An Afternoon With NBC-10

As I previously mentioned, I attended PPRA's Careers 101 event a few weeks back. During a raffle, my name was called for a "Networking Session with Adam Dvorin." I expected to grab a cup of coffee and have a chat with Adam, but instead he set up a tour with Denise Nakano of NBC-10 for today and KYW next month!

I have never been in a TV studio, much less met an anchor/reporter. Denise was gracious enough to take us through every aspect of a news production, from the news room to the actual studio (see photo below). Along with Denise's co-anchor Chris Cato, I learned a few tips about broadcast news and pitching reporters.

• When you're working with a reporter or cameraman, don't order them around and tell them what to do. No one likes to be told what to do, but especially reporters. 
• When pitching a story, find some kind of local tie or tie-in with a current event.
• It is invaluable to have connections to reporters, because they will be more inclined to cover your stories in the future, and put a face to the name.
• However, if a reporter covers your story once, don't expect them to cover your client every single time. There is always breaking news or other stories to cover, choose which stories to pitch to your personal contacts wisely.

A special thanks to Denise Nakano and Chris Cato for inviting me to come tour NBC-10!

Lessons from the News Corp. Scandal: Avoiding Bad Brand Associations

As PR people, one of our major duties is to build beneficial relationships for our clients. In the wake of the News of the World phone hacking scandal, we've seen how some of these associations can turn into PR suicide.

However, a few charities saw it beneficial to place free ads in News of the World's final issue. According to PR Week's article, "Charities Insist News of the World Ads Were Great Opportunity Despite 'Toxic Brand'," nonprofits like St. John Ambulance, Pennies for Life and The Well Foundation placed ads.

Still, with the recent parliament hearings and the arrest of former exec. Rebekah Brooks, it's hard to imagine why any organization would jeopardize their image like this.

Here are some things to consider when evaluating whether this type of PR risk is really worth taking:

1. Your Audience: Would your target audience understand that the organization's misdeeds in no way reflect your client's beliefs or actions? If your audience would misinterpret your association as an endorsement for the organization's actions avoid the risk.

Children's Heart Federation Communications Manager Cecilia Yardley showed how she weighed her concerns as she states, "...we thought about...[it] carefully and we decided for our beneficiary group it was advantageous for them to reach a wider audience."


2. Your Image: If your client's image is already in danger this will be one more thing to disengage the audience. The charities placing ads knew their do-good image would help their audience pay attention to their message, instead of the endangered brand.

3.Your future: Does it seem like the organization in crisis has other wrongdoings that will hit the fan soon? If you think there's going to be one misdeed after another uncovered, your client's image may not survive such a lengthy crisis.

The take away: In scandals like this the safest bet is to stay far away from the organization in crisis.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Shari DaCosta.

When Does Who Become More Important Than What?

Apparently, it’s the moment a United States president uses social media.

In 2008, for the first time ever, the battle for the presidential election was waged and won by President Barack Obama through social media. This is not news. It happened roughly 4 years ago and was the topic of much conversation at the time. So much so, that now it is considered standard practice.

This is why I took interest in an article published by The New York Times entitled, “Obama Starts Tweeting for Himself”. I had always assumed that during the 2008 election the majority of the social media posts, especially on Twitter, were composed by a group of communications staffers, but I was surprised that Obama did not write a single tweet himself.

Well, that’s all changing. As of Father’s Day, Obama will start composing his own tweets. Or at least the ones signed, –BO. Here is what the president had to say in his inaugural tweet:

"Being a father is sometimes my hardest but always my most rewarding job. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. –BO."

What does this mean for his upcoming campaign? Well, staffers are hoping it will help voters feel more connected to the president, and that messages sent directly from him will have a greater impact. Personally, I am hoping we will get to see a glimpse of the individual style that is Obama. But I haven’t decided if this matters to me as a voter.

As a communications student, I expect a team of communications professionals to meticulously write and rewrite every piece of information that we receive from the White House and the president. So I am not sure if this personal signature will mean that much. Personally, I kind of doubt it. But if the president can make people feel as if they have access to him, then it just might mean a whole heck of a lot.

What do you think about the situation? Will you feel more connected to the President if he types in his own tweets? Will this bring something new to the political table, giving the everyday voter access to the candidate?

To read the full article from The New York Times click here.


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jacob DeChant.

#SeriouslyMcDonald's?

