4/29/08

My new, multi-purpose keychain


I'm pretty sure all the "good" guys, with boyfriend potential, in Athens are taken. Nevertheless, my friend and I just bought Cupid keychains. Made of yarn, when it unravels or falls apart, you're supposed to find love. I admit to helping it along a little bit... pulling at the strings! Hey, every little bit helps. Whatever happens, I got a cute keychain out of it.

4/27/08

5 courses for PR students

As the semester comes to a close & students are making final tweaks to their class schedules for next fall, I thought it would be helpful to re-post an entry from my old blog, 5 questions for everyday people. It highlights courses PR students should consider taking but may not think of. Please comment and add to the list! Happy planning!

Something I often ask public relations professionals is what they think the most beneficial, somewhat atypical, college course is for PR students. There are a number of classes I wish I had taken based on their advice and a few that I have taken thanks to them.

1) Thank you to Caitlin Goodrich at Jackson Spalding for her advice to take a creative writing course. As an undergrad, Caitlin had a concentration in creative writing, so she is an expert at "spicing up" any press releases or e-mail message. On a recent agency tour, Bryan Harris reiterated the importance of writing well. I have heard over and over again that writing is critical. Write, write, write.
(For UGA students, ENGL 3800 is an Introduction to Creative Writing.)

2) Lauren Jarrell, director of communications at The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, highlighted the importance of public speaking. At this week's PRSSA meeting, she explained that no client will trust you to be their company's spokesperson if you aren't articulate day-to-day. Being well-spoken helps you "sell yourself." This is particularly important when interviewing for jobs and internships.
(UGA students, SPCM 1100 is Intro to Public Speaking.)

3) A number of professionals have spoken about the advantage that college students have when they are familiar with social media. (You may know more than you give yourself credit for. Chris Brogan just did a great post about this.) Most notably, Melissa Libby recently told me that she would only hire a summer intern who has taken one of Grady's social media courses. I have been following a number of PR bloggers (Josh Hallett, Paull Young & Mitch Joel to name a few) who I think may agree that a basic knowledge of social media will give college grads a big advantage.
(UGA students, ADPR 5990 is a rotating special topics course that has been focused on social media for the past 2 semesters.)

4) Thank you to Brian Brodrick of Jackson Spalding for emphasizing the importance of staying up-to-date on current events. I'm constantly checking CNN, ABC & spend my mornings on the treadmill watching The Today Show.
(UGA students, the professors for JOUR 3410 give regular quizzes on current events, a number of INTL and POLS classes focus on current politics, health issues, etc. I know there are more, so feel free to comment & let me know.)

5) Jill Krugman of Lockheed Martin visited PRSSA twice this semester (and will be returning in the spring). She explained, and has put into practice, that you must find something you love that will set you apart from everyone else. Minor in a foreign language, anthropology, even dance. A minor is a great way to find your niche.
(At UGA, if you don't quite have the time to complete a full minor, consider a certificate program. I just finished Terry's Personal and Organizational Leadership, and it was great!)

4/23/08

Grady pride


I spent yesterday with the Grady Society Alumni Board, a group of 12 Grady College graduates who have established themselves in various communications careers around the world -- the chairwoman is living in Canada, and another is very close in Cairo (Cairo, Ga., that is). The Board recently reconvened when the Grady College welcomed a new dean two years ago, so much of the day was spent writing an editing bylaws. Through what may sound like a rather boring process of writing and rewriting, I realized the extreme passion this dedicated, close-knit group has for the Grady College. The Board is truly committed to making a difference in the lives of the students, faculty, staff and alumni of the college they owe their current successes to. I look forward to working the the group in the future as I continue to serve as the Board's student representative.

Next, I enjoyed sitting in on our Bateman Team's presentation for the second, yes second!, time -- even better than the first -- so impressive! I suggested the group record the presentation and post it online. Maybe they'll listen (Sydney, Ashley, Abby, Jarek or Audrey), and you'll see what I'm talking about. This is one dedicated, talented group of Grady students. As Dr. Russell, the Team's advisor put it, "They are the best of the best."

