NC|Com by kiara jones

NC|Com NC3Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Magazine for Communication Professionals

Did you say evacuate?

During an emergency, PIOs are on the front lines

Shop Talk

What programs were used in the making of this mag?

NC Vets Park opens to large crowds Park revitalizes Fayettevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rejuvenated downtown

3CMA through newbie eyes Travel to Austin, TX, and experience the conference

Volume Two . Number Two

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NC|Com

NC3C’s Magazine for Communication Professionals

published by the Pitt County Office of Public Information for NC3C Volume Two . Number Two

nc3c executive officers president vice president secretary treasurer treasurer-elect past president

Mandy Pitts, City of Hickory Judy Rhew-Davidson, Buncombe County Kiara Jones, Pitt County LouAnne Kincaid, Caldwell County Joshua Harris, City of Morganton Steve Hawley, City of Greenville

contributors writers

Gary Herman, City of Newton Mandy Pitts, City of Hickory Nathan Walls, City of Fayetteville, NC Kiara Jones, Pitt County, NC Rachel Hawley, City of Burlington, NC

images

www.ncveteranspark.org www.3cma.com Pitt County Office of Public Information Pencils on In This Issue page: Digital Juice Editor’s Themekit 111

NC Com magazine, established in 2011, is published quarterly in Pitt County, North Carolina, by the Pitt County Office of Public Information for the North Carolina City and County Communicators (NC3C). Subscriptions: visit www.nc3c.com or the site of any executive officer for your free subscription. Magazine is published online only. To request a high-quality printed version, call 252.902.2955 or e-mail pittinfo@pittcountync.gov. Allow 7-10 days for delivery. For costs, contact the Office of Public Information. Advertising: Rate card available upon request from Publisher. © 2011 Pitt County Office of Public Information for NC3C (All Rights Reserved.)

This and cover photos by Mike Emory, Pitt County Public Info. Specialist. They were taken at the DRC set up after Hurricane Irene.

NC|Com

NC3C’s Magazine for Communication Professionals Volume Two . Number Two

In This Issue cover stories 7

3CMA Through the Eyes of a Newbie

NC Vets Park Opens to Large Crowds

Never attended a 3CMA conference? Well check that bag and fasten that seatbelt, because we’re going to Austin.

Approximately 3,000 people attended the dedication of the NC Veterans Park in July. We take an inside look.

Did You Say Evacuate?

Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and man-made disasters.

In an emergency, PIOs are on the front lines, getting the word out.

fixtures 6 10 20

President’s Message Should I...? Shop Talk

pencils. remember those? we used them before keyboards and touch pads. info on credits page

North Carolina

City & County Communicators

www.nc3c.com Visit us. Then join us.

President’s Message

NC3C President Mandy Pitts

Dear NC3C Members,

Welcome to the second edition of NC|Com, a magazine for communication professionals in North Carolina. NC|Com is created by NC3C Secretary Kiara Jones, and we thank her, as well as the contributing authors, for this quarter’s edition. Since the July edition, there have been hurricanes, tornados, sinkholes and a few mishaps in governments that have to do with people, not natural disasters. All situations are intense, no matter how small or large, and most can be full of anxiety, different personalities, and complex command chains. Talking with several of you over the last few months, I found a common thread among all situations, and that is NC3C relationships that have been formed. That makes me proud, as it is one of the key reasons this organization was officially created in 2007. Fellow peers who are not in “crisis mode” are available for those handling a situation, and have been and continue to be a good outlet for listening, venting, vetting, and advising. We want to invite more people into our NC3C family and I encourage all of you located within an hour or two of each other to connect more by holding informal meetings over lunch, and invite those who are not in NC3C and encourage them to join by pointing out the benefits of being a member of this growing organization. If you would like a board member to join your group for lunch, contact one who lives near by and I am sure we will all do our best to make it to lunch. I recently attended the annual 3CMA conference with a handful of fellow NC3C members and we were all very proud of the North Carolina governments that received a Savvy, Silver Circle, or Award of Excellence Award. On page 13 you will see the winners, categories, and review the judges’ comments. And don’t forget about the NC3C “Excellence in Communications” nominations that are due on January 31, 2012. There is more information about the 2012 awards on page 14 and online at www.nc3c.com. I wish all of you a blissful fall and I look forward to watching our organization continue to flourish. If you have any questions or would like to work on a committee to meet our 2011-2012 goals, please email me at Mandy@ nc3c.com or call me at (828) 261-2222. Warmest Regards,

