You may recall the transitory village that was established on Kendall Green last spring during the protest at Gallaudet over the new president. Today I walked up to Gallaudet to go to my one o’clock class and saw a few tents being set up. Is Tent City coming back? Will the Tent City inhabitants return and will more join?
Here are some great vlogs about and videos of Tent City.
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Is there anybody besides me who thinks that this protest is hurting the deaf community? It’s making us look _really_ bad in the eyes of outsiders. Yes, the Gallaudet administrators certainly have their issues, but PR is definitely on their side. If FSSA wants to be taken seriously by those outside the deaf community, then they need to consider raising funds to hire a reputed PR firm.. to undo the damage they’ve already done, and also to raise the bar for future negotiations.
Katia, who agrees with you and is “experienced in the PR field”: Considering the unique circumstances, would there be a PR firm who could ably serve the FSSA?
Their end goal is to reopen the GU pesidential search process. What PR tactics would we look at? A website with transcripts is a valid suggestion. An appearance at NAD Conference, a march to the President House, the revival of Tent City, dialogue with the AAPD (American Association of Persons with Disabilities), and etc seem all on target to me. I’m thinking that it’s an issue of conversion… those who didn’t buy into the FSSA in the past never will so the FSSA is looked upon as getting nowhere.
When we consider reactions (such as whether people will support or understand this or the FedEx Stadium lawsuit, to name another example), we are subjecting ourselves to a cost analysis in which embarrassment belies insecurity. Is doing this worth it or should we stick to our guns? Do we really have to make the issues clear to the world or should we let retrospection take care of that and at present time simply focus on the principal players: us and them, and not those on the sidelines?
These PR tactics, as you have kindly named above, have been somewhat deconstructed by their counter-effective tactics. For starters, bloggers have been attacking the central figures- do I really need to name all the ways those affiliated with FSSA have personally taken it upon themselves to *really* smear Jane’s reputation? Some of those who initially bought into FSSA’s message have since then left. They are a *separate* group from those who never did and never will back FSSA. In retrospect, I feel that such support from this “swing set” would have helped FSSA solidify their case before the Gallaudet administrative body. By no means am I saying that FSSA should operate strictly on a reactive modus, but they could certainly fine-tune their … tone. It’s all in the PR, baby!
And on a side note, it is certainly the voice of few dissenters that can make the most swift progress of all. I ahh-bsolutely agree with you on that one. Still, here we are nearly six months later and what kind of progress have we made? We’ve only raised the axe to the ever-increasing rift between “us” and “them”. Such splintering among the edges only leads to further crumbling… and as we know, it’s all where the cookie crumbles.
Yeah, protestors smearing the person’s reputation is not effective. Protestors are supposed to show the person’s inability to achieve measurable results.
I mean list all the solid evidences.
I was with you right up until “what kind of progress have we made?” Actually, I’m with you on that too! But:
It is my view that the GU administration is not making any PR progress either where it truly counts: In winning trust from faculty and students. The faculty’s no-confidence votes from last spring still stand (although it’d be good to have a revote and see if the sentiment is still there) and the SBG’s motion to not recognize Provost JKF as president-elect is recent.
Any PR efforts here, therefore, are misdirected if the public-at-large and alumni away from campus are the targets. The only publics who count are on campus, and all this blogging is truly without consequence. This is a matter internal to those who are physically present at GU, and if we begin to view it that way, the FSSA might be with the PR edge in the days to come. I don’t know, I am neither clairvoyant nor F-S-A, but an alumnus miles away.
Actually, I don’t agree, PR. When you look at the number of protestors visible in any photo on the web, and think about the student population of Gallaudet (2,000 or so), not including staff or faculty, the evidence of my own eyes is that the protestors are a small minority of the Gallaudet community. Granted, the rest may be too scared and/or intimidated to come forward. Guess we will never really know for sure exactly how many there are. Going by what I see in those pictures, I’m inferring that Gallaudet administration has the trust of the MAJORITY of the campus community, and everything is under control. FSSA is going to extreme lengths and using highly agitated and emotional language to try and convince outsiders that students are not safe.
I agree– as I’ve said elsewhere, PR is half the battle. Haven’t been too impressed with PR efforts thus far, but willing to allow a mulligan for now– still, no effective media contacts and narrative, no lasting progress.
Today there’s supposed to be a walk-out at 11:15 am. See see…
Jt, I agree - I’m experienced in PR field. This may have worked in the past (DPN); it’s highly unlikely that the same situation would emerge again. After viewing signcasts website, I wonder where are the sources? Where do they get those kind of information from?
This isn’t DPN, correct. And DPN tactics won’t work this time, correct. And that’s why they didn’t march to the Capitol but to the President’s House.
It’s a different ballgame. Those who persist with comparisons are framing it wrong, and thus doom themselves to a foggy PR analysis.
