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Social media strategy for nonprofits specialist Beth Kanter on nonprofits that are using social media effectively, why research from Weber Shandwick and Philanthropy Now about the ROI of social media at nonprofits misses the mark and leaving social media ant trails.

Featured Guest

In 2009, Beth Kanter was named by Fast Company Magazine as one of the most influential women in technology and one of Business Week's "Voices of Innovation for Social Media." In March, 2009, she will serve as the 2009 Visiting Scholar for Social Media and Nonprofits for the Packard Foundation.

01:05 – An explanation of the visiting scholar program at the Packard Foundation and her upcoming book with Allison Fine tentatively titled “The Networked Nonprofit” to be published by Wiley in 2010.

03:05 – The threats and opportunities that self organization via social media presents to nonprofit organizations.

04:28 – Leaving social media ant trails online so people who have an interest in your cause can find you, and start leaving their own ant trails online to create a network effect.

06:24 – The work of self-organizing, online collaborative activity specialist Eric Eugene Kim and the impact of leaving digital ant trials over time.

07:59 – How the social media strategies of nonprofits differ from those of commercial organizations and government agencies and a discussion of how Dr. Richard Leakey, chairman at Wildlife Direct, is using a blog community of conservationists to leave ant trails that eastablish relationships among passionate wildlife conservation, and generates significant funds through online donations.

09:45 – Delivering value to the community before asking for money and a discussion of how the March of Dimes Share Your Story online community for parents of babies born prematurely, or who have spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), rallied around the family of a child that died, covering the the family’s funeral expenses and sending proceeds for the March of Dimes.

11:54 – A discussion of Chris Brogan and Julien Smith’s give-to-take ratio, as prescribed in their book Trust Agents.

14:40 – A discussion of how to effectively promote the new Facebook page launched by the US Dept. of State to extend the reach on the delegation’s participation at the COP15 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

16:29 – Partnering and connecting with like-minded influencers as a way of proliferating a message through peers via social networks and using print collateral and signage to recruit online friends offline.

18:58 – Cross promoting your Facebook badge on your blog and using conventional promotions to encourage social media engagement.

19:54 –Weber Shandwick’s Social Impact Survey which is somewhat misleading, because it asks the wrong the questions, and which is also quite helpful, because it suggests that social media is less about building visibility and more about engaging communities.

22:37 – Beth Kanter’s reaction to the results of Philanthropy Action’s report on Social Networking and Mid-Size Nonprofits.

23:33 – Beth Kanter responds to Alison Noonan, who asks, “I’m currently working for a children’s charity. Any suggestions how we can make up for lost funding with social media?” (Sorry Alison but I couldn’t find the roiginal tweet, or your Twitter ID, to link to. Please send it to me again and I will add it.)

26:07 – Translating the donor pyramid into a practical social media strategy for nonprofits and a study by Pew Internet which found that large charitable donations are more likely to occur online.

27:03 – Beth Kanter responds to Kevin Skerrit, director of new media at EduGuide.org, who asks via Twitter, “If resources are available, should NGOs create their own social networks, or only participate in other big ones like Facebook?”

27:50 – How websites are becoming more social and content is getting a social life through outposts like Facebook and Twitter, and your home base, such as your own website or blog.

28:51 – How Planned Parenthood has reorganized their internal structure to form a content department, which manages content on their own website, and repurposes that content through social media channels.

29:42 – A discussion of the Social Media Game created by David Wilcox and Beth Kanter, designed to take people through a simulated process of mapping a social media strategy to specific organizational objectives.

38:51 – End

Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online communications strategy and implementation, Schwartzman leads a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the development of social media communication skills within organizations. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

Special thanks to the Austrian Club in Melbourne for reminding me to get this done. Apologies Bob Crawshaw, but I didn’t receive your question until after the interview was complete.

Dr. Karin H. Czerny, Head of the Press Section at the United States Embassy in Vienna and Eva Muhm, Director of the American Reference Center at the United States Embassy in Vienna talk about communicating US interests via mainstream news media and social media in Austria.

00:34 – An introduction to the featured guests on this podcast, and the context of the conversation.