3CMA Through the Eyes of a Newbie Experience the conference held in Austin, TX

I don’t go out of town very often. I haven’t flown since I was in college. I’ve certainly never been to a conference as large as 3CMA’s. So, you can imagine that I was a bit overwhelmed when I was told that I’d get the opportunity to fly to Austin, Texas, to participate in our national professional association’s annual conference during my first year on the job as my city’s public information officer. That overwhelming feeling quickly dissipated as, upon arrival, I was immediately reminded of why I love professional communicators. We have never met a stranger. As I hauled my luggage into the elevator to ascend to my eighth floor room at the conference hotel in Austin, I was greeted by the smiling face of a pretty blond woman who quickly asked, “Are you here for 3CMA?” I told her that I had just arrived for the conference and that it was my first time. She responded that I would love it, and then she wished me a nice evening, as I exited the elevator. I’m pretty sure there are no other government professionals as friendly as communicators tend to be. I knew I was in for something special at 3CMA when I was nearly moved to tears during the Opening Session of the conference during which a clip of a Forklift Danceworks production titled, The Trash Project, was shown. This moving production was a “unique partnership between an Austin arts organization and a City of Austin department, featuring 24 employees and 16 large sanitation vehicles from Solid Waste Services” that created beauty out of a service our cities provide daily. After that moving experience, I was really receptive to the message from keynote speaker, Hans Bleiker, from the Institute for Participatory Management and Planning. Mr. Bleiker taught us how to build consensus for projects in our communities. He stressed that there will be negatively affected interests in everything that governments do, but it is our job to convince residents that: there is a real problem; we are the correct entity to address the problem; we are going about it in the most responsible manner possible; and we are listening and do care! These are really profound principals that can help reverse the anti-government sentiment that many of us experience within our communities. Now I’m pumped up, but faced with a conundrum - which concurrent session do I attend? Note to self: next time, buddy up with someone and agree to exchange notes.” I decide to attend the Big Impact Doesn’t Require Big Dollars session which was hosted by representatives from the City of Santa Clarita, CA, the City of Tallahasse, FL, and the City of Farmers Branch, TX. My major takeaway from this session was to take City Hall to the people and host a lot of events in the public, or reach out to the tech savvy among our residents and participate in virtual town halls. This provided a perfect segue into my next concurrent session, Innovations in Community Engagement. What I plan to steal…I mean borrow, from that session was the idea of creating “Meetings in a Box,” with activities designed so community groups can participate and give feedback about city issues without having to attend a meeting, or feel intimidated to voice their true opinions. At the conclusion of the session, my brain was pretty well fried and I was ready for dinner! 7

story continued on page 9

NC Vets Park Opens to Large Crowds Approximately 3,000 people attended the dedication of the NC Veterans Park earlier this year. Welcome inside.

