Social Media and the Election

The election is definitely over and we already have our winners but I won’t be talking about the loss of my candidate for councillor who should have won.

The recently concluded election saw a variety of campaign styles from candidates running for different positions. Many candidates in my ward used the expertise of campaign operatives to ensure that they were able to communicate their messages to their audiences. Candidates in my ward used posters, brochures and lawn signs, and just a few of them used social media (Facebook and Twitter) to further expand their campaign strategies.

I think that the use of social media by a few of the candidates in my ward was effective in a sense that there was an exchange of messages happening as well as ‘conversations’ between candidates and their constituents.

My candidate used social media effectively in a way that he exchanged conversations with the voters. Aside from his virtual presence on Facebook, I appreciated the fact that my candidate for councillor visited all residents in my street during the campaign period (Talk about the effectiveness of interpersonal communication!). When he dropped by my house to talk to me about his agenda and of course, introduce himself as a candidate running for councillor, I was very impressed with his people skills (and his wits, too); I said to myself, “This is the guy who should represent my ward.”

Just like in any ‘major’ decisions in life, I treated the election seriously. I made some research on my candidates online by looking at their websites, Facebook pages, etc. and even bothered reading the newspapers and printed materials given out. My candidate for one prompted interest among voters to talk about issues concerning our ward—I think that this was a great and honest move made by my candidate and to find out as well what the residents thought about certain issues was a definite plus.

How many candidates out there who ran for public office (including those who just won) really took the time to ‘listen’ to their constituents? I am in a way disappointed that the candidate who just won the councillor seat in my ward didn’t even bother to pay his constituents a visit during the campaign period nor even bothered to ‘engage’ himself through an exchange of discussion or conversation (either in person or even through social media—if he ever used one which I doubt).

The use of social media as an election campaign tool is very effective. Not only is it a way for the candidate to promote himself but it’s a good way to engage with your voters. I think that replies coming from people through social media are valuable feedbacks that can be assessed or evaluated. Information once gathered and evaluated can help a candidate re-formulate his agenda or plans once in office. This information can be useful too, in a way that it can give a candidate a reflection on how the voters really feel towards his campaign or a certain issue.

I guess that to talk about whether social media really does increase one’s chances of winning is yet another topic to blog about.

It would just be hard to 'edit out': The Russell Williams' case

There is an unsettling feeling when I read news that talk about crime; maybe because I feel for those people who fell victims in the hands of calloused and cold criminals.

This morning, my classmate presented the case of disgraced ex-colonel Russell Williams as her 'PR in the News'. It was a well delivered presentation that showed us the timelines of the case. As PR majors, we listened to the facts objectively and analyzed the situation critically; it was in that position that we were looking at the situation from a third-person's point of view and looking at the situation from different angles, considering the audiences or people affected by the case.

In the news, the facts were presented and have to be presented. In as much as anyone who has a weak heart and doesn't have the strength to hear all those horrible details, the facts have to be told and have to be known. It's just like the investigators who handled the case; they didn't know what to expect but because they have to follow certain procedures in order to help them solve the case, their being objective led them to solving the case. The facts were laid out to them in all of its horrible details.

Now it makes me think that even after Williams was convicted of the terrbile crimes he committed, it would be hard to forget or 'edit out' what really took place or even forget about the facts that were made known to the public. The decision also to keep the videos and photos in a safe place will be a contant reminder of the terrible and shameful things he had done. This case is now part of history-- he's now considered one of Canada's worst criminals. That will surely be hard to edit out no matter what he plans to do many years from now.

Not So Glee About 'Glee' On GQ

Glee spirals its popularity not only among the younger audiences but also with the older audiences, too. In the November 2010 issue of GQ magazine, actors Lea Michele (Rachel), Dianna Agron (Quinn), and Corey Monteith (Finn), posed for the popular men’s magazine. The racy photo shoot raised eyebrows particularly The Parents Television Council (TPTC) watchdog group, which said that the photos “border on pedophilia.” High heels, short skirts, skimpy panties, and provocative poses dominated the November issue.


Glee is a musical comedy-drama television series on Fox. It is a story about a high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir compettion circuit, whose diversified members deal with relationship, sexuality and social issues. Since its debut on television in 2009, it became a pop-culture hit among millions of viewers in the US and gaining momentum worldwide.

There are many views regarding this photo shoot. There were those who said that Glee is not really a show for teens but it has always been an adult show. So its photo shoot for the November 2010 issue of GQ magazine is no big deal. The photos were catered for older audiences (men, in this case). On the other side of the spectrum, many people said (including TPTC) that the photos in this issue "is an example of overt sexualization of young girls in entertainment."

