MWW STRAIGHT TALK

Trust in Media is Gone: Fair and Balanced is Gone

Americans are losing confidence in newspapers and television news.

According to a recent Gallup Poll, there has been a somewhat steady decline for the past twenty years – one that has been particularly dramatic with respect to television news. Only 25 percent of Americans have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in these traditional news sources, thus putting them on par with “banks” when it comes to public trust.

This is certainly unfortunate, but not at all surprising. In fact, in light of yesterday’s revelation that Fox News’ parent company gave an unprecedented $1 million check to the Republican Governors Association, the only thing that would be surprising is if that level of confidence does not dip even further.

Objectivity has long been a hallmark of American journalism. It is not always a given. It is not always evident. Yet, a premium on impartial, balanced reporting has long been a defining characteristic and a standard by which news coverage has been measured.

Yesterday’s blatantly partisan “gift” from Fox News, however, has lowered that standard and with it, the quality of American journalism.

Granted, Fox’s media bias is not new. The case against Fox News is deep and dates back many years. From its 1996 founding under the leadership of longtime Republican operative Roger Ailes to its bevy of well-known conservative reporters to its undeniably slanted reporting, Fox News has long been suspected of being "a wing of the Republican Party".

But now we have the proof… it’s now official … Fox can stop masquerading as a legitimate news source and can finally stop pretending that it’s “Fair and Balanced.”

Further, this latest transgression crosses a line. It sets a terrible precedent, and it sets us on a potentially dangerous course. In the swipe of its pen, Fox News has literally torn down the firewall that had existed between politics and journalism – a firewall that had long placed a necessary and credible check on government power … a firewall that had been critical to maintaining the trust of the American people.

Promise. Practice. Good Corporate Citizenship.

At MWW Group, we take our corporate citizenship seriously. It’s what we do. It’s who we are.

For that reason, we are particularly excited, because we just released our 2nd annual Corporate Citizenship Report – a document filled with the good work being done by our firm, our employees, and our clients in the communities we serve.

The theme of this year’s report, “Promise – Practice”, speaks to our very real, very tangible commitment to integrating corporate responsibility in all that we do. It underscores our fundamental belief that the choice between sustainability strategy and business strategy is a false choice – that doing good and doing well can and should go hand-in-hand. And it embodies the pride and passion that leads us to “walk the talk” on corporate citizenship while carrying out the firm’s core business.

The report is divided into four main sections:

Protecting Our Valuable Natural Resources
Building Healthier Communities
Fostering Social and Economic Opportunities
Empowering Our Employees

Taken together, these sections illustrate that MWW Group’s philosophy of “Aim High. Deliver” applies as much to our corporate citizenship responsibilities as it does to our corporate business objectives.

Please take a moment to read through our report … and come back to us with any questions or suggestions. We value your input….

The Americans with Disabilities Act at 20

As published on politickernj.com.

Our country is observing a significant milestone this week – one that has literally transformed the lives of millions of Americans over the past twenty years.

In fact, the 1990 Americans with Disability Act (ADA) has proven to be a landmark civil rights law. It has outlawed discrimination. It has opened doors of opportunity. And it has given millions of Americans with disabilities -- and their families -- a new lease on life.

On the most basic level, the ADA is all about access – access to public places … to employment … to transportation … and to communication. It is also about justice, equality, and the right of every American to reach her / his God-given potential.

Taken together, the ADA is about a better way of life.

The impact of the law has already been widespread and meaningful. Curb cuts for those with mobility challenges. Captioning for those with hearing loss. Workplace supports for those with physical impairments. But the impact is perhaps most evident in the change in attitudes – towards people with disabilities and by people with disabilities. Increasingly, Americans – across the board – are recognizing that the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” belongs to everyone, regardless of a person’s abilities or disabilities.

But like any civil rights effort, the ADA is a work in progress. It takes time to change old behaviors. It takes resources to tear down physical barriers. And It takes patience to tear down social ones.

It also takes leadership.

Fortunately, we now have a President who “gets it” when it comes to the topic of disability and is willing to use his office to address the issue thoroughly, effectively, and honestly. In fact, in a clear departure from many of his predecessors, Barack Obama has made disability rights a key component of his presidency. He spoke often and in unprecedented fashion about it on the campaign. He created senior-level disability positions in his administration, including the first Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. He even signed an international convention designed to promote the rights of people with disabilities – a convention that his immediate predecessor refused to support.

Needless to say, the ADA is an important law. With 54 million Americans with disabilities, it is a law that affects nearly every family, every community, every neighborhood – either directly or indirectly. It is a law that spans across every race, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. It is a law that impacts the lives of every age group and every socio-economic class.

