August 2000
MEETINGS
Next at IABC ...
Crisis? What Crisis? You Can Stay Calm; Here's How
Does the thought of a crisis striking your company, especially in this age of the Internet and 24-hour news, overwhelm you? If you don't have a response plan or haven't been in the hot seat at such a time, it should. Ruth Cogswell with Berry & Associates will walk those at the Aug. 8 luncheon through the elements that every crisis communications plan must include, with an emphasis on reputation management and protecting brand value while being alert to potential litigation.
A former presidential campaign worker under White House press secretary Jody Powell, Cogswell's perspective on stress is enhanced by her background as a network television news producer and assignment editor in Washington, D.C. Now a Weatherford resident, she continues to advise Texas-based clients on how best to position themselves during a crisis.
* Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8
* Place: Petroleum Club, UPR Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor; garage is at Seventh and Commerce streets
* Cost: $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $11 students; walk-ins an additional $2
* RSVP by noon Aug. 4: Dan Frost, (817) 735-6157, fax (817) 735-6118 or mailto:frostdg@c-b.com
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Next at PRSA ...
Think Fast: Crisis Communication in Real Time
When trouble hits the city -- Sept. 15 at Wedgwood Baptist Church, March 28 downtown and on the west side -- the first burst of facts often comes from Pat Svacina telling what happened and what happens next. An unflappable straight-shooter, the city's public information officer will examine at the August meeting how Fort Worth fared in the wake of the turbulence surrounding the tornado and what action the city took to keep the media and downtown stakeholders informed in a time of rumor, chaos and heartache.
A reporter at various times in his past for the Austin Citizen, The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times, Svacina also holds the title of assistant to the city manager. His office's City of Fort Worth City Page, a weekly update of news and information, won the 1996 City-County Communication and Marketing Association Savvy Award.
* Time & date: noon Wednesday, Aug. 9
* Place: Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center, 2820 Stadium Drive across from the TCU student center
* Cost: $16 members, $19 guests, $15 students
* RSVP by noon Aug. 7: (817) 347-8649 or mailto:carolyn.c.hodge@lmco.com
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STRAIGHT STUFF
The latest installment in the "Coffee with the Experts" series -- "Crisis Management in the Healthcare Industry" -- unfolds from 7:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, in the All Saints Community Room, Building A, 1400 Eighth Ave. Healthcare pros will tell how to implement a crisis management plan, and a representative of the city's public information office will offer insight on responding to unexpected situations. Coffee will be served, and participants are encouraged to bring their own breakfast. Park free. RSVP by Aug. 22: LaTonyie Jarrett-Taylor at (817) 871-7564 or mailto:jarretl@ci.fort-worth.tx.us. ...
From the DFW Association of Black Communicators: The NABJ 25th anniversary convention is Aug. 16-20 in Phoenix; see http://nabj.org. ... Deadlines: Feb. 1 to apply for a DFW/ABC scholarship for the 2001 school year. Call scholarship chair Cheryl Smith, (214) 376-9525, or president Eva Coleman, (972) 309-4322, or go to http://dfwabc.org. More than $40,000 will be given at the 20th anniversary scholarship banquet next June. ... Dec. 1 for the 12-week DFW/ABC Urban Journalism Workshop, which begins in January. Assisted by pros, students will produce a newspaper, radio and TV broadcasts and a marketing plan. ... From the DFW Network of Hispanic Communicators: Officer nominations will be taken at the general meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at WBAP-AM in Arlington, 2221 E. Lamar Blvd. ... The Network's annual membership drive will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 10 at Nuevo Leon off Oak Lawn. Free food; cash bar. ...
From Ian Marquand, SPJ FOI Committee chair: A new "Taxpayers' Bill of Rights" bill contains language that appears to exempt many IRS records from the federal Freedom of Information Act. The bill, H.R. 4163, passed the House quickly and is under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee. Section 6103 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code states that no one may release tax return information unless authorized by the rules spelled out in that section. Section 201 of the new bill keeps the old language but adds the words "not withstanding any other provision of law." Attorney Bill Dobrovir, who advises the national watchdog group Tax Analysts, believes those words mean that the Internal Revenue Code would trump FOIA and allow the IRS to reject requests for a wide variety of records based only on its own criteria. The IRS already uses a broad definition of "taxpayer information" to deny records requests, but under FOIA, records are presumed open unless an agency can show that they fall under one of several statutory exemptions. Contact Marquand at (406) 542-4449 or mailto:ian@kpax.com, Dobrovir at (504) 341-2183.
