Social Media Release...the wave of the future?

PR professionals have traditionally relied on one type of news release to deliver information to the media and journalists. But recently, a new type of news release, called a “Social Media Release” has begun attracting more attention.

Shift Communications, a mid-sized independent PR agency, created the social media release in 2006 as an innovative means of simplifying information in a news release. Inspired by Tom Foremski of Silicon Valley Watcher, Shift Communications believes that the social media release “merely facilitates [journalists and bloggers] research by using the latest tools (social bookmarking, RSS, etc.) to provide background data, context and on-going updates to clients’ news.” The company made the template available for free distribution to any interested PR practitioners.

The benefit of the social media release is that it taps into online techonolgies by incorporating online and social media tools into the news release, and allows information to be communicated more effectively to the online community. It incorporates videos, social networking videos, images and hyperlinks into the release. This is a great way to distribute information to bloggers!

I am currently an intern at an advertising and PR agency in Dallas, and a couple months ago we watched a webinar explaining the functions and meanings of the Social Media Release. The agency recognized that although this release is not currently distributed by many PR firms, that it may be play an integral role in the future of PR.

With its user-friendly template, and wide-spread distribution I have yet to determine why the social media release has not yet taken off. My only guess is that the industry as a whole is afraid of change. Journalists are used to receiving the traditional news release, and PR agencies are used to distributing the traditional news release. I am interested to see if agencies will utilize the social media release in the future, and how journalists will respond to it.

Check out this awesome video on the social media release.

Are you part of the "Go Green!" campaign?

What do you think about all the companies suddenly jumping on board the “Go Green!” campaign? Companies like Honda, Continental Airlines, PG & E, S.C. Johnson, Goldman Sachs and Hewlett-Packard are among some of the companies that, according to CNN Money have gone “above and beyond what the law requires to operate in an environmentally responsible way.”

Last week was earth day and the TV and news were full of promotions for companies that are going green. Even E! Entertainment interviewed celebrities on the ways in which they contribute to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Some celebs, such as Tori Spelling who rambled off a few random items, appeared extremely caught off guard by this question and as a viewer it was apparent that now celebrities are under pressure to hop aboard the “Go Green!” campaign.

Wal-Mart recently implemented an advertising campaign that invites all Wal-Mart shoppers to join together in an effort to make a difference. Specifically, Wal-Mart created a commercial encouraging all Wal-Mart shoppers to use a certain type of light bulb, and gave statistics to demonstrate the impact this change would make. Check out the commercial below.


I think it’s great that huge corporations, celebrities and everyday people such as Wal-Mart shoppers are exerting the extra effort to help support and preserve our environment. It is definitely a critical issue to help maintain our earth for future generations, and it appears that we are doing a great job! I just hope everyone doesn’t get so wrapped up in this one issue that the countless other issues plaguing today’s society are neglected. We still have starving people abroad and in the U.S., a high rate of unemployment, welfare, homelessness, domestic abuse and countless other issues that also need support.

It is fantastic that all of the U.S. seems to be uniting in the effort to promote environmentally friendly lifestyles, and I hope that in the future we will unite again to make a difference on another issue. Making a difference lies in our hands.

Another Reason to Love Coca-Cola!

Do you get that 1:00 p.m. craving for a thirst-quenching drink? Does you mouth thirst for something more than water on a daily basis? Well if you are like me, that thirst can only be quenched by an ice-cold Coke, or in my case an ice-cold Diet Coke. Since I can remember I have been a top supporter of everything Coca-Cola. I love the taste, I love the ads and I love the Coke side of life. Not until recently, though, did I discover yet another reason to love Coke, and this time it has to do with the company itself.

Whenever a company makes a single mistake, that mistake seems to stick as a stigma that the company is forever associated with, no matter how many other good deeds they perform. For example, Nike. I have always loved Nike and continue to wear many Nike workout clothes. But when I think of Nike, I immediately remember all the negative publicity they received for their sweatshops. Everyone does! No matter what else Nike does it will always be associated with its former sweatshops.

Which brings me to the point of why I have come to love Coke even more – they practice social responsibility in the environment, the community, the workplace and the marketplace.




Coke says, “the future of our business depends on the vitality of the communities where we operate.” Coca-Cola and their bottling partners produce products in more than 800 plants worldwide, and make sure to “employ local people, pay taxes to governments, pay suppliers for goods, services and capital equipment, and support community investment programs.” They also support socioeconomic development of these communities through “economic opportunities and wealth creation as well as technology and knowledge transfer; local entrepreneurship; and other international investment.”

