Assignment # 13

http://ckovalch.newsvine.com/

Assignment #12

http://www.calpoly.edu/~ckovalch/

Assignment # 11

Go to a busy public place with a notebook in hand. Develop your ear for dialogue by writing down snatches of overheard conversations; imagine how they could be used in a story. Post at least five overheard quotes along with accompanying story ideas in a new blog entry.

[I overheard people talking to each other in the reading room of the Kennedy Library. People are allowed to eat and talk in this particular area so I eavesdropped on a few interesting conversations]

1) “Why do u buy movies and not rent them?”
STORY IDEA: Netflix is the New Blockbuster (story about how Netflix is the most efficient way to rent movies nowadays)

2) “Jon, have you ever been to the z-club?”
STORY IDEA: Up and Coming Bars in SLO (story about smaller bars in San Luis Obispo that not very many people know about)

3) “Were going to go to a party up there on Foothill and California”
STORY IDEA: Infamous Party Streets at Cal Poly (story about the most popular 'college party' streets near campus)

4)“We took his dresser and tipped it upside down so all of his clothes would fall out…we were drunk so we were thinking, ‘oh this is going to be so awesome..’ ”
STORY IDEA: Cal Poly College Pranks (story about the current pranks students do to each other on and around campus)

5)“I understand this stuff so much better when teachers lay it out clearly, but he speaks in such a roundabout way”
STORY IDEA: How Students Learn Best
(story about the effective teaching methods through the students' eyes)

Assignment # 10

Noting the top five reasons journalists visit a company Web site (see below), conduct your own usability study of five companies that interest you. On each site, search for basic PR information and note your findings in a new blog entry.
1. Find a PR contact (name and phone number)

2. Check basic facts about the company (name a top executive, and state the address of the company’s headquarters)

3. Check the company’s ‘spin’ on events (what kind of news would most affect/concern the company?)

4. Check financial information (any of the following: the company's yearly earnings/projections/budget etc.)

5. Download images to supplement a story (each company’s description on your blog must be accompanied by a representational image from the Web site)

6. The Web site address

COMPANY 1: Time Warner Inc.
1) PR Contact:
Corporate Communications Mark Harrad (203) 328-0613 Maureen Huff (203) 328-4807

2) Top executive: Richard D. Parsons is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Time Warner Inc.
Address of company’s headquarters:
Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY10019-8016
212.484.8000

3) company’s spin on events:
Time Warner Cable Inc. to Host Business Update Conference CallFebruary 26, 2007
NEW YORK – Time Warner Cable Inc. will host a conference call for investors on Wednesday, February 28, 2007, beginning at 10:00 am ET, to discuss its business and its outlook for 2007.

4) Financial information:
In 2006 and 2007, Time Warner plans to reduce costs by $1 billion across their businesses. Time Warner Cable anticipates its 2007 full-year Free Cash Flow will be in the range of $800 million to $1 billion.

5)

6) Website: http://www.timewarner.com/corp/

COMPANY 2: Verizon
1) Corporate Strategy, PolicyJim Gerace908-559-7508James.Gerace@VerizonWireless.com
PR contact: Bobbi Henson, 972-718-2225

2) Top Executive: Ivan G. SeidenbergChairman and Chief Executive Officer
Headquarters Address:
Verizon Communications Inc.
1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle

3) news release:
NEW YORK - The standard for consumer and small-business Internet access is going up again with Verizon's introduction Monday (Feb. 26) of an up-to-50 Mbps FiOS Internet service in parts of five counties in the Tampa, Fla., area. This marks the sixth state where Verizon, the company building the nation's most advanced digital all-fiber-optic network, is now providing this unprecedented speed.
PR contact: Bobbi Henson, 972-718-2225

4) For the year 2006, Verizon reported earnings of $6.2 billion.

5)

6) <http://www22.verizon.com/>


COMPANY 3: SONY
1) PR contact: Corporate PR - Public Relations Department
Sony Corporation 03-5448-2200

2) Top Executive: Chairman and CEO Howard Stringer
Headquarters Address: 1-7-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0075, Japan

3) Spin on Events:
January 5,2007
Sony Corporation announced the introduction of the sub brand name "x.v.Color", and its compliance logo, for products which conform to "xvYCC", the international standard for wide color space within moving images. Going forward Sony will promote "x.v.Color" among the industry as a unified brand name borne by future compliant products.

