A recent study in the Public Relations Society of America Journal examined the use of Twitter as a public relations tool. Authors Angelica Evans, Jane Twomey and Scott Talan conducted 12 in-depth interviews with executive-level PR professionals. Their findings found that all PR professionals they interviewed do not believe that Twitter will be a passing fad. Although they all agreed on this, the opinions varied when it came to the value of Twitter. Twitter may offer direct communication with the media, but when used improperly, a single mistake can damage the effectiveness of the tool – ignoring it.

Mike Volpe, a blogger for HubSpot Blog, didn’t see the use of Twitter when it first hit the virtual world. However, after using it more often, Volpe sees the value of using Twitter as a powerful social media tool. Volpe offers some ideas on how to use Twitter for marketing and PR.

Engage your CEO in social media. There are many circumstances in which CEOs create blogs for themselves and leave it to rot after a couple of posts due to the amount of time it takes to write a single blog post. With Twitter, the user has 140 characters to write a short, quick update. The limited space makes sending an update easier with short thoughts or comments. Also, the mobile feature for Twitter allows users to send updates directly from their phones to the website, so users can send updates as they are thinking of them.

Monitor your company or brand on Twitter. Tools such as TweetDeck allow users to monitor their Twitter accounts in different ways. The application allows users to connect with their contacts through multiple social media platforms and allows users to sort their contacts into groups of their choosing. This tool is especially useful for bigger companies or people who manage multiple accounts. Twitter also has a search engine that allows a person to search what people may be saying about any topic.

Announce specials, deals or sales. Most of the time, Twitter users are following a certain company or brand to receive special deals or to receive updates on sales. Twitter makes this easy for companies because they can announce these specials at once to a large, specific audience. This will not only benefit the followers, but it will also benefit the companies, for companies who announced huge deals in the past, such as Dell and Southwest Airlines, have generally been very successful.

Promote blog articles, webinars, interesting news and more. Twitter makes promoting links very easy. Using sites such as bitly allow people to shorten long URLs to make posting them in a Twitter update easier. The chances are, if somebody is following you, they want to know what you’ve got to say. Having interesting, captivating headlines for tweets will attract users to view what you have to offer.

 The purpose of using Twitter as a social media tool is to generate conversation, not to constantly let people know what you’re doing or thinking. When used properly and often, Twitter can be an effective tool in connecting with a niche market.

What do you think Twitter’s value is to a PR practitioner?

Not only do you need an outstanding cover letter and resume to be considered for an internship, but you also need to stand out for the interview portion of the hiring process.

Instead of giving you the top tips to nail your interview, I’m going to give you the top things that will NOT get you the internship you’re applying for.

Below I have listed the things that shouldn’t be done in an interview. These mistakes were adapted from Dave Ellis’ “How to Bomb Your Interview in 10 Minutes,” which you can find on the YouTern website.

1. Go Casual – It is better to be overdressed than underdressed. Companies expect to see a professional walk through their doors, not a typical college kid dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. If you are unsure of what to wear, ask the interviewer what the company dress code is.
2. Arrive Unprepared – Come prepared and do your research! Bring copies of your resume and your portfolio. Coming prepared will show the interviewer how committed you are to your work. Also, show the interviewer that you know the company and industry; this could include the company’s history, its mission statement and its competitors.
3. The Weak Handshake – A handshake says a lot about a person. A weak handshake does not portray one’s strength and confidence – a firm handshake does. When you are greeted, make sure you make full eye contact with the interviewer – this will emphasize your social ability.
4. You Cell Phone Rings – The minute your cell phone rings during an interview, you’re doomed. Remember to silence it or turn it off before entering the building.
5. Your Eyes Glaze Over, Your Shoulders Hunch, You Yawn – These are bad signs for an interviewer. This will prove your inability to stay alert and focused. Make sure to stay active during the interview. An interview is supposed to be a two-way conversation, not a one-way question fest. Keep good posture throughout the interview, maintain eye contact and ask quality questions when necessary.
6. Show Me The Money – Discuss the position first and salary later. It’s important to remember that interviewers are looking to hire people who care about doing well at their job first, not about how much money they are making from it.
7. Be Really Un-Friendly – “Employers interview for skills but hire for personality.” The interview will reveal how well you will fit in with the manager and the team. Keep smiling (but not so much your jaw begins to hurt) and carry on an articulate conversation. Showing your excitement and enthusiasm during the interview will surely encourage the interviewer to consider you further.
8. Fail to Follow Up – Following up on an interview is key to distancing yourself from the couple (or hundreds) of applicants who applied for the same internship. This will show that you really care about the internship, and the interviewer will keep you in mind when going through the hiring process. When sending a follow-up letter, phone call or email, thank the interview for his or her time. Be sure to include some key points from your interview or ask questions that you developed afterwards.

As you have just read, one must be prepared when an interview approaches. No one can successfully get through an interview without being ready for anything. Sell yourself! If you make sure not to make any of these eight mistakes, you are on your way to nailing an internship or job in the near future!

More than a week later, Facebook came forward and confirmed that the social networking site hired the PR firm. Facebook hired Burson to support its claim that Google is violating Facebook’s terms of service by using the data found on Facebook for its own personal use.

