Keep Learning. Keep Practicing. Keep Wrtiting.

I always look back and remember my Uncle telling me to get off the couch and do something that will benefit my future as I was growing up. When I wanted to be a ched he always said, "Chefs cook, you should be cooking, always cook." When I wanted to be a director/cinematographer I remember him telling me to go film something because that is what they do.

When writing and public relations fell into my lap in high school my Uncle was still there with another life lesson, "Writers write, do not stop writing." For some reason, that is the quote that always sticks with me. A contrary thought would be that those statements lose some bit of credibility coming out of the same person over and over again. But they don't. My Uncle was doing for me what most people do for someone they care about. Keeping my motivation and passion alive so I can take my skills and make something of them.

Every time I wrote something I think about what my Uncle said, always write. I do my best to not look at my school work as tedious because it allows me to continue practicing what I will be doing the rest of my life.

I have my journal and personal writings saved but I never really blogged ( I probably have no more than three posts in my blog if you ever find it). So, when it came to writing for Rowan PRSSA's blog I knew I had to do my research so I could make my posts great and coincide with the Chapter's outstanding reputation. I want to make sure that when I know post on Mondays I am giving people something that can use and that I follow guidelines of successful blogs so that a possible mistake of mine does not wind up ruining someone else's work.

Instead of going on with personal stories, for my first post I am going to share with you one of the most interesting pieces of work I found during my research that I will be doing my best to follow when I write each week.

It is called "15 Basics to Insanely Useful Blogwriting" and is it from blogtodone.com

1. Write for the reader. This is the most fundamental of fundamentals, and though this list isn't in order of importance I'd be remiss if I didn't start here. While a blog can be a personal journal, if you want an audience of more than your friends and family, write for an audience. Don't just write about your random thoughts and experiences, but think of what the reader wants to know, what the reader's concerns are, what the reader is interested in, and how you can help provide that.

2. Solve the reader's problems. What are the reader's problems? Solve them, one post at a time. To do this, I think about the problems I've been addressing in my own life, and as it turns out most people have the same problems. I'm not as unique as I thought. And then I write about how I've been solving them- what actually works for me. People seem to find that useful.

3. Put yourself in there. While the post should be for the reader, it is really a conversation between you and the reader. So don't be afraid to put yourself in the post. Share what you've learned, talk about your life, as it's relevant to the post, and let your personality show. Make it personal, and the reader will connect with you.

4. Find your voice. This is the personality I talked about above. It's about finsing a conversational tone, but it's more: you have a unique voice, and that voice speaks to the reader, in her head, as she reads your posts. You need to learn to find your voice, by experimenting, trial and error. The more you write the more that voice will emerge.

5. Be concise. This is an ironic statement given that this is a long-ish post, but concise doesn't mean short. It means there aren't a lot of uncessary words. Write all the blather you want, but go back and edit, so you're not wasting the reader's time. Read more.

6. Make it scannable. The reality of reading on the Internet is that people scan articles, get the main points, and only if those main points are worthy of their time and do they read the full text- despirte what long- winded rantig bloggers have to say about the issue. So write for that reality, if you want people to read your posts: make it easy to scan and find your main points, through lists, sub-titles, blockquotes, or the like.

7. Headlines matter. The most important few words of your posts are your headlines (or post titles). They need to catch the reader's attention and promise to solve a problem the reader had. If it doesn't do this you've wasted a headline.

8. Offer solutions. This is almost a repeat of an earlier point, but it's worth stressing. Often a blogger will bring up a problem but then end the post. You need to offer a solution, or the reader will be left feeling unsatisfied. If you don't have a solution, maybe toss out some idead and then ask for reader solutions. But in most cases, write a solution.

9. Post regularly. This doesn't have to be dailym but if you haven't posted for a week (except to apologize for the lack of posts), you're not likely to build a good-sized audience. People subscribe because they have a reasonable expectation, based on past performance, that you're going to come out with useful content on a regular basis. I'd say weekly posts are a minimum, and 2-5 times weekly is ideal. More than once a day isn't reccomended (unless you're a huge blog like Lifehacker) because people don't like too many posts in their inbox.

10. Mix up post lengths. I prefer long-ish posts full of useful information, but short posts that get to the point and have a big impact are good too. Don't be set on one post lenth. If a post gets so long that it takes 20 minutes to read, you might narrow the topic and split it into two posts.

11. Make it worth talking about. Don't just write what everyone else writes. Write about something that's a bit (or a lot) different, or in a way that's different. Write about something that people will want to respond to, pass on,, talk about with others. Be bold and be different.

12. Link often. Don't be self contrained. Don't be afraid to send your readers to other good posts or blogs, because they'll appreciate it and so will the other bloggers. Be a part of a wider conversation. For example, my favorite blogs about blogging: Problogger, Copyblogger, Daily Blog Tips, Chris Brogan and Chris Garrett

13. Feel free to tell stories. Not every post should be a "story" postm but a well told story captures the reader and conveys information in a time-tested form. A good methos to try out is starting a post with a relevant story.

14. Establish why a post is important. The intro of your post- the first 3-7 paragraphs (roughly)- should not only grab the reader's attention but establish why the reader should even care about the post. Show why the problem is a problem, and why the reader needs to read the rest of the post.

Read the best, and mimic them. The best bloggers break all of these rules but do it so well. For example, Dooce, Textism and Idle Words rarely make things scannablem but they're oh so readable. Read widely, not just within your niche: check out Daring fireball, Merlin Mann, Paul Graham, Justin Blanton, Shawn Blanc, Patrick Rhone, just to get started.

