The Israeli army is taking its public relations war directly to a global audience: It has created a YouTube channel to disseminate video that documents recent precision-bombing operations in the Gaza Strip as well as humanitarian aid distribution efforts.
"The blogosphere and new media are another war zone. We have to be relevant there," says IDF Foreign Press Branch head Maj. Avital Leibovich.
Although graphic content — including a clip showing an air strike on men who were apparently loading rockets into a truck — has since been removed by YouTube, "The intelligent audience watching the footage will know that people killed did not have peaceful intentions toward Israel," Leibovich had told the Jerusalem Post. "I don't believe they'll be disturbed. The important thing is to get the truth out there."
And on YouTube, there's this posting from Leibovich's office (note the last sentence!): "We are saddened that YouTube has taken down some of our exclusive footage showing the IDF's operational success in operation Cast Lead against Hamas extremists in the Gaza Strip. As the State of Israel again faces those who would see it destroyed, it is imperative that we in the IDF show the world the inhumanity directed against us and our efforts to stop it. It is also worth noting that one of the videos removed had the highest number of hits (over 10,000) at the time of its removal."
The IDF Foreign Press Branch has also delivered briefings to bloggers around the world, and staff members are preparing to start their own vodcasts — video diaries — to discuss their feelings about the conflict in English and Arabic. They rightly calculate that this personal approach will affect audiences very differently than traditional news coverage and pundit commentary.
Since the beginning of the Gaza air strikes this holiday season, Israeli politicians have held frequent press conferences to defend the attacks, but when their words are broadcast on the news over images of mayhem, destruction and crying children, it is hard to listen to speeches. The IDF is making a smart tactical move.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
6: and tag you're it
The fabulous Suzanne Tobias, of Notes for My Kids' Therapist, tagged me in the latest blogger game making the rounds in Wichita and elsewhere. In typical fashion, I've put this off as long as I can, so here we go:
Here are the rules:
* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Post the rules on your blog.
* Write 6 random things about yourself.
* Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post.
* Let each person know he/she has been tagged.
* Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Six random things about me:
1. Childhood pets included a dog named Puppy and cats named Kitty and Cat. And yet I went on to a career working with words. Go figure.
2. I like Wizard Rock — grassroots music inspired by the "Harry Potter" series. I was introduced to the all-musical-genres fan-based phenom last year by my teenage daughter (who has amassed a large collection of tunes by bands such as The Whomping Willows, Draco and the Malfoys, Obliviate! and The Hermione Crookshanks Experience). The Girl appears to be outgrowing her obsession for songs written from the perspective of fictional characters, but I'm still hooked. At least on mother-daughter roadtrips, we can agree on the playlist, and it doesn't include German Techno Scream anymore. Ugh.
3. When I was in sixth grade, I was a Safety Patrol crossing guard on the corner of Murdock and Edgemoor in Wichita, in front of what a short time later became known as The Otero House when four members of the family were killed by serial killer BTK. I grew up to direct my newspaper's coverage of the investigation after he resurfaced, and to lead a team that wrote the definitive book on the case.
4. I once crashed through a jungle at night without a flashlight to view Halley's Comet from the top of an ancient Mayan observatory. (Crawling up the pitch-black no-room-to-back-up double-helix stone staircase, which was covered in years of who-knows-what, was a very Indiana Jones moment.)
5. I am the world's worst penpal. If you write me a letter, chances are extremely high that I will eagerly write you back but never mail it. (Exhibit A: I packaged a Christmas present for mailing to a dear friend in the mid-1980s and still have it in a closet.)
6. My personal motto is: Take the Initiative to Make Things Better.
And now, who to tag? I think it shall be...
Dan, Lou, Andi, Daniel, Ron, Martha
Here are the rules:
* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Post the rules on your blog.
* Write 6 random things about yourself.
* Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post.
* Let each person know he/she has been tagged.
* Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Six random things about me:
1. Childhood pets included a dog named Puppy and cats named Kitty and Cat. And yet I went on to a career working with words. Go figure.
