I've begun my research, and have done some interviewing among citizens in and around Valley City. I thought talking to people outside of the town, who likely had some connections to Valley City, was interesting and will prove to be an essential part of my report. Some say they didn't have radio signal and internet access, so they felt out of the loop. Also, the local TV station, the Replay Channel, was not available to those outside the area. Despite all of this, I think it was most important to focus on the communication among the citizens in Valley City.
Another trend I've noticed is that internet sources go beyond news sites. Twitter and Facebook, two social networking sites, were also very popular, especially among the younger population. Valley News Live had Twitter updates constantly about the Fargo flood, and when the Sheyenne in Valley City started to reach its crest, Valley News Live wrote small updates about the situation followed by a Tiny Url.
I haven't begun analyzing the one medium I chose, which is the radio, but I will bet that it was accurate and featured constant updates. From the interviewing I have done, I have realized that the radio was probably the most popular medium regardless of age. I used the radio often because it was all localized. But when I didn't have access to the radio, I usually checked online later at NewsDakota. I also appreciated the interviews the radio had with the mayor and other city officials. That was also important when the sewer broke.
I will continue researching the radio and also compare my observations with that of the article about the flood in Grand Forks in 1997. I'm assuming that the crisis communicaiton will have advanced much since then, especially with the growth of the internet and social media.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Blog 5 (Crisis Communication Project)
We've been assigned a final project in this class to analyze the crisis communication that went on around ND with the floods. I've chosen to look at the crisis communication in Valley City, since I live here and know the communication here the best. I haven't quite chosen what medium I will analyze, but I have the following in mind: Twitter, The Forum, News Dakota, and Times-Record. One of the things I noticed throughout the communication during the flood is that I got a lot of my information about Valley City from The Forum's website instead of the Times-Record. This was especially true on weekends. But the radio and NewsDakota told me the most, so I'll probably end up choosing that for my medium. One thing for sure is that I am going to choose an online source because then I know that all of the articles and such are saved in archives.
I plan to look at the communication that occured before, during, and after the flooding that happened here. Because all of the articles are saved online in archives, I will better be able to find out specifically when certain articles were released and when announcements were made. I also plan to interview some friends around here to find out which medium they used to find out about the crisis and how effective they found it. This is part 5 of the assignment. Informal interviewing will help me determine how people relyed on information.
A description of events is also part of the assignment. The events range from the very first sandbag filled to cleanup and restoration (which probably won't be part of my assignment). Events like students helping sandbag and the sirens going off will be listed here as well as when we were told to conserve water and when the sewer actually collapsed. Then I will list the building of contigency dikes and porta-potties being brought in. Announcements are also important part of event list.
After analyizing my own and other's opinions and experiences with different media used in crisis communication around the area, I will be able to determine which was the most and least effective and credible. I predict a lot of people relyed on word-of-mouth, which in my opinion is the lease effective. I guess we'll see once I start researching.
I plan to look at the communication that occured before, during, and after the flooding that happened here. Because all of the articles are saved online in archives, I will better be able to find out specifically when certain articles were released and when announcements were made. I also plan to interview some friends around here to find out which medium they used to find out about the crisis and how effective they found it. This is part 5 of the assignment. Informal interviewing will help me determine how people relyed on information.
A description of events is also part of the assignment. The events range from the very first sandbag filled to cleanup and restoration (which probably won't be part of my assignment). Events like students helping sandbag and the sirens going off will be listed here as well as when we were told to conserve water and when the sewer actually collapsed. Then I will list the building of contigency dikes and porta-potties being brought in. Announcements are also important part of event list.