How many media people and how many different types of media were presented when the folks marched to the President’s House? Is it the HUGEST punch FSSA has ever made? Can FSSA make bigger and powerful punch than that one? Time is short. BOT go home next week. I know you can. Hurry up!
I agree- definitely NOT DPN. That’s part of the problem so far, I think– too many people trying to follow tactics from the past, and not realizing this is a different template that’s required. Doesn’t mean all is lost; just means there’s a definite need to be wise about strategy.
David Evan, look like you contradict with other people. They say fssa weak and not media like DPN. but you say fssa trying to follow what DPN did? no way. fssa very different. tent, website, vlog, march president home, it is none like DPN publicity. they been follow different template. just means definite need to be wise analysis or not say anything.
JT, I agree too. The protestors need to realize that their methods have not swayed public (hearing) opinion. This just makes it look as if deaf people are unreasonable and hurts Gallaudet.
What about the deaf community? Is the FSSA convincing the entire deaf community the importance of the cause?
Well, I know I ain’t, and a number of my friends say the same thing. However, some are too scared to mention that to certain people. Talk about intimidation.
I wouldn’t be intimidated, personally. I would use it as an opportunity to nail hypocrites. If FSSA really wants the deaf community to support this cause, then they should be open to questions and reply with logical, consistent explanations - which doesn’t include smearing people’s reputations… Double standards will get you NOWHERE.
If they’re affronted by that sentiment, then my response would be, “If you’re insulted by that, then you’re just as equally bad as JKF is, because you’re accusing her of the exact same thing that you’re doing to us. What makes you so special that you think you have the right to ignore or blow off our questions when nobody else can?”
~ Deaf Pundit
Interesting vlogs but… Non-signers will not understand. How many people in the media are non-signers? Where are the transcripts? Will FSSA offer voice interpreters for all events? Too many questions…
I do not know about the other states, and I do realize that CA (especially L.A.) is very liberal so this might not count for much. This said, I want to ensure you that not all hearings are thinking we are a bunch of spoiled brats. I discussed the Gallaudet protest with the Justice I worked for last summer. He asked me about it, and my response was a sheepish “I can’t believe you know about it”. He thought the students had every right to protest and thought they had legitmate cause to do so. This came from someone whose first exposure to deaf people came in his 70th year.
Every now and then, we’re lucky to come across the insightful hearing person- like dp’s Justice- who gives more than half a thought to whatever’s being said in the press. Still, no matter how legitimate the FSSA’s cause may be, (I feel that) their actions lend little credence to the entire justification of this protest. For starters, FSSA’s statements rarely match their actions. One minute, it’s got nothing to do with “how deaf she is”, the very next it’s all about Jane’s condescending demeanor. Oh, wait a minute, she didn’t say hi. Huh? Yes, she certainly did- but using her voice! And so on this leaves many observors like myself feeling rather deranged.
Interesting punditry, people (not Hochgesang). Your collective analysis is that they’re trying to sway hearing opinion? Or that they should?
Says who? The target publics here appear to be:
+Board of Trustees
+Current top administration (President IKJ & Provost JKF)
+Gallaudet community (faculty, students, and staff)
+Alumni
+Friends
I still stand by my original point. Only with public support (read: not just from within the deaf community) can the FSSA effectively seize that holy grail. Anybody can easily see that they have much fewer supporters compared to last May- and it all comes back to PR in the end.
I agree. The hearing public are the taxpayers and Congress and, by and large, those who support Gallaudet fiancially. (Yes, deaf people donate to Gallaudet, but that is pretty much a drop in the bucket.) People were more sympathetic to DPN, I think, because they could understand why a deaf president was desired when there was none. It made sense. It’s kind of harder to explain the current situation to the public given all that has transpired.
IMHO, the game is over and FSSA’s king is in the corner with a queen and knight on its way to check mate them out of the game.
Jt is absolutely right about many things like the FSSA’s first priorities ought to hire the reputable firm and constant fundraising activities last May.
Where and why didn’t the FSSA enact the fundraising activities around the clock throughout the whole summer?
The IKJ and JK adminstration and the Gally BOT would be largely swayed by the negative public opinions and mass media coverage. More people would be involved with the protest.
FSSA made the major mistake by declining the FREE offer from the reputable PR firm last May and said ‘We really are doing fine. Thanks.”
FSSA seems like draggin the dead horse so far with the latest protest activities. They should replace the FSSA’s PR person with the experienced and robust individual.
I am sorry to say that the FSSA activities are somewhat laughable without any real impacts (hitting the IKJ and JK adminstration real hard) so far. The internal campus protest activities will do not anything successful to out JK and IKJ and the rest of cronyism within the university.
“The IKJ and JK adminstration and the Gally BOT would be largely swayed by the negative public opinions and mass media coverage. More people would be involved with the protest.”
