Facebook Fortnight: A Media Changer?

Some interesting thoughts from Paul Armstrong, Kindred‘s Director of Social Media: Did Facebook just become a (bigger) threat to broadcasters or their saviour?

My own take on this is that this is a good way for Facebook to use it’s own technology to help with  it’s own PR/marketing efforts.

I don’t think broadcasters will be any more threatened by this than by any other kind of Livecasting, but when you look at how many media properties are reporting on interviews and/or delivering highly polished videos, I can’t help wondering if some of them may not be encouraged to go on and adopt the technology themselves (great PR for Livecast). Whether this should be from their own site or from their Facebook site is another debate altogether.

Claire Thompson, freelance PR consultant, Waves PR

Cleaning Up Communications

On the thupr event, Cleaning up Communications

Despite the fact that the World Cup and various PR conferences were on, despite the fact that it was a hot and sunny Friday afternoon, and despite the fact that I hadn’t been able to put in the normal amount of effort around the thupr event on June 25, there was a committed core of people who cared enough to come and talk around the subject of ‘Cleaning Up Communications’.

It was anything but a normal thupr event – although each event has been so very different that what ‘normal’ is remains a moot issue. Each has taken on its own personality and this one was all discussion.

So how do we ‘Clean Up Communications?’

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Being offensive to improve communication

Claire Thompson, Freelance PR Consultant, Waves PR

The Freedom of Speech Debate

Thoughts developed from an Article 19 discussion at the House of Lords, March 25, at which they effectively launched the Camden Principles. The event was organized as part of the efforts of ARTICLE 19 to strengthen dialogue and common ground between those involved in defending free expression and the right to equality.

We expect to be able to speak, write, blog and express our views, yet in reality freedom of speech is  so complex, so fraught with the minefields of personal belief and interest, and filled with such fear of giving offence, that many shy away from it.

Freedom of speech and anti-discrimination laws are often seen as clashing rights. Throw in the complexities of ownership (copyright) and defamation,  and this was always going to be an interesting discussion.

My conclusion, by the end of it, was that we need to be offended. Regularly. And learn to challenge those who offend, fighting words with words, bigotry with reason, whilst incitement to crime, on whatever grounds, should be punished. (Brave words from someone who generally shies away from harsh debate!)

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Media Management When A Child Dies

Claire Thompson, Freelance PR Consultant, Waves PR

Last week I was due at a Gumtree event. I was looking forward to it, but shortly before leaving, I received a panicked call from a friend who manages a sports club. A child had died andthe local media was hounding them for information and statements .

Sadly, this is the second time in less than a year I’ve been contacted on the same subject, after a neighbour’s son was killed in a car crash and the family was distraught at the misinformation being repeated.

When a child dies, there is very little information available  for those around their families and friends about how to manage the media.

I’m not talking about information for professional organisations, social workers and the like, who have (or should have) training and easy access to professionals. I’m not talking about the situations where the police will be giving strict guidelines and helping with statements.

I am talking about a short, easy guide for the family friends, the football clubs that suddenly find themselves not only dealing with their own emotions, and those of the other children around them, but also having to deal with the media.

So over the coming month I plan to put together a guide to help. The media handling side is no problem, but there will be others out there who can help – who can share their own experiences, who can point to useful resources, who know from their own experiences what information they would have liked to have found, even who might like to sponsor it or help write it up.

So this is an appeal for anyone who may have something to share to let me know, either here or by email, claire at wavespr dotcom.

Everything will, I promise, be dealt with sensitively, and anyone whose story is shared will see the copy before it’s published.