Friday, May 20, 2016
Firstever "clarkclass" vlog post!
Courtesy @JadeABraun, one of the most creative, color-outside-the-lines students I've had.
And the link to it on her blog: https://jadebraun.squarespace.com/
Thursday, May 19, 2016
From Boston, tattooed with curiosity
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| @vargas1 Skyping in to #clarkclass from Boston |
"Put community first," said 2000 UCO grad Lauren Vargas, one of the most astounding students I've been privileged to know, to #clarkclass. "No matter what form of media it takes," she added, Skyped into class from her home in Boston.
She is not an "early adopter" of new media; she's a "first adopter," and it's lead to multiple successes since she's graduated. Her Linked In resume will tire you out, moving from helping set up Department of Defense digital operations to her current position as director of marketing technology ad operations for Aetna in Boston.
She's a voracious reader, and rattled off books to students to consider. She's a self-described nerd, but more, and certainly not a traditionalist as shown by her collection of wild glasses matches her "Mad Hatter" moniker also.
I best enjoy, other than her friendship, her comment about everyone having a "digital tattoo," which she coined in speaking to school students about using social media (What you put out there isn't going away). Yes, she has real tattoos--my favorite "Nevermore" with a raven on her forearm. And all of hers have special meanings, she says.
Her outlook on social media, including twitter brings this great quote:
"We don't understand the ripple effects. Using twitter is like designing, building and flying a plane, all at the same time."I deeply appreciate her emphasis on curiosity, which I think has tattooed her every success as a forward-looking woman and profesisonal. I hope it inspires my students; it does me.
Here are student debriefing comments, recorded by @AshleyNapier:
@Vargasl debriefing
- She’s a real go-getter. She is very involved in education and isn’t afraid to leave her comfort zone.
- She is accomplished and has gone head-first into everything
- It’s cool she sucked it up and took a government job even when it wasn’t glamorous
- Social media has remained constant, there hasn’t been a lot of significant changes
- She reads 3-4 books a week, it’s impressive
- She is tenacious
- She is vibrant and bright and works for an insurance company
- It’s cool that someone from UCO can go to Harvard and eventually end up teaching at Harvard
- She doesn’t follow the rules, it has allowed her to stand out
- It is important for everyone to understand and carry out the company brand
- Her awesomeness makes us feel inferior
- She is integrated and involved in everything that she does
- You have to build trust through conversation
- Always be curious
- If it happens, it happens- we should remember to take risks
- Even though her creativity was stifled at times, she was unafraid to try new things
- Everyone’s voice has an equal weight on social media
- Be the bridge to the community
A 'Professional Disruption Specialist' telling stories
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| @jdaverhea and #clarkclass |
@Okieprof
Dave Rhea, @JDaveRhea, calls himself a "professional disruption specialist" because of his previous experience in both music and newspapers. Now he's officially the director of marketing for Phillips Murrah law firm, I met him when he was doing digital media for The Journal Record, and found out he used to have a rock band, and had worked for New York Times papers in Florida. That's where he was affected by disruptive technology...turning established businesses upside down, as digital media has.
He's taken that experience and self taught expertise to now operate the marketing operation of this large Oklahoma City law firm, perhaps a job that didn't really exist a few years ago, because of the advent of digital technology.
What I appreciate most about him though is is insistence on the basics, knowing digital media are just the latest tools:
"Communication. How to tell these great stories. That's the fundamental part."
After class, we debriefed. Here are student takeaways, recorded by @AngelaNapier:
@Jdaverhea debrief
- Created his own way- it’s interesting that he mixed marketing with law
- He went from a boy band to doing social media super fast
- You have to get attention directed to your website to get higher on a Google search
- He found a way to make money with his skills
- He is doing what the attorneys cannot or don’t want to do (marketing and communications)
- It’s less about a degree and more about the willingness to put yourself in different situations that will allow you to grow
- It’s hard to convince people who don’t see your point of view to latch onto your ideas
- It’s cool he writes for a knife magazine
- He is a jack of all trades- video, website, law firm, knives, etc.