So with the information I found I will be able to continue to write for you guys, and myself, on a weekly basis and make sure tht everyone gets something of substance for their own use as well.

Remember, you are in public relations. You are a writer. Writers write.

Keep practicingm do research, and become an expert on what should be your expertise.

Posted by: Jeff Miele

14 ways to get ahead in your internship

Before you get there:

1. Know the dress code: There's nothing more embarrassing than showing up in tights when the company's policy is no tights. And showing up business casual when the dress is really more corporate business attire? Not fun. So do your homework--send your supervisor a quick email asking for a copy of the dress code.

2. Be prepared for research: A lot of interns are required to do research. If you work for an agency, your first day will probably be ALL research so you can familiarize yourself with company clients.

3. Realize that what you give, is what you’ll get: If you work hard, arrive on time (or early) and work diligently, your hard work will be rewarded.

While you're there:

4. Ask for feedback: Why? Because it shows you care about your job performance. Also, your ability to handle constructive criticism will be noticed and could get you better projects or opportunities in the future.

5. Be proactive: Instead of tweeting all day when you have nothing to do, ask for something to do. Don't be afraid to ask for projects you’d like to work on. Most of the time your boss will be willing to give you the experience you ask for.

6. Get to the point: When asked to do research for your boss, highlight main points, email articles--anything to make their job easier. Brief them on the most important things they wanted first, then accompany the research with additional info if requested, or in an email so they can refer back to it.

7. Keep a record: Of what you do, the number of hours you intern, etc. It will help when you notice on your Field Experience syllabus that you were supposed to have a log of what you've done! It will also give you something to refer back to when updating your resume.

8. Make a contact list: Take note of the people you work around, even if you only meet them once or twice. Get their emails, phone numbers, their twitter name...anything. Stay in contact. You never know when their expertise could come in handy.

9. Keep track of the computer programs you use: Companies find it valuable when interns and potential employees don't have to be trained in certain areas. Almost everyone is proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint by now. So skip it on your resume. Instead, incorporate the unique programs you’ve learned along the way.

10. Use tools to your advantage: The tools you use on a daily basis at your internship could make your life a lot easier in the long run. Create media lists. Utilize the PR Newswire, etc.

11. Ask questions: It shows your paying attention and that you care about doing the task at hand correctly.

12. Take notes: So you don't ask the same questions twice!

When you leave:

13. Know your limits: If you’re a blogger, are you allowed to blog about the internship? What are your limitations? What’s confidential information? You wouldn't want to leak something or put something out on the World Wide Web for everyone to see if it's not supposed to leave the office.

14. Take advantage of outside opportunities: Trade shows, samplings, corporate events. All these things will help you to become well rounded and experienced. And, it will give you a chance to get out of the office setting for a bit!

For more advice, visit PRSSA President, Kim Ciesla's blog at http://prperfection.blogspot.com/

Swine Flu Headlines

As most of you have probably noticed, the swine flu “epidemic” has been sweeping the world with headlines have ranged from certain and impending doom to mild and dismisable reports within a few days. According to CNN.com, “the outbreak is only about 10 days old,” yet headlines have bounced back and forth between the concept that this outbreak is taking over the world and the outbreak is slowing down daily.
If headlines are the first blurbs people tend to read then readers on all fronts are probably feeling a little bi-polar. Last night, CNN’s main headline stated, “Confirmed cases of H1N1 virus approach 900,” while Fox confirmed, “Flu Virus 'Fairly Widespread',” and once clicked, “U.S. Flu Tally Jumps to 245 Cases in 34 States as Labs Catch Up.” In the meantime, MSNBC’s headline seemed the most ominous of all, “Mexico City Recovers from flu- and fear,” with a second headline further down the page, “Flu spreading elsewhere.”
Last night TIME magazine’s website did not have the Swine Flu as one of their main headlines on the main page, but did have a link connecting to CNN for new updates on the flu. The BBC’s main page displayed the headline cautioned, “WHO warns against flu complacency.”
Interestingly enough, the poll results for CNN’s Quick Vote revealed that 94% of those who have taken the poll stated that they would not “wear a mask in public due to H1N1 virus,” while only 4% said they would. While it’s important to note that the results do not indicate how many people have taken the poll, nor do they offer any demographic information on voters, many people seem to be generally unconcerned about the flu, at least from what I’ve seen on campus.
For those of you who believe that the epidemic will iminently kill millions be sure to stay off campus, out of movie theaters, malls, airports, and every where else that might contain 2 or more people. For the rest of us who already have plans, break out your antibacterial lotion and hope for the best.

Done Vida

Join AJF PRSSA for their 17th annual Organ Donor Day TODAY on the Student Center Patio from 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Organ Donor Day promotes organ donation awareness throughout the Rowan University campus and Glassboro community. This year’s event will include live music from Lady Radiator, Ocean the Legend, Genna Kline, LP Stiles and Dan Wythoff.

Speakers from the South Jersey Coalition for the Gift of Life Donor Program will recount their personal life-saving stories.

It's a beautiful day so come rock out with us and learn how you can save lives.

Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN

The news today has reported that actor Ashton Kutcher has challenged news station CNN to a popularity contest via Twitter. Both are racing to gain one million followers on their respective Twitter sites. Kutcher explained, "I found it astonishing that one person can actually have as big of a voice online as what an entire media company can on Twitter. So I just thought that was just kind of an amazing comment on the state of our media, and I said that, if I beat CNN to 1 million viewers, then I would ding-dong ditch Ted Turner -- because I don't think it's gonna happen."

