eChaser: May 2011 / p3

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Carol Murray, APR, Greater Fort Worth PRSA

“Do as I say, not as I do.”

We all fail here occasionally, although I’m not talking about things we say to our children. This is a perfectly legitimate policy when dealing with teens.

Most of us make a living by offering strategies for generating awareness, reaching target audiences and delivering key messages. Yet often we don’t follow our own recommendations.

At GFW PRSA we seldom take full advantage of some of the inexpensive tools that we advocate for clients. Maybe we’re too busy. I know that’s my excuse. But surely we can better promote the chapter when it’s as simple as:

• “Liking” Greater Fort Worth PRSA’s Facebook page

• Sharing/re-posting chapter Facebook posts on your own page

• Uploading images to Facebook from PRSA events

• Posting interesting links and PR articles on your page

• Re-tweeting PRSA Twitter posts

• Tweeting about PRSA programs as they happen

• Subscribing to the chapter’s RSS feed

• Forwarding chapter program invitations to nonmembers

And if you have a few minutes, do we have a job for you! We always need members to submit commentary, program reviews and industry news to the chapter blog. To contribute, contact our Web/Social Media chair extraordinaire, Richie Escovedo, at richie.escovedo@gmail.com or, on Twitter, @vedo.

I’m sorry to admit that I have yet to submit something for the chapter blog. Until I have the chance, I hope you’ll do as I say, not as I do.

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Laura Hanna, IABC Fort Worth

If I had to write my autobiography, I might title it “Life by Deadline.” I find myself organizing the day using the what’s-next system. So when I say that an important deadline is fast approaching, you know that I do mean fast.

May 6 is the deadline to enter the 2011 Bronze Quill competition. By end of business that day you’ll need to have made arrangements with BQ chair Tim Tune to submit your entries in the only Tarrant County awards program specifically for local and regional professional communicators. Details here.

While you’re at it, save Tuesday, July 26, for the Bronze Quill ceremonies. This year’s theme is “Communications to the Nth Degree,” and Tim and crew promise a radical look at the best work from local communicators, plus a surprise guest who will make this year’s awards luncheon truly “SUPER.”

The next calendar item of note is May 24, the date of our half-day seminar, Business Etiquette and the Basics of Entrepreneurship. Lars Lofstrand, “the Change Guru,” will lead an all-star cast of speakers on how to be successful by providing good client service in the right and proper manner. Joining Lars at the Louella Baker Martin Pavilion on the Texas Wesleyan campus will be author Joy Weaver, queen of the “socially savvy” set, economic development specialist and entrepreneur counselor Cheryl Jones and networker supreme Daryl Day. More at iabcfortworth.com.

A special e-shout-out to Betsy Deck, who has a new IABC honor to grace her impressive collection. Our former chapter president recently received her Accredited Business Communicator certification, one of the highest honors IABC can award. Not that anyone was surprised when she passed with flying colors. Betsy’s commitment and skills are equal to any professional communicator in the Metroplex. Congratulations, Betsy.

The deadline (that word again) to complete the proposed slate for the 2011-2012 Board of Directors draws nigh, but there’s still room for any member with an interest in serving or chairing a committee. Contact me at 817-531-5810 or lhanna@txwes.edu to discuss how the chapter can best work with you.

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OVER & OUT

John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ

So you couldn’t be among the 99 revelers at the 8th annual First Amendment Awards and Scholarship Dinner last month, but you heard that it made a record net profit (it did) and that Shawn Williams, publisher/editor of the hyperlocal news site dallassouthblog.com, gave a marvelous address (he did) and that Paul Knudsen took great photos (he did) and you’d surely like to see them on this site. Yeah, me, too. This time next month, they’ll be up. ...

Former board member Penny Owen writes of a New York fund-raiser Thursday, May 12, benefiting the Dart Society, a global network of journalists who support those colleagues who report the most difficult stories of the day — earthquakes, school shootings, mile-wide tornadoes. Trauma journalism, it’s called. RSVP deadline was last month, but if you just have to be there (“hey, it’s a chance to see how Gloria Steinem is holding up”), contact Dart Society director Deirdre Stoelzle Graves, dstoelzle@yahoo.com. Tell her Penny sent you. ...

Five scholarships given in memory of Terry Harper, SPJ executive director 2002-09, will help SPJ members attend the SPJ/RTDNA Excellence in Journalism 2011 conference Sept. 25-27 in New Orleans. Apply here. And while we’re giving out money, the Diversity Leadership Fellows program seeks to stimulate diversity in SPJ leadership. Fellows will attend the conference, receive a yearlong immersion in SPJ and participate in a mentorship. Info here. Application deadline is June 13. ...

Should SPJ update the Code of Ethics? Legendary TCU ex Steve Buttry says absolutely, 21st-century journalism requires a 21st-century code. Irwin Gratz says the code is flexible enough to encompass contemporary digital journalism. What do you say? Comment on the Code Words blog or submit a letter to the Quill editor; include a phone number for verification. ...

Still feel new to journalism? You’re not alone. The SPJ Generation J Committee is here to help provide training opportunities, answers to your questions from industry experts and tips on getting a job. Check out the Gen J blog, First Draft. Also, share your thoughts with the committee directly on the YouTube channel or on Twitter @SPJGenerationJ, or contact committee chairwoman Lynn Walsh at lynn.k.walsh@gmail.com or @lwalsh.

Caught my eye. Budget deal slashes funds for first responders. ... Extraordinary train track vegetable vendors demonstrate urban adaptability. ... Could the Fukushima disaster be worse than Chernobyl? ... Government shutdown averted, but at what cost? ... Study: Natural gas from fracking emissions can double those from coal. ... Glenn Beck bids the nation farewell (sort of). ... Arizona law says lack of foreskin acceptable proof of citizenship. ... Nine out of top 10 author-skeptics of climate change linked to ExxonMobil. ... Oklahoma Republicans target Planned Parenthood infant feeding program. ... Chicago meat-packing plant converted to vertical farm. ... Is nonprofit journalism sustainable? ... Citizen journalism: Life on the ground at the Egyptian revolution. ... ’The conditions are finally right to give newspaper pay walls a fair shake.’ ... Five myths about the future of journalism. ... Handwritten newspapers from ravaged Japan at Newseum. ... Big swing: Robot sportswriter outperforms human. ... Obama to Brad Watson: ‘Let me finish my answers’; Unclebarky weighs in. ... A city built on oil discovers how precious its water can be. ... Energy up in smoke: the huge carbon footprint of indoor cannabis production. ... Portland gym converts exercise into electricity. ... White House outraged that newspaper showed video unflattering to White House.

Closing words: “This [Osama bin Laden’s death] is not an excuse to scream loud, or get drunk, or dance around waving our hands. It makes me sad. We’re not acting any better than the other side." — Sarah Gauna Esquivel, whose son Tim Gauna was the first North Texas resident killed at the hands of bin Laden. ... “We as Americans should be better. His [bin laden’s] followers are going to step up attacks on troops. That means more families going through what we went through. No one should be happy at this.” — Daniel Gomez, Tim Gauna’s brother [both quotes from Bud Kennedy, May 2]