By Georgia Fogle

Have you ever noticed what your microwave says to you when your food is ready? The one we have at work is programmed to say “Enjoy your meal” and the one I have at home just says “Good.”

Over the summer, before I begin my next class at NSCC, I’ve been trying to program myself to think and behave like more of a minimalist. The first thing I see in the books and blogs I read about minimalism, Zen and Feng Shui is to reduce the clutter in your life.

So, I subscribed to a new aggregate blog called The Daily Brainstorm, which is a collection of all my favorite blogs – and more – all wrapped up in one blog page. This should minimize the daily emails coming to my inbox. Another aggregate blog that I read and recommend is Social Media Today, for all the top social media blog headlines of the day. RSS is a great way to reduce your daily email stream.

Another part of minimalism is contentedness. You’ve heard the saying, “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.” Being content is noticing the little things, being grateful for what you have and not always wishing for something different.

So… have you ever noticed what your microwave says?

By Greg Bailey, APR

It was a moment that usually only happens in a dream — great event, attendees smiling, happy client. Then out of nowhere, the client was ambushed.

The self-proclaimed investigative reporter – with stoic videographer in tow – slithered through the crowd, flashed the requisite pearly-white smile and proclaimed, “I just have to ask you a question.” Be assured, it had nothing to do with the tiny quiches or shrimp-on-a-stick being served.

There was no chance of stepping in and whisking the client away; the viper had struck. The client stuck to their guns – answered the question honestly and politely – knowing what would likely happen to the response in the editing room. This would be a story void of facts – a trademark of the reporter. It would be edited and broadcast to fit the reporter’s “crusading” agenda.

Even honest, hard-working reporters and editors used to joke that “you never let the facts stand in the way of a good story.” This reporter not only pays no attention to the facts; the end result is rarely a good story. Who would have ever dreamed that the old Cops and Hard Copy shows would become the model for today’s television news broadcasts?

What is so very troubling is that this type of lousy and less-than-truthful journalism comes out of a once-trailblazing newsroom that now has lost its luster and, quite often, spends way too much time in a back alley devising today’s quick-hit ratings grab. How sad and unfortunate it is that the TV viewer doesn’t recognize the severe manipulation of the facts.

Part of our responsibility as public relations professionals is to prepare clients to interact with the news media. We counsel our clients to tell their story honestly, good or bad. Then we must rely on the integrity of reporter on the other side of the notebook to deal in a fair and honest manner with the subject. When that does not happen, no correction in print, no apology on air, no phone call to an editor can change the false impression already left with the viewer or reader.

Our client was previously victimized by the ambushing reporter; the client knew what was coming, how to deal with it, and was fully aware of the end result that would appear on air.

Near the end of the event, the client and a handful of people, some former journalists, were talking about the ambush and the reporter’s tactics. Most of us agreed that we displayed our dislike of the approach by voting with our eyes and remote controls. We all agreed one thing:  those newscasts don’t work for us anymore.

By Renee Sloan

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20 is a prime example of a nightmare. Eleven people lost their lives in the Gulf of Mexico that day and their bodies have never been recovered. Every day a different BP official gives the American public an update on how many barrels of oil are leaking from the three major underwater leaks, while they are being fined $42 million a day.

The oil spill estimates have gone as high as 60,000 barrels (2.5 million gallons) a day, while we watch underwater cameras showing the oil continuing to gush out.  President Obama says the Federal government is overseeing BP’s repair efforts because they have the expertise to stop the leaks which are located a mile below the Gulf’s surface while BP asks the public for ideas on how to accomplish it.

In the aftermath following the collapsed oil rig, both plant life and wildlife along the Gulf Coast has been harmed. Recently, a German biologist  created an uproar by issuing a statement saying it makes better sense to kill the oil-coated wildlife than to try to clean them up. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publishes a daily Collection Report which shows the affected wildlife in the Gulf area. As of June 7, there had been 1,007 birds collected in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi – 413 had visible signs of oil and were still alive and another 594 were dead. Of the birds that will be washed and released, less than 1 percent will live, says Rick Steiner, an Alaska marine biologist who was involved in the 1989 Exxon-Valdez cleanup.

The birds didn’t cause this mess – people did!! We owe it to the entire Gulf area to work tirelessly until we make things better. Please note that I did not say “back to the way things were.” It’s too late for that. But I’m willing to try to increase the wildlife’s survival percentage rate.

Is washing birds covered under the KVBPR Leave of Absence policy?