But wait… There’s more.

Facebook is attacking Google for obtaining information about Facebook’s users without Facebook’s permission. However, is there still a case when the majority of information that users share on Facebook is available to the public?

Throughout the years, Facebook has continued to change its terms of service with its users. The top social networking site was once comprised of a private virtual circle of friends that only the user could see. Now, anyone who can access a computer can see information that is shared on the website.

Facebook has dug itself a fine hole. Instead of the media looking into Google’s whereabouts and accounts, the fingers are now being pointed at Facebook about its own privacy issues. The plan to frame Google has turned around on Facebook. Now who’s laughing?

This PR slip-up has hurt Facebook’s reputation immensely. Due to this public humiliation, many PR practitioners are looking into their own company’s reputations. This example has caused many PR practitioners to look into an evolving field – reputation management.

As a PR professional, one likes to believe that all the people will be honest and trustworthy, but one must also be prepared to deal with those who are not. In Elizabeth Gooding’s blog post on reputation management, Gooding offers some suggestions for how to effectively maintain a good reputation.

1. Use systems to monitor social media and other platforms of media that are used to communicate about your company.
2. Encourage your employees to report any information that may be helpful for the company to know. This includes stories and rumors.
3. Give employee guidelines or create a social media policy for employees to follow when communicating on the Internet.
4. Condense responsibility for the development of a response strategy.
5. Manage the company in an ethical way. Make it clear to employees that creating or spreading a rumor will not be tolerated.

Hiring a reputation management expert is a great investment tool. A reputation may seem like a breeze to maintain, but once it’s broken, it may be difficult to pick up the pieces.

Karla Gower

Karla K. Gower examines how a shift of power resulted in changing the future of journalism. In this book, she argues that the interaction between public relations practitioners and journalists has resulted in a shift of power, and that this raises questions about the purpose of media in a democratic society and the future of journalism.

There are a lot of strengths to Gower’s argument. Gower used the “Management Review” journal to support her argument that a shift in power has occurred.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the section on President John F. Kennedy as the “King of Television.” The 1960 presidential election, Kennedy versus Nixon, was the turning point for presidential American political history because this was the year when television became the dominant mass medium and allowed for presidents to create their own images for the world to see. This is supported through Watson’s “The Expanding Vista.”

Kennedy took advantage of the new technology. He used this mass medium as a way to build his image and to connect with voters directly. Nixon also used television to gain public support, but Kennedy had much help from PR practitioners to gain favor above Nixon.

Kennedy saw television debates as an opportunity to let voters see who he really is in person. This marked the beginning of televised news conferences. Without PR practitioners helping him build his image and reputation through media training, Kennedy may not have been considered the King of Television today and may not have won the presidential election.

There may be a slight problem with this, however. Gower discusses that this could disrupt the media’s neutrality when presenting information to the public.

Journalists depend on sources; otherwise, they don’t have much of a story. When a reporter calls up a PR practitioner about a story, the practitioner may not give offer neutral information – he or she may give out only the positive information that will benefit the client.

When a PR practitioner is being used as a source for a story, one must follow the Arthur Page Principles in order to present information in the most honest way. These seven principles will ensure that the information given out is credible and reliable.

With PR practitioners contributing to creating images and distributing information that may not be neutral, Gower has challenged how we look at our own media by showing that the mass media may not be completely reliable when presenting information in an unbiased way. If this shift in power continues, is the future of journalism in trouble?

Gower’s contribution helps readers understand communication history more thoroughly by providing many historical examples of PR at work. Kennedy versus Nixon is only one example of PR being put to use, but events such as the Ludlow Massacre of 1914 and the development of the television all contribute to the evolution of PR and the way the public gets its information.

All the questions raised from “Public Relations and the Press: A Troubled Embrace” contribute to the way I understand media today. Whenever I watch the news or read a news release, I’ll be thinking of where the information came from.

After reading this book, I have a better understanding of how the public gains its information and how reporters gain that information. The best way to provide information is to present it in an objective way. If there is one important lesson I’ve learned from reading this text, it’s this – objectivity is key in distributing credible information.

Me visiting Chapman University.

My name is Stacy Sumoge and I’m studying public relations and communication at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication.

I was born in Fresno, Calif., and raised in Beaverton, Ore. I spent a lot of my childhood roaming around Portland, Ore. This city is well-known for its downtown area that houses the state’s popular arts, music and food. Portland is a unique city, and it is one that is very close to my heart.

My dream is to travel and write about my experiences around the world. I love seeing new places and experiencing new cultures. The world is a big place, and I want to see it all!

I’m starting this blog for an upper-division PR class titled “Strategic Public Relations Communication.” Although the reason I’m starting this blog is for class, I plan on continuing to use this blog for my own personal interest.

My passion for PR will reflect what is being posted on this blog. As I continue to update this blog, many topics will be covered including the latest news in PR, social media use, relationship management, and more!

I hope the information I cover in this blog will be helpful and interesting to you! I highly encourage visitors to comment on posts to develop dialogue about our shared interests.

Thank you for visiting! I look forward to expanding my knowledge about this growing field!