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This is a recording I did of a talk with LA Podcasters about their shows, the art of podcasting, and the elements of a must-listen podcast.

SHOW NOTES

5:12 - Lance Anderson talks about how he approaches podcasting as an artist.

5:47 - Anderson talks about how many listeners there are of his podcast "Verge of the Fringe" 

 6:09 - Anderson discusses the timelessness of his stories.

6:23 - Eric Schwartzman makes the distinction between a news program and a featured program. 

7:17 - Grant Baciocco talks about his show with Doug Price, "The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd."

7:50 - Schwartzman talks about how most podcasts are consumed. 

8:34 - Anderson talks about how to listen to podcasts.

8:52 - Schwartzman discusses the different ways to distribute electronic media over the internet.

10:16 - Baciocco and Doug Price share the voices of their shows.

11:15 - Baciocco talks about the fans of the show. 

12:13 - Anderson talks about how often he is at the LA Podcast Studio.

13:33 - Dan Klass talks about how podcasts makes your program available to a potentially large audience

13:53 - Klass talks about his podcast "The Bitterest Pill"

14:25 - Klass mentions the countries of where his listeners live.

15:08 - Klass talks about what makes a great podcast and how his podcast has been so successful: "...I work very hard at being very honest and dealing with things on a very human level."

16:19 - Klass discusses the irony of his show: "...there's something about being so finite in the subject matter and so brutally honest about it that it becomes more universal."

17:32 - Klass talks about the human element of podcasting.

18:45 - Schwartzman talks about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book, Finding Flow and his renewed sense of optimism for the culture of celebrity.

22:14 - Anderson talks about who should podcast.

22:51 - Klass talks about how podcasts create communities: "there's an audience out there for anyone who's talking passionately...create the podcast and they will be able to find you.

23:35 - Anderson on whether podcasts are media or art.

24:10 - Klass talks about companies podcasting. 

25:05 - Klass on whether there is an audience for any subject of a podcast.

26:00 - Tim Coyne talks about his podcast, "The Hollywood Podcast."

28:08 - Coyne gives a logline for his show. 

28:28 - Coyne talks about whether podcasting is helping him in finding a romantic relationship. 

32:03 - Steven from Pink Mafia Radio talks about whether podcasting helps with relationships. 

33:19 - Howard Leff, a freelancer for a column appearing in The Los Angeles Times in the Calender Weekend section, talks about considering podcasting and what he envisions his podcast to be about. 

34:18 - Leff talks about writing for the Los Angeles Times.

35:08 - Leff shares his opinion about the Los Angeles Times. 35:35 - Schwartzman discusses whether podcasters should be concerned that they may not have an audience.

37:13 - Tres Jefes discusses his podcast

38:07 - Jefes talks about whether he thinks he will have advertisers for his podcast.

Martin Howell, editor-in-charge of Reuters Inc., equities coverage in North and South America, goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the growth of corporate corruption and fraud in recent years, the ways citizen journalism affects the mainstream media, and the impact of search on the business of journalism.

Martin Howell is editor-in-charge of Reuters Inc., equities coverage in North and South America. He has directed much of Reuters's corporate news coverage in the United States in the past four years, including coverage of the Enron scandal, the Internet bubble, and Wall Street deception. For the past 18 years, he has written, reported, and edited business news throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and managed news teams on all these continents. Martin is the author of Predators and Profits: 100+ Ways for Investors to Protect Their Nest Eggs, a guide for investors on how to uncover the kind of scandals that brought down Enron and Worldcom.

SHOW NOTES:

4:38 - Martin Howell talks about the number one red flag that investors need to watch out for in order to identify a looming problem in a corporation.

5:12 - Howell on why we have seen so much business corruption and fraud over the past few years.

6:13 - Howell discusses whether people feel more comfortable in investing in internet start-ups since the internet bubble has burst.

7:06 - Howell on Reuters being the largest global wire service.

8:32 - Howell answers a question on whether citizen journalism is a challenge to Reuters.

10:33 - Howell on how to distinguish the news wires from the PR wires.

