COMM 0014 Blog Post # 2 Communicating in the 21st Century

I was 17 and in journalism school when I first learned about the inverted pyramid style of writing. Up until that point, I had been taught to write creatively and to always end with a climax like Hamlet’s death in the final scene of William Shakespeare’s memorable play.

For most of my career I have been using this style of writing to make my point, but not until researching this article, did I understand how disconnected the human brain can be when it is absorbing the written word. Learning about the different reading styles was fascinating, but yet not surprising. In fact, I learned a few things about myself.

The internet and social media have compounded the art of writing because in this dizzying pace that is the 21st century, our attention spans are shorter. How many of us would have the patience to read Hamlet now? No offence intended to those who love the classics, but regrettably the way we read has changed and effective writing requires a quick strike to draw the reader in.

What if Hamlet had died at the start of the play, and the rest of the story was told posthumously? I suspect the play would have been just as good, but having the climax leading the story would have better reflected today’s communication expectations that people want to know now, not later. You need to hook them early, or they’ll move on to MacBeth. That was Shakespeare’s shortest play, and probably has the best chance of holding the audience in today’s connected world.

Perhaps in social media, it should be called the inverted blender! Your writing needs to be bold, thought provoking and strong in the first few words to keep up with the smorgasbord of material that is one click away for the reader. To be blunt, you need to be a heck of a lot more interesting than the next guy or gal that just found their blogging voice.

The question is, to be or not to be a blogger in the 21st century?

COMM 0014 Blog # 1 My Last Vacation

Bobby Orr shoots and scores! The most prolific scoring defensemen in National Hockey League history was admired by thousands of young boys in the 1970’s and I was one of them.

Orr played for the Boston Bruins and it was rare to see him on television because in those days the only time games were televised were on Saturday nights, or during the playoffs. So, I turned to radio to listen to Bruins’ games. Sometimes the games would penetrate the winter air with wonderful clarity, while other evenings the signal would fade in and out, but I would stick with it, hoping the next time the announcer’s voice could be heard would bring good news of a goal by Orr.

These experiences did two things in helping shape my future. It made me a life long Boston Bruins fan and it inspired me to pursue a career in sports journalism. My broadcasting career lasted 13 years and included covering both news and sports, and in 2011 I celebrated the Boston Bruins first Stanley Cup Championship in almost 40 years.

So where am I going with this story? Back to Bobby Orr and a recent vacation my son and I had in Boston. I had visited this great city once before when I celebrated my 40th birthday with some college friends, but my son had never been there.

We were celebrating his completion of his Masters in Mathematics Degree, and while he is not a hockey fan, he has a deep love for the sport of football. We are both New England Patriots fans, and therefore a trip to Boston where we could catch a Patriots game, a Red Sox baseball game, a trip to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and a visit to Bobby Orr’s statue outside the Boston Garden, was planned.

It was a great vacation. Boston is such a historic city, and our visit came only a few months after the tragic Boston Marathon bombing. The aftermath of the horrific terrorist act had resulted in a tremendous surge in civic pride among Bostonians and the nervous but strong pulse in the community was palpable.

We were at Fenway Park the night the Red Sox clinched the American League East title with a win over the Blue Jays. We bought the tickets for $25 from a scalper, capping a great evening that started at Boston’s most famous bar, Cheers, where we had a great dinner.

The following day we spent a few hours at the Kennedy Museum, learning more about the life and politics of the United States’ 35th President. The special presentation on the Cuban Missile crisis was fascinating, particularly listening to the recorded conversations of President Kennedy and his must trusted aides as the world moved closer to a nuclear conflict between the Americans and the Soviets.

Later in the day, we parted ways with my son visiting the Boston Science Museum, where he could get a fix of how Math links to scientific innovation and research, while I stopped by the Boston Garden. It was early September, so the Bruins weren’t playing, but I was more interested in snapping a picture with the statue of my childhood hero.

