Since the OCG is a highly diverse organization of folks interested in all aspects of public and organizational communications - public relations, journalism, writing and editing, graphic and web design, advertising, marketing, etc - the Professional Development aspects are equally diverse. Here are several, and we will add more as they become available.

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The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0

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Foto Friday Compilation

A compilation of weekly tips from Steve Dunkelberger, The Business Examiner, for the members of the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Olympia Communicators Group.

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Word Wednesday Compilation

A compilation of weekly tips from Steve Dunkelberger, The Business Examiner, for the members of the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Olympia Communicators Group.

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Mike McCurry's 5 C's of Public Relations

Credibility. You can only lose sight of the truth once before you lose the ability to deal in an honest, straightforward manner with the press. In my career, ahem, this lesson has often been learned the hard way. The press trusts and likes straight shooters, and they go back to those sources that provide good, factual, accurate information.

Candor. A corollary to credibility, candor requires the communicator to acknowledge errors, fess up to mistakes and handle the bad stories along with the good. The press appreciates folks who don't try bizarre attempts at 'spin' when something has been fouled up. This is hard for many in business and politics, where the temptation is usually to try and put a silver gloss on the darkest clouds.

Clarity. Yes, we are stupid, and yes, we should keep it simple. In truth, we are all busy and overwhelmed and there is too much information floating around in this world of instantaneous global communications. Only precise and sharply defined messages stand out in the blur of information overload. The best piece of advise is to write down on a piece of paper a simple one-sentence statement that captures the essence of what you are trying to say.

Compassion. Having some empathy for the poor, overworked and underpaid reporter and understanding his or her pressures or deadlines goes a long way to putting some human balance into the adversarial relationship. Listening carefully to the questions, understanding and being polite to critics and nay-sayers, and avoiding snarls at the persistent interviewer all help make a difficult job easier to handle, for both the reporter and the communicator.

Commitment. Organizations need to treat communications seriously. The function needs a good budget and good people, and it is imperative that those people work at the very top of the organization chart. They have to have good access to the executives and information that makes the enterprise go. Good media and public relations is a bottom-line activity, and good executives today are giving this part of their business a great deal more attention.

From in the book,"Media Isn't a Four Letter Word" by David Shea and John Gulick. Mike McCurry is a veteran political strategist and spokesperson with over 30 years experience in Washington D.C. He served in the White House as press secretary to President Bill Clinton, spokesman for the Department of state and director of communications for the Democratic National Committee.

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Website Pressroom - A Key PR/Promotional Tool

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The Behn Report, observations on public management.

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