TOP TEN THINGS I LEARNED :) May 5, 2010

 

This semester I have learned so much about the world of PR. So many things that I had no clue matter or were even important. Here are the top ten things I learned this year:

 

Twitter: Social networking has proven to be a very important method of media knowledge and getting to know others in the PR world.

Comment, comment, comment!- The old saying, “Do unto others” applies to blogging folks! If you want people to comment on your posts, comment on theirs! Get the mental juices flowing by actually READING their blog! Commenting is important if you so that you can get your name higher up on the google search engine!

Write it out : Free writing is the best way to acquire practice and to get your ideas on paper. Once you have a clear concept, blog about it, and share it with the World. Writing using Microsoft Word first is best for avioding gramatical errors!

Resume 101- Learning how to formulate a strong resume is key. Lack luster resumes will get you nowhere, and leave you jobless.

 Dealing with a Crisis- react quickly and confidently, and tell the truth! Be sure what you are doing will positively take care of the problem at hand.

Know your audience- Once you see who is viewing and commenting on your posts, try to gear your topics and interests towards them, but of course without losing your personality and individualism!

Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!!!- You can never proofread too much. Look over your releases, and articles ten times, and then let someone else look it over as well. If there are mistakes, you will lose credibility, and confidence in your co-workers and the community. You never want to look stupid just because you didnt take the extra time.

Be personable: Get to know your clients and colleagues. It is important to develop trust and to be comfortable in your work environment.

Research:Although time-consuming, research is super important to know exactly what you are talking or writing about.

 

Listen!- Being a good listener is a rare quality these days. Take time just listen and silently evaluate the situation and your interviewer.

 I have really gained some vaiable information! Thank you for the learning experience!

Chapter 7- Creating News Features and Op-Ed May 4, 2010

• News features story can generate publicity for “ho-hum” products and services. It also can give background, context, and the human dimension to events and situations.
• News feature writing requires right-brain thinking intuition, image-making, and  conceptualization.
• Features and background stories are part of a trend in the print media to do what is called service journalism “news you can use.”
• Photos and graphic are an integral part of a feature story package.
• Feature stories are formatted much like news releases and use extensive quotes, concrete examples, and highly descriptive words and information presented in an entertaining  way.
• A good feature writer is curious and asks a lot of questions. He or she con conceptualize and see possibilities for the development of a feature article.
• There are several types of features: Case study, application story, research study, backgrounder, personality profile, and historical feature. They can also be a blend of many types.

Chapter 6- Preparing Fact Sheets, Advisories, Media Kits, and Picthes May 3, 2010

• Fact sheets are a brief outline of an event, an organization, or a new product. The purpose is to place basic and supplemental information at the editor or journalists fingertips.
• Media advisories also called media alerts, tell assignment editors about a upcoming event. They often suggest photo, video, and interview opportunities. Media alerts about upcoming events typically include the five Ws and H in outline form.
• Media Kits are packets of material that my include news releases, photographs, feature stories, fact sheets, position papers, backgrounder, and brief biographical sketches.
• Electronic press kits (EPKs) are prepared in CD format or are available online from organizational Web sites. They can include all the information in a printed media kit, but also include audio sound bites, high-resolution photos, video clips, and product demonstrations.
• The purpose of a pitch letter is to convince editors and reporters to cover an event or do a story. Pitches to editors must be breif, raise interest, and come immediately to the point.

Chapter 5- Writing the News Release May 3, 2010

 The Media are flooded with hundred news releases. To beat the odds and get space or time, your news release must newsworthy, timely, and well written.

• News releases are the basic element of almost every publicity plan. When published or broadcast, they can raise public awareness and influence decision-making.

planning a worksheet and answering the five Ws and H are the basic first steps in writing a new release.

• One key to writing a successful news release is to emphasize the local angle.

Keep the news releases factual and avoid puffery.

• The news release has six components: organization name, contacts, headlines, dateline, lead paragraph, and the body of text.

Make sure those that are listed on the contact list are knowledgable about the topic and accessible to reporters.

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Week 6- PR Firms Vs. Corporate PR May 3, 2010

Based on what you read in Chapter 4 of your Public Relations Strategies & Tactics book, do you think it’s more beneficial for a new PR practitioner to begin his/her career in a PR department or in a PR firm? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

PR Firm:

• Variety. Usually work on several clients and projects at the same time. Possibly of rapid advancement.
• Fast-paced, exciting.
• Seldom see the impact of your work for a client; removed from action.
• Abilities get honed and polished.
• Networking with other professionals leads to better job opportunities.
• Learn other skills, such as how to do presentations and budgets and establish deadlines.
• Intense daily pressure on billable hours, high productivity.
• Somewhat high employment turnover.
• Budgets and resources can be limited.
• Salary traditionally low at entry level.
• Insurance, medical benefits can be minimal.
• Little opportunity for profit-sharing, stock options.
• High emphasis on tactical skills, production of materials.