The statue depicts Orr’s Stanley Cup winning goal of May 10, 1970 when he flies through the air after scoring. It is arguably the most famous picture in sports history.

We capped the trip with the football game, and while the game itself was actually dull, the trip to get to the stadium was memorable. Let’s just say the public transit system to get to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, located about 50 kilometres South of Boston, has a lot to be desired. Think of taking a train ride through a bush lot travelling no more than 20 kilometres an hour for much of the trip, and you have a picture of what it was like to get to the game.

Simply put, the Patriots are using a once abandoned freight line to provide some form of public transit to a football stadium built in the middle of nowhere! We had been warned about this before going to Boston, but you really have to experience it, to believe how inefficient the transit system is.

If you’ve been to a Patriots game and used the so called “Patriots Train,” I’d love to hear your opinion on your experience?

In the end, it was a great vacation! There is something very special about a father-son sports weekend, mixed in with some history lessons, great conversation and New England Clam Chowder.

When The World Sees a Bad Tweet!

COMM0011
BLOG # 8

We have all heard about it, but what happens when the organization that you work for has to deal with a social media crisis created by an inappropriate post?

Mistakes happen, but social media amplifies them when a tweet goes bad, as was the case recently for US Airways. With a Twitter account of almost half-a-million people, the Airline had to deal with the fall out of a “lewd” photograph posted on its Twitter account.

Bad day? At least you're not running the @USAirways Twitter account: tgam.ca/EBXr http://t.co/NmOnF61q9p—
The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) April 14, 2014

How it happened is not known? Disgruntled employee, hacker, or an incompetent social media account holder–whatever the case, the damage done to US Airways could be substantial, depending on how the company handles it.

The question now is what should they do? I would be interested in hearing your point of view?

So When Is the Best Time to Post on Social Media?

COMM0011
Blog Post # 7

If return on investment is the social media “black hole,” figuring out the best time to post is giving it a run in the court of public opinion.

Over the past few years, I have heard lots of experts definitively outline the optimum time to post information if you want people to actually see your posts, but it now seems to be a moving target. Common sense would tell you that posting when most people are sleeping is not good thinking, but how do the experts know that posting a blog on Monday, Friday or Saturday morning at 11 a.m. will get the best response?

I’m not kidding! That’s what a recent article I read stated. Don’t believe me, have a read: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/16337.aspx

Apparently Twitter’s hot spot is on weekends between 1 and 3 p.m. and Facebook works best on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. when people are waking up, and late afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m. So what happened to the advice I have been hearing for sometime now, that Facebook posts are primarily effective in the evening?

Just when I think I am getting to know social media well, I read something that leaves me questioning my posting practices. Do you feel the same way?

 

How Many More Social Media Platforms Are Coming?

COMM0011
Blog Post # 6

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linked In, Tumblr, Snap Chat, Pinterest, Four Square, Google+, and the list goes on! Social media has become a smorgasbord of platforms where people share ideas, opinions, photos, video and just about anything that they think someone else will be interested in.

But where does it end? It probably doesn’t, but it does make one think about what’s next? This blog was prompted by a recent article that I read indicating that Google+ was more popular than Twitter.

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/google-plus-just-popular-twitter-us-study-says-156645

I was interested in the story because I am an avid Twitter user, but have never logged onto Google+. In fact, I use only 4 social media platforms.

In my opinion, that’s enough. So, why do I feel inadequate as a social media user? I sometimes feel like the social media train is moving so fast, I’m being left at the station.

I can’t be alone? I would love to hear your opinion?

COMM 0011-Why The CFL Will Work This Time in Ottawa

Brad Watters, Horn Chen, Bernie and Lonnie Glieberman-names of owners that football fans in Ottawa would rather forget. These men were at the helm when the once proud Ottawa Rough Riders franchise struggled both financially and on the field, leading to the inevitable folding of the team, not once, but twice!