After I have read the news and glanced at a few photos, I cannot believe but be surprised. I have always viewed Glee as a top-rating show for teens and young adults, and since the concept of this show is set in high school, it is something for teenagers to watch. And mind you, young children as well watch this popular TV hit series since it aired on primetime television. My concern over this issue is this- even if the people responsible for this photo shoot said that the cast who appeared in this November issue are in their 20s or near their 30s and are already adults, a lot of the show’s younger audiences idolize these actors and view them as role models (unfortunately now). The branding set by the show made the cast an indispensable item in almost every American household; with millions of teens looking forward to watching every episode, every week. When you walk into a grocery store with your young child and see this issue, what would they think? Obviously, children and teenagers alike will recognize their Glee idols but shown in a different light. You may argue that GQ is a magazine for older men and that no teenager (I do hope so) in his right mind would buy it; but the issue here is, Glee has been exploited to the point that it’s bordering into this kind of sexual tolerance. Yes, sexuality is a thing that many teens face these days, but should you push it over to the limit that you're like saying, "Okay, it's alright to see my teenaged girl in scanty panty and doing a provocative pose with a lollipop in her mouth." The reason also on 'why' girls are viewed as sexual objects is because of the fact on how media depicts them; and an example of this are the photos shown on this issue. We all know that older men read GQ and when you have such photos of girls in teenage-like attire, you're already giving these men unfavourable ideas towards women (especially towards young girls). It's also like teaching and showing girls how to be promiscuous. In simple terms, it's like playing on deadly grounds. Overall, it’s not just appropriate. Glee is a brand well liked by many young people and there’s responsibility that goes with it. Whoever thought of this photo shoot never thought about the fact on how this will affect the show's younger audiences.
Glee would still continue to be a popular show (or may even get more popular after this issue), but what is your stand regarding this? Should Glee (including cast and the people behind the show) have considered thinking about this racy photo shoot in the first place? How do you think this will affect millions of its fans?... share your thoughts.

Tricky Words Only Push Us To Be Better Editors

I came across an article entitled "English is Too Hard to Read for Children," by Anushka Asthana in The Observer (Sunday, 8 June 2008). In her article she said that the English spelling system is "unspeakably, absolutely awful." That is because of a conclusion in a research that found children facing around 800 words by age 11 which hinder their reading because of the way these words were spelled. These words challenge kids just because they contain letter combinations. Such examples would be monkey, asparagus, spinach, caterpillar, and handkerchief. 

Literary researcher Masha Bell thinks that there were words in the list that could be made simple by dropping certain letters.  An example would be dropping the letter i in friend and u in shoulder. The tricky spellings make English particularly difficult for children with dyslexia and those from disadvantaged homes who are less likely to be read to by their own parents.

This reminds me that in editing, we have to custom-fit our writings to the audience we're writing to. It wold be wishful thinking to say that we can edit in whatever way we want. There are still correct sentence structures to follow; proper writng formats to bear in mind; and several other guidelines to look into every time we work on an article.

When it comes to spellings, editors like myself have to be alert when scrutinizing bodies of copy. Somehow this is a test on how well I know my vocabulary by heart; words that I've learned while growing up; and words that I'm still learning along the way.

If only editing could be as simple as taking a letter out from a word but still, that would be wishful thinking, and absolutely too far from becoming a reality.

The Peak of Unprofessionalism: What'sYour View?

Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly irked fellow guests Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar at Thursday's The View on ABC, when he commented that Muslims were responsible for 9/11. The heated exchange of arguments between O'Reilly and the show's guest co-hosts, prompted Goldberg and Behar to walk-off the set.

The now infamous disagreement was on the topic of the proposed building of a New York mosque near Ground Zero. O'Reilly was heard commenting, "Muslims killed us on 9/11" and as a reaction, Goldberg and Behar went off the set leaving O'Reilly with the other co-hosts of The View. At that particular moment, the discussion was far from over. Barbara Walters did some damage control and said,

”You have just seen what should not happen. We should be able to have discussions without washing our hands and screaming and walking offstage. I love my colleagues, but that should not have happened.”

