Category Archives: Media Skills Training

Free advice for change makers

This past weekend I spoke at the FairChance 2010 workshop for prospective municipal candidates in Ottawa. Sandra Blaikie, formerly of A Channel News, is the instigator behind the initiative. Essentially, it’s a committee of engaged Ottawa business owners, philanthropists, and academics looking to provide educational opportunities to people considering running for council, but need more…
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Media Skills for Creative Canadians in Toronto

MediaStyle is on the road in Toronto next week to present a media skills training workshop at MaRS. It will be a hybrid class, teaching participants how to use both traditional earned media tactics and how to use new media to tell stories that matter to people. I’m presenting this session with Jaime Woo, a creative…
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Strategies & Tactics for Implementing Social Media

I’m teaching a much-requested session at the Code Factory called Strategies & Tactics for Implementing Social Media – a lot of NGOs and unions ask me to teach them how to take online communications to the next level. The class is this Friday at 1pm. This session is great for organizations with small communications offices…
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The myth of the “Google Alert”

I often ask about adoption of certain technologies in my workshops. It’s nice to know which tools are being used; I can often tailor my advice to make the session more relevant. Of all the online tools I ask about, the uptake is always largest for Google Alerts. People love their Google Alerts. In fact,…
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Bank Street banner fiasco

Design by committee has reared its ugly head in the nations capital this week. The business improvement area has thrown up dull blue banners featuring a nearly illegible red font and emblazoned with the unintentionally ironic slogan “Bank St. Better than Ever.” Friend and fellow Change Camper Richard Akerman posted this set to Flickr. The…
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TED talk: Rory Sutherland

I recently joined the team behind TEDxOttawa and thought I’d share one of my favourite recent TED talks with you. This is Rory Sutherland with Life Lessons from an Ad Man. More details about the Ottawa event can be found at www.tedxott.com


Quick-start guide to Twitter

I promised on LiVE 88.5 FM this morning a quick-start guide to getting going on Twitter. I’ve boiled it down to five terms, three key action steps and three strategies you can you to find people to follow on Twitter. As I said on the radio, Twitter is only one little part of what is…
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Journalists who Blog: David Akin

Journalists Who Blog is a series where journalists who report daily in Canada’s mainstream media talk about how the participatory web is changing their craft.  Each of these writers have mastered the art of capturing what happened today and reporting online and for an audience tomorrow. I asked blogging journalists three questions about their craft…
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Journalists Who Blog: Bill Doskoch

Journalists Who Blog is a series where journalists who report daily in Canada’s mainstream media talk about how the participatory web is changing their craft.  Each of these writers have mastered the art of capturing what happened today and reporting online and for an audience tomorrow. I asked blogging journalists three questions about their craft…
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Journalists Who Blog: Susan Delacourt

As the media landscape changes, some reporters are eagerly jumping into new mediums like blogs, Twitter and even Facebook to increase their reach. Reporters are opening virtual doors on their process; showing their viewers how the news is made and why certain things end up on the front page. In this series I wanted to…
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