The PR department of McDonald's had some serious explaining to do after a recent hoax that occurred last weekend. A picture of a seemingly authentic looking memo hit Twitter and spread rather quickly. The memo stated, "As an insurance measure, due in part to a recent string of robberies, African-American customers are now required to pay an additional fee of $1.50 per transaction."

Obviously the memo did not go over well with customers. People were so outraged that #SeriouslyMcDonald's began to trend on Twitter. After enough people complained with tweets and direct messages to the verified McDonald's USA Twitter page, McDonald's quickly addressed the issue.

Using the social media site where the scandal all began, McDonald's sent out a statement via Twitter that stated “That pic is a senseless & ignorant hoax McD’s values ALL our customers. Diversity runs deep in our culture on both sides of the counter.” They also responded directly to some of the more irritated consumers with tweets like “That picture is a hoax. We are proud of our long history of diversity.”

Proof that the memo is indeed a hoax: the number on the bottom of the memo is actually a number to contact the KFC customer satisfaction hot-line. It turns out that the picture actually surfaced awhile back, but didn’t hit Twitter until recently. With the popularity social networking sites have, it’s no wonder the picture went viral so quickly.

There are arguments over whether or not McDonald's handled the situation right. Some think they did a fine job, and others believe that more could have been done to address the situation and prove that all customers are valued. Personally, I feel that McDonald's handled the situation to the best of their ability. They used the same networking site where the scandal began—a sure way to ensure that their customers would see the statement. They also made a statement to a number of reliable publications clearly explaining that the picture was a hoax, allowing the media to quickly receive this message.

Do you think McDonald's responded in the right way to the hoax or could they have done more to address the situation?

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kaitlin Tully.

Dove's Not-So-Clean Ad Campaign

Nothing illustrates the power of the blogosphere more perfectly than a textbook PR dilemma. The Dove soap brand recently came under fire for a national ad that many claim to be racist. Before I delve into the crisis, take a glance at the ad for yourself:


See anything questionable? The ad is for Dove’s VisibleCare Body Wash, which claims to improve the overall appearance of women’s skin in just one week. Dove’s media headache began when the blog ‘Copyranter’ posted the following about the ad: “Dove body wash turns Black women into Latino women into White women.” The post explained how the ad shows black skin as bad and white skin as good, by having the skin color get progressively lighter by the ‘after’ or better side of the ad.

This dilemma brings up the question of how PR professionals should react to negative blog or social media posts. Fight back and risk saying something offensive or let the people talk and spread rumors? In this case, Dove kept a low profile by simply replying once to the original blog saying,

“…The ad is intended to illustrate the benefits of using Dove VisibleCare Body Wash, by making skin visibly more beautiful in just one week. All three women are intended to demonstrate the ‘after’ product benefit. We do not condone any activity or imagery that intentionally insults any audience.”

Little action on Twitter has been taken by Dove, and their Facebook page has been managed by one Dove commenter to defend the company. In my opinion, Dove handled this situation very responsibly, by replying to the original blog that started the chatter and to no one else. The new world of blogging creates these new types of problems for PR professionals everyday, and crises such as these are prime examples of how to deal with them.

Personally, the ad should have never seen the light of day, because when looked at closely it does give off a negative image towards darker skinned women. Looking at the ad again, it would make much more sense to have all of the women standing under the ‘after’ sign, showing that women of all skin colors are beautiful.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Mackenzie Krott.

@LanceArmstrong vs. 60 Minutes

On Sunday the 22nd, 60 Minutes premiered its weekly episode in which Lance Armstrong was featured. Armstrong has been accused in the past of using performance enhancing drugs in order to accomplish his seven Tour de France wins. The 60 Minutes episode was no exception. In response to the expose, Armstrong tweeted the following:

“20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.”

In support for the athlete, the tweet was reblogged thousands of times, sweeping across the web. In a practice he had adopted following his final Tour de France win, Armstrong offered no interviews, leaving just the tweet as the only direct quote from Armstrong himself for the media to base off of.

By doing so, the 60 Minutes segment featuring Armstrong was deemed unreliable by many viewers who had seen the tweet, causing ratings to drop significantly.

To read the rest of the PRdaily article, click here.

What do you think? Did Lance Armstrong do the right thing? Should he have appeared on the show and given a full interview instead of a vague tweet, to dispel rumors?

Rookie Mistakes

It didn’t take long for Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 25-year-old press secretary to run into trouble with the media. Tarrah Cooper, a graduate from the University of Missouri’s journalism school, might be in a bit over her head, according to Chuck Goudie, the chief investigative reporter at ABC 7 News in Chicago.

