After nearly 80 years of print operations, Newsweek will print its last magazine on December 31. It will provide all its content digitally after that.

Adapt or perish.

Many print operations have not moved quickly enough to embrace the new reality. Distribution costs (huge rolls of newsprint, delivery trucks, print operators and printing presses) are a heavy drag on the bottom line forcing layoffs even among those who hold the keys to the industry’s future — the good storytellers.

Shedding distribution costs is an opportunity. Yes, it will sadly mean lost jobs and pain for those in distribution. But candle makers endured the same fate when light bulbs arrived. Too many print publishers insist that people want their papers in their hands and there will always be a need for that. Well, people loved riding their horses but when automobiles arrived, they got over it.

A Pew Research Center study indicates just 23% of adult Americans will read a print newspaper today, down from 47% in 2000. For magazines, it’s 18%, compared to 26% in 2000. Meanwhile, Newsweek states its online sister publication, The Daily Beast, attracts more than 15 million unique visitors a month, a 70 percent jump in the past year alone.

The handwriting is not only on the wall, it’s in BOLD CAPS. In a statement, Newsweek said, “we have reached a tipping point at which we can most efficiently and effectively reach our readers in all-digital format.”

The good news is the consumption of information has exploded due to the Internet and social media. Those who produce good content — concise, compelling stories that interests people — will own the 21st century. Since anyone on Facebook is in the publishing business, the competition is fierce. Attention is a commodity and the print industry’s focus should be on always improving content, not on clinging to dinosaurs.

Adapt or perish.

The writer, a small business owner, is a former TV news journalist and current adjunct media professor at the College of St. Rose.

President Barack Obama used an attacking style and an incumbent’s foreign policy advantage to win on points in his third presidential debate with Governor Mitt Romney. A CNN poll of debate viewers gave Obama a 48-40 edge.

Yet, Romney passed two important tests. Those same viewers placed the two men in a virtual tie on being commander-in-chief, a key test for any challenger in a foreign policy debate with a sitting president. Romney also gained a virtual tie (Obama 48%, Romney 47%) on likeability, a key Romney disadvantage in the campaign.

The President had a sharper focus on foreign policy issues, capitalizing on his first-hand experience. Romney was too vague and much more willing to agree with the president than in previous debates. Romney’s sharp pivot to domestic policy did help his cause, but his decision to pass on the Libya controversy indicated his strategy in debate three was to try to be more likable than forceful.

Obama repeatedly attempted to portray Romney as “reckless,” yet Romney gave him little ammunition. The challenger gave an extremely measured performance emphasizing peace and taking a much more conciliatory tone towards China. The voters must decide for themselves if this is shift in emphasis or a shift in position.

The final presidential debate was more of a chess match than a fist fight. We’ll have a better idea of who really won in two weeks.

The writer is a speaking coach, adjunct media professor, and former elected official.

“Twitter is the new AP news wire.” — Andrew Mangini

That conclusion from a savvy communications director for a NY State Senator speaks volumes on how important Twitter has become for reaching and interacting with media.

Mangini (second from left) took part in a PRSA panel on social media and politics moderated by a TV reporter, YNN’s Nick Reisman (far left).

Zack Hutchins (second from right), a New Media Director runs a Senate Majority Twitter account on what’s happening in the state legislature. He said it picked up 4,000 Twitter followers in one day at the height of the same sex marriage debate in the legislature. We literally were getting “hundreds of tweets per second,” Hutchins said. He advised the way to get Twitter followers was “to provide a service you can’t get anywhere else.”

All emphasized mistakes made on Twitter are hard to retract because simply deleting a post doesn’t remove it from where it has been re-tweeted to.  Andrew Gregory, responsible for the Unshackle NY Twitter account, highlighted the importance of good proofreading, “You should measure twice and cut once,” and play close attention to message discipline.

Repetition is needed, too, given the volume involved in the Twitter universe. “Don’t be afraid to tweet the same thing over the course of the day,” said Hutchins.