I watched the video at least a few more times and frankly, it was very untoward of Goldberg and Behar to leave the set like that to show their disagreement with O'Reilly. I was expecting a far more civil and professional reaction from these ladies, but they just realized my worst nightmare. Whether you are an interviewer for a day-time or night-time show doesn't really make a difference. I think that there is still an unwritten code to be followed in leading a proper interview when on-air. It's alright to express different views about a certain topic and I can understand that in most times, the discussions can get out of hand but the control should be with the interviewers themselves and should show a level of professionalism at all times. You cannot simply walk-off the set and leave your interviewee (and the rest of the world)... that is simply setting a bad example. Ironically on the other side of things, The View is  a top-rated day-time show (although I am not one of its avid viewers) and the co-hosts themselves have a penchant to talk on top of each other (like chickens clucking endlessly in a barnyard; 'sorry' but this is the closest illustration I can give you) and somehow, that has been the show's identifiable mark. Overall, what happened is just like mere 'entertainment,'-  'for your 'pleasure' so to speak; but I wouldn't settle with that. I would rather see a more professional handling of this matter, which Walters did with such grace and ease.

So, what's your view?...

Editing & Parenting Go Together

One time in our online and editing class, our instructor asked us to name some areas or ways where and when we can use editing. I didn't share my answer at that time, maybe because I was busy contemplating on how I can use editing into my parenting skills. Images started to flood my mind- situations when my little angels were subjected to my disciplining or to my sweet doses of reminders and helpful instructions.  So now, here are the ways on how editing can be used into my parenting skills:

1. When giving instructions to my kids, I make it very simple and clear.
Children have a very short attention span (and sometimes, adults too!) so if there's anything that I need to come across, I make sure that my instructions are given in bits and pieces, and not in big chunks. Children are more prone to follow if simple and step-by-step instructions are given. As a parent, my supervision and guidance are things that I offer all the time. This reminds me that just like editing big chunks of written material, it's also good to be concise and straght to the point.

2. I am a parent, so I should act like one.
Being a parent doesn't have to be a serious and awfully boring job;  In fact, being one is a whole lot of fun!  To be a parent is a 24-hour job just because  everything that you do is for your kids' welfare and that you always have to be there when they need you. To be a parent is a full-time position and there is no resignation allowed. In raising kids, parenting is something that I do all the time. I look after my kids' best interests by being concerned with their physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual health. If there are occasions that I need to discipline my kids especially when they needed to go to bed early for school, I have to let the 'parent' in me control the situation by reminding them not to eat too much before bedtime so they'll be able to sleep more easily. Just like in any editorial work, the editor has to wear his hat when editing and feedback is given so as to improve the writer's job.

3. "I walk the talk" & "I talk the walk" as a parent.
Kids are keen observers- frankly, you cannot fool them. Once they hear you say something and you don't do what you've just told them, they would be quick to point out your mistake. Being a parent is surely not an easy job; as a parent, I am definitely not immuned from committing mistakes. Most of these are unintentional but a great deal of effort is done on my part to "mean what I say," and "say what I mean." You will gain their trust more easily if you are sincere in  every word you say and do. Tough job, isn't it? Once you know how to go about it, it will be much easier to 'edit out' anything that doesn't belong in the picture.

In general, different parents have different parenting styles; so far, these are the ways that work best for me. I do my editing as a parent on a constant basis trying to see, feel, and study the 'pages' where my kids are in.

Good PR from Pirate Jack

Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp turned up at a south-east London school to the surprise of many students. Nine-year-old Beatrice Delap wrote to "Captain Jack Sparrow" (played by Depp in the movie) asking for help with an uprising against teachers. "We are a bunch of budding young pirates and we were having a bit of trouble mutiny-ing against the teachers, and we'd love if you could come and help," Delap wrote in her letter.

Captain Jack Sparrow is the big draw in the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. It's this movie franchise that gave Depp his chest of enviable treasures, that even actor Kevin Kline admitted to feeling jealous towards Depp's great success. Even before the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Depp had already established a niche in Hollywood. His first acclaimed movie Edward Scissorhands showed his versatility as an actor and the idiosyncratic persona that goes with it. Edward Scissorhands is a fave of mine because from the moment I saw the movie, I knew then that Depp has great potential to make it big. I already believed since then that he has what it takes to be a league of his own and carve a name for himself in Hollywood.

Going back to the primary school where Depp made a surprise appearance, it's interesting to know that he dropped by in his full pirate regalia; the students (and I believe even the teachers) were ecstatic and that by the mere presence of Depp, made a lot of students cheer and call out his name.

Depp's surprise visit definitely brought this kid's show and tell a higher level up. Not only is he an actor loved by many because of his great portrayals of many characters, but Depp also knows how to please his audience- well, his very young audience in this case. Depp was in London at that time filming for the next instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. We can tell that he had a very busy schedule but he found a way not to disappoint his nine-year-old fan.