Now, as a newly named franchise, Ottawa is about to squeeze professional football into an already crowded sports and entertainment market, but this time the CFL will work in the nation’s capital because it has two key ingredients to success-local ownership and a committed group of investors that have financial clout.

If you will, an ownership dream team led by Ottawa 67’s owner Jeff Hunt has come together and has not only delivered a CFL franchise to Ottawa, but a multi-million dollar face lift to the badly neglected Lansdowne Park. In a few months, the first phase of the transformation will be completed as the RedBlacks play their first game. A few months later, the 67’s will return to the Civic Centre after renting space at the spacious Canadian Tire Centre while their normal home arena was being renovated.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Still to come will be a theatre complex, stores, restaurants, condominiums and what ever else that will make Lansdowne Live a vibrant social hub that extends its reach well beyond football fans.

For true football fans, it will be wonderful to have an Ottawa franchise back in the CFL, one that is on solid footing. Those old enough to remember the glory years of the Ottawa Rough Riders will be happy to cheer for a team that won’t be folding up its tent in a few years, and new football fans can enjoy what will certainly be an exceptional game day experience—-one created by the sports marketing genuis that is Jeff Hunt.

This time it will be different! Right owners, new stadium, financial resources, and a commissioner that understands the importance of having Ottawa as part of his league. This time, Ottawa will keep its CFL franchise!

Social Media Censorship-Where Do We Draw the Line?

COMM0011 Blog Post # 4
Author: Jamie Bramburger

My daily use of social media is tame, compared to how sights like Facebook and Twitter are being utilized in some parts of the world. Graphic and disturbing images of human cruelty are being posted leaving social media administrators as “global cops” as they wrestle with the issue of censorship.

For example, the civil war in Syria, has prompted journalists to question whether Facebook should be removing some of the horrific pictures that are being posted. The reporters argue these photos could be used as evidence of war crimes, and by removing them, social media sites are interfering with the investigative process. They are further upset because when the pictures are removed from social media, it impedes their ability to report on the war.

At its core, social media is about authenticity, but where do you draw the line when considering what is acceptable content?

Social media sites like Facebook have policies concerning what the company has deemed acceptable content, but the questions now being raised are going to force them to have another look at those guidelines.

One article I read suggests that social media sites should consider introducing a rating system similar to what is used in the movie industry. It’s an interesting concept, but I’m not sure it would work?

Read this recent Ottawa Citizen article and let me know your opinion. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/touch/story.html?id=9514044

Why are Some Businesses Still Afraid of Social Media?

Blog Post # 3 COMM0011
Author: Jamie Bramburger

I am certainly not a social media expert, but I am comfortable with using social media as a platform to build our brand at our college campus and to create a deeper relationship with our customers.

In fact, I would say I am a promoter of social media as a customer and public relations tool. Most business leaders that I speak to at least see the benefits of using sites like Facebook and Twitter, but every once in a while I encounter what I call the “social media resister” network.

So why are these leaders so afraid of social media? There have been plenty of articles written on the subject, (See linked articles below) but I think it comes down to one thing—their personality. They simply don’t like it, and because they don’t like it, they refuse to learn more about how it can help their business.

These business leaders consider social media an invasion of their own privacy and therefore build excuses as to why their organization should not get involved in social media. They allow their personal opinions on social media to impact their decision making within the business.

The question is, if a new leader came into a business, would the company philosophy on social media change? My gut tells me it would, leading me back to the position that the personality of the leader in charge plays a big role in determining whether a business latches on to social media.

All businesses should absolutely investigate why they are getting involved in social media. What are their goals? Do they have the resources to support a social media plan? How does social media fit into their strategic plan and vision? But, to outright dismiss the idea of using social media as a business tool is turning their back on an opportunity.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/09/social-media-fighting-the-fear/

Fear: Why Smart People Avoid Social Media

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/contributors.asp?id=2349

Why Companies are Afraid of Social Media

My Euphoric Twitter Experience-Trending for the First Time!

