Musings from POP! Public Relations -- The Silece on Ketchum is Deafening

Musings from POP! Public Relations: "The Silence on Ketchum is Deafening

'I have raised points that I thought should be picked up by other PR bloggers, where we would all raise a red flag ... and silence.'

That was my quote last June for PR Week's article on PR bloggers push forth the medium.

What happened? Nothing has really changed - I blog about issues that I see as wrong in public relations ... and it's not picked up anywhere.

Why don't PR bloggers raise the red flag on issues within PR? Why have we stayed silent on the Ketchum debacle, and not raised our voice. While this is a PR issue - and we are all about how blogs are the new communications tools, change the world, blah blah - Ketchum has barely been brought up in the PR blogosphere.

When the story broke in the mainstream press, a local radio host, Lynn Cullen, (she leans way to the left), ranted about the story. My call to her and her guest, who was not then on the air, was about Ketchum. The PR firm and the ad agency are not the same. I understand. However, there was a Pittsburgh connection. I think Lynn should have pulled others into the discussion. It is her show. I tried to do so.

Larry Berger of Saturday Light Brigade -- getting set to rock the Burgh!

Larry has made a new studio and put it within the North Side's Childrens' Museum. I've yet to be there, however, in two weeks, our dear friend, Mindy Simmons, is booked for the show. We'll be there then. So should you.

Larry writes (with editor's insert of URL links) in his recent email newsletter:

We always dreamed that a well-designed studio with room for guests, performers and a live audience would allow us to better serve our community. And this week’s show is a great example of what can happen!

We’ll have our usual mix of acoustic music and puzzles for kids, adults and everyone in between as well as some very special guests:

At 8:20, Carol Rasco, President and CEO of Reading is Fundamental (RIF). and Cindy Krappweis, Executive Director of RIF Pittsburgh, will preview “Read With Me: The 2005 RIF Community Reading Challenge”, a national RIF event for which Pittsburgh is the official launch city! The kickoff celebration is January 26th, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and SLB will be on-hand along with other people, organizations and celebrities who care about literacy and reading. Following Pittsburgh’s kickoff, over 1,100 schools from around the country will participate by taking part in two weeks of creative reading activities between January and March. For details, visit http://www.rifpittsburgh.org or http://www.rif.org.

At 8:30, Susan Orr and Jackie Keiner-Szwarc from Girl Scouts Trillium Council join us to preview this year's Cookie Sale.

At 10, we’ll celebrate the City Theatre Young Playwrights Festival, showcasing plays by middle-school and high-school students and running from January 22nd through February 6th. Tune in to hear excerpts from the plays, meet the student playwrights and hear alumni discuss how the festival has impacted their lives.

At 11, oldtime banjo player, storyteller, and novelist Sheila Kaye Adams peviews her Saturday night concert at Carnegie Lecture Hall that also features Hutch and Dave (Bob Hutchinson and fiddling Dave McLaughlin). Tickets are still available via ProArts (412) 394-3353 or at the door.

At 11:30, Calliope School teachers Martin Destin (guitar) and Ceinwen King-Smith (voice) join us along with Donna Isaac (fiddle) to discuss upcoming classes and how folk music is part of their lives. They also will play and sing a tune or two. Registration is underway.

Remember, kids and adults can be part of our live studio audience between 10 and noon -- this week and every week, no reservation required. Our studios have comfortable seating, great sightlines and a rare chance to be part of a live radio program. There’s no admission fee and you also can sample the Children's Museum's grand hall, museum store, and cafe. After our broadcast, stick around to learn more about our radio studio and visit behind the scenes or consider touring the rest of the museum with purchase of admission wristband at the front desk.

The Saturday Light Brigade is more then just a radio program -- we're a place where people of all ages can get together and enjoy each other’s company as a community. We hope you’ll tune in or be part of our studio audience. As always, thanks for being part of SLB.