns — social media, webinars, client newsletters, partner alliances. Should also have channel partner experience and understand how VARs sell to their market. Send résumé to Kathy Sadden, senior VP- operations ITO sales and marketing

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Allyson Cross, Greater Fort Worth PRSA

It is such an honor to serve as your president during what will be a monumental year for Greater Fort Worth PRSA. No doubt about it — this year promises great things.

First, I’m pleased that we’ll start 2012 with a luncheon program by one of our own members, Linda Jacobson, APR. Linda’s presentation on communicators as agents of change within their organization will encourage us all to look for new ways to communicate with internal publics.

I’m also proud to announce that the board has approved a committee to plan a local-only awards program. This is a tremendous undertaking that requires hours of planning and preparation. Thanks, Margaret Ritsch, APR; Carolyn Bobo, APR, Fellow PRSA; Liz Heck, Rita Parson, Megan Murphey and Michelle Clark, for serving on the planning committee.

Be on the lookout for more updates in future eChasers. In the meantime, I hope you can join us for a January program that will inspire you to initiate positive change within your organization.

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OVER & OUT

John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ

Four hundred thousand dollars a month. That’s what it’s costing on average to protect Gov. Rick Perry as he faiths and fumbles his way across America stumping for president. That’s money you and I are prohibited from knowing exactly what it pays for in a campaign some argue (some argue!) leaves an unfavorable impression of Texas. ...

If you were putting off your membership renewal, it’s too late to avoid the tiny dues increase that went into effect Jan. 1. Professional dues raise $3 to $75; dues for students, recent graduates and retirees go from $36 to $37.50. ...

Application deadline is Jan. 16 for an SPJ Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information Internship, by all accounts an incredible way to spend a summer. One intern works at SPJ headquarters in Indianapolis while the second works with SPJ’s First Amendment legal counsel in Washington, D.C. The internship expose students to FOI matters, advocacy efforts, journalism-related legislation and a variety of other initiatives. The Indianapolis position is best suited for current or recently graduated undergraduate or graduate students in journalism or a related discipline. The D.C. position is more for current law students with a background in or knowledge of journalism and First Amendment issues. Info here. Send those questions to Scott Leadingham. ...

SPJ’s New America Award honors public service journalism that explores an issue of importance to ethnic communities in the United States. Deadline is Feb. 9; there is no entry fee. Read about last year’s winner, ”Civil War Kids: Young Somalis in Minnesota,” a series by Minnesota Public Radio News. ...

The Institute for Justice and Journalism is accepting applications through Jan. 17 for its 2012 professional fellowship program, which will examine the contentious immigration issues playing out across the country and their impact on the elections. The program — April 20-25 at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and its Institute for Research and Training, which are partnering here with IJJ — will provide facts, figures and perspectives to help journalists move beyond the campaign rhetoric. It also will examine the anticipated effects of immigrants who have become newly eligible to vote. Info here. Questions answered here.

Caught my eye. Sanders files amendment to overturn Citizens United. ... NY City Council: Corporations are not people. ... Investments in renewable energy topped fossil fuels last year. ... Sex education in Texas public schools: progress in the Lone Star State. ... Congress allows ethanol subsidy to expire. ... Canada’s fracking struggles. ... Romney staff spent nearly $100,000 to hide records. ... Obama critic apologizes now that she has cancer. ... New disinfection technology beats antibiotic-resistant bacteria and can kill bedbugs, too. ... Computerized air-traffic control touted to save CO2 equivalent of Denmark’s economy. ... Axion International makes railroad tracks, bridges and I-beams from all recycled material. ... RIP, American high-speed rail. ... Record-breaking air pollution in Beijing is beyond ‘hazardous.’ ... More polar bears turn to cannibalism to avoid starvation. ... Facing extreme drought and a booming population, Texans may one day be drinking treated sewage water. ... Green building is the key to rebooting the economy. ... Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to be protected by the world’s largest marine reserve.

Closing words: “An editor does not add to a book. At best he serves as handmaiden to an author. A writer’s best work comes entirely from himself.” — legendary editor Maxwell Perkins

Closing words II, church and state division: “It is a way in which a particular religious faith is being favored, and even though it is my own, I understand that when one religion is favored by the state, it weakens the religious liberty of all of us.” — the Rev. Larry Bethune, senior pastor of University Baptist Church in Austin, on the approval of a specialty Texas vehicle license plate that says “One State Under God” and shows three crosses