Corporate PR:

• Jobs more difficult to find without experience; duties more narrowly focused.
• Sometimes little variety at entry level.
• Growth sometimes limited unless you are willing to switch employers.
• Can be slower paced.
• Heavy involvement with executive staff; see impact almost instantly. You are an important component in the “big picture.”
• Strength in all areas expected. Not a lot of time for coaching by peers.
• Sometimes so involved in your work, you don’t have time for networking.
• Same “client” all the time. Advantage: Get to know organization really well. Disadvantage: Can become boring.
• Less intense daily pressure; more emphasis on accomplishing longer-term results.
• Less turnover.
• More resources usually available.
• Salaries tend to be higher.
• Benefits usually good, sometimes excellent.
• More opportunities available.

Week 7- Resume Resume May 3, 2010

What advice would you offer to a student who is working on a resume or preparing for a job interview? Be sure to share links to three or more sites / blog posts that would be helpful for a PR student.

I am not sure what I would tell a PR student who is working on a resume, because I am still learning what to do myself. The first thing I would tell them is to do some research online and find out what a resume looks like. Secondly, I would make sure that I did my research on the employers that I was seeking a job from. I would try to find out what they are looking for in an employee and create my resume around those specific things that they are looking for. Also having an up-to date resume is key. Dates, jobs, skills need to be correct and reliable. A resume is the piece of paper that will possible snag you that coveted job interview, so make sure it is up to par! Here are a few links I found that would be helpful:

publicrelationsmatters.com

howtowritearesume

rockportinstitut

PR Interview May 3, 2010

I interviewed Will Reinier, who is a Combat Engineer for the United States Army. Currently he is in school to become Airborne qualified.

His main job is to help lead the way for our forces to move in Iraq and Afghanistan. They do this by finding IEDs and disposing of them so they don’t hurt anyone else. They also clear and obstructions like fallen trees, cars in the road etc.

However, he plans to change jobs to Psychological Operations (PsyOps)  for the Army. Their job is to create and distribute material that will create favorable opinions of the Army. He attended Syracuse University and Oklahoma State University, and
joined the Army to fund the rest of his education. Currently, he is 30 hours short of a BA in Public Relations.

A typical day consists of a ton of training. He has to prepare to do whatever is required to accomplish the mission. They train on search procedures of people and vehicles and also signs that there might be an IED in an area where US forces are. Right now, he is training on how to jump out of airplanes so he can work with a unit that will jump out of planes overseas.

He hopes to be involved in a branch of PhysOps where he can use the PR skills he has learned to strategically plan what message will work with their target audience, both foreign and domestic.  He will then deliver the message to the public and analyze the results.

“Advice for someone considering PR is to just keep at it. You can’t expect results the first time you try something. You have to stay determined and figure out what works for your audience.  Be proactive and keep working on your message, being passive in PR moves nothing forward which is where all of your efforts should be going.” -Will Reinier

Will Reinier

AIM:  blanks918

Twitter: PFCWillReinier

Foursquare May 3, 2010

You need to check out this new networking engine! Similar to Twitter, foursquare is a website that is a great tool for PR and networking. It was created by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai who envisioned a web mobile application that allows registered users to connect with friends and to update their current location. This engine can be very entertaining. When you “check –in you are awarded points or badges if you visit that venue so many times.  Also you can even become mayor! You can also write tips and tell your friends about the places you visit.  Give it a try…

It’s Open Mike Night … May 3, 2010

PRopenmic.org has revolutionized the PR World as we know it. This site offers many links and profiles to PR professionals and students, who are eager to network and find out new and exciting things happening in PR. Along with profiles, there are also videos, forums, events, jobs/intern postings, and many more resources. It’s a great opportunity to take, because the information that is available through this site is invaluable. This site can give you a great look into different PR professionals lives and; allows you to network and learn from the best.  It is free to join, and fun to follow. Check it out, the mike is all yours!

T.O.W 8 April 10, 2010

The Lead Lab

In the NewsU course The Lead Lab I really learned a lot about how to create a lead. The course really caught my attention because it was really interactive.  It was entertaining  and fun to go through and explore the Lab. While taking the course I learned that when writing a lead begin with the basic who, what, where, when, why, and how.  After you get the basics down narrow down the information down to the basic news story. Another thing that I thought was interesting was the myths of lead writing.  One myth that I thought was interesting was that a good lead can never be more than three or four sentences long. A rule that I have always learned in writing was to be short and to the point in order not to lose your reader, but though this may be true sometimes a longer lead can be better to draw the reader into the story. Also another myth was that a good lead can not have a quote in it. In english class I learned that sometimes using quotes in the introduction can be cheesy, but sometimes in a lead it can catch the reader’s attention. I think the most helpful thing I learned in this chapter though was how to fix your own leads. It was comforting to know that its okay not to get it right the first time. A good lead is like clay, it needs refining and molding until it’s just right. This course really helped me understand how to write better leads.