Reisman said he gets between 400-500 emails a day and relies on Twitter to keep up to date. “You have to grab my attention.”

As for managing the volume of social media, Mangini says “take advantage of Twitter lists.” Hutchins recommends using search.twitter.com to narrow in on the subjects and people that interests you most.

The writer is a communications and political consultant and former TV anchor.

Four years ago, Americans voted for hope and change. This time, they voted for the status quo — same president, same party controls each house. The nation remains divided about 50/50.

The election was more about why Mitt Romney lost than why President Obama won. Though Romney made his mistakes, fellow Republicans may have cost him the presidency. The bruising Republican primary put Romney in a deep hole in terms of likability and drained his resources, badly needed in the summer months when the Obama Team was pounding away at him. Gingrich and Santorum, with their shameless class warfare, spent a fortune attacking Romney.

Two Senate Republican candidates (Akin and Mourdock) made ridiculous statements on rape that were quickly wrapped around Romney’s neck. Romney’s gender gap was not all his own doing.

Had there been no storm, Romney may have won. He had the momentum and the polls were clearly moving in his favor. Then, the storyline changed and Obama capitalized on the moment. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dealt the final Republican blow. Yes, his responsibility in a time of crisis was to have a constructive relationship with the president. But that is a different thing than his over-the-top praise of the kind of leader Obama was. This was a central issue in the campaign and Christie knew it.

Christie no doubt feels genuine compassion for those affected in his state. But he also seized the political opportunity, grabbing the national spotlight to show how “bipartisan” he was. It was a calculation based on his own political self interest, fully aware an Obama win would create an open seat for president in 2016. This criticism gains validity given his “Christie Fest” keynote address at the GOP convention.

Mitt Romney was an imperfect candidate. His 47% remark hurt greatly, as did his “self deport” plan for illegal immigrants. The “Hispanic problem” looms as a great GOP challenge, especially given the key role they play in many swing states. Hispanics are a fast-growing group and they gave about 70% of their vote to Obama. The GOP must develop a workable immigration policy acceptable to their base and to Hispanics.

The voters did not reject Republican values on Election Day. Indeed, “the people’s house” remains firmly Republican. Candidate Mitt Romney found his stride demonstrated by his historic first debate performance. He came up just short in a race where Republican misbehavior may have been the difference.

The writer, a speaking and media coach, is a former elected official who has managed a number of campaigns that unseated entrenched incumbents.

The consumption of information has exploded with the Internet. That’s the good news. The bad news is much of this content is not being read. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc have made us all publishers. However, being interesting is a skill. You have to work at it. How can we get more people to notice our posts? Consider these suggestions:

1- Ask yourself, “why would someone care about this?” Does your content serve a purpose? If you are vague about the answer, think of something else to post.

2- Get to the point. Fast. Attention is a commodity.

3- For professional content, jot down the most frequent questions you get about your field of expertise. If people are willing to pay for your expertise, there is certainly a market for the free stuff.

4- Be visual. Frequently use photos and videos that tell good stories.

5- Capitalize on the hot stories in the news. Use those stories as launch points to provide timely content. For example, I’m a speaking coach with political experience so I provided a lot of media analysis on the presidential debates.

6- Be plain spoken. The best writing is “conversation on paper.” We don’t talk so formally so we should not write that way either. Do not confuse conversational for bad grammar and punctuation. That sends the wrong message.

7- Ask for feedback. That’s the best way to get it.

So, what do you think? Helpful?

Contact Mark Grimm for help with becoming more interesting. Everybody has a story to tell.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is said to be stunned by the negative reaction among Republicans to his hug of President Obama just days before the election.

Really?

Christie’s Obama hug must be judged in the context of his GOP convention address — a self serving speech that barely mentioned Romney. The two episodes present a test for Christie. He flunked.

