From hung parliaments to devastating floods there has been no shortage of news since ABC News 24 went to air eight months ago. While the journalists, producers, crews and editors have been busy providing live coverage of national and international events they’ve still managed to produce some quality new programs and refresh some old favourites.
The 7.30 Report is one old favourite which has been refreshed for the new news channel. This month ABC launched its new flagship current affairs program 7.30 with Leigh Sales and Chris Uhlmann anchoring from Sydney and Canberra respectively.
From the episodes I’ve watched so far, the show appears to continue the tradition of high quality reporting and in-depth interviews set by Kerry O’Brien and his team. Speaking of Kerry, while he may no longer be behind the desk at 7.30pm each night, he remains a critical part of the ABC news team presenting Four Corners in a new weekly role.
But back to 7.30. The show brings together a team of national and international correspondents who provide in-depth coverage and analysis of business and political issues. Sales covers the stories from Sydney and around Australia while Uhlmann is on hand to cover the news breaking in Canberra – no doubt he’ll be on call 24/7.
As well as being a consummate interviewer, Leigh is a published author, popular tweeter and regular contributor to the ABC’s opinion site. Prior to 7.30, Leigh anchored Lateline, interviewing major figures including Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair and Henry Kissinger. She has also been the ABC’s Washington Correspondent, as well as their National Security Correspondent.
Chris Uhlmann came to journalism a little later in life than Sales but has certainly gained wide recognition for his quality journalism. He started as a 29-year-old copy kid at The Canberra Times in 1989 and switched to television in 2008 where he has been Political Editor for ABC News, The 7.30 Report and ABC News 24.
Both anchors will no doubt bring new audiences and fresh perspectives on the stories to be covered by 7.30.
The show also features a Friday edition, which brings the state-based programs previously known as Stateline under the one banner while retaining local hosts. Hopefully this will give each of the state-based editions greater prominence and provide higher quality Friday night viewing.
As well as 7.30 and Four Corners, we’re also enjoying:
• One plus One – Jane Hutcheon presents a series of weekly interviews with newsmakers from around the world. It’s wonderful to have a program giving time to in-depth interviews.
• ABC News Breakfast – a great start to the day with Virginia Trioli and a team of national correspondents
• Q&A – who doesn’t love the opportunity to ask questions of Australian community, political and business leaders PLUS there’s a possibility of seeing your tweets on screen.
Cheers,
the c word
PS. What’s your favourite television news program?
For today’s post, we asked former c-worder Laura Crowden to reflect on the difference between newspapers in Australia and the United Kingdom. Laura is currently living in London and working as a Senior Media Officer at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM).
Any media or PR professional seeking work in the United Kingdom will undoubtedly be grilled on their knowledge of the UK media, and in particular the complex hierarchy among the national print media
In Australia, most capital cities boast a maximum of two daily newspapers, complimented by the local and regional titles. Australian communication professionals can be confident of each paper having a clearly defined audience and approach. In Melbourne, the Herald Sun is clearly a mass-market tabloid, while The Age is pitched as a quality broadsheet. The same distinction can be made between Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald.
The UK print media is a far more complicated beast, with England boasting no less than ten daily papers, adding to the plethora of local and regional titles. In addition, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have their own set of newspapers. Despite most of the country’s leading newspapers being based out of London, they are read all over the UK.
Working as a PR or media professional in London requires – at a minimum – a reasonable understanding of the distinction between the capital’s major newspapers. Any media announcement or PR event needs to be carefully pitched at a particular newspaper segment, depending on the desired audience. A business PR firm would seek coverage primarily in the financial and broadsheet papers, while a celebrity agent would be focused almost exclusively on the tabloids.
Although the “quality” UK press are loosely referred to as the broadsheets, not all have retained the traditional broadsheet layout, many opting in recent years for either the compact (The Guardian) or Berliner format (The Independent and The Times).