2. I like Wizard Rock — grassroots music inspired by the "Harry Potter" series. I was introduced to the all-musical-genres fan-based phenom last year by my teenage daughter (who has amassed a large collection of tunes by bands such as The Whomping Willows, Draco and the Malfoys, Obliviate! and The Hermione Crookshanks Experience). The Girl appears to be outgrowing her obsession for songs written from the perspective of fictional characters, but I'm still hooked. At least on mother-daughter roadtrips, we can agree on the playlist, and it doesn't include German Techno Scream anymore. Ugh.
3. When I was in sixth grade, I was a Safety Patrol crossing guard on the corner of Murdock and Edgemoor in Wichita, in front of what a short time later became known as The Otero House when four members of the family were killed by serial killer BTK. I grew up to direct my newspaper's coverage of the investigation after he resurfaced, and to lead a team that wrote the definitive book on the case.
4. I once crashed through a jungle at night without a flashlight to view Halley's Comet from the top of an ancient Mayan observatory. (Crawling up the pitch-black no-room-to-back-up double-helix stone staircase, which was covered in years of who-knows-what, was a very Indiana Jones moment.)
5. I am the world's worst penpal. If you write me a letter, chances are extremely high that I will eagerly write you back but never mail it. (Exhibit A: I packaged a Christmas present for mailing to a dear friend in the mid-1980s and still have it in a closet.)
6. My personal motto is: Take the Initiative to Make Things Better.
And now, who to tag? I think it shall be...
Dan, Lou, Andi, Daniel, Ron, Martha
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Fun with words
Pop art, poetry and technology merge in Wordle, an applet that allows users to create a "beautiful word cloud" from a blog, RSS feed or copyblock with one click.
Fun to do, but even more interesting to people watch: The gallery includes everything from love poems to a master's thesis.
Fun to do, but even more interesting to people watch: The gallery includes everything from love poems to a master's thesis.
The results are in
The informal survey of Twitter users (see post below) yielded some interesting stats:
— 9 in 10 of those responding said they had volunteered this year.
— 1 in 4 volunteer on a set schedule
— 3 in 4 volunteer as events or their heart moves them
Tweeples were most likely to split their time between:
— Mentoring and
— Sitting on boards and advising organizations
Half of the respondents chose those activities.
Next most-popular was political action — which makes sense, given that this is a presidential election year.
That was followed, in descending order, by:
— Fundraising
— Tutoring
— Faith promotion
— Other, which included: feeding the homeless through a church program, working in the arts, being a Compeer match, collecting items for battered women at the holidays, and working with at-risk kids at school (I'd likely have put that under mentoring or tutoring, but for the respondent it didn't seem to fit those categories so OK)
How often do the responding Tweeples volunteer? We are split:
1 in 3 volunteer monthly
1 in 3 volunteer randomly
1 in 5 volunteer weekly
and a very small set volunteer yearly (at the holidays) or never.
Why do Tweeples volunteer? Lots of motivations. Here's a sampling:
— "I believe in the causes."
— "I believe in humanity."
— "I makes me feel good, and I have skills to share."
— "To give back."
— "I am blessed with a little money and a little time — happy to help others."
— "Sense of civic responsibility inherited from my grandfather."
— "I think there could be a revolution, parents' overall inability scares me these days, the future is delicate."
— "To make a difference in the community."
— "Why not?"
Thanks to all who participated!
— 9 in 10 of those responding said they had volunteered this year.
— 1 in 4 volunteer on a set schedule
— 3 in 4 volunteer as events or their heart moves them
Tweeples were most likely to split their time between:
— Mentoring and
— Sitting on boards and advising organizations
Half of the respondents chose those activities.
Next most-popular was political action — which makes sense, given that this is a presidential election year.