It is one thing for a Governor to say he needs a positive relationship with the President at a time of crisis. That’s a governor doing his job. But Christie went well beyond that. He gushed over the President’s photo op leadership when no such praise was warranted. Obama’s poor leadership was a central campaign theme and Christie knew it. This was Christie’s attempt to capitalize on the national spotlight to show how “bipartisan” he was. It was a self serving move that will backfire in the GOP.

Many believe, without the storm, and the Christie hug, Mitt Romney would be the next president. We’ll never know. The last ABC News-Washington Post poll released Election Eve had Obama up 50-47, pretty close to how it ended. The same poll had Romney up by one the day the storm hit.

Backstabbing is very common in politics, but rarely is it so visible and so obvious. Christie may have become the darling of the ultra liberal MSNBC and be getting praise from the NY Times editorial page. But among Republicans, he’s toast.

The writer is a former elected GOP official. More here on his political career and political consulting.

Think airport security is a pain in the neck? Well, in Albany, even the 1st Amendment gets strip searched.

When two young people tried to videotape handing out flyers explaining the right to opt-out of the body scanner, airport spokesman Doug Myers tried to shut them down. Fortunately, Albany County Sheriff Deputy Stan Lenic stood up for individual rights. Witness this for yourself.

You need a $1 million insurance policy to exercise your 1st Amendment rights? Keep in mind, the airport is public property so this is the government acting to curtail free expression. The Founding Fathers really had a problem with that. So should all of us.

Deputy Lenic did what all law enforcement are sworn to do, protect our rights. His measured, fair minded response reflects well on him and his department. Myers is another story. His insistence on the $1 million policy was pure intimidation and would likely have scared off most people. These young journalists are not most people. They stood their ground. Bravo!

The airport has some explaining to do. Far too often, in the name of “security,” some passengers and visitors feel they have been unfairly treated by airport personnel across America. This case is Exhibit One.

An apology is needed. Fast. The Bill of Rights is not excess baggage.

The writer is a former news anchor/reporter, radio host and adjunct media professor at the College of St. Rose. 

A new Michigan law will prevent the government from forcing most workers to pay union fees as a condition of employment (police and fire unions are exempt, so their status remains unchanged).

The central question is: Who should determine the true value of union representation, workers or the government? The law is a workers’ right bill because it leaves that choice to the workers.

The geography is significant. Michigan is the birthplace of the United Auto Workers union and home to a workforce with about 18% union membership.

Proponents also say this will bring more jobs to the state. According to the National Right to Work Committee, in the last 10 years, private-sector jobs grew by an average of 12.5 percent in Right-to-Work states, exceeding the growth in the others. The law’s critics say wages are higher in compulsory union states, but so too are the costs of living heightened by the heavy hand of government.

The measure will likely reduce revenue for Michigan union organizations, but that challenge falls on the shoulders of union leadership who must be more responsive to member concerns so the members want to join. Isn’t that how nearly every other organization works?

Unions were created for good reason — some employers exploited workers and the workers’ collective voice led to higher wages and better working conditions. That protection is still needed. It’s time for at least some union leaders to shed their “taxpayer be damned” attitude and earn the support, and the checks, of the workers they covet.

No one can argue with the old phrase my daddy frequently repeated to me as a kid, “The horses pulling the wagon ought to be getting their share of the oats.”

The writer is a small business owner who has formerly worked in union and non-union shops and is a former elected official who has engaged in union negotiations.

Cold calls don’t have to be root canals. If done well, they lead to great things — business for you, help for clients. ”Cold-calling success is dependent on attitude,” says sales mentor Pat Cavanaugh. View it as a challenge, he says, not as having the flu.

Do some homework first about the company and the people there because finding some common ground is always helpful. Have a specific plan, a script, ahead of time that guides you through. Be natural, but be prepared.

Drop the trite “How are you today?” line. That sets off the “salesperson alarm” to the recipient. The “King of Cold Calls,” Chuck Piola, usually opens with, ”I wonder if you could help me out?” For person-to-person especially, Piola says “people have to buy you before they buy the product. It helps a lot if you look successful!”