In other words, the ADA is one of the most sweeping civil rights laws ever adopted and put into force, thus making its anniversary a very special, very important cause for reflection, celebration and rededication.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD – THEN AND NOW

As published on NewJerseyNewsroom.com.

Without question, Tom Robinson would be better off today.

He would be able to vote. He would have access to all public accommodations. He could win a seat in Congress, be appointed to the Supreme Court, and rise to the top of a Fortune 500 company.

He could even be President.

In fact, Tom Robinson could live a life completely unimaginable and unrecognizable to the characters in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” – the groundbreaking book, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week. No lynchings. No all white male juries. No presumption of guilt based on skin color. No state-sanctioned discrimination.

Yet, Tom would realize a sad, but undeniable truth -- that racism is still alive and all too well in contemporary America. He would know it in the economic injustice that has left a disproportionate number of African-Americans -- 25 percent -- living in poverty. He would see it in the criminal injustice that has left a disproportionate number of African-American men - 6 times the number of white, non-Hispanic men -- living in jails and prisons. And he would feel it in the hate-filled, racist rhetoric that still defines too much of our political discourse – rhetoric that questions the Civil Rights Act, rhetoric that questions the birthplace of our President.

Granted, America is a much different place than the fictional 1930s town portrayed in the exceptional 1960 book. Laws have changed. Attitudes have evolved. And we, as a people, have surely progressed.

But race remains a central subject in the American narrative.

Indeed, almost everywhere you turn, racism – in all its ugliness – can be seen, heard, and felt. The hit Broadway play, “Race”, showcases it. Mel Gibson's recent tirade exposes it. Many Tea Party members give voice to it. And absurd race-based allegations about the health reform law ("tan tax") and the U.S. Department of Justice ( the New Black Panther Party allegations ) feed it.

]]> In fact, a Google search of the word “racism” will turn up hundreds – if not thousands -- of news stories on a daily basis.

In other words, the Civil Rights Movement and a host of other efforts have taken us a long way toward a post-racial society, but there is much road still to be traveled – a disturbing fact born out in recent polling:

A recent ABC News / Washington Post survey found that 94 percent of Americans think that racism is still “a problem” in our country.
Another ABC News / Washington Post survey found that only 37 percent of Americans think that African-Americans have “achieved racial equality.”
And a CNN / Opinion Research Corporation survey found that only 51 percent of those questioned believe that the “U.S. has fulfilled the vision” Martin Luther King, Jr. outlined in his “I have a dream” speech.

Again, Tom Robinson would fare much better in 21st century America. More opportunities. More equality. More justice. But while there is certainly much to celebrate in terms of race relations, it is equally clear that there is much work still to be done.

In trying to explain the existence of racism to his young son, Mockingbird’s Atticus Finch stated in his calming, yet compelling voice, “There are a lot of ugly things in this world, son.”

Instructive words then. Instructive words now.

Earth Day at 40: Green is the new normal

As published in The Record.

FORTY YEARS of awareness. Forty years of action. Forty years of progress. Suffice it to say, we have a lot to celebrate this Earth Day on Thursday.

But most importantly, we are celebrating the end of a long, divisive dispute about whether we need to do something to protect the environment.

Simply stated, we no longer debate “if” we need to do something; we only debate “what” to do. And, by itself, that’s a huge win.

In fact, despite all of the acrimony over climate change legislation and global warming science, one thing is clear: Our country understands the critical need to protect the environment. That is good news for our environment, good news for our economy and good news for our national security. Consumers demand it, and the private sector has embraced it. And it’s a prime mover in creating jobs and economic opportunity and is a central theme of our foreign policy.

Granted, we may not agree on the science. We may not agree on the causes or remedies. We may not even agree on the terminology. But over the last several years, we – generally speaking — have come to agree that the environment is important and must be protected.

]]> Invaluable – and endangered

We now recognize that clean air and clean water are invaluable — and in danger. We understand that we must work to preserve both for ourselves as well as future generations.

To this end, much has been done. Recycling laws and recycling bins are everywhere. Smaller cars, including hybrids, are in style, despite stabilized fuel prices. Solar panels and wind turbines are becoming more commonplace. And environmental concerns are often topics of conversation between leaders of government, business and academia.

Much of this progress – and the intellectual foundation on which it sits – owes itself to government and non-profit leaders, who blazed early trails through conventional thinking and against great odds.

But this movement picked up real steam with the involvement of the private sector, particularly those businesses responsible for clean energy technology.

These transformative technologies have been giving new, exciting meaning to the sustainability movement – one that has had a tremendous, positive impact on our economy as well as our environment.

