Remember the procrastination bug? Yeah, pretty sure it moved in and brought all of its friends.
I can't concentrate on this project worth spit. I start to look stuff up, I get sidetracked with other news stories. I start this blog, I think, oh yeah, forgot to buy stamps. I check my campus email 50 times and recheck the assignments due an equal number. But I still don't work any further on the projects that are going to be due this week.
I'm also distracted by the professional development project I've been working on (or rather was supposed to have been working on) for the last few months. This will be due to be done in June as well.
Plus I have a baby reminding me she's coming soon every time she kicks my bladder. And the clutter is not gone from her room. And I have work projects that need to be done before I bug out on maternity leave.
I think I'm dealing with a crisis of my own.
Anyway, I have been thinking about my final project. Does that count? I've been mentally hashing through what kinds of things I could cover and where to look for them. Usually right about the time I think I could actually start writing something, I remember the load of laundry that should go in the dryer. And then that probably my family would like supper sometime before bed.
Perhaps I need to create a crisis communication plan of my own for this last week of class and the coming last weeks of work .
PLAN: Create major projects list, delineate tasks for each, assign each task due dates, STICK TO DUE DATES!
So my plan for this final project is to choose three media outlets, collect samples from each, and analyze them for content. I've already found samples from TV and newspapers, so the only other one to gather from would be internet. The problem is that internet is usually a reprinting from newspaper and TV by those two entities. I can look on the city's web page and look for direct statements from the mayor, police, and other civic authorities. I can also look for blogs from locals on the topic. These should provide for first hand and personalized experiences.
Now, if I can just keep working on this right now and not go off to do some other domestic task....
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
The Flood that Didn't....
I am going to have a lot of work ahead of me to find out all the stories and news releases about the Mouse River Flood.
Because there was not actually a flood in Minot, I don't remember hearing any one specific spokesperson from Minot, although I have a feeling it would probably be the mayor, Curt Zimbleman.
However, there were many outlying communities that were affected, like Velva, Westhope, Upham, Willow City, Burlington, etc. who were affected. But because of the small size of those communities, I don't know that I will find any singular voice to label as the primary spokesperson.
That is why I believe that probably in our larger community, the recognized source to look to for information has probably become the local news media--primarily the TV stations. The paper has also had a lot of coverage, but the TV stations have more immediate coverage as well as updates on their websites. I'm thinking that is where I will begin my research.
I think this whole project will be quite tangled and confusing and I'm probably going to have to unwind it myself. Minot was preparing for flooding like the other major communities in the state, but because they were mostly spared, it was sor tof the big deal that flopped. It was a big deal, but the city did not have to deal with the major upheaval that other cities like Valley City and Fargo did. And now they still have cleanup to do just like the other cities--sandbags need to be hauled away, the arena needs to be cleaned--but all without the major climax of imminent danger.
Of course this is a good thing--people were spared a lot of damage and stress by not having to go through the ordeal that Valley City has dealt with, but it still leaves a bit of a lost feeling in that all the community support did not really end in a large "Hoorah! We saved the town!"
I hope that I am able to put together a decent project based on the information I find. These types of projects aren't my favorite, but I think it will be ok. Now if only the procrastination bug doesn't bite....
Because there was not actually a flood in Minot, I don't remember hearing any one specific spokesperson from Minot, although I have a feeling it would probably be the mayor, Curt Zimbleman.
However, there were many outlying communities that were affected, like Velva, Westhope, Upham, Willow City, Burlington, etc. who were affected. But because of the small size of those communities, I don't know that I will find any singular voice to label as the primary spokesperson.
That is why I believe that probably in our larger community, the recognized source to look to for information has probably become the local news media--primarily the TV stations. The paper has also had a lot of coverage, but the TV stations have more immediate coverage as well as updates on their websites. I'm thinking that is where I will begin my research.
I think this whole project will be quite tangled and confusing and I'm probably going to have to unwind it myself. Minot was preparing for flooding like the other major communities in the state, but because they were mostly spared, it was sor tof the big deal that flopped. It was a big deal, but the city did not have to deal with the major upheaval that other cities like Valley City and Fargo did. And now they still have cleanup to do just like the other cities--sandbags need to be hauled away, the arena needs to be cleaned--but all without the major climax of imminent danger.