So I thought, too. Until I saw President IKJ spin the issue into “identity politics” bearing on “what it means to be deaf in the 21st Century.” Rather than bring embarrassment to GU, it is my observation he deflected the embarrassment onto the entire deaf community and created this discomfort many of us are feeling. As a possible result, he contributed to this very rift we are dealing with right now. So should the FSSA continue to clamor for media attention? I don’t think that would be wise. I hope President IKJ gets no second chance at bringing ridicule to the deaf community.
“Where and why didn’t the FSSA enact the fundraising activities around the clock throughout the whole summer?”
Maybe because the FSSA’s only pertinent assets are the F-S-A, who are usually absent from campus most of the summer. Rather than limp through the summer months with a weak campaign, they shut down. Just playing the cards they are dealt?
I agree that the FSSA shouldn’t have taken a nap, but I don’t see a better way they could have carried through the summer.
Come on! There are thousand better ways it could be done. One tiny example, can email correspondences be done during the summer? Did they take advantage of technology it has to offer?
Companies do not have the time to take a nap because at the other end of the world, their competitors are reaping. India, China, and others are moving forward at a higher speed than the United States in some areas because they’re “hungry” for success (not food).
There was a golden opportunity to avoid losing momentum through the summer, by requesting a delay in announcement. May I remind y’all that the SBG and student body ignored the loud concerns from students of color and held a friggin’ pep rally asking that the presidential search be concluded before school ended, rather than allowing a delay until the fall for the selection announcement? By getting what they demanded for, they certainly got more than what they bargained for. Protests by nature are normally very stressful - you don’t know what is going to happen next (first the fertilizer, and what’s next? Jail?)and people in general do not normally like to remain in a prolonged stressful situation for too long a time.
actually there was a concern that the next president would be announced during summer, hence the demand.
It doesn’t matter, the demand was still asking for trouble when you know a summer is a long lag of at least three months. Was it still a good idea, in hindsight, to hold a rally to push for an announcement in May? Think about people’s first knee-jerk reactions- fire alarms pulled, hastily planned strategies, “she doesn’t say hi”, “she’s not deaf-centric enough”…as opposed to setting up a group like FSSA with more time to methodically organize a strong and coherent plan “just in case”. DPN and Civil Rights leaders did not emotionally and hastily put together some strategies at the last minute. They discussed, planned, and prepared for it so when the right time came, they all knew what their one message is and what they gotta do for the long haul.
FSSA made the major mistake by declining the FREE offer from the reputable PR firm last May and said ‘We really are doing fine. Thanks.”
FSSA declined the offer because the PR firm recommended that we trash I. King Jordan and the university and we didn’t want to do that. Bad move with hindsight, I agree.
I thought that was what the protesters were trying to do?
Whoa! FSSA did a fine job of smearing all on their own without any help from that PR firm. Good thing they didn’t do any major fundraising over the summer to pay for that rotten advice. They saved themselves a lot of money — oh wait, it was free advice (and worth every penny too!) and they didn’t raise any money anyway.
Here are a few articles mentioning how important and effective the public relations was during DPN…
http://jci.sagepub.com/cgi/rep.....lations%22
http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp.....p;b=180412
http://deafness.about.com/cs/f.....sident.htm
WOW. Thanks for sharing! In that second link, Fred Weiner wrote:
“We had to take our cause to the court of public opinion. To raise the stakes and let the Gallaudet Board know that the world was watching. This meant getting the media engaged in presenting our side and since Gallaudet was a federally-funded institution, keeping legislators apprised of the latest developments.
….By this time, the NAD became flooded with calls from the media, the Hill, and from supporters from all over the country seeking to find out the latest development and what they could do to help us.”
Great links!
But, that was for DPN. As I opined previously, this is not DPN, and that probably is a point we all agree on. The court of public opinion, as Dr. Weiner eloquently put it, consequently is not something I would strive for this time around. Both sides must realize that media attention would be pyrrhic, and anyway the issues can only appear convoluted to outsiders.
Another point I entertained earlier is the journalistic principle of balanced coverage. If we were reporters, wouldn’t we always try to get comments from GU? And isn’t that how President IKJ was afforded the opportunity to color this entire thing with his “identity politics” quote? Why would the FSSA want to go down that road again?
Why would we want President IKJ to bring ridicule upon the entire deaf community again? This is what FSSA going to the media may mean for us all.
DPN is a wonderful event, especially since Elizabeth Zinser voluntarily resigned at the right time.
If she had refused to resign, what would the path of DPN been? This is the challenge DPN never faced that FSSA does. I do not see any easy answers.. any thoughts?
Point well taken. I am curious as to what others have to say about that as well. There may be other factors or the plan they have that we are not aware of. Only time will tell.
The most beautiful thing ever happened at Gallaudet is Tent City. You will see it growing nad growing and taking over the campus.
Jordan and Fernandes as inept leaders have to go. Police brutality must stop. The BoT has to be reformed. Congress intervention id unavoidable!