PAF 494 Final Project Blog 2: How Sweet is the Tweet?

TWEET! TWEET! TWEET!

With more than 119 million account 85 million of which have at least one follower people are flocking to Twitter to express themselves along with seeing what others have to tweet. Twitter is a pretty sweet setup and if your tweet is really sweet it will probably get re-tweeted (tweeted again on someone else's Twitter page). You can view everything on Twitter from what someone is doing, what they've done, what they plan to do, thoughts, opinions, and even political activism. Twitter is one information superhighway in the cyber sky that has more than the average social media user singing like a bird. Special interest groups are voicing their cause, businesses and entrepreneurs are pushing their products and services, journalists are reporting news, celebrities are hyping up fans, and politicians are campaigning through the medium of social media. Imagine the ripples that come from a single drop of water or the splash from a bird's wing in a birdbath. Now imagine over one million birds diving into a huge lake all at once.

The use of social media is creating perpetual waves when it comes to political influence and public opinion. Even those who don't trouble the water see and feel the effects of the ripples. This is one way that social media influences politics and public opinion. Many of the thoughts and opinionated expressions shared are embraced by those who they are shared with, and this can influence what people believe, who they admire and despise, what they support, and in some cases it even affects how they will vote. Twitter is a part of the social media revolution that is stirring up media and public affairs as both the common and uncommon become avid content creators of communications that are shared with the global online community. Below I've shared six tweets I pulled off Twitter to show you how they each individually relate to something I've learned in my media and public affairs class. Twitter is social media where the affairs of the public are aired so I've come up with the "Golden Rule of Tweeting". "Tweet unto others as you would have them tweet unto you." ~ Deneene A. Collins

Tweet! Tweet!

1. 60Minutes 60 Minutes 
   

   
   
   Congressman Barney Frank announced his retirement Monday. On Overtime, watch Lesley Stahl’s 2008 interview with Frank:bit.ly/tlDf7Z

   
   

   This tweet tweeted by 60Minutes announces the retirement of a congressman and links to the full article on www.cbsnews.com. This relates to lessons learned in my media and public affairs class because it shows how the news media is leveraging social media to further broadcast their news stories. Furthermore, this is political news and that is largely what media and public affairs is about. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also tweeted about Barney Frank's retirement with 100 re-tweets as of Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 3:18 PM Arizona Mountain Time: dccc DCCC (100 Retweets) Barney Frank is retiring and we're going to miss him. Send him a personal thank you message right now: dccc.org/Barney

   
   
2. townhallcom Townhall.com 
   

   
   
   
   Katie Pavlich: Ann Coulter Censored for Calling John McCain the "D" Word on Television: If you're an Ann Coulter... tinyurl.com/cbeww29

   
   

   Townhall.com which is a conservative website with political commentary that over 100 columnists and millions of grassroots conservatives contribute to tweeted the above tweet which also links to a full article. MSNBC bleeped out/censored a comment best-selling author Ann Coulter made about John McCain. This tweet obviously relates to what I learned in media and public affairs about media influence and how what a person, especially a well-know respected person with fans can shape people's views of political figures by what they say. This also relates to a topic we covered on media bias and how certain networks tend to favor with conservatives or liberals what stories they air and how they air them. 

   
   
3. President Election 2012 News 
   

   
   
   
   Florida attorney general co-host presidential forum on Fox News.bit.ly/syKxh9

   
   

   President Election 2012 News tweeted about this forum that will be broadcast on Fox News. The tweet links to an article on www.washingtonindependent.com that states several GOP and democratic presidential candidates are confirmed for the event. Since a large portion of my media and public affairs class dealt with presidential elections and campaigning the relevance of this tweet to the class is obvious. This is political news about a political media event that can influence the candidates' campaigns. Social media is being used here to inform and advertise. The article this tweet links to also contributes to the cloud hanging over Herman Cain's head as it states that they are not sure if he will be a part of this forum while mentioning the negative issues he is dealing with in regards to accusations of his longtime affair with a Georgia woman. The article also calls Cain a one-time (meaning former) front-runner. I wonder how many mental seeds Johnny Appleseed could have planted if he had Twitter at his fingertips?

