PR Connection #5:Employers Now Look for Communication Student Agency Experience?

So far in my PR learning career, I am beaten over the head on how internships are very important for us to get an entry-level job in PR. However, I found this article on how employers are not only looking for students with experience, but who are involved in student created agencies who more hands-on experience.

There are very few of these in universities, but in Georgia Southern, there is PRestige, a student run organization that works with real clients in the university, giving them that leg up for the competition in the PR job pool. After reading this article, it made me realize that just being a part of PRSSA isn’t enough, I really need to promote myself and should look into our student run agency to do so.

PR Connection #4: States Transportation and Social Media?

I was looking through PR Junkie’s feed this morning and found this odd article about Departments of Transportations throughout the United States encouraging drivers to read their tweets for traffic reports.

Georgia just put up law that it is illegal to text and also for drivers under the age of 18 to be on the phone. So I’m not sure how this would pan out in the Georgia Department of Transportation, but for neighboring state, Kentucky, that’s not the case for their slogan is, “Know Before You Go!” They try to put the message of finding traffic information, but not when you’re in traffic and not when you’re in a car.

For additional information about this article, you can click here

10 Things PR Students Should Know Before Taking Intro to PR with Nixon

Things are coming to a close and I have to take this time to look in retrospect of what I learned and how I appreciate the tools given to me for a good foundation in PR. This week, and last TOW, is to help someone who was like me and is beginning their classes in PR. I hope my top ten list will show to be helpful to not only them or anyone interested in a career in PR.

1. Manage your Time Wisely! It seems like a lot of work, but if you take time to posting a few days out of the week, it’ll make your class experience much easier.
2. Don’t Treat the Blog like Homework! I know since this is all for a class, some people dread on working on these assignements. Take in consideration that the teacher is not doing it to torture you. This is part of your career!
3. Find Topics that Interest You Think of some interests you may have and try to find it with the PR world. It’ll be a lot easier to write and you’ll finish your posts in no time!
4. Encourage Friends and Family to Read! It may seem embarrassing to some since it’s only a blog for class, but if you show others, they can give you honest opinions and look out for grammar and spelling mistakes as well!
5. Be Sure to Look Over Your Spelling and Grammar Don’t depend on just your relatives to fix your problems. Grammar and spelling can be easily corrected and should be a habit to look over before you get into a PR career.
6. Be Sure to Read Other Student’s Blogs as Well Leaving comments on anyone’s blog is nice, but if you post some comments on follow peer’s blogs, it will encourage them to do a better job and they will probably return the favor.
7. Keep It Simple You want to do work that you’re proud of, but biting off more then you can chew will burn you out!
8. Don’t Steal from Others! Not only is this uncreative, it is also punishable. Taking from others, be it photos or articles from other students blogs is not acceptable. Give credit when credit is due.
9. Make News Recent When trying to find articles to write on (PR Connections), try to keep it current and update because that is what the PR industry is about.
10. Have Fun! If you take this class too seriously, you’ll miss the fun things it’ll have to offer! Also, it’ll make blogging easier. Be creative!

TOW 8: 10 Tips for Writing a News Release

If there was only one thing I can describe about PR is writing and a lot of it. Last semester in my Intro to Journalism course, we had the opportunity to write a press release. I did pretty well, but I wasn’t going to pat myself on the back since this will be one of many, many more to come.

It was my only one, but there are tips from my class and a few other helpful websites I would like to share with everyone.

1. Know your Audience: My journalism teacher taught me to write of news releases towards the editor if I were focusing on the newspaper. This could also mean any other media representative you are sending the release to. Remember to know who you are writing this to before getting started.
2. Grammar, Grammar, Grammar!: This is definitely a given, but nothing annoys any person in the media business more then glaringly bad grammar. Make sure to look over your work for effors before sending it out.
3. Who Cares?: Make sure the press release you are sending out is actually to someone’s interest! Put yourself in place of the reader and think if this news would catch your eye.
4. The World Doesn’t Revolve Around You or Your Company: Though your company make have great accomplishments and you would like to share their achievements and yours, this kind of gloating will probably not be considered newsworthy and have your news release not being taken seriously.
5. We have contact!: Be sure to include as much contact information from you and your company as much as possible within format such as email, phone number, address, and fax if used.
6. Make it sparkle!: Not exactly like a vampire, but you want to make your news release very eye catching to the media representative you are writing to. For example, include pictures or samples of something that your company produces, if any. Be creative!


