Katy Widrick (@growingbolder), executive producer of Growing Bolder

• “Growing Bolder recently got picked up for national syndication on PBS, so we’re always looking for inspirational stories of people over the age of 50 overcoming obstacles and doing extraordinary things.”

Raquel Giorgio (@RaquelGiorgio), managing editor at WKMG-TV

• “The station is open to talking to experts via Skype.”

Peter King (@PeterKingCBS), news correspondent at CBS Radio

• “We like stuff that makes sound because radio is theater of the mind. That being said, if you have an accompanying audio file (e.g., screeching tires for a car story), send it with the pitch.”

Barry Glenn (@OrlandoMag), managing editor of Orlando Magazine

• “Orlando Magazine just released the premiere issue of Orlando Wedding, a new bi-annual publication aimed to help local brides-to-be plan for their big day.”

Mark Baratelli (@MarkBaratelli), editor of The Daily City

• “Our blog’s target market isn’t just kids in skinny jeans; it’s also suburban moms who want to know what interests their kids (who wear skinny jeans).”

John Cutter (@johncutter), digital media editor of the Orlando Sentinel

• “When pitching a story, include video if you have it. Newspapers need online visuals, and video is a great asset to any story.”

Thanks to the media representatives who were present and, most importantly, candid. Can you share any other tips about working with the media? If so, please post them in the comments.

Given free speech and all, people have the right to use blogs to promote their personal points of view. And in doing so, they can say hateful, despicable things. They can use innuendo at will and lie with abandon. It’s all protected under the First Amendment.

But, here’s the rub. Bloggers, if you want to “rage against the machine” or spew out all the bile that’s in your system, have at it. My problem is not as much with you – or even with the “news” organizations that use you as “reliable” sources. My concern is with the people who actually believe you. Blindly. Naively. Without thinking. Without verifying.

Nothing illustrates this any better than the Shirley Sherrod case, which has dominated this week’s news cycles. The former official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture was forced to resign from her position after a blogger appears to have manipulated and edited video tape that presented Ms. Sherrod as a racist. The tape was aired by a news network and portrayed as truth. As a result, the USDA asked Sherrod to step down – before anyone (including the NAACP, her boss or the White House staff) bothered to view the entirety of her speech. Had the proper fact-checking been done, it would have been crystal clear that the clip was edited out of context and that it bore no resemblance to the truth. Meanwhile, the network that broke the story accepted no responsibility for shoddy reporting and simply reframed it to redirect their audience’s attention. Shame on everybody involved.

Lots of folks are culpable here, and there’s plenty of blame to spread around. But, this is, I believe, a teachable moment. Lessons to be learned: 1) Opinion isn’t fact. Recognize the difference. 2) Don’t allow yourself to be duped. Do your own research; dig as deep as you can to identify the source. Then find out if that source is pushing a particular agenda. 3) Adopt a healthy level of skepticism. Understand that many bloggers simply masquerade as “journalists” and be aware that news organizations can and do manipulate the truth. 4) Balance your knowledge portfolio by taking the time to read in-depth articles penned by good, old-fashioned reporters writing for real newspapers or magazines. Sadly, there are fewer of them around than there should be, but their insight will give you much-needed perspective. 5) Use common sense. When you hear every talking head on radio and television – plus a litany of politicians – using exactly the same catch phrases on the same day, it ought to raise a red flag. Don’t think for one second that they haven’t been fed those talking points. I mean, come on.

So when it comes to making a pitch, promoting a client – or just expanding your own knowledge base – today’s reality dictates this: Verify. Verify. Verify. Then trust.

This stuff keeps me up at night. How about you?

Linda Costa is president and founder of Costa DeVault – a wordwise company. This is her first blog post.

Between the coy, almost ridiculous lines and the smart delivery of actor Isaiah Mustafa, the commercials transcended television and were a near-instant hit across the Internet. Given his popularity, it was only natural for Mustafa to do a round of promotional interviews on shows like Ellen, Oprah and G4.

Old Spice took another step and moved to capitalize on Mustafa’s popularity on social networking websites, including notoriously cynical Reddit.com and 4chan. This post, titled “The Old Spice Man Responds to the Internet,” invites Reddit users to submit questions. Then, he created video responses to the most popular comments.

I’ve watched all the videos Old Spice posted, and I’m impressed with how well this campaign was done. While some questions are about the commercials and the product, others are more random – for example, one Reddit user asked, “Is it true you tore the wings off Pegasus and ate them buffalo style to achieve the manliness you exhibit today?” (See Mustafa’s response here.)

