On the front page of The Intelligencer earlier this week, there was an interesting article titled “Defense Attorneys Trolling the Internet Too” by Laurie Mason, concerning defense lawyers using social media outlets to help their cases in court.
Police and prosecutors have been using the Internet for some time now when gathering materials in a case. Now defense attorneys are joining the crowd. Mason’s article highlights the increased usage of sites like MySpace and Facebook as they provide an unfiltered look into clients' lives.
Blogs entries about alcohol-abuse, hidden drug stashes, or entries talking about revenge or payback all are now being used to speak volumes to a judge or jury.
Middletown attorney, Niels Eriksen has used “printouts of alleged assault victim's MySpace blogs in which the participants posted entries about how they threw the first punch or got the better of the other brawler or were plotting revenge against his client.”
Not only are client’s personal blogs and networking sites being looked over, but their friends and family members' posts could also be used in court.
Experts in the article say these sites are often seen as an outlet to vent to a few close friends but those involved in court cases don’t always keep in mind that their posts are public. Furthermore, pictures and blogs that are published on the Internet are hard to erase.
According to Mason’s article, "defense lawyers don't have to reveal their tactics before trial, the unveiling of a racy Internet photo or salacious blog can result in a true ‘gotcha’ moment in court."
Not all attorneys agree with using these Internet posts in a client’s defense case. Doylestown attorney, Craig Penglase says, “The problem with these networking sites is that it is really a domain of fiction, and is therefore an unreliable source of information. Anyone who uses such information in court proceedings without substantial corroboration is doing justice a grave disservice.”
Regardless of whether attorneys use this information or not, I thought this was an important article to comment on as it showcases the importance of monitoring what is put out onto the Internet. From a public relations standpoint, blogs and social networking sites are ways to reach your target audience such as existing clients, stakeholders, community members and provide outlets to garner new business by creating a two-way conversation.
From a personal branding angle, a "gotcha" moment could haunt you in a variety of ways. For example when interviewing for a future job, if old college fraternity party pictures of you are found showing you in an unprofessional manner that may be the deciding factor between you and the other job candidate. This is just another lesson in brand management for all of us. It is important to be aware of your online presence. How you display yourself on the Internet can and will be used against you in a variety of situations, now just in the court of law.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Rubel’s Rebuttal to Recent PR Industry Blast Quoted by O’Dwyer’s PR Blogger
Jason Calacanis, a new media entrepreneur behind the Silicon Alley Reporter and Weblogs Inc., recently created an uproar in the PR industry with his blog post titled “How To Get PR For Your Startup: Fire Your PR Company.”
Furia Rubel CEO, Gina Rubel, posted a response to Calacanis on both his blog as well as the Furia Rubel Communications company blog, The PR Lawyer.
One excerpt from Gina’s response to Calacanis’ blog post read, “Not all CEOs know the difference between what the media considers newsworthy versus self-serving hype – and for that reason alone, they should not all run out tomorrow and start pitching the media.”
O’Dwyer’s PR blogger, Greg Hazley, referred to Gina’s rebuttal in his own commentary concerning the frenzy in the Latest of Industry Attacks. An industry leading site, O’Dwyer’s PR Blog covers topics on PR, public affairs, marketing and the world of communications. To see Gina’s full response to Calacanis’ blog post, click here.
Furia Rubel CEO, Gina Rubel, posted a response to Calacanis on both his blog as well as the Furia Rubel Communications company blog, The PR Lawyer.
One excerpt from Gina’s response to Calacanis’ blog post read, “Not all CEOs know the difference between what the media considers newsworthy versus self-serving hype – and for that reason alone, they should not all run out tomorrow and start pitching the media.”
O’Dwyer’s PR blogger, Greg Hazley, referred to Gina’s rebuttal in his own commentary concerning the frenzy in the Latest of Industry Attacks. An industry leading site, O’Dwyer’s PR Blog covers topics on PR, public affairs, marketing and the world of communications. To see Gina’s full response to Calacanis’ blog post, click here.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Legal Intell Quotes Rubel on Philadelphia DHS case
On Monday, The Legal Intelligencer featured an article called, “Kelly Estate Suit Reveals Gulf Between Lawyers, Public” by writer Zach Needles. Furia Rubel CEO, Gina Rubel, Esq., was quoted in the article in regards to George Bochetto’s representation of Brian Mildenberg in the civil suit against the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the untimely death of Danieal Kelly. Kelly, a 14-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, starved to death in her mother's West Philadelphia home in 2006. To read more on the article, click here.
Gina is well versed in both the legal and public relations realms; therefore she has a unique perspective on this situation. "George is very media-savvy," she said. "He understands the media and how it works."
I agree with her point of view when she notes that Bochetto’s communications with the media are more in line with his role as an attorney rather than as a public relations professional. The industry of public relations as a whole encompasses more than just media relations and ultimately, lawyers are hired to protect the interests of their clients.
Gina is well versed in both the legal and public relations realms; therefore she has a unique perspective on this situation. "George is very media-savvy," she said. "He understands the media and how it works."
I agree with her point of view when she notes that Bochetto’s communications with the media are more in line with his role as an attorney rather than as a public relations professional. The industry of public relations as a whole encompasses more than just media relations and ultimately, lawyers are hired to protect the interests of their clients.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Silicon Alley Insider Says You Should Fire Your PR Firm – I Disagree
Silicon Alley Insider, Jason Calacanis tells readers that they should fire their PR company if they want to get PR for their start up companies.
Jason tells us in the first paragraph that he’s been a journalist. That fact alone makes it much easier for him to reach out to other journalists and get media coverage. He also has something newsworthy to say when he says it. Not all CEOs know the difference between what the media considers newsworthy versus self-serving hype – and for that reason alone, they should not all run out tomorrow and start pitching the media.