Of course this is a good thing--people were spared a lot of damage and stress by not having to go through the ordeal that Valley City has dealt with, but it still leaves a bit of a lost feeling in that all the community support did not really end in a large "Hoorah! We saved the town!"
I hope that I am able to put together a decent project based on the information I find. These types of projects aren't my favorite, but I think it will be ok. Now if only the procrastination bug doesn't bite....
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Planning for Crisis--minor or major
After the horrid shooting that took place at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, many schools launched into crisis planning to figure out what to do if similar events happened on their campuses.
While many felt it was overreacting to a painful and scary event, it has proved to be very useful in lots of other minor crises since then.
At our school, committees were formed to draft policy for what to do if such a crisis as a shooter happened. Some felt like it was overkill--this would never happen here, right? But the policies were written and filed. Faculty and staff attended training sessions where videos were shown on how to act if there was an active shooter.
The university system implemented a new auto-response emergency notification system called Noti-Find. This computer generated messaging system simultaneously sends out messages to email, phone, and cell phones. At the time it was implemented, it was likely with the idea of such a crisis as Virginia Tech.
Since then, however, it has been used several times over this ridiculously long and frigid winter to notify employees and students of campus closings. This use in itself has been a huge plus for me.
In the past, I have made the treacherous drive into work in inclement conditions because if I did not, I would be required to take annual leave. On at least one occasion, I arrived only to find out the campus closed and I could go home. That drive home was not any nicer than the drive in.
So this winter when notifind called me to let me know the campus was closing, I was so grateful not to have made that drive in as I had done in the past. Thank you Noti-Find!!
After 9/11, another type of planning went into effect that I have never had to use--how to handle suspicious mail, telephone bomb threats, or abandoned luggage or suspicious cases in public areas. However, I have to say, every time I rip open an envelope and the paper dust floats around, I can't help but think of anthrax spores.
While we have not had the type of crisis that has been planned for, at least the measures taken have proved useful in other more practical and mundane areas. Hopefully, we will never need them for what they were actually designed for.
While many felt it was overreacting to a painful and scary event, it has proved to be very useful in lots of other minor crises since then.
At our school, committees were formed to draft policy for what to do if such a crisis as a shooter happened. Some felt like it was overkill--this would never happen here, right? But the policies were written and filed. Faculty and staff attended training sessions where videos were shown on how to act if there was an active shooter.
The university system implemented a new auto-response emergency notification system called Noti-Find. This computer generated messaging system simultaneously sends out messages to email, phone, and cell phones. At the time it was implemented, it was likely with the idea of such a crisis as Virginia Tech.
Since then, however, it has been used several times over this ridiculously long and frigid winter to notify employees and students of campus closings. This use in itself has been a huge plus for me.
In the past, I have made the treacherous drive into work in inclement conditions because if I did not, I would be required to take annual leave. On at least one occasion, I arrived only to find out the campus closed and I could go home. That drive home was not any nicer than the drive in.
So this winter when notifind called me to let me know the campus was closing, I was so grateful not to have made that drive in as I had done in the past. Thank you Noti-Find!!
After 9/11, another type of planning went into effect that I have never had to use--how to handle suspicious mail, telephone bomb threats, or abandoned luggage or suspicious cases in public areas. However, I have to say, every time I rip open an envelope and the paper dust floats around, I can't help but think of anthrax spores.
While we have not had the type of crisis that has been planned for, at least the measures taken have proved useful in other more practical and mundane areas. Hopefully, we will never need them for what they were actually designed for.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Joaquin has Competition...
Apparently, Joaquin Phoenix now has competition for being the nuttiest interviewee on the block.
Billy Bob Thornton recently gave a very strange interview on the CBC radio show Q.
Not only did he give bizarre, unrelated, one-word answers, he was downright hostile to the poor guy interviewing him.
The interview was actually with his whole band, The Boxmasters, about their tour with Willie Nelson, their prolific musical output of late, and their new album.
One would assume those would all be fair game topics for discussion when visiting with a radio host about one's band, yes?
No.
Billy Bob responded as though taking great offense to many seemingly benign questions about the band, their start, and his background in film.
Example:
Host: You guys formed only in the past couple of years, right?
BBT: I don't know what you are talking about.
