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Are We Ready for the Next Big One?

Kelly — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:25:52 +0000

I think we all saw this one coming – the desire of news outlets to connect the most recent foreign disasters (Haiti & Chile) to us in the United States. This time, after the Chilean earthquake, the most frequently asked question is “Are we ready for the next big one?” How would you answer that if you were the spokesperson for the state agency responsible for disaster preparedness and response in California?

Today I did several interviews with the media answering that exact question. So how do I respond? Well, I thought about the millions of dollars we’ve spent on emergency preparedness… the fire trucks; search and rescue gear; training and excercises; even our latest venture using social media to augment existing alert and warning systems. But the reality is that our biggest “problem” is peoples lack of individual and family preparedness. People just don’t take it as seriously as they should – even here in California where we’re always shaking, burning or flooding.

So I decided that we needed to use these opportunities to encourage people to prepare… or, at least, get the media to bite on the idea that if we say “we’re not prepared,” that really means the general public. Oh, and it’s the truth. We’ve conducted research that shows that people haven’t prepared enough and aren’t motivated to do it until they’re faced with the grim reality of what really happens during disasters – hence, the graphic pictures of Haiti and Chile. So now’s the time.

Tips to Prepare for a Spontaneous Interview about Current Events

Find out the type of show (news, opinion, entertainment) and what specific topic they’re interested in exploring
Ask who else will be interviewed This helps determine if you’ll be pitted against someone that has an contrary opinion
Now, ask yourself the very simple question, “Why am I doing this interview?” and answer it honestly to yourself. This helps you focus on the real reason you’re doing it. (ie – I think we need to encourage people to prepare for earthquakes)
If you have time, read, watch or listen to news broadcasts focusing on the topic and see how they’re covering it. This allows you to focus your responses in a way that “fits in” rather than risking the appearance you’re a detached government worker with no soul
Develop simple talking points with your message and support them with interesting and relevant facts that will relate to the story they’re covering.
Practice, practice, practice! I often do it in the car on the way to the interview. I ask myself the questions I think the reporters are going to ask and then answer them out loud so I can refine the message. This works better than you think.
Relax and realize that you’ll be okay – they can’t reach through the TV and strangle you. They are hoping you’ll say something interesting, even give unique perspective that will help them make their story interesting to their viewers. On their end, it’s all about ratings and if you’re boring, they’re never asking you back.

These are just a few thoughts I have about how to answer those “trick” questions without being put on your heels. Hope they help.

How do you prepare for spontaneous interviews? What are your steps to success? I’d love to read your comments below.

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How to Appear Live on TV from Anywhere for Free

Kelly — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:03:45 +0000

There’s a revolution happening before our eyes and it involves live internet video. The best part? You now have another free tool to use for providing public information. Even more important, emergency public information when a crisis strikes.

When I awoke Saturday morning to the news that Chile was hit by a massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake I turned on the TV and saw a great looking live interview from Santiago, Chile on MSNBC. It wasn’t via satellite – but Skype – a free software program that enables anyone to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages and share files with other Skype users.

Yes, you’ve probably seen Oprah using Skype to do live interviews on her show. She started doing it back in May 2009 to much fanfare. I’ve thought there had to be some sort of special technical relationship between Oprah and Skype and they’ve probably made absolutely sure the feed works and the video doesn’t stutter. There must be some special version of the Skype software or a super-duper internet connection at the remote location. Surely it can’t be that good for those of us common folk who just download the program and play with the free video conference feature.

Well I was proven wrong. It does work. Proof – the above video.

Just a Simple Laptop and an Internet Connection

I tracked down the freelance reporter in Chile interviewed on MSNBC, Cecilia Lagos. Ironically, I chatted with her on (yep, you guessed it) Skype. I wanted to know if she was using some special encoding software companion to the Skype software or if she had a special internet connection. I just couldn’t believe it could look so sharp and, well, live. To my amazement, she was simply using a MacBook (one of those “old” white ones) with the built-in webcam and a WiFi connection to her apartment’s internet. She said she started doing interviews with CNN, CBS and then MSNBC talking about how powerful the earthquake was and how the city was reacting. Once MSNBC saw the video quality, they asked for her exclusively. She’s been doing live interviews almost every hour during daytime programming.

