No more post-season coverage

For the past five years, the media has covered the Phillies post-season appearances from many angles, including anything related to baseball. For instance, in 2009, when the team went to the World Series, Channel 29 sent a reporter and cameraman here to do a story on how many Lasallians were wearing Phillies gear. Or how the Inquirer did a big story on John Rooney, emeritus psychology professor, who had a unique view on baseball from his home (people paid to sit on his home's roof to watch games played at Shibe Park, just across the street). Well, now that the Phillies have conceded the season, I guess there won't be any more post-season stories -- and opportunities for coverage!

37 Minutes

I spotted a media request from one of the nation's largest newspapers for an expert source on a pop culture topic. I had the 'perfect' faculty member for it. I emailed them and got a great quote back; I forwarded it to the reporter and crossed my fingers. A short time later the reporter emailed me back. Great, I thought, they're going to use the quote. Then I read the email: it said Thanks, but they already had enough sources. I looked at the time of the expert request and the time the reporter wrote back to me: it was 37 minutes! In slightly over half an hour enough people like me had sent them what they needed and I was out of the game. 37 minutes! This really is the information age!!

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz with La Salle student, alum

Hi,

Check out this picture of Phils catcher Carlos Ruiz between communication major Maryellen Brennan (left) and '90 communication grad Ellen Kolodzeij (right); Kolodzeij works for CCI Communications, which produces the Phillies post-game show and the Charlie Manuel Show for Channel 17; Maryellen is interning with CCI this summer (and has done on-air appearances for another show CCI produces, Inside Golf, which airs on Comcast Sports.

The Philadephia Metro is doing a story on summer interns and has interviewed Maryellen; I was told the story will run possibly 7/31 or 8/7. Before the reporter spoke with Maryellen, I asked her two questions: where you learning anything on the job and were you able to apply what you learned in class to the job. She answered yes to both questions, which was important; I want readers to know that our students are prepared for internships and once they get one they do real work (as opposed to getting coffee or loading film into a camera).

52 minutes left...

A Philadephia Daily News writer has a 4 pm deadline for a story on the Batman films of Christopher Nolen and it is 3:08 as I write this; one of our experts is away on retreat, and another hasn't responded to my email/voicemail. The danger of working PR in the summer is that the faculty are away either on vacation, research leave, etc.

Never give up on a good idea

Philosophy Professor Cornelia Tsakiridou sent me a wonderful oped about the upcoming national elections in Greece.  I sent it to the Inquirer, but they replied that it was too late to publish something in the paper before the election. I asked the editor if they'd be interested in having Prof. Tsakiridou write a piece on a "post" election theme, and they agreed. She was away that week, but managed to write an exceptional piece which ran in the paper. Here is a link to it:

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20120711_The_inveterate_gamblers_of_Greece.html

Communication major Daniel Kurish received the Harry Kalas Scholarship from the Phillies. An Arizona native (who has family in the Philly area), Kurish was inspired to go into broadcasting when he heard Kalas' call on the final game of the 2007 season, a win that put them into the post-season! The Phils made an announcement about this in May, and will present the scholarship to Kurish in August at Citizens Bank Ballpark. Dan will be invited into the radio broadcast team's booth during the game. I'd love it if the announcers talked to him about the scholarship, how Kalas inspired him, etc., and, of course, mentioning that he is a La Salle student.

Sometimes it's good to be lucky

Contacted Comcast sports with an idea for a story....producer liked it and passed it on to another producer who is a La Salle grad! I won't reveal names (not without their permission), but, as I said, sometimes it's better to be lucky....