About 3,000 people attended the dedication of the NC Veterans Park in Fayetteville July 4. Many veterans and their families were on hand to be part of the event. The Park is the first state park in the country that honors all military veterans. Gov. Bev. Perdue and Mayor Tony Chavonne provided remarks before holding a ribbon cutting in front of the Park’s entrance on Walter Street. The 82nd Airborne Division’s All-American Chorus performed in the Park’s amphitheater. The Veterans Park was made possible by a $13.7 million appropriation from the North Carolina State Legislature. The Park is a hugely significant project to Fayetteville and all of North Carolina, as it honors veterans, past, present, and future; the Park is rare in that respect, because many veterans’ memorials and parks only honor those who have been killed in combat. The Park also offers a community park setting. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful venue by relaxing at the amphitheater while reading a book or taking a walk. The benches and beautiful landscaping provide for a peaceful experience. The North Carolina Veterans Park further revitalizes Fayetteville’s rejuvenated downtown and provides a proper venue for veterans and their families to heal, reflect, and reunite with and meet other veterans. The Veterans Park incorporates many natural and architectural elements that represent the state. Symbolic features pay homage to the veterans from all 100 counties and represent the citizens who have supported them. The Park tells the story of a veterans’ journey before, during, and after service. The Community Plaza represents “life before service” and features the Oath of Service Wall with 100 bronze castings of veterans’ hands, one from each North Carolina county. Another highlight of the Community Plaza is the Community Columns, each adorned with the names of two North Carolina counties and hand castings of four civilians from each county, representing those who have supported veterans. The Service Plaza represents “life during service.” The Patriot Wall includes a moving water wall to depict the action and excitement of a military career. The central part of the Patriot Wall is the Reflection Wall, constructed of reflective stainless steel that mirrors the images of visitors. The Pride and Purpose Tower is a steel and granite tower rising from a pool of water. The tower features special effects lighting and a light cannon to mark special occasions or welcome home troops. The Reflection Garden is symbolic of “life after service.” It gives visitors and veterans an opportunity for quiet reflection. Also important to the Park’s story are two gathering places that invite visitors to come together 8

story continued on page 12

3CMA Through the Eyes of a Newbie continued

After my first Texas Bar-B-Que experience and a Segway tour of Texas’ capital city on Wednesday night, I woke up ready for my first whole day of 3CMA sessions on Thursday. During breakfast, I had the opportunity to chat with a gentleman from the Port of Long Beach, CA, who once reported for the LA Times! Then, I was treated to a presentation by Lionel Menchaca, the chief blogger for Dell. The star of the morning’s Technology Session? Sarah Smith of Facebook’s Online Operations in Austin! Sarah explained that the internet experience has evolved from “browsing” to “searching” and now, to “discovering.” She went over all sorts of little tips for government use of Facebook including profanity, age, and country filters, and encouraged the use of “groups,” which she considers an untapped resource provided by Facebook. Sarah fielded a lot of questions from the audience and alluded to some major changes that would be announced during the upcoming web developers’ conference. See a list of the top 6 Facebook changes here: http://mashable.com/2011/09/22/facebookchanges-roundup/ After a lovely lunch and some information about IBM’s efforts to make cities smarter, I headed off to my next concurrent session, Mastering Internal Communications and Employee Engagement. This is a topic near and dear to my heart, so I couldn’t wait to hear what the representatives from Fort Collins, CO, Port of Long Beach, CA, and Charlottesville, VA, had to share with us. We were reminded to keep employees informed, try to find out what makes employees happy (and not what makes them unhappy) about their job, to be cognizant of multiple personality types when communicating with our employees, and to react to the fact that we now have four generations making up our work-force. Many ideas were shared regarding how to combat these issues, but merely reminding myself of these important facts will help me create a more effective internal communication model in my city. Next up (yes, there’s more), was the final concurrent session of the day titled Content Strategy for Social Media. I gained a new perspective of an entire digital world and how people operate in that world. Mr. Joah Spearman, a former head speech writer for FEMA, spoke about companies who do all of their marketing via Twitter, and how brands and people can become famous simply through a viral social network presence! I left the final session of the day determined to start listening in on this digital conversation, and to get my city more active in it. It was time to head out into the city to be a tourist. Austin - is amazing! Seriously, during my last evening in town, I got to check out the largest urban bat colony in the US, dined at Carlos Santana’s restaurant, ate a cupcake from a “food truck,” and did some shopping in the uniquely wonderful vintage stores on South Congress Avenue. As I wandered downstairs and got my first cup of (unlimited) Starbucks coffee on my last day at the conference, I was both excited for some more sessions and sad to know that soon, I’d have to get back on a plane and head home. I didn’t have too much time to sulk, though, as my first session of the day was starting, We’re Not the Bad Guy, Really! Communicators from Avondale and Mesa, AZ, were ready to show me how to convince our citizens that we really are on their side. Ideas ranging from citizen’s academies to iPhone Apps, “City Halls at the Mall,” and crowd sourcing were brought up as ways to solicit input from our residents in order to make our cities better places. Before I knew it, I was headed to my last session in Austin. This session was a panel discussion led by City of Austin communicators, a local journalist, and a local social media expert on Emergency Communications in Real Time. The panel gave us an example of an emergency situation they’d handled poorly in the past and then literally showed us how they put what they learned into practice while responding to the wildfire situation Austin was experiencing at the time. They showed us how their establishment of the hashtag #CentralTXFires had helped people search for and aggregate every conversation regarding the fires. That hashtag is still being used, over a month later, to discuss the fires and the recovery process. This was by far the most enlightening and relevant session of the whole conference, and it was a great way for me to leave my first experience at 9