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23 Awards Handed Out at 2000 Bronze Quill Luncheon
Cecilia Jacobs with the city of Fort Worth aced the IABC/Fort Worth 2000 Bronze Quill competition, taking home three Awards of Excellence, four Awards of Merit and one Honorable Mention. Joining her as a multiple winner were Kristy Libotte Keener, two Awards of Excellence; Suzy Lundquist, an Award of Excellence and an Honorable Mention; and Courtney Marshall, an Award of Merit and an Honorable Mention. The awards were presented at the June lunch at the Petroleum Club.
Other winners were Andra Bennett, Daniel Frost, Jerrod Resweber, Pam Huff, Elise Walker and Alisa Simmons, Award of Excellence, and Suzanne Moore, Rhenda Weathersby and Helen Pitts, Award of Merit.
Bronze Quills recognize outstanding work in more than 40 categories, with the emphasis on design, writing and printed materials. IABC chapters in Mississippi, Oklahoma and St. Louis judged this year's entries.
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After the Storm: Fort Worth Was Broken but Not Dead;
Question Was -- Would Anybody Believe It?
by Brenda Davis
Convincing out-of-town visitors that Fort Worth is alive and well after the devastating tornado March 28 has been a four-month endeavor, the director of the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau told the July SPJ meeting. Doug Harman, whose job is to convince people to come to town, blames the national media for much confusion.
"A few words and a picture have more impact than anything we can say or do," he said. "The national news media made things look far worse than it actually was."
After the late-afternoon tornado struck, news reports displayed a battered and wounded downtown. All indications pointed to closing parts of the business district for an undetermined period. Since a major portion of Fort Worth's economy depends on tourism and conventions, city leaders focused on reassuring convention planners.
Harman, speaking on a panel with Mayor Kenneth Barr and KXAS-TV programming director Brian Hocker, said city officials needed the coverage, but not all of what they wanted to convey was reaching beyond the local market. "We were functioning as a city, but the national news media wasn't convinced," he said. "Despite out best efforts, we weren't getting our message across."
Less than two hours after the storm, Barr held the first of several news conferences. "From the beginning, I stressed that the city was functioning. Yes, we had safety concerns -- I knew that parts of the downtown area would be off limits for a while -- but at no time did I indicate that the city would completely close."
Fort Worth, it was decided, needed a way to proclaim its ability to house and entertain visitors. "The 'No Gusts, No Glory' campaign received the most interest," Harman said. "It stressed the confidence and resiliency factors of the citizens and business leaders of Fort Worth. It indicated the beginning of the recovery process."
Hocker's station continues to cover the comeback. "Since we were on the air for more than 10 hours the night of the storm and another seven hours the next day, we feel a responsibility to report on the recovery process as well," he said.
Barr said a complete recovery will take time. Small businesses feel the effects the worst. The Sundance Deli closed because of the loss of customers from the Bank One tower. "A cleaners in the TCU area is affected by the damage to the bank building," he said. "People are working from home. They don't need dry cleaning."
Harman said the fears are diminishing. "If we can handle a convention right after a tornado hits," he said, "then we can handle most anything."
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GET A JOB
Paul Zobisch at "The Senior News Source" needs a writer for stories of interest to senior citizens in Tarrant County. Dallas resident (and Charlie Jones' two-day fill-in recently on KRLD 1080) Alex Burton: "I kinda do that for him here. He calls. I cover. The money is not very much, but then it doesn't take a hell of a lot of time. I'd think some retired person who still wants to see his name in print might be ideal for the job." Call Zobisch at (972) 248-2573, Burton at (214) 828-1606. ... dbusiness.com (http://dbusiness.com) seeks an experienced business reporter to cover daily breaking news on local small- and mid-cap companies. E-mail a resume and cover letter to mailto:dbnews@dbusiness.com; mention code HC. ...
Crescent Real Estate Equities seeks an entry-level PR coordinator; fax a resume -- (817) 321-2030 -- or mailto:vnicol@cei-crescent.com. ... Range Resources Corp. has an investor relations opening requiring 2-4 years experience; send a resume to HR Manager, 500 Throckmorton St., Suite 1900, Fort Worth 76102 or mailto:cculpepper@rangeresources.com. ... For other job postings visit the job bank at http://dallasiabc.com.
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PEOPLE & PLACES
Former Star-Telegram writer/editor Karen Potter, now features editor at the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., faces more chemotherapy in her fight against Ewing's sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. In support, her S-T friends signed and shipped to her a Lance Armstrong-style yellow jersey. Send Karen a note at 27 Torrey Pines, Clifton Park, N.Y. 12065. ... The American Heart Association, Fort Worth Division, elected Paul Sturiale with Regian & Wilson/ Grey to its board as communications chairman. ... More babies! Cheryl Crayton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram copy desk and husband Clif welcomed their second son, Daniel Christopher, into the world at 9:15 p.m. July 8. He weighed 6 pounds 15.5 ounces and was 20 inches tall. Says S-T copy chief Gene Zipperlen: "We can't wait to start teaching him to type." Daniel's brother, Samuel, is 4. Ten days later, at 5:02 p.m., Helena Faulkner gave birth to her and husband Max's first child, Katherine Alexandra; she weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces. Max is S-T photo director.
