Learning PR in Modern Shows

by Elizabeth Lemuz

The Concourse

I have never seen the show ‘Parks and Recreation’ but I have heard from many people that it is an extremely funny show. PR Daily just released an article with lessons from this show which can be useful in PR. The article is a fun way to give serious tips with a twist.

The 7 tips given according to PR Daily in ‘Parks and Recreation’:

-Follow your heart

-Know your stuff

-Go back to the basics

-Stay young at heart

-Learn from your failures

-Embrace your idiosyncrasies

-Keep at it

The gif’s used in this article describing these tips can make anyone laugh. In all seriousness, these tips are not too hard to follow. For example the first one, following your heart is easy if you can decide PR is the field you want to go into without a doubt. Others may describe this also as trusting your gut. You want to listen to your own ideas and share them as well.

It is always important to “know your stuff”. You don’t want to go out and know things halfway or not at all when it comes to a client. In our ethics class so far we have discussed the importance of telling the truth and sharing with the public only information that we can back up. What good is it if we can only answer part of the question or do half of a good job?

When I see the tip “go back to the basics” I think mostly of traditional ways of getting things done. We can’t always rely on technology to get us out of trouble. Yes, fast growing Internet sources have been incredibly helpful in the PR field, but going back to using old skills is successful when technology is failing you. Going back to the basics can also mean, simplify things. I tend to overthink everything that I do and that always ends up stressing me out.

Everyone has an inner child they tend to hide, but we shouldn’t always do that in PR according to the tip “stay young at heart”. I think one thing about the newer generations of PR professionals is how connected we can be to public. We are aware of what is occurring around us even if people don’t think we pay attention. We tend to be crazy, fun, younger people that can, in my opinion, bring fun to world in a strategic way.

One thing that I can admit to in this long journey of being a PR major, is the number of difficult times that I have accepting failure, I don’t like it. I don’t think anyone likes failure, but I have realized that it’s going to happen and that I have to grow from that. All PR professionals have to be okay with this because in this industry there will be times when ideas presented won’t work. PR professionals need to “keep at it” like it suggests on that list. I admire PR professionals because their job isn’t easy, but they succeed. There isn’t a specific individual I think of, but there is a reason why there are so many great agencies doing PR.

I may not be out in the field yet, but the more I learn about PR the more excited I get about it all. From what I have learned so far and what I have read, it’s a hard but rewarding field.

Citations:

“7 PR life lessons from ‘Parks and Recreation’.” PR Daily. Ragan Communications, 2015. Web. http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/18192.aspx

“Parks and Recreation Image.” The Concourse. Kinja, 2015. Web. http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/parks-and-recreation-characters-ranked-1687685397

A Social Connection

by Elizabeth Lemuz

I have recently started reading articles on PR Daily to get an inside scoop in the PR world. I came across the article How PR pros can win with journalists on Twitter. I really enjoyed reading this article because not only was it short, but it was also relevant to much of what I have been told recently about PR and social media.

It is crazy to think of a world without social media because it is everywhere. I won’t go into much detail about that because I already have in the past with previous blog posts, but I can talk about what this article points out about the relationship between social media and PR. The article has a focus on Muck Rack, a tool used to find PR professionals, journalists, bloggers, and all the alikes. Using this tool, you can connect with many journalists.

The article is discussing the importance of finding what outlet is best for your company or client. Snapchat is brought up to be used always for anyone that is under the age of 25. I personally use Snapchat all the time. Snapchat is growing to become a useful tool because of the new news features that it includes.

Twitter is an easier way to find out what is happening around the world with 140 characters on a  screen that is constantly updating. According to the article building up your Twitter is a useful tool to connect with important journalists.

I had never used Twitter until I was in a social media class last summer. I didn’t really like the format that it has and I didn’t think that I could get used it. Now, I am join tweetchats where I meet many professionals.

 
I would say that the importance that this article is trying to point out to PR professionals is that there needs to be a connection with journalists through social media. Not only this, but there needs to be a good relationship created in order to get connected with what goes on in the news world. We have to use social media wisely and purposefully now more than before because it is a tool that is allowing the PR world to get the job done a lot better than before.