- Writing is important and getting yourself online is imperative
- You have to take the initiative to learn and do things
- He has to explain hard things in a relatable way
- You have to build digital trust
- Twitter is a distribution method
- Twitter has become part of our voice
- Twitter is whatever you need it to be, we control it, it doesn’t control us
- You can have an incredible track record, but unless you are posting online you are a no body
- Every industry is a people industry
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Avoiding "ghost town" in media, views from the edge
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| @rcrissinger of @bumbershootPR "dropped in" Friday |
@Okieprof
"Welcome to ghost town," said Rob Crissinger, UCO alum and vice president of BumbershootPR.He was speaking to my Twitter for Media class on a return engagement, about what happens to your image and contacts if you don't tweet valuable content consistently.
I think he was talking to me, because I tweet seldom, usually when I'm teaching this class twice a year.
But the class, #clarkclass, has taken on a life of its own, and now in its eighth session, attracts alums using it consistently.
Crissinger was a non-traditional student, to say the least, but he's taken his varied interests, humor, and found his perfect job, doing public relations and more for entertainment types in Oklahoma City for @BumbershootPR, an edgy, energetic "boutique" agency that breaks rules and builds success, not ghost towns.
And he seems to know everybody. @rcrissinger can rattle off 50 names, all with @ in front of them who you should follow if you want to stay in contact with as you move into communications positions after graduation.
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| @rcrissinger in #clarkclass |
Yet for all the emphasis on digital media from Crissinger, he sees it as a tool for making connections as humans. His advice is always practical.
His advice on getting a job: "Go to things, take your phone and photos and hashtag it, so they get to know you."
I especially liked his comments on news releases: "News releases are not dead. Done right, they're magic." "Learn to write." He relies on traditional media empowered by social media.
Here are the student debriefing comments, recorded by @AshleyNapier21.
@rcrissinger debrief
- Don’t follow everyone who follows you, especially if you don’t care for them
- The easiest way to get a job is to go to things, it helps get your name out there
- Bring yourself out in your tweets, make them personal
- If someone gives you a shout-out, recognize that
- Don’t show your strategy
- If you are not constantly active on social media, you’ll lose your recognition
- Tweet a lot, but don’t tweet the same thing over and over
- Consistency is important
- Be subtle, especially if you are trying to network
- Reading is very important
- To tweet a lot or not to tweet a lot? People from different fields view it differently
- People can get recognized just by showing up
- Know something about the person who you are wanting to network with
- 80% personal tweets/20% business tweets- important rule to remember
- Even if you don’t want a job in PR, show up to PR events, you’ll get noticed
- He uses his social media to build people up
- He doesn’t appear to be an introvert
- Be interested and love what you are doing
- Keep people guessing
- He loves his job so much and is very passionate about it
- Bio’s start conversations
- He puts a lot of emphasis on writing news releases
- He uses traditional media and empowers it with social media to spread it around
Monday, May 16, 2016
#clarkclass final! Start thinking
You asked for it.
Twitter final exam…to be emailed to tmclark44@gmail.com, as a Word attachment, on Saturday, June 4 at 9:30 a.m.
Five page position paper:
Using two Internet sources, and comments from three of our speakers, explore five ways twitter has affected and changed your chosen or potential career--or, if you have the guts to break the rules--five ways you think it is going to change higher education, or communication in general. Or, if you have even more guts, five ways you think it should change higher education for students' benefits, contrasted with current practices you think need to be changed.
Submission guidelines:
Twitter final exam…to be emailed to tmclark44@gmail.com, as a Word attachment, on Saturday, June 4 at 9:30 a.m.
Five page position paper:
Using two Internet sources, and comments from three of our speakers, explore five ways twitter has affected and changed your chosen or potential career--or, if you have the guts to break the rules--five ways you think it is going to change higher education, or communication in general. Or, if you have even more guts, five ways you think it should change higher education for students' benefits, contrasted with current practices you think need to be changed.
Submission guidelines:
- Written in 12 point Times New Roman or similar font. List Internet sources links at bottom of last page. Name, twitter handle at top of first page.
- Title of your subject--be creative
- Double space
- Modified MLA style (when citing course, put first word in parenthesis at end of sentence.
- Paragraph often--no paragraph to be longer than 1/2 a page
- Run spell check
- Organization:
- Intro paragraph introducing subject, thesis statement enumerating the "five ways," sources, and why you chose it.
