Are You Worthy?

Chapter 4
To Be, or Not To Be.. Newsworthy, that is!

The entire goal of a PR Practitioner, if you didn’t know, is to get publicity.

However, in order to do so, the material, should probably be worthy of the news in the first place. There are a few tid-bits of information that will change the world of press releases as you know it. Some of the majors:

• Timeliness- Many news outlets look to “break the news” before any other station does. Not too early, where the readers will forget before it’s time; but not too late, when the event is already over.
  
• Unusualness- Things that are odd tend to make news just because they are not seen on a regular basis.
  
• Human Interest- focuses on someone’s life, not necessarily a famous person, it can be an everyday person. People enjoy these stories because they may be found in the same, or a similar, situation that the featured person is dealing with.


• Proximity- news that is in a relative area close to readers.


• Prominence- A famous public figure or relevant celebrity is in the picture or article, making it news.

So, let me as you this- what is going to happen if a press release is written and campaign started, and all the rest, but when the public sees all of this, they wonder- Who is that?

In order to be relevant, the public needs to know who the company is and what the purpose is.

One major way to make that happen is to:

- get ready for it-

GET INVOLVED! I know, I know, it's kind of like a "should of had a v-8" moment, but don't worry, because that is why you're reading this- to get new ideas!

So do things for your community to feel connected to you. Host a special event, or if you’re not the “hosting” kind of company, sponsor an event- it shows that you care to be a part of the community, and is a great way to help a cause. Just make sure that you do this in the local town of your company, so that you will reap the benefits of the exposure.

All these notes are from Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques by Dennis L. Wilcox.

Love, Hope

Comment posted on November 17, 2010 @12:45 PM:

What a great opportunity! I hate that I work on Tuesdays because these PR meetings on ca

mpus even are such a great chance to learn

and net

work, not to mention PR meetings with FPRA as a whole.

---

“FPRA October Monthly Meeting”, Whitney Gonzalez.

Comment posted on

November 17, 2010 @11:23 AM:

I cannot imagine. Not like, "O, I missed it"; but "O, that was my job." not only did they miss it, they're probably in trouble and they defeated the purpose of the video. That would suck very badily!

---

“Wait For It... Oops, We Missed It!”, Danielle.

Comment posted on Nove

mber 16, 2010 @6:00 PM:

Technology amazes me these days. I have an iPhone and sometimes I feel like I am the worst person to have one because I don't have a clue of all the things that it can do and accomplish for me. I'm gonna have

to research this now!

---

“Talk About A Great Band Promotion”, Danielle.

Comment posted on November 16, 2010 @5:38 PM:

Wow. That is crazy. I would

have HATED to be in that position. Spam and pop-tarts is not what's the worst to me- I feel like I would be so clausterphobic and annoyed with being there around a boat full of stressed out and grumpy and hungry people. As far as an apology, I have to agree that Carnival seems to have accomadated their guests very well. They provided airline tickets, etc. to help with crisis not, as well as tickets fo

r the future to make up for their mistake. I think some people are just looking to be unhappy, not looking for anything "more sincere". If Carnival would have just apologized "very sincerely" and not provided the cruise guests with replacements they would be a lot louder than they are at this point.

---

“Carnival Cruise Crisis”, Rachel .

Comment posted on November 15, 2010 @9:23 PM:

O man! I have to say LOL! This is horrible! Not even like "how horrible, but what great press". No, no- that's

just horrib

le! I'm sure the PR team surrounding this situation was going crazy during this time! I wonder if the sex-hotline was thinking business was just picking up- did they make a statement?

---

“Number Leads Callers To Sex Line… Oops.”, Sarah.

Comment posted on Nov

ember 15, 2010 @8:13 PM:

Speaking of catching readers eye- great post title! I agree with October, it is full of great content. Not very flashy or catch looking, but the content is on point. The look will make or break the look and credibility of a blog and if the contents even get read. Just like any marketing- the content c

ould be the exact same, but without attractive packaging, consumers will not even bother.

---

“If You're Not Attractive, No One Will Stop And Look”, Sarah.

Comment posted on November 12, 2010 @11:23 PM:

I feel like the

reason this poor girl feels like love is so complicated is because she is like 20 and has walked through many complicated relationships, which are complicated on their own, but with the addition of fame and media, which rarely make things easier. Sad that she has gained this perspective already

at such a young age.

---

“Rhianna Talks About New Album 'Loud'”, Elijah Gil.

Comment posted on November 13, 2010 @8:29 AM:

O NO HE DIDN'T!! 1. I don't see how someone could cheat on someone as pretty as Eva, and 2. How low to cheat with your own teammate's wife! Just disappointing how easy, accepted and "normal" it has become for athletes and celebrities to cheat on their spouses- almost expected at some point or another. Very few celebrities get married "for forever" anymore. Sad world.

