Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Blogging in PR: A Technological Tool

The job of Public Relations is to make good news as effective as possible. Today, with over 400,000 PR professionals in the working world, Public Relations is booming. This “boom” is contributed not only by the number of people gaining interest in the field, but also to the ever-growing technological advances that allow PR professionals to do their jobs more thoroughly. Thanks to tools like blogging, we now have access to a surplus of information located at our fingertips (literally).

According to Blake Barbera, author of Wet Feet PR (http://wetfeetpr.blogspot.com/2005/11/why-anyone-would-want-career-in-pr.html), “I’d have to say that one of the great things about being in Public Relations is that you are always kept abreast of what is cutting edge and what is new.”

Blogging brings an innovative foundation to the forefront of Public Relations. Professionals are connected to their publics in ways thought never imaginable. For example, Heal Magazine has access to a greater public thanks to the marketing of Heal Blog (http://cureheal.wordpress.com/), a blogsite inviting cancer survivors to discuss life after cancer. Someone who may not have previously subscribed to Heal Magazine may do so after learning about it through the blogsite. Hence, blogging allows multiple markets or organizations to promote one another.

Sites like PRSA Puget Sound Chapter(http://prsapugetsoundchapter.blogspot.com/)invite professionals to communicate with one another about various PR tips, tactics, job opportunities, etc. Professional PR sites such as this one have become increasingly popular, as the challenges of keeping up with the fast- paced technologies like blogging continue to surface. As we dive into the world of blogging, we embark upon the journey of PR and look forward to where it will lead us in the future.

Let me know if you have any thoughts…

Friday, January 25, 2008

Snow Day Rant...Heard Across the Nation

It's winter time and in the winter, it snows. For many students, snow means snow day (aka. no school). For a student in Fairfax Virginia, a message questioning the headmasters decision to not close school turned into more than expected. When the student recieved a returned voicemail from the headmaster's wife, he decided to post the sound clip as a video on the ever popular YouTube.

The video clip can be seen here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yIGtf_ula8k

While many laugh at the clip, or say that the student crossed boundries in calling the headmaster at his home number, I think there is more to be learned from the situation. Nothing said if off the record! For instance, this womans voicemail is now being heard by thousands of people. As a communications student, I find it important to recognize that everything written or said has the potential to make or break your reputation. While technological advances, like this blog, for instance, are greatly improving the world of public relations and communications, it is necessary to recognize their potential for destruction as well. The world of technology is booming, and it is up to communications experts to keep up. So the next time you make a phone call, remember not to say anything that you wouldn't mind a couple thousand extra ears hearing!

Until next time...

Thursday, January 17, 2008

First Time for Everything....

My name is Rene and I am a senior at SMU. Though the world of blogging is a bit foreign to me, I think I will be able to catch on quickly. I'm excited to explore this new tool in communication, and eager to discover just what blogging is all about! Feel free to comment...I'll be back soon!