Sales authority Keith Rosen offers a sample script for breaking the ice. Rosen emphasizes, know the two compelling reasons that set you apart.

Prominent Albany, NY sales coach Lorraine Ferguson recommends calling your own phone to practice your open. “Open like you are talking to your best friend,” she says, and “try to find their pain.”

The goal is always to get an appointment so be assertive about setting one. As for the final rationale for doing cold calls, Piola puts it best, “You have to at least get up to bat.”
                                                                 ***

Learn more about how to achieve a sharper message from Mr. Clarity.

As I passed my daughter’s elementary school, I realized I was stretching my neck to look for anything suspicious. It was a reflex action not present a week ago.

We’d all love a quick-fix solution to this horrible reality: “What’s to stop any madman from shooting up our own kid’s school today?” Sadly, no quick fix exists.

Calls for gun control flood the media — standard fare now with shooting tragedies. Yet, we know some of the places with the strictest gun laws have the worst gun violence. No law can fix such a complex and difficult problem. That isn’t to say we couldn’t be more sensible about gun policy. It’s hard to defend opposition to background checks and training course requirements for any gun purchaser. And why does someone really need a semi-automatic weapon capable of killing many people quickly?

But the truth is the guns the Newtown killer used were obtained legally and semi-automatic weapons are used in a tiny portion of murders each year. Blaming guns diverts attention away from more pressing concerns we should be discussing:

1- Citizen Action
If terrorism has taught us anything, it is that citizens must play a greater role in protecting themselves. We can’t always wait until police arrive. This educational video on mass shootings is a primer on being more aware and more prepared.

2- More Parental Responsibility
The Newtown shooter’s mother thought it was a good idea to take him target shooting. And she had six guns in the home of a troubled youth. This horrific judgment can’t be solved with a law. Parents also play a key role in shaping our culture. It needs some fixing.

3- Mental Health Infrastructure
What does a responsible parent do with a dangerous youth who is out of control and he/she has no place to turn? Jail is so often an end result. They are filled with mentally ill people. The offenders aren’t usually any better when they get out. What does society do with all the ticking time bombs who haven’t committed any crimes yet? How do we protect the individual rights of the disturbed with our own rights to security? This is the discussion that we should be having in our state capitals and in Washington.

4- Enlightened School Security
I don’t think an armed cop at every school door is either affordable or practical. After all, the Newtown shooter could have shot the cop, too. It may make sense to send a couple of school employees to extensive gun training and have them keep concealed weapons at the school. Their selection would be secret. Does this idea involved risk?  Absolutely. But the harsh reality is, though there were brave acts, the adults at Sandy Hook Elementary failed to protect the kids in their care. The tragedy is not their fault, but being defenseless is not a strategy.

5 – Second Amendment Acceptance
More sensible gun policy has been hindered because gun advocates are skeptical of those who would deny them their second amendment right. The Second Amendment provides peace of mind to millions of law-abiding citizens who have every right to possess a firearm. The anti-gun advocates, and the politicians who pander to them, must back off. Simultaneously, the NRA has to play a more positive role in societal safety.

Like I said, no quick fix. But let’s get started.

Isn’t being beautiful a good thing?

The Internet is on fire over sportscaster Brent Musberger’s gushing praise of the beautiful girlfriend of University of Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron.

Miss Alabama Katherine Webb has become an overnight superstar following the exposure ESPN gave her at the national college football championship game Monday night.

Musberger has been called “creepy” for his remarks and ESPN apologized, claiming the commentary “went too far and Brent understands that.”

Webb, who has a bachelor’s degree in business management, says the media has been “unfair” to Musberger and she was “flattered” by what he said. She’d like more focus though on the “real winners,” the Alabama team that won the title.

