July Lunch Recap: Podcasting and Vodcasting at the NIH

First of all, if you didn't come, boy did you miss out. Not only was the talk good -- and more on that later -- but the NIH meeting rooms are pretty swanky. Comfy chairs. A mic at every seat. Four flat panel TVs spaced throughout the room so you can see the presentation no matter where you sit... Seriously, it was our most upscale (and official) location yet.

But, of course, what people really care about is the talk. Joe Balintfy, our esteemed CCG VP and a public affairs officer at NIH, was great. His talk was concise and informative. We learned about what NIH is doing in terms of audio reports, podcasts, and vodcasts. We heard samples of his work. And he provided some of his "lessons learned."

Some tips:

• Be consistent. If you're going to start distributing podcasts and vodcasts, set a schedule and stick to it.
• Be realistic. Realize how much of a time commitment this form of social media takes and don't tackle it unless you can make the commitment.
• Be smart. Vodcasts and podcasts don't have to tackle new material. Use can use these outlets to repurpose content you've written for other media.
• Set goals. One of the more interesting conversations revolved around setting standards for success. NIH is still doing this. Right now, they're measuring success in terms of growth of viewers and listeners, but Joe will be evaluating success metrics in the coming weeks.

Want more details about NIH's activities? We're happy to share. Just email us and we'll send you Joe's PowerPoint presentation.

For those who attended, what did you learn? What information did you find particularly useful? Let us know!

-- Robin

NON-CCG Event on Social Media

Let me just make one thing clear: The event I'm about to write about is NOT a CCG lunch.

However, the keynote speaker is a CCG member, and the topic is relevant, so I wanted to give everyone a head's up.

On Thursday, August 14, Denise Graveline, president of Don't Get Caught Communications, will be presenting for the DC chapter of IABC on "The (Social) Medium is the Message." Denise is going to talk at how social media is shaping communications today. Read the full description of the presentation at her blog.

Personally, I'd go myself, but I'm going to be out of town. If any of you do go, I'd love to hear how it went and what Denise had to say.

-- Robin

Read More About the June Lunch...

... at the Capital Buzz blog. One of our members gave us some much-appreciated attention over there.

July Lunch: Podcasting and Vodcasting at NIH

Topic: Podcasting and Vodcasting at the National Institutes of Health
When: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 from noon - 1:30 p.m.

Speaker: Joe Balintfy, Public Affairs Specialist, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, Office of the Director. He is currently responsible for NIH Radio News Service content, a bi-weekly audio podcast and a monthly video podcast, I on NIH.

More details forthcoming.

RSVP required: CapitalCommunicator (at) gmail (dot) com

Play Ball! Lunch Overview

So for those of you who RSVP'ed and didn't show -- or decided not to RSVP to the June lunch -- well, it was your loss. Seriously, this month's panel was phenomenal. The questions flowed freely and the speakers were candid with their responses. And I didn't get out of the lunch until 2 p.m.

Some highlights:

• From Matt Winkler, Associate Dean, Sports Industry Management, Georgetown University: If you want to market to and reach 20-somethings, you'll need to think like that generation. That means: Think online. Think YouTube and Facebook and Twitter.
• From award-winning sports columnist Christine Brennan: For those of you thinking about going into journalism who are excited by the idea of television, "Write 20 years and then try to get a TV job." Christine went on to talk about the challenges of television reporting, concluding that while she likes TV, there's nothing quite like when it's just her, her notebook, and her computer.
• From Chartese Burnett, Vice President of Communications, Washington Nationals: Don't be afraid to try something different. After years of working in sports, Chartese took a stint working at NASA headquarters. An invaluable experience, she said. And a challenge. (Chartese is a big believer in making sure every job is a challenge and offers something "new" to learn.)

Of course, that's just what I remember. For those who attended, I'd love to hear what you thought was most memorable.

Was it Christine talking about Title IX and women's sports and being one of the first women in men's locker rooms? Was it Chartese talking about the challenges of marketing baseball to D.C.? Was it Matt talking about online marketing and sharing that England soccer team Manchester United has 1.1 million residents of China in its fan club, all thanks to watching games online?

Let us know!

-- Robin

Pimp This Job: Census Bureau, Audio Visual Production Specialist

Another job opening...

WHERE: Census Bureau
JOB TITLE: Audio Visual Production Specialist, GS-1071-09, CENSUS-D-FE.

The AV Production Specialist position is part of the Census Bureau's in-house media production team.

Job details and application instructions can be found at the USAJOBS Web site. Direct link here.

Or go to the Census Bureau homepage and click on Jobs@Census.

This job opening closes on July 11, 2008.


"Come join the Census Team, where everyone counts!"
The Census Bureau produces quality data that helps Americans better understand our country -- its population, resources, economy, society and culture.

New Speaker for June Lunch

We've added another speaker for our June lunch! And it's an exciting one.

So welcome to our newest panelist, Christine Brennan, an award-winning USA Today sports columnist, best-selling author and commentator for ABC News, ESPN, NPR and Fox Sports radio.

Does her presence make you want to attend. Email us. Let us know you want to come.