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In this exclusive interview, US President George W. Bush's director of communications Karen Hughes speaks candidly about handling strategic communications messaging for POTUS, promoting American values during a war, and the challenges of publicizing unpopular US foreign policies abroad.

Her objective was to lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive public diplomacy plan.  Previously, Hughes was the director of communications while George Bush was governor of Texas, which is effectively the president's public relations consultant. 

Public relations consultants who serve public officials and typically called public affairs consultants rather than public relations consultants. But they are the same thing. The only difference is public relations firms sell products, and public affairs firms sell policies. Later she was a counselor to President George W. Bush. 

Karen Hughes and Eric Schwartzman

Hughes moved back to Texas for two years before rejoining the Bush Administration to serve as a campaign PR consultant.

This podcast was recorded at the Public Relations Society of America's International Conference in Philadelphia the week before Ms. Hughes resigned from the undersecretary position. 

Show Notes:

3:58 - Hughes on the challenges of working as a public relations consultant to promote American values abroad at this time of war.

5:48 - Hughes discusses spearheading public relations campaigns for unpopular US policies that are unlikely to change.

8:40 - Hughes on the most important part of strategic PR in public relations consulting.

10:33 - Hughes on the real value of public relations research to political campaigns.

12:06 - Hughes contemplates the Internet’s role in the 2008 Presidential Election.

13:46 - Hughes on the opportunity social media marketing presents to marketing and public relations consultants.

14:23 - Hughes on whether she plans to stay in public relations consulting and her future political aspirations.

15:13 - End

Former US President George W. Bush's director of communications Karen Hughes goes On the Record...Online with iPressroom founder and chairman Eric Schwartzman about strategic communications messaging, promoting American values at this time of war and the challenges of publicizing unpopular US policies abroad.

NOTE: This is not a political podcast. We are interested in how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, and the way people consume media and information. This interview focuses on getting at the lessons Hughes learned as a communications professional. We take no sides on the issues or policies of George W. Bush Administration.

Karen Hughes is the former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, with the rank of ambassador. Her objective was to lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive public diplomacy plan. Previously, Hughes was the director of communications while George Bush was governor of Texas, from 1995 to 2000. Later she was counselor to president George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002. In July 2002, Hughes moved back to Texas for two years before rejoining the Bush Administration in August of 2004 as a campaign consultant.

This podcast was recorded on Oct. 22, 2007 at the PRSA International Conference 2007 in Philadelphia, the week before Ms. Hughes resigned from the position of undersecretary. The episode was released on Oct. 31, 2007, the same day Hughes resigned from the US Department of State.

Show Notes:

3:58 - Hughes on the challenges of promoting American values abroad at this time of war.

5:48 - Hughes discusses communicating unpopular US policies that are unlikely to change.

8:40 - Hughes on the single most important part of a strategic messaging campaign.

10:33 - Hughes on the real value of research to political campaigns.

12:06 - Hughes contemplates the internet’s role on the upcoming 2008 Presidential Election.

13:46 - Hughes on the opportunity new media presents corporate communications and public relations professionals.

14:23 - Hughes on her future political aspirations.

15:13 - End

Kami Huyse talks about the value of social media monitoring, what goes into launching and maintaining a successful conference blog and exactly why social media could be a panacea for improving organizational communications.  

Kami Huyse is digitally savvy public relations executive based in San Antonio, Texas where she is the president of a boutique firm which specializes in funneling public relations campaign through blogs.

She was instrumental in laying the groundwork that led to establishing the first official conference blog at the PRSA International Conference.  

Show Notes:  

3:25 - Huyse explains how organizations can benefit from effective social media management.  

4:55 - Huyse on dealing with the popular perception that owned media activities are high-risk.  

6:04 - Huyse elaborates on building a business case for digital media at large organizations.  

9:19 - Huyse on staying current the latest online tools and services.  

11:30 - Huyse explains how she educates clients about the benefits of social media.  

14:26 - Huyse on difficulties of promoting yourself as a digital media to clients who are more interested in mainstream media relations.  

16:20 - Huyse on the measurable results of blogging initiatives and how to determine success.  

20:13 - Huyse on acquiring market intelligence through listening to online conversations and funneling that intelligence into product development.  

22:48 - Huyse on the objectives of a conference blog and how it can improve the reach and impact of Public Relations Society of America’s mission to advance the profession and the professional.  

26:04 - Huyse on overcoming the challenges of launching the PRSA International Conference blog.  

28:23 - End

Photo by Kami Huyse

Social media ethics, or why how you do business is more important than the business you do is the topic is this exclusive interview with Dov Seidman.

Dov Seidman is the author of the new book “How” which explains why “how” we do anything means everything in business.

He created his highly successful company LRN from the living room of his apartment which has now grown to include some high profiled clientele such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Trump Entertainment, and more than 250 others.