Another difference between newspapers in Australia and Britain is their coverage of elections. Where Australian newspapers adhere to at least a vague aura of impartiality, UK newspapers make no secret of their political allegiances, with headlines clearly trumpeting or disparaging political parities in the lead-up to each election. Unlike Australia where political bias is disguised and all political parties are given coverage, most UK newspapers run a blatant campaign in favour of a political party, often using smear campaigns to undermine the opposition.
The best-selling “quality” title is The Daily Telegraph, sometimes scathingly referred to as the ‘Daily Torygraph’ due to its consistent backing of the conservative party. Left-of-centre and socially liberal, The Guardian is usually seen as close to the Labor Party but backed Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats in the 2010 election.
The Independent, as the name suggests, claims to be independent but expresses centre-left, liberal views. Rupert Murdoch’s The Times supported New Labor during Blair’s reign but returned to backing the Conservative Party in 2010.
At the other end of the spectrum are the tabloids, newspapers that make the Herald Sun look worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. Known as the “red-tops” due to their distinctive red banners, along with the “middle-markets”, they are referred to as the “popular press”. Unashamedly focused on human interest and celebrity stories (particularly footballers and their wives, and reality TV show contestants), the tabloids devote little coverage to politics or international news.
The most notorious is The Sun, infamous for its ongoing inclusion of the ‘page 3 girls’ – topless women accompanied by incongruously intellectual quotes on issues of the day. Another Murdoch title, it recently backed the conservatives, although is a former Blair supporter. Other tabloids include The Daily Mirror (only paper to outrightly back Gordon Brown’s Labor in 2010) and Daily Star (right-wing and populist).
Clearly not broadsheet but quite a true tabloid, the so-called “middle-markets” have strong human interest content but less celebrity smut. Both sensationalist middle-markets, Daily Express and Daily Mail, are consistently politically right-wing and supportive of the conservative party.
Most of the titles also have a Sunday version, such as the Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph, although confusingly The Guardian’s Sunday stable-mate is The Observer. Further adding to the mix are the free MX-style newspapers handed out each day at railway stations and tube stops, such at Metro and City AM.
Last year, after 180 years of paid circulation, the respected Evening Standard became free and is now handed out each evening. Definitely of a higher quality than most free papers, it has doubled its circulation since becoming free and put many competitors – notably defunct London Lite – out of business.
Predictably, each leading newspaper has an impressive online presence. Controversially, The Times recently followed The Financial Times’ lead in charging non-subscribers for online content. Staying ahead of the game, this month The Times moved closer to digital integration by launching a special edition available only for iPad users.
The UK print media offers both confusion and opportunities for antipodean ex-pats. Each paper comes with its own complex history, audience, reputation, and political allegiance. The huge difference between the broadsheets and tabloids should be obvious with one shocked glance at page three of The Sun. Understanding the subtle differences between titles – such as the similar Daily Express and Daily Mirror – takes time.
The benefit to a communications professional is greater choice – both in terms of audience and agenda. The mix of broadsheets and tabloids means you can direct your announcement, product or client to an appropriate title.
A huge leap from Australian print media – renowned, thanks to the dominance of Fairfax and Murdoch, as being the world’s most concentrated – the UK print media is a magnificent beast. Where else can some of the world’s oldest newspapers provide you with either an in-depth analysis of Middle Eastern politics, or an in-depth analysis of Danni Minogue’s outfits on X-Factor?
This week we chat with Cassie Govan, Director and Co-Founder of Empirica Research.
What’s your elevator statement – who are you professionally and personally?
Professionally, I’ve always been driven by two big passions. One is for the pace and creativity of marketing and advertising; the other is for the more scientific side of consumer psychology. I had always thought that they were mutually exclusive – so I tried both. I satisfied the nerdy side by doing a PhD in psychology and then moving to Stanford University in the US. I then moved back to Melbourne to work for a traditional research firm in Melbourne – but I found myself missing the academic world.
