21 6 / 2012
Nuns on a Bus! These Nuns are on a nine-city bus tour using protects as their strategic communictions to speak out about budget cuts. As the sign says, you go girls!
17 6 / 2012
"When things are going really bad, make sure you put on your lipstick. People are watching you and they want to see that you are confident – especially in times of trouble."
17 6 / 2012
Media touches are lives every day. It can shape our views and values. It drives us to one political corner or the other (are you a Fox News or MSNBC fan). It even has the power to control our self-image (have you read female fashion magazines lately?). How would the news differ if more women were represented in those stories? Megan Kamerick, a business reporter, challenges the media’s approaches to storytelling and suggests ways to improve news reporting.
15 6 / 2012
High Heels in the Boardroom
Diversity should be a priority for organizations and management. It can generate creative thinking, bring different perspectives, enhance teamwork, and even lead to good PR for an organization. Commitment to diversity is also a good recruitment and retention tool. Diversity advocacy groups such as Catalyst follow the performance and behavior of companies closely. Companies, especially large sized ones, campaign to be in on lists such as Diversity Inc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity as these affiliations reflect an organization’s values. However, this commitment should start from the top, in the boardroom.
13 6 / 2012
Back From War, Now What?
Did you know, female vets have an unemployment rate of 10.8%? Did you know that the national unemployment rate as if May was 8.2%? How can we get our female vets back on their feet and gainfully employed? Through the Clinton Global Initiative, Department of Military & Veteran Affairs, the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), veterans are provided a multitude of.
On June 6th, the IAVA hosted the Smarts Job Fair in Chicago and throughout the Midwest with the US Chamber of Commerce for vets & their spouses. Initiatives like the Vets Job Corp help vets prep while still in uniform. Storm the Hill 2012 was an advocacy trip to appeal to congress to protect amongst many other things, career ready training for vets. One of the main goals for Clinton’s Global Initiative America event last week in Chicago was employment for returning war veterans. PR Newswire stated that Capital One announced it will provide a $750k grant and 3 year commitment to Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, which helps create a new small business training program for women veteran business owners this Fall. This shows a varied strategic communication program across the board.
So with all of this promotion and support, what’s the issue? According to Forbes, unfortunately, there is still a stigma in hiring veterans, especially regarding mental health. Come on corporate America, step it up. These folks fought for your country, now give them a chance at life.
11 6 / 2012
We have to break the glass ceiling
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the Inaugural Women in Public Service Institute during the opening ceremonies of a female leadership conference at Wellesley College, their alma mater. The group comprised of 50 women from 21 countries. Clinton urged “We know we’ve got to keep pushing at that glass ceiling. We have to try to break it”. She urged them to have faith in themselves and their causes, and to be open to the prospects that may appear in their lives. This international forum is a great way to get the word out about female leadership in public service.
11 6 / 2012
StratComm is Everywhere!
The Libyan’s Women Platform for Peace launched local trainings to develop women and youth groups in strategic communication skills. Women from all walks of life are participating in the training. They are buzzing about this initiative on the website, Facebook, and Twitter. They have even invited the media to the final session of the training to report on final recommendations and to do interviews. Girl Power!
11 6 / 2012
Update: Who Needs Equal Opportunity Protection?
As an update, ExxonMobil stockholders reject LGBT protections. This means that its shareholders have vetoed a proposal to add gay and transgender employees to company’s nondiscrimination policy, by 80 percent to 20 percent. The resolution asked the corporation to amend “its written equal employment opportunity policy to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and to substantially implement the policy.” Is it just me or are we going backwards just a little. I better hold on tight to my voting card.