Increasingly, entrepreneurs and private businesses are investing their time, energy and money into such green technologies, and in so doing, they are fundamentally changing the way we live our lives … for the better.

They preserve the environment. They create lasting jobs. They strengthen our independence. And they make money – for the company owners as well as the communities in which they operate.

In other words, they are redefining the concept of “going green” and mainstreaming efforts to protect the environment.

As a result, the new sustainability movement is less about sacrifice and more about opportunity. It is about doing things better, cheaper and greener. It is about redefining the concept of “going green” to mean making money as well as protecting the environment.

And it is about rejecting the false choice between doing right by our environment and doing right by our country.

White House support

Not surprisingly, this paradigm shift is now being driven by the White House. In fact, President Obama has been outspoken about the need for a thriving U.S.-based green economy – something that is central to both his domestic and international agendas. In his recent State of the Union address, the President underscored this point when he called for “a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America .… because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy.”

This paradigm shift, in turn, is being embraced by an increasing cross-section of the American people. Democrat. Republican. Activist. Business leader.

Some see it as a way to make money. Some see it as a way to “do good”. And some see it as a way to do both.

Regardless of the motivation, the fact remains – green is fast becoming the new normal.

So, as we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we should celebrate all that has been done and rededicate ourselves to all that we must still do.

And we should heed the simple, albeit compelling words of Earth Day founder, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, who effectively summed it all up – “The challenge is to forge a society that is economically and environmentally sustainable.”

Wanted: Courage to Pass Healthcare Reform

As published on PolitickerNJ.Com

In 1935, they spoke out against Social Security. In 1965, they spoke out against Medicare. And now in 2010, they are taking a politics-first stand against health care reform.

If nothing else, the Republican Party is consistent … shamefully so.

Thanks to President Obama's determined leadership, there will likely be a historic vote on health care reform within the next few days. But thanks to the “say no to everything” Republican party, the support for that vote has been demonized … leaving a significant percentage of the American public confused at best and unnecessarily afraid at worst. Once again, the Party of “no” seems poised to be on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of decency, fairness, and creating a better America.

Granted, the health care reform proposal is not perfect, but it is an important step in the right direction. It would ban discrimination by insurance companies of those with pre-existing conditions. It would prevent insurance companies from dropping patients’ coverage if they become sick. And, it would include many other provisions to help individuals and small businesses gain greater access to insurance coverage.

Further, the President’s reform proposal would bring down health care costs for families as well as for our overall country. In fact, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), insurance premiums for American families could fall by 14 to 20 percent, and equally important, the budget deficit would be reduced dramatically reduced … no matter what the partisan pundits would have you believe. In fact, and this is a very important point, according to the CBO, this plan would reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over the next decade and $1.3 trillion during the following decade. This – combined with greater health, greater productivity, and fewer emergency room visits – would lead to a significant boon to our economy.

]]> Therefore, taken together, the President’s health care reform proposal is not only the right (morally) thing to do; it is the smart (economically) thing to do.

Let’s take a look at just a few facts. In my Congressional District (NJ-5) alone, health care reform will immediately do the following:

Ban discrimination against 6,800 residents with pre-existing conditions
Provide tax credits and other assistance for up to 76,000 families and 20,400 small businesses
Extend coverage to 12,500 uninsured residents
Save 900 families from health care related bankruptcy
Provide full prescription drug coverage for 103,000 seniors on Medicare

So, why do the Republicans oppose it? Why do they demonize the proposal and those that support it? Why do they try to scare seniors with talk of imaginary “death panels” and non-existent governmental health care takeover claims? And, why don’t they think that the American people deserve the same high-quality care that Members of Congress receive?

Good questions. It would be nice to believe that they are just misinformed – that they just don’t get it, rather than they want to manipulate the American people for their own political gains. But comments by Republican leaders make their goals clear: to stop President Obama and the Democrats at all costs. Their rhetoric is not about what is best for the country, but what is best for them. It’s the same playbook we have seen time and time again.

But this time, the stakes are much too high to accept their destructive agenda. The fact remains clear – we need health care reform, and we need it now. With almost 50 million uninsured Americans and millions more underinsured, we have a crisis on our hands -- one that demands immediate attention. There is no time for political posturing. There is no time for political gamesmanship. As noted this week in a startling study by the non-partisan, well-respected Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “Without significant reform to the current health care system, the number of uninsured Americans could grow by 10 million people in just five years, and spending on government health care programs for the poor could more than double by 2010.” And with health care costs making up a significant portion of our economy, this may be the most profound and important measure we can do to protect jobs, small business and other major parts of the American economy.

Make no mistake about it -- health care reform is at the heart of any long term economic growth for this nation.