So, Empirica brings both those worlds together. As a consumer research agency, Empirica provides all the familiar marketing, advertising and PR research services, but we also bring the science of consumer psychology to bear on projects in a way that I think is genuinely unique and powerful. When projects call for it, we bring academic partners from the US, Europe and Australia into our commercial research projects and we leverage the cutting-edge research that is being done in universities on how to motivate people to attend, process, and ultimately act on a message. This mix of both worlds keeps the nerd and the business sides of me very happy!
When I’m not working, you’d probably find me running at the gym or around the lake, in a Body Attack class or at Bikram Yoga South Melbourne. I’ve been an exercise addict my whole life and most of my good ideas come to me on the treadmill; bikram is my newest addiction.
Tell us about your typical day in communications?
My business partner David Neal, who is also a psychology professor in the US, and I have just launched Empirica in Melbourne and LA…with a new business across two countries, a “typical” day just doesn’t exist. But, any day starts by getting up to date with the news and ads, coffee, emails, talking to ad/pr agencies, discussing upcoming projects with clients, keeping our academic partners in touch with the projects we’re doing, writing, reading, more coffee…and of course a run or a bikram class at some point.
When did you first know you wanted to work in communications?
When I was a kid I used to get in trouble for channel surfing to watch the ads, so I think I always knew advertising would be part of my career… I coupled my love of advertising (fun) with a PhD in Psychology (nerd) and that’s how I landed here. People often think it’s weird that I studied psychology for so long, but work in marketing/advertising worlds. To me, it makes perfect sense – psychology is how people think, make decisions, communicate, and behave – and I think that also sums up marketing and advertising. Plus, it gives me an excuse to watch ads and call it “work.”
Who’s your communication hero/mentor?
Malcolm Gladwell comes in at the top of my list. He has an amazing gift for talking about some of the great work from the academic side of psychology and making it interesting and fun for everyone to read about. His books are also powerful guides on how to ensure that your message hits home in the mind of your audience (e.g., in The Tipping Point and Blink). There are so many fascinating areas of research in academic psychology (like non-conscious influences on decision-making, stereotypes, behaviour change, negotiation tactics, consumer behaviour, and message framing techniques), but a lot of it gets stuck inside the ivory towers. I love that Malcolm Gladwell gets some of those insights out to everyone.
In a way, that’s what we want to do with Empirica – use the great research that’s being done in the academic world and bring it to the eyes of those in the commercial world.
Malcolm Gladwell is not only an amazing writer, but also an amazing story-teller. I just saw him present at a Psychology conference in the US and was impressed that he lives up to his reputation: no PowerPoint, no slides – just story telling.
Which tools can’t you live without?
My MacBook Pro, my iPhone, my business partner (n.b., he just proof read this and officially objects to being called a “tool”), my running shoes, internet, Skype/iChat, google…
What are the biggest challenges in your role?
With our launch of Empirica, David and I are seeing the biggest challenge as simply balancing the business development side of things with the actual research side of things. Working across LA and Melbourne time zones can also be a challenge in terms of finding time to sleep!
Tell us about the best campaign you’ve ever worked on?
Tough call…I loved working on the ads for the TAC – they really value research and they have put out so many great ads that it’s hard to pick one. Here’s a montage for their 20th anniversary:
I also loved working on WorkSafe’s campaigns – again, hard to pick one, but I loved the Youth campaign. It was a big challenge to make young people take workplace safety seriously and personally.
I think John Thompson (TAC) and Steve Gosbell (WorkSafe) are doing world-class campaigns in “selling safety.”
But, aside from those social marketing campaigns, I loved working on a research piece for Skins (compression gear for exercise/fitness) – they are exceptionally good at communicating to males, but had some early challenges in the female market. I loved that they placed so much importance on a substantial research piece to really understand their female market – I’m excited to see the campaign and product results of that research over the next year.
Which campaign do you most admire?
From a purely superficial point of view?! Calvin Klein X Marks The Spot.
From a branding point of view, I love Apple and Nike campaigns. From a social behaviour change point of view, I think the TAC and WorkSafe are doing great things in this space.
What’s been the biggest change to communication/marketing/public relations since you began your career?
