We have to be able to respond in real time to what’s going on in the world.
Participant Comments
bishops, several faith leaders had already
his statement, it was notable for a number
tweeted out or published on Facebook
of reasons. He was one of only a handful
GEOFFREY BOISI: I’m curious: What
responses that, unfortunately, was to
of bishops to call attention to the identity
apps or social media networks should we
become a script in these situations,
of most of the victims—most of them
be on? I mean, everybody sort of knows
sending thoughts and prayers, offering
identified as gay—and he called for prayers
about Facebook and LinkedIn and some of
condolences to victims. But I think the fact
for that community. He also talked about,
the more—initially more prominent ones,
that that happened on a Sunday was very
at length, the need to adopt stronger gun
which those of us in business realize
important because their communications
control laws. I think for a lot of people
that they’re sort of passé now. What are
teams weren’t with them in most cases,
who cover the Church, this was surprising
some of the names of social media apps
but they were agile enough to respond
because it showed that the Church does
or communication mechanisms you are
to the news themselves, or they were
not fit squarely into this left-right divide
seeing that we as Church leaders should
confident enough to let the team they had
that we have, so he was surprising. He
be thinking about using or interacting with
put in place respond to that news. And I
raised some eyebrows, and I think, again,
in order to challenge the group in terms
think that’s very important, and again, it’s
that’s an important lesson for us here.
of our knowledge of it, and how do we go about finding out about these things?
because as leaders, we owe something to the people who follow us, and we have to
To wrap up, I would say as we think about
be able to respond in real time to what’s
our communications, we need to be
MICHAEL O’LOUGHLIN: It’s a good
going on in the world.
available, be timely, be surprising. I think
question, and it’s funny because I’m 30
that’s one of the most important ones, be
years old, but I sometimes feel incredibly
surprising, and be on social media. And
old, like when I’m still trying to learn all
when you’re on social media, follow me
these new apps, because it feels like the
@MikeOLoughlin, and we can stay in
crowds are getting younger and younger
touch. Thank you.
on apps such as Snapchat and Instagram,
Marketers are also looking for the next generation, the tweens that aren’t actually millennials, because everybody wants to reach them and talk to them.
and I’m trying to keep up on learning all those. I think it’s still important to have a presence on Twitter and Facebook. Twitter especially, I think, is underused because, in terms of press, it’s an
Another response came from the Bishop
essential tool for journalists. That is
of Pittsburgh. So if you think of the Bishop
where I get a lot of tips about stories, a
of Pittsburgh, Bishop David Zubik, at all,
lot of people responding to events that
you might think of him as being the lead
I then go to for further comments. So
plaintiff in the Catholic Church’s lawsuit
while it’s kind of aging out and I think it’s
against the Obama administration’s
not as popular as it once was, it’s still a
contraception mandate. Now, for many,
professional tool that we need to be on to
that means he’s squarely in one camp.
engage media.
He’s a conservative. We don’t have a lot of time to think through the nuances of many
And then there’s things like Instagram,
issues, so that’s where he’s going to be
which is great for brands to promote
placed in our minds. But when he released 14