---

“What Tony? You Cheated on Eva?!”, Elijah Gil.

Comment posted on N

ovember 13, 2010 @12:37 AM:

That is crazy. I'm sure it has been great publicity, but what a horrible statement to make in the first place. I understand marketing, however, I'm just not sure that I would be able to re-place a cover for the sake of the sales. So either keep the cover or change the character. I loved the blog title.

---

“Where's the Black Girl on My Cover?”, Katie.

Comment posted on November 12, 2010 @11:23 PM:

So good to learn these things, especially for a country so close to where I live (I'm from Texas). I feel like it would help in everyday acquaintances, there would be more grace for interactions because we would understand why they are acting or reacting the way that they are in certain situations. I thoroughly enjoyed this blog post and will use the information very much in the future. :)

---

“How to Get Yourself Hired”, Katie.

Comment posted on November 11, 2010 @8:46 PM:

So good to learn these things, especially for a country so close to where I live (I'm from Texas). I feel like it would help in everyday acquaintances, there would be more grace for interactions because we would understand why they are acting or reacting the way that they are in certain situations. I thoroughly enjoyed this blog post and will use the information very much in the future. :)

---

“Business in Mexico in a Nutshell”, Melanie Shoults.

Comment posted on November 10, 2010 @4:19 PM:

Cool project! I love traveling, so I always think it's interesting to see different cultures and do's and do nots.

What was the most extreme culture difference?

---

“Doing Business Around the World”, Kelly Woods.

Comment posted on November 8, 2010 @7:34 PM:

I am so happy for them- what girl doesn't want to be a princess? Well, actually, if it were a reality I may think long and hard about it; but yay for them! I love twitter- they just did the same thing with Tiger Woods deciding to 'tweet'.

---

“Twitter and the Royal Engagement”, Kelly Woods.

Comment posted on November 8, 2010 @10:15 AM:

I agree with Sam Mooty. It's unfortunate that it was presented it that way, but good to see Shape siding with the readers.

---

“Cover Model”, October Neuman.

Comment posted on November 7, 2010 @4:25 PM:

I wonder if Myspace is really still going strong or if people (like me) jsut have a profile on there and never use it. My opinion- Myspace was so Junior year of High School. :)

---

“Marketing Over Coffee”, Sam Mooty.

Comment posted on November 8, 2010 @9:18 AM:

Great post! I love the idea of planning ahead. In another class we discussed this as well and an idea that I always remembered just in case I was ever in the position was that at the beginning of any new job as a PR rep to create a crisis PR plan for th entire company within the first week, just to have on file "in case". Love it!

---

“PR in Times of Crisis”, Sam Mooty.

Comment posted on October 5, 2010 @ 7:01 PM:

Cool! I wasn't aware that Southeastern did this kind of service. I enjoy when people write about the good AND bad of an event- just keeps an un-biased opinion :) Sounds like it was impactful- thanks for sharing!

---

"Diving Servant Fountain Induction of Students", Elaine Bluemling.

Keep up with Elaine, New Beginnings.

Comment posted on October 5, 2010 @ 6:36 PM:

Wow. This post and this video are truly remarkable. What the Hillsong crew is doing does not amount into words! Good job raising awareness about this, and maybe you could add some more details, such as how to get involved with this movement or where to get updates on it.

Great job!

---

"Hillsong Spreads Awareness", Ashley Wright.

Keep up with Ashley Wright, Ashley's Blog.

Comment posted on October 5, 2010 @6:10 PM:

Thank you Nikol for pointing out both sides of a very controversial topic. I also agree that sex sells, but not always for the right reasons, and not always with the best results. Even if it gets attention or gets the point across, what about all the young minds that it confuses and de-sensitizes to their "need" to be a certain way.

Thanks for the insight!

---

"Marketing Point- Does Sex Really Sell", Nikol.

Keep up with Nikol, Diary of a Young Woman.

Comment on September 21, 2010 @ 4:07PM:






That comment was very fun, Gracey!

You do a great job of keeping readers entertained with colors and such, and you write like you speak, which creates a nice flow! But, all that of that being sidebar, great post! Who vs. whom is always in debate, and that trick is fabulous!

I will definitely be using it in the future! :)

---

"T.O.W. To Whom It May Concern...", Gracey Somers
See Gracey in action, This is My Story.

Something To Talk About...

Comments are the best way to keep a blog interesting and worth the authors time. But even in writing a comment, if it is uneffective or too short, it defeats the purpose of the comment. There are many ways to help create a blog comment that is more effective, some of those are:

1. Create a comment that will be interesting for the author and other readers.
2. While writing a comment, remember- Not too long, but not too short- there is no reason to ramble, but saying, "that was good", i something that is already known.
3. Give effective feedback for the author- the good, bad and ugly- so that the author knows what to put more of, but also what to add for next time, or what the audience didn't care for much.