The meteoric rise in social media tools…and I think we still have a long way to go until we understand how best to harness social media tools in a marketing/communications sense.
If you had to cut/keep something in your communication budget, what would it be?
Keep – Research (blatant self-promotion? Yes, but I really believe in the value of good, well-planned and meticulously- executed research)
Cut – depends on the audience and the campaign of course, but hard-copy printed materials are not always necessary…and typically neither are over-animated websites.
What quality do you look for in your communication team members?
Enthusiasm, great writing skills, a great personality, and that indescribable X factor that you can’t put your finger on but that you pick up within seconds. I also look for people who are willing to think harder and deeper than the competition, every time.
What’s your favourite brand?
I know it’s the cop-out answer, but I do love Apple.
What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?
The Perfect Pitch by Jon Steel. Blink and The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. …and for a laugh and a bit of a reality check of ad-land: things real people don’t say about advertising
What tips do you wish you’d known starting out in communications?
Network network network…it’s so important. Also, when it comes to presentations, don’t be afraid to do something different…think about how many text-heavy, boring PowerPoint presentations your clients must see every week – give them something different.
This week we shine our spotlight on Amisha Mehta, Public Relations Area Coordinator at the QUT Business School.
What’s your elevator statement – who are you professionally and personally?
I’m a public relations lecturer and researcher who’s addicted to being on the verge of a good idea and not letting up until it becomes something great.
Tell us about your typical day in academia?
During the semester, I generally read up on the news and work out how to use stories in class, prepare for class, and make sure the students and I have fun as we talk through public relations decisions. Out of semester, I’m learning to transition from studying to writing academic journal articles related to my PhD.
When did you first know you wanted to work in communications?
In Grade 12, I wanted to be in public relations for Disney. I gave up on that fairy tale after I was denied the opportunity to study Disney’s consumer behaviour as part of my honours dissertation.
Who’s your communication hero/mentor?
I’m inspired by people in and out of our discipline. In public relations, Robina Xavier from QUT and Michelle Palmer from Powerlink Queensland have influenced my career. Robina was my lecturer and we continue to work together, and Michelle demonstrates the value of public relations in her role, and always provides great counsel to me and our courses at QUT.
Which tools can’t you live without?
Microsoft Outlook rules my life—hoping to reduce the power of the inbox in 2011.
What are the biggest challenges in your role?
Encouraging students to be curious about the world and less focused on the ‘tell me what I need to know for my assignment’ mentality. Superficial learning is easy but the real stuff isn’t meant to be neatly packaged.
Tell us about the best public relations research project you’ve ever worked on?
Being fairly new to academic research, I’m excited about the findings of my PhD on crisis communication and change in the pharmaceutical industry. I looked at the crisis communication of multiple competitor organisations during an extended crisis. Stay tuned!
Which campaign do you most admire?
It’s an obvious choice but the communication from our Premier and Lord Mayor during the Queensland flood crisis. Not only were the messages clear but they both demonstrated exceptional leadership. Having been recently reacquainted (thanks to a documentary on ABC1) with Gandhi’s vision for India, the salt march is also a powerful reminder of the many forms of transformative leadership.
What’s been the biggest change to communication/marketing/public relations since you began your career?
Social media tools are the label for change but it goes a little deeper for me. I think they are having an impact on the way we trust and produce trust. The balance seems to be shifting from an institutional level to an interpersonal level, which is the reverse flow of trust production during industrialisation. It’s not unusual to see media quote sources from Twitter or Facebook over experts—and that has implications for the way we produce or maintain trust in organisations and brands.
If you had to cut/keep something in your communication course, what would it be?
I’d keep the writing process. For me, the process of learning how to write as well as the analytical steps that guide our decisions about news angles are transferrable to many other tasks in public relations.
What quality do you look for in your students?
The ideal student is one who is curious, up-to-date on current affairs, self-motivated, and willing to not just ask questions but put forward answers so we can discuss options.
What’s your favourite brand?