What surprised me most was that some of the responses even include inside jokes and jargon from Reddit – indicating that someone on the team regularly participates in the community. Additionally, the campaign is even courting Anonymous from 4chan (the collective whole of the website, known for large-scale Internet jokes and attacks) – a bold move.

If the responses on Reddit and 4chan are any indication (nearly 2,400 upvotes on Reddit as of the time I wrote this blog), it’s been a smashing success, and a great example of how to reach out to social networks.

Photo source: OldSpice

QR codes are most commonly used as an alternative to lengthy web addresses, but can also contain phone numbers and hidden text. But, there is a catch: you need to have the appropriate software installed on your phone before you can read the code. (I recommend Barcode for iPhone users.)

Recently, Calvin Klein replaced their usually racy billboards with QR codes encouraging passersby to “uncensor” the ad, which redirects them to an exclusive provocative 40-second commercial.

And, in one of the most creative uses I’ve seen, blogger David Fell uses a QR code to complement his business card. Snap a photo of the code and David instantly becomes one of your contacts, complete with name, phone number, email address and website.

Given that you not only need to have a smartphone, but also an additional application to reveal the codes, it’s unclear whether the codes will live up to their potential. Either way, it’s fun to decode the secret message … and even more fun to create your own.

Photo source: Mashable.com

Source: Bess Auer, Central Florida Top 5

Thanks to @tristanwalker, @ChristineNgo, @DavidSpinks, @NickSwisher, @pbarbanes and @Spirit_Helper for sharing your humor, insight and philosophies with us.

More than 580 events are scheduled to take place internationally. Locally, Wall St. Plaza (19 N. Orange Ave.) will host an event for social media enthusiasts featuring specials on appetizers and drinks. SeaWorld’s social media team will also be on-site with park tickets and merchandise.

Wall St. Plaza is no stranger to social media. In addition to its Twitter and Facebook presence, they were one of the first restaurants in Orlando to offer a Foursquare special to users and mayors. In fact, if you follow them, are a “fan” or subscribe to their e-mail newsletter, your first drink is on them.

For more information about Orlando’s Social Media Day event, visit Facebook or Meetup.

When I visited the film’s homepage, there in bold 32-point type displayed the sad statistic that 42 percent of Florida students will not graduate from high school in four years.

Following these statistics is a link to a social action campaign about what you can do in your area to either support a school or help fix the system. It’s a comprehensive list of action items and informational links. There’s also a pledge to see the film, with Orlando ranking low on the leader board in participation so far.

The film debuts nationwide this September, but it has already opened at Sundance with positive reviews.  I predict the documentary’s loudest praise will come from its awareness about improving public education, which social media will help to drive.

Bill Gates was interviewed for the documentary, and Katie Couric has already voiced her support of the campaign on Twitter. This is going to be big. All of us – especially those in education-based nonprofits and those working in education-related fields – should take note. It is public relations at its best – and one of the reasons I love the profession (and documentaries).

Brands that use the network to their advantage stand to gain increased exposure and consumer loyalty. In addition to collecting badges and “mayor” titles at locations around town, users are also encouraged to share tips and recommendations with others. Insider advice like “try the passion fruit juice” and “50 cent oysters during happy hour” equate to free advertising for companies.

Take a cue from Starbucks and reward these brand ambassadors with incentives. Since the debut of their nationwide mayor promotion ($1 off Frappuccinos), the coffee house has experienced a 40 percent increase of check-ins week-to-week. The following are a few examples of best practices:

• Golden Corral – Mayors eat free once a day, and in some cases, are entered in a contest to win a free iPad.
• UNC Charlotte – The first university to host a Foursquare promotion on campus, students receive free t-shirts for checking in at basketball games and other school events.
• Miss Shirley’s Café – At this busy Baltimore restaurant, mayors never wait in line.

If you are interested in integrating Foursquare into your business, do it in a way that reflects your company’s personality – and be sure your customers know. Whether it’s coupons, freebies or a pass to jump the line, your generosity just might earn you a shout-out on Twitter.

Photo source: @maxwellzorick

• Miami Herald technology columnist Bridget Carey’s (@BridgetCarey) article on Five guidelines to avoid looking like a dweeb on Foursquare, Gowalla
• CNN Tech article by Brenna Ehrlich (@Brenna_e) and Andrea Bartz (@andibartz) titled, Don’t tweet that: How not to be a Twitter dork

For more insight, see Costa DeVault’s blog post from February 2009 titled, “Tweet This, Not That.”