00:49 – Internet penetration and blogging culture in Vienna, Austria compared to other countries.

01:21 – The use of the social web during political campaigns and political bloggers.

03:53 – The conference on The Future of Journalism, organized at Amerika Haus by the US Embassy in Vienna.

04:39 – Use of the US Embassy in Vienna’s website to post press releases and announcements.

05:36 – The solvency and reach of newspapers versus online news in Vienna, and who reads what.

07:57 – Using a recent student protest as an example of how people are organizing and communicating online, the guests discuss the use of emerging media channels to communicate effectively on behalf of the US in Austria.

08:44 – How the US Embassy in Vienna is using social media to communicate such as Facebook page, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter, and what they hope to achieve through these channels.

10:46 – The social media strategy driving the US Embassy in Vienna’s engagement, and how they decide what information should be distributed through their different online communications channels.

11:41 – The biggest challenges associated with communicating on behalf of the US Embassy in Vienna.

13:49 – Unique characteristics and requirements of communicating with the Austrian mindset.

17:02 – Whether or not the mainstream news media coverage and online discussion of the US domestic health care reform debate has impacted the credibility of our foreign policy decisions in the international community.

18:49 – A discussion of the types of topics and speakers that the US Embassy is hosting in Vienna.

21:15 – Hopes and expectations for the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

22:10 – The social media readiness of Vienna compared to other European Countries.

23:29 – End

Other Recommended Podcasts:

The State of Social Media in Europe with Top Austrian Bloggers

Using Social Media to Fight Global Warming at the US Dept. of State

Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

This episode was recorded at the US Embassy in Vienna. Special thanks to Greg Goble and Brigitte Pressler for their support with this episode.

Dr. Karin H. Czerny, Head of the Press Section at the United States Embassy in Vienna and Eva Muhm, Director of the American Reference Center at the United States Embassy in Vienna talk about communicating US interests via mainstream news media and social media in Austria.

SHOW NOTES

00:34 – An introduction to the featured guests on this podcast, and the context of the conversation.

00:49 – Internet penetration and blogging culture in Vienna, Austria compared to other countries.

01:21 – The use of the social web during political campaigns and political bloggers.

03:53 – The conference on The Future of Journalism, organized at Amerika Haus by the US Embassy in Vienna.

04:39 – Use of the US Embassy in Vienna’s website to post press releases and announcements.

05:36 – The solvency and reach of newspapers versus online news in Vienna, and who reads what.

07:57 – Using a recent student protest as an example of how people are organizing and communicating online, the guests discuss the use of emerging media channels to communicate effectively on behalf of the US in Austria.

08:44 – How the US Embassy in Vienna is using social media to communicate such as Facebook page, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter, and what they hope to achieve through these channels.

10:46 – The social media strategy driving the US Embassy in Vienna’s engagement, and how they decide what information should be distributed through their different online communications channels.

11:41 – The biggest challenges associated with communicating on behalf of the US Embassy in Vienna.

13:49 – Unique characteristics and requirements of communicating with the Austrian mindset.

17:02 – Whether or not the mainstream news media coverage and online discussion of the US domestic health care reform debate has impacted the credibility of our foreign policy decisions in the international community.

18:49 – A discussion of the types of topics and speakers that the US Embassy is hosting in Vienna.

21:15 – Hopes and expectations for the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

22:10 – The social media readiness of Vienna compared to other European Countries.

23:29 – End

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash

U.S. Dept. of State Foreign Service Officer Liz Murphy and Public Affairs Specialist Billie Gross of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs discuss using social media to stop global warming, rebuilding bridges with the international climate community and extending the reach of the UN Climate Change Conference via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Featured Guests:

Liz Murphy -- Prior to this assignment, Liz Murphy served as a Public Diplomacy Officer in Baku, Azerbaijan and as a Consular Officer in Monterrey, Mexico. She has an A.B. degree in history from Harvard.

Billie Gross -- In addition to her work at the State Department in 2006, Billie Gross also serves a public relations specialist at BRG Public Relations. Before joining the State Dept, she worked at the U.S. Dept. of Energy as an assistant human resource specialist.