11:57 - Howell talks about the impact the internet has had on Reuters and the way he does his job.

13:01 - Howell discusses the impact of the growth of search on Reuters.

14:13 - Howell on whether polls on popular consensus play a role in what Reuters decides to lead with.

15:43 - Howell talks about who his influencers are and how he decides what to write about.

16:58 - Howell on whether the Reuters market is confined to Europe: "The world is so global at the moment...if you go to China or India for example and you mention the word 'Reuters,' everyone knows it...so it's well beyond Europe, and we have a large presence in the U.S., and we break a lot of news here..."

18:13 - Howell offers words of wisdom to public relations practitioners.

19:05 - End.

This is a great interview with Martin Howell, editor-in-charge of Reuters Inc. about covering corporate corruption, citizen journalism and the impact of search engines on the business of journalism. 

If you're in media relations and want to hear a great overview briefing on pitching financial news to reporters, this interview -- recorded years before social media for financial services became popular -- is well worth the listen.

Martin Howell is editor-in-charge of Reuters Inc., equities coverage in North and South America. He has directed much of Reuters's corporate news coverage in the United States in the past four years, including coverage of the Enron scandal, the Internet bubble, and Wall Street deception.

He has written, reported, and edited business news throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and managed news teams on all these continents. 

Martin is the author of Predators and Profits: 100+ Ways for Investors to Protect Their Nest Eggs, a guide for investors on how to uncover the kind of scandals that brought down Enron and Worldcom.

SHOW NOTES:

4:38 - Martin Howell talks about the number one red flag that investors need to watch out for in order to identify a looming problem in a corporation.

5:12 - Howell on why we have seen so much business corruption and fraud over the past few years. 

6:13 - Howell discusses whether people feel more comfortable in investing in tech start-ups since the internet bubble has burst.

7:06 - Howell on Reuters being the largest global wire service.

8:32 - Howell answers a question on whether citizen journalism is a challenge to Reuters.

10:33 - Howell on how to distinguish the staffed news wires from the PR news wires. 

11:57 - Howell talks about the impact the internet has had on Reuters and the way he does his job.

13:01 - Howell discusses the impact of search and search engine optimization on the Reuters business model.

14:13 - Howell on whether polls on popular consensus play a role in what Reuters decides to lead with.

15:43 - Howell talks about who his influencers are and how he decides what to write about.

16:58 - Howell on whether the Reuters market is confined to Europe: "The world is so global at the moment...if you go to China or India for example and you mention the word 'Reuters,' everyone knows it...so it's well beyond Europe, and we have a large presence in the U.S., and we break a lot of news here..."

18:13 - Howell offers words of wisdom to public relations practitioners.

19:05 - End.

Alan Elias, senior vice president of corporate communications for Washington Mutual Card Services goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss crisis communications, the impact of Regulation Fair Disclosure, and how corporate scandals have affected the way he does his job.

Alan Elias is senior vice president corporate communications for Washington Mutual Card Services (formerly Providian Financial Corporation), a leading provider of credit cards and deposit products to mainstream American consumers. Elias joined the company in January 2000 and is responsible for directing the division's employee and public relations activities, as well as managing the credit card division's Social Marketing/Image Enhancement program. Prior to the merger, Elias also was responsible for leading Providian's Community Relations program, which included corporate philanthropy and the employee volunteer program. Prior to joining Providian, Elias spent 10 years at Hill & Knowlton where he was responsible for leading the media relations, crisis communications, media training and litigation support practices in the company's Los Angeles, Irvine and Sacramento offices. Prior to Hill & Knowlton, Elias worked for ten years as a broadcast journalist.

SHOW NOTES:

5:03 - Elias talks about serving on a panel at the Media Relations 2006 conference on rebuilding an organization's image after a crisis.

5:35 - Elias discusses the challenges he faced at Providian and how he got through them.

6:34 - Elias on the revelations he has had on the subject of crisis communications: "The number one rule in crisis communications is to demonstrate action."

7:16 - Elias on the change in the dynamics of business over the past several years.

8:01 - Elias talks about measuring PR success.