And, notwithstanding Republican demagoguery, the American people want health care reform. Poll after poll show that when people are asked about the individual elements of the plan vs. this thing called “health care reform,” there is overwhelming support for the President’s proposal. And, story after painful story demonstrate that there is a profound need for meaningful change.

In 1935, some Republicans grudgingly ended up voting for the Social Security Act. In 1965, at the last minute, several Republicans ended up voting for Medicare. And so, with only days to go before a vote, the question remains: Will the Republican Party … and some wavering Democrats … have the courage and the conscience to do the right thing on health care reform?

Republican Playbook: Fear, Scorn & Partisanship

This article originally appeared on PolitickerNJ.com

Instill fear. Sow uncertainty. Create doubt. Demonize.

These tactics may be the unfortunate norm for campaigning, but they are bad – if not downright irresponsible -- for governing. Yet, since day one of the Obama Presidency, the Republican playbook has not just promoted the use of such tactics … it has glorified them as the central theme of its strategy.

The latest case in point is a recent Republican National Committee powerpoint presentation – a hate-filled document that was used at the February RNC Finance Leadership Meeting.

One slide is entitled, “The Evil Empire” and includes caricatures of President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid.
There is a picture entitled “socialism” that has a sinister caricature of President Obama that has been made to look like “The Joker”.
There is an unseemly caricature of Nancy Pelosi entitled, “Cruella DeVille” – the fictional villain from “The Hundred and One Dalmatians”.
And one slide sums up the approach to be used by the RNC by asking a cynical question … “What can you sell when you do not have the White House, the House or the Senate…? … and providing an equally cynical answer: “Save the country from trending toward socialism.”

In a word, this is outrageous.

No reference to issues. No reference to values. Just a blatant attempt to raise money through fear and scorn. After all, why stand for something, if you can just debase, vilify, and belittle the highest offices in the land?

Unfortunately, this has become par for the course for today’s Republican Party. First, there were Dick Cheney’s irresponsible claims about the President’s stewardship of U.S. national security. Then there were the unprecedented displays of disrespect during the President’s addresses to Congress – first by a Republican Congressman who yelled out during a 2009 healthcare speech and then by a conservative Supreme Court Justice who broke with decorum by visibly objecting to the President’s speech. And through it all there has been a blind partisanship practiced by Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Taken together, these Republican tactics serve no purpose other than to further divide and harm the American people. They do nothing to make our country safer. They do nothing to improve our quality of life. They do nothing to make our country a better place.

This is particularly troubling in light of the many challenges that we – as a nation – are currently facing. People are scared. People are hurting. People are struggling. Yet, the national Republican response has been to breed fear, blame others, and effectively ignore the pain. For some, the 2008 campaign never ended. For some, the campaign is all that seems to matter.

Needless to say, this is no way to run a country.

Disagree with the President. Debate the President. But for all of our sakes, Republicans must start to work with the President.

And as for the media, they must start to report objectively about the Republican’s cynical game. No more blaming both parties for gridlock. No more playing both sides against each other. When the Republican leadership refers to healthcare reform as the President’s “waterloo” or uses demeaning caricatures of the President to raise money, the media must call it what it is – partisan politics at its absolute worse.

In the end, it is impossible to have “unilateral bipartisanship”. President Obama and the Democratic Leadership have continually reached out across the aisle, only to be met by a monolithic Republican opposition that refuses to find common ground and refuses to act in the common good – an opposition that would rather play politics, than do the people’s business.

This is wrong. This is disgraceful. And it urgently speaks to the need for a new Republican playbook.

Tiger, Toyota and Tweeting Filmmakers: The New Normal in Crisis Communications

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Newsroom.com

The old rules no longer apply. In fact, they have not applied for quite some time.

As recent headlines made clear, crisis communications is now driven by digital media. Television. Radio. Newspapers. Rather than leading the public discussion of Tiger Woods or Toyota, these traditional – some would say increasingly archaic – mediums seem more like they are trying to catch up with the drama being played out minute-by-minute on Twitter, on Facebook, and on blogs.

To say that the news cycle moves at a frenetic pace may be an understatement. This is the new normal … and it has been for several years. In fact, shrewd companies implemented corporate social media policies years ago and have incorporated them into their daily marketing and communications activities.

This is particularly true for brands in crisis.

Gone is the focus on the evening news or the morning newspaper. Gone is the ability to craft a single, official-sounding press release. Gone is the ability to control the flow of bad information.

]]> When the 1982 Tylenol scare was unfolding, company executives had to deal with a relatively new, relatively challenging phenomenon: a 24-hour news cycle. Information had to flow faster. Stories were harder to control. And crisis communications took on a whole new meaning. In other words, CNN made life a whole lot more challenging for companies trying to do damage control.