01:03 – How the US Dept. of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs promotes transformational diplomacy by advancing global environmental stewardship, encouraging economic growth and promoting social development.

03:03 – Facts about global warming: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s authoritative scientific body’s consensus on climate change is indeed occurring. The IPCC shared the Noble Peace Prize with Al Gore in 2007.

04:06 – How the Bureau responds to the claim that U.S. carbon emissions on a per capita basis are among the world’s highest.

04:58 – The international community’s response to renewed efforts from the US to play a role in capping carbon emission after the Kyoto protocol.

06:19 – Preconceived notions of developed and developing nations in the international climate community towards the US and hard emissions targets, emissions trading, financing objectives and securing room for future growth.

07:24 – What the US Dept. of State’s diplomatic delegation hopes to achieve at the COP 15 UN Copenhagen Climate Conference.

08:46 – The impact of recent article in the New York Times titled “Leaders Will Delay Deal on Climate Change” on the US Dept. of State delegation’s morale and momentum.

09:56 – Propel Media Events (@propelmedia) asks via Twitter, “Where did you begin? What type of social media plan did you start with? What are the key metrics to ensure success?”

10:31 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s attitude toward social media engagement and the various social media channels the US Department of State has established, including the DIPNOTE blog, to extend the reach of their activities online. (The State Dept also has a presence on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter.)

11:57 – Can the U.S. Department of State effectively achieve global electronic engagement in the age of social media without violating the Smith-Mundt Act, as discussed with Mountain Runner public diplomacy blogger Matt Armstrong in a previous podcast.

14:32 – What was involved in establishing a Facebook Fan Page to extend the reach of the U.S. delegation’s activities at the COP15 conference and how the Bureau plans to use the Facebook presence at the conference.

16:08 – How the Bureau is working to draw fans to its new COP15 UN Climate Change Conference 2009 Facebook page, and a discussion of the US State Dept’s Facebook page and the Office of Global Women’s Issues Facebook page.

17:25 – A discussion of where climate change ranks in importance in terms of global issues, and whether or not the number of fans attracted to the COP15 Facebook page could have an impact on the legislative process.

19:48 – The different panels, speakers and other live events that will be occurring at the COP15 conference and simulcast on the Bureau’s new website at http://www.COP15.state.gov, the centerpiece of the State Dept’s social media strategy at the conference.

22:01 – The social media strategy by which the Bureau will determine what kind of content to release through which online media channels, and in what sequence.

24:58 – The bureau’s online video strategy for simulcasting live and serving up video on demand.

27:01 – The schedule of events will be posted online here, via Twitter and Facebook.

28:28 -- George Clark (@RasoirJ) asks via Twitter, “How will they use State's field network, embassies, consulates, etc., to enhance their approach to social media?”

29:30 – Tapping into US Embassy networks and regional offices worldwide to stimulate participation in live online chats to solicit questions and feedback on a global basis.

30:32 – What foreign policy changes the US could make to lessen domestic carbon emissions and how to get actions at home into an enforceable, international agreement.

32:33 – Liz Murphy and Billie Gross discuss lessons learned as professional communicators that could be applied to the private sector like building consensus and tailoring messages to different audiences.

35:20 – The US Dept. of State is challenging participants to win an all expense paid international exchange program in the “Change Your Climate, Change Your World” video contest. Complete contest details here.

36:49 -- End

Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

U.S. Dept. of State Foreign Service Officer Liz Murphy and Public Affairs Specialist Billie Gross of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs discuss using social media to stop global warming, rebuilding bridges with the international climate community and extending the reach of the UN Climate Change Conference via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.  

More Climate Change Public Affairs Podcasts

Climate Scientist Michael E. Mann Reveals Culprits in War Against ScienceHow to Prepare for Climate Change with New York Times Bestselling Author David PogueMIT PhD Joe Romm on the Fossil Fuel Industry's War Against ScienceHarvard Professor Naomi Oreskes Talks About Her Book Merchants of Doubt

In order to win support for responsible climate policy, you need bipartisan support. In this exclusive interview, public affairs specialists share the strategies and tactics they use to promote climate action policy.

