http://www.nationalpost.com/rss/story.html?id=2184629

http://www.nationalpost.com/rss/story.html?id=2184629

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There's a sick feel in my belly


-- Posted from my iPhone

So you write already...

We are all feeling the weight of this econonmic downturn. Whether we realize it or not. Cutting down on how often we go out for dinner, or any other out of home entertainment. 

In this article a food chain resturant shuts its door on Canada and our neighbors south of us. Citing the weak Canadian dollar. With the sudden closing this past Monday, where does that leave the people who have gift cards? The company said its trying to honour the gift cards, and to visit its website next week for updates.

The public relations issue I beleive is the "potentially worthless gift cards"

Its a soft response to say "check our website next week". A week is a long time for most people, and will it be honoured? If a company feels there is nother way out but to shutdown business, what is there to make us beleive there is finances to honour promotional gift cards.

I hope so for those people who are involved.

Stockholders for this issue would be the stocholders, the patrons who frequented the Australian-style steakhouse. 

Jill Holroyd, vice-preseident of research with the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, "Fine dining is the first to feel the pinch as a consumers and businsses cut back, then causual dining, them family dining"

The stockholder will eat more at home, heading to the grocery store, instead of a night of casual dinning.

The Main Floor - new text books - day1thirdwk

Ok, I want to look at more First Nation articles, my morning was looking for stories. I know there are issues out there, that we can talk about for days. But what I have my focus on is the lighter/postive view of our people.

Though its not a hard public relations story, it still highlights the improtance of a public image.

In this article we see a possible beginning into what can be in the news. The First Nations Drum is a web based publication, yes but we still need more. 

Richard Wagamese -Ojibway

Eden Robinson - Haisla

Joseph - Metis

I like the quote "Mastering the English language in order to widen thier audiences, English allows gained recongintion."

.....In other thoughts, the chapters that we were to read from one of the new text books Public Relations Writing Form & Style,  very exciting. I did find it to be harsher. With the slightly different wording it left no room for sway,  but still worded very strongly. It has the same message and method of our first text book Public Relations A values Driven Approach.

Ah, this article is older,  but the reading tonight made me think of libel - Under Libel Laws and Privacy Issues - The fair comment defense, which used public figures for humor, has suffered some severe blows in the courts. Some claim that now such protection doesn't exist.

Another related article with Jon Stewart

Fourth Day -2nd wk

Yesturday a class memeber picked the tragic story of a married couple who went skiing, and got lost for nine days.  I heard aboutt this story on the 11:00 o'clock news.  And had planned to write my blog on it, but another story caught my attention.

This article is from the Toronto Star,  The RCMP admit they should have acted sooner, in a rescue. Thank god they had the interity to own up to a decision, that cost a woman her life.  It's all well and good to say, "it was a wrong call". Someone is dead.  

The unforturnate miscommunication and the fact that the couple moved off the monitored ski trail, has left no happy end.

There's an error on the part of the RCMP for not intiating a 'search-and-recsue call-out on Feb 21 (Saturday)," 

The Resort's only comment "we didn't know of any missing or overdue skiers."  Does that excuse them?

Issue

the delay in search and recsue

Stockholders

RCMP

Resort

Message

we're sorry. (sorta)

Audience

family of the couple 

any guest and future guest of the resort

recession recession recession - third day second week

I don't recall the recessions in the 70's and 80's. What I do remember is, we didn't have as much as say, other people. Lets include the fact that both my parents where in university, so our 'poor' state could have been a student allowance. When I think about my childhood in the years my parents went to Western, we didn't want for anything, because we didn't know what we didn't have.
I am a parent now and in my thirthy-fifth year, I still don't feel it. It could be that I work for a First Nations community and don't pay taxes, or own a car. Maybe some day my family will have a car. I know it wouln't be a new model, as I can't imagine saving that amount.
This is an older article from CNBC that I found when looking for more information on another, recession related topic.

How I see whats happening is controlling the masses, makes me think back to President Obama
inaugual speech.  Hardwork, tough times, so forth.  

 
“The current situation has nothing in common with the Great Depression,” says economist Steve Hanke of the Cato Institute and Johns Hopkins University. “The sooner they [in Washington] stop spinning the bad news story and say nothing, the sooner we’ll be more confident.”