Think about how you could use this. I did. I’ve already setup a free Skype account for our state emergency operations center here in Sacramento and will test it for doing exactly what Cecilia did – communicating live with the media. I checked with a few of our local stations and they say they can already pull in a live Skype video feed and broadcast it on their air. Imagine how much time you can save getting your message out. No need to wait for satellite trucks or reporters. Just get a webcam, or use a Mac with a built in one, and download the software. Within minutes, you or your agency’s subject matter expert could be ready to go “live” with your message. It’s a revolution happening before our eyes.

Thanks Cecilia for giving me a little insight and sparking a great idea.

Link to find out more about Skype – Click here

I want to know what you think: How could you possibly use this? Are you going to try it too? Comment below.

Free New Mapping Tool that Rocks

California Encourages Agencies to Use Social Media

Kelly — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:15:48 +0000

The great State of California was compelled to issue guidelines today for the use of social media within the state’s government agency environment, saying Governor Schwarzenegger has had “great success” in using them. It’s not a step-by-step plan on how to use Twitter. It doesn’t say anything about Facebook being better than MySpace. It’s a way to to tell agencies, “Hey everyone, it’s okay to let your staff experiment with these things, just be smart about it!”

There’s many schools of thought on whether to, or not to, use social media tools for government public information. When I do classes on how they can be used to improve your ability to communicate, the inevitable question is asked, “So what is your official policy for using these sites?” Usually uttered by government types – public information officers, communications directors, agency executives and the like.

I suppose it’s a valid question if you’re used to being comforted by a vetted plan and procedure. But you can’t nail down social media tools like that because they’re always changing, expanding, improving or imploding. They’re much more dynamic than the speed of government. So you’re really experimenting to see what works for you and developing your own web of outreach. That’s what we do. Any PIO worth their salt is doing just that. How can you ignore it? Are you still using a typewriter and mailing press releases out?

It’s my understanding that the folks that put the California plan together were trying to help alleviate the reluctance and discomfort some folks had (or still have) with using these new tools. Good for them! The guidelines begin with the most important part of the document,

Agencies and departments are encouraged to use Social Media technologies to engage their customers and employees where appropriate. Many state entities, including the Governor’s office, have used Social Media communication with great success…

So if you’re one of those people that doesn’t feel real comfortable stepping out on a limb and trying them without a plan, this might be a great starting point for you to create your own agency guidelines or procedures. I’ve included some links to other plans below – making it even easier for you to save time! And, there’s even a Microsoft Word document you can download!

Do you have a plan in your agency or business? I encourage you to share your own plans by commenting below. We all could learn from you!

California Policy

IT Policy Letter – Social Media (PDF or doc)

Other Resources

CIO Council’s Guidelines for Secure Use of Social Media by Federal Departments and Agencies – http://www.cio.gov/Documents/Guidelines_for_Secure_Use_Social_Media_v01-0.pdf
Intel Social Media Guidelines – http://www.intel.com/sites/sitewide/en_US/social-media.htm
IBM Social Computing Guidelines – https://www-950.ibm.com/blogs/09100912-b777-4fcf-b726-f28424d9dc44/resource/IBMSocialComputingGuidelines.pdf?lang=en_us
Best Practices for Social Media Usage in North Carolina – http://www.records.ncdcr.gov/guides/best_practices_socialmedia_usage_20091217.pdf
New Media and the Air Force, Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Emerging Technology Division – http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-090406-036.pdf
Department of Defense: New Policy Authorizes Social Media Access, With Caveat

Track Swine Flu Outbreaks in Real Time with Your iPhone

Kelly — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:45:25 +0000

If you’re one of the millions of people who now own an Apple iPhone (me included), there’s now a whole host of applications you can download to get more information about H1N1, or Swine Flu. Probably the most useful is called “Outbreaks Near Me” and is a free iPhone application by HealthMap that tracks your location and pinpoints local instances of the Influenza virus in real time. In addition to logging visual instances of the illness, the application can also be used to inform others of known cases that may not already be in the Health Map system.