Is Kutcher making a valid point through his “contest” or is this just another ridiculous use of an online form of communication? Does this “contest” validate Twitter as a useful site or prove, to the opinion of many, that Twitter is an infantile waste of time?

Many readers might breath a sigh a relief- According to the article, “As of Wednesday afternoon, Kutcher's Twitter account had 896,947 followers, putting him in third place in the number of followers. Britney Spears was in second with about 905,640 followers, and CNN's breaking news account was watched by 937,787 people on the site.”
So maybe some of us don’t want to see Britney Spears’ Twitter as the second most popular, but at least CNN reigns number one. Let’s make sure it stays that way- Start clicking.

Introducing the Wisdom-of-the-crowd Publishing

Publisher of Wikipedia speaks about using a Wiki Successfully: Jimmy Wales

View his interview on not only succesfull Wikis, but the future of Wikia.com

-Reach out to the community
-Find avid users
- Authentic: Don't go at it as a "PR Puff Piece"
-Engage in dialog.
-Let go of the control "Bare to be Hands off"
- You can't delete bad reviews or else fans view the site as illegitimate and will leave.
-Except that the community is not always going to go your way.
-If they are fans don't like it, you probably did something wrong.

Car Advertising gets a Makeover

With our current economic state it is no surprise that car sales are down. In efforts to appeal to young drivers, the new Nissan Cube has partnered with TBWA\Chiat\Day ad agency to position the Cube as the latest "Mobile Device."

TBWA\Chiat\Day is responsible for creative work behind the iPhone as well. Read this New York Times article to learn about the new campaign targeted at young drivers.

What do you think of this approach to advertising cars? Is it strong enough to battle the economy?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Facebook

Browsing CNN.com proved to be pretty interesting over the weekend. A video has been posted about a man, Al Chapman, who had both of his trucks broken into. Chapman’s GPS, XM radio, and radar scanner were stolen from the two vehicles.

His wife was able to network with neighbors on Facebook to catch the thief and alert police who were gathering finger prints from the scene at the time. The 18-year-old suspect lives only a few houses down from Chapman.

“Catching criminals on Facebook” could be the new thing. Anyone out there interested in doing some private investigating? Facebook could be your personal outlet for your CSI addiction. Oh, and let us know if you catch anyone.

Obama Ignorers Tradional Press

Professors have ingrained the traditional communications model into our heads throughout all of college telling us that the sender sends the message through a channel---where it hits heavy turbulence due to noise—then it is decoded for the audience.

For President Obama and his communication team, the noise and decoding is critically damaging their message. The Washington news corps and news commentators everywhere deconstruct and put their own perspective on the message before it even gets to the target audience. By this time, the audience forms an opinion based on what the decoders say, rather than forming their own opinions based on the original message.

For President Obama, the traditional model is not working. Politico signals the end of the honeymoon phase between the press and White House and the beginning of “hazing.”

To fight against the press, Obama and his team have a new strategy: to go beyond traditional news sources and address more liberal and local news sources. This will hopefully ease the commentary and allow an environment where audiences are directly listening to the White House message before hearing the analyzed and sometimes interrupted version of a message.

Through addressing sources like the Huffington Post, Obama hopes to avoid skeptic journalists putting their own spin on the White House Message.

A Rowan Alum's Journey: What's this Cover letter you speak of?

By: Dan Linn

You know

It’s Funny

About 300 PR students,

And over 700 Advertising and Communication students

Attend Rowan University,

Every semester with the sole purpose of attaining a job and start their career. But a simple yet all important aspect of attaining said job is rarely ever discussed. A cover letter provides a potential employer valuable insight into your writing skills and personality traits. The body you can highlight any skills or accomplishments that separate you from other applicants.

However it can be a double edged sword. An employer may find a glaring spelling misteak or even a misplaced comma, or colon. It’s important to go over your cover letter with a fine tooth comb, because first impressions can be hard to shake.

I thank you for your time, and hope someone actually reads this thing.

Respectfully,

Daniel Linn

Schools Try Separating Boys From Girls

I found this article from the NY Times interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/education/11gender.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp

Some grade schools around the country are separating girls and boys, placing them in separate classrooms. Read the comments of the teachers, administrators, students, and professionals. What do you think? Is this reinforcing gender stereotypes? Will it cause future gender cooperation issues in the workplace? Or is this a valid experiment/answer for low test scores in certain areas? Comment below.

Communication and Gender

An article recently published on CNN.com brings up an interesting point- “Everyone loves his mother.” What about it? As the article points out, one of the main problems with that sentence is it implies gender, but replacing “his” with “his or her” sounds bulky and awkward while replacing “his” with “their” is grammatically incorrect.

What’s the significance? According to the article, it seems that several people have been tweeting about the lack of a gender neutral pronoun instead of writing short sentences to update readers on their daily lives. That means that Twitter is actually being used for something potentially very important as “more than 100 proposals” for a new pronoun- Including “ip” and “thon”- have recently emerged.

Of course, for all of the grammarians out there this is not a new concept, but the issue is finally getting some real attention from media outlets that have picked up on the fact that people around the country have been tweeting about “his” and other gender implicating phrases like, “men at work.”