After analyizing my own and other's opinions and experiences with different media used in crisis communication around the area, I will be able to determine which was the most and least effective and credible. I predict a lot of people relyed on word-of-mouth, which in my opinion is the lease effective. I guess we'll see once I start researching.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Blog 4 (Crisis Communication)
The crisis I have chosen to write about is about the sewer collapse in Valley City. I examined the communication of all the city officials, the mayor, and journalists for local newspapers and websites. The communication in this type of crisis is vital before, during, and after the crisis. A few days before this crisis, it had been said on the radio and television that Valley City residents should conserve water. I don't know if the message was not getting out enough or that people did not pay attention to or misinterpreted the message. I got a knock on my door Thursday (the day before the collapse) evening from a guy who was passing out flyers and telling us the best ways we can conserve water because it was very crucial. My original plan to conserve water was just to quit washing my dishes and laundry. I still poured water down the drain. I'm sure others thought this way, which is likely what caused the problem. The preliminary communication was probably, in my opinion, the worst.
Despite the problems in the beginning, communication about the crisis once it occured was prompt. I awoke to the town's emergency whistle going off at around 9:30 am. I turned my radio to Q 101 and found out what had happened. The radio announcer told us all to not use any water at all. The radio announcement was an effective form of crisis communication. It was prompt and stated the facts. Also, the whistle going off allowed people to turn on their radios. I would have never even had the radio on if I hadn't heard the radio. One other thing the radio announcer said was that all nonessential businesses should be closed and that there was a voluntary evacuation of the entire city. While I was listening, the radio announcer actually said that the evacuation was mandatory (which it wasn't). This was a gliche in the crisis communication of the City. Fortunately, the mayor came on minutes after that announcement and corrected him, saying the evacuation was only voluntary.
Another thing that I noticed the City did right in this crisis was telling people what's going to happen in the long run. Officials said that the city will likely be using porta-potties for the next month. I feel that if they hadn't said this, people may not have realized the problem was so significant.
Our local newspaper, The Times-Record, had several follow-up articles to the crisis, and this is one of them. This article talks about the closure of the businesses. It gives advice from FEMA about what businessowners can do during the crisis. This article talks about what exactly happened to the sewer. It gave an explanation to citizens (such as myself) who may have been confused. Log on to their website to view more stories.
The Forum also featured an article on the story on the front page the day it collapsed. The article stated what had happened and what buildings were affected. I thought this article was effective because it told the public the truth and did not sugar coat anything.
Additionally, a local news site, NewsDakota, offered plenty of articles about the crisis. They offered plenty of articles about the floods all over the 15 counties the site offers. This is also the site that let me know when Valley City nonessential businesses were allowed to open again.
Some have said bad things about the City and the mayor, but I think they did an effective job in the communication of the crisis. VCSU also played a huge role in the communication among students. I got a phone call, email, and text message informing me of the cancellation of classes.
Despite the problems in the beginning, communication about the crisis once it occured was prompt. I awoke to the town's emergency whistle going off at around 9:30 am. I turned my radio to Q 101 and found out what had happened. The radio announcer told us all to not use any water at all. The radio announcement was an effective form of crisis communication. It was prompt and stated the facts. Also, the whistle going off allowed people to turn on their radios. I would have never even had the radio on if I hadn't heard the radio. One other thing the radio announcer said was that all nonessential businesses should be closed and that there was a voluntary evacuation of the entire city. While I was listening, the radio announcer actually said that the evacuation was mandatory (which it wasn't). This was a gliche in the crisis communication of the City. Fortunately, the mayor came on minutes after that announcement and corrected him, saying the evacuation was only voluntary.
Another thing that I noticed the City did right in this crisis was telling people what's going to happen in the long run. Officials said that the city will likely be using porta-potties for the next month. I feel that if they hadn't said this, people may not have realized the problem was so significant.
Our local newspaper, The Times-Record, had several follow-up articles to the crisis, and this is one of them. This article talks about the closure of the businesses. It gives advice from FEMA about what businessowners can do during the crisis. This article talks about what exactly happened to the sewer. It gave an explanation to citizens (such as myself) who may have been confused. Log on to their website to view more stories.
The Forum also featured an article on the story on the front page the day it collapsed. The article stated what had happened and what buildings were affected. I thought this article was effective because it told the public the truth and did not sugar coat anything.