Musberger was over the top and a 73-year-old man drooling over a 23-year woman on national TV is a little, shall we say, awkward. His remarks though were meant as a compliment. Whether you consider dating Webb a trophy or very good fortune lies in the eye of the beholder. Certainly, her modeling career will skyrocket due to the attention.

The incident has sparked a culture clash over the value of appearance. Treating women as objects is incredibly wrong and throwing a football well is not the only way to impress a woman. However, denying the existence of the laws of attraction and the value society places on good appearance is also carrying an unneeded chip on your shoulder.

“It’s extraordinary inappropriate to focus on an individual’s looks.” – Sue Carter, Michigan State University journalism professor in the NY Times.

Really, Sue? Then why do people spend so much time in front of the mirror before a big date?

Being beautiful is a good thing. And being in shape is even more important, especially at a time when America faces an obesity epidemic. We should salute Katherine Webb’s looks and the poise and intelligence she has shown while in the spotlight. Character, intelligence and kindness are traits that matter greatly, too. We should embrace them all.

The writer is a communications/media analyst and adjunct media professor. 

Jodie Foster’s acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards is a great “teaching moment” in speech preparation (view for yourself below). It was hard to watch.

I’m a longtime fan of the actress. The Cecil B. DeMille Award is a great honor and she had plenty of time to prepare. It’s too bad she did not make the most of it.

Good speech making requires a clear plan before hand on what you want to say and then to proceed with concise, conversational language. Foster seemed to be working things out in her mind on the fly — calling for more privacy while attempting to come out involving her sexuality.

Brains, beauty and fame don’t make you a good speaker. Ms. Foster has those. Speakers must portray conviction about what they are saying and be clear about it. Waffling is far too vague and makes the audience uncomfortable. Many great actors are poor speakers because revealing themselves is far more personal and difficult than revealing a character. Foster did try to get more personal and speak from the heart but she didn’t think it all the way through.

The good news is you don’t have to be rich and famous to speak well. Good speech principles are open to everyone. Foster’s appearance should not make you more nervous. It should be a lesson on how to prepare better.

The writer is a professional speaker and speaking coach.

Though couched in eloquent language involving American ideals, President Obama’s inauguration speech made one thing clear: he believes Reaganism is dead.

Inauguration speeches are about defining America’s greatness and the president believes his “liberal” or “progressive” agenda (depending on your point of view) is what makes America great. Big government is the answer, not the problem.

Reading between the lines, he sent a hands-off message on Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, called for more government spending on highways and rails, plugged government business regulation, called for government-imposed pay scales, opposed voter ID and wants to allow citizenship for at least some of those here illegally.

The word “taxpayer” is never mentioned. Not once. Any time climate change gets more attention than taxpayers, a line in the sand is being drawn.

Though he is the 51% president, there was little in the speech that was really conciliatory. The president has decided he is going to fight it out in is second term. His inauguration speech makes that clear.

One other point: in an 18-minute speech, President Obama mentions God seven times. The notion that the Constitution requires us to be a godless nation has been debunked again. Our nation stands for the freedom of religion, not the absence of it.

New York’s new gun law

- allows a state bureaucrat to take a gun away from a law-abiding citizen who has done nothing wrong
- makes a criminal out of a legal gun owner who fails to meet requirements that didn’t exist when the gun was purchased
-  requires a gun owner to get background checks on his best friend or brother-in-law before selling him his gun
- defines “assault weapons” as clearly as an advanced calculus formula

The state constitution requires bills to “age” three days on lawmakers’ desks to provide for sufficient review. That stipulation was circumvented by the Governor’s “message of necessity” that allowed for the bill’s passage just hours after being introduced. A careful reading of the text indicates many people may not be aware of just how far the law goes.

The key mental health provision raises civil liberty concerns. Mental health professionals are required to turn in their own patients who have guns if they think the patient is “likely to engage in conduct” that may be harmful. A state agency could then act to revoke the gun license even though the owner had done nothing wrong. This action is predicated on the false stereotype that the mentally ill are more dangerous than the rest of us. In fact, substance abusers, whether sane or not, are much more likely to be violent than the mentally ill in general. And divorce, unemployment and a history of physical abuse are better predictors of violent behavior than mental illness.

