If you’re not familiar with Poynter Online yet, you should be. It’s absolutely one of the best resources on the web for media news, suggestions on journalistic style and writing tips. I recently read an interesting analysis of the inaugural speeches of Lincoln, Kennedy and Obama, and the techniques each used to draw listeners in, build momentum and deliver a dynamic close. It’s all good food for thought than can be applied to other forms of speechwriting. My only complaint? I found two typos in the article and I wasn’t even looking for them. I expect better from an article written by a journalist!
For further reading: What Inaugural Speeches Can Teach Writers
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You can’t change the inevitable effect of digital platforms on your business; you can, however, take comfort in the fact that online communications is self-correcting.
I’m catching up on some long overdue industry reading, and just came across this fantastic column in PR News, which provides a nice summary of why the PR industry needs to stop partying like it’s 1999 and embrace the new rules of engagement. Here’s a taste:
“If you are still dwelling on the fear that your brand will be demolished by the rules-don’t-apply style of modern communications, then you’ve missed the point entirely. You can’t change the inevitable effect of digital platforms on your business; you can, however, take comfort in the fact that online communications is self-correcting. If there is no truth in something, it usually fades. The best safeguard is a ... Read more »
For better or worse, the internet has spawned a host of “experts” who are only too happy to gaze into their crystal balls and predict the future for us. I’ve been sifting through all kinds of predictions from authoritative and not-so-authoritative sources, and have compiled a few I like.
· “Social software is going to permeate everything,” says Mike Speiser, managing director of Sutter Hill Ventures, a Bay Area venture capital firm. This means developing social networking strategies to embrace consumers AND help employees share ideas more ... Read more »
Just for fun, here’s a cool collection of images of words that visually depict their meaning (by way of the Daily Dish): http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Type-as-image/142738
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The problem here is that the company generally doesn’t recognize that they’re in a conversation.
Just found a great article on the CIO site, which details common mistakes companies make when building online communities. Money quotes:
“Actually, the problem here is that the company generally doesn’t recognize that they’re in a conversation. They think of the online community as part of a ‘marketing message,’ which has a defined target audience, on-point theme, and so on. All of which can and should be controlled by a marketing department. And which completely misses the point of community.”
“Companies sometimes imagine they’re using social networks or online communities to engage their audience. But the scope of their community involvement is to put the software in place and then, on an ...
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Well, this is interesting. The NY Times published an article today about a Chicago start-up called The Printed Blog, which plans to publish user-generated content in a print version and distribute it free in large cities. The company would make money by selling highly targeted advertising space to local businesses.
It’s an interesting concept, but I don’t know if I’m on board. One of the advantages of blogs is their immediacy – if I’m waiting to read about a topic in the newspaper, then I may as well go out and buy a copy of a newspaper. It also sounds complicated: “Users will eventually be able to log on to its site, theprintedblog.com, to ... Read more »
The immediacy of Twitter lends itself to breaking news, but is really just the beginning.
A lot of people seem to think so. Here’s an interesting blog posting about the topic. I, too found out about the crash via Twitter – minutes before taking off for Chicago, no less. The immediacy of Twitter lends itself to breaking news, but is really just the beginning – I immediately started searching for more in-depth stories, as I’m assuming most people did.
Further reading: Social Media’s Role in US Airways Crash
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“In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.” – President Obama
Full text of the inaugural speech here.
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In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., here’s a link to his most famous speech, both text and video. Even simply reading it on the page, it’s a fantastic speech that never fails to give me chill bumps. Here’s to big dreams, courage and the relentless march of progress:
I Have a Dream
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According to Seth Godin, not much:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/01/when-newspapers.html
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