I like to study industry dynamics and at the moment, my most-watched brand is Qantas. Their safety record places them in a very unique position, yet media reporting neglects to connect incidents with industry-wide data or context.
What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?
A typical answer, but academic articles that talk not just about what we do in public relations but give us a sense of why we do things in public relations. There are often special issues in journals like Public Relations Review and Journal of Public Relations Research that are relevant to both academia and practice. If you’re a university alumnus, you’re likely to have access to these resources.
What tips do you wish you’d known starting out in communications?
Probably a greater insight into the diversity of careers/specialisations. If I had my time again, I would have combined public relations with accounting/finance. I’m soon starting the journey back into quantitative methods, and hoping that my preference for samurai sudoku over scrabble will give me the edge.
This week we chat with Sally Branson, Media Affairs Specialist with the US Embassy (US Consulate Melbourne, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania). Sally is a connector from the country who admires her communication hero for her considered and timely communication including Post-It notes.
What’s your elevator statement – who are you professionally and personally?
I am a connector. I love seeing people connect, gain something positive out of their relationship and enjoy their commonalities.
Tell us about your typical day in communications?
I start by trying not to sneak a look at Twitter as my alarm goes off. I really try to balance the information flow… sometimes I do this well, sometimes not so well. I start work early and get straight into an analysis of issues in my regions of Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania – and of any US Australian connections. Embassies employ people like me to be the local knowledge, so I come up with a local context to assist in understanding news and public events.
My day is varied. It can include issues management, connecting with the media community, arranging public events for the Ambassador and Consul General, advising senior US officials, arranging community relations, and arranging US Navy Ship Visits. Some days I am in the office and others I am out and about travelling with the Ambassador or the CG. This job is perfect for my personality – issues rich and lots of daily variety. I often joke I went into this business for the long lunches – but it is very rare to find one of these in my day. I tell myself the other rewards make up for it…
When did you first know you wanted to work in communications?
Apart from a few early years when I wanted to run a South American country, I’ve always known communications was my pathway. Going to a school of 20 little country kids, I was always known as the storyteller and the bossy one. I was also the only one ever sent outside for talking too much. I come from a family of storytellers and community connectors.
Who’s your communication hero/mentor?
I’ve been blessed to work with many amazing people. I like to think I have taken lessons from each person I have worked with – even if the working relationship was a challenging one.
I have a long term mentor Hayley – she works in education and community development in a rural area. No matter what she does, she recognises the importance of thoughtful interaction. Each and every communication she makes is considered and timely. Even down to the post-it notes.
A “mentoring” experience I enjoyed was the Australian Rural Leadership Program. I spent two years studying with a group of 28 people from the extremes of rural and regional interest. The lessons I learnt about communications from an agronomist, a CSIRO scientist, a Doctor of Marine Science, an aboriginal community worker and a manager of an abattoir are ones that influence me each day I work. During a presentation I remember once thinking “as if I can learn from someone with two PhD’s in science…” and then shocked when he did it a) better and b) in a new way than I had. I was witnessing something new to me; who knew? It was humbling, and reminded me to always respect and surround myself with people with different skills, values, ideas and methods than mine.
Which tools can’t you live without?
My iPhone and my BlackBerry – balanced with my page-to-a-day moleskine diary and my highlighters to colour coordinate the diary. I love being able to paste notes and images on the page – and turn pages over.
What are the biggest challenges in your role?
Balancing the intricacies of working as a foreign national for another country’s government.
Managing turnaround time – the realities of time difference, of diplomatic process and of protocol . No, I can’t just ring the President and get a quote for you. As much as I really, really, really want to.
Tell us about the best campaign you’ve ever worked on?
My most rewarding work was managing the restructure of drought support funding during the last drought in NSW. Through my communication consultancy, I worked as a relationship broker between communities and funding bodies. My task was to find and implement the best way to get money into rural communities when they needed it the most. It was a period fraught with emotion and anxiety – families and communities were under such pressure to be able to even put food on the table, and they needed a better way to be looked after. It took a lot of negotiation and values based communication with farmers at their kitchen tables – with politicians and senior government officials. I am really proud that we were able to find a better way to help, and so pleased when it finally bloody well rained.
