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Monday, September 30, 2013

How Safe is the Medicine in Your House?

Dr. Dan O'Rourke
Associate Professor
Department of Communication Studies 

            Americans are fortunate to have access to some the finest medical professionals and facilities in the world. Combined with government oversight agencies and independent researchers to test medical products for safety, we are afforded a great deal of confidence when we go to the medical cabinets in our homes. A recent story by Pro Publica, a non-profit investigative journalism agency, in cooperation with the National Public Radio program, This American Life, however, warns us that we must be ever vigilant as consumers of over the counter medicines.
            Three years ago in 2010, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that more than 300 people (321) died from acetaminophen toxicity. Acetaminophen is the active drug found in Tylenol, which is one of the reasons this finding was so startling. In 1982, someone tampered with and poisoned bottles of Tylenol in the Chicago area. (content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1878063.html) The makers of the product acted decisively and withdrew millions of bottles of the medicine from the shelves at great cost to the product company. Since that time, Tylenol has benefited from the public perception that it is one of the safest products on the market. Advertising campaigns for the medicine echoed this perception and declared that Tylenol was the pain reliever that “hospitals used most.” It was “recommended by pediatricians” and provided “safe, fast, pain relief.” Ironically, this belief may have contributed to the problem.
            The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been aware of the potential problem of acetaminophen toxicity for some time. In 1977, an expert panel strongly recommended that a warning be placed on the painkiller that excess use could cause “severe liver damage.” Great Britain, Switzerland, and New Zealand have required that it be sold only by pharmacies or regulated the amount that can be purchased. In America, however, public perception of safety has negated these findings. The FDA asserts that this has created a “special risk” for the product as twenty-five percent of Americans routinely take more pills than prescribed. The FDA sets the maximum recommended daily dose at 4 grams, or eight pills; as few as two extra pills has been reported to cause liver failure. From 2001 to 2010, acetaminophen-related deaths amounted to twice the number of all other over-the counter-pain relievers. This is information that must be communicated to the general public. A careful examination of the potentially fatal consequences of what may be considered simple miscommunication between drug manufacturers, health practioners, and innocent patients is at the heart of this issue. Once again, we see a need for greater consumer awareness and the development of health and risk communication in the medical profession.  

                 content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1878063.html

                 With thanks to Dr. Pravin Rodrigues for his ideas and input

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

What is the Future of Voicemail?

Dr. Dariela Rodriguez questions the future of voicemail, a once innovative feature, but now "with newer, and faster, options available such as text messaging, instant message (IM), or even email, why would an individual, much less a business, sill opt to use voicemail (Bradley, 2012)?"

Dr. Rodriguez's blog "Can Voicemail Still Answer the Call?" was featured in the Daily Headlines & Features of CommPRO.biz, Sept. 9, 2013 edition. Click on title below for full bog.



 Monday, September 09, 2013

.BIZ BLOGS

Fenwick Technology and Life Sciences IPO Survey Highlights Strongest IPO Market in Years
Gene Marbach At Large
The law firm Fenwick & West recently released its IPO Survey covering the first half of 2013, "Key Metrics for Recent Technology and Life Sciences Initial Public Offering." The IPO survey provides half-yearly reviews of IPOs in the technology and life sciences sectors nationwide and offers a graphical overview of key ...
Can Voicemail Still Answer the Call?
By Dariela Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Voicemail, the personal assistant that everyone could afford, seemed innovative when it first became an option, however it is now on the brink of distinction. In a society that is so uber-connected, with even children carrying around iPhones, this seems like a contradiction, however, it still remains to be seen what the future of voicemail will be in the very near future. As the uses of ...
Communications Professionals Talk Funny
By David P. Kowal, President, Kowal Communications Inc.
Sometimes it's difficult to figure out what communications professionals mean when they talk. Communicating is not as challenging as, say, being an engineer or a file clerk, so some in the business try to make it sound challenging by using the words they think their clients or employers want to hear. Like lawyers, if people understood what we were talking about, they wouldn't pay us as much ...
September Brings New Beginnings: Time to Take Your Personal Inventory
By Adam Barrett, LCSW
Autumn is a few weeks off officially, but September's advent bangs the symbolic gong reminding us that the lazy, hazy days of summer are ending. As resort houses at the beach or mountain lake are closed down, a new season of hard work or study opens up. One need not observe the Jewish new year and ...