In 2006, Coca-Cola donated approximately $70 million to these communities to support their civic and public affairs, and community and economic development. Talk about making a difference in the world!

I realize that a major factor for Coca-Cola’s generosity is based in their American business foundation: ultimately to get back to the bottom line. Yes, by practicing great social responsibility Coke is trying to increase their profits. They are helping people in poor countries, providing employment opportunities in safe workplaces and making monetary donations to aid the growth of these communities. They are giving these communities assets they may never have without the help of a larger conglomerate, but they are doing it to increase there own profit. And it’s working.

So I wonder, is it less moral to be such a do-gooder if you are doing it with your own self-interest in mind? The good deeds are still being done, and the people and communities are benefiting in ways they might not otherwise have been. Does the intent behind Coca-Cola matter? Or is just important that the good deeds are done?

Who doesn't want to drink a Coke after watching this commercial?

Yahoo! and Google help repress Chinese citizens?

From foot binding, to communism, to one-child policies…to internet regulation? Historically a country known for its strict adherence to traditions, cultural laws and respect for superiors, some Chinese are now speaking out against their repressive government via the Internet. According to Human Rights Watch, “the Chinese government retains its ability to arbitrarily restrict certain speech or punish people for holding and sharing their opinions.” In a country where the media adheres to restricted topics it can report on, the Internet provides an anonymous place for citizens to finally vocalize their opinions. Or so they thought.

Chinese citizens, such as Jiang Lijun, are being arrested for discussing political issues on the Internet. A Chinese Web site was even closed for running a public opinion poll about whether national leaders in China should be elected! Check out the story below.

This is completely shocking to me! In the U.S., blogging, and the Internet in general, is a powerful means of measuring the public opinions, and presidential candidates rely heavily on the Internet to relay information to the public, and to receive feedback from the public. It is revolutionary over here! Candidates create media campaigns specifically for the Internet, in order to target specific audiences through various sites. Some even propose that the Internet may make or break the decision of our next president. That is HUGE!

I am so fascinated that the exact same invention can cause polar opposite revolutions in different countries. For the U.S., blogging and freedom of expression in regards to the government are encouraged and even promoted by candidates, and government leaders even maintain their own blogs. In China, freedom of expression is severely restricted and is enforced by arresting those who decide to speak their mind about the government via the Internet.

Companies such as Google and Yahoo! have adjusted their search engines to incorporate the restrictions of the Chinese government. Yahoo! has adapted even more than Google in an effort to increase the use of their search engine in the country. So I ask you, are these search engines benefitting the Chinese by complying with their laws? Or are they restricting Chinese citizens even more?

Deceit? Or great self-promotion?

Along with all innovative technologies comes a recipe for disaster. The birth of the internet. A marvelous invention that revolutionized the armed forces, changed the way we do business and unites people all over the world. The birth of the internet. An invention used to promote hate crimes, sex videos, gossip, pornography and cults. First came the good, then came the bad…

And then came blogs. A way for people to post personal opinions for the world to see, freedom of expression and a great tool for marketing research. And then came blogs. An open means of publically humiliating yourself, others, companies and friends. First came the good, then came the bad…

And then came FLOGS. Perhaps one of the most famous incidents of flogging can be attributed to Wal-Mart. Let me pause for a second for those who have yet to hear the term “flog.” A flog is the new world for fake blogs. According to Wikipedia (yes I know this site is not always reliable, but in this case it gives a great definition,) a flog is a fake blog or “a marketing tool designed by a professional advertisement company to promote a product in a fashion one might find on a fan site or in regular blog entries.” Wal-Mart, one of the biggest corporations in the U.S. faced public humiliation when it was discoverted the corporation had been flogging on the internet. In fact, the flog is now extremely difficult to track down, as Wal-Mart is deleting all available evidence of its existence. Learn about it and other fake blogs here.

So what is the problem with flogs? I mean, who cares if a Wal-Mart employee is told to write positive comments about the company and post them on the internet? SO WHAT! First of all, Wal-Mart has thousands of employees, so one opinion is not magically going to change America’s opinion of Wal-Mart. Secondly, companies promote themselves on the Internet all the time. Why does it matter if someone promotes their company anonymously? Or under a pseudonym? The Internet is one of the few facets in our world in which people are capable of being completely evasive, nondescript and secretive about their identities. Everyone knows this.

