And the winner is … you! SCN Encourager – Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Hype & spin vs. context & perspective

Once in a while, folks like us in the communications field are viewed by others as all-too-willing dispensers of hype, spin, and BS. I don’t think is totally fair. Some people just watch too much MSNBC and Fox News.

I believe our roles more typically involve us seeking out and clarifying context and perspective. Sometimes an unfortunate situation pops up in one of our schools, and creating an honest and respectful “frame” for any of the details and follow-up steps we are able to share is an important element of what we do.

So what’s the point of telling you this? Well recently, I had the opportunity to write a short descriptive paragraph about school leaders and communicators (that’s us!) and enter it in an online contest sponsored by an author and his publisher.

And I won!

Now, don’t go overboard here. The prize didn’t involve a big trip, big cash, or a big donation to my favorite charity. But Robert D. Smith did sent me a case of signed copies of his book, 20,000 Days and Counting.

And since I wrote about you to get this prize, I guess it’s only fair that I snail-mail you a copy of his book if you want one. Naturally, if I had won a super-grand prize that Lotto winners would’ve drooled over, I would still be generous enough to send you a copy of the book. What a guy…

Robert D. (as he tags himself in his blog) is a marketing-promotions-communications professional and I’ll admit, I like the way he writes – but don’t hold that against him. Here’s the Amazon link to his book: 20,000 Days and Counting.  If this book looks like one you’d like to spend some time with, just click on the “connect@scnforyou.com” link right below my name and send me your address. That’s all i need. I’ll send a book to you absolutely free.

I only have 20 books to give away. (The case of books  was actually 24, but I have a wife and three daughters remember, and Christmas is only about nine months away…) I’ll mail books out to the first 20 replies.

Now, I’ll bet you’re curious what tremendously well-written paragraph impressed Robert D. and his team so much, that they just had to rush me a case of books.

In praise of our profession, and with all of the candor and power words I could muster, I wrote on my entry that even “all-too-willing dispensers of hype, spin, and BS need to read a good book now and then.” And, tah-dah! The rest is history.

But as you probably know, I didn’t write this at all. I wrote about what we do for our schools and that seemed to be enough.

I want to thank Robert D. Smith for sending me 24 copies of his challenging and insightful book. Don’t forget to email me your address if you’d like one.

Tom Page, SCN