COMM 0011 Personal Reflection
Author: Jamie Bramburger

A funny thing happened to me on New Year’s Day. While watching the Winter Classic between Toronto and Detroit, I became the darling of Maple Leaf fans.

It wasn’t intentional. In fact, it happened by accident. I was watching Coaches Corner in the first intermission of the game and it was hard not to be distracted by Don Cherry’s checkered blue and white suit jacket.

I snapped a picture of my TV screen, posted the photo and tweeted, “Grapes looking like a Toronto rooter at #WinterClassic.”

Within seconds I had more action on my Twitter account than I had ever experienced. Hockey Night in Canada and the Toronto Maple Leafs re-tweeted my post under the hash tag #seaofblue, prompting a legion of Leafs fans to re-tweet and favourite my post.

And then it happened. I was trending for the first time!

“Jamie Bramburger, @brambuj is now trending in #Toronto http://trendsmap.com/ca/toronto”

I was stunned, but I was excited. The experience left me asking more questions about Twitter. Why did my post resonate with so many people? How much impact does posting a photo in your tweet have in getting it noticed? Or was it simply because of Don Cherry’s popularity that my tweet went viral?

Every Saturday night, Don Cherry strikes a chord with hockey fans across the nation with his opinions. For one day, he shared his audience with me through Twitter. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wear his suit!

Could Social Media have Solved the JFK Assassination?

COMM0011
Author: Jamie Bramburger

On November 22, 1963 shots rang out in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, changing the course of American history by ending the life of President John F. Kennedy. The 35th President of the United States had promised a “New Frontier,” and at only 46 years of age his dreams were snuffed out by an assassins’ bullets.

The President’s death has become the most investigated murder in history, and a magnet for conspiracy theorists. At the centre of those theories is the fact that no one can place the alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in the 6th floor window of the Texas School Book Depository at the time the shots were fired.

There is plenty of evidence he was in the building, it was his rifle that was used to fire the fatal shots, he had a troubled past and had previously attempted to murder a retired high ranking member of the American military, but at 12:30 p.m. on that fateful day, there is no hard evidence that puts him in the assassin’s perch.

The question I pose is what if social media existed in 1963? Would the crime have been solved within seconds of the shooting? If mobile technology existed like smart phones, would someone have snapped a picture of the School Book Depository building at the exact second the shots rang out as the President’s motorcade passed the building.

There were hundreds of people in Dealey Plaza that day and while the amateur video captured by Abraham Zapruder did show the President being struck by the fatal shots, there are no known photos of the assassin’s lair when the shots echoed through the plaza. The fact is, there were lots of people taking pictures of the motorcade, but none have ever been found that show Oswald firing the fateful shots that have spurred thousands of conspiracy theories on who killed the President?

You can imagine what might of happened had social media been available on November 22, 1963. Within seconds of the shooting, hundreds of eye witness accounts would have been posted on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, etc. In all probability, someone would have captured a photo or video of the shooter firing the shots from the Texas School Book Depository Building, thereby ending the mystery of who shot J.F.K.

Given the number of witnesses that would have posted information and descriptions of the shooter on social media, it is unlikely Oswald would have had the opportunity to leave the building. He would have been arrested at the scene of the crime. That probability alone would have saved the life of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, who was shot and killed shortly after the assassination of the President.

Other witnesses would probably have taken pictures of the so called “grassy knoll” where conspiracy theorists have long claimed a second gunman was located. Those images would either have supported or ended the question of whether there was more than one person involved in the attack.

It has now been more than 50 years since the assassination of President Kennedy. I have been interested in the Kennedy assassination for a long time and recently read the Warren Commission, the official report on the killing of the President.

There are a lot of good reasons why people challenge some of the findings in the report, as it leaves many unanswered questions. I suspect that Facebook, Twitter and You Tube would have been a much more effective investigative tool than what the Dallas police had at its disposal five decades ago.