   
   
4. SenJohnMcCain John McCain 
   

   
   
   
   Stmt on overwhelming bipartisan 61-37 vote supporting detainee provisions in #NDAA mccain.senate.gov/public/index.c…

   
   

   This tweet by US Senator John McCain voices a statement he made in a press release regarding bipartisan support for the Defense Authorization bill. One way social media is being used here is to inform the public on public policy and show how joint party support is working to pass laws that are much needed and beneficial to the nation's security. This tweet relates to topics in my media and public affairs class that discussed foreign policy, how politicians represent the interests of the American society, and how social media is being used to keep people informed about what is going on behind the walls of Congress. 

   
   
5. CBSNewsHotSheet CBS News Hotsheet 
   

   
   
   Trump: I could enter presidential race in May: bit.ly/s7Bh8R

   
   

   CBS News strikes again on my Twitter Six List. CBS seems to be consistent in reporting political news on Twitter. The word on the street is that Trump may enter the presidential race as an independent in May 2012. This tweet relates to my class on media and public affairs as it presents a possible new competitor for the 2012 presidential election. This could be a Game Change if Donald Trump resurrects himself back into the race. In my course the topic of what candidates have to deal with and do to overcome their competitors was visited. With this tweet the current presidential candidates have been put on alert that they may end up facing more than what's in their faces right now. 

   
   
6. freepress Free Press 
   

   
   
   
   Don't Let Them Censor the Internet: Urge your senator to stand up against online censorship, & against #PIPA: ow.ly/7J0Hr #SOPA

   
   

   Working to reform the U.S. media the national nonpartisan, nonprofit Free Press has name that comes directly from the first amendment. Their micro-blog entry on Twitter posted above is about preventing large corporations from censoring websites at will. One of the things we went over in my media and public affairs class was Internet freedom. This tweet is chirping to the song of freedom. What regulations should be placed on Internet freedom? Should the voice of online text regarding public policy be muffled or hushed? Does social media enhance the essence of a democracy and how should it be monitored? These are all valid questions relating to Internet freedom and the answers are still being sought after. This tweet is an example of sounding off for a cause that seeks to rally support in the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

For some reason I've never been a huge fan of Twitter. Nevertheless, it is a power medium of social exchange, and I know the world would not be the same without it. I do like to tweet from time to time, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all of the information that is coming at me. I think that for a person to gain the full benefits that Twitter offers they need to check it multiple times a day to see what is being said. Even so, so many people are tweeting so often that it is easy to miss something you may have wanted to see if you don't scroll down to see what has been tweeted when you were offline. I will keep tweeting and I will continue to catch a chirp here and there. Until I fly in the Twitter sky a little more often I'd like to send out a shout to all the little birdies on Twitter street that love to hear Deneene Collins go tweet, tweet, tweet. I'll keep micro-blogging in a macro world, and I hope you keep reading Deneene Says...You can follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/deneenecollins


How tweet it is to be blogged by you!

PAF494 - Nixon's Vixen and The State of the News Media

Nixon and His Vixen

After listening to Mark Feldstein's author interview on National Pubic Radio covering Nixon's Failed Attempts At 'Poisoning the Press', I began to think of the news media as Nixon's Vixen. For President Nixon the news media was like a quarrelsome woman, and as a Quaker I'm sure he knew that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. While Nixon's paranoia was substantiated by false stories that were published about him, his extreme actions towards journalists were largely unjustifiable. Considering having a journalist assassinated is absolutely absurd, however I will not deny that the media was out to get Nixon and get him good.  In present day times I can see the same type of battle emerging between presidents and political candidates and the news media. Journalists should rightfully and boldly dig into every nook and cranny that will expose corruption associated with political leaders and candidates as long as they themselves are not acting in a corrupt manner. As long as journalist don't break the law and practice good ethical journalism, I stand by their side proclaiming, "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" The news media is still the public's political police and arm of "checks and balances". 