Featured Guests:  

Liz Murphy -- Prior to this assignment, Liz Murphy served as a Public Diplomacy Officer in Baku, Azerbaijan and as a Consular Officer in Monterrey, Mexico.  She has an A.B. degree in history from Harvard.  

Billie Gross -- In addition to her work at the State Department in 2006, Billie Gross also serves a public relations specialist at BRG Public Relations.  Before joining the State Dept, she worked at the U.S. Dept. of Energy as an assistant human resource specialist.  

SHOW NOTES

01:03 – How the US Dept. of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs promotes transformational diplomacy by advancing global environmental stewardship, encouraging economic growth and promoting social development.  

03:03 – Facts about global warming:  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s authoritative scientific body’s consensus on climate change is indeed occurring.  The IPCC shared the Noble Peace Prize with Al Gore in 2007.  

04:06 – How the Bureau responds to the claim that U.S. carbon emissions on a per capita basis are among the world’s highest.  

04:58 – The international community’s response to renewed efforts from the US to play a role in capping carbon emission after the Kyoto protocol.  

06:19 – Preconceived notions of developed and developing nations in the international climate community towards the US and hard emissions targets, emissions trading, financing objectives and securing room for future growth.  

07:24 – What the US Dept. of State’s diplomatic delegation hopes to achieve at the COP 15 UN Copenhagen Climate Conference.  

08:46 – The impact of recent article in the New York Times titled “Leaders Will Delay Deal on Climate Change” on the US Dept. of State delegation’s morale and momentum.  

09:56 – Propel Media Events (@propelmedia) asks via Twitter, “Where did you begin? What type of social media plan did you start with? What are the key metrics to ensure success?”  

10:31 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s attitude toward social media engagement and the various social media channels the US Department of State has established, including the DIPNOTE blog, to extend the reach of their activities online.  (The State Dept also has a presence on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter.)  

11:57 – Can the U.S. Department of State effectively achieve global electronic engagement in the age of social media without violating the Smith-Mundt Act, as discussed with Mountain Runner public diplomacy blogger Matt Armstrong in a previous podcast.  

Indie Music Online PR Specialist Ariel Hyatt on using social media to get signed to a record deal, how P. Diddy tweets without ruining the mystique of his stardom and using social media engagement to empower fans to promote their music organically online.

01:07 – Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity and author of “Music Success in Nine Weeks” describes her journey from conventional mainstream public relations executive to promoting musical artists exclusively online.

03:07 – Ariel Hyatt talks about immersing herself in social media by launching a blog, podcasting, hosting meet-ups, going to Podcamp and becoming a contributing member of the community.

04:17 – Candace Joy asks Ariel Hyatt via Michael Butler of the Rock ‘n Roll Geek Show, “How would you get someone signed?”

04:30 – Creating a groundswell social media movement online by building a vibrant fan base community as a proof of concept to lure record labels to sign you to a record deal.

05:50 – The Marie Digby online promotion scandal.

8:50 – Just how long it takes to build trust, learn to communicate authentically and actually see the benefits of social media engagement.

10:30 – In a question submitted via Twitter, Rick Goetz asks, “What’s more important for blog love: doing newsworthy things or knowing people?”

11:43 – Is the transparency of social media stripping away the mystique of the rock star?

12:28 – Finding out that Henry Rollins was never on Twitter.

13:31 – Musicians Pete Wentz, Dave Navarro and John Mayer’s use of Twitter and Mylie Cyrus’s recent decision to quit Twitter.

14:24 – How P. Diddy repeatedly captures popular interest and taps into the popular nerve and why talent alone may not be enough to ascend to rock star status.

15:45 – P. Diddy’s now famous Popeye’s vs. KFC chicken TwittyTV online video.

17:09 – Inside the social life of Ariel Hyatt, a massive Ska, Punk, Rock indie music fan.

18:38 – A DIY recording artists’s career defined.

19:13 – The ascent of blues guitarist Kelly Richie, who learned to leverage social media to connect directly to her fan base and scale the pyramid.

22:25 – Why jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish represent social media in the real world.

23:46 – Translating musical like-mindedness into social media connections.