9:30 - Elias discusses traffic generated from Washington Mutual's website, public relations materials, and Google: "The average consumer now has a lot more information at their fingertips, and they also have the ability to get a lot more disinformation...and that's also made our jobs as communicators a little more difficult."

10:18 - Elias talks about monitoring the blogosphere.

11:25 - Elias discusses how the introduction of Regulation Fair Disclosure has affected the way he does his job.

12:56 - Elias on how companies ensure compliance with Reg FD.

14:08 - Elias discusses the parameters of Reg FD from a legal perspective.

15:46 - Elias talks about leveraging blogs to influence decisions in the marketplace.

17:37 - Elias on the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.

19:10 - Elias talks about the increase in corporate fraud and how it is influencing his work as a communicator.

20:48 - Elias on communicating the impact of rising interest rates to consumers.

22:41 - End.

This is an exclusive, unedited interview with Alan Elias, senior vice president of corporate communications for Washington Mutual Card Services.

He speaks candidly about crisis communications in the banking trade, the impact of Regulation Fair Disclosure on public relations, and how corporate scandals have affected the way he does his job.

Alan Elias is senior vice president corporate communications for Washington Mutual Card Services (formerly Providian Financial Corporation), a leading provider of credit cards and deposit products to mainstream American consumers. 

Elias joined the company in January 2000 and is responsible for directing the division's employee and public relations activities, as well as managing the credit card division's Social Marketing/Image Enhancement program. 

Prior to the merger, Elias also was responsible for leading Providian's Community Relations program, which included corporate philanthropy and the employee volunteer program. 

Prior to joining Providian, Elias spent 10 years at Hill & Knowlton where he was responsible for leading the media relations, crisis communications, media training and litigation support practices in the company's Los Angeles, Irvine and Sacramento offices. 

Prior to Hill & Knowlton, Elias worked for ten years as a broadcast journalist.

SHOW NOTES:

5:03 - Elias talks about serving on a panel at the Media Relations conference on rebuilding an organization's image after a crisis.

5:35 - Elias discusses the challenges he faced at Providian and how he got through them.

6:34 - Elias on the revelations he has had on the subject of crisis communications: "The number one rule in crisis communications is to demonstrate action."

7:16 - Elias on the change in the dynamics of business over the past several years. 

8:01 - Elias talks about measuring PR success.

9:30 - Elias discusses traffic generated from Washington Mutual's website, public relations materials, and Google: "The average consumer now has a lot more information at their fingertips, and they also have the ability to get a lot more disinformation...and that's also made our jobs as communicators a little more difficult."

10:18 - Elias talks about monitoring the blogosphere.

11:25 -  Elias discusses how the introduction of Regulation Fair Disclosure has affected the way he does his job.

12:56 - Elias on how companies ensure compliance with Reg FD.

14:08 - Elias discusses the parameters of Reg FD from a legal perspective. 

15:46 -  Elias talks about leveraging blogs to influence decisions in the marketplace. 

17:37 - Elias on the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.

19:10 - Elias talks about the increase in corporate fraud and how it is influencing his work as a communicator.

20:48 - Elias on communicating the impact of rising interest rates to consumers.

22:41 - End.

Dan Irvin goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss running PR and corporate communications at Mitsubishi Motors, some of the challenges he faces, and how technology is changing the way he does his job.

Darn Irvin is the director of corporate communications and public relations at Mitsubishi Motors North America.

4:45 - Dan Irvin talks about the panel he spoke at on repairing corporate reputation at the Media Relations 2006 conference.

5:32 – Irvin talks about how to recover from a blow to corporate reputation: “It’s not a media relations issue. It ultimately begins from…communicating slow steady process to all of your stakeholders, not just the media…”

7:32 – Irvin on whether it is important to respond to a crisis: “With the explosion of media coverage…people are going to talk , people are going to write, people are going to broadcast, people are going to podcast…all of that information is going to be out there, [and] it’s important that our side of the story be represented…”

8:32 - Irvin talks about what constitutes a crisis.

