Have you seen @BPGlobalPR? It’s a feed of sarcastic, witty, sometimes inappropriate tweets from a fake BP PR person. If you take a few minutes and look at the stream of tweets, it’s obviously satire. But, a quick search shows that more than a few people don’t get the joke — and instead believe these 140-character bits come from an real-life PR person representing BP. And, the account is rapidly gaining followers (probably because the tweets are actually funny … if the situation wasn’t so sad). Over the weekend, when John Taylor wrote about the account, it had 900 followers. As of Monday morning? 7,346. (And, look at this screenshot. The retweet rates are high!) Update: As of Tuesday (5/25) afternoon, the account has 25,500+ followers.

Brandjacking is nothing new — remember the Heinz Twitter imposter? The person posing as an official Heinz rep was sharing good news and had developed a base of Heinz fans. Presumably at the request of Heinz, Twitter changed the profile name from @HJHeinz to @Not_HJHeinz. I thought Heinz could have worked with him to continue to share company news, perhaps in a non-official capacity. After all, he had developed a pretty strong following of people interested in Heinz.

But, this BP situation is different. BP is in the midst of a huge crisis — environmental, legal, reputation, etc. And, it’s easy to see how they may not find the humor in these tweets. Also, the account seems to violate Twitter’s terms of service (misusing a trademarked logo, not clearly identifying a parody as such). Should BP request the account be suspended? Would clearly indicating that the account is a parody be enough? What if BP just ignores the account?

If you worked for BP, how would you respond?

TIP: If you want to take steps to help prevent your own brand from being hijacked, use a service like knowem.com. It’s impossible to protect against every potential situation, but this is a good place to start.

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As if I wasn’t already excited enough to be back in Columbus, this week, I’ve seen how giving and committed to doing the right thing the people of this community are. The Mayor of Columbus and more than a dozen media outlets (including competing TV and radio stations) are partnering with the local American Red Cross chapter to raise money for Haiti relief. “Columbus Hope for Haiti” is a day-long fundraiser, taking place online, on TV and radio, in print, and “in person” at the Ohio Historical Society on Thursday, January 21 from 7 a.m. -  7 p.m.

If you live in Central Ohio, I hope you’ll take part in this event and join your neighbors in supporting relief efforts in Haiti. Last week’s earthquake, combined with multiple aftershocks, has devastated this already-poor country. As you know by now, Haiti needs our help. So, if you have the capacity to give, please do. Even if it’s just $5 or $10 dollars. Here’s how:

• Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)
• Make a secure online contribution by visiting 
www.redcross.org. You can choose to designate your contribution to the 
International Response Fund or for the Haiti response specifically
• Text “Haiti” to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the Red Cross. (Mobile-giving FAQs)
• Drop off a check or cash donation on Thursday, January 21 to the Ohio Historical Center. Rumor has it, we’ll have some Blue Jackets tickets to give away!

On Thursday, follow @cbushopeforhhaiti on Twitter or fan the Facebook page. We’ll be providing updates and sharing photos throughout the day from that account.

As a side note, I normally write about PR and social media here, and often discuss the importance of integrated communication. This is an excellent example of traditional and “new” communication working in tandem to achieve a significant goal. I’m happy to be part of the team.

Are you on Team Conan or Team Leno?

Even before Conan O’Brien released his must-read statement, the online crowd seemed to be in Conan’s corner in the NBC’s late-night television feud. Team Conan was pulling ahead.

And then he released a brilliant, clever, witty, effective statement, which said in part:

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over “The Tonight Show” in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004, I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

…

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the “Tonight Show” to 12:05 to accommodate the “Jay Leno Show” at 11:35. For 60 years, the “Tonight Show” has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the “Tonight Show” into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The “Tonight Show” at 12:05 simply isn’t the “Tonight Show.” Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the “Late Night” show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

And then the Twitterverse exploded, with nearly 90% of the tweets voicing support for Conan.

Conan, 1. Leno/NBC 0.

