Zeno Group’s Digital Lifestyle practice is now producing a monthly report titled The Social 7, which will highlight the latest digital and social media news and stories that should be on your radar.
The September 2009 issue is embedded below and may also be found on The Social 7 blog. Follow the ongoing conversation on Twitter: thesocial7
Answer: This television news anchor appeared on a popular game show to win money for charity and in the process damaged the credibility of his network. Question: Who is Wolf Blitzer?
OK, “damaged the credibility of his network” might be an overstatement, but surely CNN executives were wincing last Thursday as they watched one their most visible personalities completely fall apart during an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy! Blitzer didn’t just finish a distant third to Tonight Show sidekick Andy Richter and actress Dana Delany, he stumbled home with a deficit of $-4,600 after Double Jeopardy. Not surprisingly, the blogosphere had a field day with the poor showing by the host of The Situation Room.
When the three contestants were first introduced, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in thinking Blitzer would cruise past the Desperate Housewife and Conan’s cohort. And while he struggled through the opening round, I was willing to chalk it up to a man who was simply slow with the buzzer. But when Wolf started to chime in late in the game, confusing fettuccine with mostaccioli and making an absolute mess of the “E Times 3” category, it was clear that this test of random knowledge was not for him.
So was the Blitzer blowout a black eye for CNN? It certainly doesn’t help. While there are no shortage of TV news personalities who are hired to be a pretty face that reads a teleprompter, Blitzer comes across as an intelligent man with thoughtful insights. That intelligence betrayed him during a 30-minute game show appearance. For a few weeks, many CNN viewers will see Blitzer and be unable to shake the comical image below. As time goes on, the incident will fade into a mere mention on his Wikipedia bio. But don’t expect CNN to encourage Anderson Cooper or Larry King to join Alex Trebek on the Celebrity Jeopardy! set anytime soon.
One of the most unfortunate effects of an economic downturn is the increase in domestic violence. But there are signs of hope, thanks to the efforts of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) which is making great strides to increase awareness and reduce acts of domestic violence.
Sue Else has been the President of NNEDV since 2006. She started her career in the field as a volunteer at a battered women’s shelter in Ames, Iowa while earning her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Iowa State University. She was eventually hired as the volunteer coordinator at the shelter—one of two paid staff positions—and quickly became the Executive Director. Later, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri and served as President and CEO of Hope House for 18 years.
She recently sat down to discuss the organization’s work in the last year, providing insights on the challenges overcome and those that lie ahead.
Q: What are the core services NNEDV provides?
A: NNEDV started as a policy arm of state coalitions against domestic violence, to advocate for the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, which was introduced by then Senator Joe Biden, now our country’s Vice President. We were created to monitor, watch and affect legislation on all key issues that deal with family violence, such as housing, safety, health insurance and most importantly national domestic violence legislation. In addition, we work with state organizations to monitor what is occurring at the state level and what type of effect it could have at national level.
We also focus on issues surrounding training and economic literacy. For example, through our partnership with The Allstate Foundation, we provide survivors with economic literacy training, an important empowering skill for abused women. In many cases, domestic violence occurs – and is perpetuated – by the fact that the victim does not possess sound financial skills, and therefore depends on the abuser for economic support. (For more information on this program visit www.nnedv.org/projects/allstatefoundtion.html.
Another area where we provide support and training is around the risks and benefits that everyday technology provides. Working with survivors of domestic violence and advocacy groups, as well as police departments, we help educate how technology plays a role in domestic violence. For example, many women don’t know that a simple electronic greeting card sent to them can contain Spyware, allowing their abuser to monitor their email traffic. Or that police departments can use the GPS tracking system inside of a cell phone to find a missing person.
Q: Why is NNEDV’s work so important? Are incidents of domestic violence on the rise?
A: Our work is needed and important no matter the time or place. In the U.S. there are 2.3 million cases of domestic abuse in a year. One in four women in their lifetimes will experience domestic violence in some manner. In one day alone, local programs provided service to 61,000 domestic violence victims and answered over 21,000 crisis hotline calls.
Unfortunately, each day people lose their lives to domestic violence. Due to societal pressures and family matters, many people don’t talk about the subject. There is far too much blame felt by victims of domestic violence. The constant question — “Why didn’t she get out sooner?” – continues this myth. Women represent roughly 85 percent of domestic violence victims, but men can be victims, too.
