With Thanksgiving Day quickly approaching, I figured it would be more than appropriate to blog about the time demand that the public relations industry puts on its professional. As I sit here on the greyhound bus making my way down to New York City for Thanksgiving break, I can’t help but think of what my life will be when I graduate from this program and enter the world of public relations. Will it be what I expected? Will I be happy? But most importantly, will I have to give up my personal life to be a success?
I didn’t give any of this much thought until now, because I was so excited to be entering a new industry; One where I can exhibit my skills and talents. However, on Thursday night as I got ready for bed, the program I was watching was interrupted for some breaking news: “SU’s assistant basketball Coach Bernie Fine accused of sexual molestation." I was shocked! I quickly jumped online and started reading up on the story. The story broke so late at night that I was actually surprised. Then, I thought, “OMG his PR team must be going crazy!”
That’s when it hit me. I’m studying to be that PR person!
How many Thanksgivings, Christmas’ and ballet recitals will I miss because I’m busy dealing with a PR crisis? How many family functions, nights with the girls, and date nights with my husband will I have to cancel or run out on because of work? This worries me because I don’t only want to be a PR professional. I also want to be a mother, a wife, an aunt, and a friend, but will I miss out on all of that because I’ve chosen such a fast-paced and highly demanding career?
I’m not going to say that I’m not worried about the demands of the career path I’ve chosen, but I can say that being at Newhouse is preparing me to deal with the rigors of the PR lifestyle. I’m learning to balance school work, volunteerism, social activities, and personal time.
Although this career is very demanding on my personal time, so far I really seem to be enjoying it. I'm starting to think that PR may not be my career for my entire life, but I'm interested to see where it will lead me.
I hope you are enjoying the road that you have chosen. Drive safely my friends!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
And the Newsworthiness Award goes to...
What makes something newsworthy?
Is it something that is popular with the climate of the times?
Who determines the worth of news?
Is it you? Me? Mainstream media? Bloggers?
The problem I have with "newsworthiness" is that its subjective. Essentially, whats worthy to me as news may not be worthy to you and vice-versa. Do I care that the Cardinals won the World Series? Not really, but that's HUGE news for sports fans. Did you hear that Mazda isn't actually stopping production on its trademark rotary engine? I'm so excited about this news. I LOVE rotary engines! But I bet to most of you that's not worthy news. Some of you couldn't care less.
Lately, the trend in news has been Libya, U.S. Troops coming back home, Cancer Awareness, snow, and of course Halloween festivities. Some of these are recurring themes (i.e. Libya and U.S. Troops) that have been in the news for years now because they're a matter of public concern and national security thus making them newsworthy. We as normal citizens don't have the capabilities to follow the war first-hand so the media has to cover it so that we can stay informed about what is happening overseas.
Then there are those items of news that are seasonal. We just got the first snowfall of the year; people are talking and the media has picked up on this. In this case, we have made the topic of snowfall/the arrival of winter newsworthy because its a topic that is on everyone's mind. The same goes for cancer awareness and Halloween. They are seasonal trends. That's the topic of conversation right now and that has influenced the news.
What I've found is that there really are two main things that make something newsworthy. Primary, something is considered newsworthy if its informing the public of an issue that might affect them. This includes things like medical breakthroughs, war, protests, construction work, policy changes, etc. Secondly, issues may be considered newsworthy if they are the topic of conversation. These are social matters like holiday related stories, weather, sport victories/failures, etc.
So what the final verdict? Who determines newsworthiness?
As I asked earlier, Is it you? Me? Mainstream media? Bloggers?
Well its everyone. The job of the media is to be a watchdog for our society and so not only should they inform us about things that we otherwise would not know about, but they must also monitor those things that we are talking about and report stories around those topics.
What news are you going to make today? Either way, fasten your seat belt because it's bound to be a wold wild.
Drive safely my friends!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Let's talk business!
With all the social media and collaboration tools now available on the web, its insane to me that businesses are still having trouble communicating. We have Skype, that allows us to have video conferences and share desktops; There's Google docs that makes it easy for various team members to work on word, excel, and PowerPoint presentations simultaneously; and the list continues. So what's the problem?
The only thing I can think of is a lack of knowledge. These methods of sharing are great, but they could be highly ineffective if even one member of the team is not very skilled at using that tool.
Another issue I find with these tools is that many times business people use these tools independently and forget that the best business tools we possess are our voices, our hands, and our physical proximity. For instance, it's great to use skype to make a presentation when physical distance is an issue, but I find that face-to-face presentations are more personal and at times may be more effective.
With this said, I personally love collaboration tools. When you have to work on something as a group and are meeting regularly to discuss the project, collaboration tools like Google docs add a ton of value. Instead of everyone working off one computer to do edits (which is extremely time ineffective), everyone can work on the document at the same time and on their own computers, but you still are able to communicate with your team through conversation. Skype's video calling and desktop sharing works similarly, but again only the person sharing their desktop can work on the screen.