That was followed, in descending order, by:
— Fundraising
— Tutoring
— Faith promotion
— Other, which included: feeding the homeless through a church program, working in the arts, being a Compeer match, collecting items for battered women at the holidays, and working with at-risk kids at school (I'd likely have put that under mentoring or tutoring, but for the respondent it didn't seem to fit those categories so OK)
How often do the responding Tweeples volunteer? We are split:
1 in 3 volunteer monthly
1 in 3 volunteer randomly
1 in 5 volunteer weekly
and a very small set volunteer yearly (at the holidays) or never.
Why do Tweeples volunteer? Lots of motivations. Here's a sampling:
— "I believe in the causes."
— "I believe in humanity."
— "I makes me feel good, and I have skills to share."
— "To give back."
— "I am blessed with a little money and a little time — happy to help others."
— "Sense of civic responsibility inherited from my grandfather."
— "I think there could be a revolution, parents' overall inability scares me these days, the future is delicate."
— "To make a difference in the community."
— "Why not?"
Thanks to all who participated!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tweeple in Action
Lots of chirping on Twitter in recent days about good deeds inspired me to create a survey on volunteering.
I'll compile the results and comments and here, so check back!
I'll compile the results and comments and here, so check back!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Express yourself
I've been focusing lately on microexpressions, fleeting facial movements that underscore or undo someone's spoken message. Microexpressions help us tune into the emotional truth behind the words. (A prime example from a few years ago: The pleas from Sarah Smith for the return of her allegedly kidnapped little boys. Investigators observed that not only did her carjacking story not add up, her serene face did not match her anguished words. She eventually confessed to their murder.)
A lot of folks have been talking in recent days about facial expressions made by the presidential candidates during last week's debate: John McCain seems "too excitable"; Barack Obama seems "smug"; both can seem genuinely in touch or arrogant. So I found it interesting to watch Colin Powell talking on "Meet the Press" about how he evaluated these men over the past two years, then decided to endorse Obama.
As you watch it, focus on Powell's eyes and mouth. Does he smile or frown inappropriately? Scowl when he is saying something positive? Or do his face, words and emotions seem to be in sync? I'll let you be the judge.
A lot of folks have been talking in recent days about facial expressions made by the presidential candidates during last week's debate: John McCain seems "too excitable"; Barack Obama seems "smug"; both can seem genuinely in touch or arrogant. So I found it interesting to watch Colin Powell talking on "Meet the Press" about how he evaluated these men over the past two years, then decided to endorse Obama.
As you watch it, focus on Powell's eyes and mouth. Does he smile or frown inappropriately? Scowl when he is saying something positive? Or do his face, words and emotions seem to be in sync? I'll let you be the judge.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Standup candidates
It is wonderful to see smart politicians let voters in on their sense of humor. I wish they did it more often, because you can tell a lot about a person by what they find funny and how they tell a joke. (Kansas Sen. Bob Dole is much more likable and people-savvy than his stiff presidential campaign persona led people to believe.)
Thursday night's white-tie dinner bearing the name of Alfred E. Smith (a witty presidential candidate of the 1920s, not to be confused with Mad magazine's Alfred E. Newman!) was a great reminder that behind all the rhetoric, Barack Obama and John McCain are real men - with great writers! Check out these videos (and watch for Hillary Clinton in the audience, too!)
Thursday night's white-tie dinner bearing the name of Alfred E. Smith (a witty presidential candidate of the 1920s, not to be confused with Mad magazine's Alfred E. Newman!) was a great reminder that behind all the rhetoric, Barack Obama and John McCain are real men - with great writers! Check out these videos (and watch for Hillary Clinton in the audience, too!)
Contagious politics
With less than three weeks to Election Day, political signs are everywhere, with more popping up daily. Ever wonder why signs tend to be clumped in yards on one end of a block, or why next-door neighbors will publicize their disagreements to strangers driving by? If it seems that there's something more than politics going on, you're right.
Putting out a sign can be a powerful provocation to others — to rally to your candidate, or to declare their opposition. The phenomenon is called "goal contagion," explains Art Markman, a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas and Psychology Today blogger.
