Sarah’s Blog

Thank you, Auburn.

This past week, the university introduced a system for emergencies. After registering my number in the program’s database, I am able to receive text messages with severe weather alerts, and more importantly, campus emergency issues.

It would be easy to fall back into a normal routine after the Virginia Tech incident. It tends to happen–being sensitive to issues right after a crisis and then thinking it couldn’t happen again. Thankfully, this is not the case here.

Although the Wire Eagle press release made no mention of the crisis at Virginia Tech, Auburn students know that this is a reaction to what happened in April. We’re thankful for that step in the right direction.

http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/230

Surely this doesn’t help our case for the legitimacy of a career in PR. Unknowing people sometimes question what I’m doing with my life or why I’m majoring in public relations. Many of them have the impression that PR is about making things up and putting the right spin on news. You’ve all heard it. These associations are nothing out of the ordinary to you.

FEMA’s news conference-turned-bad makes those skeptical about PR turn their heads even more. On top of that, people are talking. Whatever good FEMA was working to accomplish has been diverged due to the scandal. Bloggers are talking about it. New York Times blogger Eric Lipton discussed the repercussions of the incident. (http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/fema-official-on-briefing-scandal-late-invitation-was-to-blame/index.html?hp)

Poor FEMA. Seems like they can’t do anything right lately. They were trying. The news conference, meant to address the fires in California, was set up with the best of intentions. A little last-minute, apparently, but hats off that they were making a step in the right direction. Regardless, what a basic and simple taboo thing to have done!
http://www.prweekus.com/Fake-news-conference-spurs-outrage/article/58246/

Hoover High School has been plastered all over the news lately. The football team and coach have been hot topics of conversation in recent months. From being ranked nationally to the MTV show Two-A-Days, cameras have surrounded the football team. With the publicity and hype surrounding the athletic department comes attention to the city itself.

The Hoover School System finally made the move to hire Jason Gaston as coordinator of public relations. This school system has been in the public eye for years now with such a successful football program, among other things. What was the delay? Why did it take so long for this move to be made?

While I’m thankful that my school system has stepped up to the plate in doing this, I’m disappointed that it is just now happening. Historically, the school system has done so much right. The way it has handled growth, tragedy and other incidents has been impressive. This move was simply long overdue.

Few things really gross me out. I don’t pass out when I see blood and slugs don’t make me want to throw up. However, food items with short expiration dates always seem to raise my eyebrows.

I’m one of those people who thoroughly investigates my food before I eat it. In my attempt to eat more meat (as suggested by my nutrition-major roommate) I order red meat at restaurants so I don’t have to see it and prepare it myself. Before one bite goes into my mouth, though, I cut it in all directions to make sure there isn’t the least bit of pink left in it. I’m weird, I know. I smell my milk in the mornings just to make sure it’s good before I drink it. This morning, however, was an exception. The milk carton indicated it doesn’t expire until October 23, and seeing as that is four days away, I added in my Hershey’s syrup without a thought. Now I have a bitter taste in my mouth, a slight stomachache, half a gallon of milk in the trash and a disgusted feeling that might prohibit me from purchasing my usual item at the grocery store come Sunday. That little incident reminded me to keep investigating what I’m putting into my mouth before it gets there. So I’ll keep smelling my milk. And tear apart my meat.

Beef producers seem to have heard my cry. They created a website and are launching a program next week to ease bad thoughts about such. As noted in PR Week’s article (http://www.prweek.com/us/news/article/750403/Beef-producers-serve-new-source-public-information/), the campaign “From Pasture to Plate” (http://www.beeffrompasturetoplate.org/) seeks to settle fears by informing consumers about the beef. Sounds like a good PR campaign. I’ve been playing around on the Web site and hope that I’ll be less grossed out by the meat on my plate. We’ll see about that.

The New York Times is often a hot topic of discussion for more than just its success in journalism. More than the newspaper, the New York Times Company has always struck me as impressive. It remains at the cutting edge of business and public relations. Its concentration on seeking the new and bright ideas in PR shows that the company itself doesn’t mess around.

PR Week covered the latest happening this week. The NYTCompany launched a campaign last week, “All the News that’s Fit to Click.” The idea is to remain proactive in utilizing the Web while not neglecting the focus on journalism.

As a reader, I appreciate the effort to making the news more accessible. The concept of Web-based news is nothing out of the ordinary. Sometimes the compromise comes when the fast and easy access interferes with the quality. Thankfully, the New York Times sees its place and is making improvements all the way around–for advertisers, the company and most importantly, the readers.