Citations:

“Arrow Image.” The 60 Second Marketer. Disqus, 2015. Web. http://60secondmarketer.com/blog/2011/01/04/register-for-the-social-mobile-roundtable/

"How PR pros can win with journalists on Twitter." PR Daily. Ragan Communications, 2015. Web. http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/18151.aspx

Why be ethical?

by Elizabeth Lemuz

Discussions are always happening around us. There are discussions about who is going to win the big game on Saturday to serious topics that can affect us like what a well-trusted news anchor has lied about to the entire country. It doesn't matter what story is being told as long as it's following basic ethical rules.

At the beginning of this semester, we were asked to record ourselves answering why we think ethics is important in PR and why we think we need a class in ethics. I can remember my video and I struggled. It's not that I don't know the answer to that question, I just want to make sure that I say that appropriate thing. I believe that ethics is important in PR, because in this field, we are trusted with a company's brand to build a strong relationship with the public.

                                                                        TechnoBuffalo

Media has increased tremendously in the past few years. Today, many people rely on social networks to find out what is going on around the world. Companies are adjusting to using social media because it’s where the majority of people are going to on a daily basis. Yes, there are still people out there that enjoy reading the paper every morning with a cup of coffee before heading to work. There is people that like to watch the news on the television after a long day at work. Thank goodness we still have our old ways of receiving information as well as the new ways too.

I believe that having this faster way of transmitting media is also a little harder for everyone to think before sending out that tweet or posting that status. According to Dictionary.com, ethics is defined as “...the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.,” We as humans don’t always make the best decisions. It’s a natural way of life from what I have noticed.

In the textbook, Controversies in Media Ethics by David Gordon, ethics is described to be important because it’s about doing what is right. “If everyone acts according to the categorical imperative that what is ethical for a person to do is what that person would want everyone to do, then there is no need for special efforts such as quotas. Equal opportunity would replace affirmative action.” Having situations where choosing to do the right thing is the first response, then there are no complications from there forward.

In media, it is important to be truthful and just because it is such a fast market. One most recent example of ethics not being present in media is the situation with Brian Williams. Williams has been the talk of everyone across the country because he decided that to embellish his news telling abilities by including things that weren’t ever real.

In The Washington Post, Williams is described as “a man who took such delight in spinning yarns that he could sometimes lose sight of where the truth began  and where it ended.” Williams was a well-trusted news anchor for many years and no one expected this from someone in this position. It’s wrong to want to choose being a celebrity over because it creates a connection with your audience. This isn’t a real connection and because it isn’t true, the lies will eventually be discovered. Williams has been suspended from his position from NBC news and his reputation is tarnished.

One good thing about humanity today is that we are all very curious people. We are interested in knowing what is going on around us. When we have tools like the Internet, this allows our curiosity to be fed much easier than before. We all tend to search for the truth when we think we might have been given false information. I don’t really understand why lie to an entire country the way that Williams did. He didn’t share his story with the country once, he did it multiple times. He had claimed to have recalled the wrong thing, but that would only happen once and not many more times.

In my opinion being ethical is about doing what is right for everyone or the majority. It’s also about building trust with the audience. I believe that ethics is extremely important in media because it balances out everything that we say or do. Like I had mentioned earlier, today many people are going to the Internet to find out what is happening around us. As journalists, it is important to fact check everything that we claim to be true to the public. I know that when it comes to knowing about what is going on around me, I would like to trust my news sources to tell me the truth.

Being ethical doesn’t seem to be our first instinct because we are human, but it would make our lives much easier if it was. I’m not saying that we all struggle with this, but with all the examples we have seen in the media going back to the earlier days until now, it definitely is a constant struggle. It is important to be ethical in media because it allows us all to focus on more important issues than having to fact check everything ourselves that is mentioned to us.

Citations:

“Ethics.” Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2015. Web. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethics?s=t

“Gavel Image.” Techno Buffalo. Disqus, 2012. Web. http://www.technobuffalo.com/2012/03/14/samsung-loses-highly-meaningful-lawsuit-against-apple-in-dutch-court/

Gordon, David, et al. Controversies in Media Ethics. Routledge: New York, 2011. Print.

“Story telling ability connected Brian Williams with viewers but also led to his downfall.” The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 2015. Web. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/storytelling-ability-connected-williams-with-his-viewers-but-also-led-to-his-downfall/2015/02/14/def95228-b3a4-11e4-854b-a38d13486ba1_story.html

Simple is Better

by Elizabeth Lemuz

                                                                 iPad Typewriter

Public Relations has always interested me simply because I feel that my personality fits the part. Have I ever really worked in PR? No, not at all. After taking my first PR focused class in college, I realized that it is a hard field, but in my opinion, it is also rewarding.