25:36 -- End

Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

This episode of On the Record…Online, the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, was recorded live at the conference and released on Veteran’s Day.

Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Music Public Relations Specialist Ariel Hyatt on using social media to get signed to a record deal, how P. Diddy tweets without ruining the mystique of his stardom and using social media engagement to empower fans to promote their music organically online.

01:07 - Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity and author of “Music Success in Nine Weeks' describes her journey from conventional mainstream public relations executive to promoting musical artists exclusively online.

03:07 - Ariel Hyatt talks about immersing herself in social media by launching a blog, podcasting, hosting meet-ups, going to Podcamp and becoming a contributing member of the community.

04:17 - Candace Joy asks Ariel Hyatt via Michael Butler of the Rock 'n Roll Geek Show, "How would you get someone signed?"

04:30 - Creating a groundswell social media movement online by building a vibrant fan base community as a proof of concept to lure record labels to sign you to a record deal.

05:50 - The Marie Digby online promotion scandal.

8:50 - Just how long it takes to build trust, learn to communicate authentically and actually see the benefits of social media engagement.

10:30 - In a question submitted via Twitter, Rick Goetz asks, "What's more important for blog love: doing newsworthy things or knowing people?"

11:43 - Is the transparency of social media stripping away the mystique of the rock star?

12:28 - Finding out that Henry Rollins was never on Twitter.

13:31 - Musicians Pete Wentz, Dave Navarro and John Mayer’s use of Twitter and Mylie Cyrus's recent decision to quit Twitter.

14:24 - How P. Diddy repeatedly captures popular interest and taps into the popular nerve and why talent alone may not be enough to ascend to rock star status.

15:45 - P. Diddy's now famous Popeye's vs. KFC chicken TwittyTV online video.

17:09 - Inside the social life of Ariel Hyatt, a massive Ska, Punk, Rock indie music fan.

18:38 - A DIY recording artists's career defined.

19:13 - The ascent of blues guitarist Kelly Richie, who learned to leverage social media to connect directly to her fan base and scale the pyramid.

22:25 - Why jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish represent social media in the real world.

23:46 - Translating musical like-mindedness into social media connections.

25:36 -- End

A conversation with U.S. Army Reserve Social Media Chief Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Ostlund about empowering service members to use social media as unofficial spokespersons, the use of social media during the Fort Hood shootings and what U.S. citizens can do to show support for members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

00:59 - Gerald Ostlund defines his areas of responsibility as social media chief at the U.S. Army Reserve, which includes social media strategy, social media policy, social media content development and quality control.

2:01 - Operational security as the core concern the U.S. Army Reserve has about social media engagement, and protecting against operational security violations by making sure that reservists understand not to divulge where they've been or where they're going via social media channels, particularly when they're deployed down range.

02:21 - Soldiers as unofficial U.S. Army Reserve spokespeople, whether they're on duty or off. Â Just as public relations practitioners teach their clients that there's no such thing as going off the record, the U.S. Army Reserve teaches their soldiers that there's no such thing as off duty when they're using social media.

03:03 -- Importance of staying within the bounds of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, not disparaging the President of the United States, members of U.S. Congress or other elected Government leaders, which may be punishable violations of the code.

03:47 - Whether or not being a member of the U.S. Armed Forces means you must sacrifice your Constitutional Right to Free Speech.

04:27 - The litmus test for whether or not the Uniform Code of Military Justice extends to social media.

05:36 - How the U.S. Army Reserve is approaching the unique challenge of managing decentralized communications via social media among an army of reservists who are continuously rotating in and out of active duty, and how U.S. Army Reservists are balancing their online civilian persona against their online military persona.

06:35 - Staying in your lane by personalizing your experience as a way of empowering soldiers to serve as unofficial spokespeople, while ensuring they don't step on the toes of the U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs detail, who fill the official spokesperson role.

07:44 - Advice to U.S. Army Reservists who tweet and use other social media channels on how to differentiate their personal opinions from the official policies of the U.S. Army Reserve.

09:14 - The use of disclaimers such as "Although I am an officer or soldier, I don't speak for the U.S. Army Reserve on blogs and in the profile sections of social networking services."