story continued on page 11

Should I...

Join the NC3C Members Page?

Yes, you should! As communicators, we’re constantly striving to find ways to entice people to visit our web sites, view our photos, and develop a yearning for learning more about our organizations. Well, NC3C is no different. The leadership of NC3C would like to enhance the organization’s web site to include a user-friendly photo gallery from each of our conferences. The web site, www.nc3c.com, currently contains web albums from the 2008 and 2009 annual conferences, and will soon feature pix from the 2010 and 2011 conferences, including casual photos, award photos, presentation photos, and more. Check it out and see if you’re among the “celebrities” posted on the web site. The next step in the enhancement of our web site is the addition of a “Member Profile” page, which will feature each NC3C member. But, we can’t start the page without your help. Please send your photo, name, jurisdiction, email address, web address, and phone number to Gary (gherman@newtonnc.gov) at your earliest convenience. What will you NC3C 2011-2012 Goals get out of it? Glad you asked. Visitors to the new Member Profile page will be able to see their fellow NC3C members at a glance. Meet someone at a conference but can’t recall her name? You can go to the page and easily put her name with her face. See a cool video on an NC3C member’s YouTube channel and want to send him a quick e-mail? Well, the Profile page will allow you to find his address and send your encouraging comments with a few clicks. Just joined the organization and want your new colleagues to know who you are? Well, you get the picture! (Pun intended.)The Member Profile page will become one of the many benefits of being an NC3C member, and will serve as another networking tool that will enable us to continue to form closer relationships with our NC3C peers.

1. For the NC3C membership to use the communications tools in place to help members network and seek advice from peers throughout the year. 2. Increase participation in the “Excellence in Communications” awards program. 3. Increase NC3C retention and membership.

Also, if you haven’t already joined the NC3C Facebook Group, visit www.facebook.com/groups/nc3cgroup/.

Gary Herman|City of Newton Gary’s going to include his pic on the Member Profile page!

3CMA Through the Eyes of a Newbie continued

3CMA realizing how very important my role as a government communicator is. As I stared out of the window of the plane during my flight home, I had the opportunity to reflect (while attempting to divert a mild panic attack about how much work had likely piled up on my desk while I was gone). The 3CMA conference not only allowed me to catch up with some of my favorite NC3C members, but gave me the chance to meet new communicators, some of whom have been in this field longer than I have been alive. From these experienced professionals I have heard new ideas, learned some tried and true best practices, and gained affirmation that the government communications field is everything I could have hoped for in a career.

Rachel Hawley|City of Burlington Rachel on a Segway in Austin. That rhymes with ... segue!

