US CATHOLICS GET MEDIA TRAINING TO PREP FOR PAPAL VISIT

When Pope Benedict XVI visited London in 2010, it "was supposed to be a disaster," writes Catholic journalist Mary Rezac. "Several people were calling for his arrest upon arrival. No one was expected to show up for his audiences, except maybe a few protestors."

But Catholic Voices, a new organization to help rank and file Catholics become more articulate in dealings with the news media, was starting to have an impact.  Coverage of the UK visit was largely critical before the event, but became more positive during the visit and afterwards.  

The training initiative has now spread to 12 countries, and is helping prepare American Catholics for Pope Francis's upcoming visit in September.   Courtesy Catholic News Agency.

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THE REBIRTH OF HANDWRITING

For many years at Dunlop Media, we've insisted that our clients take handwritten notes during our training sessions, rather than bang away on a laptop.  The reason: better learning.  Looks like we've started a trend.

"People who handwrite reframe the content, and understand it better. On a computer, they write it all down without thinking about it,” Pam Mueller, co-author of “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard,” a 2014 study published in Psychological Science, told personal technology columnist Joanna Stern.   And thanks to new styluses, smart pens, and tablet technology, Stern brags, "I wrote this entire column by hand."  Courtesy The Wall Street Journal.

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IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLUGGED INTO THE WRONG SOCKET?

"About a year ago, if you posted a question, complaint or compliment on one of Olive Garden's social media pages," writes marketing blogger Andy Sernovitz,  "the company probably would have ignored you."  It's not that Olive Garden didn't care—it just had the wrong part of the company trying to do the job.

By moving responsibility for social media engagement from marketing area over to public relations, Oliver Garden turned around its online customer service strategy in just six months.  It also equipped the restaurant chain to join tougher consumer conversations that have little or nothing to do with traditional promotions.   Full disclosure:  Olive Garden is a Dunlop Media client.  Courtesy SmartBlog on Social Media.

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MADONNA ON SOCIAL MEDIA: LIKE A VIRGIN

Since first bursting on the music scene in the early 1980's, pop legend Madonna has made a name for herself as a quadruple threat: she can sing, dance, act, and provoke.   Her music videos became a prime fixture on MTV, and she has kept critics off guard over the years by constantly reinventing her persona, first in legacy media, and later on the Internet. 

But then social media came along - and "the image Madonna spent three decades refining has begun to unravel," says pop critic Peter Robinson.  She described online leaks of her new album as "terrorism" and "artistic rape," causing even her fans to cringe.  She misspelled the name of "Avicii," one of the top producer/DJ's on the contemporary music scene.  An online spoof imagines her daughter disconnecting Madonna's Internet, in the hopes of salvaging her career. 

"These attempts to be down with the kids," says Robinson, "have instead hinted that, actually, at 56, she might be completely out of touch."   Courtesy The Guardian.

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LEARNING SOCIAL MEDIA BOOSTS WELL BEING OF ELDERLY

You may still think your teenager spends too much time on Instagram, but social media is a boon for the mental well-being of older people, a new study suggests.

According to a new study by the University of Exeter, getting senior citizens comfortable with social media platforms can boost their sense of self-competence and enhance their cognitive capacity.

"Human beings are social animals," noted one of the study's authors.  "It's no surprise that we do better when we have the capacity to connect with others."

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PR: IS IT ALL ABOUT SPIN?

You may never have noticed that "spin" has its own Wikipedia page, where the term is given a debatable definition.  "In public relations,"  it says, "spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against some organization or public figure."

In this "Gloves Off" debate, two prominent PR practitioners debate the question of whether PR is all about spin.  Worth the read.

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TODAY: MUCKRACKING JOURNALIST. TOMORROW: A PAPER ROUTE.

A future career for reporters?   Boys on a paper delivery route, Galveston, Texas, 1943.

The typical career arc of a journalist isn't a common topic of conversation, so for those not in the know, here it is:  a) get a paper route, or volunteer for high school newspaper or college radio station; b) get an internship, or a small market job at minimum wage or close to it; c) work, claw and toil until you get noticed in a larger market; d) work, claw and toil to get to the top; e) work, claw and toil to stay at the top; f) get bought out or laid off in the next inevitable round of cutbacks.

The economic realities of the news business being what they are, however, step "f" has been sliding back towards step "a."   As media columnist David Carr explains, "Reporters are also among those now being asked to, um, deliver the newspaper."   Courtesy The New York Times.

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JUST WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY ANYWAY?