This is a scary time, and I'm trying to put myself in everyone's shoes. I can understand that economist and government, aren't really hiding the truth, in this financial crisis.

In history we know that we have the capability to learn from our past, and we always come on fine.  If I just knew what a recession felt like.

In the article it closes with a cloudy hope. "The consensus is this recession will end sometime between the second falh of 2009 and he beginning of 2010. the pessimists say wait till next year-period.  David Jones, COE of DMJ Advisors, is among those who see 'hints of stability.' By that he menas, the rate of decline in areas like retail appear to be slowing. We'll see the same thing hppening on the housing side in the next couple months," says Jones

Below our the artciles that inspired.  The people our the stockholds. 

GM Post Loss of $30.9B for 2008

GM posts 9.6B loss 

What To Do If You Get Laid Off

PR Agency in Toronto

Polaris PR 

Is a Toronto-based PR company offering a full suite of communications services.

The small long oval table - Day Two of Week Two

Dated Facebook news.  How we feel about Social Networking.  There is no privacy on the internet. Once we have agreed to the terms, we have givin up our "private life" on line.  There is a million things we can do on line. The new hang out for kids is facebook, but it isn't that new, really.  I've just heard about SKYPE - its just like MSN messenger, with webcam options. Remember msn? 

Anyways drop the fuss on what facebook is and isn't doing with our 'private information'. We all agreed, whether we read the terms or not.   There is a common sence we all need to have.  I wouldn't put my phone number up on  a public bathroom wall, so why would I put anything like that on a internet wall.  

Wiener recall - healthzone My god, do I feel bad for CEO Michael McCain of Maple Leaf foods.  This man, did a brave and humble apology to the world last summer, prefectly executed PR, and now this recall. The beginning of this artcile, is read as though is was a set up.  "Two employees of the plant have been sent home - pending on investigation".  says, Company spokesperson Linda Smith.  

I hope people can forgive a second time. Judging from this article human error and not Maple Leafs foods and not thier strigent industry-leading protocols.  

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testing video link

testing link - Open child-death files: NDP

I found this interesting article in the Toronto Star today.

Start Of Second Week

There is work to be done.

The Struggle

With very basic knowledge on what public relations is, I have founded myself excited and overwhelmed. 

With only a week in, I have been struggling with time. With a full time job in communications, working for my home First Nations community Rama,  I really don't want to fail.  Not to disappoint my community, but the high standard I have for myself.    

I do learn better in a practical setting.  In my current role my responsibilities,  are limited.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the research I do to educate the community on environmental awareness, plus assembling the monthly community newsletter, is a timely challenge.  The communications department,  handles the majority of the events though out the year. I do undertake a lot of the planning process. 

In the chapters that I have read so far, 'values' sticks out - values: establish the boundaries within which we are willing to operate.

The other day Rama's Communications Department had a meeting.  What we were going to dicuss was a page layout for the Orillia Packet and Times. The Packet and Times has a yearly progress 'magazine', and because Rama is in the immediate area, we have always added a page. This process was just indroduced to me, and I have been with the department going on two years! Its as though with the recent education I am getting on public realtions, I'm aloud into a club that controls the info flow.  

The Progress Edition Packet and Times. Questions I had to think about, obvious criteria, our logo.

a side note on our logo; its been just this past year where we have dropped the 'mnjikaning' officially.  In turn every department had to change letterheads, business cards, vehicle signage, email signatures!  Purchasing and Communications where incharge of the circulation.  Only by reguest was the new logo permitted to be used by other departments.

The objectives I was to have for our brain storming session for progress edition was simple.

• To promote the Chippewas of Rama First Nation as a proud progressive First Nation community, open for business and partnership opportunities
• Vibrant community continues to foster growth
• Future home of major regional health care training facility
• Commited to environmental awareness
• Creating opportunities for individuals to grow and succeed 

I thought about my values, how I see my community, I thought about the role of values in public relations.  I thought about values - driven management of realtionships between an organization and the public...that can affect its success.