So, pretty sure you noticed the pix at the end of the stories. Pretty sure you figured out those pix are the authors of the stories. Guess what? Your pic could appear at the end of a story, too. E-mail articles to kdjones@pittcountync.gov. There’s no word limit, and any supporting images you have are welcome. No author? That’s ok - send a story idea.

Did You Say Evacuate? In an emergency, PIOs are an essential link in the media-public information chain

When Hurricane Irene hit in August, it came at a time when I was supposed to be out of the office and preparing for a great celebration. My best friends were going to renew their vows after 15 years of marriage and I was the maid of honor. The dresses were steamed, and hair appointments were made. Reports of a hurricane out in the Atlantic came in and we were hoping that it would stay there. Turn east, away from the coast. But, as we know, that didn’t happen. So, instead of hearing my Pastor say, “We are gathered here today,” I was hearing, “The EOC will open at 6:00p on Friday.” Irene was expected to hit Greenville early Saturday, so I wasn’t preparing to walk down the aisle in my silver maid of honor dress, but I was in the basement in our emergency operations center, settling down for what would be 3 days of intense communication dissemination. During an emergency, PIOs become essential employees. It starts when preliminary reports of a natural disaster come in - reporters want to know what officials are doing to prepare. When is the hurricane going to make landfall? Are we going to open shelters? Are citizens required to go to shelters? What about the segment of the population with special medical needs? Will citizens from other counties be allowed to stay in our shel-

story continued on page 16

NC Vets Park continued

and acknowledge veterans. Camaraderie Plaza is an amphitheater that allows the community to welcome home and celebrate veterans. The Community Lawn is a large garden space for casual relaxation and formal ceremonies or planned events. The artwork of the North Carolina Veterans Park includes two art pieces made by veterans. Seven art pieces constructed from decommissioned military materials are displayed in the Artifacts Gallery. The pieces symbolize commitment, courage, dedication, heroism, sacrifice, service, and honor. The significance of the North Carolina Veterans Park is addressed in the guiding vision behind the Park’s design, which states: “From the soils of North Carolina, you left your families and homes with purpose to serve your country. The people of North Carolina honor your service and welcome you home.” Several people in attendance at the July 4 dedication spoke with City staff on why they attended and what they liked about the Park. Here are some of their comments: Devane Brewington, retired Army, served in Vietnam and Desert Storm: “I came to the Park to honor the other veterans who are here today. I had several friends that I am honoring today by being here. Although they are not here, I wanted to make sure I came out and supported them.” Billy Daughtry, Army veteran, served in Vietnam: “I live close by and I am glad the Park is here in Fayetteville. I plan on bringing my wife and grandchildren back to see what fellow veterans have done for their country.” Dallas Harrell, retired Navy, also served 5 years in the Army: “I think the Park is wonderful. My hand is one of the castings on the Oath Wall from Sampson County. It will let my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren know that our family did something.” Paul Martin, Army veteran, Currituck County Commissioner: “I am here today to honor a gentleman from our county, the late Roy Davidson. He was a distinguished veteran of World War II and his family is here today. As an elected official and the only veteran on the county board, I believe it’s my duty to be here for Mr. Davidson. This Park is absolutely beautiful.” Davidson’s hand casting in bronze is in the Park and he passed away before the Park opened. Martin and his wife drove 240 miles to represent Davidson. Jean Stultz, late husband was retired military and retired civil service: “My husband died two years ago and he would have been very, very proud to see this Park completed. I think the Park is absolutely wonderful and one of the best things we ever could have done in Fayetteville. It’s going to mean a lot to a lot of people, to a lot of retired soldiers, as well as anyone who’s ever been connected to the military. I think there will be a lot of people who will stop here to come and see the Park.” The North Carolina Veterans Park is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and on Sunday, from noon until 5:00 p.m. The Park’s address is 300 Bragg Blvd., Fayetteville, NC, and admission is free. For more information, visit www.ncveteranspark.org. To stay apprised of all that is going on in the All-America City of Fayetteville, “Like” the City of Fayetteville on Facebook and follow the City on Twitter. Nathan Walls|City of Fayetteville Hey, Fayetteville’s City Hall is on Hay Street. 12