Learn about net neutrality - the outcome of the current debate will impact us all.  Image created by Hugh D'Andrade at EFF. 

Just what does "net neutrality" mean and why should you care?   If you've been following this important debate at the margins, it's time to get educated.   How this tussle between telecommunications and tech industries winds up will impact how all of us live our lives and run our homes and businesses. 

"There is a really simple way of thinking of the debate over net neutrality," writes tech blogger Neil Irwin.  Is access to the Internet more like access to electricity, or more like cable television service?"   Courtesy The New York Times.

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BRANSON'S WAY: How to handle a media crisis

Richard Branson: a role model for good crisis communication.   Photo from Virgin Galactic.

The quest for civilian space travel took a huge hit with the tragic crash of a Virgin Galactic spaceplane during a test flight near Bakersfield, California.   But from many tragedies come lessons - and the biggest lesson of this awful event may have come directly from Virgin's founder.

Richard Branson not only promptly acknowledged the pain and loss of those affected.  Nor did he stop with promising to cooperate in the investigation.  He dropped what he was doing and flew straightaway to the scene of the accident.  He ramped up his presence on social media, and he vowed he would continue to work to make civilian space travel a reality.   "With leaders like Branson," writes marketing strategist Michelle Lutz, "there's no need for crisis managers."  Courtesy LinkedIn Pulse.

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HUGE FCC RULE CHANGE PENDING FOR INTERNET TV

Back to the future?  A proposed FCC rule change could level the playing field for TV in a way not seen since this Philco model was introduced in the 1970's. 

Way back in 1934, the government statute establishing the Federal Communications Commission required broadcasters to serve the "public interest, convenience and necessity."  As a practical matter, those considerations seem to have been out the window for a while, as cable TV wielded its gatekeeper power and outlets big and small have had to adapt or die.  But is the tide turning?

In his official blog, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler announced his agency was taking the first step "to open access to cable programs as well as local television" with the help of Internet technology.   "Consumers have long complained about how their cable service forces them to buy channels they never watch," Wheeler says.  "The move of video onto the Internet can do something about that frustration."  Courtesy The Verge.

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MEDIA ECHO CHAMBER: Where never is heard a discouraging word

The late New York senator Daniel Patrick Monyihan, who famously said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts."  AP photo via USA Today. 

All the shouting and screaming on cable news talk shows may seem to passing viewers like a world series of debating.  But listen closely over time, and you'll notice an odd phenomenon: for the most part, the guests aren't really debating at all, because they're largely in agreement with each other.  And so are their viewers. 

A new Pew Foundation study concludes that a sizable, and increasingly influential, segment of the American public lives in a "media bubble" that seeks out only the news outlets whose philosophical slant they find attractive.   That's bad for democracy, argues media columnist Rem Reider.  "We are a nation with a growing number of people who aren't open to debate... They gravitate to venues where never is heard a discouraging word about their take."  Courtesy USA Today.

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COVERING EBOLA: Follow a few rules and "you're going to be fine"

"Pretty much everybody here in the US thought I was crazy," says Lenny Bernstein, a health reporter at The Washington Post who recently returned from a 12-day assignment covering the Ebola epidemic in Liberia. 

Health care workers in Liberia wearing protective gear.  Courtesy NPR/WNYC's On The Media.

With an inherent need to document the story at close range, journalists covering Ebola would seem to be at high risk of contracting the virus.  Out of an "abundance of caution" since his return 11 days ago - Ebola's incubation period is 21 days - Bernstein is keeping out of crowds, avoiding the newsroom, and staying away from his wife and daughter.  But he remains symptom free, and he correctly notes that you can't transmit Ebola when you're not displaying symptoms.

The rules Bernstein and other reporters in Liberia follow for their own safety are simple:  don't touch people, try not to touch your face, make sure you carry chlorine to wash your hands and shoes, and be careful not to get too close when people are visibly sick.

"There's a lot of scared people out there, and they need to tune in to what the actual risk is," and how that risk is managed, Bernstein says.   Would he go back?  "Like, today!" he quickly says.   "It was a life altering experience for me."  Courtesy NPR/WNYC's On The Media. 

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COUCH POTATOES TRUMP TWITTER, TV STUDY FINDS

TV strategists who base their campaigns on heavy social media engagement may be in for a surprise.  According to a new study, only 18 percent of TV viewers with Internet access follow shows on Twitter while they watch them. 

Traditional "couch potatoes" still reign supreme in the typical TV audience, accounting for roughly a third of viewers, according to the study - although their real numbers and share of audience are declining.  