Sparkle? I'd make an eye-popping news release!

7. Let’s Get to the Point!: Don’t droll on when it doesn’t need to be. Make it informative, but not too wordy. Keep it short for the busy lifestyle of editors!
8. Is that all?: While I wrote not to make it too wordy, don’t make it too short or lack information either. If you make the writer work more then they need to, it will end up in the trashcan.
9. Get the OK: Before you send the release to the media, show it to your company prior to make sure there are no surprises and everything is accurate.
10. Take it Easy (not you that is): The most important tip is to remember the reason why you send a news release is to make it easier for the newspaper and other media. Make sure your news release reflects that!

Sources
PRWebDirect Press Release Tips

Press Release Writing’s 10 Essential Tips for Writing Press Releases

Reading Notes Chapter 15

This chapter goes over the reach of radio, television, and the web has on a daily basis.

There were a few main terms discussed.

• Radio New Releases: Unlike those for print media, must be writtern for the ear. A popular format is the ANR (audio news release) that includes an announcer and a quote from a spokesperson.
• Public Service Announcement: Both radio and television stations accept public service announcements from nonprofit organizations that wish to inform and educate the public about upcoming civic events. PSA are not charged for airtime.
• Broadcast Media Tours: This is when an organization’s spokesperson is interviewed from a central location by journalists across the country.
• Video News Releases: Produced in a format in which TV stations can easily use or edit based on their needs. They are very exspensive to produce, but have great potential in reaching a large audience.

Organizations also will also use personal appearances and product placements in big shows (Coca-cola and American Idol) in order to promote the company’s product and name in positive life.

All information can be found in this book:Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics

Reading Notes Chapter 14

This chapter goes over the importance of new releases, media alerts, and pitch letters.

New releases are the most commonly used PR tactic. They are sent to journalists and editors for possible use in the news columns, and they are the source for a large percentage of articles that are published. They are accurate, informative, and writter in journalistic style. Publicity photos are also accompanied with a new release to make it more appealing.

Another form of a news release is a mat release. They are primarly used with a feature angle instead of hard news. They provide consumer information and tips in an objective manner with only a brief regerence to a nonprofit or corporation that has distributed the information. These usually appear in food, travel, automotive, and business sections of a newspaper.

Media advisories and fact sheets let jounalists know about an upcoming event such as a news conference or photo or interview opportunities.

Media kits, or also known as press kits, is typically a folder containing news releases, photos, fact sheets, and features about a new product, an event, or other newsworthy projects undertaken by an organization.

Pitch letters are from PR personnel to “pitch” their story ideas about their client or organization they are representing to be published.

All information can be found in this book:Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics

Reading Notes Chapter 12

This chapter talks about PR and the law.

With the joys a PR practitioner runs into comes the responsibility of respecting and obeying the law.

There are many things to be aware of so a PR practitioner when it comes to law so there is no trouble whom they are representing.

• Libel and Defamation: The concept of defamation involves a false and malicious communication with an identifiable subject who is injured either financially or by loss of reputation or mental suffering. Libel suits can be avoided through the careful use of language.
• Invasion of Privacy: It is important to get written permission to publish photos or use employees in advertising materials, and to be cautious in releasing personal information about employees to the media.
• Copyright Law: Copyright is the protection of creative work from unauthorized use. It is assumed that published works are copyrighted, and permission must be obtained to reprint such material.
• Trademark Law: Trademark is a word, symbol, or slogan that identifies a product’s orgin.
• Regulations by Goverment Agencies: Commercial speech is regulated by the government in the interest of public health, safety, and consumer protection.
• Corporate Speech: Organizations have the right to express their opinions and views about a number of public issues. However, there is still some blurring of lines between what is considered “commercial speech” and “free speech”.
• Employee Speech in the Digital Age: Employees are limited in expression opinions within the corporate environment. Email and internet surfing are subject to monitoring and employees can be fired for revealing trade secrets or harassing fellow employees. Employee blogs and participating in virtual online communities are also being restricted and are having guidelines placed on them.
• Liability for Sponsored Events: Promotional events raise liability issues converning safety and security. Liability inscurence is a necessity as well as permits for events in which you provide food and liquor.

All information can be found in this book:Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics

Reading Notes Chapter 11

This chapter goes over the multicultural nature of the PR audience and ways to reach them.