- I recommend one or two paragraphs for each of the ways you think twitter has affected your subject.
- Be specific about your opinions and findings. I want you to think about this. No BS, no big words, no vague generalizations.
- You gain points for specific quotes from speakers, favorite tweets during the class, thoughts that are your own, clearly stated. Be original.
- Concluding paragraph on suggestions for improving #clarkclass.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Passionate and positive UCO alum's twitter stories
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| @MikeSherman and #clarkclass |
@Okieprof
"I could listen to him tell stories all day," one student said after @MikeSherman, sports editor of The Oklahoman, spoke yesterday to the Twitter in Media class.His enthusiasm and positive attitude about Oklahoma are infectious. He's not a Pollyanna, knowing our state has many problems, but still sees the bright sides of our people and much more. Given the state of negativity we get every day, his outlook is needed more than ever, and the students picked up on that more than ever.
Mike is also a proud graduate of UCO, and a compelling storyteller, about sports and much more. His tales of sportswriters, and sporting events, especially the Thunder, were especially timely.
He's supposed to talk about twitter in journalism, and he did, but almost every comment had broader meaning.
Some of the quotes I jotted down:
- "Hopeful people do hopeful things," about building an arena when there was no team here.
- "The intended use of something is often not the most valuable."
- "Twitter is a better listener than a broadcaster."
- "It tells you what others are thinking."
- "If you shout out the window, don't expect people not to listen."
- "It's a tip sheet, not the story."
- "Twitter is a distribution system. We' all have to be paperboys--or papergirls--now."
- "Twitter is like an Interstate, or perhaps the Autobahn."
- This phone is my Rolodex."
- "It's a printing press, and broadcast station."
- "The Internet is an echo chamber. I worry about the algorithms that just feed what you like. We need to be challenged by different views. You get that in a newspaper."
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| @MikeSherman tallking about journalism, sports and twitter |
@MikeSherman Debrief
- Mike is super passionate about everything, especially about OKC & Oklahoma. Everyone who lives in Ok needs to be more like that
- He keeps his stories interesting
- Passionate about Twitter. Headlines can make a difference with the story.
- In large newspapers, content writers don’t create their own headlines
- Handled the “Mr. Unreliable” headline in a graceful way
- We are more powerful as a community
- You can become someone’s best friend by mentioning them on Twitter
- His high school mascot knowledge is impressive
- His love for Oklahoma is awesome!
- He uses Twitter to find out what consumers want. How can we use that in our work?
- It isn’t all about one genius, it’s about collective geniuses getting together and working things out
- We are all connected, uses #whatstheheadline to connect everyone and engage them
- Follow people who you don’t agree with, it will challenge your point-of-view
- Twitter is our Rolodex
- Twitter is a distribution system as well as a listening device
- All of his stories have a personal aspect and that is important for everyone to remember
- Be real, be human through technology
- Having people help the newspaper write headlines is smart. It’s better to use the city as a whole rather than just one office
- Uses TweetDeck to listen. He tries to understand the community
- Great storyteller!
- Knowing that 2016 graduates are going into the best job market in decades is encouraging
- It is encouraging to see people stepping outside their comfort zone
Readings--the effects of twitter
Read and tweet by 9 am Monday:
- SM silences debate? http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/27/upshot/how-social-media-silences-debate.html?smid=tw-share&abt=0002&abg=
- Keep your opinion to yourself--http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/may/22/bbc-editor-election-coverage-ukip-twitter?CMP=twt_fd
- twitter and hong kong protests--http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/10/01/hong-kong-protests-how-they-unfolded-on-twitter/
Thursday, May 12, 2016
What have you learned so far?
Five days of intense, laid back "stuff." What have you learned so far that matters to you? Comment below by 5 p.m. Friday?
Who to follow, from @JillCastilla
@JillCastilla's list of people to follow on twitter from earlier this year
@okieprof
I asked #clarkclass
speaker Jill Castilla, president and CEO of Citizens Bank in Edmond, to
send us a list of people she follows in twitter and recommends. As we explore the uses and changing perspectives of twitter, these contacts are valuable resources for business people and my students.