When I learned about Facebook three or so years ago, I had no idea it was anything more than a crazy way to keep in touch with people. Now it seems to find its way into talk among friends, in classes and especially in the news.

How can a social network site be so newsworthy? My initial thought is because 40 million people are using it, and therefore it is relevant. It’s also intriguing that Facebook’s CEO is a guy who is only a kid, really, at 23.

This question of newsworthiness is blatantly answered in an article in the New York Times today. Not only are companies such as Google and Microsoft interested in getting in on it, the company itself is worth an estimated $10-to-$13 billion dollars, according to the article. The numbers thrown around are mind-boggling. It sure makes me wish that I had come up with the simple idea that has grown exponentially in the last few years.

All over the world, journalists and news organizations seem to be in a frenzy to effectively get the news out there while still maintaining a profit. It’s a topic we’ve been talking about for years. Will newspapers be obsolete by the time our kids are reading? How do news channels effectively get the news to those who seek it? Or are people not seeking it?

A recent article in Vanity Fair discusses these concerns and more.

At the end of his article, author Michael Wolff presents his latest development. His last words include a link to the news website he has created, newser.com. The setup of this site makes it quick and easy to navigate news stories. The right column includes recent top stories as well as the weather. Articles are posted by him but taken from top news producers, such as Fox News, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal.

“Wolff is a fan of ‘aggregators,’” says a response article on O’Dwyer’s site, “websites that do no original reporting but are collectors of what everyone else is reporting.” These websites that tend to the needs of this generation put everything right there in front of us.

Maybe our generation is not going to pick up a hard copy of the paper like our parents or grandparents did. Jeff Jarvis discusses this issue in a recent article he wrote for the World Association of Newspapers.

“By 2020, we had better hope that newspapers aren’t just papers anymore but are valued members of larger networks that enable their communities to gather, share, and make sense of the news they need,” writes Jarvis.

This issue is not limited to our changing culture here in America. Guillaume du Gardier makes note of this in his post last week on MarcomBlog.

Obviously this is a hot topic right now. Newspaper companies and advertisers are “scurrying around to find more energetic buyers,” according to Wolff. He blames this on the news being “technologically obsolete.” So how do we effectively reach this generation, my generation, without compromising the historical and cultural importance of the newspaper, and really even the news itself?

The scare that microwave popcorn causes cancer could potentially be quite a crisis for Orville Redenbacher or a competitor. Last week, reports circulated that the additive causing the buttery flavor could be linked with cancer.

Doctors in Colorado linked one man’s death with the additive, diacetyl. Immediately, companies took action, including PopWeaver taking the ingredient out of its product, according to the article in The New York Times.

PR Week reported the media relations efforts took off immediately as well.

However, it seems odd that the reaction, broken up into phases, categorized blogging as secondary. While it is necessary to get in touch with media contacts first, blogging should be a primary concern. More and more news outlets are scouring blogs for news tips, so making sure the right information is circulating among bloggers is critical.

Not every person will find out about the microwave popcorn scare. You just want to make certain that when the consumer does find out, he’s hearing the correct information instead of rumors and falsities.

Mary Kneeland Metcalf’s article directed toward current Style and Design students gives a reassuring perspective on why we do what we do.

She’s fresh out of college and making a name for herself in the real world. It was not long ago that we were passing her in the halls of Haley Center, probably on her way to Robert’s class herself. Now she’s in Chicago working at Edelman. She’s the one posting on Marcomblog, not just responding to other practitioners.

While Mary Kneeland’s advice regarding the importance of social media isn’t new, the affirmation and encouragement is necessary and helpful. Honestly, just having the insight of someone we know personally makes the advice that much more tangible.

Correspondence with recent PR grads provides such an insight into the transition. It sure sounds like the teaching, resources and experiences leaving Auburn equips students to transition smoothly into the role of practitioners.

While I might be biased due to my declared major, it seems as if a degree in public relations can only be beneficial in such a career.

In response to the Princeton Review explanation of studying PR discussed on odwyerpr.com, I found myself in limbo with what I agree. No, a PR degree is not to a news release as an M.D. is to a prescription. Although it makes sense that such an education is extremely helpful, the Princeton Review is not way off base when it makes the following statement:

“Any major that teaches you how to read and write intelligently will lay a good foundation for a career in public relations.”

Yes, this could very well be true. However, the various cases we study, such as evaluating past PR crises and successful companies in dealing with their various publics, certainly shape our knowledge and understanding of PR. The elements of employee relations are not taught in an English class, so simply learning how to write as an English major would not be as useful as a degree in public relations.

Although my current PR experience consists solely as an intern, I feel confident that my degree will aid just as much in my career as it has in my internships.