Monday, April 21, 2014

reflections on michelle wright's two-day journalism workshop || liberty university 2014

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a session that was part of a two-day journalism workshop sponsored by Liberty University and featuring Michelle Wright. Wright is an anchor for WTAE Action News and “This Morning in Pittsburgh,” and is also a graduate of Liberty University.

(Several days later I would learn that she attended Liberty at the same time as my mother, who is also a Liberty graduate. They were acquaintances who were both involved in the communications department at the school.)

Wright emphasized the importance of being an informed communicator. She encouraged the attendees to diversify their outlook to include politics and business, noting that her choice to major in political science helped her greatly when the time came to put her skills to practical use. I jotted down a reminder to study both of these areas more in the future.

As the session continued, Wright dispensed helpful hints for the world of broadcasting right and left. For instance, she shared from her experience with interviewing top cultural icons, such as Oprah, that it’s important to ask the hard questions. Hard questions, Wright pointed out, allow the interviewee to make a firm case for their side of the story instead of simplistic “yes” or “no” questions.

However, perhaps Wright’s most powerful and pointed advice involved a core element that many broadcasters and journalists are prone to forget: people.

“The story is in the people,” she said, urging us not to forget the heartbeat of the industry.


Sometimes one can become so consumed with “the story” that they forget who makes the story come alive. People, she emphasized, are not to be taken for granted.

Needless to say, I left the workshop grateful for Wright's helpful advice and more interested that ever in the world of broadcast journalism.

exercise 12.1 news releases

For more information, contact
Hannah Underhill
Mountain East Medical Center
224-553-8892
hunderhill@memc.com

For Immediate Release

DEPARTMENT HEAD LEAVES

A new man will be at the helm of Mountain East Medical Center’s purchasing department, taking the department to greater heights than ever before.

Johnny Toler will assume the role of department head after his predecessor, Bob Wilkinson, departs from his role as head of the hospital’s purchasing department. Toler was Wilkinson's assistant head and officials believe he is well-equipped to take on the new position.
“Bob’s abilities will be greatly missed at this hospital, but I know that Johnny Toler is a person we can all depend on to do whatever is necessary to keep his department going,” Harry Illscott, Mountain East Medical Center’s administrator, said.

Toler has been employed by Mountain East Medical for 13 years. Initially he held the position of assistant druggist in the center’s pharmacy and moved to the purchasing department in 1978 following the pharmacy’s closing.

“This hospital means a great deal to me and my family, and I will give my best efforts to making our purchasing department the best,” Toler said.

Toler’s background is in pharmacy. He worked under Wilkinson for several years.

“I learned from a fine man,” Toler said, “and I hope I can continue to build on the foundation he established.”

Wilkinson graduated from Virginia State University’s school of hospital administration in 1972. His employment at Mountain East Medical was preceded by his role as the purchasing chief of a small rural community hospital in the area.

Illscott shared Toler’s feeling of optimism regarding the change.

“I have great faith in him,” he said in reference to Toler.

Toler is married and has two children. His wife, Carolyn Toler, is the head of the gynecology department at Mountain East Medical.

 _


Mountain East Medical Center was established in 1894 by Dr. R.F. Janger with a vision to provide quality medical care by using the latest techniques and health practices available. The Center is located in Obichiwan, Va., in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is lauded for its excellent standards, particularly in its maternity wing and intensive care unit. Harry Illscott is the hospital’s current administrator.

Monday, April 14, 2014

response blog to "the persuaders"



Rushkoff is a technology and media commentator for CNN.
In an innovative 90-minute documentary entitled "The Persuaders", commentator Douglas Rushkoff explored the abstract concepts surrounding the path advertisers track to the hearts, minds, and, ultimately, wallets of consumers. His preliminary conclusion was that reaching a target audience involves more than merely marketing what a product does, but also what the product means. Beyond simply fulfilling a physical need, such as satisfying your chocolate craving or washing your hair, the products must be seen as fulfilling several intangible needs. These needs include:

  • Community
    As consumers, we want to belong to a community. We want to know that  not only are there other people out there, but that there are other people out there like us.
  • Narrative
    We want to understand how things fit into our story of life, an ongoing narrative that creates who we are and what we pursue.
  • Transcendence
    We want to experience life beyond a superficial level. The products we use must reflect a transcendental attitude.

Since we're all human with the same basic attitudes about life, you would think that tapping into these core needs would be easy. However, as marketing specialist Claire Rapaille discovered, the analysis of these needs lies beyond the superficial language we use. It's locked away in what Rapaille terms a mental "highway" or "code." That code must be broken in order for advertisers to successfully market their products and services.

As I watched "The Persuaders," the above information made sense. I could attest to the three basic needs of community, narrative and transcendence in my own life. I understood the reality of the mental code Rapaille discovered. 

However, what intrigued me the most was the emotional connection that many of these professional persuaders sought to make with their target audience. No longer is the strategy to sell me on the comparative benefits of a certain paper towel brand. Instead, the goal is to engage my emotions, beyond a logical level, on a heart level. I must believe that the paper towels will satisfy a deep innate need in my life.

What is advertising, then, but a manipulation of humanity? The persuaders aren't selling products; they're selling ideas.

Lifestyles.


They're shaping the way we perceive the world on a daily basis. Why? Because they know these deeper connections will rivet themselves to the core of our being to the point where we just can't say no. After all, who ever finds it easy to say no to themselves?

While watching the documentary, I felt a chill run up my spine. A very personal part of me seemed to have been laid bare. It was as if these "persuaders," manipulating my emotions to sell transient products and services, were making me something less...human. I felt like they were stepping beyond ethical boundaries and tinkering with my psyche's circuitry, a sphere only relegated to the divine.