Yet, the medium and the message were essentially unchanged. Johnson & Johnson still relied on traditional media and were still able to use the same statements – substantively – for each venue. Fast forward to 2010 when Toyota and Southwest Airlines were confronted with their own crises, and you have a vastly different, vastly more challenging picture. New venues. New expectations. New opportunities. New challenges.

Without question, Toyota's response to its growing recall has failed in almost every respect. It has been slow. It has been confused. And it has been premised on the company’s misguided belief that it could control the flow of bad information. These missteps, in turn, have been compounded by Toyota’s failure to effectively use social media – something that is further undermining the company’s ability to tell its story, connect with its customers and maintain its credibility.

Southwest, on the other hand, immediately turned to digital outlets when actor Kevin Smith began tweeting to his 1.6 million followers about his “embarrassing” experience aboard a recent flight. Granted, the airline got beaten to the punch in this case of “he said, she said”, but it moved swiftly across a range of digital mediums -- with a host of individually tailored messages -- to issue its apology and clarify the situation.

Yet, it is instructive to recognize that this relatively minor story – which started from less than 140 characters on Twitter – almost immediately resulted in over 500,000 Google web results, over 50,000 blog entries, and nearly 2,000 news stories on the matter.

Back in the day, Tiger Wood’s carefully choreographed press event would have largely controlled the story. The evening news would have covered it. The morning newspapers would have covered it. And that would be the end of the conversation until later that evening. No blog postings. No Facebook comments. No tweets. No nothing. Just some water cooler talk among colleagues.

That was then.

Today, regardless of the company or the crisis, the fact remains: Information – real and rumor – travels at lightning speed…literally. The pace and form of information flow is now near impossible to control. The best a company can hope to do is try to manage it. And the best way to manage it is to embrace the new normal with respect to crisis communications.

In other words, go digital ... yesterday.

Lesson #1: Define Yourself Before Others Do

The agenda has been ambitious.

Jobs. Homeland security. Iraq. Afghanistan. Healthcare. Energy. Banking.

Taken together, the Obama Presidency has all the makings of a compelling story -- action, adventure, emotion, suspense, and intrigue -- but it seems to be lacking a key component: a narrative.

Despite a decidedly progressive – and I would suggest laudable – list of policy initiatives, the Obama Presidency seems to be lacking a unifying theme … an organizing principle … an overarching rationale ... a stake in the ground. To the average person, each issue is seemingly pursued for its own sake. Each issue often appears to be addressed in isolation of the others. And each issue is often spoken about in technocratic terms – generally devoid of any emotion, devoid of any interconnectedness, and devoid of any discussion of a “big picture”.

During the presidential campaign, candidate Obama tapped into something deep and visceral. Americans wanted change – new leadership, new direction, and new hope – and Obama was ready, willing and able to deliver. He spoke about change. He promised change. He embodied change. And people of all political stripes – Democrat, Republican and Independent – gravitated toward him.

]]> To be sure, some were frustrated by a perceived lack of specifics about the candidate’s views on individual issues and about their inability to fit him neatly into a box. Was he liberal? Was he moderate? In the end, it didn’t matter. “Change” was the mantra, and all knew – and most liked – what candidate Obama represented.

Since his election, President Obama has shifted his focus – commendably – from politics to policy as he has sought to tackle the nation’s problems. His political adversaries, however, have not followed suit. Rather, many of them have maintained their focus on the politics of personal destruction and have sought to define the President in less-than-flattering terms. In this, they have been relentless … they have been unified … and they have been successful. Many in the media – not just those in the right-wing echo chamber at Fox News – have seemingly bought into the Republican definition of the Obama Presidency and have been marching in lockstep with the Republican playbook.

As a result, the President’s agenda has been somewhat overshadowed.

This unfortunate point has become an increasingly popular topic of conversation. Columnist Tom Friedman recently spoke to this issue, noting that “More and more lately, I find people asking me: What do you think President Obama really believes about this or that issue.” To explain this phenomenon, Friedman concludes, the President “has a narrative problem. He has not tied all his programs into a single narrative that shows the links” between his policies.

And a problem it is.

Communication 101 teaches that if you don’t define yourself, someone else will … and I can promise you, not in the way that you want to be defined. Leadership requires a narrative. The best policies and the best speeches will not – on their own – move people to act in a certain way, particularly if a certain level of personal sacrifice is involved. There needs to be a larger plan and a greater sense of purpose. There needs to be – in the words of former President George H. W. Bush – “the vision thing”.