If Johnny Depp would appear in your school as Captain Jack Sparrow, wouldn't you feel ecstatic that a pirate like him, is so accomodating? Captain Jack surely knows how to please his audience. So the next time you see yet another instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, you can easily predict that Depp will probably get nominated for the nth time and that his character Captain Jack will win the hearts of many adults and children alike.

Junk the bad copy

Everyday I receive a lot of mail-  it's a combination of 'very important' ones like personal letters, subscription magazines, and bills as well as 'junk mail.' Like what most companies do especially those who still believe in the power of direct mails, they would send thousands of coupons, subscription offers, samplers, catalogues, and other direct mailers to clueless residents in Winnipeg. Just like most of you do, I am not exempted from receiving these stuff in my mailbox every week.

There is this one particular direct mailer that I didn't bother reading from the start (or maybe at least I've read it a couple of times). In fact, I have been receiving the 'same letter' (same copy, same layout) from this local company for the past five years. It came to the extent that this letter starts to annoy me, and somehow, I feel a bit of pity towards the marketing guy or even the owner himself for a badly written copy. I have a feeling that he's not getting the marketing mileage he wants; but the point is, why waste thousands of paper printing the same bad copy, year after year? If you're a business owner, think about the promotional value of your direct mailers for instance. Make every cent count; even if it's just one piece of ordinary paper. But I believe that with the case we have in hand, the owner doesn't mind after all. Is it maybe because he's 'content' getting let's say, 50 leads out of the 1,000 direct mailers he printed in one quarter?... Still, the value for your money doesn't add up.

So here is the infamous copy I was talking about. Note the redundant punctuation marks used. Obviously, this copy is subject to editing. Read on!


"Our No Tax Event ... Plus Don't Pay For One Year!"

Why should you have to pay sales tax?? During our No Tax event, we will pay the taxes on any purchase of a Premier or Optimum furnace and air conditioning bundle. That's right, you can get a top-of-the-line furnace and air conditioner now and save hundreds of $$$$ in sales taxes during this limited time event!

Dear Homeowner,

Is your furnace ready for the cold winter ahead? For a limited time, I am going to pay the tax for you on any Premier or Optimum furnace and air conditioning bundle you purchase from me. You can use the omeny save to pay for family vacation, a new TV, or whatever you like.


...and the copy goes on. Maybe after reading this, you have found a few or several mistakes which need to be corrected. After typing the excerpt from the direct mailer above, I have also noticed that the copy broke a couple of rules. For one, if you want to emphasize a point in your direct mailer (especially in the body copy), it's either you highlight the words or simply underline it. To use both in the same text or words is overemphasizing and it just doesn't look good- it's just like throwing a pie on someone's face. The other thing I've found is the 'cliche' that some companies use in selling their wares. Can't they think of something more original and exciting?...

What's your verdict?... Feel free to share it with me.

How I Appreciate You, Public Relations!

In yesterday's Winnipeg Free Press, I've read an article about the successful fundraising effort of Raise-a-Reader  which took place Wednesday, Sepember 29th. The local event was part of a national campaign that started in 2002 by the Asper family with their chain of newspapers. This campaign is now run by Postmedia Network. The local event saw the support of many volunteers stationed at 17 locations around the city who were hawking copies of the Free Press. The event raised $46,000, including corporate sponsorships, donations, and money raised from the RAR concert series.

This may sound like a simple event but I believe (just like any PR peep would agree), that a lot of planning and preparation were involved in coming up with a successful endeavour. If I were to rewind and give a flashback of what probably took place behind the scenes, the people responsible for this event did their job really well. So what makes this event successful? Research including evaluation from the previous Raise-a-Reader event, and a strategic communication plan.

A year ago when I started on my first year in creative communications, I would never have thought of the bulk of work involved in coming up with an event. Not to mention the dynamics of coming up with a publicity plan and the logistics of sorting out and managing the different areas, which I believe is a real challenge to anyone who is focused to meeting the objectives and achieve the desired outcomes. What inspires me to look into the different fundraising  events in the city (and elsewhere) is the creativity involved in reaching out to the  target audiences. Who is it for ? Why would they care? What's in it for them? As an aspiring public relations practitioner, I would know for sure that these are not the only questions I would be asking myself. I would undoubtedly get right to work and do a thorough or comprehensive study of the situation considering the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involved. I also want to make sure that a solid foundation is established for my communication plan and the only way to do that is to come up with a solid research that will pave the way to a strategic plan.

As I continue to read and find out more about different 'creative' initiatives done by different organizations in helping raise funds for various causes, the more I appreciate the role of public relations and effective communication in the life of a community.