How To Y2K Nudge An Unaware Nation

The global citizens of the internet have an unprecedented opportunity before them.

We, starting right here, at the good ole www.yourdon.com bulletin board forum, CAN make a difference in Y2K newsmedia awareness. Just read the post What SHOULD the Press Do? asked by Rick Tansun (up under the Y2K Media Coverage Threads category). What an incredibly great group of creative idea generators we all are! Imagine what we could accomplish with a focused Y2K Media Awareness & Preparation strategy (uh, vision), and then if each one of us launched it at our local and national newsmedia?

I propose we collect those ideas here.

A media Y2K experiment has already convinced me that we CAN get their attention. Recently the local San Francisco KRON TV Channel 4, ran a short series of Y2K stories as part of their 11:00 p.m. news broadcast. The first night I saw it, the story started off with a slide-show of increasingly alarming visuals of what the doomsayers see is the apocalypse scenario. Then it moved to the or not approach, focusing on one lone survivalist Stanford University professor and computer consultant standing by his remote retreats chain link fence. It went down from there. Yep! Doesnt look like theres a Y2K problem out there. People preparing are just kooks.

I fired off an e-mail to the station. Asked that they at least go for more balanced truth reporting the next time. You know, identify the real Y2K problem, offer solutions, admit we dont know everything, encourage others to find solutions in their community. (And that, uh, trust me, they WILL have more chances to report on this Y2K issue, coming soon, to a planet near them!) Also suggested they check out the www.yourdon.com bulletin board forum for insightful Y2K information. Ended by giving them a D minus grade.

Then KRONS next evenings news show was much more balanced. KRON did a much better job reporting on Y2K. They were not being alarmist, yet remained hard-hitting enough to honestly say there will be problems and glitches, then they offered "Survival Tips" to the general public. I fired off an e-mail giving them a good solid "B" for that evenings reporting. Told them what it would take to get an "A."

The reason I knew their programming worked was due to my little ole 77-year-old WWII veteran WASP pilot mother. She was finally getting it!!! Ive showed her countless online things on Y2K, the article from Canadas Globe And Mail about the troops mobilizing, discussed the implications of the leaked Scottish Home Office memo in the U.K. until Im blue in the face, and on and on. Now, because, on KRON TV Channel 4 they said there was a problem and here are some survival tips, she is ready to start preparing. Whew! Thanks, KRON TV. Keep up the good work for all the little young and old people out there in Silicon Valley and just ripple it around the world!

The interesting part came the next day when I received a phone call from someone at San Franciscos KRON TV Channel 4 station responding to one of my e-mail communications. He wanted to know why I gave their earlier nights Y2K 11:00 news program a D minus. So I was given the opportunity to tell him why. (I have no idea if my e-mails made an actual difference in the more balanced reporting, however I am quite confident they will for future programming).

What fascinated me, was KRON TV called, not responding to my written Y2K suggestions, but because I rated their programming a D minus. Go figure.

One suggestion I would offer this group, is every time you view a Y2K television or news presentation, or read a Y2K article in the newspaper or magazine, on a local, national or international level, just e-mail the producers your thoughts and give em an A-B-C-D or F, plus or minus grade. They simply understand that one. Tell them what you feel was inaccurate or inappropriate, and what you would prefer they cover. (Identify actual problems/solutions, Cant be fixed? Encourage them to identify creative problems/solutions).

If we all do this, little by little, day by day, we can nudge the nations media into shifting what happens with the upcoming Y2K scenarios.

Diane

(Still in favor of reporting Balanced Y2K Truth ... Problem/Solution. Can't Be Fixed? Creative Problem/Solution. Calmly Prepare, Create Community and Be Aware media approaches).

(P.S. I e-mailed a copy of Rick Tansuns whole Press thread comments to some of my local newsmedia).

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Suggested reading: The post What SHOULD the Press Do? asked by Rick Tansun (up under the Y2K Media Coverage Threads category).

Question:

What ARE different and creative ways to get the medias attention focused on Y2K issues so this country, et. al, can get better prepared?

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 13, 1998

Answers

This sounds like the right time to say: What IS this year 2000 thing people are all on about?

-- Brian (webmaster@writersbbs.com), November 13, 1998.

Boy, am I relieved. My ISP GTE just comforted me on Y2K. (What do you think). Oh well, little by little. -- Diane

E-MAIL SUGGESTION: Given the potential severity of Y2K related issues globally, would you guys consider having a separate Y2K news, information and links area on your home page? We, are seeing signs that the major media is beginning to wake-up to Y2K. Many of us are trying to promote a shift from the "Apocalypse Now" domesday scenarios to all visioning a Global Community, at local, state-wide, national and international levels. We see that if the media identifies Y2K problems, and really scares the population, we will create the very Y2K problems we are trying to avoid, such as bank runs and economic collapse. That one will hit all big business at their bottom line, and that includes you, GTE.

Whenever a Y2K problem is identified we need to offer a counterbalancing solution, recognizing that not all the Year 2000 problems can be fixed in time. It's calm population awareness and prudent preparation, that will make a positive impact on how this country makes it through something that looks like can only be partially fixed in time.

We, the internet community, need all the help we can get. Will you help GTE???

GTE RESPONSE: Thank you for your message to the Webmaster. We received the following message regarding suggestion Y2K. We will forward your suggestion to the appropriate department for evaluation. The following information was taken from the following link regarding Year 2000. As promised, we're not going to leave you in the dark about the Year 2000. We want our customers to rest assured knowing that GTE is not waiting until the last minute to solve the potential problems that are expected to occur in the year 2000.

If you have any further concerns or inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for contacting GTE Internetworking.

Webmaster

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 14, 1998.