I guess what I am saying is that I feel Wal-Mart received a ridiculously unfair amount of negative publicity for this incident. I see nothing wrong with promoting a company, and if that promotion happens to be via the internet, then consumer beware. Everyone knows that when it comes to the Internet, nothing is set in stone.

Check out this example of a parady blog: a fake blog written to entertain.

Ethical Considerations in PR

With the public relations industry on the rise, controversy surrounding the profession has grown just as fast. Trying to avoid stereotypes such as “spinning” of “flack” organizations such as the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) have established a Code of Ethics by which their members must comply. Many PRSA members undergo strict regulations in order to gain accreditation in the field of PR. Since there is currently established testing to become a PR professional, such as law school for lawyers or medical school for doctors, accreditation by PRSA or IABC is the best available option we have today.

The PRSA Code of Ethics includes a list of rules by which their members are encouraged to obey in order to increase credibility of the PR profession.

Some of the issues included in the Code of Ethics include:
Be honest and accurate in all communications
Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible
Preserve the free flow of unprejudiced information when giving or receiving gifts by ensuring that gifts are nominal, legal and infrequent
To serve the public interest by providing the widest choice of practitioner options

This full Code of Ethics can be viewed here. As our generation represents a large increase in PR practitioners, I feel it is our duty to follow the Code of Ethics, whether an accredited practitioner or not, in order to develop a reputable profession. Developing a positive image of PR and breaking through the stereotypes starts at an individual level. If we take it upon ourselves to start the change, we will see a huge progression in the field in the next decade.

Here's a video addressing the question, "Should bloggers follow a professional code of ethics?"

Case Study: Columbia Sportswear

“Columbia Sportswear Company is a global leader in the design, production, marketing and distribution of outdoor apparel and footwear” (Microsoft.com). As an international company, Columbia’s employees always spread across the nation and always on the move, making efficient communication a necessity for good business.

Gertrude Boyle, chairman of Columbia Sportswear, says, “fast access to up-to-date information is key to the company’s success” (Microsoft.com).

Columbia Sportswear employs more than 2,700 people in 76 countries, and works with more than 13,000 retailers internationally. Approximately 25 percent of Portland’s 700 employees are traveling at any given time.

Barbara Cason says, “Columbia Sportswear is a quintessential Northwest kind of company. Those of us who work here are really drawn to the active lifestyle, to products that allow us to enjoy skiing, hiking, fishing, and all of the things that the Northwest has to offer. But at the same time, my foreign legal associates often need my help with urgent issues outside of our normal business hours. I need to be available to them in a very timely fashion, no matter where I am” (Microsoft.com).

To increase communication efficiency, Columbia Sportswear began using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 in July of 2006. This technology is the newest enterprise software. In addition to Microsoft Exchange 2007, Columbia Sportswear also uses Exchange Unified Messaging, which affords employees the convenience of receiving e-mail , voice mail, calendar items and faxes from a single inbox. Employees can now access their messages through either a Web browser or a telephone, rather than memorizing multiple passwords for multiple inboxes. (Microsoft.com).

These new technologies allow employees to enjoy an active lifestyle while maintaining constant, efficient communication. They have also reduced phone costs, the costs of business delays and missed opportunities.

“Bill Tung, vice president of international sales and operations at Columbia Sportswear, spends about 40 percent of his time traveling around the world. ‘Being responsible for a global business, it’s absolutely vital for me to have instant access to e-mail, voice mail, faxes, financial data, and company reports,’ he says. ‘Having all these capabilities consolidated on a single device that fits in my pocket saves me a great deal of time.”” (Microsoft.com).

View this entire case study and a one-minute video here.

Media influencing Politics

Last week in my advanced writing public relations class, my professor showed us a video produced by will.i.am., a member of the music group Black Eyed Peas. The video, called “Yes We Can” features celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson, filmmaker Jesse Dylan (son of Bob Dylan), John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Adam Rodriquez, Amber Valetta and Nick Cannon. The pro-Obama video campaign created by celeb supporters has made a huge impact for Obama. ABC news did a story on the persuasive video (check it out at http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=4231523) and it has over 3.5 million views on YouTube. That number is rising daily.