.BIZ CHANNELS

Leadership 3.0: How Diana Nyad Defied Life's Challenges: How You Can, Too.
By Leslie Grossman, Vice Chair of the IMPACT Leadership 21 Global Advisory Council, Author of the book "LINK OUT": For the Global Women's Leadership & Collaboration Channel
Her mantra was "find a way". At the age of 64, on September 1, 2013, Diana Nyad became the first person to successfully swim the treacherous Florida Straits ...
IR Apps By The Numbers
For the Mobile IR Channel
For the first time this year, time spent on mobile devices will surpass time spent on desktop and laptop computers, according to an eMarketer estimate. And that doesn't include phone calls. eMarketer's first-of-its kind study says "US adults will spend 43.6% of their overall media time with digital this year, including 19.4% on mobile-compared to 19.2% on laptops and PCs. Time spent with mobile ...
Owned vs Earned Links in Press Releases
For the Digital PR Channel
Google publishes their lists of 'do's and don'ts' in their Webmaster Guidelines. These guidelines get updated as Google fine-tunes their search algorithm. In a recent update of the link scheme rules they included links in press releases. Google now categorizes a press release as an advertisement. This seems to have put PR people into a tizz as to what can and can't be done with press ...
Content We Love: Bullets for Breakfast
For the Agile Engagement Channel
Looking back, mornings at the beginning of the school year always felt hectic and frenetic to me. Always in a rush to get out the door, the priority was to have something in our stomachs by the time that first bell rang to be in class. It's known breakfast is the most important meal of the day. With that in mind, the California Milk Processor Board set out to make sure kids are fed a ...
Fill in the blank: Content is ____ .
For the Agile Engagement Channel
You're creating it. You're curating it. You're publishing, tracking and sharing it. It's playing a central role in your communications strategy. How do you define content? We'd like to hear your take. Fill in the blank "Content is ___" either by leaving a comment on this post, or tweeting with hashtag #ContentIs. [Tweet this!]
NGO Newsjacking is All About Monitoring
For the Critical Now Channel
For many not-for-profits, the public relations strategy is all about looking good on TV.

.BIZ EVENTS

Content to Conversion: Setting the Stage for Success
LIVE EVENT
Content is your catalyst, creating audience engagement. When content is king, earned media plays a stronger role in driving your organization's success. But don't lose sight of what your content is supposed to achieve! At the start of every campaign you must ask, "What is the action that you want your audience to take next?" Be it views, shares or sales, actions are one of the keys to every ...
LIVE EVENT - Kick Off The Season With Live Video
NIRI San Francisco Event
The first meeting of the 2013-14 season will be held on Thursday, September 12th at 5:30 pm PT, and will focus on Social Media and IR. We're going to demonstrate-- in real-time--a live production of a video earnings call. Video Earnings Calls: a trend or just more work? Find out with your "backstage pass" at a live video earnings production NIRI members will experience first-hand ...
IN-PERSON EVENT - Employing Visual Content for Compelling Storytelling - Chicago
For the Agile Engagement Channel
The presence of content in its various forms across the digital landscape has given rise to an era of instant gratification--a time where anyone can search for a topic of their choosing or send out a message through their social channels to obtain relevant information. As organizations seek to maintain visibility ...
Social Media Visionary Brian Solis to Deliver Keynote Address at PRSA 2013 International Conference
PRSA 2013 International Conference
Altimeter Group Principal Analyst Brian Solis, an author and recognized authority on the impact of social media on business and culture, will deliver the principal keynote address at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)'s 2013 International Conference, which will take place Oct. 26 -- 29, 2013, at the ...
Welcome to Act 4...Don't Let Digital Scare You -- The Power of Print Integrated
LIVE - A Mr. Magazine™ Event
Change was, is and will continue to be the only constant in the magazine and magazine media world. However, change has evolved from the slow-moving, steam-powered train, to a nuclear-impelled, speed-possessed bullet.The Magazine Innovation center at the University of Mississippi, which I founded ...

