Speak clearly: 5 ways to write for the ear, not the eye

Good article from Ragan about the art of speaking clearly, and the differences between writing well and speaking well: http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/43533.aspx

Ethics and Privacy on the Internet – What Communicators Need to Know on Tuesday, September 13

Presented by the PRSA-NCC Professional Development Committee

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011
Time: 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.
8:00 - 8:30 a.m.: Registration/Networking/Continental Breakfast
8:30 - 10:00 a.m.: Program

Location: Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC, 20004
Cost: $35/members; $55/non-members; $10/students/retirees; $10 additional the door.

Register at prsa-ncc.org

PRSA has a code of ethics, but do professionals understand how it covers new technologies, the Internet and social media – which now permeate so much of our social, political, personal and professional lives?

Facebook, Google, Apple—all have grabbed headlines for questionable data-gathering and sharing practices. Some of those same issues are spilling over into the corporate and association/nonprofit world, too, with organizations of all sizes collecting sensitive information about the public and their customers through websites, online campaigns, Facebook pages, blogs and smartphone apps.

This PRSA-NCC Professional Development Workshop will provide some clear (and not-so-clear) rules of the road for ethics and privacy on the Internet as they relate to professional communicators and journalists, including:

• How far can communicators go in using new technologies when interacting with clients and the public?
• Is there a point at which collecting and reporting “feedback” from the public to clients crosses the line? What’s done with that information?
• What special privacy issues arise with the use of social media? What should companies be doing to protect the public?
• How far can journalists go in using new technologies to cover or create news?

Panelists include:

• Brigitte Johnson, PRSA-NCC president and director of communications and executive editor at American Forest Foundation
• Randy Barrett, communications director, Center for Public Integrity
• Justin Brookman, director, Consumer Privacy Project, Center for Democracy & Technology
• Christian Olsen, vice president for the Digital and Social Media team at Levick Strategic Communications

Moderated by Danny Selnick, vice president, The Public Policy Wire, div. of Business Wire

AWC-DC COMBINES ANNUAL TEA AND MATRIX AWARDS

This year the Association for Women in Communications DC chapter (AWC-DC) is combining the most gracious networking event in town -- their Annual Tea at The Willard -- with one of the most under-attended -- the Matrix Awards. 

Whether the August 25th hybrid results in success for both remains to be seen, but it certainly promises to be the most charming way to bestow a communications professional award we've seen in DC.   This year's honoree is Donna Vincent Roa.

AWC-DC has been shaking up its traditional calendar and trying a number of creative collaborations to build a stronger program offering.   Its multi-part Burson Breakfast series the second Wednesday of each month using the Burson-Marstellar digital strategy team has had a great turnout and welcomes members of most area communications groups at the member price.  (Next up: Digital Issues and Crisis Communications on September 14).  

In the past the Annual Tea has attracted an eclectic mix of communicators from PR to photography and so offers attendees a chance to make potentially useful connections with providers of specialized communications services.  

ANNUAL TEA

DATE: Thursday, August 25, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

LOCATION:  The Willard Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania (Metro: Metro Center)

COST:  AWC members, students and retirees $50; non-members $60

RSVP: Register ~ space is limited

For more information, email awcdcevents@gmail.com.

Put More Power and Precision in Your PR/PA Writing

Learn tricks of the trade for generating more coverage by doing what reporters, editors, program producers, and industry experts advise. Learn secrets for “striking it rich” with your target audiences, including mainstream reporters, editors, and program producers. Learn how to gain greater attention in blogs and popular social media sites such as Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Empower yourself for greater rewards and more strategic success.

Presentation by

Don Bates, Founding Director,
Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations,
The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management
and University Public Relations/Public Affairs Writing Instructor

Tuesday, August 16th
• 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

• 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Registration/networking/continental breakfast
• Lunch Noon-1:00
• Classroom 305 (3rd Floor)

The Media and Public Affairs Building
The George Washington University
Graduate School of Political Management
805 21st Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20052
• Metro Information: Foggy Bottom/GWU (orange/blue lines)

• Cost: $150/PRSA, WWPR and BPRS members; $220/non-members; $75/students/retirees

Register here