Which campaign do you most admire?
I’m not just saying this because he is my boss – but the strategic campaigning by Barak Obama and his team in the lead up to the election and during it. The use of social media, grass roots campaigning, the connection and the sense of newness and hopefulness. We all know that our children will be studying this campaign for years to come. I remember working really busily on our election reporting and election events when it was all happening – and even knowing then that I wasn’t paying enough attention to the campaign – because work was so busy. It was so busy because even 1000s of kms away, Obama was making such an impression!
What’s been the biggest change to communication/marketing/public relations since you began your career?
Accessibility – everyone and everything is accessible through the internet and the speed of our communications with each other. In addition to this, there are so many players in every game, and so much information to be disseminated it behooves us all to be critical and discerning as to how and where we get our information from. As communication professionals, we also have a responsibility in this environment to step up.
If you had to cut/keep something in your communication budget, what would it be?
For me the US Senate/Congress control my budget – however my most valued pot of money in this role is the one that lets me get on a ‘plane and travel to my regions of responsibility. I love my email, but there are times when a working relationship has to be built face to face.
What quality do you look for in your communication team members?
Respect for each individual skill sets, a sense of humour and perspective – and in this role – an understanding of the word “service” in the public service.
What’s your favourite brand?
The brand I most admire is LiveSTRONG. I have recently had the good fortune to work with LiveSTRONG’s top team and Mark Higgins from planet CSE. It gave me a new found respect for a brand I already knew to be pretty awesome. It’s not just about Lance and the yellow wrist band – the brand is multi faceted. I admire the way that values, service and community is intrinsic to their every day operation. I didn’t want the project to end. I had a project crush…and then brought a new bike I was so carried away by how wonderful they/it all was. I think I may have even accidentally committed to a “fun” ride….
What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?
I think the important thing is to keep reading without being overloaded by information. I adore Twitter, because I follow a lot of people who I admire or find interesting, and who keep delivering links to amazing articles. It’s as if they say “Sally would love to read about the death of the media release – let me send her a link” this means I am exposed to lots of good and interesting stuff – which I can self select. Do I want to read that serious foreign policy article this morning, or will I read about how to make a pink flamingo cocktail?
I advise people looking into social media connection to follow Mashable and to find those in their field who do it well, and then follow them.
What tips do you wish you’d known starting out in communications?
That it isn’t “just” communications. I love high heels and lippy as much as the next person, I often heard that communications was the thing for clever young girls to do that didn’t interfere too much with their social life. I heard that communications wasn’t a serious career. (You know, I “just” did an arts degree, I “just” work in Comms). I struggled for a long time to reconcile this with my sense of working within a context of values or service. I didn’t have enough professional role models at this time. Now I know more than anything that we are the glue that keeps the whole thing together. If we’re doing it right – everyone else feels like they are doing it right.
Finish this sentence: Communication is… connection.
The White House after sunset taken by C Spence (Flikr)
While many people are celebrating the 50th anniversary of John F Kennedy’s inauguration as the 35th President of the United States of America, we’re celebrating the momentous communication milestone that followed.
Four days after being sworn in as President, JFK became the first American President to deliver a live televised press conference.
While previous Presidents had often delivered press conferences, none had used the new medium of television to speak directly to Americans, live and unedited. In the years that followed, JFK gave Americans unprecedented access to the inner workings of his government, paving the way for the communication practices we see today.
According to an interview with Pierre Salinger, Press Secretary to President Kennedy, “…when President Kennedy started televised press conferences there were only three or four newspapers in the entire United States that carried a full transcript of a presidential press conference. Therefore, what people read was a distillation. . . . We thought that they should have the opportunity to see it in full.”
