The Week Ahead
Education is at the forefront of legislative activity this week. Several school capital outlay equalization proposals and draft legislation will be discussed today, 2 p.m., at the Legislature’s Equalization Task Force (see agenda). Equalization is a hot issue that will be a major focus in the upcoming legislative session.
On Tuesday, the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee spends a full day on key issues, including proposals by Sen. Howard Stephenson for differentiated pay for teachers, extended school year incentives, performance incentives for teachers, and other issues (see agenda). For other meetings and events, see the legislative calendar and the Utah Policy.com calendar.
Downtown Rising
Life in the City
Upon awakening early Saturday morning to heavy snowfall, my first thought was, “Ah … no snow shoveling.”
That, of course, is one of the benefits of living in a condominium downtown. So instead of shoveling snow, I bundled up and went for a brisk walk up Memory Grove and into City Creek Canyon. It is amazing that within 10 minutes – walking, no less -- from the heart of downtown, I can literally be in the serenity and beauty of the mountains. What other major downtown area in the country can boast that?
The canyon was a winter wonderland, with five inches or more on the ground and lots more falling. There were a few other walkers, joggers and dog walkers, but the canyon was serene and quiet, pretty as any winter postcard.
The walk was terrific exercise. But I must admit that as I waited briefly for the elevator at my condo, the thought did cross my mind – and was quickly dismissed – that since I was walking for exercise I might as well have been shoveling snow …
Bill Clinton and the Mormons
Clinton joined with the Mormons to promote the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Ironically, he was visited by LDS leaders Gordon B. Hinckley and Neal A. Maxwell to discuss the Proclamation on the Family the very day that Monica Lewinsky began her paid position in the White House and two days before his affair with her began. (From Mike Winder’s Presidents and Prophets: The Story of America’s Presidents and the LDS Church)
Global Utah Features
Global Utah, the World Trade Center Utah's weekly newsletter, reports that Zions Bank has developed a PC-based system called ZIONSFX, which makes it easy, convenient and affordable for businesses of all sizes, regardless of technical ability, trading frequency or credit rating, to buy and sell foreign exchange, and reliably send or receive foreign currency payments worldwide.
The newsletter's "Utah Globalists" series features a story about Rusty Butler, director of the Utah-Russia Institute at UVSC and honorary consul general for the Russian Federation. Butler and the Utah-Russia Institute strive to broaden the scope of business relationships with Russia as well as promote cultural events and humanitarian projects.
Today in Political History
Dec. 3, 1818: Illinois is admitted to the Union. (Source: Perspicuity)
Dec. 3, 1948: The House Un-American Activities Committee announces that former Communist spy Whitaker Chambers had provided microfilm of secret documents hidden on his Maryland farm. (Source: NBC5)
Wise Words
“Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of -- for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”
–Socrates (Source: Quotations Page)
Leadership Tip
Colin Powell on Leadership
Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard. Learn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners. But remember that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their learning and skills. Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and lazy. Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. Xerox's Barry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that if you have a yes-man working for you, one of you is redundant. Good leadership encourages everyone's evolution. (Source: Coach Thee)
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- Des Moines Register: "Mike Huckabee has leaped ahead of Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney in Iowa, seizing first place in a new Des Moines Register poll of likely Republican caucus participants."
-- The Nation: Columnist John Nichols says the hostage incident at Hillary Clinton's N.H. campaign headquarters could pose political problems for Clinton because it "reminds prospective Democratic primary voters and caucus-goers that the front-runner for the party's presidential nomination is a celebrity candidate who attracts controversy, who is legitimately seen as divisive and who -- barring a major shift in tone and style -- will always campaign at a distance from the American people."
-- RealClearPolitics: Columnist Seth Swirsky explains why "Al Gore is the Democrats' best hope.
-- The Hill: "House Democrats will host an economic forum on Friday, signaling their intent to refocus the political debate on President Bush's handling of the economy and away from the situation in Iraq."
Lighter Side
“If we’re all watching cats flushing toilets (on YouTube), what aren’t we reading?”
-- NBC’s Brian Williams (Campaigns & Elections magazine)
Communicating in the YouTube Age
By Dave Webb
Every few days there’s another news report about a politician, public official or business embarrassed by a video clip posted on YouTube. The YouTube effect is real and it is giving the public a profound voice, which is bound to become louder during the coming months as more and more people obtain access to high-speed Internet connections. Candidates, public officials and business leaders need to understand this new phenomenon so they can guard against its potentially negative effects and capitalize on the positive opportunities it offers.
It has become a cliché: if you say or do something stupid it will show up on YouTube within a matter of hours. That is certainly a possibility, especially if you are high profile. A local example is the stir caused when a Utah Highway Patrolman was filmed Tasering a person for not signing a speeding ticket.
The best strategy against such negative exposure is to avoid doing stupid things. But even if you manage to live circumspectly, someone may dig up a ghost from your past and post a clip about it. Happily, there are ways to deal with potentially negative impacts from YouTube. Here are some ideas:
1. Don't overreact. The vast majority of clips posted to YouTube are boring and get little play. Chances are, a clip you find embarrassing will have little impact. The overall YouTube audience is vast, but individual clips are usually viewed by a small fraction of that audience. Even among those who view the clip, few will be your constituents. Occasionally, a clip catches the attention of the traditional media, and may then be broadcast to your supporters in your community. If that happens you need to be prepared to take reasonable defensive actions.
2. Provide context and background materials. Mitt Romney is constantly being attacked on YouTube, often by people who pull quotes out of context. His campaign workers actively counter by posting the material in its original context, so it can be evaluated fairly. They post some of this material to YouTube, and more to Romney's campaign website. Many speeches and interviews are posted in their entirety on Romney's site, so people can evaluate the original material themselves rather than depending on reporters who filter, edit and rewrite.
3. Post proactive materials. Again, the Romney campaign is utilizing this strategy. Some have accused Romney of flip-flopping on important issues. Romney counters by speaking to the people, via YouTube and other outlets, explaining that his views have evolved over time. When you post material to YouTube or to your website, you can control it to ensure it delivers the message you intend.
YouTube provides a vehicle anyone can use to present a message to the world. Again, most such attempts fall flat because they get few views. But if you are clever, you may come up with a hit that propels you to almost instant acclaim. An example is the Obama Girl clip, which has been viewed 4,066,182 times (as of 10-25). You can see it here. In addition to the views the clip gets on YouTube, it has spawned countless positive newspaper and TV reports, providing invaluable exposure.
It is very difficult to create such a hit, but even minor successes can be beneficial. That's true even realizing the YouTube audience is probably not the primary audience you want to reach. One key reason is that you can leverage YouTube video clips by also posting them on your own website, thus gaining a double audience.
It is very easy to post a video to YouTube and then embed it in one your own web pages. It is a little more difficult to post a clip directly to your site and have it run from your server. However, if you post directly to your own site you have complete control and you may be able to provide video of higher quality than what you get when it is processed through YouTube.
Strategy is involved as you decide how to use video, and whether you should host it on your own site or put it on YouTube.
If you have created a TV or radio commercial or DVD, it is relatively easy to post all or part of it to YouTube and/or your own website. You've already paid to create a compelling message – so you may as well leverage it and get more exposure on the Internet.
YouTube is primarily an entertainment medium, but more and more companies are including it in their media mix to help build name recognition and branding. It is an interesting tool that can also be used to deliver serious messages. It's free and easy, and its influence is growing. You should consider using it as you develop your media strategy.
Here's more information about putting video on a website. |
