Jane Genova: Speechwriter - Ghostwriter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Patron Saint of Out of the Box Thinking

Political and media phenomenon Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is giving professionals "permission" to think out of the box.

After U.S. president Donald Trump's wall speech, it was her comments which got big play.

On Twitter she has 2.2 million followers.

Every politico at every level of government has to factor her in. 

Last Sunday, "60 Minutes" devoted many of those minutes to the interview with her. No surprise, her presentation of self was out of the box, that is, she didn't look or talk like The Scripted. 

Now, more will find the courage to embrace the risk of playing their game outside the box.

Just as importantly, more clients will request out of the box strategies and content - and then actually accept all that. Of course, creative types recall the myriad times clients demanded "something different" and really didn't mean it. Thanks to Cortez they will mean it.

Will Cortez lose momentum? That's irrelevant. What she has proven out is that out of the box thinking gets and grows attention. So what if it fades. Meanwhile things get done. 

In order to sell, be it dinner reservations for Valentine's Day or receiving treatment for opioid addiction, those pitching have to get our attention. Once the deal is closed, it's okay if for the next sale we have to put together another strategy. It may or may not be out of the box. 

Get amazing results through out of box communications strategies/content. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. I help, not sell.

Nancy Pelosi - No Brain Freeze/Slurred Words Matt Drudge Always Reports

For those of us who follow the Drudge Report, it was a surprise that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on national television last night. She was commenting on the U.S. President's speech about the need for The Wall. 

What was more amazing is that she didn't have the brain freeze and slurring of words Matt Drudge is always reporting. 

She simply delivered the usual carefully measured platitudes politicos do.

So, in about three minutes the Drudge Report lost plenty of credibility. 

Before portraying Pelosi as semi-senile, Drudge has years of fun targeting Hillary Clinton. The "front page" of the Report frequently had a seemingly doctored photo of Hillary. There had been Wicked Witch of the West Hillary, Sick Hillary, and Scared Hillary.

Unlock hidden value through out of box communications strategies/content. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. I help, not sell.

"FBI" - Chemistry Between the Characters, Finally

On iconic television crime shows such as "Without a Trace," it's all about relationships among the characters.

The audience was totally into the oddball dynamics between shutdown Jack Malone and open-hearted Sam. We eventually realized Jack wasn't going to change so we hoped he would release Sam from his dysfunctional hold.

If those relationships don't gel on a new crime show such as "FBI," then it is doomed. Even if it's produced by Dick Wolf. He had created the "Law & Order" franchise.

Finally, on "FBI" there is real chemistry between Maggie Bell and Zeeko Zaki. They are partners. Both are wounded. But not until the armed robbery episode had they opened up a bit to each other. Bell's husband had died. Zaki had his war trauma.

As yet, there is no announcement if "FBI" will be renewed for another season. But, with the improvement in the character development, it could have a shot.

When it first was televised the rating was about 10 million. After that, it's been bouncing around in the 9 million box. 

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.

 

CBS News - Tough Challenge Taking on ABC's David Muir

On the 6:30 P.M. News on ABC, anchor David Muir has become the youthful version of Walter Cronkite.

Muir is able to lead the nation in sorting out the events of the day. You bet, he is a father figure.

That's why we tune into ABC rather than CBS. In addition, the pacing and visuals for the ABC news are done perfectly.

Therefore, the incoming head of CBS News Susan Zirinsky will have to transcend the aura surrounding Muir. As Joe Flint reports in The Wall Street Journal, CBS has declining ratings since Charlie Rose was ousted. Zirinsky's job number-one is to boost them. 

That means she will have to poach some of Muir's viewers. After all, the size of the audience for network evening news is not a growth area. 

Yes, Muir is an institution, as much as Cronkite had been. Her best shot is to revamp the format of the news. That will create a whole new genre for presenting news. Initially lots of folks will tune in out of curiosity. They might or might not stay. 

If Zirinsky does reimagine evening news, then that could present an authentic threat to Muir.

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.

Lorena and John Bobbitt - Crushed by The American Dream

Last night "20/20" revisited the sensational 1990s saga of Lorena and John Bobbitt.

She cut off his penis. He was accused of domestic violence. Both were acquitted. Neither seemed to recover from the emotional, legal, and media ordeal. 

In this #MeToo era, of course, "20/20" focused on gender issues. Back then, those issues were framed as The Gender Wars.