For President Obama, this should be easy. When it comes to communications, he excels at it. When it comes to policy, he is skilled at it. And when it comes to America, he gets it more than most people. He just needs to better package his Presidency – his proposals, speeches and activities – into something that resonates with the American people and that answers the big question -- Why? Why healthcare reform? Why a stimulus package? Why bank restructuring? Why ALL of these proposals together? And why now?

In just the few short weeks since the Massachusetts election, the President has demonstrated his uncanny ability to take command of challenging situations. He has already reclaimed the bully-pulpit … changed the national dialogue … and begun to better define his presidency. His voice is louder. His message is stronger. And his vision is clearer.

In other words, President Obama now seems ready and eager to narrate the next great chapter in American history.

HAITI – NOW, MORE THAN EVER

Now, more than ever, we need to help our neighbors in Haiti.

The 7.0 earthquake has literally devastated that nation’s capital, Port au Prince

At least 100,000 dead or missing people.
Human bodies – perhaps several thousand – trapped under collapsed buildings.
Widespread homelessness.
Reports of no food ...no medicine…no drinkable water...and no electricity.

The situation is bleak – very bleak – for our neighbors, who have long suffered at the hands of corrupt government, endemic poverty, and ruthless weather conditions. But, as is now painfully clear, the poorest nation in the hemisphere just became a whole lot poorer. In fact, this may well be Haiti’s darkest hour.

Thus far, the international community’s response has been swift and widespread. Help is coming in many forms --- search and rescue teams ... relief organizations ... media appeals … social networking. Most notably, Facebook and Twitter have been playing an invaluable role in helping Haitians to get the message out to a world seemingly eager to help.

But this crisis is only in its beginning stages, and those of us committed to providing assistance must be prepared to stay in this for the long haul. We need to act fast – today – and we must act again tomorrow and the next day and into the foreseeable future.

For starters, here are some ways in which you can provide quick, meaningful help:

Action Against Hunger, 877-777-1420
American Red Cross, 800-733-2767
AmeriCares, 800-486-4357
CARE, 800-521-2273
Direct Relief International, 805-964-4767
Doctors Without Borders, 888-392-0392
Friends of WFP, 866-929-1694
Haiti Children, 877-424-8454
Haitian Health Foundation, 860-886-4357
Hope for Haiti, 239-434-7183
International Medical Corps, 800-481-4462
International Rescue Committee, 877-733-8433
Meds and Food for Kids, 314-420-1634
Operation USA, 800-678-7255
Oxfam, 800-776-9326
Partners in Health, 617-432-5298
Save the Children, 800-728-3843
UNICEF, 800-367-5437
World Concern, 800-755-5022
World Relief, 800-535-5433
Yele Haiti, 212-352-0552

The U.S. Department of State has also set up two important “hotlines”:

DONATIONS: By texting "HAITI" to "90999", a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts. The charge will show up on your cell phone bill.
MISSING PERSONS: To obtain information on family members in Haiti, please call (888) 407-4747.

Money. Time. Prayers. Again, now, more than ever.

A Decade Stronger

This is the first week of the new decade, and I, for one, am optimistic.

Not naïve. Not wearing rose-colored glasses. Just optimistic that America will rise to the challenges of a new decade with the same energy, same intelligence, and same drive with which it met the very difficult challenges of the past one.

In fact, in this context, the past ten years have been instructive….

Y2K. Al Gore. George Bush. Enron. Al Qaida. Anthrax. Ipods. Airport Security. Saddam Hussein. Sars. Facebook. Tsunami. Terri Schiavo. Katrina. SUVs. Gas prices. Iraq. Texting. Stem cell research. Guantanamo. SmartPhones. Lehman Brothers. Foreclosures. Barack Obama. Unemployment. Swine Flu. Afghanistan. Marriage equality. Sarah Palin.

By some measures, this was a decade unlike any other -- extreme highs, extreme lows, extreme politics, extreme weather, and extreme measures. Over the past 10 years, we have been rocked by a series of fundamental changes to the way in which we live our lives and the way in which we relate to one another.

By many measures, however, we are ending this decade as we started it. Relatively safe. Relatively strong. And extraordinarily blessed.

In fact, as we turn the corner into the second decade of the 21st century, we should step back and realize that we have a great deal for which to be grateful.

]]> Liberty – America’s most precious commodity – personal freedom – survived a decade of terror attacks and terror response. The 9/11 terrorists not only sought to kill Americans; they sought to kill America by forcing us to sacrifice the very freedom at the center of our collective being. They failed. American liberty is alive and well, and despite some bumps in the road – such as government wire tapping and suspension of habeas corpus – we have kept the well-earned title of the “freest place on earth”.