Google Maps powers the app, which tracks news outlets, various blogs, and Twitter for reports of Swine Flu, in addition to reports from the United States Centers for Disease Control. HealthMap’s Dr. John Brownstein says that the application was developed to “encourage basic prevention practices, like good day-to-day hygiene and vaccinations,” in an overall effort to educate people on the ongoing spread of the disease and reduce its reach.

There’s a really big list of “swine flu” related Apple iPhone apps listed by PC World – browse them all here.

Stunning Statistics About Mobile Phone Use

80-95% of American households now have a mobile phone (depending on household type). 47% have three or more mobile devices (Source: Pew Networked Families)

Last quarter, Apple sold 5.2 million iPhones. That’s a colossal 626 percent growth over the year ago period, when Apple sold 717,000 iPhones.

Between January 2008 and January 2009, the number of people accessing the internet daily from a mobile device increased from 10.8 million to 22.4 million people according to a comScore report. The report studied the habits of 63.2 million people that accessed the internet to some degree with their phone for news and information.

The Apple iPhone sales outranks the closest competitor by a factor of five. AdMob issued a new report on its findings of mobile ad traffic over the last few months. Some interesting statistics have popped up.

“Swine Flu” Most Popular Among Bloggers

Amazing Time Lapse Photography of Los Angeles Fire

Kelly — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:44:59 +0000

Great time lapse video of the Station Fire in Los Angeles. The sun sets, the fire grows. Shot on 8/31 as day lapsed into evening. You’ll see both the pattern of smoke and the growth/change in the path of the fire. Looks almost innocent at first, but then all hell breaks loose.

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes Press Coverage of Wildfires

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes Press Coverage of Wildfires

Kelly — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:14:13 +0000

Technology is bringing us closer to disasters than we ever thought possible. While I was at the Station Fire Incident Command Post just north of Los Angeles this past week I noticed something different roaming around in the mass of press assembled for a news conference with Governor Schwarzenegger – an unassuming guy wearing a backpack broadcasting live video from his handheld camcorder. At first I thought it was just some geeky tech head like myself trying out something new. But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t some unknown geek – it was the Associated Press’s John Mone and he was broadcasting live using the latest in live technology – called LiveU. I looked around and saw one other “LiveU” box on the ground under the tripod of Fox News.

Completely fascinated by the find, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask him a few questions and see what this new technology is all about. Here’s a short 5 minute interview with John (video embedded below or click this link). He explains what LiveU is, how he’s been using it, and why it’s clearly the wave of the future for broadcasting.

According to a story in TV Technology, NBC has been experimenting with the LiveU system for about a year. It bridges the bandwidth gap needed for live video transmission by “bonding” together multiple cell phone circuits, and according to network personnel, could substantially reduce the cost of newsgathering.

“NBC News is always considering new technologies, particularly ones that can improve on our production capabilities, while decreasing expenditures, and discovered an Israeli technology called LiveU that can provide a video interconnection without the need for a satellite,” said Lauren Kapp, NBC’s senior director of news communication. “We were able to provide coverage of the recent earthquake damage in Italy with just a small backpack unit. We also used it for covering the Obama train ride. It worked all over the Amtrak route.”

PS – Right after I shut off the camera, a guy from the press corp (I think a photographer), came up behind me and said to us, “This isn’t cool. It’s taking away jobs. It’s not cool.” Clearly this new technology has its detractors – namely those whom it may eventually replace. John responded back to the dissatisfied guy, “Yeah, I understand man. I understand.”

Behind the Scenes at California’s Wildfires

Behind the Scenes at California’s Wildfires

Kelly — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:32:44 +0000

This has been both a tragic and fascinating week in California with the amount of wildfires burning throughout the state. I’ve been visiting several of the major fires and working behind the scenes with my agency. As I write this I’m on a plane enroute to the Station Fire burning in the hills and canyons north east of Los Angeles where the latest numbers tell the story: At least 62 homes have burned to the ground and 127,513 acres have burned. 10,000 homes remained threatened and hundreds of people have been evacuated since it began in the afternoon of August 26th. Certainly one of the worst parts of this fire was the tragic loss of two firefighters who were killed in a rollover accident. They were working to protect their base camp from burning up as other crews were out on the fire line. My heart goes out to their families.