By Neely Burks

As a recent panelist at the Lipscomb Green Business Summit, I was introduced to a lot of interesting people with big ideas and even bigger levels of enthusiasm. The cause of sustainability is one that ignites a shared camaraderie and it was a lot of fun to be surrounded with like-minded individuals who not only want to change the world, but are actively working to make it happen.

In terms of featured products, there were two items that impressed me the most:

• The new Dyson Airblade – this totally eco-friendly hand-dryer somehow magically kills bacteria and dries your hands in under 10 seconds. If anyone could accomplish this, it’s Dyson. Makes total sense.
• iHospitality – this locally owned company supplies eco-friendly disposable dining ware including cups, forks, spoons, knives, bowls and plates — all made out of compostable corn. Sounds like your spoon might dissolve in your soup, right? Not so…this material is a dead ringer for plastic. I think every event and restaurant that offers to-go packaging should strongly consider this product.

By Holley Stein

I am working on my Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credentials from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and part of the curriculum is the history of public relations. I am particularly excited for this part of my studies as I firmly believe you cannot know where you are going, unless you see where you have been.

This July, Bournemouth University will host the inaugural The International History of Public Relations Conference, where academics from 14 countries, including a professor from the University of Georgia, will deliver papers on not only the history of PR itself, but an in depth, global view of PR’s role throughout history.

The presentations would make nice supplements to what I will be studying for my APR. If they become accessible online, I will draft another blog entry.

Nashville has experienced devastating flooding throughout Davidson and neighboring counties, which have been declared a disaster area.  We are grateful that KVBPR staffers and their families are safe and dry.  We appreciate the continuing rescue and recovery work being done by local and state officials and agencies, nonprofits and fellow Tennesseans.  Our thoughts are with the families and businesses who lost so much in the flood.

KVBPR’s own Heather Schablik shares her view from Franklin, Tenn.

Thankful. Humbled. Blessed. Saddened. Devastated. The last four days have been some of the most exhausting and emotional days for many Nashville residents. As much as 18 inches of rain in some parts of the city rendered neighborhoods, businesses and landmarks inoperable. Homes and businesses filled with water. Citizens looked on as daring boat rescues were made from second-story windows. Parks and playgrounds are barely recognizable now that the flood waters have receded.

Some of us were physically affected by the events of this past weekend. But every single one of us was emotionally affected. So much of our city is in need right now. Please spread the word to everyone you know: the situation here in Nashville is pretty bad. Temporary shelters are at capacity, individuals are still missing, homes and businesses remain under water, citizens are being called to cut water consumption in half to prevent a shortage, and many of the landmarks that make Music City what it is have months of rebuilding ahead of them. We’re going to need help. If you can donate time or money, please do.

We’ve all got our own flood story. And it’s in our hands to ensure those stories have a happy ending.

Here’s how you can help:

• Donate to Nashville Red Cross, Community Foundation of Middle TN or Second Harvest Food Bank
• Volunteer with Hands On Nashville
• Check this list for further ways to help flood victims
• Stay updated on the Mayor’s Flood Update page

Photos by Nancy DeKalb

By Renee Sloan

There have been a lot of firsts in my life, but I think writing my first blog for KVBPR’s Web site had to be the scariest thing I have done in a while.  It felt like I had just jumped out of an airplane without a parachute.

As I am quite a people person, it is very comforting to think that I am part of the social media community now, but at the same time it is perplexing to me that someone may actually read my blog and comment on it.  I am humbled to know my opinion may actually matter to someone.   Who are these faceless people?

Perhaps I have been beamed up to another planet in another galaxy far, far away because I sure don’t feel like I am on planet earth any more.  I must admit my curiosity has gotten the better of me, and now I am wondering who else is out there in the blogosphere.

I am not sure where my blogging travels are going to take me just yet.  But, hey, at one time I didn’t know how to drive a car either, and I managed to conquer that!  Maybe I’ll try traveling to the Twitterverse next . . .

By Renee Sloan

When I was a child in the sixties, my parents watched the network news each night.  Even then, I understood how important it was for us to be tuned in to Walter Cronkite every weeknight in our living room.  He delivered the news in an authoritative way, because he had personally experienced it.  He went to the battlefields, shook the hands of the first astronauts before they went into outer space, and personally researched what was happening in that day’s events before he reported on it.

He was the most trusted man in America.  We knew what he said was fact and we believed him when he said at the closing of each newscast, “and that’s the way it is.”   He added credibility to a world filled with uncertainty.