What I want you to take from this, is the idea that these tools are not the only thing in your briefcase. You have your communication skills, your interpersonal skills and so-on. So don't forget to use them. No one tool is better than the other, but when combined, these tools can be highly effective.
Hoped this helped in your road to better communication. Drive safely my friends!
The only thing I can think of is a lack of knowledge. These methods of sharing are great, but they could be highly ineffective if even one member of the team is not very skilled at using that tool.
Another issue I find with these tools is that many times business people use these tools independently and forget that the best business tools we possess are our voices, our hands, and our physical proximity. For instance, it's great to use skype to make a presentation when physical distance is an issue, but I find that face-to-face presentations are more personal and at times may be more effective.
With this said, I personally love collaboration tools. When you have to work on something as a group and are meeting regularly to discuss the project, collaboration tools like Google docs add a ton of value. Instead of everyone working off one computer to do edits (which is extremely time ineffective), everyone can work on the document at the same time and on their own computers, but you still are able to communicate with your team through conversation. Skype's video calling and desktop sharing works similarly, but again only the person sharing their desktop can work on the screen.
What I want you to take from this, is the idea that these tools are not the only thing in your briefcase. You have your communication skills, your interpersonal skills and so-on. So don't forget to use them. No one tool is better than the other, but when combined, these tools can be highly effective.
Hoped this helped in your road to better communication. Drive safely my friends!
Friday, October 7, 2011
CEO Blogs?
With the rise of social media, companies are now forced to be transparent. It becomes obvious then why CEO blogs have risen to such popularity. Companies have come to learn that publics value organizations that have a voice and communicate openly with them and therefore CEOs, as the face of the company, are being forced to have these blogs. Don't get me wrong I think CEO blogs are wonderful, but in order for them to be effective, the CEO must be willing to take an proactive approach and embrace the blog as a natural extension of his/her communication strategy. Simply having a blog that is never updated, having a blog that someone else ghostwrites or having a blog that does not contribute to the goals and values of the organization is useless.
Follow this post across the break to learn what you know before starting a CEO blog...
Follow this post across the break to learn what you know before starting a CEO blog...
Friday, September 23, 2011
I worked hard for my money...Why should I give it to you?!
Time and time again we are asked to give. To donate our time, our money, our resources, our knowledge, all to help someone else. Just walk down the street in Times Square and you'll see what I mean. You have the beggar on the corner asking for a few cents for the train, the hippie asking for some food for him and his dog, the activist asking for money for those infected with AIDS and the occasional teenager asking you to buy a snickers bar to support his or her basketball team. Take a look at the video below and tell me if you'd give up your hard earned money to any of these people in "need"...
Once you are done watching this, my question to you is, it really worth it to help these people out? Where does your money truly go to? Do they use it for what they say? I doubt we will ever get the answer to any of those questions, but does that mean that as a society we should stop giving to those less fortunate then us? Take a look at the video below. This man turns the tables on train-goers and instead of begging, he does something completely shocking...he gives.
Funny huh? Most people would not even accept his generosity. Would you? What do you think sparked him to do this? What does he gain from this? Follow me across the jump and see what I think.
Once you are done watching this, my question to you is, it really worth it to help these people out? Where does your money truly go to? Do they use it for what they say? I doubt we will ever get the answer to any of those questions, but does that mean that as a society we should stop giving to those less fortunate then us? Take a look at the video below. This man turns the tables on train-goers and instead of begging, he does something completely shocking...he gives.
Funny huh? Most people would not even accept his generosity. Would you? What do you think sparked him to do this? What does he gain from this? Follow me across the jump and see what I think.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Do you know your social media?!
Take a look at the image to the right. How many of these social media buttons can you name?At best I can say that I know 13 of the 30. That's definitely terrible for a someone looking to go specifically into managing social media as a public relations function, but honestly not that bad seeing as though social media has recently gained mainstream popularity within businesses.
So what social networks do these buttons belong to? Looking at them from the top left-to-right, we have:
- Blogger
- Del.icio.us
- Digg
- RSS
- Flickr
- Friend Feed
- Friendster
- (I actually couldn't even find the name of this one, so if you know the social media network please comment below.)
- Last.fm
- Livejournal
- Ma.gnolia
- Mixx
- Myspace
- Netvibes
- Newsvine
- Picasa
- (Please comment if you know this one too!)
- Stumble Upon
- Technorati
- Vimeo
- (I know this girl, but of course I'm drawing a blank. Please comment if you know her name.)
- Wordpress
- Yahoo!
- Yelp!
- Youtube
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Hop into my Passenger Seat...
Hello Dolls! So for my first post, I wanted to give you a bit of information about who I am, what I do and of course where I'm going. I mean really wouldn't you like to know a little more about your driver before hopping in their passenger seat? Of course you would! Okay, so let's get started.