Recently, Goudie posted a story about his first run-in with Cooper, who—in his opinion—failed to act professionally when he called to ask questions about a story he was investigating. Goudie said, “rather than simply answer the questions, Ms. Cooper stated that she wished to speak ‘off the record.’”

According to Goudie, Cooper also supplied him with misleading and false information. Deciding that he was going to comment on this unprofessional interaction, Goudie sent Cooper some basic questions about her background and position. Cooper again asked to speak off the record and has since ceased all communication. Here are some of the questions that Goudie asked:

• Is there a set of written guidelines or protocols that you are working from in dealing with reporters and news organizations?
• How involved is Mr. Emanuel in setting the tone for dealing with the press and in what manner? Does each story inquiry get run by him?
• What qualifies you to be press secretary for the mayor of the third-largest city?
• How much will you be paid?
• What are your career aspirations?

As a student in the public relations field it aggravates me to see this type of basic communication faux pas.

Cooper’s job as a public communications official is to communicate the actions and positions of the administration with the public. I think that Cooper should have been prepared to discuss the topic at hand with Goudie, or at the very least be prepared to find out the answers and then follow up with the correct position of the administration. Saying, “Let me get back to you” is always better than asking to speak about your opinion off the record.

As for failing to answer Goudie’s inquiry into Cooper herself: I think that she did more harm than good to herself by not answering the journalist’s questions. I believe that when acting as the face of a new administration, it is crucial to paint oneself as an honest, open and frank mouthpiece in order to be effective.

But I am left wondering: Does Tarrah Cooper, or for that matter any 25-year-old, posses the necessary communication skills that a press secretary position requires? What do you think, and how would you have handled Chuck Goudie in this situation?
To read the whole article by Chuck Goudie here at the Daily Herald, click here

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jacob DeChant.

NEWS ALERT: Know Your News!

We hear it time and time again as young PR professionals... how it is our job to stay on top of the news and be aware of current events and trends. Yet, you'd be surprised how very few college students actually follow this advice and are unable to name a single headline from the today's news. Understandably, college students are spread thin with classes, internships, part-time jobs and student organizations that sparing 30 minutes of our days to read up on the news seems daunting and unnecessary. However, I can never express to fellow students enough how important it is to follow the news, to be aware of reporters and their beats and to be familiar with what each outlet generally covers.

So, for my fellow busy students, here are a few pieces of advice to work the news into your daily routine. Just like exercising, it takes some dedication and motivation, but once you have incorporated it into your daily routine you won't be able to go a day without it.

1. The world of media is quickly changing. It's no longer required to gather your news from a newspaper, or even by turning on the TV. Social media is revolutionizing the way news is distributed, delivering breaking news faster than ever. So while you are procrastinating on writing that ten page paper by scanning Twitter, take the time to click on a few of the headlines that pop up in your Twitter feed. Make sure you are following @nytimes, @phillyinquirer, @cnnbrk, or @abc. Follow your favorite news sources and make it a goal to click on at least 5 of those headlines and read the stories. It will only take you about 20 to 30 minutes, and its time you were going to spend putting off your homework anyways.

2. When you actually do get around to your homework, have the news on your TV playing in the background. We all need breaks from reading, writing and researching and often spend those breaks watching mind-numbing reality TV or surfing our Facebook newsfeed for the latest gossip. So instead, keep your favorite news channel streaming in the background and when you start gasping for air from the hours of homework that you are drowning in, take a 10-15 minute break and watch the news.

3. A large amount of us have smartphones now and although we have millions of apps to download, I know maybe a handful of students who have downloaded news apps to their phone, even though they are FREE. So, with all "broke college student" excuses aside, download one or two free news apps, such as The New York Times or The Huffington Post, and while you are riding the subway to your job/internship or waiting for class to start in the next ten minutes, pull up the app and read a story or two. Tell your boyfriend/girlfriend that you'll text them later, turn off your angry birds game for a few minutes, and invest 10-15 minutes into bettering yourself personally and professionally.

I encourage all of you to try making the news a part of your daily routine! It worries me when I speak to people that still have no idea what is going on in the world, within our own country, within our city and even within our own university. While you may be impressed with yourself for knowing Kate Middleton's dress designer the royal wedding, I promise you there are much more important things going on around you that you should invest the effort into being informed about.

What other pieces of advice can you offer for helping college students understand the importance of knowing the news and how to stay on top of it? Let us know!

Disclose!

