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Greetings!
Back in the day, when I taught Journalism 101 at Providence College, I told the students they needed to do a few things: Write well. Be accurate. Be quick. Omit your opinion (i.e. Show me, don't tell me). And finally, "Tell the truth."
 Obviously, that last tip can present problems given the subjective nature of "the truth." But by providing context and perspective, my students could begin to get there.
I was reminded of the importance of context and perspective a few months ago, when our firm provided communications support for the R.I. Public Expenditure Council's Annual Dinner. The featured speaker that night was U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Duncan's arrival coincided with the high tide of the "Occupy" movement. His visit appeared to have been an opportunity for the "Occupy Providence" group to rally their supporters, draw a crowd and make the best possible show of strength. The Occupy Providence movement did, in fact, figure prominently in the media coverage of the event.
Just prior to Duncan's arrival, I shot this video (to the right) of the entire Occupy contingent that was on hand that day protesting outside the Convention Center. It is a piece of context that a consumer of news about Duncan's visit might have been surprised to see.
This is not a substantive judgment of the merits of the Occupy movement, or Arne Duncan. Rather, it is an attempt to highlight how important, and elusive, context and perspective can be in getting to "the truth" of the matter at hand.
Best,
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 | Great Content!
Once - and Sometimes Still - Known as "Great Ink!" |
At New Harbor Group, we start with a simple, strong, clear Message. Then, we create content that supports the Message. Finally, we distribute that content to the audiences who need to hear it.
Simple.
But what - exactly - is content?
Well, there are plenty of ways we create content for our clients - including press releases, social media, blog, op eds, etc.
But the best way to create content is to enlist the help of reporters. This is a twofer, since reporters also have their own ready-made distribution system, like a newspaper, or a TV or radio station. Finally, it's human nature that having other people say nice things about you is simply more credible than saying them about yourself.
Recently, we worked to create some content that reinforced the Message that our client - the Quonset Business Park - is one of Rhode Island's leading engines of job creation and economic growth. We hosted Gov. Lincoln Chafee at an event at Quonset's Port of Davisville to announce that the Port was the 7th largest auto importer in North America(!).
And here's just some of the resulting "content" -
While reporters distributed our content in their newspapers and news reports, we distributed it on our network as well, via the Quonset e-mail newsletter, and on social media.
That's how to create content, and a little taste of what it can do for your company or organization.
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| | "I'm Sorry"
(But Not Really)
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In a world where style continues to gain the upper hand on substance, the public apology is becoming an increasingly prominent part of the public discussion. However, for an apology to matter, it's important to sound like you mean it. A backdoor justification of your actions, disguised as an apology, just won't do.
Recently, we were treated to two examples of how not to apologize. Rush Limbaugh's apology to the woman he characterized in unflattering terms was one example of an ineffective apology. Meanwhile, our own Ted Kresse walks through the reasons why the apology by the Susan G. Komen Foundation for their decisions regarding Planned Parenthood fell flat, too. It's in our blog - take a look.
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