Fifty years after Kennedy delivered the first of 63 live press conferences, President Obama continues to use live press conferences as well as weekly online videos to deliver messages direct to the public. Technology has made it possible to further expand on Kennedy’s vision for communication, with Obama using his weekly online video to deliver both the good, the bad and the ugly news of the day. And Obama isn’t the only video star at the White House. The Vice President, First Lady and senior staff members all use video to communicate complex messages in a simple way, with a recent video using a whiteboard to show healthcare savings and demonstrate the benefits of the new law.
While Kennedy may have been the first US President to deliver a live televised press conference, Harry S Truman was the first President to deliver a television address from the White House. In October 1947, Truman recorded a plea for his fellow Americans to support the food saving program of the Citizens Food Committee, to provide food to send to starving Europe.
Television was so new in the 1940s that J. Leonard Reinsch, a former radio adviser to the White House recalled “…going into the President’s office when they had the first television set. There was a pickup from the Congress and no one, of course, knew how to tune the set. This was a RCA set, and I was in the communications business. I was a television man as well as a radio man; therefore, I should know all about television sets; so, they expected me to tune the set in properly, I walked over to the set — I had never seen the controls before — and was fortunate enough to get a real good picture. My reputation as a communications man remained on a high level at least in that area.”
The television in the Oval Office (if there is one at all) might be flatter and larger than Truman or Kennedy’s sets, but the medium continues to be one of the most powerful channels to update a nation about natural disasters, domestic and international conflicts and legislative reform.
Press conferences continue to be a popular choice of politicians the world over, and live crosses are becoming more ubiquitous with the growing appetite for footage from 24-hour news channels and online media.
While we could go on about the changing face of press conferences for kilobytes, we thought we’d take a moment to look back at some of the other changes in communication that have occurred since Kennedy’s inauguration.
There are three in particular we think deserve consideration: photography, the Internet and electronic mail.
Photography played an important role in Kennedy’s communications activities. White House photographers and media captured the youthful family in the White House and provided Americans with a glimpse inside the ‘people’s house’. Many of the images from Kennedy’s time in the White House are now stored at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and form part of a remarkable digital project celebrating the 50th anniversary. The way we take photographs has also changed, with the ability to snap a photo from a camera phone and upload it to a news site or blog in seconds.
The second thing that’s changed since Kennedy took office is the introduction of the Internet. While President Kennedy may have millions of page impressions across the world wide web, it was only a dream during his presidency. The internet has allowed Presidents to communicate directly with their constituents in their homes and at work. The White House now tweets, has a Facebook wall, blogs and posts photos on Flickr and videos on YouTube. What would JFK think?
Thirdly, while Kennedy and his predecessors ran their White House with the help of telegrams and the good old American Postal Service, his contemporaries rely on the speed of electronic mail. No doubt millions of emails are sent and received by the White House every day with everything from media releases, images and RSVPs.
Sadly President Kennedy didn’t get to see out his first term nor see any of the advances in communication technologies that followed. However, he will forever be remembered for his famous inaugural address which included the lines: “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for country”.
Australia's red centre (Photography by hekris on Flickr)
In less than two hours, hundreds of thousands of Australians will start a tour of Australia with Oprah as their guide; a holiday slide show of sorts.
And less than 24 hours after the first of four episodes aired in America, we’ll get to see just how Australia looks through Oprah’s lens.
What will it look like and will it bring millions of people from America and other parts of the world to our shores?
We’ve already seen millions of dollars worth of editorial coverage both domestically and overseas during the eight days she was in Australia. Many would argue this has already returned Australia’s investment. It will be a few months before we start to see an accurate picture of the Oprah-effect but one would imagine there are plenty of people already booking flights and accommodation.
At home, Oprah’s celebration of Australia will no doubt remind us of the wonderful country we live in. From the majestic reefs and tropical rainforests of Far North Queensland to the dramatic red earth at Uluru to our cosmopolitan city centres, Oprah’s footage will provide a much needed lift to our spirits (something she’ll be very happy about) at a time when we really need it.