Finally, I attended Pride of Grady, a ceremony celebrating alumni and student achievement -- McGill Fellows, a Wall Street Journal Fellow, a PBS Roadtrip Nation winner, honor graduates, outstanding internship recipients, journalism award winners, scholarship winners. I could go on and on. The Grady Ambassadors (a group that I am proud to be a part of) were recognized, as well as the Bateman Team. Dean Clark presented the inaugural Grady Spirit Award to a senior student who organized UGA's Got Talent which raised money for a local nonprofit organization.

Jessica Foster Bonner was presented with the John E. Drewry Young Alumnus Award for her work as a reporter, producer and meteorologist. Among other things, she was part of an award-winning team that provided 36 continuous hours of coverage during Hurricane Dennis. I'm almost positive she had a few tears in her eyes as she recollected her past at Grady.

Gene Colter was recognized for his mid-career achievements. Gene's resume is impressive -- news editor of the Money & Investing section of the Wall Street Journal and deputy managing editor of the Dow Jones News Service. Today, he serves as the editorial director and member of the management committee at Peppercom, a strategic communication firm in New York City. I did a little research, and it looks like he frequently contributes to Rep Man, a great PR blog by one of Peppercom's co-founders. Gene's long-time mentor, his favorite journalism professor at Grady, Dr. Fink, presented him with the award.

Finally, Carolyn Tieger gave a moving speech as she accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award. The managing director of Porter Novelli's D.C. office shared that she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery less than a week ago. Nothing was going to keep her from being at Grady yesterday. A true Georgia Bulldog -- with four family members and a nephew on the way (she hopes!) attending the University of Georgia. Tieger was recently named Public Affairs Executive of the Year by PR News and Washington PR Woman of the Year, but the Grady recognition seemed to be more meaningful to her.

My point in all of this... I'm realizing more and more how proud I am to be a part of the Grady College. Not only am I learning from some of the best, but I am also establishing friendships with the students, professors and staff here at Grady that I know will last a lifetime. I'm all the more certain of my choice to stay one more year. I can't get enough!

4/22/08

Back away from the television


I've got lots to do tonight -- not much different than most Tuesday nights. Work on my research paper, communications presentation and final projects galore is about to come to a screeching hault.

Why?

1. American Idol
2. Dancing with the Stars

Such guilty pleasures! Until David Cook gets voted off American Idol (and he better not!), Kristi Yamagochi stops wowing me with her amazing dancing skills or Jason Taylor (pictured) somehow becomes less attractive, I'm watchin' and not working on what I should be.

I thought Twitter was distracting, but nothing compares to good old reality TV.

What's your guilty pleasure? How do you distract yourself from what you should be doing?

4/13/08

Lessons in PR pitching from a newspaper editor

I recently met with a local newspaper editor to discuss his relationship with PR practitioners in hopes of getting advice on effective pitching...

The numbers of newspapers are rapidly declining, with total print advertising revenue in 2007 plunging 9.4 percent, according to the Newspaper Association of America. Declining revenues will ultimately force consolidation across print media in the United States, and the struggle for survival is fierce. The publications with the best stories will win the battle.
Roger Nielsen, metro editor at the Athens Banner-Herald, believes public relations professionals understand the increasing need for important, newsworthy information.
“The PR practitioner is my gateway to the important information and contacts. We couldn’t write a story without PR people,” Nielsen says.

Nielsen says PR practitioners are “shuttles” between the action and the public, so he relies on them daily. This is not to say he trusts them completely.
“I take a lot of the comments with a grain of salt. I know that many of them just put spin on things or want to sell a product. They’re doing their job.”
Ninety percent of journalists say they get story ideas from news releases and nearly the same number say they make use of public relations contacts, according to Atlanta-based Arketi Group, an integrated marketing and public relations firm.
“Well over a majority, 55 to 75 percent, of the Banner stories come from PR contacts. Thirty to 40 percent are straight from pitches.”

