http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com Info, links and comments from a Texas Public Relations professional (Houston, Pasadena, Harris County). Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:55:13 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Some stories to watch & things to do:Target Settles Accessibility Lawsuit for $6 Million, by SitePointNeed to declutter your life? Reboot Your Workflow This Fall with tips from lifehackerLegacy Multimedia has a wonderful post on the importance of creating a storyboard for multimedia projects.Copyblogger tells us How to Write an ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/09/07/public-relations-news-links-3/ For those wanting to get started in personal branding, Dan Schwabel brings us the Personal Branding Toolkit. The series is a must-read to get you from 0 to 10 in a few quick steps. Read the whole thing, linked in series below.Business Cards -- Some tips, in an abbreviated format: ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/09/06/get-started-in-personal-branding/ Become a better writerWant to become a better writer? These sources say that you make this happen by reading and just writing. I find that the more I read, the more I have to say. And the more I write, the more often I write, the better my writing becomes.Simple. ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/09/01/public-relations-news-links-2/ According to one of the Business Journals, CNN is opening news bureaus in 10 cities, including Houston. http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/08/27/cnn-to-open-a-bureau-in-houston/ If you're anything like me, you're always on the lookout for sources or free stock photos to use on Web sites, etc. Digital Image Magazine has compiled a list of 25 Free Stock Photo Sites that worth bookmarking and exploring. There were some I recognized and some I didn't. Regardless, ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/08/07/free-stock-photos/ The Austin American Statesman reports that Gov. Rick Perry may soon begin webcasting press conferences. They quote his press secretary as the source of the info, who states that they are currently in testing. Should be interesting. http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/08/05/texas-governor-perry-to-webcast-press-conferences/ Don't know if something is protected by copyright? Check out this handy little sliderule, it may answer your questions. http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/07/21/is-it-protected-by-copyright/ PRWeek blogs report that the Chicago Tribune is cutting 8o newsroom positions. "The Tribune Co. cuts continue. Management of the flagship Chicago Tribune began telling staffers on July 8 that it will cut 80 of the current 578 newsroom positions by the end of next month, as well as at ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/07/11/chicago-tribune-is-cutting-8o-newsroom-positions/ All of us took internships in college. Many of us took internships without pay. Here's an article from the Houston Chronicle that cautions us against trying to use unpaid interns like real employees.Internships without pay have pitfalls for employers-- Houston Chronicle2Summer interns are ripe for exploitation.They're desperate for real-life experience ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/07/06/internships-without-pay-a-bad-idea/ N. Scott Jones & Associates Inc. officially opened its doors to clients in Houston, specializing in stakeholder and corporate public relations. Though it actually opened in March, they are now announcing that they're open. Interestingly enough, the Houston Business Journal reports that they've signed on six clients since their ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/07/01/houston-has-a-new-pr-agency/ The San Antonio Business Journal reports that, while many industries are cutting back on advertising and public relations, one industry is actually turning to PR in an efforts to start up buzz: real estate. Developers are engaging public relations professional, ever-increasingly, trying to build up enthusiasm for their projects.Nice to ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/07/01/real-estate-turns-to-pr/ The New York Times ran a story on the fine art of writing a news release. It was, in my humble opinion, dripping in condescension. Just lovely.Found via Catching Flack. http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/06/30/tips-on-writing-a-news-release-from-the-new-york-times/ Tips on writing an RFP executive summaryBloghound give us a list of the 10 Most common mistakes in writing an RFP executive summary, which makes this a tip in reverse I guess. The shortlist:About us vs. the prospectProposal summary vs. a business caseOpening with blah blah platitudes vs. guts and ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/06/28/public-relations-news-links/ If you don't already have Copyblogger on your reading list, add it today. There are always good tips to help your writing.Today's tips are given in a post entitled "Three Questions Your Copy Must Answer to Succeed":Why Do I Really Need This?Why Should I Choose You?Why Should I Decide Now?These ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/06/19/copy-tips-three-questions-to-answer/ I'm shocked to find out that Ramiro Burr quit. Though initially I became aware of him because he wrote about Tejano music, amongst others, lately I've been able to read his work via blogging, etc. From the Houston Press' blog, Houstoned:Music writer Ramiro Burr, who for years has written columns ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/06/15/music-journalist-ramiro-burr-quits/ Congratulations to Lopez Negrete for earning one more ranking. Found at OnlyInHouston.com:LOPEZ NEGRETE COMMUNICATIONS RANKS NUMBER ONE AMONG TOP 100 DIVERSITY OWNED BUSINESSES IN TEXAS In recognition of the economic power of multicultural businesses, DiversityBusiness.com, the nation’s leading multicultural Internet site, ranks Lopez Negrete Communications as number one among the ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/06/15/lopez-negrete-is-first-in-diversity-owned-businesses-in-tx/ Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau earns kudos for documentary of city-- reported by the Houston Business Journal The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau has won an award for its documentary, "One Day in Houston."The bureau received a 2008 Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation from the Public Relations Society ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/06/13/one-day-in-houston-wins-prsa-award/ What makes a good press release today? According to the Catching Flack column in BNET, there are two things you need:In the end, though, there are only really two elements that define a good press release: it needs to be brief, and it needs to contain real news. The definition ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/05/14/elements-of-a-good-press-release/ In the Houston Chronicle's political blog is a really good quote on why you would want a public information office:"The consequences of permitting employees who are untrained and unsophisticated in media relations can be significant, exposing those employees to personal liability for defamation and ethics charges, as well as exposing the County to ... http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/05/06/press-office-needed-for-district-attorney/ Houston's own High Tech Texan, Michael Garfield, discusses how he became The High Tech Texan. It's interesting, and a nice study in personal branding. http://publicrelations.palomacruz.com/2008/03/03/how-to-market-yourself-from-michael-garfield/