4) Financial Info.: Consolidated Sales and Operating revenue in the year 2005 were 7,510,600 million yen

5)

6) website: <http://www.sony.net/>

COMPANY 4: APPLE
1) PR contact:
Katie CottonVice President of Worldwide Corporate Communications
katiec@apple.com
Natalie KerrisApple(408) 974-6877mailto:974-6877nat@apple.com

2) Top Executive: Steve Jobs CEO, AppleHeadquarters Address:
Apple
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
408.996.1010

3) Spin on Events:
Cisco and Apple Reach Agreement on iPhone Trademark
SAN JOSE and CUPERTINO, California—February 21, 2007—Cisco and Apple® announced that they have resolved their dispute involving the “iPhone” trademark. Under the agreement, both companies are free to use the “iPhone” trademark on their products throughout the world. Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark. In addition, Cisco and Apple will explore opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security, and consumer and enterprise communications. Other terms of the agreement are confidential.

4) Financial Info.: Apple’s financial results for its fiscal 2006 third quarter ended July 1, 2006. The Company posted revenue of $4.37 billion and a net quarterly profit of $472 million, or $.54 per diluted share.

5)

6) website: <http://www.apple.com/investor/ >

COMPANY 5: Nike
1) PR contact: Members of the press with media related inquiries may call (US) 1-212-367-4447. This phone is answered during business hours (EST) and is also checked frequently for messages.

2) Top Executive:
Philip H. Knight, Chairman of the Board of DirectorsMark Parker, President & Chief Executive Officer, NIKE, Inc.Charlie Denson, President, NIKE Brand
Headquarters Address:
Nike World HeadquartersOne Bowerman DriveBeaverton, OR 970053)

3)Spin on Events:
NikeGO Head Start Comes to Charleston, WV to Fight Childhood Obesity Epidemic
One of 12 New Cities For NikeGO Head Start Campaign in 2006-2007
Charleston, WV (13 February, 2007) – Charleston is the latest stop for NikeGO Head Start, a first-of-its-kind initiative to get kids physically active starting at a young age. Nike and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) along with SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) announced today that Charleston is one of 12 new sites where the program will be offered in 2006-2007. The NikeGO Head Start training for Charleston is taking place through the Kanawha County Schools Head Start and will be conducted at the Coonskin Park Clubhouse at Coonskin Drive in Charleston, WV. The training will take place on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 starting at 8:30 a.m.

5)

6) website: http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=0

Assignment # 9

The Enron Scandal
In the year 2001, U.S. history’s biggest bankruptcy led to the demise of former American energy corporate company called Enron based in Houston, Texas. The ironic part is the “Fortune” magazine named Enron ‘America’s Most Innovative Company’ for six consecutive years prior to their downward spiral from 1996 through 2001. Known as one of the world’s leading electricity, natural gas, pulp, paper and communications company, Enron claimed to have a revenue of $111 billion in 2000, the year before its bankruptcy. “In just 15 years, Enron grew from nowhere to be America's seventh largest company, employing 21,000 staff in more than 40 countries,” says BBC news.
The irony became not too ironic when Enron was revealed for accounting fraud and the leading accounting firm behind the scandal was Arthur Andersen. Books had been audited Andersen during the collapse of Enron which cost investors over $60 billion dollars according to “TIME” magazine. Before being subpoenaed, workers at the firm illegally destroyed a large, yet unknown amount of documents relating to the Enron company
On January 9, 2002, The United States Department of Justice began a criminal investigation of Enron. After being exposed in corporate fraud, it was found that profits were inflated and debts were not reported in the company’s financial statements. According to “BBC News” The congressional hearing began on January 24, 2002 which gunned for three key players: Andrew Fastow, (Enron’s former chief financial officer) Kenneth Lay (Enron’s former chief executive and chairman since 1986), and David Duncan (Enron’s chief auditor at Andersen). Congressional investigators told “TIME” magazine that David Duncan and other directed workers shredded important documents when it was his job to audit Enron’s accounts.
Before the scandal, Enron shares were considered a blue chip stock and were worth $90.00, but dropped to .30 cents after the scandal was revealed. President Bush was also good friends with Kenneth Lay who donated $2 million dollars to his campaigns. Currently, Enron still exists without any assets as a shell corporation.