Watching the situation unfold is entertaining enough from a pop culture perspective, but it also presents an excellent public relations learning opportunity. First, what did you think of Conan’s statement? Second, If you’re head of NBC’s PR team — or Leno’s publicist — how would you respond? Share your thoughts in the comments.

This is remarkable: The family of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy has created a Twitter account to provide updates about the public viewing, memorial service, funeral and other bits of information to honor the “Lion of the Senate.” See www.twitter.com/kennedynews. (Note: This is in addition to the impressive website with information about funeral arrangements and personal and professional accomplishments.)

I’ve a feeling we’re not in Camelot anymore, eh? Times have certainly changed since the days when the country collectively huddled around their black-and-white televisions in the days following JFK’s assassination.

Since Sen. Kennedy’s death, we’ve seen round-the-clock new coverage on every cable station, front-page stories in all the major papers and countless blog posts honoring his legacy. That’s all pretty standard after a major public figure dies. But, times have changed. Twitter is major information-sharing tool. As a result, the Kennedys don’t have to rely on the media to disseminate the facts and share the story. In true Kennedy fashion, they found their own way to connect with the public.

I don’t know who is actually updating the account, but the 140-character messages are heartbreaking, poignant and riveting:

Mrs. Kennedy said people outside kept saying “thank you for opening this up to the public and for letting us say ‘bye’ to him too.

Matt Kennedy just spoke with a family that drove from Charleston, SC, and another from the Bronx just to be there to pay their respects.

Senator’s grandson Ted III, Caroline Kennedy and Robert F Kennedy Jr have walked outside and down the line to thank people for coming.

Sitting vigil 8-9 pm, Alma, Brian, Elizabeth, Rebecca Hart (family of late Pfc John Hart, who tgthr fought for more body armor for troops)

This is the official account of the Kennedy family and staff. Will be used for info about memorial and funeral activities.

In the past few days, I’ve heard all these amazing stories about the kind of person Sen. Kennedy was in real life — not just the partisan liberal you saw on TV — which makes me respect him even more and feel that much sadder for this loss. I, for one, am thankful that the Kennedys are taking it upon themselves to share the behind-the-scenes insights with the millions and millions of people who are mourning along with them. How about you? Do you think this is a good idea? Will we see more Twitter accounts like this to share behind the scenes insights during tragic situations? What do you think the Kennedys will do with this account going forward?

Technically, it’s Thursday, but for most people in America, today feels more like a Friday. That’s because today is the last day of the work week. Hooray! Starting Friday and through the weekend, we’ll be eating, drinking, watching fireworks — collectively celebrating Independence Day. However, we shouldn’t get so caught up in the festivities that we forget those men and women who put their lives in danger everyday to answer the armed services’ call of duty.

When I woke up this morning, I was excited for “Red, White & Bleu” — a party being thrown by one of our friends. We’ll drink red and white wines and eat lots of cheese. What could be a better way to kick off the long weekend than a pre-holiday celebration with friends, right?

But, then I checked the news this morning. And heard the sad news about the capturing of an American soldier in Afghanistan. My brother was in the army — and served multiple times in war zones. Just knowing that he might be in harm’s way was terrifying. I shudder to think what the family of this captured soldier is going through.

As we “ooh” and “ahh” and celebrate this weekend, let’s not forget that there are lots of very brave people who aren’t home with thier families. Instead, they volunteered to lay it all on the line to make sure we Americans have the opportunity to shoot off our fireworks and to celebrate our freedom. That’s what this weekend should be about. And, don’t forget to say an extra prayer for everyone in Iraq and Afghanistan, but especially for the soldier being held in captivity.

Photo credit: respres

Every time I get in the car, I can find at least one radio station playing an old Michael Jackson song — a tribute to the artist … a reminder of his sad, troubled demise.