And the Oscar® Goes to... Ok, not the Oscar®, but NC3C and Savvy Awards, which are like the communications equivalents of the golden statuette

Welcome to the Awards Section of the magazine. On the next few pages, we will showcase the NC3C members who came out winners during the 3CMA Savvy Awards program and offer information on how you can apply for next year’s NC3C awards, submitted by NC3C President Mandy Pitts.

NC3C Savvy Winners (September 2011) Savvy Winners TV and Videos – One-time Special Programming (0 -93,500 population) Wilson, NC “Troubled Waters” Judges’ comments: His video is pretty much perfect. It takes a complicated issue, tells the full story, but never loses our attention or becomes burdensome to watch. The tone is easy to understand without talking down to the audience. Great research, amazing production value, and interesting pacing. The video grabbed our attention and held it. Results were also impressive. Citizen Participation (No population category) Wilmington, NC “Budget Outreach Initiative” Judges’ Comments: Loved the ‘online budget challenge.’ Clever concept to seek citizen input on the budget – never easy to do! Comprehensive and multifaceted, this entry truly captured our imagination. Silver Circle TV and Videos – Public Service Announcement (110,000 and up population) Winston-Salem, NC “Every Butt Hurts” Judges’ Comments: Elegant, yet direct in conveying the problem of cigarette litter in the downtown area. I don’t want to be the person that had to count the butts, “but” good job by all in reaching the target audience, resulting in a reduction of liter. TV and Videos –Promotional Videos (71,000 – 182,000 population) Cabarrus County, NC “Channel 22 Promo” Judges’ Comments: “Attention grabbing graphics were able to showcase a variety of programming for Channel 22. Clear message that the station now offers a variety of programs and not just government access. Great voice montage of host that kept the pace going and keeping the audience wanting more. 13

TV and Videos –Promotional Videos (200,000 and up population) Winston-Salem, NC “Legacy Music Video” Judges’ Comments: A wonderfully creative collaboration. “One hundred thousand people, where will they go? Planning won’t be a problem after seeing this video.” Digital Interactive – Social Media (one population category) Catawba County, NC “Citizen Interaction in a 140 Character World” Judges’ Comments: Nice integration of multiple social media sources and a great use of Foursquare and QR codes. This government “gets” digital communication and uses a constantly evolving approach. I love the video summary of the upcoming council meeting; so much more informative than trying to wade through a typical agenda with attachments. Most Innovative Communications (one population category) Chapel Hill, NC “Council Orientation” Judges’ Comments: Creative approach to a common problem: how to effectively introduce new councilmember’s to complexity of their new jobs and the organization. A lot of work and thought went into this program. This is one of these great 3CMA member ideas to steal! Award of Excellence Communication or Marketing Programs (0 – 140,000 population) Wilmington, NC “Front Street Improvement Project” Judges’ Comments: Classic example of how a well-crafted communications plan made a potential crisis an absolute victory for everyone involved. Communication or Marketing Programs (181,000 and up population) Durham, NC “Paving the Way to a Better Durham” Judges’ Comments: Very nice job of putting together a bond program in tough times. Bond referendums are tough topics any time but particularly in tough economic times. Durham initiated a thorough education campaign with great supporting documents, confirming the volume of media coverage. They didn’t just start the conversation; they kept it going in a variety of forums. Love the balance of letters to editor, earned media and social media as evidence. Nice editorial cartoons and video show.