Assignment #8

SUMMARY LEADS:
1) CLEVELAND, Ohio (CNN) -- A passenger jet skidded off a runway and smashed through a fence while landing Sunday in windy and icy conditions at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
à The weather has increasingly become more icy and wind causing accidents to occur.
2) LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British police protection officer responsible for Prince Harry has flown to Iraq to begin making security arrangements for the royal soldier's deployment to Iraq amid fears for his safety, according to British press reports.
à In any instance, war is dangerous, but Prince Harry has extra protection as he goes off to face the dangers in Iraq.
3) PANIPAT, India (CNN) -- Witnesses have described the horrific scenes which followed two explosions on an Indian passenger train early Monday which killed at least 67 people.
à "I saw flames leaping out of the windows," said Vinod Kumar Gupta, the assistant manager in the Dewana station, who pulled the signal ordering the train to stop as it passed through the village shortly after the explosions had occurred.

FEATURE LEADS:
4) NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Chilly temperatures did not deter the revelers who turned out Sunday to watch the parades roll through the city on the last weekend before Mardi Gras.
à No matter how cold the weather got, it did not stop the many who gathered to celebrate Mardi Gras last weekend in New Orleans.
5) NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Police called to a Long Island man's house discovered the mummified remains of the resident, dead for more than a year, sitting in front of a blaring television set.
à Vincenzo Ricardo appeared to have died of natural causes at the age of seventy after police discovered his mummified body sitting in front of a television set for over a year in the Hampton Bays area of New York.
6) (CNN) -- Robert Thompson, head of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, hates the phrase "famous for being famous." You can't be famous for your celebrity, he says; you have to somehow achieve fame in the first place.
à Anna Nicole Smith has been the most covered media story in every news station, she is such a huge celebrity, yet her fame was achieved through marrying an elderly man and becoming a part of lawsuits for his riches after he died, and being a playmate.

Assignment # 7

Interview Practice: Contact one local business owner (can be a part-owner) and answer the following questions in a new blog entry. Some sample questions (think of more on your own):1. Why did you decide to go into business?2. How long has your business existed?3. What is your average customer profile?4. One anectdote/story about your business (i.e. a memorable day, an order mix-up, a memorable customer, etc.).

Sunny San Diego sure has a lot of local bars; but, The Pennant located in south mission beach is one to remember with its everlasting beach-gathering feel and upstairs deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The owner known as Dick bought the joint in 1979 after approaching the former bar owner who was on his knees picking up shattered glass off the floor . Being at the “right place at the right time,” Dick explains how he caught the “frustrated” bar owner on a bad day, offered to buy the place, and--“boom” as he puts it--he gave the old guy a down payment on a Monday morning.
His favorite part about owning his own business besides being his own boss is that he can come to work wearing shorts sand sandals. Aside from the laid back atmosphere of the bar, there is also a grill towards the back that serves different dinners throughout the week. There is a different themed dinner each night: Spaghetti Monday, Taco Tuesday, and meatloaf on Wednesdays; weekend nights serve hamburgers, fries, salads, and chicken tenders.
While the locals love eating the food, a lot of customers come to watch sports games. The beach bar has a television set in every corner and every niche including a projector screen the size of half the wall. Just this past super bowl in 2007, a local news station shot coverage of customers socializing and getting ready to watch the game.
Between the mix of older locals in their 50’s and 60’s watching games on TV and socializing, the weekends attract a young crowd from USD and San Diego State University. Dick likes to play music; of his favorites are “Rock n roll, Old rhythm and blues, country-western, but I hate hip-hop and rap-crap…ever listen to the words? Its so ugly.” Besides not liking rap music, Dick loves everything about his bar from his friends who have been going there for over 30 years to the perfect location less than 100 yards walking distance to the beach.