In all but eight counties in NY, gun licenses have never expired. The law changes that even for those who have the license already. These legal gun owners are now subject to re-certification. A failure to comply results in criminal charges.

Massive and confusing red tape now awaits legal gun owners and dealers who face the reality the same gun may fall into both legal and illegal categories depending on its modifications. Every state legislator should be required to define an assault weapon in 50 words or less. And, by the way, violent gang members have never worried much about red tape.

I believe in universal background checks, keeping guns away from kids and felons and recognizing some weapons should be banned because they are too effective at killing many people quickly. But NY’s gun law is a political response to a much more complex problem. The Newtown tragedy highlighted the need for more parental responsibility, where a mother allowed her disturbed son access to six guns. Haven’t heard a word about that. Americans also must get better at protecting themselves because being defenseless is not a strategy. And we must strengthen our core values that shape our behavior in the first place.

Blaming guns misses the target. And chipping away at the 2nd Amendment is even worse. Let’s work together to develop a thoughtful, comprehensive strategy that makes our lives, and our liberties, more secure.

The writer, a former elected official, spent three years as a senior staff member in the NY State Assembly.

Go Daddy French Kiss ad

Memo to Go Daddy: the Super Bowl is family entertainment. The domain registration company drew the game’s worst personal foul. Its French kiss ad with closeups of the lip lock appeared even though millions of kids watch the game. The company revels in its history of provocative Super Bowl ads. But when kids turn to their parents with that “what’s this?” look I want Go Daddy to answer them. Ads are designed to catch your attention and this one certainly does. But the conclusion people draw should worry Go Daddy — no one in company management has a clue about good taste.

Call me a sentimentalist, but the Oprah voiceover paying tribute to our troops and Paul Harvey’s poetic God made a farmer ad were touchdowns — thoughtful, emotional and visual. I liked the Skechers’ ad where the man runs down the cheetah and bumps knuckles with the gazelle. Funny, clever, with a strong connection to the product.

Volkswagen’s “no worries” ad drew some criticism over its portrayal of the Jamaican accent. The criticism is misplaced. The ad portrays the “get happy” personality in a most positive light.

Many of the ads did not stand out very much, in part because the bar has been raised pretty high for the big game’s commercials. When it comes to the Super Bowl, some of the best competition is off the field.

The writer is an adjunct media professor, former journalist and owner of a speaking, and media and messaging company.

I googled “Fracking in NY” and 13 non-ad links appeared on page one. Eight were anti-fracking sites. The other five links were articles and three of those had no pro-fracking quote. Not one pro-fracking site appeared in the list.

The head of the state’s Environmental Conservation Department Joe Martens appeared as a whipping boy for anti-fracking forces at a state budget hearing Monday. The crowd often interrupted his testimony with applause when lawmakers challenged him. Boos followed some remarks the crowd didn’t like.

In Albany, protesting is a profession. The sounds and visuals the protests create influence voters and politicians anxious to please them. A lot of money and preparation goes into these “spontaneous” protests. The media loves passion and visuals and the orchestrated protests are fodder for feeding the beast, the media’s relentless appetite for content.

The money behind the anti-fracking coalition is part of the untold story. The Heritage Foundation reports Promise Land, an anti-fracking film starring Matt Damon, was funded in all or in part by the United Arab Emirates. Arab oil has a financial interest in undermining U.S. domestic oil and gas production. The Park Foundation, an Ithaca-based nonprofit, spent well over $1 million in 2011 alone funding anti-fracking efforts in more than 20 organizations.

Despite the onslaught, a poll released Monday indicated New Yorkers are about evenly split on fracking. Pro-fracking forces need only look to other prominent Democrats to help make their case. The one-time head of the National Democratic Committee, former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, said, ”I don’t think we can afford to turn our backs” on shale drilling. Rendell insists it will reduce the carbon footprint and be a “very big job producer.”