Host: What do you learn from Willie Nelson, Billy Bob?
BBT: I've never met him
Host: (attempting to redirect the interview away from monster magazines and back to music) Given that you seem to be quite passionate about music, I was wondering about your....
BBT: (in an insolent tone) Would you say that to Tom Petty?
Throughout the interview, the rest of the band members respond normally with expected answers about the band, their ambitions, and musical interests. But crazy old Billy Bob seems either ticked he is not the total center of attention (even though most of the questions are directed at him) or else just so tired of the standard radio interview that he decides to make it more interesting by giving off-the-wall answers.
Another possibility that crossed my mind is that he is somehow in on whatever kind of 'mockumentary' Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix are supposedly working on. But since no one is talking on that end about what is real and what is staged, we won't know until the thing comes out.
All of this adds up to a whole lot of PR--good or bad. Billy Bob's latest stunt provides tons of web scuttle about his new album even though most people think he behaved as a total whack-job. And any other speculation about possible alterior motives adds to the fuel and buzz about the other projects going on.
Again, PR is PR. And since the general consensus about Billy Bob is that he's sort of half-baked anyway, I doubt this will hurt any interestin his band--even if that was what he was hoping for.
Billy Bob Thornton recently gave a very strange interview on the CBC radio show Q.
Not only did he give bizarre, unrelated, one-word answers, he was downright hostile to the poor guy interviewing him.
The interview was actually with his whole band, The Boxmasters, about their tour with Willie Nelson, their prolific musical output of late, and their new album.
One would assume those would all be fair game topics for discussion when visiting with a radio host about one's band, yes?
No.
Billy Bob responded as though taking great offense to many seemingly benign questions about the band, their start, and his background in film.
Example:
Host: You guys formed only in the past couple of years, right?
BBT: I don't know what you are talking about.
Host: What do you learn from Willie Nelson, Billy Bob?
BBT: I've never met him
Host: (attempting to redirect the interview away from monster magazines and back to music) Given that you seem to be quite passionate about music, I was wondering about your....
BBT: (in an insolent tone) Would you say that to Tom Petty?
Throughout the interview, the rest of the band members respond normally with expected answers about the band, their ambitions, and musical interests. But crazy old Billy Bob seems either ticked he is not the total center of attention (even though most of the questions are directed at him) or else just so tired of the standard radio interview that he decides to make it more interesting by giving off-the-wall answers.
Another possibility that crossed my mind is that he is somehow in on whatever kind of 'mockumentary' Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix are supposedly working on. But since no one is talking on that end about what is real and what is staged, we won't know until the thing comes out.
All of this adds up to a whole lot of PR--good or bad. Billy Bob's latest stunt provides tons of web scuttle about his new album even though most people think he behaved as a total whack-job. And any other speculation about possible alterior motives adds to the fuel and buzz about the other projects going on.
Again, PR is PR. And since the general consensus about Billy Bob is that he's sort of half-baked anyway, I doubt this will hurt any interestin his band--even if that was what he was hoping for.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Fool me once, shame on......Don't get fooled again!
It's April Fools week, so I figured that is excuse enough to write about light fluffy stuff--like the snow we got April Fools day.
I think Mother Nature's sense of humor is way out of whack on this one. It's one thing to have snow April 1 when it's been warm and melting and lovely for a week or two prior. That's a real April Fools joke. Ha! Look! It snowed and it was so nice! And then it melts.
But this is ridiculous. We haven't even had a taste of spring yet. It's winter in perpetuity--like Dante's lowest circle of hell, only cold.
If I have calculated correctly, I'm pretty sure we got our first staying snow in November. That's five solid months of winter. And when you factor in the months of subzero-never-getting-above-zero-even-for-a-second temperatures, the literally five to six FEET of snow in some areas, and the horrid storms and road conditions, I think that multiplies out to........three years.
I read that April Fools Day started when the calendar changed from starting April 1 to January 1 and those who stuck to the old date had tricks played on them. However, other historians say it's been referenced much further back than that.
I prefer to believe it had much more to do with people going nuts from cabin fever after a stupidly long winter. If they didn't create their own fun, they'd have to shoot themselves to avoid killing someone else. Short sheeting a couple beds sounds like a much healthier alternative to homicide.