There could be many potential Watergate type scandals that surface in the future of American politics and the news media must sound an alarm loud enough for those dead to integrity to hear it. The news media must not stoop to a level of illegality like the ones they expose so that the stories they report will be published "check mates" in a game of chess that no popular public relations imitation "Checkers" speech will be able to compete in the overall game of truth. Chess is much more challenging, strategic, and thought-provoking than checkers. It is an entirely different game all together. The bottom line is that no president, politician, or presidential candidate should be able to justify their power-hungry measures by stating with charisma that they are only for the good of the people. The news media should turn every political popularity contest into a test of truth utterly and forcefully removing the "con" from contest. Presidents that receive a fortune from holding office should gain that fortune from things like their salary, paid speaking events, and the sales of books they publish, but not from being paid-off which displays that they have sold-out. Hush money will not stay quiet forever. When I think of the word corrupt, I visualize the core of a scandal erupting. It is absolutely amazing to me that Irish play Oliver Goldsmith said, "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies" as opposed to an American president or presidential candidate. 

Audience vs. Economics:

The amount of viewers of cable news seems to be deceasing but that hasn't necessarily had as much as an impact on revenue as it would seem. Cable news networks have seemed to be able to retain large advertising contracts and they also receive subscriber rates. According to an annual report on American journalism for 2011 put out by the Pew Research Center, cost conscious Americans don't seem to be cancelling their cable subscriptions, they are just watching things other than news on cable. With the ever increasing use of the Internet I personally think a lot of people view their news online. While the strategy of some cable news outlets to lock in prime talent may help retain certain audiences, I think the future could remain bleak in regards to increasing viewership. However, as technology continues to progress cable news may be able to capture an online audience to watch cable news programs on the Internet. They could live stream shows on facebook like so many other programs are doing now. In the future we will probably even see many people watching cable news through mobile apps on their smart phones.

Key Questions Facing Digital News:

1. "How much progress has been made trying to monetize the Web, particularly when it comes to producing news and information about current events?" A lot of news is now communicated on the Web, but the challenge to monetize this content is ongoing. As news outlets continue to learn how to leverage their online news media they will become more effective in increasing revenues through it. One step forward would be to alter their current advertising packages for television broadcast to automatically include online advertising. As they draw in larger audiences to the Web they should in turn be able to achieve more successful results in monetizing the Web. 
2. " If the mobile revolution has begun, how big is it, and how large will it become?  And what do the early data suggest about whether tablets will create new revenue potential for news?" The mobile revolution has definitely begun and it's big. It is estimated that 65% of the U.S. population will own a smartphone or tablet by 2015. The early data shows signs that new revenue streams will flow progressively as a result of the use of tablets and mobile devices to view news. Hold on news buffs, we are in a mobile revolution!
3. " Is the shift to digital accelerating?" This is a simple question with an obvious answer. Yes. A lot of people's computers is now their mobile phone (smartphone) or mobile device. 
4. " What is occurring in online newsrooms? How much progress has been made, and in what ways? And to what extent can we generalize about this diverse and rapidly changing space?" For one thing, online newsrooms are innovating and creating richer content than before. The news is not only being reported, it is becoming interactive through viewer comments. News can be more static online. Instant updates can be posted and now we are seeing more live streams. We can generalize that the presence of the news on the Net will continue to grow and the way it is delivered will be enhanced. 

Does reality and tabloid media corrupt our politics and frame the message?

I believe that reality and tabloid media does corrupt our politics. This out of the norm, gossipy, and highly opinionated form of media can frame messages that are broadcast in such a way that truth is distorted and people's minds are negatively influenced.  I often ask myself, How real is reality TV? Tabloids make money by producing drama, making insinuations, and by publishing stories that are mutated. "The thrill of the kill through tainted messages fuels the capitalism of corruption." - Deneene A. Collins 

Since I always seem to have something to say I hope to bring you more interesting content soon on Deneene Says...

PAF 494 Blog #11 - Maniacal Political Marketing & The Social Media Advertising Revolution

The political ad season has begun making it clear that Halloween is not the only scary thing in October. While all political ads are not all propaganda, the majority of them that gain the majority vote are. Sadly enough, what I call "Maniacal Political Marketing" seems to work for many who use it. The first six letters of maniacal spells "maniac" and some of the tactics being used my politicians to gain an edge are absolutely nuts. When watching the Perry ad about Romneycare I could have sworn I was looking a movie tailer for the next big horror film. It was so dramatic it gave me a craving for popcorn with extra movie theater butter. The fact of the matter is that people are visual, auditory, and emotional. This type of dramatic advertising is effective because it stirs up the emotions in the subconscious mind that in turn ignite human emotion thus provoking action on the part of many viewers. 