Creating awareness and talking about domestic violence is so important if we want to end it. Domestic violence has a high cost to our economy, people lose work productivity due to it, healthcare costs are a higher and children who come from families that have domestic violence issues tend to do poorer in school and are more likely to join gangs.
Q: What new initiatives are on the horizon to broaden people’s knowledge of domestic violence?
A: One very important and exciting new development we have is that there is a new White House advisor on violence against women, Lynn Rosenthal, who also served as the former Executive Director of NNEDV. This is such a tremendous leap for us because we now have a touchstone for our work inside the White House, something that we never had before. This allows us to galvanize greater support, advocacy and understanding about domestic violence issues than ever before.
We’re also reaching out to the media through a project supported by The Allstate Foundation. We are educating members of the media on the importance of using language that does not stigmatize or place blame when domestic violence is reported. For example, the use the word “dispute” is often used to describe domestic violence, when in fact this is not the case at all. A better example is the recent “messaging” around the Chris Brown and Rihanna case in which the media confused the issue blurring the line as to who was to blame.
Q: What is the best way that companies and non-profit organizations can work together to build partnerships to combat domestic violence?
A: Getting involved with a cause holds some great benefits not only for the local shelter or group by providing needed services or money, but it also provides the partnering organization positive benefits by raising their profile, as well.
Another way that organizations can become active in addressing violence in the workplace is to create policies and procedures that help employees. For example, if a women is being stalked, her employer should provide a security guard to walk her to her car each night when she leaves work, allow for time off for her to go to court to handle any legal issues, or create a domestic violence education program within the workplace to heighten understanding.
Other simple, but effective, steps include taking up a collection for a local shelter, becoming a board member at a local program to put your skills to use, offering to drive a domestic violence victim to a doctor’s appointment or court case, or just volunteering at a local shelter.
Q: What are the shifting trends that you see emerging in public policy issues related to domestic violence?
A: The White House advisor is a positive. We do, however need legislation specifically designed to help teenagers. There is increasing abuse, and even death, at the teenage level, and we need proper protection orders and curriculum in the school systems to educate families and teens about domestic violence. Many teens don’t feel comfortable going to their parents, and the only way now that a teen can do anything in most states is to have their parents file the necessary report.
Finally, there is a lot of legislation within the criminal justice system for violence against women. That legislation doesn’t address ancillary issues like housing and finances. We are seeing an expanded effort to serve victims of domestic violence beyond the criminal justice system. For example, efforts are underway to protect victims from getting evicted from housing or losing access to their money due to domestic violence incidents.
When you are fighting breast cancer, you get overdosed and overdone by many things. You are flooded by drugs and therapies and yes, the color pink. In doctor’s offices, infusion rooms and radiation centers, pink ribbons adorn everything from literature to nurse’s uniforms. During my treatment four years ago, I started to hate the color. Well-meaning friends sent me endless pink gifts all bedecked and often bejeweled with the ribbon. Pink T-shirts and bracelets, balloons and flowers, hats and scarves were lovingly sent. My bedroom began to resemble a little girl’s pink decorating scheme.
On my last day of chemo, I expected a pink balloon drop or shower of pink confetti. But none came. I realized that the celebration was not in the end of treatment, but in the start of a new chapter. Pink took on a new meaning at my first breast cancer walk. I was immersed in a sea of survivors and friends and family and yes, pink. Everywhere. On hats, banners, signs, balloons and the endless posters carried by survivors and friends. It was overwhelming and beautiful. Incredibly beautiful. So as we approach Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I say bring on the pink. I may not be wearing it myself, but I will be proudly walking with other survivors, doing my part to raise awareness, taking my medications and moving toward the incredibly wonderful pink light.
Movie studios fully understand the influence that word-of-mouth reviews, whether positive or negative, have on box office receipts. Social networks are accelerating this conversation as consumers hype or hurt a movie’s perception. Many observers speculate that moviegoer talk on Twitter, which often comes straight from a mobile phone inside a theater, can impact a film’s opening weekend. As a result, studios are experimenting with ways to tap into the viral discussion, create awareness on social networks, and transform the mobile phone into a driver of positive buzz and box office earnings.
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