Democracy -- We started the decade with a near constitutional crisis – one precipitated by a questionable presidential election in which the winner of the popular vote actually lost the election. Yet, we ended the decade with a presidential election of near record turnout -- the largest number of voters and one of the largest percentages of eligible voters. And for the first time in its storied history, the United State of America – a country that had long struggled with civil rights issues – elected an African-American President.

Community – We spent much of this decade a divided country. Politically, the 2000 election tore us apart and the war in Iraq kept us apart. Economically, Wall Street’s greed has had a devastating effect on Main Street, hurting the very people and small businesses that have made its profits possible. And socially, issues ranging from social security to healthcare have pitted generation against generation as detractors have sought to frame the discussion in zero-sum terms.

Yet, through it all, the American spirit of community has not only survived -- it has thrived. You could see it in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. You could feel it in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. And you can experience it -- right now -- as neighbors help neighbors pay bills, look for work, and care for their families.

After all, this is America, where you have the right to be right and – more importantly – the right to be wrong. You have the right to get your news from Fox News, MSNBC, and the Drudge Report, and you have the right to start your own blog or internet news site. Right wing … left wing … or somewhere in the middle, we are a nation of ideas and ideals – one that embraces practically all viewpoints, all challenges, all people.

Granted, these are not the best of times. Too many people are feeling too much pain.

But we must not lose hope, and we must not lose sight of our capacity – individually and collectively – to weather any storm and overcome any obstacle. After all, we are Americans, and our resiliency – our ability to stay free, stay strong, and stay united – is better than ever.

Sustainability – The Case Gets Stronger

Last week, I made the case that New Jersey should “own green” – that it should become an incubator for green ideas, green technology, and green jobs. Central to my argument was the notion that sustainability is not only good for the environment; it is good for the bottom line as well.

This week, in a very compelling piece in the New York Times, UCLA Professor Jared Diamond, essentially made the same argument.

In his op-ed, “Will Big Business Save the Earth” New York Times Op-Ed, Professor Diamond uses the example of three major companies – Wal-Mart, Pepsi, and Chevron – to demonstrate that sustainability can and is being promoted by some of the world’s largest companies. And he is very clear in outlining the financial reasons for their decisions to enhance fuel efficiency in their truck fleets (Wal-Mart), to conserve water (Pepsi), and to rigorously promote environmental protection (Chevron).

Professor Diamond’s piece, which is a must read, underscores a point that I think is absolutely essential to moving our economy and our nation forward: The choice between making money and making a difference is, in the end, a false choice.

In other words, it isn’t just possible for companies to “do good” while they are “doing well”, in fact it may be essential to drive real and lasting change.

How to make N.J. the "sustainability state"

Christie should seize the opportunity to make our state the undisputed leader in the green technology revolution.

HIGH unemployment. High taxes. And high budget deficits. Without question, Governor-elect Chris Christie's hands are full, and he is inheriting one of the most daunting challenges in the country.

Yet, behind every challenge — no matter how seemingly intractable — lies an opportunity, and this challenge is no exception. In fact, Christie, who was elected on a promise of economic reform, has several opportunities, ranging from an overhaul of the state tax system to a reform of state government.

There is one opportunity, however, that should be seized immediately: the opportunity to make our state the undisputed leader in the green technology revolution.

Simply stated, New Jersey should become the "sustainability state" — home to green investments, jobs, technology and services. We should be the incubator of green ideas about everything from energy efficiency in buildings — which account for about 40 percent of all energy usage in the United States — to energy efficiency in transportation. And we should have a tax structure that incentivizes sustainable businesses to move to New Jersey and create jobs in New Jersey.

My concern, however, is that there will be great pressure to put energy and other non-budget issues on the back burner — that there will be a single-minded focus on short-term budget challenges at the expense of longer term critical thinking and actions.

]]> This would be shortsighted.

Many of these issues — including budget, education and business reform — are interconnected and should be pursued simultaneously. In fact, revitalizing New Jersey's business climate would help make possible all of the other efforts that the new administration wants to undertake. Done right, it would benefit our state's economy, workers and future.

And at the center of that revitalization could and should be sustainable businesses — profitable, job-creating engines of innovation.

New Jersey is familiar with this type of thinking. Some time ago, we created a home for many of the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical companies. Our tax structure. Our higher education system. Our political culture. Taken together, we created a business environment that promoted innovation, rewarded risk-taking and encouraged public-private partnerships.

But just as pharmaceuticals drove much of the economic growth of the last few decades, green technology and services have the opportunity to be that engine for the future. Solar panels. Wind turbines. LED lighting. The energy industry is busting at the seams with innovative companies seeking to make a profit while they make a difference.

