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The Update
7/2006
Welcome to the official newsletter of the Greater Spokane PRSA Chapter. Past issues can be found by going to www.prsaspokane.org and clicking on the "Newsletters" link.
By GARRY MATLOW
Chapter President
 A story in the Chicago Tribune caught my eye a couple of weeks ago. “Can you teach a person ethics?” the headline read. “Iraqi allegations. Hiring probes. Enron. Right and wrong seem to be elusive concepts.” It reminded me of a quote from some great philosopher – it may have been Locke on the TV show “Lost” – that morality is the choice between right and wrong; ethics is the choice between two rights.
According to the Tribune story, DePaul University Professor Laura Hartman begins her ethics class by talking about a train on a path to hit five people. By pushing a button, the train would veer off track and hit a different person instead, but only one. The ethical dilemma is posed in the question, “Do you hit the button?”
The story says most of the students choose to hit the button and divert the train, thus saving five people. But it’s not that easy. Hartman challenges their decision to actively take one life. And for the students who choose not to intervene and let events unfold as they would, she questions their decision not to get involved. What would you do? Why? Feel free to discuss this among yourselves.
Ethics is one of the key values of PRSA, whose Code of Ethics includes the pledge “to conduct myself professionally, with truth, accuracy, fairness, and responsibility to the public.” It’s not always a choice between right and wrong. That would be easy … wouldn’t it?
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Reminder: No breakfast meetings
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Summer is here, which means BBQs, boating trips, shorts and plenty of warm weather throughout the Spokane area. It also means that we're on a break from our monthly breakfast meetings. We'll send you a reminder in the fall when the meetings start up again -- in the mean time, look forward to great programming and professional development activities from your Greater Spokane PRSA chapter. Happy summer everyone!
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Call for Nominations: 2006 David Ferguson Award
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The Educators Academy of the Public Relations Society of America requests nominations of candidates for the David Ferguson Award. The award will be given by the Educators Academy at the 2006 PRSA International Conference, November 11-14, 2006, Grand America and Little America Hotels, Salt Lake City, Utah.
The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding contributions to the advancement of public relations education on the part of public relations professionals. The award honors the late David Ferguson, APR, Fellow PRSA, in recognition of his outstanding support to public relations education as PRSA president in 1985 and later as co-chair of the PRSA Educational Affairs Committee.
Ferguson recognized the importance of public relations education to the profession and helped to establish the five public relations course rule for creating and maintaining a PRSSA Chapter charter. Identifying the equivalency of a major in specific public relations course content contributed to the identification of public relations faculty and enhanced the support being provided to such faculty.
In addition, Ferguson's leadership established the PRSA Certification program. This program enabled universities with public relations programs outside of journalism to achieve program review, and those within journalism to have the benefit of an in-depth review by teams comprised entirely of public relations professionals and faculty. The review process allowed reporting to top university administration as to the status of the program.
The award is intended to recognize practitioners who have shown a commitment to public relations education similar to that of their late colleague, David Ferguson.
Nominations Due: Friday, September 15, 2006
Send to:
Dr. Michael Parkinson, APR
Box 43082
College of Mass Communications
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas 79409
Past Winners Include:
Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA
John Paluszek, APR, Fellow PRSA
Patrick Jackson, APR, Fellow PRSA
Jon Riffel, APR
Jack Felton, APR, Fellow PRSA
Isobel Parke, APR, Fellow PRSA
Judith Bogart, APR, Fellow PRSA
Larry Foster, Fellow PRSA
Dan Edelman, APR, Fellow PRSA
Nomination criteria: Past and current clear evidence of outstanding service and commitment to education through service with PRSA and other professional organizations, university public relations advisory boards, educational committees, commissions and foundation boards; PRSSA national, district, chapter advisory, speaker programs and national conference programs committees; PRSA Chapter or District committees and programs related to the needs of education. Please send letter of nomination along with hard copies of any other relevant evidence to Dr. Michael Parkinson, APR, Box 43082, College of Mass Communications, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409. For additional information or inquiries please contact Dr. Michael Parkinson by phone at 806-742-6500 Ext. 254 or by e-mail at michael.parkinson@ttu.edu.
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Steve Becker joins Rockey Hill & Knowlton
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.jpg) | Steve Becker, a veteran of both media and corporate communications circles in the Pacific Northwest for nearly two decades, has joined Rockey Hill and Knowlton as a Vice President. Becker comes to Rockey Hill and Knowlton from Inland Northwest Health Services where he served as Director of Communications and Marketing. As part of the RH&K leadership team, he will help guide business development, particularly in the areas of healthcare and energy and will play an important role devising long-term corporate communications strategies for clients through out the region. |
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PRSA Leadership Rally in New York
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I recently had the honor of serving as the Greater Spokane Chapter’s delegate for the annual PRSA Leadership Rally in New York. It was a great conference, chocked full of information to help make our chapter stronger and I left with my head whirring full of information!This conference provides incoming presidents from chapters, sections and districts across the country the opportunity to get together, share best practice information and brainstorm new ideas. I had the chance to meet members of other PRSA chapters from across the country of similar size to the Greater Spokane Chapter, and talk with them about the various things that their chapters are doing. It was amazing to talk with members of all the different chapters, from the 900+ member chapters in Washington, D.C. and Georgia, to chapters less than half the size of ours. They are all working, just like we are, to make their chapters strong and increase the benefits of membership. As we move forward this year, we are looking at some great new ideas from both PRSA national and other local chapters. Having a national network that we can link into with questions, brainstorming, etc. is not just at a leadership level -- all members have this great association to draw on for assistance and support in the public relations efforts of our own lives. The national board, staff, districts, sections, and all local chapters are working together to improve the profession of public relations and improve the profession for each and every practitioner. I highly recommend to anyone who has the chance to attend a national event to go! This year’s national conference will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah in November. It is a great opportunity to meet and network with other professionals in our industry and draw on the national connections we have through PRSA, as we all work to advance public relations in Spokane and make the Greater Spokane Chapter the best that it can be!
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Good Business Stories Wanted
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The Clark Company invites good business stories and information for their newsletter and radio report (running 3 days/week on KXLY). For more information, contact:Nancy DeStefano Glines
The Clark Company
509-838-4080
nancy@clarkadspr.com Stories should be sent to both Nancy (nancy@clarkadspr.com) and Ed (ed@clarkadspr.com).
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Local PR Professional runs for County Commissioner
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Local PR professional Barb Chamberlain is running for Spokane County Commissioner (District 3). There is a three-way primary (September 19) for Democratic candidates, including Barb Chamberlain, George Orr, and Bonnie Mager. The winner of that primary will run against Phil Harris in the November election. For more information on county elections, visit: http://www.spokanecounty.org/elections/
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Those of you who are also SPRC members, don't forget about the summer social coming up on July 26 from 4-7 p.m. at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars. The event is free to SPRC members and only $10 for non-members, and includes fine wine and hors d'oeuvres.
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Have a story idea, a blurb or an idea? Give us your feedback for the monthly newsletter, chapter activities and upcoming programming. The newsletter comes out at the end of every month and has a story deadline of the last Wednesday. Send your stories and articles to Lance Kissler (lantsen@odessa-wa.com).Additionally, if you have any other feedback, feel free to contact any of the board members directly. Our next scheduled board meeting is Wednesday, July 12.
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