MEETINGS
Now Hear This: Listening Expert Turns Trained Ear to IABC
Longtime IABC member Weslynn Martin, now affiliated with the Dallas chapter, is back in Texas after three dozen years of teaching and research in Kansas City at Rockhurst University, where she held the first endowed chair in "interpersonal communication and listening." Now she's teaching professionals to be "listenable."
She will enlighten the September luncheon meeting on her research, on listening skills everyone can adopt and on how to move from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7
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, $25 nonmembers, $12 students
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Everyday Ethics -- Don't Leave Home Without Them
Although corporate scandals may dominate the headlines, it's the small daily choices that more often plague communicators and create a challenge for those determined to practice ethical public relations. Are you ready to make those tough choices to handle today's ethical dilemmas?
In observance of National Ethics Month, the September program will involve roundtable discussions that organizers promise will be insightful and thought-provoking. Small groups led by chapter members will tackle hypothetical scenarios and use PRSA's Code of Ethics and the new ethical decision-making guide to choose a course of action. A panel of senior practitioners will lead the discussion.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8; lunch at noon
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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Leftist Rag! Conservative Pawn! Maybe the Readers Should Wrestle
As professional as reporters try to be in pursuing truth, fairness, accuracy and balance, they seem unable to deflect societal cynicism. Their credibility damaged by scandals at The New York Times, USA Today and other papers, they are attacked daily as agents of polar-opposite agendas. The accusations resonate against a backdrop of terrorism anxiety and political mudslinging that have created extraordinary polarization, intolerance and fear. Do readers have a valid argument? Are journalists biased?
Career newsman David House, the Star-Telegram's senior editor/reader advocate; former Beltway insider (national political consultant for two U.S. presidents, several members of Congress and one governor) Bill Low and TCU political scientist Adam Schiffer (Ph.D., University of North Carolina, and WLFL-TV post-election analyst) will hold sway at the September meeting on the way newspapers, particularly the S-T, are covering the Iraq war and the November election, with emphasis on the perception vs. reality of any liberal/conservative bias.
Time & date: mingling 6 p.m., program 6:30, eats around 7:15 Thursday, Sept. 23
Place: mini-cantina west of the pool at Joe T. Garcia's Mexican food restaurant, 2201 N. Commerce St.
Cost: $13 members, $18 nonmembers, $5 students; cash bar; just to hear the program -- free
Menu: Joe T.'s legendary family-style enchilada dinner
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STRAIGHT STUFF
RSVP deadline is Sept. 10 for the TCU Guild's 50th Anniversary English Tea on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Cost is $20; proceeds benefit TCU journalism scholarships. Contact Lois Powers at (817) 249-7409 or lfp@spowers.net. ...
New media, new opportunities. Grapevine Today, a glossy lifestyle magazine soon to be on incoming flights to DFW and in surrounding hotels, had its press rollout in late July. Produced by the American Airlines Publishing Custom group, it initially will appear twice a year, with plans to go quarterly. Ad deadline for the debut issue is Sept 12. For a press kit or to submit story ideas, call Yvonne Anguiano, (817) 963-2510. Meanwhile, the Fort Worth Small Business Times is set to debut soon (ftworthsmallbusinesstimes@earthlink.net), and the Fort Worth Tribune has been on the racks about six months, emphasizing community news. Call Tribune managing editor Steve Geer at (817) 336-0246. ...
UT Austin and PRSA Austin each year offer the Public Communication Strategies Certificate Program, with emphasis on research, technology and the internet, strategy development, media relations, crisis communication management, community relations and ethics. The 2004 program begins Sept. 22 and continues Wednesdays through Nov. 10. More here or from Gail Bickling, UT Professional Development Center, P.O. Box 7518, Austin 78713-7518; (512) 232-9530; bickling@mail.utexas.edu.
PRSA local update: James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, will moderate a national panel on "What Makes It an Ethical Issue Anyway?" in a free teleseminar at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, at Alcon Labs, 6201 South Freeway. Expect a lively discussion and maybe some wisdom on how to deal with integrity issues. RSVP to Kristie Aylett, APR, at aylettk@yahoo.com. ... Wall Street Journal news editor and senior writer Ronald J. Alsop will discuss "Your Corporate Reputation -- Your Most Important Asset" at a joint meeting of the PRSA and NIRI Dallas chapters Thursday, Sept. 9, at the Park City Club in Dallas, 5956 Sherry Lane. More here.
PRSA local update II: The next Nu Pros lunch social will be Wednesday, Sept. 15, at Cafe Express, 1540 S. University Drive. Friends, neighbors, colleagues -- they're all welcome. ... Volunteers to help plan Media Day, Oct. 15 at Las Colinas Country Club, should e- Sophia Stoller, sophiastoller@excite.com, or Allison Allison, allison_allison@richards.com. ... Kent Dean's communication-based, interactive presentation, "True Colors" -- morning seminar and luncheon Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St. -- will help define your communication style and the style of those around you, including external audiences, co-workers, potential clients and reporters. More info next month.
PRSA local update III: Know somebody who should join Greater Fort Worth PRSA? Make a little money off the guy. Members will receive a $25 voucher for the first member they refer and $15 for the first associate member -- through Sept. 30 -- in the chapter's Member-Get-A-Member (MGAM) roster booster. Vouchers can be used for PRSA national events (but not the International Conference) or items in the PRSA store. Every successful recruiter is entered in a drawing for travel certificates, teleseminar registrations and merchandise. And the new member receives an AP Stylebook and a PRSA gift voucher. Think of it as a signing bonus. New members must put the referring member's name on their application with the code MGAM2004 or use a specially marked MGAM application. Details at prsa.org. ... The chapter will host 15 North Side High School students, all guys, at the Oct. 13 meeting at the request of TEAM Fort Worth, a mentoring program at 14 elementary and middle schools. Each participating PRSAer will meet her student at the elevator, introduce him around and share career interests over lunch. NuPros members lead the volunteer pool, but more help is needed. Contact Andra Bennett, APR, at abennett@fortworthchamber.com or (817) 336-2491 ext. 265.