Additionally, a local news site, NewsDakota, offered plenty of articles about the crisis. They offered plenty of articles about the floods all over the 15 counties the site offers. This is also the site that let me know when Valley City nonessential businesses were allowed to open again.
Some have said bad things about the City and the mayor, but I think they did an effective job in the communication of the crisis. VCSU also played a huge role in the communication among students. I got a phone call, email, and text message informing me of the cancellation of classes.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Blog 3 (Features)
This is a link to an article from PRNewsWire.com that seems to fit some qualities of a feature story. One of the aspects that seems to make this article a feature is the soft lead, which is: "What if after 100 years of searching by major institutions and government agencies for the conquest of cancer, a small, unheralded, non-profit organization could become the "David" that helped slay the Cancer Goliath?" It's a question that intrigues the readers. It's catchy. The rest of the article, though, seems written in mainly hard news form.
We all have features that are due on Friday, and luckily for me, feature stories are not something new to me. In another class, I am actually in the middle of writing two feature stories. According to our books, features can be written in a more story-telling form. They also add human interest to an otherwise hard news, boring story. So, what exactly does a feature look like? We were given examples through email, and it's easy to find examples online, but no matter how easy that is, is it easy to write one? I've continued my adventure to find another feature story on PRNewsWire.com. (Maybe that will help me write a better feature story).
Here is a link to another article that seems feature-like. This article is announcing a new stand-up comedy show called "Tosh.0," which will supposedly change the way people think about the internet. This story seems to fit the qualities of features because it seems to be human interest-related. The article still features facts and quotes, but they seem to be in a story-telling way. For instance, this line: "The unusual mind of Daniel Tosh has earned him the admiration of his peers by winning over audiences with his unique brand of stand-up comedy that has made him one of the most requested headliners in the country. His casual style and sharp material have proven to be greatly appreciated by his audiences, young and old (but mostly young)." What do you notice in this story that you don't generally see in hard news stories? Adjectives. One thing I've been taught in my media writing classes is that good journalists use strong action verbs and nouns rather than modifiers; nonetheless, I think those modifiers are more likely to be seen in a feature story than in a hard news story. Moving on, the article also features details and stories, something necessary in feature writing. What else might make this a feature is the subject alone. The announcement of a new TV show has a high amount of human interest.
This is a link to an eHow article, explaining how to write and develop a feature. These pointers really come in handy. I advise you all to read these tips. One of the tips I particularily liked was tip 1: "Come up with a catchy short headline. It should communicate the essence of your story and build the curiosity of targeted readers." One of my favorite things about writing features is the chance to be able to tell a story moreso than just give straight facts. This can be done by giving a catchy introduction.
I hope these articles help you grasp a better idea on what does and what doens't belong in a feature. Feature writing can be fun; it gives you a chance to tell a real-life story.
We all have features that are due on Friday, and luckily for me, feature stories are not something new to me. In another class, I am actually in the middle of writing two feature stories. According to our books, features can be written in a more story-telling form. They also add human interest to an otherwise hard news, boring story. So, what exactly does a feature look like? We were given examples through email, and it's easy to find examples online, but no matter how easy that is, is it easy to write one? I've continued my adventure to find another feature story on PRNewsWire.com. (Maybe that will help me write a better feature story).
Here is a link to another article that seems feature-like. This article is announcing a new stand-up comedy show called "Tosh.0," which will supposedly change the way people think about the internet. This story seems to fit the qualities of features because it seems to be human interest-related. The article still features facts and quotes, but they seem to be in a story-telling way. For instance, this line: "The unusual mind of Daniel Tosh has earned him the admiration of his peers by winning over audiences with his unique brand of stand-up comedy that has made him one of the most requested headliners in the country. His casual style and sharp material have proven to be greatly appreciated by his audiences, young and old (but mostly young)." What do you notice in this story that you don't generally see in hard news stories? Adjectives. One thing I've been taught in my media writing classes is that good journalists use strong action verbs and nouns rather than modifiers; nonetheless, I think those modifiers are more likely to be seen in a feature story than in a hard news story. Moving on, the article also features details and stories, something necessary in feature writing. What else might make this a feature is the subject alone. The announcement of a new TV show has a high amount of human interest.