9:40 – Irvin talks about how Mitsubishi Motors responded to its own crisis and the value of using media relations consultants and crisis communications consultants: “…it’s not something that you can manage with media relations and with public relations. First and foremost you have to change your culture, [and] that means internally.”

10:31 – Irvin talks about what it’s like running PR at a car company.

12:13 – Irvin discusses whether he responds to incoming requests of consumers and stakeholders or if he looks for editorial opportunities.

13:06 – Irvin talks about the impact of blogs and consumer generated media on Mitsubishi Motors: “…the thing that worries me about the blog, the thing that really worries me about the fact that everybody’s opinion on the internet has an equal weight…is [that] we have really lost our sense of accountability.”

15:13 – Irvin discusses the potential dangers and opportunities that could result from consumers blogging.

16:06 – Irvin talks about the target audience of Mitsubishi Motors.

17:26 – Irvin discusses the challenges Mitsubishi Motors faces when reaching constituents and how he reaches consumers: “…Mitsubishi has a unique PR challenge to get out there, [and] that is that we’re gonna be a survivor.”

20:37 – Irvin on whether the auto industry is hooked on incentives. “…the global consumer of automobiles is the most educated consumer in the marketplace...it’s definitely a market right now that’s driven with incentives and if you try to reduce those incentives your sales go away.”

22:46 – Irvin on what’s happening with American automakers: “It’s very difficult, and the way that it’s going to be solved is through the partnership of labor, and the companies, and possibly the government, and possibly the health care industry…”

25:15 – Irvin talks about Mitsubishi Motors North America’s plan of action after being hurt by financial problems of its parent company.

27:26 – Irvin on what lead to the company’s 28.5% sales increase between February and March.

28:38 – Irvin talks about the new president of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Hiroshi Harunari.

31:33 – Irvin on whether most cars manufactured and sold will soon be hybrid: “For the future of my kids, the hybrids are just a stepping stone…sooner or later we’re going to have to have something else.”

34:01 – Irvin talks about testing Mitsubishi Motors’s i car in Los Angeles.

36:10 – Irvin responds to a question on whether the SUV still has legs or if Americans are resistant to it because of the cost of oil: “First of all we’re in love with the automobile…there’s a lot of talk about fuel efficiency, gas mileage, hybrids…but…the American consumer right now…is not showing that they really care that much [about the environment].”

40:05 – Irvin talks about the safety of automobiles: “…automobiles have never been safer than they are now…”

40:51 – Irvin talks about the safety of SUVs versus compact cars.

43:15 – End.

This is an exclusive, uncut interview with Dan Irvin about his experience running automotive PR and corporate communications at Mitsubishi Motors, some of the challenges of doing PR in the automotive sector, and how technology has impacted his job.

Dan Irvin is the director of corporate communications and public relations at Mitsubishi Motors North America.

SHOW NOTES

4:45 - Dan Irvin talks about the panel he spoke at on repairing corporate reputation at the Media Relations conference.

5:32 – Irvin talks about how to recover from a blow to corporate reputation: “It’s not a media relations issue.  It ultimately begins from…communicating slow steady process to all of your stakeholders, not just the media…”

7:32 – Irvin on whether it is important to respond to a crisis: "With the explosion of media coverage…people are going to talk , people are going to write, people are going to broadcast, people are going to podcast…all of that information is going to be out there, [and] it’s important that our side of the story be represented…”

8:32 - Irvin talks about what constitutes a crisis.

9:40 – Irvin talks about how Mitsubishi Motors responded to its own crisis and the value of using media relations consultants and crisis communications consultants: “…it’s not something that you can manage with media relations and with public relations.  First and foremost you have to change your culture, [and] that means internally.”

10:31 – Irvin talks about what it’s like running PR at a car company. 

12:13 – Irvin discusses whether he responds to incoming requests of consumers and stakeholders or if he looks for editorial opportunities.  

13:06 – Irvin talks about the impact of blogs and consumer generated media on Mitsubishi Motors:  “…the thing that worries me about the blog, the thing that really worries me about the fact that everybody’s opinion on the internet has an equal weight…is [that] we have really lost our sense of accountability.”

15:13 – Irvin discusses the potential dangers and opportunities of social media management.