My formal training was as a Native Social Service Worker, part of my training was personal healing, and inward elvaluation.  Now I am far from being an expert on any one elses personal healing/healthy states. But I know that my community is not a proud progressive community, in the sense that I know these words.  That was my struggle, and I dealt with my perosnal feeling and still produced two layouts. Layouts my manage praised, and will take forward, for approval from Chef and Council.  

How far do I bend my own values?

Day Four -

This is the closing of the first week.

My mind will need time to let it all soak in.  

The Indigenous Public Relations, if anything we strive to give and learn a clear concise voice.

We are guests in the territory of Ohsweken, the people of Six Nations.   Most examples in conversation leans towards situations that are in their back yard.  Currently there is news about "Protestors stop work on housing project"  from The Expositor.

I think that in most cases when it does come to First Nation communities in the news, so much is unsaid, or unclear, or over looked.  I hear the frustration in my classmates voices, there isn't an example that I can relate to.  My community in the past decade has taken a painfully obvious mute stance on what is actually being released to media, community, public community, that when something is shared, its shocking.  I have been made quite aware on what I can, and can not say,  which I hope to change, for my own communities sake.

another green/eco article.

Day Three -

Not being a hugh reader when it comes to newspapers, and online publications. I find myself making a greater effort in reading what can be a very improtant view for myself.  It does make me think back to my theatre days,  when I was advise to read on current events, in order to bring fresh ideas to the stage when we would be performing.  (So that you can make a personal conection with the audience).

Joe talks about how building realtions with 'people' ( being from reporters, business, ext.) Networking is an art form,  that few do naturally, well everyone else prefects this social purpose, of exchanging information.  

How does a person who doesn't regularly read a newspaper, form ideas on Public Realtions?

I'll take a quote from the first page of our text book, "Public Relations -A Values Diven Approach."  Scott Cutlip, public relations historian, "our segmented, scattered society" to replace "misinformation with information, discord with concord." He saw the pottenial in this craft. Trail Blazers indeed.

My first article is from the Washington Post by Howard Kurtz.  I was overwhelmed, he provided an intelligent view that broaden my thougths so quickly in a mere five pages.  I have since enjoyed many of this mans views, whether I agree on all that he says, it clearly puts very thoughtful thoughts behind everything he writes.

The second article I read today was from the healthzone of the Toronto Star website.  In my job I do a great deal of research for the community and Chef and Council, providing them with information on the enviroment.  Usually the information that I gather comes from many sorces, on the same topic.  Last year, we had a campaign promoting the use of energy saving light bulbs. Plus proper disposal of out dated light bulbs.  With anything new and more in the public eye, and in your home, there is always concern on what is safe.  I imagine you would have to be exposed to the lights bulbs to make it in anyway harmful.  You can't measure exposer like that.  

Day Two - examples of Public Relations in newspapers/online

In looking for an acticle for this assignment, I went to the online newspapper that I have always favored, The Toronto Star.  Joe did suggest to look in the business section. 

This suggested was helpful, as I never read the business section, let along a full newspaper.

The article that I settled on was the first to catch my attention.  As a strong consumer, and the main provider in the household, looking for 'deals' and better prices is something that I have taught myself to do.  And breaking the habits of a frivolous single person.

The article from The Toronto Star touches on clever marketing. And we all fall into the traps of good advertising.

Lets not forget that we will still buy what we prefer, evening in this time of tighten our wallets.

First Day - test

When heading into something new and exciting, its always hard to keep it all under your hat.

In the dead of winter, a group of ten people gathered into a small 'conference room' to engage in like minded conversation.

There is always talks about how it is in your community. There is always a strong similar story. With each of our own passions from our homes.  We want to make it better.

Today the United States of America had their swearing in. The first African American President. The focus is so much on his colour. Yes he is a man of colour. Using the very same bible that Lincoln uses.  There was symbols everywhere, and every moment was taken care of. I want to beleive that this is a beginning. The start to much good to come.  I will not pretend that it will be easy, hard work is to come. 

A powerfully moving speaker, a family man, an educated person.  

I can't fully think about the small room and the new venture.

We look for leader (s).

So far in regards to the beginning of this program, questions have come up with our own idea's and views.  I am looking to gain, as I'm sure we all our. It is improtant that I take the knowledge back to my community, but I recognize the importance it is for me to use the information to the best of my abilities.

I do plan to run for CC, and the more I know the better.