It tells us how Audiences are not monolithic. They are diverse culturally, ethnically, religiously, and economically. Through research and use of technology, it has become a lot easier to engage these audiences in multiple ways. A PR professional must understand that the audience are becoming more visually oriented and taking control on how they recieve information.

PR professionals must also be attuned to different age groups as generations have different values, interests, and needs. They must understand the difference between Generation X and Y. A few important things the book lists is baby boomers tend to be more affluent and take over a lot of the travel and tourism business. The youth also obtain information differently then the baby boomers as they perfer information online or via cell phones.

Communication with individuals of different ethinicities was also very important. For instance, even though individuals may have strong English-comprehension skills, Spanish is perferred within the hispanic communities.

Reaching to these multicultural audiences are not only important domestically, but internationally. The United States

All information can be found in this book:Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics

TOW 7:PR Podcasts

This week we had to listen in to PR podcasts and how PR students like me can reek the benefits.

Before I listened, I recalled one of my other TOW assignments watching my instructor interview a PR practictioner in which he too used a podcast for his business. I found that to be very useful to listeners and his business.

The two I decided to listen to both opened me to more information that I didn’t realize I could conviently listening to while surfing the internet! Both were very helpful, yet very different in what they covered.

The first one I listened to was “Marketing Over Coffee” with hosts, Christopher Penn and John Wall.

They didn’t really touch on PR practices or strategies, but they discussed the latest tools that I could use for promotion and keep me updated on the newest social media. They discussed WordPress 3 coming out and about the new features such as “multiuser”. Word Press also made things better by making more customizable options instead of the page vs. post.

They also talked about programs and applications I never heard of such as the Google Voice, which seems to be a bigger and better Skype and Feedburner, an application that helps you put up analytical tags.

Besides talking about the latest technologies such as the Iphone 4, they also went over things I recognized like Facebook, LinkedIn and compared which site was best for advertising your company.

Coming Up PR was the second podcast I listened to and this focused more on, for this episode, convention reviews and communication topics.

They interviewed Zay Frank for this episode in which he talks about emotional engagement in PR and learning how to get emotion from your online community.

The second podcast was very casual, compared to other podcast, yet most intimate to the listeners. This podcasts talks more about interpersonal communication aspect of PR while the other talks about the electronic, techinical side of marketing for PR use.

Overall, I was very glad that I was introduced to the world of PR podcasts as I have been looking back in the archives and listening to old shows in my spare time.

TOW 6:PR During Times of Crisis

This topic of a week concerns Crisis Management and analysis from Nixon’s Powerpoint for this week.

I was slightly confused on how to approach this assignment, but I will write some of the key notes that I found on the powerpoint.

Before I start though, I wanted to say that before I even took PR classes, but knew this was the field I wanted to get into, I made friends in the fall semester from a student from Poland. She too was a PR major and was a very bright, kind, well-liked individual amoungst the study abroad students like herself and GSU students as well. I knew when I met her that she was perfect for PR.

However, when I talked to her about PR, she told me how she wished as a PR student that she was from the United States. I was shocked as to why she would say that, but she told me that in her country, they still focus PR as only Crisis Management. Here in the US, we are taught this and many other components as PR is not a new concept in our country.

Because of that, she was struggling and having a hard time adjusting to all this new information that she had to learn, but she learned so much in only a semester that she didn’t mind it at all.

With that being said, I define Crisis Management as an important component in PR that deals with crisis within the company including issues, risk, crisis, and the reputation of the company or client you are representing.

Though there is a lot of useful information in the slideshow, she included a slide “7 Must Have Elements in you Crisis Communication’s Kit”
Nixon wrote:

1. A list of members on the crisis management team
2. Contact information of Key officers, spokespeople, and crisis management team members
3. Fact sheets on the company, each division, each physical location, and each product offered.
4. Profiles and biographies for each key manager in your company
5. Copies of your company, division and product logos, your press release format and the scanned in signature of your CEO on disk
6. Pre-written scripts answering key questions that you have generated through your crisis scenario analysis
7. Contact information for each of you key media contacts both locally, nationally, and if appropriate, key financial press and analysts.

Also, she includes the simple 3 R’s of Crisis Management which is research, response, recovery. Things that you need to abide by when things start getting out of hand.

There were plently other good tips and information that she wrote which I hope readers go the link to read if interested. I know that when I get into classes that deal with more crisis management I will probably looking back on those slides as a useful reference.