Resident Left Pets in Home as Fire Spreads

On Sunday, a fast-moving wildfire that burned only 343 acres in the foothills east of Sacramento caught everyone by surprise. Investigators say the “49 Fire” appears to have started at a power pole off Highway 49 in Auburn, California and was fanned by 25 mile per hour winds. Before they could get a handle on it, the fire ripped through several neighborhoods, destroying homes in its path. A total of 63 homes were leveled and more were damaged. I was there when Governor Schwarzenegger toured the devastation as broken water lines continued to trickle and smoldering ashes were still hot. Although nobody was seriously hurt in this fire, I was especially pained when I heard the story of a resident who fled his home leaving his five dogs inside to burn alive. There couldn’t be a better example of the need to have a family plan before a disaster strikes. There once was a time when local shelters opened for people, not pets. This caused a big problem because people wouldn’t leave without their pets (I know I wouldn’t). Today, there’s a big focus on making sure there are also adequate shelters set up for animals. That’s a big personal focus of mine as I have three small dogs that I absolutely adore and could never leave behind.

Public Information is Critical

The public information officers from the various agencies – local police, fire and sheriff’s department, Cal FIRE, US Forest Service, the California Emergency Management Agency and others have been very busy. Each press conference I’ve been at with the Governor has had 20+ cameras and dozens of reporters in attendance. The behind-the-scenes coordination and tabulation of damage amounts and resources committed to each incident is a huge task. Our agency works closely with local government and other state agencies to provide a comprehensive report to the Governor. Each press conference is carefully vetted to be sure we all have the same information and that important messages are at the top of the list – including pleas to evacuate and what public safety agencies are doing to fight the fires. This is no minor undertaking.

I’ve been taking pictures and some video of the behind the scenes and hope to be able to upload it here for you to see what happens outside of the view of the press conference video. It’s impressive and reassuring. There are a lot of hard working public information officers putting in countless hours to make sure the public gets as much information as possible. It’s through their hard work that the public is able to make informed decisions to save lives. Keep an eye on ProCommunicator.com as I will share my experiences so you can use it to prepare for a crisis in your own back yard.

Kelly’s Photos from Behind the Scenes

Screamin’ Deal: 1TB External Hard Drive for $69 Bucks

Kelly — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:10:03 +0000

Occasionally I find some good deals and this is one of them. If you’ve been thinking about backing up your laptop or moving those photos and important documents all into one place, than this is the best deal yet on a behemoth amount of storage for the average Joe like you and me.

Buy.com has a Fantom 1TB G-Force Hard Drive – Dual Interface (eSATA and USB 2.0) ? External Hard Drive for $69.99 shipped. The key here is that this is an “external” drive – meaning you just plug it in. You don’t have to open up your computer and replace anything. No screwdrivers. No scary installation instructions or extra parts left.

It is a great deal with the exception of the little catch – there’s a $20 mail-in rebate that gets you to the $69.99 rate. Even if you don’t like like the rebate hassle, $89.99 is a still great price. Even better, shipping is FREE!

As for the drive itself, it features USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces, Mac and Windows compatibility, and a one-year warranty. Package Contents: eSATA\USB 2.0 Hard Drive, USB 2.0 Cable, Power Cord, User Manual. Fantom bundles no backup software to speak of, but there are plenty of great freeware backup utilities out there.

Apparently CNET hasn’t reviewed the drive, but it averages 4.5 stars out of 5–from 343 users–on Buy.com’s product page. That’s a really good endorsement.

If you don’t mind waiting a month or two on the rebate, this is the best deal yet on a 1TB external hard drive.

LIMITED TIME OFFER: Valid only Aug. 17 – 23, 2009. So click link below and order before they’re all sold out!

Fantom 1TB G-Force Hard Drive – Dual Interface (eSATA and USB 2.0) ? External Hard Drive

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Fact Checking Using Social Networking Sites

Kelly — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:30:05 +0000

There’s a great post on Mashable titled “The Journalists Guide to Facebook” where the author Leah Betancourt says the world’s largest social networking site can be invaluable to journalists. Facebook gives reporters a means to connect with communities involved with stories, find sources, and generate leads.

It’s also a great place for public information officers and professional communicators to find out information the might not have access to elsewhere. However, there’s one big “but” about using it for facts or source material – you need to verify.