President Obama’s outgoing EPA Director, hardly known for her business friendly policies, said just last month that fracking “can and should be done safely.” Lisa Jackson testified before Congress in 2011 she was “not aware of any proven case where the fracking process itself affected water.”

Sadly, politics is a fist fight. Winning requires being “all in.” Pro fracking forces should

- Expose the truth about the anti-fracking funding
- Monitor better and respond to every anti-fracking story. Expose any deception. An anti-fracking effort distributed 140,000 copies of a fake photo that claimed to be a gas drilling site. It was a coal mining site. Insist the media include their side of the story in every story.
- Create a much stronger social media presence
- Highlight fracking’s acceptance in all the other states doing it. Does anyone think the political leaders in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Dakota, Texas and Louisiana don’t care about safe drinking water?
- Think more visually. Visuals attract media and Internet readers.
- Provide the Governor the cover he’s looking for. There’s nothing indecisive about Andrew Cuomo. Anyone who can push gun control through in a matter of hours doesn’t need two years to make a fracking decision. The reluctance is partly about backup.

Game on.

The writer owns a communications company and is a former senior staff member of the State Assembly and a one-time elected official.

John Sweeney in Congress

Former Congressman John Sweeney begins hosting a one-hour radio show beginning Monday at 11 am on Talk 1300.

Nicknamed “Congressman Kickass” by Bush 43 for his aggressive role in the 2000 Florida recount, Sweeney told station boss Paul Vandenburgh this morning the show will be “topical” and feature guests that bring a “different perspective” than the standard fare. Sweeney says it will not just be about politics.

Foremost on listeners’ minds will be the question of Sweeney’s authenticity. Can Congressman Kickass be Ex Congressman Humility? Will he convince them he is truly repentant for his past troubles? Drunk driving problems eventually sent Sweeney to jail and domestic violence allegations involving his second wife were a big factor in his 2006 Congressional defeat. He once said he even contemplated suicide.

That’s a pretty big hole to dig out of but Sweeney appears to be saying all the right things involving his recovery.

The change is a savvy marketing move. It generates publicity and will bring the curious to the station’s dial. Sweeney’s perspectives as a former Congressman, a key player in the Bill Powers GOP revival in the early 90′s and as a recovering alcoholic can provide unusual insights. He’s also bright, articulate and opinionated —- all radio pluses. Vandenburgh and Sweeney are old Troy boys so personal loyalty is certainly a part of this, too. Vanderburgh has managed to survive as a sole station owner in the land of the radio giants. That’s no small feat.

In the end, the show’s faces the same test every other one faces: How interesting is it to listen to?

Most of us like to root for authentic redemption.

The writer is a former TV anchor who hosts a radio show on FM 88.3.

A great speech tells a story by painting a picture with a clear, consistent message. Could you summarize President Obama’s State-of-the-Union address in a single line? I doubt it. It was a checklist not a story and had inconsistencies that muddled his clarity.

While he called for “smarter government” instead of bigger government, he also called for more pre-school education, repairing 70,000 bridges, creating new institutes for manufacturing and other ideas that require government involvement.

His plea to be “partners not rivals” with Republicans, also included an attack that we can’t drift “from one manufactured crisis to the next,” a condescending shot at Republican policy on the debt limit.

The checklist approach to these addresses is not new. Its designed to curry favor with specific constituencies and often the president gets a temporary bump in polls right after them. But the communication world is changing fast. Attention becomes more of a commodity every day. Presidents continue to waste this precious resource — the attention of 45 million people for an hour — with the same old, same old.

The president’s second term communication plan should be less about what he wants to do and more about how he will get it done. He should have painted a picture that looks something like this: “You re-elected me and a Republican majority in the House. That’s gridlock. I get it. Here’s what I plan to do to fix that problem.”