Powerful and influential talk show hosts such as Oprah and Tyra have interviewed Obama on their shows, and now with this video, and much of Hollywood apparently backing Obama, I am starting to wonder, “How will my influential generation be affected by these celebrities?”

Born into a generation obsessed with the media, the Internet, the tabloids and most of all celebrities, will the power of celebrity influence go so far as to decide our next president?

I must admit, born into a republican family I originally felt compelled to vote for a republican candidate. The problem? I do not know anything about them! Never a fan of politics, I do not go out of my way to research the candidates, find out their unique stance on an issue and then support them through the election. That is just not me. But during this election I have felt more connected than I ever have before and I am not making any extra effort this time around. Sure, I look at candidates for small class assignments, and I hear things through word-of-mouth, but this time I am more informed than ever before because the candidates seem to be targeting me. Everywhere I look I see an ad for Obama, a celeb talking about Obama, even at the Grammy’s last Sunday a few singers used the phrase “Yes We Can” in their thank you speeches. I have not seen a thing about McCain. I wish more politicians were targeting my generation.

Now that politics seem to be surrounding me I feel compelled to me more involved. Whether this is a result of agenda-setting theory, I do not know. What I do know, is Obama is utilizing the new media that draws in my generation and it is working. Prior to this election, all I knew about him was that he went to my high school. Thinking that was kind of cool, I asked some friends what they knew about him but they did not know much. Ask a friend today, and they will talk my ear off.

I am not saying this makes me want to vote for Obama, I just wish all the candidates were making the same effort he is to keep my generation informed.

Technology Changing Public Relations

New to the working world of public relations, I experienced my first webinar last week. For an hour and a half, six colleagues and I sat around a conference table watching a nationally broadcast webinar intended to give PR companies tips from other pros about the always evolving world of PR.

During this webinar we each followed along with PowerPoint handouts provided by the company putting on the presentation. We saw examples of creative marketing and public relations tactics that were successful when promoting new products in order to get inspiration for promoting our own clients. Some examples of successful marketing included a promotion for the upcoming Batman movie in which an eerie picture of the joker was revealed one pixel at a time by viewers logging in to view the site. Here's the picture.

It is especially eerie in light of recent events (the sudden death of Heath Ledger). Other examples included a CocaCola commercial and the Dove transformation of beauty advertisement.

The Dove ad does a great job of showing how digital enhancement greatly changes the appearance of women in ads. You watch as aa normal woman transforms into a model.

Webinars such as this, are being used worldwide as mini-conferences that unite companies within an industry to share tips and give advice on creative ways to work with clients. At the public relations firm I am interning at, we attend at least one webinar or nationally broadcast phone conference each week, to keep our company connected to the industry and to learn new innovative ways to best showcase our clients. Other major PR companies, such as Edelman, use webinars as a means of communicating to the public about blogs and various communication issues. It is a great way to show us what other companies are doing, what works, what does not and provide creative inspiration for our own unique marketing and PR ideas.

Check out this example of a crisis communications webinar:

Paris Hilton's PR Rep?

I found this question on the PRSSA Web site blogs "Absense of hard news: Is public relations responsible for the Paris Hilton 24 news coverage?" and I was immediately compelled to respond.

Paris Hilton generated a lot of media coverage in magazines, tabloids, television and on the radio in the past year. She is pictured every week out partying and living the high life with celebrity friends. The problem? Most of her coverage is not good, at least for her. Magazines seems to be flying off the shelves with readers eager to hear about the latest episode her in wild life.

Hilton's DUI charge and 3 day stint in jail was national news that everyone had an opinion about. When she walked out of jail hundreds of viewers phoned in to find out what jacket she was wearing so they could get one too. Check it out at the end of this blog.

Where is the media getting these stories from? Is it PR practitioners that are feeding these stories to journalists? More importantly, is it her PR practitioner or publicist? Is it the constant crown of paparazzi surrounding her? It seems to be getting to the point where hot celebs can climb the ladder of popularity faster the more controversial they are. Who is doing drugs now? Who is in rehab? Who got the latest DUI? These are the stories that are selling, and practically bombarding the public every day, and the public is eating it up! I must admit I love to pick up the latest copy of US Weekly to catch up on my celeb gossip for the week. I have no idea why. Sometimes my friends and I catch ourselves talking about these people as if we know them. “Did you hear what Lindsay did this week?” we sometimes ask each other as if we feel we personally know these people after reading about their lives splashed throughout the media.