While a boost to our spirits will be nice, we could also do with a major injection of cash into our economy. Oprah’s shows may just answer Queensland Premier Anna Bligh’s call for local and international people to visit the sunshine state. Already, millions of Americans have been targeted as part of a $5 million campaign by Qantas to coincide with the four shows, and then there are the 100+ countries around the world yet to see the episodes. As Oprah said, money can’t buy that sort of coverage!
And if Oprah has anything to do with it she’ll be sending all her ‘friends’ to the country where the people are just so darn friendly.
Now the only question …. when will Oprah be back to inject some of her hard earned cash into the Australia’s tourism economy? Surely she’ll need a break after signing off as the host of the number one daytime talk show.
Let us know what you think of the c-overage … and enjoy the show!
This week we chatted with Paul Crisp, Corporate Affairs Manager with Telstra about communications. Paul is also the immediate past president of the Public Relations Institute of Australia in Victoria.
What’s your elevator statement – who are you professionally and personally?
I’m a truth teller, not a spin doctor.
Tell us about your typical day in communications?
No day is typical, but they all involve some degree of planning, writing, briefing and reviewing.
When did you first know you wanted to work in communications?
My career path was set when I first encountered algebra at school.
Who’s your communication hero/mentor?
Winston Churchill. I’ve also been fortunate to work with inspiring leaders in our profession over the years including Noel Turnbull and Lelde McCoy and more recently, former NewsCorp and Telstra flack Andrew Butcher.
Which tools can’t you live without?
My smartphone.
What are the biggest challenges in your role?
Keeping up with new technology
Tell us about the best campaign you’ve ever worked on?
Working with the ICC on their anti-corruption investigation was fascinating, while the most fun I’ve had was working in publicity for the Royal Chelsea Flower Show. The most rewarding campaign was managing comms for Telstra in the Victorian bushfires.
Which campaign do you most admire?
I thought the mining industry did a very good job raising awareness and influencing the government over the mining tax. I also admire any of the political campaigns that have been based on strategic communication. In Australia, Hawke, Keating and Howard all understood the importance of communication, as did Obama in the US with his innovative use of social media.
What’s been the biggest change to communication/marketing/public relations since you began your career?
The introduction of social media and the emergence of online activism.
If you had to cut/keep something in your communication budget, what would it be?
I would always keep the training budget.
What quality do you look for in your communication team members?
Courage, loyalty and the ability to write well.
What’s your favourite brand?
Apple – mostly because of the way the company re-invented itself.
What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?
In terms of a book, ‘Alpha Dogs: How Political Spin Became a Global Business’ by James Harding. It charts the rise of the Sawyer Miller Group, a consultancy that pioneered the use of strategic communications in political campaigns across the world.
Christmas Characters taken by Nicolai Kjærgaard (flickr)
We’ve profiled some colourful, creative and cheeky communicators in 2010 and we’re looking forward to speaking with many more in the year ahead for our “Communicator’s Corner”.
In the meantime, here’s a look back at our year of chats with communicators.
We kicked off “Communicator’s Corner” with a chat with our MD, Jack Walden where he told us about getting a taste for communications while helping promote his school plays.
Then we asked David Taylor, the Director of Privacy Awareness for the Office of the Victorian Privacy Commissioner a few questions. He told us he can’t live without curiosity and admires the Obama campaign.
After David we chatted about copy with our content strategist Aimee Said. Her biggest communications challenge is Convincing People to Stop Overusing Capital Letters. (We Promise We’ll Kick Our Habit In The New Year!)
It’s been a busy year for The Sunday Age’s State Political Reporter, Melissa Fyfe with a federal and state election. She shared some insight into life as a political reporter. We’re sure she’s looking forward to a well earned rest after a year of reporting from the campaign trails.
Then we headed to Delhi where Liz Franzmann was helping a non-profit get ready for the Commonwealth Games. She chatted about the challenge of embracing social media.
Closer to home we got behind the wheel (well not literally) with Olivia McLean, Advertising Manager, Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific. She said it’s never too early to find a mentor and seek to learn effective strategic influence skills – they are like gold in the business world whatever your role.