“Verify, verify, verify. Facebook is a great source for story ideas, but no news story should be solely-sourced through social media,” said Jane E. Kirtley, Professor of Media Ethics and Law and director of the Silha Center at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota,. “Seek corroboration. And if at all possible, interview the person either by phone or face-to-face. It is so easy to lie on the Internet, and to misrepresent oneself. No journalist wants to spread falsehoods or be taken in by a hoax.”

According to Kirtley, “Most news organizations realize how valuable social networking can be, both as a newsgathering tool and as a way to promote the news organization’s ‘brand.’ The trick is to accommodate the competing interests without stifling the exchange of ideas. It’s not an easy task.”

Ethics Tips from Jane E. Kirtley

Verify facts, identification of sources, etc. Be as certain as possible that the information you are providing is truthful and accurate, or, if that can’t be determined, making very clear what the source of it is.
Remember that nothing on Facebook or social media is really private.
Once it’s posted there’s no way to take it back or restrict what other people might do with it once they get access to it.
Reporters should disclose in their stories that they utilized Facebook as one of their reporting tools.
Be cautious about friending controversial individuals.
Be aware that others may draw inaccurate conclusions from your decision to friend someone.
Friending an unnamed source is the same as revealing the source’s identity. If you’ve promised confidentiality, you shouldn’t do it, even if the friend is using a pseudonym.
Journalists are regarded as “journalists” virtually 24/7, especially nowadays with people with all kinds of agendas who are constantly looking for evidence of journalists’ bias.
Use images and content from sites such as Facebook with care. How do you know it’s accurate? Don’t spread lies.

Tips on Using Facebook from J.D. Lasica

Be human. You’re not a detached observer, but a participant who need to share and give back instead of just taking.
If you’re using Facebook just to publicize stories you’ve written, you’re using it wrong.
Remember that Facebook is about sharing, not about broadcasting.
It’s all about karma. The community won’t share with you unless you’ve shared (your experiences, your thoughts, your passions) with them.

To read the entire post called “A Journalists Guide to Facebook” click here.

Be A Voyeur and Track Ships Live

Kelly — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:37:26 +0000

Add this to your bookmark list of cool places that offer real-time information about stuff happening in the world. It’s called “Marine Traffic” and it’s based on Google Mapping technology – called a “Mashup.” It shows live information about ship movements throughout the world. You can search by ship name or zoom into map to view sailing ships in a particular area. This includes ferries and cruise ships that are coming and going. Perhaps you have a friend or relative on a cruise ship and you want to check on where they are. This gives you the power!

Recently I took a vacation to Seattle and traveled from the main port to Bainbridge Island. The photo I took (right) was deceptive because it doesn’t show any of the other vessels out on the water… but trust me, there were lots. It was cool to see all the ships coming and going, but I’ve always wondered who they belong to and where they’re going. So I did some searching and found this site.

Vessel locations are shown on the map using colored markers with each color representing particular type of vessel (Cruise Boat, Cargo Tankers, High Speed Craft, Yachts & Others). Clicking on a marker displays vessel’s image, speed, course, dimensions, voyage details and more. If you’re curious about a particular port, the site also lets you check real-time ship arrival & departure times.

How Is This Handy for Public Information Officers?

Verifies if alternative routes of escape or detours are still available (ie Ferries or Water Taxis)
Gives you information about the amount of water traffic is in a particular area
Helps you dispel rumors by providing you direct access to official information about ports & ships
Lets you track ship positions in real time
See ship’s image, speed, course, dimensions, voyage details and more
Get info on sea ports, stations and navigation aids

Check out Marine Traffic here – www.marinetraffic.com

There’s another site that’s similar: www.sailwx.info. Bookmark this too – just in case one isn’t available, you’ve got a backup.

One More Thing

A little off subject, but it was amazing how many cars they can fit on a Washington State Ferry. I stood there waiting for all the cars to drive off the ship before we could get our little rented scooters on it. I think the next application to come about will allow us to track scooters and cars live (oops, a little too Big Brother I suppose)!

Click on the image to see a bigger size.

Track Swine Flu Outbreaks in Real Time with Your iPhone