This is a link to an eHow article, explaining how to write and develop a feature. These pointers really come in handy. I advise you all to read these tips. One of the tips I particularily liked was tip 1: "Come up with a catchy short headline. It should communicate the essence of your story and build the curiosity of targeted readers." One of my favorite things about writing features is the chance to be able to tell a story moreso than just give straight facts. This can be done by giving a catchy introduction.
I hope these articles help you grasp a better idea on what does and what doens't belong in a feature. Feature writing can be fun; it gives you a chance to tell a real-life story.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Blog 2 (Grammar/Clarity)
This is a link to an article from PR Newswire about Windstar Cruises. Because we're studying clarity in writing and grammar in class right now, I looked at the quality of the writing, examining whether it fits into PR guidelines or not.
If you read the article, the beginning sentence is pretty complex (a no-no for PR writers). Yes, it pretty much explains exactly what Windstar Cruises offers, but people may become confused with all the commas. On a positive note, though, that paragraph just features three sentences--the right amount. And the second paragraph is only one whole sentence long (which is a good thing--in PR). The rest of the sentences and paragraphs (with the exception of lists of dates, which there's really no way around) seem to fit the guidelines of PR writing quite well.
But keep reading and you'll find a grammar error...find it yet? "Ischia is located at the northern end of the Bay of Naples and is know for volcanic..." That's right...they forgot an n (on know). What does this tell us? Windstar Cruises just lost credibility. It's not that big or an error, it doesn't even change the meaning of the sentence, but it does confuse the readers a bit, thus taking away from the message delivery. Plus, "grammar police" may lose respect for this company just because of that one little error.
As PR practitioners, we need to proofread everything, and probably not just once. It's so easy to miss little, common errors that we often overlook them. I know I do. What else I do, though, is proofread other's work (probably more than my own). I don't try to, but I tend to notice when words are mispelled or puncuation is used incorrectly. I've seen errors on quite a few credible places, including a Coke can. That was so long ago, I forgot what the error was; I just remember there was one. That idea is crucial to PR practitioners' credibility. Readers may not remember what the error was, but they'll always remember the presence of one.
Do you notice errors in writing? Do you care if there are errors?
If you read the article, the beginning sentence is pretty complex (a no-no for PR writers). Yes, it pretty much explains exactly what Windstar Cruises offers, but people may become confused with all the commas. On a positive note, though, that paragraph just features three sentences--the right amount. And the second paragraph is only one whole sentence long (which is a good thing--in PR). The rest of the sentences and paragraphs (with the exception of lists of dates, which there's really no way around) seem to fit the guidelines of PR writing quite well.
But keep reading and you'll find a grammar error...find it yet? "Ischia is located at the northern end of the Bay of Naples and is know for volcanic..." That's right...they forgot an n (on know). What does this tell us? Windstar Cruises just lost credibility. It's not that big or an error, it doesn't even change the meaning of the sentence, but it does confuse the readers a bit, thus taking away from the message delivery. Plus, "grammar police" may lose respect for this company just because of that one little error.
As PR practitioners, we need to proofread everything, and probably not just once. It's so easy to miss little, common errors that we often overlook them. I know I do. What else I do, though, is proofread other's work (probably more than my own). I don't try to, but I tend to notice when words are mispelled or puncuation is used incorrectly. I've seen errors on quite a few credible places, including a Coke can. That was so long ago, I forgot what the error was; I just remember there was one. That idea is crucial to PR practitioners' credibility. Readers may not remember what the error was, but they'll always remember the presence of one.
Do you notice errors in writing? Do you care if there are errors?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Blog 1 (DrJays.com's Persuasion Techniques)
This is a link to an article about DrJays.com's search for models. When reading over the article I noticed some things relating to the chapters we've covered about PR. The external publics are all of the aspring models, especially those who like and wear DrJays.com's clothing and also young models who are into urban style, which is what DrJays.com sells. DrJay's.com needs to reach out their message to that specific audience. They need to use the right persuasive guidelines. Aspring models belong to a social group in which DrJays.com can take into consideration when persuading. Newsom, D. & Jaynes, J. (2008) mention the concept of individuals belonging to groups with social norms. To acknowledge these norms would be beneficial in the persuasion process.