Kudos & Contracts ... Stuart Bacon will produce marketing support materials for the Fort Worth Opportunity Center, a nonprofit job-training organization in southeast Fort Worth, and two quarterly newsletters for Hillwood Development Corp. Also, the advertising public relations firm is profiled in author Carolyn Corbin's book, "Great Leaders See the Future First."
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NEW MEMBERS, WELCOME
IABC ... Nancy Pricer, public information director, Tarleton State University.
PRSA ... Melissa Jackson, marketing coordinator, First American Payment Systems ... Mary Jackson, vice president, government and public relations, Cash America International ... Mary McDonald, public information officer, Weatherford ISD ... Nancy Pricer, public information director, Tarleton State University.
SPJ ... Dr. Karin McCallum, for the last six years chair of the UTA Communication Department; a native Texan, she specializes in speech communication ... UTA journalism grad Tim Blackwell, a 15-year veteran of DFW Printing Co., where he's commercial printing director; he's a former sports writer/editor for the Arlington Daily News, Arlington Citizen-Journal and Mid-Cities Daily News ... Heather Senter, public relations director for Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations in Fort Worth; she previously worked for a PR firm in Wichita, Kan., and is a graduate of the University of Mississippi in Oxford ... Mike Daniel, an arts section copy editor and staff writer at The Dallas Morning News; a UTA magna cum laude grad in journalism and political science, he also free-lances articles for the DMN's arts, education and Today sections ... Peggy Lofland, for 16 years the financial officer for UTA Student Publications; she enjoys her four grown children and family genealogy research ... U. of Illinois at Springfield master's grad Kellie Gormly, returning to Texas as a reporter for AP Dallas; she covered the Illinois Legislature for Copley News Service ... FW Weekly contributing editor Betty Brink, an investigative reporter with free-lance articles for the FW Star-T and The Texas Observer to her credit; the Fort Worth native has been married 45 years, has five children and 14 grandchildren ... UTA and TCU grad Tom Urquhart, account executive for Type Case Digital Imaging; a freelance graphic designer and cartoonist, he will teach an information graphics class this fall at TCU.
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COMINGS & GOINGS
Shiftings ... Elizabeth Eslick to account executive at Stuart Bacon.
Additions ... at the S-T: Dianna Hunt, a reporter/editor at The Dallas Morning News since 1995 and before that with the Houston Chronicle (for 13 years, the last seven working on projects and investigations) and Corpus Christi Caller-Times; joining the enterprise team.
Promotions ... at the S-T: Carolyn Bauman, in her 13 years with the paper a chronicler of everything from Nolan Ryan on his ranch to a tornado as seen from a rooftop directly in its path, to senior staff photographer.
Exits ... at the S-T: editorialist Cecil Johnson, retiring after 32 years to pursue a second career as an author ... Sunday columnist Gracie Bonds Staples, after 10 years with the paper, to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT Kim Speairs / PRSA
Now that August is here, it's officially back-to-school time. And you know what that means: 1) only a few days remain to finish your summer assignment; 2) a new "teacher" is on board; 3) you need a phone list for your pals; and 4) there's a fresh opportunity for extra credit.
* Homework deadline *
If you haven't registered to take the fall accreditation exam, the application deadline is Aug. 7, with the test scheduled Sept. 7-17. Study sessions are scheduled. Call accreditation chair Carolyn Bobo, APR, (817) 885-4243, today to get with the program.
* New leadership *
Jade Hoffman, marketing assistant for Cross Timbers Oil Co., joins the board as treasurer-elect, a spot formerly held by Jerrod Resweber. Meanwhile, student liaison chair Pamela Smith takes a few months off to enjoy motherhood (she and husband Sean have a beautiful girl, Shonna Lee, born at 6:59 a.m. July 25). Pamela has done a great job strengthening the PRSSA chapters at TCU, Hardin-Simmons and ACU. Thanks, Pamela!
* Find your classmates *
Mary Dulle and crew have put together a detailed, informative directory complete with alpha tabs, but the binder makes it pretty heavy to mail, so we're hoping folks will pick theirs up at meetings. Also, the directory will now be updated quarterly instead of reprinted every year. You can also stay current on chapter activity at our improved Web site, http://prsafortworth.homepage.com. Jerrod worked hard to complete this project and expresses his thanks to Doug Park for getting him started.
