MEETINGS
Put a Little Fun in the Fundamentals of Writing
If you're an elected official in Northeast Tarrant County, you maybe can't stand Dave Lieber, but for everyone else on the planet the Star-Telegram's bulldog investigative columnist has a reputation as a fired-up newspaper writer and funny guy. He will share tips on how to use humor in communications at the February IABC meeting.
For 10 years Lieber has produced a thrice-weekly column for the Star-Telegram, and last fall the Press Club of Dallas recognized his efforts with a Katie Award (Best Columnist for a Major Newspaper). In 2002, he received the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the Will Rogers Memorial Commission of Oklahoma for his work with Summer Santa, a children's charity he co-founded in 1997. His third book, "The Dog of My Nightmares: Stories by Texas Columnist Dave Lieber," was published in 2003.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3
Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
Parking: $2.50 in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket validated)
Cost: $17 members, $22 nonmembers, $12 students
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Just Say No to 'No Comment'
You're sitting comfortably at your desk at 4:45 p.m. on a Friday, reflecting on the stellar week your company has had, when the intercom buzzes and the receptionist says, "Mike Wallace is here to see you!" Your response? Emmy Award-winning Fox 4 News reporter Jeff Crilley will tell the February PRSA meeting why "no comment" is
never an option.
Mishandling a negative story can cripple your company and ruin your reputation. Just ask Martha Stewart. Crilley, the author of "Free Publicity: A TV Reporter Shares the Secrets of Getting Covered on the News," will reveal what to tell the media during a crisis that won't unhinge the company's lawyers. And he'll detail how President Clinton could have made the two-year Monica Lewinsky scandal disappear with a few simple words.
Time & date: 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11
Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
Parking: free valet in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket validated)
Cost: $20 members, $23 nonmembers, $18 students
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Scary as a Landing Gear that Won't Go Down
Assistant District Attorney Joe Shannon has a can't-turn-away program on identity theft -- the ways it can be done (or done to you), how easy it is to do, and safeguards against it -- and it's next up for Fort Worth SPJ at the Rail Market downtown. For anecdotal heft, an SPJ member had three(!) fraudulent attacks on checking and savings accounts within 10 days last month and will tell how that feels. You
can guess.
Unlike previous meetings, there will be no group menu and thus no set meal cost. Food purchases from Rail Market vendors are encouraged. Shannon's presentation begins at 1 p.m. RSVPs are still requested so the Rail Market will know how many tables to set up.
Time & date: 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21
Place: Fort Worth Rail Market, 1401 Jones St. (north end of the building; ample free parking on the east side)
Cost: WYEIWYP (what you eat is what you pay)
Food choices: tamales, designer pizza, sweets, salads, vegetarian, venison, Blue Bell and the rogue hot dog
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STRAIGHT STUFF
Nominations for the Advertising Club of Fort Worth's prestigious Silver Medal Award -- since 1959 the highest honor given by the American Advertising Federation at the local level -- are being accepted through Feb. 16. Judging will be based on creative ability, original thinking and contributions to the nominee's company (agency, advertiser, media or ad service), to the advancement of advertising and to the community. Winners will be honored at a luncheon Wednesday, March 17. Julie Wilson, president and CEO of Reasons Group, chairs the judging committee; other judges are Joe Dulle; Jane Schlansker, InterStar Marketing and Public Relations; Jerry Scott, Star-Telegram; Jim Stuart and John M. Thompson III, TCU; and Scott Turner, GCG Advertising. Dulle, Schlansker, Stuart, Turner and Wilson are past recipients. For more details or for an application, e-mail jwilson@reasonsinc.com or visit adclubfw.org. ...
A team of SPJers and local pros including Pat Svacina from U.S. Rep. Kay Granger's office; Scott Gordon, NBC 5; and John Gutierrez-Mier and Bud Kennedy, Star-Telegram, will spend Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, not in romantic pursuits but teaching Paschal, Arlington Heights, Trimble Tech, Eastern Hills, Southwest, South Hills and North Side students in the Fort Worth Journalism Project on the TCU campus. Awards will be given for the students' best work, and panelists will offer insights on journalism careers, interviewing and generating story ideas. Haltom High School adviser Ann Hale will conduct an advisers session. Everything, including the box lunches, happens in the Moudy Building from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There's a place for volunteers in the mix, especially at lunch when the students will write up a mock press conference. E-mail Mark Horvit, mhhorvit@yahoo.com, to help. ...
Organizers are enthusiastic about "a big Texas sky full of professional development opportunities" at the 2004 PRSA Southwest District Conference, March 25-26 in Irving. Sponsored by the Dallas and Greater Fort Worth chapters of PRSA, the conference will feature top PR pros expounding on crisis communications and media training; community relations; integrated marketing; branding; special event planning; and how to set up an independent practice, among other topics. Deadlines: registration, March 18; $89-per-night Harvey Hotel rooms, March 4. Download a registration form at
IABC/Fort Worth launches a membership drive March 2, offering the winner a prize that has not been announced yet but is said to be "fabulous." At stake are "drive points": one when a person attends a luncheon meeting, one when he brings a guest, five when the guest becomes a member and five when the player himself becomes a member. Urges chapter VP Lauren Cleveland: "May the best driver win!" The competition ends April 30. ...