One of the key elements of persuasion is first the chance for the apsriring models to not only just acheive their dream and get their "fifteen minutes of fame," but also, there's the whole trip thing that works as a great persuasive tool. The two chosen winners (one female and one male) will fly to San Diego to the studio, so for those who haven't ever been to San Diego, or want to go again, this may improve their likelihood to apply for the model search.
DrJays.com uses a motivational approach to their campaigning because the message offers a reward for accepting and responding to it. This reward will be particularliy beneficial to aspiring models who have worked hard in a tough industry, just trying to be discovered by the right people. On Maslow's hierachy of needs, this reward will fall in the two most abstract of categories, the need for self esteem or actualization. Here you will find Maslow's loose definition of the term self-actualization. Maslow mentions the full use of one's talents to be considered self-actualization.
To see the DrJays.com website, click here. And click here to see terms and conditions and videos for the model contest on DrJays.com.
Getting the message across is definately helpful to DrJays.com. Their message can be found at a quite a few websites. If you type in "DrJays.com model search" in Google.com, plenty of news sites, magazine and newspaper sites, as well as blogs, will show that exact search. They're definately getting their message across. The articles are found in magazines probably read by the particular social group plus other magazines and even the NY Times.
Though just presenting the message is only the beginning. Newsom, D. & Jaynes, J. (2008) tell us that the audience still needs to attend to, comprehend, yield, retain the new position, and act on the message. For an example, these advertisements are all found online, those who do not have internet access will not view the message. Those who do not read magazines or newspapers, will not read the message. Moreover, the audience may or may not comprehend the message. The message is written in comprehensive language, but in English. This could eliminate all potential non-English speaking audiences.
I've seen that DrJays.com uses positive persuasive techniques and remains honest in their tellings (well as far as I can tell). I think this announcement is a good example for using persuasive techniques towards a particular audience.
One of the key elements of persuasion is first the chance for the apsriring models to not only just acheive their dream and get their "fifteen minutes of fame," but also, there's the whole trip thing that works as a great persuasive tool. The two chosen winners (one female and one male) will fly to San Diego to the studio, so for those who haven't ever been to San Diego, or want to go again, this may improve their likelihood to apply for the model search.
DrJays.com uses a motivational approach to their campaigning because the message offers a reward for accepting and responding to it. This reward will be particularliy beneficial to aspiring models who have worked hard in a tough industry, just trying to be discovered by the right people. On Maslow's hierachy of needs, this reward will fall in the two most abstract of categories, the need for self esteem or actualization. Here you will find Maslow's loose definition of the term self-actualization. Maslow mentions the full use of one's talents to be considered self-actualization.
To see the DrJays.com website, click here. And click here to see terms and conditions and videos for the model contest on DrJays.com.
Getting the message across is definately helpful to DrJays.com. Their message can be found at a quite a few websites. If you type in "DrJays.com model search" in Google.com, plenty of news sites, magazine and newspaper sites, as well as blogs, will show that exact search. They're definately getting their message across. The articles are found in magazines probably read by the particular social group plus other magazines and even the NY Times.
Though just presenting the message is only the beginning. Newsom, D. & Jaynes, J. (2008) tell us that the audience still needs to attend to, comprehend, yield, retain the new position, and act on the message. For an example, these advertisements are all found online, those who do not have internet access will not view the message. Those who do not read magazines or newspapers, will not read the message. Moreover, the audience may or may not comprehend the message. The message is written in comprehensive language, but in English. This could eliminate all potential non-English speaking audiences.
I've seen that DrJays.com uses positive persuasive techniques and remains honest in their tellings (well as far as I can tell). I think this announcement is a good example for using persuasive techniques towards a particular audience.
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