2012 NC3C Awards North Carolina has numerous stellar special events, citizen participation programs, TV programs, and projects that are creative, but luckily inexpensive! All of these communication initiatives are vital in government communications and start thinking about which projects you plan to submit for next year’s prestigious NC3C “Excellence in Communications” Award Program. See full awards program rules online at www.nc3c.com. 14

Did You Say Evacuate? continued

ters? What about pets – is there a shelter for them? Wait, will we have to evacuate? If you’ve never been in an emergency operations center (EOC) during an event, it’s sort of hard to describe. There are representatives from all sorts of agencies, including the Red Cross, Highway Patrol, Emergency Management officials… Hotlines are set up; stations are erected around the room, equipped with phones, pad and pen; and signs so your function is easily identifiable. The local news is on one TV, while the Weather Channel may be on another. People and equipment necessary to mitigate the impending disaster are all in one room. In the midst of this controlled chaos, PIOs are on the front lines, making sure the media has appropriate information so they can get it to the public. All of those questions I listed above are ones the public will ask, and public information officers rely on the media to be the second link in the PIO-media-general public inLong line at the Disaster Recovery Center in Pitt formation chain. Whether the disaster is natural or man-made, County, after Hurricane Irene whether you were able to prepare for it or was blindsided by it, a few basic principles can be used when responding to all emergencies. With that said, I’d like to leave you with nuggets gleaned from my recent Hurricane Irene experience. Having started training for events like Irene since I first came to work for Pitt County, I can tell you that being in the real thing caused me to put everything I learned into play. You know those press calls you handle every once in a while in your daily duties? Well, those calls will increase. A lot. I’ve never done so many phone interviews in my life. I got to speak to AP reporters, the Wall Street Journal, and even received an e-mail from someone at CNN. Handling all of those calls make it 10x more important for you to get accurate information from the experts around you in the EOC. Which leads me to my next point. That information will change frequently, because events like hazardous materials spills or hurricanes are dynamic and fluid, and new situations will unfold on a regular basis. That’s why being in the room during briefings is so important for the PIO. Be in there, asking questions and taking notes, so you’re ready for that next interview, or so you can determine if it’s best to hold a press conference. No matter what medium you use to communicate, be sure it’s with accuracy and authority. During disasters, citizens want answers and the media wants to provide them. The press will report something, so be sure it’s the message you want to disseminate. Collaborate with PIOs from other agencies that are affected by the event so you can be sure you all are on the same page. Reporters very well may ask you a question about another agency, and it helps if you actually have an answer. Realize that fear and uncertainty can cause rumors to pop up. I got a call from a citizen during Irene who said she’d heard there was a Pitt County curfew. She had times and everything. And you guessed it – there was no such curfew. It’s our job as PIOs to keep our ears to the ground so we can hear these rumors and dispel them. There’s lots more to say, but my last point is that at the end of the day, you must take the burden of communicating with the press off those mitigating the disaster and ensure that the citizens have the most accurate, timely, and helpful information possible so they emerge from the disaster safely and… well informed. Kiara Jones|Pitt County Kiara still likes pencils, but prefers pens. 16

The Third FB Evolution and What it Means to Us

September’s Facebook developers conference, F8, revealed some changes to the popular social media site

On September 22, the annual Facebook developers conference, F8, was held in San Francisco, CA. What? You say you aren’t a web developer and F8 means nothing to you? Well, think again. The conference announced a multitude of changes that may affect the way that organizational Facebook pages interact with fans. Let’s start with a quick rundown. The good: You no longer need to wait to accumulate 25 fans to assign your page a custom URL. The bad: Pages no longer have the ability to message their fans. The ugly: Facebook users will no longer see page updates in their news feeds; these will be banished to the new “real time ticker” that will quickly publish any action a user’s friend’s take on Facebook in a small box on their home page. Facebook claims to be offering more of what users are looking for in the “top feed” based on the profiles they visit and interact with most often. The new “OpenGraph” system that Facebook is implementing will allow sharing to a degree never seen before. Through new developer created-custom apps, users will be able to [verb] any [noun], letting people know that they [hiked] the [greenway] or [worked out] at the [senior center]. While there is no official word that the new “Timeline” profile announced for Facebook users will ever migrate to the pages, rumor has it that it will. So what’s next for government pages? The tech geeks on the inter-webs have some advice for us. They predict that the new “GraphRank” and “Ticker” functions will not benefit the pages of small to medium sized business (or those of government and nonprofit organizations). Therefore, they suggest we do our best to achieve greater interactions and engagement with our fans in order to stay on their top feeds and allow greater visibility for our pages. They also suggest paying for Facebook ads in order to attract fans and communicate our messages. Finally, some of the social media gurus allude to the Google+ revolution and suggest that Facebook page owners jump on board while the Google+ tide is on the rise! Rachel Hawley|City of Burlington You’re right. You already saw her pic.