For anyone majoring in anything that has to do with communication it might be a good idea to keep an ear out for a new pronoun. In Public Relations, PR counselors always seek to address everyone fairly and equally to get their messages across. A new pronoun could benefit anyone in PR immensely by making it that much easier to address all audiences simultaneously, without having to worry about the correctness of the pronoun.

Ditch Britney Spears Twitter for something a bit more educational. And, please, stop writing “2” instead of “too.”

Longer school year equals bigger burden

By: Kim Ciesla

Arne Duncan, the Cabinet secretary in charge of education, favors longer school years. He claims U.S. students have a bigger disadvantage because the United States has a shorter school year than other countries. "It doesn't matter how poor, how tough the family background, socioeconomic challenges," Duncan said. "Where students have longer days, longer weeks, longer years--that's making a difference."

Duncan compares United States students to students of other countries with this statement. Why? How does he measure "success?" By grades? Test scores? Placement in the workforce? Countries like China, Japan and India favor status in the workforce and placement in the caste system. In the United States, our society used to be brought up on the importance of family, and success on an individual level. We shouldn't be comparing ourselves to other countries in the first place when our societal values differ from other countries.

United States schools, however, face unique challenges of the No Child Left Behind Act. Many school administrations would love to have every child succeed, but there will always be students who are common sense smart as opposed to book smart. Not everyone can be a straight-A, perfect test-taker. Every student has their strengths and weaknesses, and half the time students get frustrated when they don't understand the material being taught. Instead, we need to focus on how students learn, and teach to meet their needs before we lengthen school years, weeks or even days.

In addition, many schools across the nation lack the necessities for a longer school year, especially during the summer months. Most older school buildings do not have air conditioning units, making classrooms extremely uncomfortable to pay attention, even in the early summer months. Also, take into account the school budget (taxes!) would increase in order to pay faculty and school expenses needed for a longer year.

Duncan's motives create another issue. Does he feel more for the parents who work full-time and the children left to be raised as latchkey children, or does he really feel for the students? While his viewpoints might be convenient for full-time parents, latchkey children shouldn't be the concern of the education secretary.

To improve the success of students, Duncan should start by restructuring the concept of tenure. I have had teachers in middle school whose classes I've learned nothing--simply because they have tenure and feel they don't need to exert themselves. These teachers come for a paycheck, not because they love what they do.

My seventh grade English teacher: perfect example. Spelling tests went from 20 words to 12 or 13, just because she didn't feel like giving the verbal part of the test anymore. Homework was cut from four times a week, to two. I hated that class purely because I didn't learn anything! Students can't be motivated to learn when teachers like this don't encourage learning in the classroom.

Tenure should be an honor, a thank-you for hard work. Some teachers truly express enthusiasm for their students’ success, and those teachers should be rewarded with tenure. Not teachers who slide by for three or five years and then get offered tenure just because nothing "seemed" wrong during an evaluation that takes place for 45 minutes a few times a year—a total act if you were to ask the students who attend the class every day.

Before Duncan tries to initiate longer school periods, he needs to figure out what will truly enhance success in the classroom. Students currently have low motivation to attend school. Our government needs to listen to the people who know why before they take on programs that will make the problem worse.

Climbing to the top

I was watching Food Network yesterday when a commercial came on that piqued my interest and I was immediately moved to check it out. The Ladders is a job search website that “roots out” lower paying jobs and only finds high paying jobs for your skill set. The job search engine only notifies you of jobs that pay over $100k based on your resume and level of experience. Of course, this site is specifically dedicated to “senior-level professionals searching for $100k+ jobs” and neglects those who hardly any work experience, but it is an interesting concept.

Right now, the site offers a search through 44,961 jobs- A number that seems to fluctuate daily. The site is similar to other job search engines offering a resume upload, e-mail alerts, and “expert career advice” like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. Even the example search contains titles such as “VP” or “Director” in whatever zip code a user types in so for kicks I typed in Glassboro’s zip code and “Public Relations Manager” to see what came up. You must become a member to see job details, but I was able to peek behind the pop-up to see what the search engine found. While I was honestly expecting next to nothing, two management positions appeared, both posted on February 17th and both located in Salem. Again, automatically, both jobs that pay at least $100k.

Membership does have a price of $30 a month for “unlimited job access” and benefits such as the weekly jobs newsletter, but I’m assuming that if you have enough experience in the workforce to only search for jobs that pay $100k and up, I doubt this little fee will break the bank.

TCNJ Remains Silent

By: Lauren Cibelli

On Wednesday, February 18^th, Ann Coulter—a radically conservative political commentator, syndicated columnist, and best-selling author—addressed the students of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). It wasn’t until the end of her speech that the controversy began.

Michael Tracy, a political science major at TCNJ waited his turn to ask Coulter some questions after her speech. As he approached the stage, police officers ushered him off the stage and arrested him. In the midst of the arrest, Tracy admits the officers unnecessarily brutalized him. (There are many other details to the story I will let you read for yourselves, but I felt it was best to give a little background of the story before I raised my own questions)

Here is Tracy’s full account of the story, posted the day after the event.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/19/155659/800/272/699418

It wasn’t until I walked around Rowan’s campus yesterday that I knew anything of this event. Sidewalks and posters saying “Facebook Michael Tracy” and “Stand with Mike Tracy” but I didn’t think anything of it—I assumed it was something going on in the student center. When I opened up the Whit (Rowan’s weekly newspaper) I saw a photograph of the words I had previously seen on campus and my curiosity grew. As I read the article of Tracy’s I became somewhat frustrated that I had not already heard about this incident. The most appalling information I discovered in my reading was that the incident happened over a week ago.

