Ideas for NAGC Board Retreat Friday?

The NAGC Board will conduct its annual retreat on Friday in Falls Church, VA. We're going to spend the day discussing the past, present and future of NAGC. The agenda includes:

• Revising board positions
• 2012 NAGC Communications School
• Blue Pencil/Gold Screen Awards
• A new mentoring program
• Educational opportunities for members
• Partnerships
• NAGC Website redesign

What are we missing? Thoughts?


On another note, have you checked out the NAGC Linked In Group lately? We're up over 500 members now, and recently we've had a lot of activity. Discussion, shared insight and ideas involving:

• Social Media Archiving
• Penn State Scandal
• Disaster Response After Tornadoes in Missouri and Alabama
• An LA Utility Feeling Some PR Heat

Join the group and wade into the conversation!

NAGC: Good Communication…Good Government

Call for Speakers: 2012 NAGC Communications School

Tell Your Story!

NAGC announces its “Call for Speakers” for the 2012 Communications School, Government Communicators: Telling America’s Stories, in Arlington, VA, June 5-8, 2012. We are looking for half-day pre-conference training workshops and 60-minute breakout session presentations.

Topic areas of interest:

• Working with Media
• Responding to negative press
• Strategic Communication Plans
• Communicating on Sensitive Topics
• Contingency Plans & Preparing for Disaster
• Emerging Technologies
• 508 Compliance
• Advances in Social Media
• In-House Photography & Video Production
• Old School & Traditional Communications Tools
• Leadership
• Creative Storytelling
• Understanding Generational Differences
• Surviving the Approval Chain
• In-House Style Guides

·Download the abstract submission application at www.nagconline.org. Submit your presentation abstract by 5pm ET on December 9, 2011.

If you have any questions feel free to contact us at info@nagconline.org.

Know a great speaker? If you have heard a great speaker on one or more of these topic areas of interest let us know at info@nagconline.org. Please try and provide as much contact information as possible with your speaker recommendation.

National Association of Government Communicators

(NAGC) Headquarters

201 Park Washington Ct.

Falls Church, VA 22046

P: 703-538-1787

F: 703-241-5603

info@nagconline.org

www.nagconline.org

NAGC: Good Communication…Good Government

Mark your calendar:

June 5-8, 2012 – NAGC Communications School, Sheraton National Hotel, Arlington, VA

Water district orders PR consultant to halt use of News Hawks site

Water district orders PR consultant to halt use of News Hawks site


Yike's. This story about a PR firm working for Central Basin Municipal Water District in Los Angeles caught my eye. Let's say that you are in charge of their communications for a day. What do you do?

Your Thoughts on the Penn State Scandal and Response?

This issue has been burning up the newswires this week. From a communications and media relations standpoint (and more importantly, from a moral standpoint), the university has been panned. This author shared her takeaways. What are yours? How would you have handled it?

We've started a discussion on the NAGC LinkedIn group as well.

Call for Speakers: 2012 NAGC Communications School

Interested in presenting at the 2012 Communications School?

NAGC announces its "Call for Speakers" for the 2012 Communications School, Government Communicators: Telling America's Stories, in Arlington, VA, June 5-8, 2012. We are looking for half-day pre-conference training workshops and 60-minute breakout session presentations.


Topic areas of interest:

* Working with Media

* Responding to negative press

* Strategic Communication Plans

* Communicating on Sensitive Topics

* Contingency Plans & Preparing for Disaster

* Emerging Technologies

* 508 Compliance

* Advances in Social Media

* In-House Photography & Video Production

* Old School & Traditional Communications Tools

* Leadership

* Creative Storytelling

* Understanding Generational Differences

* Surviving the Approval Chain

* In-House Style Guides

* And others

Download the abstract submission application at www.nagconline.org. Submit your presentation abstract by 5pm ET on December 9, 2011.


If you have any questions feel free to contact us.


Know a great speaker? If you have heard a great speaker on one or more of these topic areas of interest, please let us know. Please try and provide as much contact information as possible with your speaker recommendation.

FCC and FEMA to Test Emergency Alert System Tomorrow

· The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) are planning the first Emergency Alert System (EAS) nationwide test, which will take place at 2:00 PM (EST), Wednesday, November 9, 2011. The test will last approximately three (3) minutes. Normal programming will return following the test.