The King of Pop’s unexpected death on Thursday caused the nation to stand still. Sort of. See, while the nation collectively paused, typing fingers kicked into high gear. Online celebrity gossip site TMZ broke the story and shaped the narrative — first by posting news of Jackson’s rush to the hospital and then again with word of his death, mixed with reports of drug abuse and audio of the initial 911 call. Traditional news outlets, like CNN and the LA Times, were way behind.

I happened to be home when the story broke. After reading the news on Twitter, I turned on the television to monitor reports from CNN and MSNBC — assuming one of the cable networks would confirm the death and provide more details than one can glean in 140 characters. Boy, was I wrong. From yesterday’s New York Times:

For more than an hour, TMZ was essentially the only outlet claiming that Mr. Jackson was dead. Television and newspaper journalists read the TMZ report but largely held off on repeating it, for fear of making a mistake. Still, the bulletin traversed the Web with remarkable speed, creating a stark divide: on the Internet Mr. Jackson was dead, and on TV he was still alive.

During that hour-long gap, Twitter was buzzing. In fact, at its peak, 15% of all tweets mentioned Michael Jackson. (To put that in perspective, tweets about Iran and the swine flu never surpassed 5%.) Heck, Ryan Seacrest even tweeted that he received confirmation of Jackson’s death from his source at the hospital. In the midst of all this chatter, more than a few comments were made about the slowness of traditional media and the fact that they were being “outscooped” by a gossip site and Twitter. Interestingly, CNN — seemingly aware that these negative comments were being made about their journalistic abilities — tried to explain. To paraphrase anchor Wolf Blitzer, rumors were swirling, but CNN was working hard to confirm information with their own sources.

And that brings us to the difference between spreading information and journalism. As Brian Clark (aka @copyblogger) put it:

Information does not equal journalism, but MSM needs to realize that information no longer has gatekeepers.

Before blogs and Twitter, reporters chose which stories would be shared with the public and when. They used to have time to line up all their sources and weave together a narrative to share with their audiences. No longer. Information spreads too quickly for that to happen — thanks to the immediacy of the Internet and services like Twitter and Facebook.

Check out this August 2008 exchange on CNN’s Reliable Sources between host Howard Kurtz and New York Times reporter David Carr:

KURTZ: David Carr, let’s pull back the camera a little bit. I mean, this was a story that wasn’t reported at all by the major media. Now it’s all over cable and every place else. What does it say about the old media gatekeepers that this got out, that everybody found out about this, without our participation?

CARR: Well, I was taught when I was a young reporter that it’s news when we say it is. I think that’s still true, it’s news when we say it is. It’s just who “we” is has changed. Members of the public, people with modems, people with cell phones are now producers, editors. They can push and push and push on a story until it ends up being acknowledged by everyone.

As the Jackson story was breaking, one of my Facebook friends mocked CNN, updating her status to read “TMZ, the most trusted name in news.” If traditional media outlets want maintain their status as the most trusted, most turned to peveyer of news then they need find a way to balance journalism with information dissemination. I’m not saying they should spread unfounded rumors; however, if they cotinue to adhere to  the old journalism model, won’t they get scooped time and time again? Especially when it comes to breaking news, “old media” can’t be the last ones to the party.

At the same time, we (society) needs to appreciate the resources, skill and knowledge that goes into high-caliber journalism. Excellent reporting happens on television, in newspapers and, yes, even on blogs every day. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find it — and have some patience.

During election season, there was more than enough talk about the sanctity of life, the healthcare system and the widening gap between the “haves” and the “have nots.” And, as much as I’ve tried to stay off my soapbox, a recent situation got my blood boiling because it incorporates all three of these hot-button issues.

Veronica De La Cruz — a former CNN reporter — has launched a high-profile campaign to help save her brother’s life. From a recent press release:

Her brother, Eric De La Cruz, 27, is dying in Nevada. He is suffering from severe dilated cardiomyopathy and needs a heart transplant immediately. His heart, weakened and enlarged, is now incapable of pumping blood efficiently. The decreased organ function also severely limits his kidney function and his creatinine levels are high, all which result in fluid retention. The diuretic-type medications which he is currently taking are no longer working. Making matters worse, he cannot get health insurance because of a pre-existing condition.

