More tips for the information kits

Whether you're working on the pandemic employee info kit or the homecoming media kit, just remember these few guidelines:

You need only three separate items for the kits, which means there's only three pages inside the kit (not counting the extra sheet I passed out in class, from pandemicflu.gov, which could be included).

You'll have a one-page news release, written in AP Style (remarkably enough, we'll work on this on Monday, when you bring your kit to class). For the pandemic, you'll write an employee news release, to inform them about upcoming meetings and about preparations so far. For homecoming, you'll write about the department's plans for homecoming, the cake contest, the Daily's anniversary, etc.

You'll have a one-page fact sheet (pandemic: list of policies, preparations, guidelines; homecoming: facts about department and NT Daily's anniversary)

You'll have a one-page schedule of events for homecoming kit, and for the pandemic kit, you'll have a one-page list of resources that employees might need.

We'll work tomorrow to build this list, during our special session, but you can do this on your own, too. What web sites, basic information, etc., will employees need to make sense of pandemic flu? For instance, you might want to include definitions for pandemic, quarantine, isolation, plus give a list of web sites that are useful (and also credible domains). You can be creative and helpful here.

Due dates for semester, blogging for week

Here's what we discussed Wednesday:

10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17: This is a special meeting time for those students wanting assistance in preparing their information kits. Not mandatory, but recommended. We'll meet in our usual physical space.

10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 20: Information kits due.

There will be no class meeting Wednesday, Nov. 22, due to previously scheduled gridlock for Thanksgiving. Give thanks.

Your last test will be given during our final exam time during finals' week, but it will not be a final, just a third test. Questions? Zip me an email.

For information about "facts" for your employee news release, read the next posting. Bring your lead paragraph with you Monday for class discussion.

Info for news release on pandemic prep

Here is a gathering of facts for your employee news release on the pandemic prep that your imaginary company is doing. It will help you get started on your fictional release. Remember to use an inverted pyramid writing form and news release format. You may use a few of your own "facts" to complete this exercise.

"Our company has a tradition of working courageously in emergency situations," Thomas Winkler, SEM president and CEO, said. "Of course, it is our hope that we never need to enact this pandemic plan, but the first phase of planning is complete, and we now need to listen to employee concerns and questions about the plan."

Name of company: Southwestern Energy Matrix

No. of employees: 8,000 employees in two states, including 2,200 union-represented employees

Type of business: Electric energy generation and distribution for 5 million customers

The company and its executive staff have completed the first phase of planning for possible pandemic.

Employee relations and safety professionals from the company will be visiting all company locations to meet face-to-face with employees to discuss pandemic and emergency planning, as part of each branch office's monthly meeting.

"We think it's important to meet with employees face-to-face," said Human Resource Director Susan L. Liot, "and we'll be asking all employees to register for direct deposit of paychecks at this time. We'll be providing information about the company's plans for working through a pandemic or other long-term emergency scenario."

Department heads from across the company have worked on a pandemic planning committee for six months. Its recommendations include: enacting direct deposit of paychecks for all employees, creating a list of essential and non-essential employees, realigning worker sick leave and disability guidelines in case of pandemic, erecting glass-enclosed booths for customer-contact employees, working with the company's health insurance provider for special services, and updating employee emergency contact listings.

Need to study? Need a state?

If you still need to study, please read the following 3-4 postings. One of these postings gives you an assignment in which you'll need to be assigned the name of a state. If you still need a state to work on, take one of these: Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Study items for test 2

Be sure to read the next posting, too, which contains a take-home question that you'll need to complete and bring with you on Monday.

Here are some study areas for the test Monday (chapters 5-8, plus a little of 9):

Communication theory/public opinion chapter:
Theories, especially Magic Bullet Theory, Agenda-Setting Theory, and Uses and Gratification Theory

Why is public relations not propaganda?

Be ready to discuss the communication model, and what happened when Hurricane Rita approached, against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina. When the mayor of Houston asked most people to stay home, very clearly, and that they would be safer there, why did many of them evacuate anyway?

p. 155: How does public opinion evolve?

Ethics chapter:

What's the difference between being an advocate and being objective? How do practitioners reconcile these characteristics?

What's the benefit of strong ethics?

What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

What is cultural relativism and ethical imperialism?

Starbucks case study (p. 193)

Research and evaluation chapter:

Primary/secondary research
Probability/non-probability research
Qualitative/quantitative research
Advantages and disadvantages of focus groups?
What is a communication audit?

Planning chapter:

What are the qualities of good planning?

Know the differences between goals/objectives/tactics.

Communicating chapter/class discussion:

What is an SEO news release? or a Press Release 2.0?

What is a standard format for a press release?

How are print news releases different from those found online or sent as email? What is a VNR?

What skills do you need to be a good PR practitioner?

How do employees want to receive news?

That's all--zip me an email with your questions.

Take-home question for Monday's test

You'll need to email me to get a state, but here's the question (worth 10 points) that you'll need to bring with you Monday when taking our second test.

The electric utility that you work for, based in ______ 's state capital, will soon roll out its sustainable community initiative. At the local paper in your capital, to whom would you pitch the story? How do you know this is the right reporter/editor?

Now the intent of this assignment is not to make a long-distance phone call to a newspaper, to ask this question, but to conduct some typical research before pitching an idea to a journalist. You'll just need to go on the web, find the paper, and search for stories about electric utilities, energy, sustainability, etc. Who is writing these stories? Does the same reporter's name (or 2-3 reporters' names) pop up over and over again? That's how you can easily determine who is covering a particular beat for a newspaper.

More to come on studying for Monday's test.