Nielsen underlines the importance of public relations professionals building relationships with the media. He has been covering Athens’ area government, education and health care since 1992, so he has long-standing contacts at the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, Athens Regional Medical Center, St. Mary’s Hospital and the University of Georgia, to name a few.
“The people that get their story in the paper the most frequently are those that don’t send me the traditional pitch. They’ve learned to get me to contact them for stories. It’s not what you’d expect in a typical PR-reporter relationship.”

The million-dollar question seems to be: before a trustworthy relationship is established, what is the most effective pitching method? A local connection is critical.
Nielsen used the Georgia Lottery as an example: If a PR person for the Lottery hopes to get exposure in the Athens Banner-Herald, they should interview Athens’ locals who have been touched by the system. Then, pitch the interviews, not the Georgia Lottery, to the paper.
“Chances are, the name Georgia Lottery will be published in the story a few times.”
Sending an e-mail to reporters is the most direct, efficient method for pitching. The body of the e-mail should be to the point, with a news release attached and a link to relevant Web sites.
Take the high-resolution logos off of e-mailed attachments, as they take up too much space in an inbox. Reporters are more apt to store an e-mail pitch and bring it back up on a slow day if they are small in size.
As professors at the Grady College grill students on the specifics of AP style, how important is the mastery of this skill?
“I’d rather have something that’s not in AP. What I want is a slightly longer, more flowery, detailed news release, in inverted pyramid form, that I can easily rework into a newsworthy story. Give me more to work with, and I’ll pick and choose what I want to use.”

From this, Nielsen seems to be a news reporter willing to work for a story, reworking news releases and relying on the Internet to research details. He underlines the importance of an easy-to-navigate Web site and up-to-date fact sheets.
The best follow-up method to an e-mail pitch is one phone call, but not around deadline times. It is important for practitioners to educate themselves on publication deadlines and reference them before calling or even sending a message. When a reporter asks for more information on something, he says to refer media to another contact or resource rather than take advantage of the opportunity to add “PR spin.”
The majority of reporters at newspapers and magazines have one thing in common—they love to write. Public Relations practitioners help them achieve this passion. Don’t abuse the win-win potential of the relationship.

I hope use this newly established relationship with Roger as a public relations intern in Athens this summer. I'll be sure to check his deadlines first!

Note: I showed Roger The Bad Pitch Blog, and I think Kevin Dugan has a new avid reader.

ADDITION: What are the best techniques you've heard? What has worked for you?

4/6/08

Xoopit relieves inbox chaos

After reading Brian Solis' post about Xoopit, I downloaded the beta Firefox plugin for Gmail that allows users to easily find and navigate e-mailed files, photos and videos. The application categorizes photos by the source - Flickr, Picasa, Shutterfly or Kodak - and documents according to date, file name, type and size.

Because I spend the majority of my day in front of a computer with my Gmail window open, it's beneficial to have this 1-click, easy access all in one spot. Xoopit is being coined Inbox 2.0 because once you "discover" your e-mail attachments, they may easily be shared with friends via e-mail, Facebook or a blog post.

A few days ago, this "virtual file system" came in handy as I began putting together important documents for next year's PRSSA president. Rather than sifting through hundereds of e-mails, I simply used the Files menu, typed in PRSSA-related contacts and terms, and up popped the relevant documents. After elections, I can click on the new president's name and "share." Convenient.

Aside from the ease of use, the Xoopit interface is attractive, and it makes the e-mail experience more fun.

My only gripe... I was hesitant to relinquish my Gmail username and password to the application. However, Gmail is already stored on Google's servers, and even if I delete an e-mail, it's not likely that it is permanently deleted. I'm sure if someone (for some reason) actually wanted to access my e-mail, they could. Xoopit has responded to these worries here and on their blog.

Xobni, "inbox" spelled backwards, recently created a similar application for Outlook.

Who's using Xoopit? Xobni? I'm curious to hear what you think.