What makes me most curious is how the public relations professionals at TCNJ are handling this situation. From my own personal research, I have only seen one statement from Matt Golden, executive director of Public Relations and Communications, said Tracey was "behaving in an unruly, and somewhat aggressive, manner.(The police) were forced to restrain him," Golden said. "He was not cooperating and therefore was arrested."

While I feel it was wise for Golden to keep things short and simple, a week after the event, Tracy is getting more and more press coverage, while TCNJ remains quiet. As a public relations student, I feel this is a bad example of what to do in a situation. TCNJ should find some way to protect their image when thousands of prospective students are hearing Tracy’s story of police brutality. This raises an issue of campus safety and security, something that has become a very big deal in New Jersey Universities after Donnie Farrell death at Rowan University and TCNJ’s death of John Fiocco.

Although I am just a student and can not begin to understand the immense stress that the public relations department at TCNJ is facing, I fear for other students like myself who are not getting an accurate demonstration on what to do in the midst of controversy.

Celebrity Twitter

As Twitter’s been the talk of the town lately, let’s not forget that although Karl Rove might get his fair share of followers, Celebrity Twitters seem to be the new thing to check daily (if you’re into a slow and constant feed of gossip).

I’m also a pretty staunch skeptic like Brianna, but after reading her blog, I decided to try to reform my opinion and look into it more.

TIME recently compiled a list of the Top 10 Celebrity Twitter Feeds and who was number one? Britney Spears, of course. It seems that the former pop princess and mother of two still has a substantial number of devoted followers that want to know what she’s up to 24/7.

Does this cancel out the effectiveness Twitter used in the political realm? What do you think people are more interested in reading or likely to click on first?

My guess is as good as any, but with that, I’ve got a haunch that Snoop Dog’s Twitter is a lot more popular than even David Gregory.

Rowan Parking Proposal Plausible?

I was told to pass this along from SGA to as many Rowan students as possible, so why not start here? At the last SGA senate meeting, a new parking proposal for the 2009-10 school year was brought to our attention.

The PowerPoint presentation was not distributed or posted online, so I am doing this from memory. First, I will cover the cost.

Residents, prepare to pay $200 per permit for a non-guaranteed parking spot. Commuters, a steep $100 will be added to your tuition if you want a spot. The reasons for the increase?

First, the school wants to build a new garage in front of the heating plant to supply parking for the residents living in the new apartments up Route 322. Second, part of the parking problem on campus is there are so many students who need a parking space. It is believed the large increase in price will deter a percentage of students from keeping their cars on campus. How is this idea backed up? I do not know.

Next, the parking lots will be re-assigned. In short, some commuter lots will be taken away, faculty parking will be increased, resident parking will be increased a little bit, and a metered parking area will be added.

There is more to come on this developing proposal. Anyone who is not graduating, keep your eyes and ears out for more information. If you have an opinion to voice, go to any SGA event, or post your comments on the Put Up or Shut Up board outside the SGA suite in the student center.

Washington gets busy with Twitter

As a skeptic to whether Twitter is really a useful tool, I found this story from Politico to be very interesting. They put together a list of the top 10 influential bloggers in D.C. .

Number one on the list is Karl Rove who Politico claims gave readers access to "what is going on inside Bush's head."

In fact, did you know over 60 members of Congress tweet!

Number 3 on the list, David Gregory, host of "Meet the Press", even tweets 16 times a day!

Touche, Twitter!

The Internet May Not Forget, But Neither Should You

Since Facebook has been such a topic of discussion, I have chosen to expand on Brianna's last post.

So, let's recap – in short, Facebook has claimed the rights to use any and all information posted on your account whether it is on there or not, meaning they archive all information posted at any given time.

My reaction: SO WHAT???

The internet may not forget, but people, don't forget about the internet. Facebook, like all other websites, is not some safe community where you can post personal information and things of that nature that you don't want to be made public or used for reasons other than for your friends to see.

First of all, Facebook aside, who says that some random person can't go on your Facebook page, steal your information, and use your information for malicious purposes? What if you post artwork, writings, or photos that you have spent time on and someone steals it and claims it as their own? Don't think that by making your page "private" that you are secure from the world seeing your page.

Also, what is preventing Facebook from archiving your information without you knowing about it? How do we know that they weren't doing it all along, and decided to squeeze it into the TOS to cover themselves in case of any suit filed against them? It's not like when you delete things on Facebook, you are wondering "Hmmm... Is Facebook archiving this? Should I have posted it in the first place?" No!

There are so many possibilities. Here is the moral of the story:

DON'T POST PERSONAL AND PRIVATE INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK, OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER.

Anyone can see it.

Anyone can use it.

The end.

The Internet Doesn't Forget

The latest uproar on Facebook, is the recent change in their terms of agreement. The agreement that users " may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.”

This has left FB members skeptical as to what Facebook will do with this archived information if the User choses to cancel his or her account.Founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, on the defense claims that Facebook will not do anything negative with the archived information.

Adam Ostrow of Mashable warns us to be more weary than ever of what information we put on the Web and that when we do post, it is permanant.

Reality TV: A False Reality

By: Meghan Mitchell

There are many things people think about reality television – it’s stupid, funny, interesting, educational and/or entertaining. But is reality TV today still what it originally set out to be?