· FCC and FEMA are conducting a public relations campaign utilizing print, broadcast, and other media to prepare the public for the test and the fact that a “live” alert code is being used. If you are part of an organization, below is a draft article that could be used for use in your group’s newsletters, telephone trees, blogs, meeting announcements, or any other way your group uses to communicate important information.

· The November 9 test will utilize a “live” national alert code, i.e., a coded message that will make it appear as an actual emergency announcement, not a test. This is necessary in order to allow FCC and FEMA to test the actual working order of EAS equipment and the state of readiness of EAS operators and participants.

An audio message will precede the alert message announcing that the exercise is a Test Only. Other information will be broadcast after the test concludes.

· Additional information about the test is available at the FCC’s website www.fcc.gov/nationwideEAStest.

TV EMERGENCY MESSAGE ON NOVEMBER 9, 2011 IS ONLY A TEST! YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE ACTION! ONLY A TEST. On November 9, 2011, at 2 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). At that time, an announcement will come on every TV and radio channel indicating that there is an emergency. This is only a test! Please do not be alarmed when you see this test. You do not need to take any action. The purpose of this test is to assess how well the EAS can alert the public about dangers to life and property during certain national emergencies. Although the FCC and FEMA are taking steps to ensure that everyone has access to the announcements made during the test, some people watching cable television (as well as some others) may only receive an audio (not a visual) notice that this is a test. Both agencies are now working to ensure that you are aware of the test so that you understand that this is not a real emergency. What is the EAS? EAS alerts are sent over the radio or television (broadcast, cable and satellite). State and local emergency managers use these alerts to notify the public about emergencies and weather events, such as tornadoes and hurricanes. EAS can also be used to send an alert across the United States in the case of a national emergency. It is common for state and local EAS tests to occur on a weekly and monthly basis. But there has never been a test of the nationwide system on all broadcast, cable, satellite radio and television systems at the same time. The purpose of the November 9th test is to see how EAS would work in case public safety officials ever need to send an alert or warning to a large region of the United States. If a major disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami occurs, EAS could be used to send life-saving information to the public. What will be different about this EAS test? The nationwide test conducted on November 9th may be similar to other EAS tests that you may have seen in the past. These have an audio EAS tone and a message indicating “This is a test of the Emergency Alerting System.” But this nationwide test will last a little longer: around 3 minutes. In addition, due to some technical limitations, a visual message indicating that “this is a test” may not pop up on every TV channel, especially where people use cable to receive their television stations. For these reasons, the FCC and FEMA are taking extra steps to educate the public, especially people with hearing disabilities, that this is only a test. For more information about how this EAS test may affect you, please visit: www.fcc.gov/nationwideeastest.

Federal Communicators Network Offers Blue Pencil/Gold Screen Workshop

Are you a federal employee and want to know more about NAGC's Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards? Attend the Federal Communicators Network's "How to enter NAGC's Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards Competition," November 10th at 9 a.m.

Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Ave. SE (Navy Yard Metro) - Rm 6

Washington, DC 20590

Register at http://how2enter2012nagc.eventbrite.com or call in:

US Toll Free Access#: 1-877-366-0711

Participant Passcode: 82194997#

How is Your Communications Area Organized?

Jina Gaines of the City of Virginia Beach is doing some research into how government communications departments are structured. Her questions are below.

1. Which communications structure does your organization subscribe to (centralized vs. decentralized)? By centralized I mean there is coordinated messaging from a department of communication/public affairs office and within that department/office there are representatives/account executives that see to the communications needs of individual departments/offices/programs. By comparison, a decentralized communications structure is one in which the public affairs/public relations/media person operates more independently and communications decisions are largely made at a departmental level without oversight from a central office.
   
2. How does your structure work? How are communicators organized and what are their responsibilities?
3. Do you think the method you are currently using is effective/efficient? If so, please explain. If not why not?
4. How has your communications structure affected branding? Do different departments have different logos, slogans, taglines, etc.?
5. Have any issues/problems arisen that are attributable to how communications are carried out (whether centralized or decentralized)?

NAGC: Good Communication...Good Government