Basically, my name is Maria, I'm 22 years old and I have the worst birthday ever...Christmas Eve! I know I must have been a great Christmas gift for my family, but really I think we'll all over it. Christmas is family time, so this means no special Maria-time. <sad face> You see, I'm of Puerto Rican descent, and so Christmas Eve is virtually more important than Christmas itself so my birthday is always just the underlying theme of the day rather than the highlight. I'm definitely working on changing that though.
Anyway, more about my background. In high school I had aspirations of becoming a dentist but that all changed one day when I realized that I had a passion for cars. I had no clue when, why, or how it started, but for some reason I'd always rip pictures of cars out of magazines and stick them up on my wall. I've simply always admired the beauty, the power and the amazing technology of cars. So I decided that I'd take a risk and instead for following my conscious dream of becoming a dentist, I'd run with my passion and study to become an Automotive Technician. So I did. As an undergraduate I majored in automotive technology and became a technician.
I worked on cars for the majority of my time as a freshman and sophomore, then one day decided that I'd try something more and went into diesel maintenance, i.e. working on buses, and honestly that was a decision that changed my life forever. I completely hated it. It was dirty, it was stressful and most of all it was extremely physically exhausting. That's when I realized that yes I loved the automotive industry, but I had to find a way to make it work for me, a strong, intelligent career woman. That's when I moved into automotive business. I figured that by going more into the business side of things that I could find a place for myself, but again experience taught me otherwise. Upon graduation I got my dream job of working as Assistant Service Manager at a Toyota dealership in Manhattan, but I wasn't fulfilled. I felt that I was meant for more. Imagine graduating from college and obtaining a job in your desired industry that people work years to attain. Yes I was proud, but I was left with the problem of "Where do I go from here?" I tried it for a year, but I just couldn't do it. Again, I needed more. Therefore I quit my job and took some time to reflect a little more on who I am and where I want to be. That's when I found automotive public relations.
Automotive PR would allow me to still be in my industry of choice, but it'd allow me to do more. I could help shape the image of these companies that I care so much about. An image that recently has been very negative. That's why during my time here at Newhouse I'm just trying to get a better understanding of this field as to see where I fit the best. Would I work better in an agency that has an automotive department that works on various automotive accounts? or would I be better off working at one of my favorite automotive companies working solely for them? I can't lie, I'm still very much learning a lot about public relations and how I can use this degree to achieve my goals, but I'm very excited for the journey.
So now that you know more about me, hop in, fasten your seat belt and get ready for a wild ride!
Basically, my name is Maria, I'm 22 years old and I have the worst birthday ever...Christmas Eve! I know I must have been a great Christmas gift for my family, but really I think we'll all over it. Christmas is family time, so this means no special Maria-time. <sad face> You see, I'm of Puerto Rican descent, and so Christmas Eve is virtually more important than Christmas itself so my birthday is always just the underlying theme of the day rather than the highlight. I'm definitely working on changing that though.
Anyway, more about my background. In high school I had aspirations of becoming a dentist but that all changed one day when I realized that I had a passion for cars. I had no clue when, why, or how it started, but for some reason I'd always rip pictures of cars out of magazines and stick them up on my wall. I've simply always admired the beauty, the power and the amazing technology of cars. So I decided that I'd take a risk and instead for following my conscious dream of becoming a dentist, I'd run with my passion and study to become an Automotive Technician. So I did. As an undergraduate I majored in automotive technology and became a technician.
I worked on cars for the majority of my time as a freshman and sophomore, then one day decided that I'd try something more and went into diesel maintenance, i.e. working on buses, and honestly that was a decision that changed my life forever. I completely hated it. It was dirty, it was stressful and most of all it was extremely physically exhausting. That's when I realized that yes I loved the automotive industry, but I had to find a way to make it work for me, a strong, intelligent career woman. That's when I moved into automotive business. I figured that by going more into the business side of things that I could find a place for myself, but again experience taught me otherwise. Upon graduation I got my dream job of working as Assistant Service Manager at a Toyota dealership in Manhattan, but I wasn't fulfilled. I felt that I was meant for more. Imagine graduating from college and obtaining a job in your desired industry that people work years to attain. Yes I was proud, but I was left with the problem of "Where do I go from here?" I tried it for a year, but I just couldn't do it. Again, I needed more. Therefore I quit my job and took some time to reflect a little more on who I am and where I want to be. That's when I found automotive public relations.
Automotive PR would allow me to still be in my industry of choice, but it'd allow me to do more. I could help shape the image of these companies that I care so much about. An image that recently has been very negative. That's why during my time here at Newhouse I'm just trying to get a better understanding of this field as to see where I fit the best. Would I work better in an agency that has an automotive department that works on various automotive accounts? or would I be better off working at one of my favorite automotive companies working solely for them? I can't lie, I'm still very much learning a lot about public relations and how I can use this degree to achieve my goals, but I'm very excited for the journey.
So now that you know more about me, hop in, fasten your seat belt and get ready for a wild ride!
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