MTV started reality TV with its hit show, The Real World. This show opened viewers’ eyes to different people and their realities. Today, reality TV shows have drastically changed. They seek out train wrecks to entertain viewers rather than cultured people from different backgrounds. For example, shows such as Rock of Love, A Shot at Love, Charm School and Paris Hilton’s New BFF exploit people for all the wrong reasons.

Competitive dating and celebrity personalities have taken reality TV and turned it into downward spiral towards bad scripts and poor acting. How much of what we see is even real? And what ideas and norms are being promoted through these shows? Charm School, a show that strives to better girls “gone wild”, has kicked girls off because there is no need for improvement. So, in other words, in order to win the actual competition you have to first hit rock bottom – what image does that portray? On Paris Hilton’s New BFF, girls worship Paris and serve her hand and foot to win. Is that the definition of a best friend, or an obsessed, fame hungry individual? Whether participants in reality TV are there for the real reason, according to the show, or just trying to get on TV, they end up embarrassing themselves and ruining their reputations in THE REAL WORLD.

I can sit here and rip apart these shows for hours, but the truth of the matter is, every time one ends, another pops up. What does this say about today’s entertainment culture, and us as its viewers? Almost every channel has at least one reality TV show, but is it just MTV and VH1 that degrade its participants? If these insane shows continue to prosper, I’m seriously worried for the future of teenagers that watch the programs. Some may view it as a car crash, “you don’t want to look, but you can’t turn away,” – these viewers probably find humor in reality TV; but, others may still view these shows as REALITY – one that, hopefully, never truly exists.

Job Market Survivors: Surviving the Job Market Tsunami

By: Erin Phillips

Outdress, outspeak, and outsmart your competition. PRSSA will be hosting Job Market Survivors Tuesday, February 17, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Center Pit. This event will give all Rowan students the opportunity to have their resumes critiqued and participate in mock job interviews with members of the CAP center. Also, every hour on the hour, the CAP center will give a brief presentation on all different aspects of resume building, job interviews, and even what to do at a career fair.

Unlike the College of Communication, many students don't have advisers willing to tirelessly critique students resumes. For many, they type up a list of their credentials, slap on a few references, and send it out tp a future employer. If they are lucky enough to even get a job interview after that, they go in totally unprepared. Job Market Survivors' goal is to make Rowan students to be confident walking through their future employer's office doors. We want them to surf (pun intended!) above the competition and stand out among the countless other applicants.

After attending the event, Rowan students will prepared for every type of question an interviewer can throw at them. They will be dressed appropriately and conservatively, and they will have stellar resumes. They will outdress, outspeak, and outsmart all of their competition.

Any questions about the event, contact Erin Phillips at ajfprssa@gmail.com.

'Coming up...cognitive dissonance.'

On Monday night's edition of the Daily Show, Jon Stewart pointed out the hypocracy in Bill O'Reilly's show about privacy.

O'Reilly believes that the paparazzi should stay out of the lives of celebrities, calling them, "the scum of the earth." But, when out for his own information O'Reilly ( and his staff) ambush politicians and celebrities digging for information.

Stewart points out this hypocracy, noting that when the Factor needs information or someone disagrees with the show, these people become the victim of ambush. Stewart says, "Coming up on 'The Factor,' cognitive dissonance."

What do you think? Lack of one united voice?

Old Habits Die Hard

By: Courtney Sizemore

A couple days ago, I was sitting on Facebook when my chat box popped up. This wouldn’t be strange for most college kids but IMing me was my 50 year old uncle.He’s new to the Facebook thing, he’s new to blog thing, and he’s just starting off on his new role in our family business. So needless to say, he’s lost.

My family owns a wicker furniture business in Philadelphia called Charles Schober and Co. Alfred Schober is my great great grandfather, who started the small business in 1892. Since then, my great grand father, Charles took over, and passes it down to my grandfather Alfred, and then finally to my three uncles, Richard, William, and Thomas. Everything runs in the family, everything remains constant, and change is unspoken of.

On their website it says, “We believe that a good business does not spring up overnight, but grows slowly, because it is rooted in the solid ground of customer satisfaction. That's why all orders are important to us. It is our hope that we can grow together in business and friendship.”

As much as I want to commend my uncles for their hard work and dedication to customer satisfaction, I could almost hear my uncle Bill shouting at me through Facebook IM asking for dire help in need of PR help.

With today’s economy, my uncle is realizing more than ever the need to keep up with competitors. Even if it means changing your old ways and adapting to things you aren’t comfortable with.Good PR is an art of sorts and requires some research, thought and planning at any level, not just grand scale businesses that we keep directing our attention to for jobs after school.

It’s incredibly beneficial to stick to the basics when applying the sources such has Facebook as my uncle has. Even large corporations often fail to realize who their audiences actually are. We all forget to do the small work and changes to see the greatest change and benefits to our careers.

I’ve found while researching over the last few months for our business that small business owners actually have opportunities and forums beyond the usual advertising and networking options. The only limitation is often money. But still then, even they can learn to be their own best promoters. Small businesses give the homey feel and the materials feel like you are buying quality products for a reasonable price. It’s a matter of finding of how to get that message out to the public that each company must wrestle with.It’s the M-A-C triad people! How good is the promotion without the message, the audience, and the channel all distributed properly through research. .

Super Bowl Ads Super Stunk

If I had a million dollars, well, I’d buy you a short commercial during the Super Bowl. In fact, you would need three million dollars to secure a 30-second spot during the big game this year. Some companies shouldn’t have wasted their money, or our time with some of the ads that came out.