Know someone who wants to further his or her communications career? Check out this job offer from Hickory, NC. The city has an opening for a Communications Specialist which entails coordinating the dissemination of information to the public, marketing city programs and events and more. Close date is Nov. 5. More: www.hickorync.gov

North Carolina City & County Communicators 2011‐2012 Dues Invoice Please complete and mail with membership dues of $50 with check made payable to NC3C and mailed to:

NC City‐County Communicators c/o LouAnne Kincaid, Treasurer Caldwell County Government Offices PO Box 2200 Lenoir, NC 28645 ______________________________________ Name ______________________________________ Title ______________________________________ Jurisdiction ______________________________________ Address ______________________________________ City / State / Zip Code ______________________________________ Phone – Fax ______________________________________ E‐mail ______________________________________ Website Yes, please reach me about serving on a committee! Tax ID Number for NC3C – 26‐0265279

Shop Talk

Used in the making of NC|Com...

This is only the second edition of NC|Com, but it takes a lot of work to put it together. Ideas for the stories must be formulated, copy written, the layout decided, and the cover chosen. There are a few different pieces of software used to design an issue, the most obvious being the one used to write this story – Microsoft Word. But there are more, not-so-obvious applications used, and they are the topic of this Shop Talk piece. Adobe Photoshop CS4 (Ps) Photoshop is a photo editing program that allows users to manipulate pix, create graphics, and even modify video images. It’s not your everyday, consumer picture editing software, and requires a bit of initial time and effort to get the hang of; but, once you become more familiar with it, it’s pretty easy to use, and you can learn tips and tricks by playing around with it. You can go as simple or as in depth as you want with this application, and there are tons of tutorials and magazines, etc. out there to help you become a pro. * Ps CS4 is used to create this mag’s Adobe Illustrator CS4 (Ai) Illustrator is a cover, edit some pix, and the vector images used in Shop Talk’s (and graphic design program that’s wonder- the President’s Message) header come from its custom shapes library. ful for, well, illustrating, or more specifically drawing vector images, perspective drawings, and even creating filigree. You can paint with brushes that look like the real thing, and the scaling with this program is incredible. Another great thing about Ai is that you can save projects as .eps files, which allows screen printers, etc., to manipulate your images without losing quality. So, the next time you design a logo for your t-shirts, try using Illustrator. * Ai CS4 is used in this mag mostly for the images located in its symbols library. It also makes very clean .pdf files, something Ps can have issues with sometimes. Adobe InDesign CS4 (ID) InDesign is software that’s excellent for desktop publishing. It lets you choose how many pages you want in a document or booklet, customize bleed and slug, choose landscape or portrait orientations, create interactive presentations, and even export to Flash and PDF. It takes you from document creation to the printer by providing excellent preflight tools, and is the go-to software for digital publishing. * You probably guessed that ID CS4 is used to layout NC|Com. Images, copy, ads, the cover – everything is placed into InDesign, exported to PDF, and then uploaded to www. issuu.com to produce the beautiful final product you’re reading right now.

NC3C:

Celebrating 5 years

in 2012

Help us celebrate by becoming a member and coming to the conference in Chapel Hill. See you there. www.nc3c.com