- @BeckyMcCray -- Blogger, expert on small biz; small biz owner from Oklahoma
- @ABWashBureau -- Rob Blackwell, American Banker’s Washington Bureau chief, novelist
- @WAFTIShow -- Possibly the greatest podcast in the Metro
- @EdmondActive -- Great information about all happenings in Edmond
- @GinaMCampbell -- Local social media expert, @okcsocial President
- @okcsocial -- OKC’s club for social media managers
- @KochComm -- Local PR firm with great local #hashouts on various topics
- @AmyJoMartin -- Her book, Renegades Write the Rules, is a must read for all things social and PR
- @ElwellEats -- Greg Elwell, @okgazette, is the guy to follow for your inner foodie – as an added bonus, he’s super funny!
- @DowntownEdmond -- Great account that features everything that’s happening in our little suburban “urban core”
- @briOKC -- Brianna Bailey, Oklahoman journalist that covers business like no other.
- @Mecoy -- Don Mecoy, you’ll find local business breaking news on his account before you see it anywhere else. Don actively monitors twitter feeds for stories – one of the best!
- @heardonhurd -- Best music festival in Oklahoma!
- @grahamcolton -- Singer/Songwriter from Oklahoma and co-founder of Fanswell, music promotion
- @annj_chen -- Marketing officer @citizensedmond
- @citizensedmond -- Best bank ever!
Today's readings
Read and tweet something that grabbed you before 8 am tomorrow:
- Finding SM influencers--http://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-find-social-media-influencers/
- How twitter has changed journalism forever--http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-twitter-has-changed-journalism-forever
- Impact of twitter on journalism--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl9xI-kAE8A
Twitter views on changing media from a news junkie
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| @dezhill and #clarkclass |
@okieprof
Broadcasting professor Desiree Hill @dezhill
is a news junkie, one of the most forward-looking,
up-to-date professionals and teachers at UCO.
Her presentation to #clarkclass centered on how broadcast media are using, should use and should not use social media, specifically twitter, in journalism, based on her research with specific stations in Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma.
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| @dezhill |
"Don't use new media in old ways"
Established media tend to use new media in old ways, being slow to adapt, rather than taking advantage of new opportunities. It'll be up to our students to help invent how the next changes are best utilized.
For more reaction and tweets of her day here, search #clarkclass in twitter. Here are her some of her comments, and
class comments, recorded by @AshleyNapier21.
- You wear what you tweet
- Look at your last 50 tweets, it’s important to review them
- Behind the scenes is not all about us, it’s about the viewer
- You are your own brand
- We made Twitter into what we wanted it to be
- Twitter is a tool and is completely versatile
- Your social media posts are out there forever, even if they are deleted
- Don’t say something on Twitter that you wouldn’t say in a presentation in class
- Tailor your tweets to your audience and be specific as possible
- Who, what, when, where, why
- Information is supposed to answer questions, not raise them
- Say “thank you” to your followers
- Be mindful of your writing- those 140 characters are important
- You will never capture social media- it keeps evolving
- Be interactive on Twitter
- Tweet what is interesting to you. You can’t cater to everyone. Find your niche
- Tweets must be ethically newsworthy
- Twitter is not a diary
Twitter for Media 5/11/16
- Geotagging is scary, but it is great for advertising
- What works for one person does not work for another
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| Not everything is serious |
Presentation schedule
Schedule of presenters
M- Kody, Catlin, Jade, Jaylynn
T- Harrison, Dillon, Justin,
Derrick, Andrew
W- Jillian, Thomas, Aubrey, Erick,
Jake
Th-Angela, Haylee, Ashley, Alisa, Pat
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Be authentic?
What does it mean to be authentic? Almost every speaker in #clarkclass emphasized that. What did it mean to previous members of the class? Read below.
What about to you? Post below.
What about to you? Post below.
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First and foremost it's being true to yourself. As I thought about this the most important things that stood out to me were these below.
Being Open with people is a way to show them authenticity.
Being passionate about something and sharing it also shows people authenticity.
Finding a way to connect with who you are speaking with, and truly Listening to them will help them feel you are being genuine and also authentic.
Be Genuine with all that you do, be Honest, and be Sincere.
Just be Real with people and Do what you say you are going to do.
This is what being Authentic is to me.
Censor yourself, but don't stifle yourself.