But in passing "20/20" did mention how Lorena came to America to grab onto The American Dream. John had been a Marine, so he too believed in that fundamental value. 

Perhaps the producers should have paid more attention to how The American Dream didn't materialize for the young married couple and that could have been the tipping point for the mutual unhappiness.

On television back in her native land Lorena saw how middle class life played out in America. There was the single-family house. Yet, she and John were stuck in a studio apartment. 

In the Marines he had embraced the specialness of America. Play by the rules and the good life is yours. However, after his enlistment was over he had difficulty getting and holding a job. 

Had John been able to create material bliss for Lorena and therefore felt good about himself, there might not have been a "Bobbitt Story."

The American Dream continues to trigger conflict in marriages. The single family house, for example, is increasingly unaffordable.  

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.

"The Last Days of John F. Kennedy Jr." - More 1950s PRish Than Documentary

There are those of a certain age who remain suckers for photos and videos of the Kennedy clan.

I belong to that category. So that's why I continued with the two-hour ABC presentation of "The Final Days of John F. Kennedy Jr." From the father's days as a U.S. senator to the burial at sea of the son, there was plenty of visual material. 

But even that was disappointing. The program had been promoted as containing unseen footage. Not much was new to me.

The tone and textual content tended to 1950s PRish rather than a documentary which explored complexities and raised questions. The "Last Days …" could have been appropriate if the son had had a son and that son was campaigning for public office.

For example, those who had invested time when Jr. was alive in reading objective reporting of his marriage challenges knew this: Maybe he had married the wrong woman. The problems went beyond the wife's discomfort with the non-stop media attention. 

In addition, there was no issue raised if the son had a self-destructive side. What was said that he was a big risk-taker. I have long wondered if he decided to step into that plane that evening instead of switching to a car to exit a life that wasn't turning out as he had scripted it. 

Therefore, the two hours were a lost opportunity to know John F. Kennedy Jr. better. I have fond memories of the culture he created at George. When I pitched ideas for articles to write, they were very kind to me. In the end, I didn't wind up producing for George but I was sure rooting for its success.

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.

"Criminal Minds" - Will There Be 15th Season?

That wonderfully creepy show about serial killers - "Criminal Minds" - had made it to a 14th season.

The question fans have is: Will there be a 15th season?

The odds are against its being renewed, explains Daniel Redford. He points to the ratings that have been drifting downward during the past few years. Another red flag has been that only 15 episodes had been created for the 14th season. The usual number is about 22. 

According to TV Series Finale, there has been a bit of an uptick in viewership since November 21, 2018. That's when the ratings climbed from the 4+ million box into the 5+ million. On December 12, 2018, viewership was up almost 21 percent, with a 5.43 million rating. 

But, with the exits of anchor characters such as Aaron Hotchner and Derek Morgan, the show has lost some of pull power. Shut-down Hotchner and amiable hunk Morgan were the sources of the show's electric current.

David Rossi is doing a commendable job preserving some of the old spark. But it won't be a surprise if, come next television season, all fans have are the reruns, no new episodes.

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.

Will Mr. Smith (The UnCharisma) Go to the White House?

Here in Ohio, U.S. Senator (Democrat) Sherrod Brown is staring opportunity in the face.

Whether the GM Lordstown, OH plant idles, shuts down permanently, or remains operating, he has a high-profile platform for the dignity of work meme. He has been hammering that since he ran for re-election as U.S. Senator in the midterms.

More recently, he has been visible in lobbying GM to keep that plant open and the 1,500 well-paying jobs in the state. In terms of publicity, that has been a blessing for Brown.

Local, national, and global news outlets (here is The Guardian account) have been examining the direct and ripple effects of the plant closing.

Just before Christmas ABC local news presented how two mid-sized businesses would have to conduct a massive layoff if there is no more Lordstown plant. In addition, property values would plummet. Of course, the sheriff will be evicting plenty of tenants who could make rent.

As Politico reports and as rumors have been hinting, Brown is exploring a run for the U.S. President job in 2020.

Among his initiatives is looking to Barack Obama for support, hunting for talent to man the campaign, and introducing himself to the nation through the media. 

Hard times, which are predicted to hit us by the end of 2019, would help Brown.

His persona is The Uncharisma. A guy we perceive as sincere and seemingly unscripted could be exactly what we decide we want. He would be the analogue of the Mr. Smith Goes to the White House. Already he has convinced voters in conservative OH to vote to him. A Lordstown shut-down and a whopper of an economic downturn could push Trump loyalists into his arms. 