The Federal Trade Commission has been cracking down on companies that are not forthcoming about paying for their endorsements. In 2009, the FTC adopted guidelines "making clear that many of the rules that apply to advertising and testimonials in the print world are still going to carry weight in the sometimes confusing and chaotic world of blogs and other new media," Joe Mullin explains in an article for paidcontent.org.

Recently, Legacy Learning Systems was fined $250,000 for commissioning positive reviews of its educational DVD designed to teach audiences how to play the guitar. The company and its affiliate marketers failed, however, to disclose that the company had sponsored the praise for its product.

This situation raises an important point for PR practitioners: we are in a unique position--and have a personal responsibility--to make sure our companies and clients are disclosing information properly.

Says PRSA board member Marisa Vallbona in an article on prdaily.com:

"'Tell--don't ask--the blogger to disclose the fact [that the review is sponsored] in his or her review. Otherwise you're asking the review to be considered fake and putting your and your client's reputation at stake.'"

2010's Biggest PR Disasters

Now that it's officially 2011, we can all look back on the best and worst of 2010. This week the Wall Street Journal published an article "Public Relations Learned the Hard Way," in which it looked at some of the biggest PR disasters of last year.

Can you name them? It is not surprising to see the BP oil spill and the Toyota automobile crisis on the list, but you may find some unexpected names on the list as well. Be sure to check it out!

What PR crises would you add to the list of 2010's PR disasters? Were you surprised to see some of the companies that made the list? What companies would you commend for their PR practices in 2010?

Crisis Management PR...Coming to a TV Near You!

I'm not sure if I've ever been so excited about a piece of gossip as this. If you haven't heard yet, there is rather credible information being leaked about a potential new TV drama inspired by the career of Judy Smith, a legendary public relations consultant who specializes in crisis communications and has a portfolio of scandalous clients including Bill Clinton and Michael Vick, among others. There are other "reality" shows that chronicle the lives of the rich and fabulous people of PR (ahem, Spin Crowd on the E! Network), but this is rumored to be a Law & Order-esque drama created by none other than the woman behind the popular Grey's Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes.

The show, which development trackers have been calling In Crisis, is being developed for the 2011-2012 TV season and should air on ABC.

What do you think? Would you watch a non-reality show based on the public relations industry??

Want to Get Noticed? Set a Record.

The next time you check out the Guinness World Records look past the glass eaters, world’s largest pizza, tallest people, and other weird acknowledgments and you may be surprised at what you find. In a new marketing and publicity initiative, some prominent companies are taking “getting noticed” to a whole new level.

Recently, Estée Lauder found their way into the record books by setting a record for the “most landmarks illuminated for a cause in 24 hours.” Estée Lauder’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign illuminated over 40 worldwide landmarks in pink lights for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Another bold publicity move was seen with luxury hotel company Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., who set a record for the “largest-ever resistance-band strength-training class.” The Jim Pattison Group, who owns the Guinness World Records, brought on these publicity stunts by creating a new marketing records division as well as a PR division in order to help companies market their brands and gain media attention.

These bold marketing tactics certainly catch people’s attention and are entertaining, but are they effective in building awareness of the company? That all depends on what the company wants and what the company actually gets from the stunt.

In Estée Lauder’s case, their pink illumination record certainly gained attention from the media but was probably not needed to bring attention to an already widely recognized health campaign. The company had already made its mark by being behind one of the most recognizable symbols for breast cancer, the pink ribbon. They co-created the symbol with SELF magazine, and it appears on many of their make-up products.

As for Starwood Sheraton, their world record helped in promoting their new upgraded fitness programs at the hotel, where about 270 people participated in a fitness class in the rain. This type of record-breaking publicity stunt can be beneficial to the company because it not only gains immediate attention for being out of the ordinary, but it is also a relatively inexpensive marketing tactic. According to the Wall Street Journal, Starwood Sheraton spent $120 million on their fitness upgrade at the hotels but only spent about $4,739 on the Guinness Records process.

This trend of record breaking seems to be a cheaper and more creative marketing alternative for companies who wish to gain media attention without going through traditional marketing methods, which can be very expensive and require a lot of outside employment and time.

What do you think about these stunts? Are they effective? Would a Guinness World Record make you more aware of a brand or product? Let us know!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jessica Lopez.

A Glowing Review of PR and Some Fabulous Firms

The New York Times recently published an article that caught my attention, and might have caught yours as well: "Growing Appreciation for P.R. on Madison Avenue." Finally! In the article, author Stuart Elliott details the recent acquisitions by MDC Partners, a self-proclaimed "progressive marketing and communications network." It may be self-proclaimed, but after doing some reseach, they can proudly use "progressive" as a descriptor. To start, check out MDC's website, www.mdc-partners.com.