We need to give them a home. New Jersey can and should own green.

To that end, the governor-elect should take some immediate steps:

*Sustainability transition team: Compile a group of big thinkers — from academia, business, government and the environmental community — to recommend ways in which the new administration should be best organized to take on this critical challenge.

*Sustainable tax incentives/grants: Develop a set of targeted tax incentives and grants that will attract sustainable companies and promote sustainable jobs and technology — incentives that will create real opportunities for the companies as well as for the communities in which they operate.

*Sustainable partnerships: Create a real, meaningful relationship between the energy industry and our colleges and universities. We have tremendous brain power in this state. Let's put it to good use.

Confronted with one of the worst economic crises in the history of the state, Christie has quickly begun to look for solutions to address New Jersey's ailing business climate. That's a good sign. And he has already reached out to a bipartisan, diverse group of political, business and academic leaders to help him put our state back on track. That's an even better sign.

Now, I hope that he takes this commitment to the next level, that he will seize the opportunity presented by innovative companies who need a welcome home to create immediate jobs in energy conservation and longer term growth in energy technology.

The challenge before our new governor is indeed great. Nobody disputes that. I would only suggest that the opportunity — the chance to really put New Jersey on the map in a profoundly important, meaningful way — is even greater.

This Op-Ed originally appeared in the Bergen Record.

Lessons in Leadership: Obama Wins the Nobel Prize

This is a guest post from my colleague, Careen Winters, EVP and Head of our Corporate Communications practice.

By now we’ve all heard that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Prize for Diplomacy. In today’s NYT the Nobel prize committee is quoted as saying that the President “has created a new international climate.”

For anyone who doubts the ability of a leader to change reputation – for the better or for the worse -- look no further than a study of the American Presidency and the ultimate brand, the United States of America. In just nine short months, President Obama has materially improved the reputation and stature of America around world. And while I won’t say we’ve completely unraveled the damage that caused the precipitous decline of our nation’s reputation in recent years, we are certainly on the right track. (Funny, that decline had a lot to do with the reputation of our leader, too.)

This is the fundamental principal of MWW Group’s philosophy about reputation management and the role of the CEO and leadership team. Indeed, the White House demonstrated many of the fundamental tenets of the MWW Group CEO EquityBuilder approach…they allow President Obama to be himself – to speak in a voice that is true, to focus on the subject about which he is truly passionate, and to engage in meaningful debate with those of opposing viewpoints. They don’t (and couldn’t even if they wanted to) avoid situations where there might be a difficult question, a tough issue or an opposing viewpoint. They embrace those as opportunities to advance their message – and demonstrate leadership.

Critics of President Obama’s selection by the Nobel Committee will be taking to the airwaves to debate whether he deserves a Nobel Prize, and asking what he had done by the time the nominations occurred to deserve such an honor. To me, this is indicative of the importance of reputation….and how the reputation of a leader, particularly during a transition, can immediately and substantively change the broader reputation of the Company, or in this case, the nation.

It boils down to a simple, obvious truth -- you can’t be a leader without an executive team that demonstrates leadership. It might not win you the Nobel Prize….but it just might do great things for your corporate reputation.

MWW Group: CarbonFree for Three Years Running

I am very pleased to report that MWW Group is once again CarbonFree through our partnership with Carbonfund.org, a leader in carbon reduction and offset solutions. For the past three years, MWW Group has offset the total carbon emissions of its operations, roughly 4,600 metric tons of C02 (2009 certificate below) for that three-year period. That’s an amazing amount, particularly for an organization of our size. It represents more than 10 million pounds of C02, the emissions equivalent of 10,000 barrels of oil or taking 850 cars off the road for a year. And while the entire MWW Group team can take pride in this accomplishment, we’re by no means finished.

As an organization we believe that without a well-trained workforce, the promise of clean energy is unattainable. Therefore in 2009 and beyond, MWW Group will extend its partnership with Carbonfund.org and support specific, verifiable renewable energy projects that create the infrastructure and skills necessary to drive a global, clean energy economy and further reduce carbon emissions. This year MWW Group will support the Iowa Lakes Wind Energy and Turbine Program, an initiative of Iowa Lakes Community College responding to the growing demand for skilled technicians who can install, maintain, and service modern wind turbines. Information on the program can be found here: http://www.ilcc.cc.ia.us/programs_study/industrial/wind_energy_turbine/index.htm.

MWW Group remains firmly committed to doing our part to protect and preserve the environment. We challenge our peers in the industry, as well as our clients and partners, to join with us in this important work, or to adopt your own programs to help bring about a clean energy economy.