Visit Grammar Girl, for more detailed information on how to write an effective comment.

Legal This and Legal That...

A PR professional must always be aware of the legal hassles that come along with their job and how to avoid them.

Some of the subjects discussed, were: Libel and Slander, or printing falsehoods and oral falsehoods. Copyright, which is material that cannot be redistributed without the author's permission, and plagiarism, which is copying written works without permsission or crediting the author.

Most often known as defamation, if a person or company is "defamed", and can provide proof of that, they are able to sue the Public Relations professional or department on that reason alone. Even if a name was never given, the right still stands to sue if they can be easily identified by the description provided.

Some tips for avoiding the "this and that" of legal hassles as a PR professional are:

1. Watch how writings are worded- leave no room for question.
2. Never go into details about situations- simply state the facts of the events, and let it go. i.e. "...left to pursue other interests".
3. Do not seek revenge in publicizing personal information or photos.
4. Be careful with trademarks and copyrights.

All these notes are from Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques by Dennis L. Wilcox.

Why PR?

Chapter 2 Notes

The point of a Public Relations writer is to reach the audience and fulfill their needs from their perspective.

In the section, Theories of Communication, a PR writer must analyze the needs of the audience and focus on framing a story to be appealing to the audience at large. In order for the audience to be reached, the correct channeling has to be taken so that the readers are catered to and their beliefs are reassured; therefore, if you approach an audience from their own beliefs, they are more likely to take to the message.

Although framing a story is important, it is even more important for a writer’s message to be credible. If not credible, an audience has no trust for the writer and will not continue to follow their pieces or information. While being credible, there are other techniques to think about while being effectively persuasive: creating emotions within the reader, adding statistics and facts to the writing, relating to the audience with real-life situations and testimonies, and incorporating things like celebrity endorsements to add credibility.

All these notes are from Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques by Dennis L. Wilcox.

Why PR?

Chapter 1 Notes

A common misconception is that writing is only part of what PR professionals engage in while covering organizations.

While PR is often times compared to journalist, and they also share common characteristics in their approach, PR writers have different objectives in their writing, different audiences, and different media outlets.

There is a great deal of preparation that goes into their work, such as research, planning, communication, and evaluating the outcome. There is also a technical role, which is usually the entry level, but some become experts in this area- that includes producing news releases and contacting officials to appear in public.

In order for the writing aspect of PR to be successful, there are things that a PR writer needs in order to create solid work, which include:

a computer with writing software
a printer
references, such as a styleguide
current media information
internet

In addition to writing skills, Public Relations professionals must have knowledge of public relations, current events, business, and management. All of these things play different, but just as important roles in the world of Public Relations.

---
TEXTBOOK: Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques (6th Edition)

Week TWO, Grammar Girl: Active Voice Versus Passive Voice

As a copy editor, Grammar Girl's posts are very helpful- like an AP Style guide in blog form. Today I read Grammar Girl's article on writing in an active vs. passive voice. It was an interesting and clear article, but the main things I learned were:

1. The easy way of identifying the difference: keep the action on the subject.
(Steve loves Amy. If that sentence said, Amy is loved by Steve, which is the passive voice, the subject and focus is changed from Steve to Amy.)

2. An active voice is easier for a general audience to comprehend.

3. A passive voice is good for an open ended statement or an unknown subject. (Politicians often use a passive voice to smooth statements over, such as, "Bombs were dropped". Or crime reports may say, "The store was robbed", because the robber is unknown.)

4. A passive voice is sometimes good for objectivity in scientific writing. (In order to keep objectivity, a passive voice would be written, "The data shows a result of...", instead of, "We tested the subject and the results were...".)

5. An active voice keeps writing tighter and less wordy. (The song title by Marvin Gaye, "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" wouldn't be quite as catchy if it were, "It Was Heard By Me Through the Grapevine".

The section about crime reporting or mystery novels was most interesting, because of it's focus on keeping the subject anonymous, which is very important in some cases; however, I would like to learn more about those little unknown exceptions where a passive voice is preferred over an active one.

Thanks Grammar Girl!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Week ONE, What I'm About..

I love embracing the new technology that PR professionals have at our fingertips. Getting a message to the public has never been easier if done in the right way- which can be a good or bad thing. Right now I try and use as many outlets as I can, top five being:

1. Facebook (Hope Dodson)
2. Twitter (@hdodson)
3. Blogspot (hopedodson.blogspot.com)
4. SEU Times (any SEU student can- meetings at 9:30am every Tuesday)
5. Texting (like I would put that online..)

I use these platforms because they have proven to be the most simple and convenient for my lifestyle right now. For example, after my time at Southeastern I will no longer use the SEU Times as an outlet for communicating, but as for avenues such as Twitter- it is the easiest way to get a small message out without all of the clutter of other social networking systems.