Many of the firms that have recently been acquired by MDC specialize in nontraditional public relations or advertising tasks, utilizing social media, database marketing, experiential marketing and analytics, and more. It was nice to read about the growing respect for the work PR agencies do and their ability to "amplify a brand's message." Miles S. Nadal, chairman and chief executive at MDC is quoted as saying PR agencies excel in "understanding the changing dynamics of the marketing place." No more "spin" and "flack" references please.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the impact and importance of PR, I was a little caught up googling every firm name that was dropped in the article. Maybe you will be too! Here is a short list of firms owned by MDC and referenced in the article (to view the full list visit MDC's website):

Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners: www.kbsp.com
Crispin Porter & Bogusky: www.cpbgroup.com
Kwittken & Company: www.kwitco.com
Allison & Partners: www.allisonpr.com
Trendcore: www.trendcore.com
Sloane & Company: www.sloanepr.com

Enjoy!

Arizona Tries to Put Itself Back on the Tourist Map

Arizona, most recently known for its infamous and controversial new immigration law, is now planning to spend $250,000 on a public relations campaign to counter its negative image and promote itself as a "safe and welcoming destination." According to the Associated Press, the state's hotel trade group will also contribute $30,000 to the effort.

The USA Today article goes on to state that the PR campaign was publicly presented by a tourism task force appointed by Arizona governor, Jan Brewer. With major economic fall-outs for the tourism industry due to several boycotts and travel bans from cities across the country, the AP article goes on to state that Arizona should hire a PR firm "to help manage the existing dialogue and clarify the facts" regarding the immigration law.

Brewer approved the recommendations of the task force, one of which also directs Arizona to "change the tone of the dialogue to reflect the true implications and tangible effects that boycotts have on the lives and families on the most vulnerable tourism employees," AP reports.

Will a PR campaign help improve Arizona's damaged reputation or is the damage irreversible?

Let us know what you think!

Major Flop for the New Apple iPhone? Don't Believe the Hype.

With an average four hour wait in line and an estimated $1.5 million in sales, it appears as though Apple has another success on its hands with the new iPhone 4.

However, rumors have been circulating across the web about a massive recall due to signal issues when the iPhone 4 is held a certain way. Many of these rumors were sparked from tweets that were being broadcast from @ceoSteveJobs, an obvious parody account that states so in the bio. However a tweet from the fake account stating, "We may have to recall the new iPhone. This, I did not expect," was enough to convince the UK publication The Daily Mail to write an article that resulted in the spread of a world wide rumor.

As the Mashable article goes on to state, it is hard to imagine that Apple was not aware of the signal issue and that ultimately, the engineers decided it was a worthwhile trade-off for improved reception.

Although it may be hard to believe that such a fake Twitter account could result in hundreds of articles, this is not the first time a parody account on Twitter has received large amounts of attention. This is why Twitter has taken the necessary precautions into verifying the accounts of important people and publications as an attempt to prevent occurrences such as this one.

Salty and Sweet: Mars, Inc. Introduces New Member to M&M Characters

Thanks to 9 Inch Marketing for their contribution, I decided that my last blog wasn’t as up-to-date as it could have been for the M&M® brand. Being a lover of all things chocolate and the world of event planning, I figure one other blog couldn’t hurt.

Mars, Inc., 9 Inch Marketing and Synergy Events collaborated again to unveil the new filling of M&Ms: pretzels. They created a giant M&M stage that was 24 feet tall and 22 feet wide. According to Craig Rice, the Vice President of Synergy Events, the stage took around three months to construct. To help celebrate the new candy, Mars invited the top ten of this season’s American Idol to perform on the stage. You can read more about the event in this article by the Wall Street Journal.

When planning an event for any company, whether it is your local marketplace or Mars, Inc., you need to think outside of the box. You need to think of a creative PR stunt that will get your client noticed and ahead of the market, for good reasons. As they did when the Statue of Liberty M&M was displayed, Americans will talk about this giant orange candy in Herald Square for months to come and will know what an orange M&M will taste like.

Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand!

I came across one of my take-home goodies from Drexel’s BizarrePR event back in April and decided to look through the guest speaker information once again. Everyone at the social had a chance to meet with Synergy Events, an agency that works with PR firms and companies in order to help boost their publicity through the use of an event.

