PR In Progress

This is going to be a very eclectic post.

First off, I’d like to thank the 2008-2009 USF PRSSA Executive Board for allowing me the opportunity to join them. Two weeks ago, Lauren Opelt, President of the Walter E. Griscti Chapter of PRSSA, offered me the Director of Markting position for our chapter and I accepted. By accepting this position, I join a team of very talented and remarkable PR students that will lead the chapter to great success.

That being said, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by this. I believe most of my anxiousness is derived from treading into uncharted waters. This is a completely new experience and therein lies the most exciting aspect. I have to jump headfirst into an area which I know little about and push the limits of my own abilities. Luckily, I will not be alone. I have the full support of my peers and I know everything will turn out fine.

Aside from that, I have found my way onto Twitter. Like many people, I was very skeptical of Twitter at first. After reading Lara Kretler’s blog, I decided to give Twitter a try and was very surprised at how intriguing it really is. Now, I have fully embraced Twitter and have even started to think of applications for Twitter in a PR classroom setting. TwitterReleases anyone?

After immersing myself in Twitter, I decided that I should dedicate more time to social media. I then proceeded to create a MyRagan account and a LinkedIn account. I found out fast that the social media bug is highly infectious. The best part about social media is the fact that we’ve only scratched the surface of possibilities. I can’t wait to see the next new thing!

Thank you for reading all the way through this post. It was very scattered, but I needed to put into writing what I was thinking. Hopefully, I will see all of you on Twitter, myRagan, and LinkedIn!

My Public Relations Issues professor, Bob Batchelor, recently posted a question on his blog pertaining to the trend of poor writing among public relations practitioners. In his post, he asks: “What do you think we can do to improve PR writing both while students are students and then once they get out into the professional world?”

As a current public relations student, I would have to say the best way to get through to students is to disect their writing and be brutally honest with them. Many students will not respond well to this approach (at least at first), but in time they will begin to notice the improvements in their writing. As much as I hated receiving negative feedback, it was that harsh reality that pushed me to spend more time working on my writing and developing my skills.

That being said, I think students have as much responsibility as the professors do when it comes to improving the students’ writing. Professors can teach them the many techniques and styles of writing, but it is ultimately up to the student to put them to use and perfect them. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

Those students that truly want to be the best in their field will do everything possible to improve their writing. It’s not fair for professors to take all the blame for poor PR writing.

What do you think?

Since beginning college, my main focus has been to obtain the best education I can and become a successful PR practitioner. In do so, I was urged to create goals and plan my route to attaining these goals.  My father, who is a PR practitioner, has always urged me to aim high and settle for nothing less than my best effort. It was his advice that has propelled me through my first three years of college and will continue to resonate throughout my career.

My question for you is: What path have you created for your success in the PR profession? Whether you are a student or not, how have you mapped your goals?

If you are a student and you haven’t carved out some plan for yourself, then maybe this will help get you started:

1. Focus on your writing. Jump at every opportunity you have to write. Blog, freewrite, join the newspaper staff, ANYTHING. The most important skill any PR practitioner possesses is their ability to write.

2. Read. Read newspapers, blogs, magazines, newsletters or anything you can get your hands on. Pay attention to what is happening in the world as well as what is happening in the PR realm.

3. Join a professional or pre-professional organization. PRSA, PRSSA, FPRA and IABC are all great organizations to be a part of. They are great for mentorship and networking. These are the people who are there for you and can help you get internships and jobs. The workshops and educational opportunities through these organizations are invaluable.

4. Get an internship. The best thing you can do to supplement your education is to intern. Gain the valuable on-the-job experience you cannot get in the classroom. There are tons of internships available–some are even paid!

5. Consult Professors and Advisors. You are paying to get an education, therefore use the resources available to you. Professors and advisors are there to educate you, but also to guide you and help you develop as a young professional. I have consulted my professors many times, especially for problems and decisions that fall outside of the syllabus. (I landed my internship with the help of my profressor.)