LRN’s objective is to help companies share their corporate cultures and build strong, principled organizations that are successful in the marketplace.

Seidman is very busy giving presentations about the importance of being both profitable principled to likes of The National Press Club, the Outstanding Directors Exchange, the Defense Industry Initiative’s Best Practice Forum, Council of State Governments, and the Corporate Board Member Magazine Boardroom Summit to name a few.

Seidman’s view on business behavior has also been quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, CNBC, ABC’s Good Morning America, and BBC News. Seidman obtained a philosophy degree from UCLA, a politics and economics degree at Oxford, and studied law at Harvard Law School.

SHOW NOTES:

06:40- The world has changed from an outdoing/outperforming oriented society to a how we do what we do matters the most society.

07:29- “We no longer live in a glass house, but on glass microscope slides.”

08:53- Seidman explains how reputations are no longer controlled, but uncontrolled in this hyper-connected, transparent world.

11:11- Seidman discusses that in this connected world we have to find new ways to relate to customers and clients.

15:37- Seidman explains that innovation in “how” is a way to differentiate from the others which allows you to connect with your customers on a deeper level.

17:44- Instead of thinking of what we can and cannot do, in a “how” world we think of what we should and should not do.

20:45- Seidman describes the benefits of out behaving versus out performing.

23:42- Seidman reveals that in this connected world you cannot manage your reputation you just earn it.

26:20- Seidman shares his reasoning and thoughts behind his new book and his website https://www.howsmatter.com/

28:09- Seidman describes how fostering a new corporate culture leads to success.

30:20- Seidman elaborates on how creating a deeper connection with your customer through inspiration and motivation are beneficial to your business.

32:25- Seidman explains how principle and profit reinforce each other.

36:19- End

By LRN, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41014769

Dov Seidman goes "On the Record...Online" with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the “How” in a hyper-connected, transparent world of communication and business.

Dov Seidman is the author of the new book “How” which explains why “how” we do anything means everything in business. He created his highly successful company LRN from the living room of his apartment which has now grown to include some high profiled clientele such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Trump Entertainment, and more than 250 others. LRN’s objective is to help companies share their corporate cultures and build strong, principled organizations that are successful in the marketplace. Seidman is very busy giving presentations about the importance of being both profitable principled to likes of The National Press Club, the Outstanding Directors Exchange, the Defense Industry Initiative’s Best Practice Forum, Council of State Governments, and the Corporate Board Member Magazine Boardroom Summit to name a few. Seidman’s view on business behavior has also been quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, CNBC, ABC’s Good Morning America, and BBC News. Seidman obtained a philosophy degree from UCLA, a politics and economics degree at Oxford, and studied law at Harvard Law School.

SHOW NOTES:

06:40- The world has changed from an outdoing/outperforming oriented society to a how we do what we do matters the most society.

07:29- “We no longer live in a glass house, but on glass microscope slides.”

08:53- Seidman explains how reputations are no longer controlled, but uncontrolled in this hyper-connected, transparent world.

11:11- Seidman discusses that in this connected world we have to find new ways to relate to customers and clients.

15:37- Seidman explains that innovation in “how” is a way to differentiate from the others which allows you to connect with your customers on a deeper level.

17:44- Instead of thinking of what we can and cannot do, in a “how” world we think of what we should and should not do.

20:45- Seidman describes the benefits of out behaving versus out performing.

23:42- Seidman reveals that in this connected world you cannot manage your reputation you just earn it.

26:20- Seidman shares his reasoning and thoughts behind his new book and his website www.howsmatter.com

28:09- Seidman describes how fostering a new corporate culture leads to success.

30:20- Seidman elaborates on how creating a deeper connection with your customer through inspiration and motivation are beneficial to your business.

32:25- Seidman explains how principle and profit reinforce each other.

36:19- End

Business reporter Joseph Weber tells the story of how and why some press releases or pitches from a PR people become articles and others don't in this media relations deep dive about the future of print journalism in the network age.

Joseph Weber was chief of correspondents for BusinessWeek, based in Chicago. Previously, he was Chicago bureau manager. Weber joined BusinessWeek as a correspondent in Dallas.

Among his many awards are an Excellence in Financial Journalism Award from the New York State Society of CPAs, two Peter Lisagor Awards from the Headline Club of Chicago, and a Distinguished Editorial Achievement Award from McGraw-Hill.

Today, he is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

SHOW NOTES:

04:44 - Weber describes his role at BusinessWeek and reveals the details behinds a typical day at work.

06:15 - Weber responds to the question, “How does the news break down in terms of the news cycle?”

07:25 - Weber goes in-depth about the process of putting timely news online.

08:00 - Weber elaborates on the hierarchy behind the decision making processes at BusinessWeek.

10:34 -Weber on the section editors at BusinessWeek and how particular sections break down in terms of content.

12:20 - Weber discusses what channels an idea goes through before it becomes an assignment.