So I'm pretty bitter about this April Fools joke. However, today, April 2, it is sunny and warm, and I think I smelled spring for the first time today. If you don't know what that smell is, it's the scent of thawing soil. It's divine.
To narrowly tie this post into something media related, I will link to the favorite office pranks that MSN listed yesterday. Maybe it will give some people some ideas for next year.
Let's just hope Mother Nature has had her jollies and decides to lighten up next go around.
What if she just gets meaner??
I think Mother Nature's sense of humor is way out of whack on this one. It's one thing to have snow April 1 when it's been warm and melting and lovely for a week or two prior. That's a real April Fools joke. Ha! Look! It snowed and it was so nice! And then it melts.
But this is ridiculous. We haven't even had a taste of spring yet. It's winter in perpetuity--like Dante's lowest circle of hell, only cold.
If I have calculated correctly, I'm pretty sure we got our first staying snow in November. That's five solid months of winter. And when you factor in the months of subzero-never-getting-above-zero-even-for-a-second temperatures, the literally five to six FEET of snow in some areas, and the horrid storms and road conditions, I think that multiplies out to........three years.
I read that April Fools Day started when the calendar changed from starting April 1 to January 1 and those who stuck to the old date had tricks played on them. However, other historians say it's been referenced much further back than that.
I prefer to believe it had much more to do with people going nuts from cabin fever after a stupidly long winter. If they didn't create their own fun, they'd have to shoot themselves to avoid killing someone else. Short sheeting a couple beds sounds like a much healthier alternative to homicide.
So I'm pretty bitter about this April Fools joke. However, today, April 2, it is sunny and warm, and I think I smelled spring for the first time today. If you don't know what that smell is, it's the scent of thawing soil. It's divine.
To narrowly tie this post into something media related, I will link to the favorite office pranks that MSN listed yesterday. Maybe it will give some people some ideas for next year.
Let's just hope Mother Nature has had her jollies and decides to lighten up next go around.
What if she just gets meaner??
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Is it Really the Truth?
A friend of mine actually told me about an ad for "clean coal" and sent me the link.
Clean Coal Ad
I can't say I agree or disagree with the ad itself because I don't know enough about coal technology to make an informed decision AND we have coal power in North Dakota that provides a lot of good paying jobs, just like we have oil work in North Dakota also paying well for a lot of people. So I don't feel prepared to make a hard and fast judgment about either, even though the environmentalist in me says "Down with fossil fuels!!"
The ad does the trick, however, in making a very vivid point about how 'clean' coal is. By spraying the coal dust around the room like an air freshener, it gives a great visual for what a coal plant is likely doing to our atmosphere.
And the fact that the Coen brothers directed it helps too.
I saw another ad by the same agency (Reality) on YouTube. The ads remind me of the Truth.com ads that warn about the dangers of smoking. This is the one I've seen most recently.
These ads are very provocatively done and do an excellent job of reaching people on a visceral level. And that seems to be the key to this type of ad campaign--get a gut reaction.
I do firmly believe smoking is bad for you and I do think everyone should quit. I have not made up my mind on the clean coal thing. But these types of ads would push me to lean in their direction because they make such striking points. After seeing them, I want to know more--know more details, know more facts, know for sure.
But I am a very inquisitive person. How do people who don't care to think much respond? Do they take the word of the ad? Or do they equally blindly dismiss it because it is so extreme in its point?
When constructing my own ad, I have to decide what kind of reaction I want in my audience--do I want a primal, gut-instinct response, or do I want a feel-good, warm and fuzzy response? Am I looking for a solely emotional connection at all? On what level do I want to connect with my audience?
Advertising becomes a very dicey psychological game, and if we aren't careful, it might take a sudden twist we weren't intending at all.
Clean Coal Ad
I can't say I agree or disagree with the ad itself because I don't know enough about coal technology to make an informed decision AND we have coal power in North Dakota that provides a lot of good paying jobs, just like we have oil work in North Dakota also paying well for a lot of people. So I don't feel prepared to make a hard and fast judgment about either, even though the environmentalist in me says "Down with fossil fuels!!"
The ad does the trick, however, in making a very vivid point about how 'clean' coal is. By spraying the coal dust around the room like an air freshener, it gives a great visual for what a coal plant is likely doing to our atmosphere.
