Category: twitter

Memo to POTUS: There is no such thing as ‘off the record’

So, President Obama was off the record when he called Kanye West a “jackass” — a comment that was overheard and tweeted by ABC News “Nightline” co-anchor Terry Moran, and subsequently retweeted, Facebooked and otherwise spread virally throughout the social mediasphere.

Um, excuse me, but: Since when is a president — or any public figure — ever off the record?

Media Relations 101, Rule No. 1: There is no such thing as “off the record.” This goes for presidents of colleges and universities as well as presidents of the countries. It goes for any public figure. (This means you, too.)

Never assume you are ever off the record when talking to a reporter, a blogger, a tweeter. Never assume anything you say while prepping for an interview will not become the story.

This lesson is more important in today’s always-on mediasphere than it’s ever been.

Higher ed PR colleagues: Please make sure your university’s most visible, high-profile employees learn this rule. If you aren’t teaching it to them, then start. Use President Obama’s off-the-record gaffe as a teachable moment.

(Thanks to @SashaWolff for the L.A. Times story link.)

A close encounter with Twitter greatness

Until yesterday, I thought Jack Dorsey (one of the triumvirate of Twitter founders, better known as @jack in tweetdom) was just another new-media success story.

@jack, aka Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey
@jack, aka Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey
But that was before I learned, via St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Deb Peterson’s blog post, that he once attended the university where I work, Missouri S&T. He attended here in the ’90s, back when we were the University of Missouri-Rolla. He studied computer engineering here, and chances are great that we crossed paths on campus.

I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know about this connection previously. I’m doubly embarrassed that another university (Webster University, based in his hometown of St. Louis) will present him with a major award next week, instead of us.

The PR guy in me hates missed opportunities.

But maybe, now that I know Jack was a student here, I can work to reconnect our campus with him. According to at least two higher ed colleagues on Twitter, Jack is technically an alumnus of our university. One said so publicly, the other privately, via direct message.

Anyway, I am now one of @jack’s kabillion followers on Twitter. I hope to one day meet the man personally.

Congratulations, Mr. Dorsey, on your award from Webster University. I only wish we’d connected with you sooner.

P.S. – I’m glad to read that you’re still a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Update: Jack Dorsey just gave a shout out to Missouri S&T, exposing our Twitter site to more potential views than most of our media relations efforts ever would.