President Obama is a bright, articulate man with lots of charm and a conversational speaking style. He does have a truncated cadence and a certain detachment often creeps into his speeches. But his biggest improvement opportunity, however, rests with clarity (or the lack of it).

About Rubio:

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who gave the Republican response, is a rising star. His humble Cuban roots are a GOP political consultant’s dream. He’s smart, articulate, passionate with a strong conservative record. While many top Republicans are floundering, he got in the President’s face with a “no apologies” defense of Republican principles. But he had nothing about fixing the gridlock either. And his awkward water break (click below) demonstrated he needs a lot more seasoning.

Water Break

It’s hard to believe no one thought about having a glass of water well within reach. Nervousness can give you cotton mouth in a hurry and Rubio had plenty to be nervous about. This was the most important speech of his life. But lessening speech anxiety is about the right kind of preparation. His “deer in the headlights” look when reaching for the water broke the rhythm of the speech, affecting a presentation that had some giddy up to it.

Just last year, Rubio suddenly discovered he had no last page while reading a speech. There’s no excuse for inadequate speech preparation, especially for a presidential aspirant.

Focus on delivering value to the audience. Be better prepared. Maybe we did learn something from last night’s speeches after all.

The writer is a speaking coach and former elected official who has made hundreds of presentations and media appearances. 

Contact markgrimm if looking for help!

What does it take to keep a family business going for nearly 50 years?  A big part of the secret is good communication.

Alpin Haus began as a little ski shop in 1964 in tiny Amsterdam, NY and is now one of the Northeast’s top outdoor recreation retailers.

Andy Heck

Its president, Andy Heck, points to its communication culture as one of the keys to success. He spoke to a Consulting Alliance audience in Albany.

“We outfriendly the competition,” says Heck. “If you’re not outgoing and friendly you can’t work at Alpin Haus.” Employees are expected to share their enthusiasm for their products (RV’s, skis, boats, etc) with customers.

Alpin Haus has opened up staff meetings to all employees and, with the exception of the most sensitive financial data, all issues are on the table. Heck says he wants employees to ”tell us what we need to hear.”  The same holds true for customers with the retailer’s longstanding policy to “face a crisis head on. Don’t hide from it.”

There is evidence the approach is working. Alpin Haus has grown to more than 200 employees, won numerous Best Place to Work awards and Heck says 20 employees who once left the business for greener pastures have eventually returned.

There are other ingredients in the successful stew, such as being willing to adapt, allowing employees to make decisions on the spot and managing the obstacles well (the economy, weather, etc). They “do what it takes” to create a pleasurable experience for those who use their products.

But good communication is always a staple. Hard to argue with success.

The writer owns a company involved with message strategy and improving communication skills. Feel free to call on him for help.

Is it possible the Obama hold on the White House won’t end in 2016?

Michelle Obama’s high-profile appearance at the Oscars adds fuel to speculation the Obama team would like to stay right where it is come 2016. It wasn’t easy to arrange the Oscar exposure and, in politics, very few things occur without some ulterior motive. The appearance follows the First Lady’s “mom dancing” with Jimmy Fallon. The traditional media elites went gaga over it and circulated the video like they were getting a commission for each play.

I’m not the first to raise the issue. Actor Samuel L. Jackson stirred the pot with remarks that labeled her “superwoman,” insisting she could do it. Even Forbes magazine speculated about this following her Democrat National Convention speech.

The First Lady denies such interest but that’s standard operating procedure for someone in her position. What political leaders hate most is giving up power and you can bet few in the Obama White House are looking forward to it. Michelle Obama has high name ID, strong approval ratings and a large, sophisticated political operation in place. And a spouse who has been through it all. That’s quite a start for anyone. Remember, too, the wife of the last Democrat president did run for president.

There’s no doubt in my mind the Obama team is at least interested in taking the idea out for a test drive. In fact, the ride has already begun.

What do you think?

The writer’s small business provides political consulting and he is a one-time elected official.