Again we see in the Romney for President ad on the Obama Misery Index an approach that is used to touch the human essence and tie into emotion, just in a less dramatic way. If you go to a foreign country the best way to communicate is in the language of the land you are visiting. This ad used a real person to speak in a language that many that are suffering economically can relate to and understand. I think this ad would have been just as effective if it used the same interview, but focused on how Romney has an open ear to this specific community telling people how he will work to make things better rather than painting Obama in a negative light. President Obama needs to accomplish several things in his ads: 1.) He needs to vividly display and focus on any and all progress that has been made in America under his leadership, 2.) He must keep the positive momentum of the message of hope and unity in this country, and 3.) He will have to prove why he is worthy of 4 more years on the throne in Washington by creating and communicating a trademark vision for our country's future. Obama will have to advertise the New American Dream with veracity, integrity, and performance. His job is cut out for him which is to keep his current supporters while managing to gain new ones; this is tactical and strategic marketing combined with customer relationship management and retention speaking in business terms. Obama has to plant new seeds that will grow along side what he has already accomplished. President Obama's first 2012 campaign ad does in fact highlight his accomplishments so far, poses him as a man of honor, power, and courage, displays a message of unity and hope, shows him as a fun-loving everyday type person you would want to be friends with, and is forward reaching by stating that America needs more change that should occur under his leadership. The ad did give me a warm fuzzy feeling which was killed by him riding on the democratic donkey followed by a rainbow at the end. I liked the ad overall, but felt the ending piece was a little cheesy. 

The massive amount of information that can be communicated in thirty seconds or less is nothing short of amazing. What I learned about Michelle Bachmann in twenty-eight seconds was probably as much as I would have learned listening to her deliver a forty-five minute speech. I learned that she comes from a long heritage of Iowans and that she was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa. She's a mother of five which includes being a foster mother. Michelle has worked to create small business jobs and believes that our government has to stop spending money that it doesn't. I found out that Michelle Bachmann is a former tax lawyer and she was against the bailouts and stimulus that have occurred in America. She firmly stated that she will not vote to increase the debt ceiling again, and she is confident that her campaign is unified to defeat Obama. Michelle Bachmann is not afraid to broadcast her position on the economic issues of this country. When looking back at Perry's, Romney's, Bachmann's, and Obama's ads I would have to say that they were all effective in different ways. It is funny because I think the conservative's ads were more liberal and liberal's ads were more conservative. Perry and Romney formed nooses for their opponents with their ads in different ways while Bachmann and Obama projected the feel good ads that boosted up who they are as people with little sparkles almost coming from their accomplishments. 

President Obama plugged into the power of social media during the 2008 Presidential Election with astounding results. I believe what we are seeing now in social media entities stepping into the political realm is an inevitable evolution of technology in politics. While there are two main political parties in America there is only one American Eagle that represents freedom, strength, and grandeur. Birds of a feather do flock together and Twitter is now rubbing shoulders, or should I say wings with our inspiring feathered friend that serves as our nation's emblem. It makes perfect sense; it makes social sense. For politicians it is going to make dollars and cents. "The early bird gets the worm," on Twitter and other social media sites. Twitter already has an "I will follow you" mentality so it is a good place to be as a presidential candidate or any other type of political candidate. Social media is where people are today and with the sense of community it offers it is the right place to reach both active and passive voters. Facebook is all about connecting, friending, fanning, and liking, and it is where a candidate that wants to present themselves as a real person needs to be. I still think that television will provide a huge platform for political advertising especially to reach passive voters and while I say this we must keep in mind that people are now watching television on the Internet. With a lot of people embracing Netflix to watch their favorite movies and shows, I wonder how long it will be before Netflix gets in on the political advertising circuit. In any case, I think the social media political ads are an excellent strategy and something that was bound to happen. Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Youtube are becoming huge political platforms with political savvy staff members on board; I'm glad that these social media entities are not partisan as they remain neutral in political matters working only as an avenue for information and communication. I'm going to go update my facebook status, tweet on my Twitter page, Google something interesting, and watch a video on Youtube right now so I'll speak with you again later on Deneene Says..."The blog that tells you what's up and what's going down."