Holiday Schedule
Utah Policy Daily will not publish on Thanksgiving Day. On Friday we’ll publish a condensed version with headline links. We’ll be back to normal on Monday. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Communications Tip
Public Relations and Bloggers
Has the political blogging community become an important enough communications channel that public relations people should send press releases to bloggers?
That’s a question I was asked last week during a presentation I made on New Media at a Government Communicators Conference in Washington, D.C. It’s a good question. The answer isn’t simple.
Sending a press release to the traditional news media has a fairly predictable outcome. The news outlet either uses it or doesn’t. Or the information may be edited into another story or a reporter may use the information as background to do his or her own story.
Sending a press release to a blogger has a far less predictable outcome. Like traditional reporters, bloggers are always looking for things to write about, so many of them would likely welcome seeing relevant press releases.
However, instead of ignoring the press release or using the information in some positive way, a blogger may poke fun at it or ridicule it. An accompanying photo might be altered to make it look silly.
Bloggers don’t play by the same rules as mainstream journalists, so PR people ought to be wary. Just use common sense. Get to know the bloggers, their political persuasions and biases, who write in your field of interest. Deal only with those who seem to have a good following and who seem reasonably responsible. E-mail them and ask if they want to see your press releases. Periodically offer some exclusive information.
Currently, few PR practitioners attempt to communicate through bloggers. But that will, of necessity, change as a handful of bloggers gain strong followings in particular fields. Be smart and careful.
Reactivate Trade Zone?
The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUTAH) reported last week that business, civic, and economic development leaders are considering whether to reactivate Salt Lake City’s foreign trade zone (FTZ), which was allowed to expire in 1996. FTZs are geographical areas in or adjacent to Customs Ports of Entry, where commercial merchandise receives the same Customs treatment it would if it were outside the commerce of the United States. Read the full story in EDCUTAH’s newsletter.
Regional Politics
Showcase West Through Democratic Convention?
Article: "Mayor John Hickenlooper isn't the only one working to bring tens of thousands of people to Denver in August 2008; governors and officials in several other Western states are helping in the city's bid to lure the Democratic National Convention. The event could help raise the profile of a region that has become increasingly important to both major political parties, Hickenlooper said Monday. 'It's not so much about Denver as all the changes in Utah, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming,' Hickenlooper said. 'We should be able to champion and show off what the region has become'" (Associated Press).
National Politics
Michigan Bans Racial Preferences
In his NationalJournal.com column, Stuart Taylor explains why a Michigan ballot proposal banning racial preferences won big, despite enormous opposition and heavy spending by establishment groups.
Washington Post story says Democrats will focus on pocketbook issues early next year, but the party isn’t totally unified on tax reform and energy policy.
Wise Words
Will Rogers on Government
- “A fool and his money are soon elected.”
- “Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing, and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even.”
- “Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what's going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate?”
- “And the thing about my jokes is, they don't hurt anybody. You can take 'em or leave 'em - you can say they're funny or they're terrible or they're good, or whatever, but you can just pass 'em by. But with Congress, every time they make a joke, it's a law! And every time they make a law, it's a joke!”
Blog Watch
At Out of Context, Glen Warchol reports: "The Legislature's Redistricting Committee had barely begun its work when the bologna alarm (for lack of an earthier term) began shrieking. The committee, dominated like everything else in Utah life by Republicans, approved the following rule: 'Political data will not be included in the redistricting computer system. Political data should not be shown to or discussed with redistricting committee staff nor at redistricting meetings.' To committee House chairman David Clark's credit, he sheepishly confessed the obvious: 'I know it will be difficult for those discussions from becoming partisan. But we are trying'" (see also here, here, here, and here).... Paul Rolly reports: "When the Salt Lake County Council met [yesterday] to certify the canvassing process for this year's election in Salt Lake County, the Republicans at first seemed determined to apply a strict interpretation of what constitutes a legitimate absentee ballot. ... Council members David Wilde and Cort Ashton argued that if the envelopes containing the ballots did not display a clear postmark, the ballots should not be counted. ... Democrat Joe Hatch argued they all should be counted, using the logic of equal representation guaranteed by the Constitution. That didn't seem to sway most of the six of nine council members at Monday morning's certification meeting. But when Randy Horiuchi, the only other Democrat at the meeting, said that if Mormon missionaries abroad and soldiers fighting in Iraq took the time to fill out a ballot and mail it in, they have earned the right to the benefit of the doubt and have their votes counted. Mormon missionaries and soldiers fighting in Iraq. Those images were all it took to shake the patriotism right from the bones of the County Council members who, in the end, decided to count the votes even if there were problems with the postmarks".... Wonkette says: "A dumb new poll proves Americans continue to be religious bigots: 43% say they'll never ever vote for a weirdo Mormon president, while just 38% said they'd even consider voting for a scary Mormon. That's bad news for the thousands of Mormon politicians hoping to run for president someday. Mitt Romney, the unloved Massachusetts governor who promises to be the Dukakis of 2008, is cursed with Mormonism. And ... well, that's about it. Oh, Sour Harry Reid's a Mormon, but he's not running for president. And Mo Udall's a Mormon who ran in '76, but he's dead. Anybody else? Orrin Hatch, dude! He even sorta ran for president once, although nobody remembers when ... 1996?" (see also here and here). |