16:30 - Weber describes whether he feels he can predict the fate of a pitch before it gets vetted and the secrets of successful PR.

19:50 - Weber on whether we are in danger of loosing print news media journalism.

26:00 - Weber talks about whether journalists are partially responsible for missing the story on Enron.

28:20 - Weber shares his viewpoint on the deal between Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal.

29:11 - Weber remarks on the newspaper business’ decline and whether this is only a passing phase or a new reality.

31:50 - Weber explains his view on how advertisers are moving their business online.

33:00 -Weber elaborates on the future of the bottom line and whether it will affect the integrity of journalism.

34:39 - End

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

Joseph Weber is chief of correspondents for BusinessWeek, based in Chicago. Previously, he was Chicago bureau manager. Weber joined BusinessWeek in June, 1987, as a correspondent in Dallas. He was Philadelphia bureau manager from January, 1988, until August, 1997. He then managed Canadian coverage from Toronto until December, 1999. Among his many awards are an Excellence in Financial Journalism Award from the New York State Society of CPAs, two Peter Lisagor Awards from the Headline Club of Chicago, and a Distinguished Editorial Achievement Award from McGraw-Hill. Weber is a graduate of Rutgers University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

SHOW NOTES:

04:44 - Weber describes his role at BusinessWeek and reveals the details behinds a typical day at work.

06:15 - Weber responds to the question, “How does the news break down in terms of the news cycle?”

07:25 - Weber goes in-depth about the process of putting timely news online.

08:00 - Weber elaborates on the hierarchy behind the decision making processes at BusinessWeek.

10:34 -Weber on the section editors at BusinessWeek and how particular sections break down in terms of content.

12:20 - Weber discusses what channels an idea goes through before it becomes an assignment.

16:30 - Weber describes whether he feels he can predict the fate of a pitch before it’s vetted.

19:50 - Weber on whether we are in danger of loosing print news media journalism.

26:00 - Weber talks about whether journalists are partially responsible for missing the story on Enron.

28:20 - Weber shares his viewpoint on the deal between Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal.

29:11 - Weber remarks on the newspaper business’ decline and whether this is only a passing phase or a new reality.

31:50 - Weber explains his view on how advertisers are moving their business online.

33:00 -Weber elaborates on the future of the bottom line and whether it will affect the integrity of journalism.

34:39 - End

James Spanfeller, President & Chief Executive Officer of Forbes.com, a leading media Internet company, and as Executive Vice President of Electronic Publishing for Forbes, publisher of Forbes, the nation's leading business magazine talks about the future of advertising.

SHOW NOTES:

05:00 - Spanfeller describes his role at Forbes.com and his history in print magazines and online media.

06:10 - Spanfeller answers the question, "Is print advertising worth more than online advertising?"

07:17 - Spanfeller elaborates on the ways advertisers can use digital media to reach a highly targeted audience.

08:30 - The advantages of tracking and measuring new media over mainstream media.

08:52 - How online advertising is becoming integrated into traditional marketing campaigns and public relations campaigns.

10:30 - Spanfeller shares his opinion on the future of the thirty-second spot.

11:42 - The launch of the Forbes.com Video Network.

14:37 - Spanfeller explains how the internet gives users control of the media they access.

15:08 - Forbes.com's partnership with Facebook.

16:25 - Spanfeller's advice to corporations seeking to manage their online reputations.

20:10 - The creation of the Forbes' Corporate Organizational Chart Wiki.

23:30 - Spanfeller's best advice for marketing and PR professionals looking to integrate digital media marketing into their public relations campaigns.

25.13 - End.

By Paul Sableman - Forbes Magazine, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63695596

JAMES SPANFELLER serves as President & Chief Executive Officer of Forbes.com, a leading media Internet company, and as Executive Vice President of Electronic Publishing for Forbes, publisher of Forbes, the nation's leading business magazine.

SHOW NOTES:

05:00 - Spanfeller describes his role at Forbes.com and his history in print magazines and online media.

06:10 - Spanfeller answers the question, "Is print advertising worth more than online advertising?"

07:17 - Spanfeller elaborates on the ways advertisers can use new media to reach a highly targeted audience.

08:30 - The advantages of tracking and measuring new media over mainstream media.

08:52 - How online advertising is becoming integrated into traditional marketing campaigns and public relations campaigns.

10:30 - Spanfeller shares his opinion on the future of the thirty-second spot.

11:42 - The launch of the Forbes.com Video Network.

14:37 - Spanfeller explains how the internet gives users control of the media they access.

15:08 - Forbes.com's partnership with Facebook.

16:25 - Spanfeller's advice to corporations seeking to manage their online reputations.

20:10 - The creation of the Forbes' Corporate Organizational Chart Wiki.

23:30 - Spanfeller's best advice for marketing and PR professionals looking to integrate new media into their corporate communications, marketing communications and public relations campaigns.

25.13 - End.