16:06 – Irvin talks about the target audience of Mitsubishi Motors.

17:26 – Irvin discusses the challenges Mitsubishi Motors faces when reaching constituents and how he reaches consumers: “…Mitsubishi has a unique PR challenge to get out there, [and] that is that we’re gonna be a survivor.”  

20:37 – Irvin on whether the auto industry is hooked on incentives.  “…the global consumer of automobiles is the most educated consumer in the marketplace...it’s definitely a market right now that’s driven with incentives and if you try to reduce those incentives your sales go away.”

22:46 – Irvin on what’s happening with American automakers: “It’s very difficult, and the way that it’s going to be solved is through the partnership of labor, and the companies, and possibly the government, and possibly the health care industry…”

25:15 – Irvin talks about Mitsubishi Motors North America’s plan of action after being hurt by financial problems of its parent company. 27:26 – Irvin on what lead to the company’s 28.5% sales increase between February and March.

28:38 – Irvin talks about the new president of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Hiroshi Harunari.

31:33 – Irvin on whether most cars manufactured and sold will soon be hybrid: “For the future of my kids, the hybrids are just a stepping stone…sooner or later we’re going to have to have something else.”

34:01 – Irvin talks about testing Mitsubishi Motors’s icar i...

This is an interesting interview with some awkward moments featuring Charles Connor, who got a little weird when I dug too deep into the American Red Cross's response to Hurricane Katrina.

Charles Connor was senior vice president for communications and marketing at American Red Cross. He oversaw internal, external, and stakeholder communication and marketing including market research, creative resources, governmental relations, advertising, entertainment outreach, events management, historical resources and media relations.

Previously, Charles served as the Principal for Client Strategy at The Dilenschneider Group in Chicago. He also served as the first director of public affairs for the federal judiciary, as well as the chief operating officer for the United States Navy's global communications program.

Charles was one of the three American Red Cross executives to have been named Public Relations Professional of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America, in recognition of the strategic communication plan created and implemented during one of the worst hurricane seasons this country has seen.

SHOW NOTES:

3:16 - Chuck Connor talks about being on PR Week's list of the top ten most daunting PR jobs.

3:50 - Connor explains what crisis communications is. 

4:49 - Connor on the steps organizations should take to prepare for a potential crisis.  "I'm a believer...that it's very hard to plan for every crisis.  I think you need to keep your head on, I think you need to keep your emotions under control..." 

7:54 - Connor on how to determine whether there is a crisis in a company.

8:41 - Connor talks about whether FEMA's alleged late response to help Katrina victims impacted the public's perception of the Red Cross's relief efforts: "This Katrina matter...took every resource the United States and the United States government could throw at the problem.  It was far bigger than FEMA, it was far bigger than the Red Cross, and it was almost too big for the whole Department of Defense."

10:14 - Connor discusses how he first heard about the Katrina disaster.  "My deputy Darren Irby...[said] it was as if a nuclear bomb had gone off."

11:04 - Connor on how he felt when he received the news about Katrina. 

12:12 - Connor talks about his role in communicating on behalf of the Red Cross. 

13:28 - Connor on how the Red Cross uses the internet to communicate with the public: "We take the web and internet very seriously...we're going to put more importance to it"because it is a channel that we can use to let the public know  what the Red Cross message is directly, unadulterated by reporters or other kinds of gatekeepers." 

14:42 - Connor talks about the importance of the Red Cross's site, www.redcross.org, and the critical information it offers.

15:53 - Connor offers words of advice to other corporate communicators who are asked questions that they cannot answer. 

17:36 - Connor on what the ambushed, unprepared executive should say to the media.

18:28 - End.

Photo by By Daniel Lobo - https://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/65871772/, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76079725

Tony Sapienza goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the use of new media communication tools for PR, the role the press release plays in reaching consumers, and the fuse of the mainstream media and consumer generated media.