A Twitter-centric strategy could "be a big waste," says the study's principal analyst,  "as it's irrelevant to over 80 percent of TV viewers."  Courtesy The Hollywood Reporter. 

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ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE: "OK to be silly" challenges nonprofit PR plans

You're the director of public relations for a major non-profit.   You have fought for your budget lines in endless internal meetings, achieved buy-in with your colleagues, and planned rollouts over many weeks - or months - for your communications objectives. 

Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson, right, leads some 200 people in the ice bucket challenge at Boston's Copley Square, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014 to raise funds and awareness for ALS.   Courtesy The Associated Press. 

Then out of nowhere comes the seemingly effortless success of the Ice Bucket Challenge, which has raised tens of millions of dollars for a disease with no cure and with a relatively obscure public profile.   Does it send you back to the drawing board?    Courtesy The Huffington Post. 

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MORE CONTENT, NO COST: Online publishers let readers fill space

So you're an online publisher with an eyeball problem: you're trying to direct more readers to the content you generated, but you're finding yourself in competition with your own audience - many of whom blog and post regularly.  What to do?  

Some media outlets are adopting a "publish first" model, in which unfiltered - or perhaps lightly filtered - material moves between readers with minimal control or oversight.  "Some media companies view it as a way to enhance their relationship with readers," reports The New York Times, "while increasing content production at minimal cost." 

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DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR MEDIA COVERAGE, journo warns entrepreneurs

"Often, entrepreneurs shoot themselves in the foot during the interview or as I ask questions afterwards," reports business columnist Elizabeth McBride.  "I end up frustrated, and the story takes a long time to put together, and sometimes the story doesn’t happen at all."

In the interests of better communication and time wasted, McBride put together a list of mistakes commonly made by entrepreneurs seeking coverage.   It rings true - and it's one of the best summaries of the subject we've seen in a long time.   Worth your attention.   Courtesy Forbes Magazine.

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THE DEMISE OF THE DIVA: Selfies transform the art of celebrity "image"

Not too long ago, the main job of celebrity handlers was to preserve an aura of invincibility around their clients.  Now, in a matter of just a few short years, that ethic has been turned on its head.  The advent of the smartphone, and its ability to capture candid moments at whim, has created a whole new category of celebrity photo.   It plays simultaneously on fans' increasing sophistication and impatience with "canned" photo-ops, and their fascination with celebrities as real people, rather than plastic muses. 

A "selfie" of actress and singer Kristen Bell, taken from her Facebook page. 

"Real is where it's at these days," writes entertainment reporter Donna Freydkin.  "Or, more accurately, the perception that you're authentic."  Courtesy USA Today.

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VYING FOR VICE: Old media moguls court new media upstart

"Vice," says the Wikipedia page on the word, is a "practice, behavior, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, depraved, or degrading."  Notwithstanding the meaning of the term - or perhaps because of it - in the media world, Vice has become a very hot property.   Is the outlet that burnished its persona with an insurgent attitude, tattooed news correspondents, and sending Dennis Rodman to North Korea, ready to jettison its je ne sais quoi by partnering with old media? 

"Fox is discussing a deal with Vice... So is Disney. Any agreement is likely to value Vice, which started as a free magazine in Montreal in 1994, at $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion."  Courtesy The New York Times. 

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EULOGY FOR A PARKING LOT: "Deep Throat garage" an iconic site in journalism

Parking lots come and parking lots go - they are among the most forgettable features of any urban landscape.  But when a particular underground garage in Arlington, Virginia, falls to the wrecking ball in the not-too-distant future, more than a few of us will take note. 

The "Deep Throat garage," Arlington, VA.

This particular garage played an outsized role in American journalism and American politics.  It is where Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward secretly met with "Deep Throat," the government source who helped him piece together the Watergate scandal. 

It was largely the reporting of Woodward, and his colleague Carl Bernstein, that put Watergate on the national radar - eventually leading to the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon.   Courtesy USA Today.

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IS THE CORPORATE WEBSITE DYING?

Is the signature communications tool for the 21st century corporate world - the web site - on the way out?  "There appears to be a growing consensus that the corporate website as an online brochure displaying 'About Us,' 'Our Products,' 'Latest News About Us,' and 'Speak To A Representative' isn’t working," says SAP's Global Marketing VP Michael Brenner.   

And what will replace it?   "More attention," Brenner writes, "is being stolen away by more progressive brands who have started acting like publishers and displaying content that your customers actually want to consume."   Courtesy Business2Community.com.

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