Devote about 30 minutes to listen to crisis communications expert Gerard Braud share lessons learned from the Virginia Tech massacre and the devastation to the Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. The conversation is the focus of the latest CommaKazi Speek podcast, Show #6, available for downloading here.

Looking back, it was an eerie coincidence that I moderated a comment that Braud left on one of my IABC Cafe posts about emergency communications just minutes before the Virginia Tech student began his shooting rampage on Monday morning (April 16) that left more than 30 students and faculty members dead.

Braud and I had begun to discuss the idea of recording his thoughts on crisis communications related to Hurricane Katrina. Then the media frenzy surrounding the Virginia Tech massacre made us realize that we should expand our original discussion.

As Braud points out in the podcast, this is not a time to benefit from the misery of this tragedy. We do feel that the events at Virginia Tech and New Orleans provide an opportunity for communicators to engage in important discussions with their employers and clients regarding crisis planning.

Show Notes

CommaKazi Speek Podcast Show 6
April 18, 2007
An interview with Gerard Braud on the topic of crisis communication planning.

00:00 Show theme, “Rollin’”; by Barry McCabe
00:15 Introduce Gerard Braud
01:00 Virginia Tech tragedy
01:25 Flawed Crisis Plan / A Learning Experience
07:30 Phones and Text Messages
10:30 Leaders in Crisis
15:30 Denial in New Orleans
22:15 The Workshop and Tour
29:00 Yes, New Orleans is Safe to Visit!
Also, here is a link to a April 18, 2007 online Wall Street Journal article, regarding the value of text messaging in an emergency, that quotes Gerard. If you are interested in registering for the June 24, 2007 workshop and Katrina Bus Tour led by Gerard, register on the IABC website.

David Murray’s blog post: “Communicators: Always in trouble“Technorati tags:

I’m writing this at 10:30 p.m. Central Time on Sunday night. The  kids and Kim are already asleep, and I’m winding down after publishing my latest CommaKazi Speek podcast.

I’ve read some reports lately comparing the worth of blogs and podcasts, and had a discussion with other senior communicators who are finding that podcasting is gaining more attention within organizations than blogging.

I agree with comments from people who see a role for both communication tools–along with other forms of “social media.” I’ve been enjoying the time spent creating my own podcasts, but I see that they take a considerable greater amount of time to birth than a blog post. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but it is something to consider if your time is in short supply, and you don’t have other resources available to help with the workload.

My latest podcast is a discussion about WordPress and the Install4Free Team that will help individuals (not businesses) install a WordPress blog without charge. This CommaKazi Speek blog was installed by a team member (not the one who I interviewed).

Here is a link to Show 5.

One of the interesting ideas floated in the discussion is how companies are using WordPress as a content management system (CMS), saving tens of thousands of dollars.

I posted my third show today–a couple of days after posting my “fourth” show. The mixup was because I split a lengthy discussion at a recent IABC/Chicago Senior Communicator Forum into two podcasts. I meant for this one to be first, but finished editing the second one and posted it before this one was ready. Oops!

The Senior Communicator Forum concept is helpful to more seasoned communicators, because it provides an opportunity to share and hear ideas, issues and information with other people who “have been there.”

If you meet the qualifications, try to attend a Senior Communicator Forum in your area, or contact me for more information if you wish to start your own forum.

I’ve just posted a podcast on my podcast site. It is a portion of a conversation that I had on Jan. 31, 2007 with three other colleagues during a Senior Communicator Forum at VW Credit, Inc., in Libertyville, Ill.

This portion of the discussion centered around Kraft Food’s embrace of podcasting, and why it wasn’t as enthusiastic about blogging.

This was supposed to be the second part of my posts from the Senior Communicator Forum. The other part was going to be Show 3. So I actually have skipped to Show 4, and will post Show 3 later this week. Confused? Obviously not as much as I am!

Ahh, some good news to update my previous post. IT has agreed to unblock two of the three sites at work that I had been prevented from reaching for a few weeks. The third, because it is linked to a podcast, is still blocked for concern that its “streaming media” will impact our network. Small steps forward, with more to come.

Although my second podcast posted on Friday, I didn’t get the chance to mention it until now. I’ve spent the better part of the weekend finishing several house projects. Time to take a break and pass along information about CommaKazi Speek Show 2.

I spend about 15 minutes with Grant Rowson, CGA, manager of Technology Solutions at BDO Business Technology Solutions, Inc., Thunder Bay Ontario Canada. We discuss the need to balance security, productivity and the desire of employees to seek information on the Internet. I recently wrote a blog post about my experience with blocked web sites at my employer.

I hope the podcast generates some discussion here.

Special thanks to communications consultant Steve Crescenzo, who spent some time talking with me about “cutting through the clutter.” Our conversation occurred just before Steve’s Jan. 17, 2007 lunch seminar of the same name, organized by the Chicago Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

I recorded our conversation and used it as my first podcast. Let me know what you think.