But Jason has some great suggestions on how you can better communicate and build your brand although I have some cautions and comments to share.
Jason says, “Be the brand.” I agree. Then he says, “Be everywhere.” I caution you on this one – if you are everywhere, you may be in places that don’t make sense and cost you time and money in the long run. Be smart and target your message. That’s why good direct marketing has such a solid ROI. So does targeted media relations.
He says, “Always pick up the check--always.” Agreed – when it’s a business meeting with colleagues. Caution – picking up the check for reporters and journalist is frowned upon and can get you into hot water. I add that you should give your credit card to the host or wait staff in advance of the gathering so that the check never even appears on the table.
Jason says, “Be a human being.” He then goes on to say that “journalists hate PR people and they hate being pitched.” What Jason doesn’t tell you is that journalists often rely on “PR people” to provide them with experts, to feed them stories, and to assist with story development and research. We get calls and emails from the media every day asking for experts and stories. I’m sure there are many journalists out there who would disagree with Jason’s statement. That said, yes, please be a human being. No barking or growling allowed.
Jason goes on to provide some great tips on how you should pitch journalists (while still putting down PR folks). He’s right – your message has to be targeted and you should always research what has been previously covered by the person you’re pitching. Your PR firm should also encourage your company leadership to reach out to the media directly when appropriate. It’s true that many PR practitioners get in their own way by playing gatekeeper – if the client is media savvy and knows how to speak to the media then help them reach out directly.
He goes on to say that “There are a handful of journalists I will speak to on the phone or in person because I know they are not going to spin me.” And he knows this because he has existing relationships with those journalists and because he too was a journalist. All too often, companies don’t engage PR experts and as a result – they say things that they regret, they get misquoted or improperly paraphrased and then they call a PR firm to clean up the mess. Why not do it right from the start?!
He says, “My philosophy of PR is summed up in six words: be amazing, be everywhere, be real.” But he makes is sound like public relations is the same thing as media relations.” The two are not synonymous – media relations is just one thing that PR firms do.
Public relations firms should be helping their clients with the positioning of their products and services, opening doors with key target audiences (not just the media), positioning their clients as experts in their respective fields, garnering speaking engagements, integrating their news into their marketing and social media programs, building relationships with strategic partners, helping bring in new business, planning and executing important events, creating and managing crisis communications plans, getting articles published, implementing community relationship development programs, assisting with employee relations, and so much more!
On a final note, what Jason doesn’t say is “take a stand” or “be controversial.” When you do either, your message is heard, loud and clear – and it gets attention. You see, Jason knows this. And he’s smart. He’s getting responses to his post, it has more than 200 Diggs, and look at me, I’ve written a blog about it.
Jason tells us in the first paragraph that he’s been a journalist. That fact alone makes it much easier for him to reach out to other journalists and get media coverage. He also has something newsworthy to say when he says it. Not all CEOs know the difference between what the media considers newsworthy versus self-serving hype – and for that reason alone, they should not all run out tomorrow and start pitching the media.
But Jason has some great suggestions on how you can better communicate and build your brand although I have some cautions and comments to share.
Jason says, “Be the brand.” I agree. Then he says, “Be everywhere.” I caution you on this one – if you are everywhere, you may be in places that don’t make sense and cost you time and money in the long run. Be smart and target your message. That’s why good direct marketing has such a solid ROI. So does targeted media relations.
He says, “Always pick up the check--always.” Agreed – when it’s a business meeting with colleagues. Caution – picking up the check for reporters and journalist is frowned upon and can get you into hot water. I add that you should give your credit card to the host or wait staff in advance of the gathering so that the check never even appears on the table.
Jason says, “Be a human being.” He then goes on to say that “journalists hate PR people and they hate being pitched.” What Jason doesn’t tell you is that journalists often rely on “PR people” to provide them with experts, to feed them stories, and to assist with story development and research. We get calls and emails from the media every day asking for experts and stories. I’m sure there are many journalists out there who would disagree with Jason’s statement. That said, yes, please be a human being. No barking or growling allowed.
Jason goes on to provide some great tips on how you should pitch journalists (while still putting down PR folks). He’s right – your message has to be targeted and you should always research what has been previously covered by the person you’re pitching. Your PR firm should also encourage your company leadership to reach out to the media directly when appropriate. It’s true that many PR practitioners get in their own way by playing gatekeeper – if the client is media savvy and knows how to speak to the media then help them reach out directly.
He goes on to say that “There are a handful of journalists I will speak to on the phone or in person because I know they are not going to spin me.” And he knows this because he has existing relationships with those journalists and because he too was a journalist. All too often, companies don’t engage PR experts and as a result – they say things that they regret, they get misquoted or improperly paraphrased and then they call a PR firm to clean up the mess. Why not do it right from the start?!
He says, “My philosophy of PR is summed up in six words: be amazing, be everywhere, be real.” But he makes is sound like public relations is the same thing as media relations.” The two are not synonymous – media relations is just one thing that PR firms do.
Public relations firms should be helping their clients with the positioning of their products and services, opening doors with key target audiences (not just the media), positioning their clients as experts in their respective fields, garnering speaking engagements, integrating their news into their marketing and social media programs, building relationships with strategic partners, helping bring in new business, planning and executing important events, creating and managing crisis communications plans, getting articles published, implementing community relationship development programs, assisting with employee relations, and so much more!
On a final note, what Jason doesn’t say is “take a stand” or “be controversial.” When you do either, your message is heard, loud and clear – and it gets attention. You see, Jason knows this. And he’s smart. He’s getting responses to his post, it has more than 200 Diggs, and look at me, I’ve written a blog about it.
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