Celebrities will always dominate the media because they are of interest to many people; everybody loves celebrity gossip, at least most women do. For example when Owen Wilson tried to commit suicide it made headline news and front page covers of magazines because it is a story that sells. People love to read about drama!

Some people believe that any press is good press, even if that press is negative. This must be the view held by Hilton, who prior to her arrest made no effort to shake her party-girl image. Even Whether or not she has a PR representative helping her promote this image, I do not know. But if she does, they are doing a fantastic job of getting her headline news coverage, pictures in virtually every gossip magazine and frequent front-page covers.

Hilton mobbed by the media while leaving prison.

This is a comical clip of Hilton trying to get past her prison stay on the Letterman show.

Tips from the Pros

While researching ways that PR professionals develop and maintain strong relationships with the media, I came across a very informative interview on Public Relations Magazine’s Web site.

The article, by Alexandra Weaver and Megan Fraizer, is an interview given from a PR perspective on how to develop/maintain relationships with journalists. Weaver and Fraizer interviewed Dr. Bill Keller, a journalist professor at the University of Alabama, and Deborah Lane, the executive director of public relations at the University of Alabama in order to get insight from both sides of the relationship.

Lane gives the following tips:

· Explain why this specific journalist should be interested in the article
· Be aware of the journalist’s deadlines!
· Always follow up a new release with a phone call or e-mail.
· Broadcast journalists think visually.
· Include key points in soundbites.
· Avoid jargon!
· Be honest and accessible.
· Know the journalist’s audience and their message.
· Never speculate.
· Always meet deadlines.
· Do not always give one media outlet the story first; use a variety of sources.
· Give reporters information in forms they can use – soundbites, good quotes and visuals.
· Never say, “Off the record.”
· Articulate your messages!

Dr. Keller gives vary similar tips with only a few additions, including:

· PR professionals who have worked as a journalist or TV person at one time understand it
best
· Never exaggerate or say things that are not true.
· Try to meet outside the newsroom to get to know each other.

I think it is refreshing to know that PR professionals and journalists/reporters
expect the same components in terms of a creating and maintaining a professional relationship with one another. Now if we can put these practices into effect we may see an increasingly positive relationship between these two industries that have a history of tension.

Here's a video of a former journalist, now working as a PR professional.

Why can't PR practitioners and journalists get along?

As I was browsing the blogs on PRSSA.com, a particular topic caught my eye, “Public Relations Practitioners and Journalists: Can’t we all just get along?”
In the article Chris Anderson, the editor in chief of Wired magazine, wrote an article calling PR practitioners “lazy flacks” in response to all the emails he was receiving. Then, he posted nearly 300 email address on a Web site for everyone to see. Was he wrong in doing so?

There are several basic principles all PR practitioners should know about writing news release, including: it must be newsworthy and you must know the appropriate person to send it to.

In this article, Anderson expresses his anger about receiving over 300 emails a day that have no relevance to him, and rightfully so. A good PR practitioner researches the exact person to whom the release should be sent. For example, if you are sending out a news release about a great, new restaurant, you want to locate the name of the food critic at the local newspaper. Do not just send the release to anyone at the newspaper and assume it will trickle down to the correct journalist. It will not. Personalizing the letter shows respect to the journalist, who is on deadline, by not wasting their time with a news release out of their area of expertise. This is also a great way to begin a positive relationship with a journalist, and increases the chances of the journalist writing about the pitched topic.

Anderson is not responsible for reading through over 300 press releases a day and distributing them to the appropriate journalist. Instead, it likely results in him throwing away great potential stories, and reflecting poorly on the PR industry.

Anderson’s decision to list the email addresses of 300 PR practitioners that sent him useless news releases may have been a bit extreme, but it definitely has vocalized his point. It is often the bold statement that causes change. Many of the PR practitioners included in that list work at well-known agencies, such as Edelman. Had Anderson decided not to list the email addresses, I doubt much of a change would occur. However, this public humiliation of Edelmen, and other agencies, will likely be the catalyst in teaching PR practitioners how to appropriately send a news release.

The field of Public Relations is finally gaining a seat at the table with top management. It has taken years of PR professionals validating their work to others in order to prove its importance, to prove it is not just “fluff.” Perpetuating the feud with journalists will only increase the divide between two industries that, if they work together, can help each other achieve higher levels of success. Journalists want the latest, hottest stories, and PR professionals want their stories published. That said, working together creates the opportunity for both industries to prosper.