* School supplies needed *
Here's the extra credit. As part of our chapter's community service, we're collecting school supplies for Fort Worth children. Chair Eliz Hopkins welcomes assistance of any kind -- monetary, note pads with corporate logos, promotional pens. Please bring your donations to the Aug. 9 meeting. We'll see you there!
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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Arden Dufilho / IABC
The dog days of summer are upon us, but I hope that doesn't mean low attendance at our August meeting, which will feature Ruth Cogswell from Berry & Associates enlightening us on the ins and outs of effective crisis management. An all-too-timely topic.
The new board met for the first time in July, and we're embarking on an ambitious two years. This is a dedicated and inspired group, but to evolve into an exemplary chapter, we need active members as well. I hope that when a board member asks you to serve on a committee (and we will ask), you will accept the challenge to help make IABC/Fort Worth worthy of Chapter of the Year honors by 2001.
Our District 5 is IABC's only district with its own conference, and it's a terrific time for networking and professional development. The Tulsa chapter hosts this year's event, Mindshare, on Sept. 20-22. The $375 early registration deadline is Aug. 22. Brochures will be in the mail soon; we'll go into detail at the August meeting, and there will be Mindshare giveaways and door prizes.
This is an exciting time for IABC/Fort Worth. I predict that in a couple of years, our members will be able to look back and say that they were an integral part of the chapter's growth. To achieve Chapter of the Year honors in any category is a daunting challenge and a great honor -- and one our chapter will deserve.
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OVER & OUT John Dycus / SPJ
Never thought the E-Chaser printed version would top four pages, but this issue's five. The DFW Association of Black Communicators and DFW Network of Hispanic Communicators have advances here, and we've added the "Get a Job" employment section (work wanted, offered). No guarantee that everything you submit will run, but on the other hand, everything with a name in it that you've submitted so far has run. Your interest is gratifying. Speaking of interest, almost half of our active members voted in chapter elections last month, around the same percentage of the electorate who participated in the '96 national presidential balloting. Former chapter prez Roy Eaton, the king of Decatur, received a write-in vote for director. Oh, and someone liked ABC's Peter Jennings for president. Shoot, I'd vote for them. ... What did Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney have that Fort Worth SPJ never has had? A clubhouse. Meeting in a different location every month has been fun, but it's wearing out your meeting planners. Dinner on the bridge in July at the Renaissance Worthington just felt right and was well-received. We'll try to make that happen again (not in August, though, as there's no meeting; but we're revving up for September). ...
Self-anointed media savior Steven Brill stiffed a recent NYC/Deadline Club program, but Bill Moyers arrived on time despite having emergency dental surgery that afternoon. Moyers, who as a ninth-grader learned writing from Dorothy Estes in East Texas and maybe manners, too, never stumbled. Chapter president Betsy Ashton says he was "brilliant ... inspiring." She adds: "We chided Brill for not being willing to face criticism ... for purporting to be a media critic -- then forming an online joint-venture with several media companies." ...
Chiding, yes, the BONG Bull newsletter loves to. Write mailto:bong-l-subscribe@topica.com (that's bong-ell) and expect items like the 10 winners of this year's Edward George Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest, wherein contestants mimic the 19th-century British author's famous "It was a dark and stormy night":
10) As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he were ever to break wind in the sound chamber he would never hear the end of it.
9) Just beyond the Narrows, the river widens.
8) With a curvaceous figure that Venus would have envied, a tanned, unblemished oval face framed with lustrous thick brown hair, deep azure-blue eyes fringed with long black lashes, perfect teeth that vied for competition, and a small straight nose, Marilee had a beauty that defied description.
7) Andre, a simple peasant, had only one thing on his mind as he crept along the east wall: Andre creep ... Andre creep ... Andre creep.
6) Stanislaus Smedley, a man always on the cutting edge of narcissism, was about to give his body and soul to a back-alley sex-change surgeon to become the woman he loved.
5) Although Sarah had an abnormal fear of mice, it did not keep her from ekeing out a living at a pet store.
4) Stanley looked quite bored and somewhat detached, but then penguins often do.
3) Like an overripe beefsteak tomato rimmed with cottage cheese, the corpulent remains of Santa Claus lay dead on the hotel floor.
2) Mike Hardware was the kind of private eye who didn't know the meaning of the word fear, a man who could laugh in the face of danger and spit in the eye of death -- in short, a moron with suicidal tendencies.
And the winner ... 1) The sun oozed over the horizon, shoved aside darkness, crept along the greensward and, with sickly fingers, pushed through the castle window, revealing the pillaged princess, hand at throat, crown asunder, gaping in frenzied horror at the sated, sodden amphibian lying beside her, disbelieving the magnitude of the frog's deception, screaming madly, "You lied!"