If you address each of these points, you will notice your knowledge base grow. Set goals and work extremely hard to attain them and you will be among the other elite graduates. Since PR is growing at a rapid rate and jobs are largely competitive, it only benefits you to gain the best education and be as knowledgeable about PR as you can when you graduate.

I’m heeding this advice, you should too. Want to join me?

According to an article published in the New York Times today, airlines are creatively seeking ways to make their fleets operate more efficiently. By grounding older jets and taking better care of the newer jets, the airlines are beginning to see a decline in fuel expenses. That being said, the airline industry collectively is expected to spend a little more than $61 billion on fuel this year.

Tim McGraw, Northwest Airlines’ director of corporate environment and safety programs explained that the industry has begun to look inside the cabin of the airplane in order to improve efficiency. They are replacing passenger seats with models that are five pounds lighter as well as flight attendant carts that are nearly 17 pounds lighter. McGraw said that Nortwest was also reducing the amount of water they carry for faucets and toilets on international flights by 25% because most planes return with more than half of their water tanks full.

Aside from lightening the load, airlines realized that by pressure washing the engines of the planes routinely would reduce the amount of drag and allow them to save more fuel.

I think it’s about time, especially amid the rising airfare (and baggage) costs, that the airlines begin seeking out these creative ways to cut costs. Because the need to reduce fuel costs is so high, they have opened up the floor to any and all suggestions from their employees. They aren’t just relying on the engineers to come up with fuel-saving techniques, but allowing others with valuable input to join the discussion.

I love to see functioning communication models. (Or at least an effort to facilitate one!)

After a few days of pondering my blog and its content (or lack thereof), I have decided to both rename it and change my direction. I am going to write about the entire realm of PR, not solely writing. I have to do this because PR is so fascinating and diverse that limiting myself to one aspect wouldn’t allow me the experience I know blogging will provide. I apologize for the abrupt change and hope you enjoy my future posts!

That being said, as public relations professionals, what is your take on Andrew Cohen’s blatant attack on PR’s credibilty?

Watch this video if you have not heard his comments:

Cohen Comments on PR

The most important step in becoming a PR writer is assembling your toolkit. Any writer–novice or professional–must take the time to gather all the materials they will need in order to successfully craft a well-written article.

As a current PR student who has written many different types of writings, I feel like I could share some of my own insight into what I feel are the basics any aspiring PR writer should incorporate into their toolkit. Keep in mind, these are just my own contributions. Your toolkit may have more or less.

• An updated version of the Associated Press Stylebook. This is extremely important when you need to decide whether you should use website or web site, for example. (It is two words by the way: web site.)
• A thesaurus. I use a thesaurus every time I write any piece. I do not like to repeat words as I write and so the thesaurus is a vital part of my toolkit. (MS Word’s thesaurus is good as well!)
• A textbook or guidebook that can demonstrate the layout of certain writings you may not be accustomed to writing. I have had to refer to my textbook many times, either for class or my internship, when crafting a piece so that it looks professional and acceptable.
• A good contact List. You never know when you may need to gain extra information that you could not get on your own.
• A good grasp on grammar. You should be able to form grammatically correct sentences and string them together to create well-rounded sentences. (This is a tough tool to polish. Keep up with your basic knowledge and use reference tools when you are unsure.)
• Patience. Many writers begin crafting their pieces and do not allow for information to sink in or new ideas to form. You may feel like your writing is superb, when in reality it is a very, very rough draft. Take your time and self-edit several times to ensure that you have covered all the bases.

This pretty much rounds out my toolkit. I’m sure I may have left out some other parts, but I will repost them as they surface. This should go without being said, but you must also have all research and information on the topic you are writing when you set out to write. Believe it or not, but many beginning writers fail to incorporate much of the meat to the story. It is one of those lessons you must learn the hard way, trust me!

With that being said, your toolkit is never finished. You will always find new tools and skills to add to it. Building your toolkit is one of the most exciting aspects of public relations. Take advantage of any opportunities you have to expand and build. Blogging is just one good way!

If you have anything you would add to the toolkit I have assembled, please comment. I am always looking to expand my toolkit and keep it current.