One of the great events they created and put together happened in January of 2007. Synergy Events, along with M&M®, created an event to help promote their “Inner M” campaign to encourage Americans to find the M&M within them. The event: revealing Lady Liberty’s 53-foot Inner M. The statue floated down the Hudson River, creating a lot of publicity for the famed candy. Synergy Events reported the campaign generated over 100 million media impressions for M&M®.

To see some of the publicity the event got, watch this video on Youtube!

To learn more about Synergy Events, visit their website here.

I know I’ve created my own personal “Inner M” a few times since they began the campaign.

Has anyone else? Create yours here!

PR Myths!

This is a list that I found on Ragan.com about five public relations myths that some business owners believe. It's funny to look at them as a PR practitioner!

1. "PR is a waste of money"
2. “Once I get a good spot of PR, I can go back to laughing all the way to the bank.”
3. “Once I get a good spot of PR, I can go back to laughing all the way to the bank.”
4. “I went to law school/I kick ass on Jeopardy!/I always win arguments; therefore, I will control/intimidate/steamroll any reporter interviewing me.”
5. “How hard can it be to write an op-ed/letter-to-the-editor/press release?”

I especially think number five is funny. We know all too well here at PRowl Public Relations how tricky a news release can be!

Read the list with descriptions here.

Do you know any other PR myths? Share them with us!

White House Launches Post-Healthcare Reform PR Campaign

The news of the passing of healthcare reform through Congress broke late Sunday night to completely mixed reviews. Some news stations praised Obama for completing a task begun a century ago while others shared harsh criticisms of a Congress that pushed legislation through without listening to the people. Personally, I was confused about the details of the 2,700+ page bill and how it would effect me and other Americans. I spent Monday morning reading article after article in a handful of publications and finished my search for information only slightly less confused.

After being kicked off of my mother's health insurance at age 19 (even though I am still a full-time student at Temple University) I'm excited to see that the bill will allow people like me to stay on their parents health insurance through age 26. That was one of the only details that I could clearly make out in the several articles that summarized the legislation, however.

Considering this, I was excited to hear in a PRWeek article by Jaimy Lee posted on Monday that the White House will launch a three phase, post-healthcare reform informational public relations campaign to answer the important question, "what's in it for me?" The campaign will aim to cut through all of the opinionated media noise surrounding this historic legislation to provide Americans with factual information about the bill in an attempt to change public opinion.

The first phase of the campaign will focus on the immediate aftermath of the legislation, the second will handle the seven months leading up to the crucial November midterm elections and the third will handle the years after as the legislation begins to take effect.

I'm excited to see the campaign play out in the next few years and I'm hopeful that it will remain informational without being tainted by propaganda. It will also be interesting to see how oppositional groups communicate their messages against the bill. How do you feel about the White House's new PR campaign? What would you like to see them do?

How Will SeaWorld Save Its Image?

One of SeaWorld's veteran trainers Dawn Brancheau was killed Wednesday after being pulled under water by her trainee, a 12,000 pound Killer whale named Tilikum, at the end of a typical afternoon Shamu Show. Brancheau is said to have died from traumatic injuries and drowining according to investigators.

SeaWorld is one of the nation's most family friendly amusement parks making the tragic death even more of a shock to the public. Other trainers, including animal expert Jack Hanna, are defending the whale saying that there are certain risks a trainer accepts when working with live animals.

The most disturbing fact of the story, however, is that Tilikum has killed twice before. In 1991 the whale and two fellow female Killer whales drowned a trainer at Sealand of the Pacific in Canada and in 1999 SeaWorld officials found the lifeless body of Daniel Dukes on Tilikum's back. Dukes' was the only case not involving a trainer, though, as he was a tourist who snuck into SeaWorld in search of swimming with the whales.

Considering Tilikum's past history of aggression coupled with SeaWorld's family friendly image the question becomes what the amusement park will do to resolve this crisis. The only thing saving them from an onslaught of media scrutiny is that the incident happened the same day that the head of Toyota visited congress in an attempt to clean-up his own public relations debacle.

So far, it seems that SeaWorld is taking the right steps in dealing with the public. They've been truthful but fairly silent as they figure out the details, have left questions up to investigators and have canceled all Shamu Shows at all three SeaWorld Parks nationwide. The park's next steps will be most critical, however, in ensuring that the public feels safe enough to return. SeaWorld officials must explain how this tragedy happened and what they are doing to make sure that this doesn't happen again. What are your thoughts on SeaWorld's communications crisis and how they're handling it?