He also would have unique appeal to the aging, nationwide.

As The Wall Street Journal outed, we older professionals aren't sitting pretty. The dignity of work Brown champions is less and less available to us.

In general earning power declines after age 35, that is, if we lose a job and finally land another one. The latter will tend to pay less than the job we used to have.

Currently, eight million of us are either unemployed or are employed in situations which pay peanuts. My 62-year-old neighbor earns a bit over eight bucks an hour at Marc's grocery in Austintown, OH. Sometimes her hours are cut. 

In short, age bias is real. Here, free to download, is my guide on how to keep working, no matter our age and how survival jobs can scale into new career paths Download Outwitting ageism

If Brown is wise, he will invite those of us over-50 to volunteer in his campaign. His staff can contact me for assistance with content-creation. 

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.

2019 - Big Media Story Will Be Media

More powerful than governments, business enterprises, and nutty leaders is the media.

So, it's predictable that its own activities will be the big story of 2019. After all, it's heading into so much change.

The story of media could even upstage the saga of the coming global economic slowdown.

In The Wrap, Sharon Waxman reports how digital natives haven't yet found a sustainable model and a way to scale revenues. 

That's been obvious, of course.

Gawker pushed the envelope too far. A jury in Florida pushed back with a $140 million verdict.

Liberal HuffPost, after a strong start, lost traction compared to the conservative Drudge Report.

How long will Vice and Buzzfeed be around?

Meanwhile, establishment media, with a print legacy, has bounced back.

The New York Times got the hang of digital subscriptions and is thriving.

The Atlantic received fresh funding from Steve Jobs' widow.

The New Yorker found a second life with choosing the right juicy topics for investigative reporting. On social, Ronan Farrow put out a call for tips (ronan_farrow@newyorker.com). I sent him two. 

Network television, which was supposed to die, is still around.

Part of the reason why is that we are enjoying the turbulence. In addition to the sexual harassment scandals we wonder what old-line shows such as "Criminal Minds" will be renewed and which new ones like "A Million Little Things" will be allowed to grow an audience.

Also, there is the medium of blogging. Mature, but still packs a bunch. Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler shook up that enterprise with one post.

It was through my three syndicated blogs that I righted wrongs, at least to my satisfaction.

Those ranged from a financial institution which had wasted my time and use of my money to a client who was trying to stiff me.

Also, I got to stand up, toe to toe, to those "good girls" from the days when there were all-women's Catholic colleges barricaded in the woods - here and here. Thanks to that, I took the leap into self-love, which includes self-acceptance. All's well that ends well. In my late 60s I found inner peace. 

Given the media's power, it's the game so many iGens want to play. That's even if the money for the majority isn't up there with first-year associate salary at law firms (nearly $200k). They contact me for advice.

Because of the volatility in the media industry, I recommend their spreading the earnings risk: Develop multiple sources of income.

For example, as side hustles do marketing communications and tutor preparation for the SAT. Here is my article, published on Odwyepr.com, about managing what I call "mutt branding." That is, a diverse professional identity. 

Perhaps the most useful tool we can give the global underdogs, as well as those here in the U.S., is insider insight about how media works. That could be the greatest gift to mankind since Prometheus passed on the know-how of fire. 

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.

"Dateline" - Likely Will Be Back for Season 28th

So far, "Dateline" has made it to its 27th season on television. And, if ratings are what count in renewals, the odds are that it will have a 28th season.

For the 12/28/2018 episode, viewership was at 3.730 million. That was up 21.03% from the week before. 

What else "Dateline" has going for it on NBC is its format. That mixes the fun of suspense about who the killer is with the fairness of not keeping clues from the audience. 

Usually, though, the suspense is undermined a bit by the reality that too often the husband turns out to be the killer. For some reason, he assumes that he will get away with the alternate to going for a divorce. Or the motivation could be the insurance money, which, of course, is a red flag to law enforcement that hubby did it. 

Last night's rerun played it differently. The wife was having an affair. She feared that would cause her to lose custody of her sons in a divorce. So she set up a murder-by-hire. 

Overall, the true crimes involving spouses or partners featured on "Dateline" should throw a chill on romance. It's a wonder that Valentine's Day has survived as an institution.

Out of the Box Communications = Unexpected Results

Complimentary Consultation janegenova374@gmail.com – I help, not sell.