They weren’t all bad. Each spot was posted on youtube and voted on by the public as part of the “Ad Blitz 2009” contest. Doritos came out on top with its “Free Doritos” ad. Basically, an office worker pretends he has a crystal ball (snow globe), predicts there will be free Doritos at the office, and hurls it through the glass of the vending machine. Other companies rated in the top five were E-Trade with the singing baby and CareerBuilder.com with, my personal favorite, a talking koala bear being punched in the face.

Some of the ads, though, did not convey a message. A good example would be Coke Zero’s attempt at recreating and putting a spin on the famous Mean Joe Brown Coke commercial (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, make sure to look it up). Some didn’t know what company it was for, confusing it for a Pepsi ad.

Some of the ads were interesting and unexpected. Cash4Gold typically advertises during daytime and late night television, promising cash for unused gold. They had a 60-second spot featuring Ed McMahon and MC Hammer, two notable, in-debt celebrities of the past. Also, Miller stuck its head in there with a one second spot of some guy who simply yells “High life!” – that’s all. The animated Coke commercial was also interesting and creative.

Overall, the Super Bowl ads this year were disappointing. Some were good, some were plain ugly, and some were repeats or old ideas, like the E-Trade babies or those horrid Sobe geckos. Many of the commercials were for movies or TV shows anyway. Let’s hope next year there is something to look forward to. I mean, the Super Bowl isn’t actually about football, right?

Obama yells, "Yabba-Dabba-Doo!"

While campaigning for the Whitehouse, Obama hosted massive events, kept in constant contact with his grassroots supporters via e-mail, and has thousands of people working for his cause. Upon entering the Whitehouse, his Blackberry seems the only thing Obama was allowed to keep.

As President Obama pushed his message for a new economic stimulus package, it lacks the same effectiveness of his many messages prior to entering office. Some critics blame the cave-man technology the Whitehouse embodies. The political blog, Politico compares this to a battle between the Jetsons and the Flinstones. Obama was cut off /blocked from his more than a million- person e-mail support. According to Politico, because of government ethics Obama’s grassroots organizations were forced to disassemble. As we all know, these grassroots organizations played a major role in the wide spread popularity in the Obama campaign. How does the Obama fortress hold in this Stone Age territory?

Politico see’s Obama currently loosing the “message war.” Without the large scaled events, Obama is having trouble making newsworthy events. Making the move from “ I” to “we” also seems to be plaguing the Obama camp. Politico sees the Whitehouse competing for attention right now. As Obama hosts important political figures at the White House, Hilary Clinton is sworn in as Secretary State--- immediately focus shifts away from the stimulus package.

Politico suggests isolating a presidential appearance for maximum impact--- something Obama’s PR team has no mastered yet.

The internet has struck an age of user-based content; advertisements, products, and services are now based on what the consumer wants. Is it time the government work on a more user-based model? Would it be unethical to allow grassroots Obama sectors to continue to work through the next four years?

Points to Ponder

By: Ashley Phillips

In 2004, Howard Stern made the move to Satellite Radio to embrace his freedom of speech. Five years ago Satellite Radio promised its audience a commercial free network of uncensored experiences and music. Still, personalities like Stern and Don Imus face consequences for what they say. Should they be held accountable for what they say? Or are they in fact entitled to their freedom of speech?

Further, have you recently listened to Satellite Radio? Noticed all the advertisements? Is Satellite Radio yet another company being hit hard in this economic recession?

Planning Ahead

Where do you see yourself next year? If you haven't created goals for 2009 yet...what are you waiting for? Land that internship, get that interview. Learn how to network and market yourself so you can obtain a position at your dream job. Most of all do your research and find your place in the corporate environment.

Check out Fourtune's 100 Best Companies to work for. These are companies that are hiring right now.

I know it's competitive out there in the job market, but I thought I'd pass this along to my fellow Rowan alums.

While you're tweaking your resume, pulling your best writing samples together for your portfolio and creating a professional image on all the social networking sites out there (PRSA Job Center, LinkedIn and Facebook) - don't forget the basics! Start with doing your homework on company cultures. Find a place to work that makes sense both economically and personally.  

A Rowan Alum's Journey: Dues and Don'ts

By: Dan Linn

As a recent graduate I must admit a college degree is not what it used to be. If you think about the amount of people who actually attend college nowadays, I like to think of it as a rich man’s high school diploma. This is why now more than ever, it’s important to pay your dues.

Work rarely goes unpaid. Even if there is no monetary compensation for work rendered, a positive outlook could change the way you view time spent. With all the money invested in proving your mental merit, it seems silly to avoid getting your hands dirty in a real world setting.

As an unemployed college grad (and by unemployed I mean a 9-5 job that does not include pushing papers at a nursing home) I fully expect my first real professional assignment to go unpaid.

*Cliché Alert!* With the economy in the state it is today, I’ve come to two realizations:

1: I have a powerful urge to strangle a banker.

2: I don't see my job hunt going far in the future without showcasing my abilities pro bono now. (That's bono, not Bono.)

If you see your future consisting of an office job, please get in an office right away. Even if it’s just secretarial work, an office setting tends to require a certain amount of discipline and self awareness not instituted at a college level. In other words, get your frat humor and fart jokes out now, before you get the real job you’re looking for.