"Hey!" I wanted to bark. "That's mine! Don't touch!" But I couldn't, because I knew they were, in a strange way, right.

They know how to make their industry tick.

The basic solution is simple: instead of giving us what we want, advertisers use the concept of Rapaille's mental code to tell us what we want. Then they hand us a well-researched conglomeration of what they want us to have, and we're naive enough to think we were the ones originally clamoring for it.

Such a strategy is intriguing. It's also terrifying, like letting an identity thief look over my shoulder while I'm balancing my bank statement. But as long as the consumer cry is "Give us what we want!", then advertisers who want to survive in the day-to-day chaos will have to figure out a way to satisfy that cry.

But they will. They almost always do.

They are, after all, the persuaders.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

exercise 11.1 print advertising critique

Name:
       Viking Range Corporation

Advertisement:
       Viking Designer Series print ad in Vanity Fair (May 01)

1.  What is the promise of benefit offered by this headline?

"Viking introduces its 2001 sports model." This headline indicates three benefits: new, attractive, and powerful.

2. How does the illustration demonstrate the product? How does this illustration attract attention?

The ad works to market the Viking Range Corporation's Designer Series by comparing it to a luxury automobile. The set is designed to be reminiscent of a car repair shop, albeit with a touch more sophistication, as we see that it is actually not a repair shop or garage well, but a kitchen. We understand that the product is heavy-duty but elegant, durable but classy - much like the familiar fender of what appears to be a Corvette in the lower right corner of the picture. Clean lines and bright light draw our eyes to the image above the informative text.

3. What proofs of the promise of benefit in the headline are offered by the body copy?

The body copy promises a "sleek new look for professional performance" with a "dramatic edge" effected by "aerodynamic curves and high-powered features." It describes the product as a "fine-tuned culinary range."

4. What action does the ad tell readers to take?

"Test-drive the complete kitchen at your nearest Viking dealer."

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

exercises 9.1 & 9.2

Exercise 9.1 Writing Radio News Stories

Drinking Bill

A new bill tackling the legal drinking issue was passed today by the House // The bill raises the state drinking age from 19 to 21 // It was passed after two long-winded debates in both the House and Senate that lasted a collective 60 hours // Representative Tom Hartley sponsored the bill //

Honor Society


35 college students will be inducted into the university honor society Friday // Alpha Alpha will hold its induction ceremony at 10 in the morning at the student center // The names of the inductees will be kept secret until the ceremony // 

Exercise 9.2 Writing Radio News Stories

Theft Investigation

Light is being shed on the city’s auto theft ring that has expanded into surrounding counties // Police chief Clayton Wheat affirmed the department’s ongoing investigation into the situation at a press conference this morning // The ring is responsible for nearly 300 auto thefts in the city // Wheat says most of the stolen cars were disassembled and sold for parts //

Industry Returning

A local group of investors are teaming up with Textron Corporation to start a machine tool plant // The group will purchase the old Lochs Papermill plant // The new plant is expected to employ about 200 people //

Monday, March 24, 2014

exercises 8.1 & 8.2

Exercise 8.1 Writing an Audio News Story

Basketball Death

A 15-year-old athlete died tragically this morning // Todd White attended Central High School // He collapsed today during his basketball team’s practice game // He was pronounced dead at Central Valley Memorial Hospital after attempts to revive him failed // The county coroner will perform an investigation today //

Energy Plan

A new energy plan was announced by the Secretary of the Interior today // Grace Green announced the new 800-million dollar plan in Salt Lake City // The plan will reduce strip mining while making new nuclear power plant licensing easier // Green says the plan will cut foreign oil dependence and make America greener //


Exercise 8.2 Writing an Audio News Story

Faculty Death

The university family is mourning the loss of a beloved professor // Elizabeth Bilton taught education at the university for 36 years // She battled cancer for 10 years // During her career she taught an estimated 10-thousand future teachers //

Wreck

An accident on I-59 caused a traffic jam that blocked the road in both directions for 45 minutes last night // Two trucks collided head-on while on a portion of the interstate that was undergoing repairs // Both drivers were uninjured but cited for speeding and reckless driving //

Saturday, March 1, 2014

exercise 7.5 speech stories - graduation

exercise 7.5 speech stories - graduation

Kay McDavid challenged a class of 275 graduating seniors to think outside the box while enjoying life during her commencement speech at Barnaby College’s graduation ceremonies last Friday.

McDavid is a 1985 business graduate of Barnaby with an MBA from Harvard. She is now the president of Flyover Airlines, a small air carrier based in South Dakota that services more than 30 cities in the upper Midwest.  

“I was proud of what I had accomplished…at Barnaby,” McDavid said at the beginning of her speech, reminiscing on her years at the institution.

Barnaby College is a liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and founded in 1921. This year’s graduating class was the second largest in the school’s history.

McDavid described being fearful of not leaving her mark on the world post-graduation and how her thought processes had to change so she could become successful in her field.

“For me the change was…trying to see the world differently,” she said.

Last year Flyover was named “Small Airliner of the Year” by International Airlines Magazine for its new air rides on demand program. The program, AirTaxi, transports passengers immediately to their destinations for 20 percent more than standard fare. McDavid, who has been named Airline Executive of the Year, contributes her personal and corporate success to creative thinking.

“We’re building something new, and that’s the fun part,” she said.


She noted that in order to lead, one must seize the day and let other people follow suit. Her final comments to the graduating class encouraged students to “be creative, have fun…let this day be yours.”