TRENDING TODAY

Exclusive: Amazon Wants To Offer Its Smartphone for Free. Who Will Follow?
JessicaLessin.com
Which technology giant will be the first to offer a free smartphone? Amazon.com Inc. is making a play. In a previously unreported move, the online retailer and Kindle maker is considering introducing its long-planned smartphone for free to consumers, according to people familiar with Amazon's effort.
3 Ways The Automotive Industry Will Change By 2020
Fast Company
Electric vehicles, autonomous cars, vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity--anyone who pays even a little bit of attention to the automotive industry has an inkling of what the future of driving will look like. In a new report, McKinsey & Company outlines how the global auto industry will shift by 2020. Hint: It's a whole lot different than what you might expect.
Yahoo's First Transparency Report: More Gov't Requests Than Google or Facebook
Giga Om
Yahoo has become the latest tech company to publish a "transparency report" to show how often governments around the world ask for information about users. The report shows that in the United States, government agencies made 12,444 data requests from Yahoo during the first half of 2013 covering more than 40,000 individual user accounts.
Greeting Card Industry Wants To Save USPS From Itself, More Rate Hikes
Consumerist
The greeting card industry has a vested interest in the survival of the United States Postal Service. We might use a private first-class mail delivery service to send cards if the USPS cut back on service or disappeared, but probably wouldn't. That's why they, along with the magazine and catalog industries, say that another rate hike isn't the solution.
Red Obsession Documents China's Wine Fervor
China Daily
Napoleon Bonaparte once said: "When the dragon awakes, she will shake the world." Filmmaker Warwick Ross drew inspiration from that quote for his documentary about China's recent and sudden wine fever, particularly of a French terroir.The 76-minute Red Obsession first chronicles the history and character of Bordeaux, France, which is widely considered one of the finest wine-producing regions in the world, and then delves into its relationship with China.
Julian Assange and 'The Fifth Estate:' Wiki Wacky Who?
Time Magazine
With Julian Assange a refugee in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since June 2012, what's his whistle-blowing website been up to? Well, last year WikiLeaks published the Syria files - more than 2 million emails and papers from Bashar Assad‘s government - and a hundred or so classified files from the U.S. Defense Department revealing its policy on detainees at Guantanamo and elsewhere.
From Myspace's Ashes, Silicon Start-Ups Rise
The New York Times
IT is hardly uncommon for founders and employees of successful companies to cash in their chips and go on to start other successful companies. Perhaps the best-known example is PayPal, the Web payment service whose leaders went on to found and invest in a bunch of other companies - YouTube, LinkedIn, Yelp, Tesla - and to earn the nickname the PayPal mafia.

BUSINESS & INVESTOR NEWS

Vodafone--Largest Dividend Ever Paid
Barron's
Vodafone Group has owned a 45% stake in Verizon Wireless for over a decade and has seen it dramatically appreciate over that stretch. Last Monday night, the British wireless giant agreed to sell its U.S. holdings to partner Verizon Communications ...
World's Largest Bond Fund Suffers $41B in Withdrawals
CBC News
The world's largest bond fund, PIMCO's Total Return Fund., registered its fourth straight month of heavy cash outflows in August, with $7.7 billion US of withdrawals bringing net withdrawals since April to $41 billion. Invesetors are pulling out of the bond market in anticipation of the winding down of the U.S. Federal Reserve's bond-buying program.
Is This the End of the Era of Mega Marketing Mergers and Acquisitions?
The Drum
Sir Martin Sorrell said something very interesting last week. Actually, he's often saying things, but what he said on 30 August was particularly striking, even for seasoned Sorrell-watchers. Interviewed on business TV channel CNBC, the eminence grise of the ad industry batted away the – rather inevitable, it has to be said – rumours that he was considering making a cheeky (perhaps audacious is a better way of describing it) bid for Dentsu/Aegis (or even Interpublic Group, which is looking ever more vulnerable these days).
Ford CEO May Step Down Earlier Than Expected
Investor Place
Sources tell Reuters that Ford‘s (F) board of directors is growing more comfortable with potential successors to CEO Alan Mulally, who is said to be considering leaving the company to take other high profile positions. A former Boeing (BA) executive, Mulally joined Ford in 2006 when the country's second-ranked automaker was in financial disarray and came close to insolvency. Under his leadership, Ford successfully executed a painful turnaround that restored its finances and sales without the need for a federal bailout.
Owners of Neiman Marcus Said to Be in Talks to Sell Retailer for $6 Billion
The New York Times
Neiman's primary owners, Warburg Pincus and TPG Capital, are said to be in discussions to sell the luxury retailer to a group led by Ares Management and a Canadian pension plan.
Morgan Stanley: Many Of Our Clients Are Preparing For An Imminent Loss Of Central Bank Control
Business Insider
The Federal Reserve is contemplating unwinding its quantitative easing program, which at $85 billion in bond buying per month has constituted the single largest provision of marginal liquidity to global financial markets since this latest iteration of the stimulus program was launched in September 2012. Such a move appears imminent – the consensus in the marketplace is that the first step in tapering back quantitative easing will be announced at the conclusion of the Fed's September 18-19 FOMC policy meeting.