The writing aspect of PR has always been difficult for me. Growing up, I had always been told that I was a good writer and hearing that always encouraged me. I grew up with Spanish as my first language and English as my second. None of that has really discouraged me at this point. I enjoy writing press releases for special assignments, putting together media kits, and creating fact sheets.

The thought of having to write a press release made my palms sweat. I couldn’t even begin thinking how I could fit so much information on one page. Everything today is expanding and transforming to bigger and better things. The PR field is increasing because there are new tools that help this field grow to become better.

There is an article in PR News by Beth Monaghan titled “How to Transform Press Releases”. I have heard from a few PR professionals that they don’t have to write press releases. Before I had written a press release I was relieved, but after I began writing them, this news made me a little disappointed. I think Monaghan has great points to allow all PR professionals to make press releases important, but also unique.

One of the most important tips is “Show, Don’t Tell”. In all of the writing classes that I have taken in the past this is something that I have always been told. It’s important to have the reader imagine what they are reading. With how media is growing today, the public is used to images and videos that make it easier and quicker to receive information. This makes it harder on all of us writers because now we have to make our writing outstanding. This challenges me to want to write something that will create that image in the reader’s mind.

Another tip that stands out to me from this article is “Straight Talk”. Yup, I fail at this all the time. I’m probably failing at it now. With all the storybooks that we grew up reading, we are used to ideas being adorned with so many words that aren’t needed. It’s always harder to get straight to the point when we talk as well.

I’ve been told so many times “simple is best” and I believe that this is true. As writers we should be able to get straight to the point while still getting the message out there.

Citations:

“How To Transform Press Releases.” PR News. Access Intelligence, 2015. Web. http://www.prnewsonline.com/topics/media-relations/2015/01/12/how-to-transform-press-releases/

“iPad Typewriter Image.” Wired. Conde Nast, 2015. Web. http://www.wired.com/2012/05/ipad-typewriter/

Blog Away

by Elizabeth Lemuz 

I’ve never really put much thought into the reasoning behind blogs. I have always heard about blogs being on the web and how everyone around me seems to be writing them and publishing them on their own webpages. I don’t read blogs and if I do, I don’t know that I’m reading a blog. Yes, it’s not so good to not know of their existence, but the web is just now becoming interesting to me. 

         I have been using the Internet for many years now, but I am just now beginning to understand how the Internet is a useful tool. When I say this, I really mean social media. Examples blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and so many more. I have gained interest in how to use these tools strategically when I decided to pursue a career in Public Relations. 

          Noticing the important reasons for these Internet tools like blogs, is important. Blogs let readers get information that is coming directly from a person in a personal way. They have a conversational tone that readers can connect to much easier than a scholarly article can. I believe blogs to be word of mouth tools for the Internet audience. 

          The website Social Media Today has an article on how to grow your business with the use of blogs. In this article, there are statistics like how purchases have increased because of blogs that are linked to products. Consumers like to know what a product is really like from other consumers. We all know that companies are going to tell us what they want us to think about the product, instead of the true nature of the product. I heard somewhere once that consumers don’t really believe advertisements anymore; instead they seek WOM (word of mouth). 

           Like every other social media site, blogs should also include images or videos to boost the readership of the post. We all like to see more visuals when it comes to online content. It’s the way that our minds are trained, because of Twitter with its 140 characters and Facebook with its status posts. There is no limit when it comes to status posts, but no one has the time to post a novel on their Facebook page. Images make the content easier to read, but also makes the content intriguing. 

           Just like this current blog post and the many more that I will be adding to this account, I want to be able to share what I’m learning about the interesting field of PR. Public Relations is extremely interesting and I get excited when I learn something new that I can take and master. I also want to know how to get better so like I’ve been told, practice makes perfect right?

Citations:

“How to Grow Your Small Business Using a Blog [Video].” Social Media Today. Social Media Today, 2014. Web. http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-grow-your-small-business-using-blog-video

“Pen and Paper Image.” Fox News. Fox News Network, 2014. Web. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/01/13/quick-pen-and-paper-test-can-spot-signs-dementia/