Tony Sapienza, co-founder and principal of Topaz Partners, has served as president of Miller/Shandwick Technologies, one of the world's leading PR firms, and was global practice leader for Weber Shandwick Worldwide. He has worked with many emerging companies and start-ups, as well as established industry leaders such as Compaq Computer Corp., Sharp Electronics, and Hewlett-Packard. Sapienza has provided communications and management counsel and hands-on support in a broad range of areas, including communications strategy development, messaging and positioning, message training, business and trade media relations, investor relations, industry analyst relations and interactive communications.

SHOW NOTES:

4:22 - Sapienza talks about the impact Topaz Partners' blog, Tech Pr Gems, has had on the agency.

5:37 - Sapienza discusses the fuse of the mainstream and consumer generated media.

6:49 - Sapienza talks about offering new media communication tools including blogging and podcasting.

9:45 - Sapienza on whether disseminating a press release over the internet is sufficient to legally fulfill Regulation Fair Disclosure.

11:20 - Sapienza on whether the blog as a media channel has evolved or is in a state of transition: "...we're seeing traditional technology and traditional...approaches begin to evolve particularly in public relations itself..."

12:38 - Sapienza talks about how the news wires will adapt to the growth of new media technology.

13:54 - Sapienza on the role the press release plays in reaching consumers.

15:45 - Sapienza talks about drafting press releases and the ways press releases have changed over the past several years.

17:13 - Sapienza on the shift from a push media world where media is distributed to a pull media world where consumers subscribe to media.

18:31 - Sapienza talks about whether he recommends blogging to all of his clients.

19:55 - Sapienza on whether the client or the PR practitioner should blog.

20:34 - Sapienza reveals what distinguishes Topaz Partners from its competitors.

21:50 - Sapienza talks about how clients can protect their reputations among the blogosphere.

22:45 - Sapienza on whether companies are ready to embrace blogging and other new media tools.

23:31 - Sapienza talks about whether the PR industry needs to employ online communications.

24:49 - Sapienza on how to encourage organizations to utilize online PR and marketing campaigns.

27:14 - End.

Tony Sapienza is Head of Communications at ZF Group. But when I recorded this interview with him, he was co-founder and principal of Topaz Partners.

We spoke about the use of social media management tools for PR, the role of the press release in reaching consumers, and fusing of mainstream and social media relations.

Tony served as president of Miller/Shandwick Technologies, one of the world's leading PR firms, and was global practice leader for Weber Shandwick Worldwide so he has a lot of experience managing big agencies.

He's represent many emerging companies and served as a PR guide to tech start-ups, as well as established industry leaders such as Compaq Computer Corp., Sharp Electronics, and Hewlett-Packard. 

Sapienza has provided communications and management counsel and hands-on support in a broad range of areas, including communications strategy development, messaging and positioning, message training, business and trade media relations, investor relations, industry analyst relations and interactive communications.

SHOW NOTES:

5:37 - Sapienza on fusing mainstream and social media relations.

6:49 - Sapienza talks about offering social media management tools.

9:45 - Sapienza on whether disseminating a press release over the internet is sufficient to legally fulfill Regulation Fair Disclosure.

11:20 - Sapienza on whether the blog as a media channel has evolved or is in a state of transition: "...we're seeing traditional technology and traditional...approaches begin to evolve particularly in public relations itself..."

12:38 - Sapienza talks about how the news wires will adapt to the growth of new media technology.

13:54 - Sapienza on the role the press release plays in reaching consumers.

15:45 - Sapienza talks about drafting press releases and the ways press releases have changed over the past several years. 

17:13 - Sapienza on the shift from a push media world where media is distributed to a pull media world where consumers subscribe to media.

18:31 - Sapienza talks about whether he recommends blogging to all of his clients.

19:55 - Sapienza on whether the client or the PR practitioner should blog.

20:34 - Sapienza reveals what distinguishes Topaz Partners from its competitors.

21:50 - Sapienza talks about how clients can protect their reputations among the blogosphere.

22:45 - Sapienza on whether companies are ready to embrace blogging and other new media tools. 

23:31 - Sapienza talks about whether the PR industry needs to employ online communications.

24:49 - Sapienza on how to encourage organizations to utilize online PR and marketing campaigns.

27:14 - End.

Photo by Todd Van Hoosear