Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Message Control Through Volume

Public perception is influenced by emphasizing the points that will win over the audience.

This Whitehouse masterfully works on mass perception by aggregating the points they want emphasized and then linking back to the full report. People are always going to read the summary, not many folks-- often including me-- are going to click through to the full documentation. There's just too much to consume to fully understand the big picture.

On the other hand, the previous Whitehouse worked public opinion through highly disciplined message control. That team only put the information out there that they wanted the public to know. This is another strategy for influencing perception.

Either way, when the beholder doesn't see the whole picture they will draw conclusions based on what they do see. Every team uses these and other strategies to get "friendly" messages in front of the audience.

Sometimes the in the zealousness for victory and success folks go over the line. Here's an article about Merck's efforts to sway perception of the drug ­Vioxx.

http://danslotd.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Fear and Irony

The Whitehouse put out a press release about obsolete and under performing programs to be cut in the budget.

So I go here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/TRS/

Which points me to here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2010/assets/tsr.pdf

Where I get: "File not found."

Too funny.

I like much of what President Obama is doing. Even so, my first thought was that some powerful congressman called and said, "You are cutting WHAT?!" causing the actual document to be hastily pulled.

We spend a great deal as a country. It is good to see efforts to see that we are spending effectively.

Edit: Typo! http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2010/assets/trs.pdf


http://danslotd.blogspot.com

Monday, May 4, 2009

Science can be used to make lives better...

...it can also be used frivolously. I'm not sure which one this is yet.

http://danslotd.blogspot.com

Friday, May 1, 2009