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About Us


About FSC

Donna Francavilla - Portrait - Magenta Blouse 0

Frankly Speaking Communications offers a full range of services to suit your needs and tell your story. We offer training sessions to teach how to understand the media in crisis and non-crisis interactions. Our talented writers and producers create informative and compelling press releases, articles, marketing and public relations materials. Further, we possess the skills to produce dynamic and engaging audio commercials and produce voice over projects.

Frankly Speaking Communications is grounded in extensive knowledge and experience in radio and television news. We are qualified in management consulting targeted towards discovering the best approach for each client.

Donna Francavilla, award-winning journalist and founder of Frankly Speaking Communications, LLC, a boutique public relations firm, specializes in voice-over work, public speaking, presentation and media training, publicity and many other services. 

 

You may have seen Donna in front of a camera when she filled-in as local television reporter on ABC-TV affiliate WBMA-TV. You might hear her voice on national radio when she covers the state’s biggest news stories for CBS Radio News – heard on 400 stations around the country.  She serves as guest writer for the Radio Television Digital News Association’s (RTDNA) Communicator Daily, and writes a monthly column for the Alabama Media Professionals (AMP) newsletter where she also serves as the Vice President of Professional Development. Francavilla also enjoys freelance television producing for CBS News and Oprah: Where Are They Now television series.

Over the years, Francavilla has won numerous awards. In 2015, the National Federation of Press Women judged her work the best in the nation. She won four first and second place communication awards. That same year, Francavilla won the most communication awards (12) in a state-wide contest by Alabama Media Professionals. Francavilla has earned top honors statewide and nationally, for 5 consecutive years.

 

Last fall, as Vice President of Professional Development for Alabama Media Professionals, Francavilla envisioned and together with AMP colleagues, and other marketing and small business groups, implemented a day-long conference entitled Navigating Today’s Media.

As a reporter, Donna has filed stories from many countries: Cuba (Voice of America: 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution); Germany (A 7-part series, NBC 13, Alabama’s Connection to Germany); Peru (CBS: Natural Disaster); France (CBS: Europeans on War); Spain (CBS: Easter) and most recently, Italy (CBS: The Canonization of the Popes), to name a few.

When not traveling, Francavilla feels it is crucial to give back to her community through volunteering and leadership roles.  She serves as the Italy Chair of Birmingham Sisters Cities, Vice-President of Alabama Media Professionals, P.R. and Marketing Director of the Feast of Saint Mark Italian Festival, and volunteers as a lector at her church.  Francavilla served as Birmingham International Center Co-Chair for Spotlight on India.

 

Additionally, Francavilla served three terms on the Board of Directors of Leadership Shelby County, where she is a class representative, and part of the alumni committee. Francavilla is a graduate of Leadership Shelby County (2000) and Leadership Birmingham, (2010).

Francavilla completed two Radio and Television News Directors Foundation International Journalism Fellowships (1999; 2006) after graduating with honors with a degree in Mass Communications from Emerson College in Boston in 1985.   Donna was elected by her peers as a Director-at-Large on the RTNDA Board in 2006.

Published in Agence France Presse, among other outlets, Francavilla has been the subject of articles. She has been featured in The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Shelby Living Magazine, Greystone Living Magazine,  H Life Magazine, The Birmingham News, B-Metro, Shelby County Reporter, Shelby County Reporter’s Profile Magazine and numerous other publications.