Eric’s young age, however, makes him a great candidate for a heart transplant. Unfortunately, because of where he lives, he is unable to get his name on the transplant list.

He lives in Nevada, where there are no transplant centers. And because he has Nevada Medicaid, authorities will not put him on a list to have a heart transplant in another state. To the friends and family of Eric De La Cruz, it certainly appears to be a very flawed system.

Uh, you think??? It’s inconceivable to me that this man’s life is being threatened by a broken healthcare system. If he lived in another state (one that performed these kinds of procedures), he’d have no problem getting the necessary procedure. Lucky for him, he has a smart, tech-savvy sister who understands the inner workings of the media. As a reporter, she knows how to draw attention to a situation. And, it’s working. According to her Twitter stream, Nevada state legislators are feeling the pressure and are starting to take steps to help her.

In the meantime I’m sitting in his hospital room in ICU CCU and get better reception here so I’m gonna try to get some email done. I’m also going 2 try to fill out some forms sent over by Sen. Ensigns office. The good news is after all the media attn, the offices of Ensign, Reid and Titus all called. But the sad thing is, it shouldn’t have 2 take Ch. 8 & 13 asking them why this is happening 4 Eric 2 get help.

That’s the part of all this that struck me. I hope her efforts are successful and that she can find a way to save her brother’s life. As a sister, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to face a situation like this where you are all but helpless — relying on Twitter and total strangers to help save a family member’s life. But, the sad thing is that her brother Eric isn’t the only person facing this situation. If a person living in a mobile home in the backhills of Iowa was facing a similar situation, do you think anyone would care? Would legislators even give it a second glance? Would hundreds — if not thousands — of people rally around the cause even if there wasn’t a “celebrity” involved? Probably not. And that’s sad.

Here in Florida, we have a home insurance program available for people who otherwise couldn’t get that kind of insurance (gotta love those hurricanes). Why couldn’t we have that same kind of solution for healthcare? Even if that isn’t the best answer, we need something! I want to fault the insurance companies for not providing Eric coverage. But, I’m smart enough to realize that insurance companies are for-profit organizations. While I think they should show a little humanity — lots of companies take on pro bono cases all the time just because it’s the right thing to do — I can’t totally fault them. But, if we’re not willing to force the private market to provide coverage, than we as taxpayers must be willing to pick up the slack. No one should experience what the De La Cruz family is going through. No one should ever have to consider unnecissarily bury a loved one.

I found this and meant to post it yesterday … but here it is a day late. Hope you had a fun fiesta!

See Cartoons by Cartoon by Mike Keefe – Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com – Email this Cartoon

“It’s madness … madness I tell you!” –Phoebe Buffay

This classic scene from the first season of Friends perfectly depicts my reaction to  the current swine flu hype. Yes, we need to understand what we’re facing. Yes, we need to take steps to prevent spreading this strand of the flu. But can we all agree that it’s not like the world is about to end (despite what some in the media would have you believe)? As of this morning, the CDC reports 226 cases of swine flu and one death.

Let’s put this in perspective:

• 1,500 Americans die each year from cancer
• 700,000 die from heart disease
• More than 3 women a day are murdered by their boyfriends or husbands in America.
• 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Every 70 seconds, someone else in America develops Alzheimer’s.
• Regular flu is the seventh leading cause of death.

I’m not making light of swine flu. At the same time, sometimes people just need to take a step back … put things in perspective … get a grip. (For a similar perspective on this, check out Lauren Fernandez’s “LAF Loves Bacon” post.)

I saw someone post a message on Twitter that said: “90 ppl have swine flu & everyone wants to wear a mask. A million people have AIDS & no one wants to wear a condom.” Instead of running around with masks, how about we take off the blinders and make a better effort on the real issues and ailments that hurt society?