Check out this commical video of two people discussing the problems between PR and journalism.

Blogging as a tool for PR

As I was browsing various blogging websites to develop more insight and an opinion about this rapidly expanding world of blogging, I came across an interesting blog about Target. According to a post on blogexplosion.com, Target has a racy new ad featuring a women lying spread-eagle on the Target symbol with her crotch right on the bull’s eye. This ad has obviously caused some commotion from the public, but what is causing an even bigger commotion is Target’s refusal to respond to nontraditional forms of media, such as bloggers, about the issue. According to blogexplosion.com, the New York Times reports that Amy Jussel, the founder of ShapingYouth.org blog, was told by Target that they “are unable to respond to [her] inquiry because Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets.”

Not only was it a mistake for Target to refuse to explain their advertisement, but it was an even bigger mistake to refuse to participate with new media; which resulted in an explosion of negative blogs about Target. The company needs to incorporate new media into their organization because these new media are rapidly building growing fan bases, and people who are angry about something tend to be more eager to write about it. In this case, I say Target is to blame for all their negative publicity. Their decision not to participate with new media sends the message that they feel they are above new media and do not take these media forms seriously. Big mistake, Target!

I thought this was a powerful example of the importance that blogging now plays in the world of PR. People are always more eager to dish the dirt and spread the word when angered about something than when they are pleased. I do not know why, but people love to vent.

In PR, the best publicity can come by word-of-mouth. Not having to send out a news release to get raving reviews about your company all over the internet is great way to increase knowledge and popularity of a company. On the other hand, shunning an entire communication channel simply because it is new…probably not the best idea.

According to Laura Gurak et al, University of Minnesota scholars, the world of blogging is the next great rhetorical impact on our society. In the beginning, chat rooms, newsrooms, discussion boards and peer-to-peer file sharing networks were viewed hesitantly by the eyes of large corporations. Today, they are a necessity in the business world. Employers seek out new hires that are computer savvy. Why should blogging be any different? It is a quick and efficient way for people to speak freely on any subject, connect with others who have common interests, voice opinions, advertise a product, etc. Especially in PR where positive publicity is vital, embracing the world of blogging with open arms will be of huge benefit to the industry.

Check out this webonar addressing the topic: Why corporate blogs are the future of PR.

Let's talk about podcasts!

I have heard the term "podcasts" thrown around loosely over the past year or so but never really knew what it meant, who used it or what is was used for. I knew it was some sort of new technology people were getting excited about but I did not know what the hype was all about. A few of my professors mentioned it over the past year, and until last week it was a term I had only heard in the confines of a classroom

And then I started my first PR internship. Day two. I sat quietly at my desk working through various tasks I was delegated to do by others in the PR department when I heard two of them discussing a podcast. "Really, a podcast?" I did not think this was a technology that PR professionals were actually utilizing. Man was I wrong.

Excited to know that my classroom learning is actually applicable to the real world, I went home to research podcasts. According to podcast.com, a podcast is “a buzzword to describe a very simple concept: an audio or video file available on the internet for you to listen and/or watch. Then I visited podcast.net and sampled a few podcasts. To my surprise, I found that the world of podcasts is huge, and rapidly expanding. I listened to an audiocast of a wedding planner who advised listeners to make their wedding a “reflection of your personal lifestyle and aspects of your life that are unique to your relationship.” Then I watched a short video on old-school skate boarders skating in pools and on make-shift half pipes.

I see now that the world of podcasts is a rapidly expanding part of the communication industry that makes information easily available via the internet or an iPod. I think this is a technology we will definitely see more of in the near future! What do you think?

Check out this video in which Keith O'Brien, news editor at PRWeek, discusses podcasts and blogs as direct communication methods in PR.

First Time Blogger!

Hello! My name is Sally, and this is my first time blogging. I am starting this blog as part of a class assignment, and I hope to learn as much as possible about this new technology that is greatly expanding the world of communication.

I am senior at Southern Methodist University studying Corporate Communications & Public Relations (CCPA), and I love it. After graduation in May, I plan to stay in the Dallas area to pursue a career in Public Relations. Although Dallas is very far from my home in Hawaii, I have come to love the Dallas area and cannot wait to begin this new chapter in my life.

Please check back with me as I start to get the hang of this, and feel free to add your thoughts.

More to come!