MARKETING & INNOVATION NEWS

Studios Find Their Best Hope for Offsetting a DVD Decline
Variety
When Walt Disney Pictures releases "Iron Man 3" on homevideo Sept. 24, it won't be the first post-theatrical glimpse fans will get of the film after its theatrical run. The movie will be available for high-definition download three weeks earlier on a range of digital platforms from iTunes to Amazon, instead of the typical simultaneous rollout with disc purchase and digital rental/VOD formats. What was once an exception to traditional windowing for movies is steadily becoming the rule.
Why Soup is the New Coffee
MarketWatch
Of all the features consumers want in a coffee machine, the ability to make soup probably isn't high on the list. So even though coffee and soup are both hot liquids served in a cup, news this week that soup giant Campbell's was joining up with single-cup brewing king Keurig seemed odd. But given the growing presence of Green Mountain Coffee's GMCR -3.23% Keurig machines in homes, offices, and car dealerships, and rosy forecasts for U.S. soup sales, analysts say this joint effort could be the next hot thing in hot things.
Tourettes Action Email Escapes Firewall with Upside-Down Swear Words
Brand Republic
An expletive-laden email marketing campaign avoids being blocked by firewalls by turning swear words on their head in order to raise awareness of charity Tourettes Action. The ‘F*ck the firewall' campaign seeks to highlight how people with Tourette Syndrome are effectively ‘filtered out' by society.

PUBLIC RELATIONS & CORP COMM NEWS

PR, SEO and Content Marketing – It's All Going in the Same Direction
The Guardian UK
Recent debate surrounding whether Google has killed off the PR agency sparked some very lively debate within the worlds of PR and SEO. As these two disciplines are now more entwined than anyone would care to admit the question really should be 'Has Google killed all PR and SEO agencies?' Recent updates to Google – with some having a significant impact, others less so – seem to be less about link building strategies and more about creating quality content that people want to share.
The Ancient Roots Of Punctuation
The New Yorker
The story of the hashtag begins sometime around the fourteenth century, with the introduction of the Latin abbreviation "lb," for the Roman term libra pondo, or "pound weight." Like many standard abbreviations of that period, "lb" was written with the addition of a horizontal bar, known as a tittle, or tilde (an example is shown above, right, in Johann Conrad Barchusen's "Pyrosophia," from 1698). And though printers commonly cast this barred abbreviation as a single character, it was the rushed pens of scribes that eventually produced the symbol's modern form: hurriedly dashed off again and again, the barred "lb" mutated into the abstract #.

ADVERTISING & MEDIA NEWS

Ideal Media Takes A More Hands-On Approach To Combining Recommended Content With Ads
TechCrunch
Here's another startup trying to turn content recommendation into a business: Ideal Media. Similar in concept to Outbrain and Taboola, Ideal Media works with publishers to add a recommended content unit to their pages. Then it makes money by including sponsored content in the mix. You can see an example in the recommended content under this photo on the OneBigPhoto site (there's a screenshot below). Director of Sales Matthew Mosk told me via email that Ideal Media is building customized, native integrations, so the look will change from site to site.
Bold Play by CBS Fortifies Broadcasters
New York Times
Leslie Moonves, the longtime chief executive of CBS, has heard the jokes about CBS being old and out of step because of the age of its audience and because it does not have enormous assets in the cable network world. But in one area, CBS and Mr. Moonves have led to a shake-up in the broadcast world that could be labeled revolutionary: the issue of compensation for retransmission rights. Before almost anyone else in the business, Mr. Moonves effectively pushed for distributors to pay fees to the broadcast channels just as they do to cable networks.

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Apple's Worst-Kept Secret: Bigger iPhones in 2014
CNET
As Apple gets ready to roll out its next generation iPhone 5 on Tuesday, speculators have already moved on to what the company will do next with its mobile phones. The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is testing various screen sizes, ranging from 4.8 inches to 6 inches, and KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will increase the iPhone screen size from 4 inches to 4.5 or 5 inches next year.
Here's Everything We're Expecting at Apple's iPhone Event
ZD Net
In just a few days, we will see for the first time Apple's latest smartphone incarnation. The Cupertino, Calif.-based technology giant sent invites out to select media outlets announcing a Sept. 10 event that will "brighten everyone's day," according to the invite.There have been numerous leaks and reports - rumors and snapshots of various parts and packaging purporting to be of the company's next-generation smartphone, dubbed the iPhone 5S. Also on deck we expect to see a low-cost, budget smartphone, dubbed the iPhone 5C, for emerging markets.
 

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O'Rourke Invited to Speak at the Ohio High School Speech League

Associate Professor, Dan O'Rourke, and his son, Morgan Bostdorff O'Rourke, have been invited to address the coaches of the Ohio High School Speech League about their book, A Good Town Speaking Well: A History of the Wooster Speech and Debate Team.The book traces the 100 year history of the team and serves as a fundraiser for the organization. Twenty percent of the profits from the book will be donated to the Wooster Speech and Debate Team.