When someone puts out a political yard sign, the people who see it immediately understand the goal. This action leads others to be more likely to want to announce their own preference. This desire is likely to be particularly strong for one's neighbors, says Markman, because they see the sign every day.
You can also see the contagion at work in this story: When business leaders became vocal in their opposition to County Commission candidate Karl Peterjohn, "It inspired a backlash for Karl," Darrell Leffew told The Wichita Eagle. He recently put six pro-Peterjohn signs in his yard.
Putting out a sign can be a powerful provocation to others — to rally to your candidate, or to declare their opposition. The phenomenon is called "goal contagion," explains Art Markman, a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas and Psychology Today blogger.
When someone puts out a political yard sign, the people who see it immediately understand the goal. This action leads others to be more likely to want to announce their own preference. This desire is likely to be particularly strong for one's neighbors, says Markman, because they see the sign every day.
You can also see the contagion at work in this story: When business leaders became vocal in their opposition to County Commission candidate Karl Peterjohn, "It inspired a backlash for Karl," Darrell Leffew told The Wichita Eagle. He recently put six pro-Peterjohn signs in his yard.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
I've spent many a workday working through lunch, but my preference by far is to spend the lunch hour with a friend or two, talking about events of the day, laughing away a little stress and making plans to get
together again soon. That's why I enjoy Wichita lunch TweetUps, like the one Thursday that drew about 15 people. Some recent gatherings have drawn twice that many.
TweetUps inevitably are a dynamic mix of old and new friends and complete strangers who quickly become friends thanks to their online interaction via Twitter.com. At our long table were police detectives, graduate students, community group facilitators, a medical transcriptionist, a reporter, a couple of Web page designers, a couple of PR folks... A virtual community has become a very real one.
With a large group anchored to the table by food, it's only natural that the free-for-all conversation that is Twitter breaks down into a lot of 1-on-1s. Sometime soon, we're going to try a "SpeedTweetUp" that gets us moving around the table to talk to someone new every few minutes. Should be a hoot.
together again soon. That's why I enjoy Wichita lunch TweetUps, like the one Thursday that drew about 15 people. Some recent gatherings have drawn twice that many.
TweetUps inevitably are a dynamic mix of old and new friends and complete strangers who quickly become friends thanks to their online interaction via Twitter.com. At our long table were police detectives, graduate students, community group facilitators, a medical transcriptionist, a reporter, a couple of Web page designers, a couple of PR folks... A virtual community has become a very real one.
With a large group anchored to the table by food, it's only natural that the free-for-all conversation that is Twitter breaks down into a lot of 1-on-1s. Sometime soon, we're going to try a "SpeedTweetUp" that gets us moving around the table to talk to someone new every few minutes. Should be a hoot.
Friday, October 3, 2008
"WSTW:2" focuses on giving
Episode 2 of the new show "Wichita State & The World" hosted by provost Gary Miller debuts on Sunday evening, and reviewing the online excerpts today reminded me of how much I enjoyed sorting through video interviews with WSU engineering students to select material for it. (I'm the producer.)
Wow, what an impressive bunch.
Hearing college kids describe their experiences - the personal impact of scholarships, of mentoring from professors and professionals, of opportunities to work on real-world projects such as NASA in Kansas - made me proud(er) to be a WSU alum.
The episode, which focuses on how gifts to the WSU Foundation change lives, debuts at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, on WSU TV, Channel 13 on Cox cable, with repeats Oct. 16, 19 and 30.
Wow, what an impressive bunch.
Hearing college kids describe their experiences - the personal impact of scholarships, of mentoring from professors and professionals, of opportunities to work on real-world projects such as NASA in Kansas - made me proud(er) to be a WSU alum.
The episode, which focuses on how gifts to the WSU Foundation change lives, debuts at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, on WSU TV, Channel 13 on Cox cable, with repeats Oct. 16, 19 and 30.
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