And the fact that the Coen brothers directed it helps too.
I saw another ad by the same agency (Reality) on YouTube. The ads remind me of the Truth.com ads that warn about the dangers of smoking. This is the one I've seen most recently.
These ads are very provocatively done and do an excellent job of reaching people on a visceral level. And that seems to be the key to this type of ad campaign--get a gut reaction.
I do firmly believe smoking is bad for you and I do think everyone should quit. I have not made up my mind on the clean coal thing. But these types of ads would push me to lean in their direction because they make such striking points. After seeing them, I want to know more--know more details, know more facts, know for sure.
But I am a very inquisitive person. How do people who don't care to think much respond? Do they take the word of the ad? Or do they equally blindly dismiss it because it is so extreme in its point?
When constructing my own ad, I have to decide what kind of reaction I want in my audience--do I want a primal, gut-instinct response, or do I want a feel-good, warm and fuzzy response? Am I looking for a solely emotional connection at all? On what level do I want to connect with my audience?
Advertising becomes a very dicey psychological game, and if we aren't careful, it might take a sudden twist we weren't intending at all.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Down Side of an Up Economy
SYKES announced this week that they would be closing their Minot operation as of May 10, 2009.
My first thought when I heard the headline was, "Huh, must have lost contracts with Microsoft or something because of the economy." But as I listened to the story, I learned the actual reason for the closing is because they cannot find enough workers to fill their open positions.
Yes, you read that right.
They are not closing due to loss of work, poor money management, or some CEO scandal. They can't fill the open positions--they can't get enough bodies in the chairs.
Can you imagine this in any other state in the country right now??
This "problem" should be marketed to Job Service offices around the country! There are thousands lining up to apply for a few hundred jobs in some of the harder hit areas. While not everyone would be willing to move to North Dakota, I bet some would. This could be the state's opportunity to bolster their population and generate more good PR like the CNN story from a week or so ago.
North Dakotans for years have collectively wrung their hands trying to stem the tide of outmigration. This seems to me to be the perfect incentive to bring people in.
WE HAVE JOBS !!!!
Now, of course, there are those (like my dear husband) who do not relish the idea of a bunch of 'foreigners' coming in and ruining their solitude.
Don't worry dear.
I'm pretty sure no one is going to come build a shopping mall or apartment complex next to your uber-rural farm which lies 90 miles from anywhere considered civilized to outside folks.
And the rest of you who have this same concern, see the above statement.
When I was in NY a week or so ago, people said, "You're not from here, are you?" And I said with a wide smile, "No, how can you tell?" expecting some sort of "goober" answer.
"You're too nice," was the reply.
So not only do we have jobs and lots of space, we have a nice personality too! Now let's get out there and market it!!
My first thought when I heard the headline was, "Huh, must have lost contracts with Microsoft or something because of the economy." But as I listened to the story, I learned the actual reason for the closing is because they cannot find enough workers to fill their open positions.
Yes, you read that right.
They are not closing due to loss of work, poor money management, or some CEO scandal. They can't fill the open positions--they can't get enough bodies in the chairs.
Can you imagine this in any other state in the country right now??
This "problem" should be marketed to Job Service offices around the country! There are thousands lining up to apply for a few hundred jobs in some of the harder hit areas. While not everyone would be willing to move to North Dakota, I bet some would. This could be the state's opportunity to bolster their population and generate more good PR like the CNN story from a week or so ago.
North Dakotans for years have collectively wrung their hands trying to stem the tide of outmigration. This seems to me to be the perfect incentive to bring people in.
WE HAVE JOBS !!!!
Now, of course, there are those (like my dear husband) who do not relish the idea of a bunch of 'foreigners' coming in and ruining their solitude.
Don't worry dear.
I'm pretty sure no one is going to come build a shopping mall or apartment complex next to your uber-rural farm which lies 90 miles from anywhere considered civilized to outside folks.
And the rest of you who have this same concern, see the above statement.
When I was in NY a week or so ago, people said, "You're not from here, are you?" And I said with a wide smile, "No, how can you tell?" expecting some sort of "goober" answer.
"You're too nice," was the reply.
So not only do we have jobs and lots of space, we have a nice personality too! Now let's get out there and market it!!
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