10:21 - Media relations and crisis communications lessons learned from the Fort Hood shootings and the use of social media to get the word out quickly during the tragedy.

13:03 - Leysia Palen's analysis of official and unofficial communications during the Virginia Tech shootings and the prospect of socially distributed problem solving.  Ms. Palen is a past guest on this podcast.

14:57 - Most of the victims of the Fort Hood shooting were revealed through mainstream and social media prior to the U.S. Army's ability to release an official statement, due to the legal responsibility of notifying next of kin prior to making official announcements.

15:42 - The prospect that General George W. Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff at the U.S. Army, would revisit the way they make use of communication channels to distribute information during good times as well as bad.

16:54 - How U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs Officers -- who may be required to go in front ...

A conversation about the chain of command inside the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and caring for wounded warriors with Bob Hastings, vice president communications Northrop Grumman Information Systems and former acting assistant secretary, Defense for public affairs who presentes a case study about Wounded Warrior Care: Practical Applications in Strategic Communications.

01:23 – An explanation of the civilian oversight of the military, the reporting structure within the US Department of Defense and what it’s like inside the control center at the Pentagon.

03:26 – Just how advanced IS the technology inside the US Department of Defense?

04:28 – Why some US Armed Forces service members are more guarded than others when talking to the new media.

07:40 – Secretary of Defnese Robert Gates’s observation of the tension between “exquisite systems” we may need to win the war tomorrow versus getting the gear we need to win the war today.

09:37 – How the SecDef cut through the bureacracy to improve the quality of treatment for wounded warriors, faster MRAP requisitioning and the procurement of faster and better intelligence on the battlefield.

10:53 – How the Department of Defense secures and develops intelligence.

11:29 – The Wounded Warrior Care case study that Robest Hastings is presenting at the 2009 PRSA International Conference.

12:58 – The most important lesson learned from the Wounded Warrior Care case study.

15:17 – How Robert Hastings came to be appointed as an Assistant Secretary of De fense.

17:24 – What it was like interviewing at the Pentagon with SecDef Robert Gates for the job of Assistant Secretary of Defense.

19:24 – A discussion of a strategic communications intiative undertaken by the US Dept. of Defense

20:25 – Which branch of the US Armed Forces officer’s dining room at the Pentagon has the best food.

22:25– End

RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:

• Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff at DINFOS with Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons

• Balancing Your Right to Know against Operational Security with US Marine Corps Public Affairs Officer Major Danny Chung

Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

This episode of On the Record…Online, the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, was recorded live at the conference.

Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

A conversation about the chain of command inside the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and caring for wounded warriors with Robert Hastings, vice president communications Northrop Grumman Information Systems and former acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, who presented a case study about Wounded Warrior Care: Practical Applications in Strategic Communications.  

01:23 – An explanation of the civilian oversight of the military, the reporting structure within the US Department of Defense and what it’s like inside the control center at the Pentagon.  

03:26 – Just how advanced IS the technology inside the US Department of Defense?  

04:28 – Why some US Armed Forces service members are more guarded than others when talking to the new media.  

07:40 – Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’s observation of the tension between “exquisite systems” we may need to win the war tomorrow versus getting the gear we need to win the war today.  

09:37 – How the SecDef cut through the bureaucracy to improve the quality of treatment for wounded warriors, faster MRAP requisitioning and the procurement of faster and better intelligence on the battlefield.  

10:53 – How the Department of Defense secures and develops intelligence.  

11:29 – The Wounded Warrior Care case study that Robert Hastings is presenting at the 2009 PRSA International Conference.  

12:58 – The most important lesson learned from the Wounded Warrior Care case study.  

15:17 – How Robert Hastings came to be appointed as an Assistant Secretary of Defense.  

17:24 – What it was like interviewing at the Pentagon with SecDef Robert Gates for the job of Assistant Secretary of Defense.  

19:24 – A discussion of a strategic communications initiative undertaken by the US Dept. of Defense  

20:25 – Which branch of the US Armed Forces officer’s dining room at the Pentagon has the best food.  

22:25– End