We felt like he was one of us.  When John Glenn lost contact with NASA following his off-course splashdown into the ocean, Cronkite rejoiced with us when Glenn was finally located.  He cried with us when he had to report on President John Kennedy’s death that tragic day in   Dallas.   Cronkite once said, “Our job is only to hold up the mirror — to tell and show the public what has happened.”

But this isn’t about Walter Cronkite.  It IS about what he stood for.  In 2010, we watch a much different type of newscast.  Newscasters are personalities.  We want to know who their hair stylist is, what clothing designer they are wearing, who they are dating and where they like to go to have fun.

They are news readers – not news reporters.  They haven’t been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.  They don’t care about what we want to know as much as they care about what is going to make their ratings skyrocket.  They and the networks they work for use the most spectacular event of the day to accomplish it.  Their newscasts are filled with politically-biased stories and personal opinions.  Many times their interview questions reflect their own viewpoint and we, the viewer, don’t get to hear both sides of the issue.

How do we fix this?   We, as the viewing public should demand to hear the news and see the news the way it REALLY happens.  I don’t want to see special segments where a reporter has “investigated” some news story.  I want EVERY piece of news I watch to have been investigated!  I want EVERY piece of news they report on to be unbiased, truthful and factual.  At the end of the newscast, I want to feel like “that’s the way it is.”

By Holley Stein

A few weeks ago, New York Magazine posted a blog titled “Is Dolce & Gabbana’s PR Team Out to Lunch?” It was about Madonna and Whitney Houston wearing the same outfit, at the same time, while the former attended an event in Milan and the latter made an appearance in Paris.

When I first read the story, I laughed. I also picked who I thought looked best. Then I thought about it more and I began to wonder how the blogger defines public relations.

When I am asked the perennial “what do you do” question at events, everyone is always interested when I tell them I am in public relations. Out of a desire to relate, they mention a marketer, an advertiser or a publicist they know. I’ve learned to say that we can be those, but think of us more as the umbrella organization under which marketing, speech writing, advertising, sponsorship and media relation, to name a few strategies, is housed. We help clients relate to the public. We help them communicate effectively with key constituents. We help them build the relationships they need to create success.  Not quite as in depth or esoteric as  PRSA’s definition but it works.

Then again, I have had to carry extra suit jackets and ties with me in case an executive is not wearing what he/she should for a photo shoot. I have also overseen photo shoots where I have had to kneel behind the subject, holding down the back of his or her jacket to keep it from riding up or creasing at the shoulders.

So perhaps the blogger is right.

by Holley Stein

Whether it’s counseling a client in preparation for a turbulent media interview or handling crisis communications, public relations professionals are known for their calm-and-cool demeanor and grace under pressure.

But what happens when you get a plaza full of professionals together to celebrate the work done on behalf of their clients? Cheers, camaraderie and immense pride–to the point of tears–for our clients.

KVBPR’s work was recently honored at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil Awards ceremony, held on June 4 in New York City. Our firm received the Silver Anvil Award for excellence in internal communications for work done on behalf of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) and the Silver Anvil Award of Excellence in integrated communications for introducing Nashville Symphony’s new conductor, Giancarlo Guerrero. I had the pleasure of working with the Symphony and Locomotion Creative on the multi-channel communications campaign and was thrilled to hear we were a finalist for the award. Finding out I was going to New York wasn’t bad either!

The atmosphere of the ceremony was elegant, as expected. What I did not count on was what would happen to us once we were inside the auditorium and the award-presentation began. There was no polite applause, plastic smiles or stiff photos. There were whistles, cat calls, cheering and loud applause, not only for ourselves, but for each other. I actually screamed when my colleague, Heather Schablik, went onstage to accept the Silver Anvil on behalf of BCBST. (All-in-all, the internal communications program for BCBST won three national awards this year.)

However, the best part of the award ceremony was when master-of-ceremonies, Terry Stewart, president and CEO for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, announced the award for the Nashville Symphony. He mentioned a recent visit to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. He not only praised the building to a group of practitioners from around the U.S., he spoke directly to Ronda Helton, senior director of marketing for the Nashville Symphony, and acknowledged the caliber of its musicians and programming.  It was the only proverbial “shout-out” that was given that night.

Upon later reflection, I admit, I teared up. Something had really hit home.  Sure we were cheering for ourselves that night. We work hard on behalf of our clients. But more than anything, I believe we were really cheering for our clients. After working in the trenches with each other for so long, you feel like a member of your client’s team. In many ways, these awards act as a double honor.