But if getting paid is your main objective out of college, please beware. Your chosen major brings both the highly credentialed and the barely legitimate. As a rule of thumb I am weary of any business that responds to my resume through email. This is a tell tale sign of a company looking to pray on the innocent and impressionable. Most of these companies (which shall remain nameless, for libel is no friend of mine) hide under a marketing alias. But all they really are is commission based door to door selling, with you the employee incurring most operating expenses.

In short, I have found marketing firms that change their names regularly, trying to hid or shake the bad image they so justly deserve. Research a potential employer thoroughly, being a member of the Better Business Bureau means nothing. If an employer actually uses that as its main selling point, I’d think twice.

Bottom line, in this big world the smallest oceans can make the biggest waves. Any work rendered now, may lead to an opportunity later. When professors tell you contributing to PRSSA is a great way to network, listen to them, last time I checked they have real jobs. Personally I viewed those speeches as I viewed my father telling me to wear a seat belt or the TV telling me to quit smoking, but in reality, I work with old people….so make your move.

Wanted: Interns

During an advertising conference at FIT in late November, Kathy Aaronson, CEO at the Sale Athlete, Inc spoke to students about finding a job. She found that when looking for an internship or job one of the least likely ways to get a job is through contacting the company or internet help site.

But in my own search for a summer internship I have found much success in Craig's List. Pick your location, your vocation and then search for internships. New opportunities are posted daily.

We talk in our advertising/public relations classes that the most successful messages are delivered when you are communicating to an active audience. Craig's list delivers no better audience. The companies posting are the ones looking to fill positions immediately.

Even more, the descriptions of what these companies expect of an intern are helpful when writing a cover letter or personal statement. After reading countless posts, words used most often to describe ideal interns include proactive, self motivated, attention to detail and organized.

You can even check to see what type of computer skills companies are expecting of interns in your field. Most of the posts I have seen require, simply, Microsoft Office. Others require knowledge of social networking sites or Photoshop. And wait... some even require QUARK!

Craig's List is a good way to see what's out there, what's expected and allow of even more opportunities to find an internship!

Positive Reinforcement: Quick Tips on Making Yourself More Valuable

By: Britt Horner

I know we are all sick of hearing, “It’s impossible to get a job because the economy is so terrible.” So, instead of looking at the situation negatively, use the following helpful tips I collected from working professionals.

These simple suggestions will make you a more appealing candidate for a job or at the very least, get you into “professional mode.”

1. Intern where you want to work: If you can get your foot in the door early and prove yourself an excellent worker, you have a better chance at securing a full-time position. If the company you are interested in only offers an unpaid internship, do it.
   

2. ALWAYS send a follow up email after an interview: Go the extra mile and show your potential employee you are truly dedicated to taking on this position. A polite gesture can make all the difference.
   

3. Always have a pen: Something this simple shows that you are always prepared. Don’t be rustling around in your bag at an interview looking for something to write with.
   

4. Learn ANYTHING technical that you can: In our society where technology has just about taken over, knowing more tech stuff can make you indispensable to an employer. Know the basics (like Microsoft office,) but if you can, learn about computer hardware.
   

5. If you can, take a graphic design class: Knowing programs other than Quark are to the best of your advantage. Indesign, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver are programs often used in the PR/Advertising field.
   

6. Write well (Duh.): Have a strong resume and strong writing samples. Spelling and grammatical errors are unacceptable. This idea is beaten into our brains every day, but SERIOUSLY, make your work flawless.
   

7. Get a mentor: Find someone in the profession or a teacher that is willing to donate time to you. Email them your work before you give it in. Have them look over your resume. Call them with questions. A mentor can be a guiding light when you need one the most.
   

8. Be Organized (Another Duh): Have extra copies of your resume easily accessible. Make sure your portfolio is professional looking and has your latest work first. Don’t give in crinkled papers with stains on them!
   

9. Save complimentary emails: Make a file with complimentary emails from professors, former bosses, or other people related to your field. Besides being a confidence booster, some professionals suggest printing out copies and sticking them in the back of your portfolio. It shows an employer your outstanding work ethic.
   

10. Be willing to wear different hats: Portray your enthusiasm to learn. If the employer asks if you know something and you don’t, tell them you will learn it.

# 1 Chapter in the USA

For many this semester serves as a catalyst for change. Graduating seniors are searching for their niche within the ominous job market, while underclassmen are taking the reins of PRSSA and proactively creating goals for next year.

During the spring semester students look to network with professionals, gain valuable experience and find internships or future places of employment. Ultimately as students we strive to balance our theoretical knowledge with hands on field experience.

Rowan University’s AJF Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter continues to facilitate innovative fun ways students can get invaluable insight from professionals and put to use what they’ve learned in the classroom.

If you’re new to PRSSA or want to take a more active role in the society you picked to right semester to do so.

Here’s a little snapshot of what’s in store.

• Come to interesting meetings with professional speakers.
• Learn exactly what PRSSA executive board members’ responsibilities entail so you can run for a position on the 2009 – 2010 executive board.
• Attend Lights, camera, PR action – trends in the entertainment industry Rowan’s Regional Activity to meet today’s top entertainment PR professionals.
• Coordinate a fundraising event to benefit student travel expenses for the 2009 PRSSA National Conference in San Diego.
• Travel to New Orleans to vote for the PRSSA National Committee, meet students from 297 universities nationwide, take part in leadership building sessions, and visit a new city.
• Execute the 17th annual Organ Donor Day philanthropic event to promote and educate students on campus and receive positive media coverage within Philadelphia/New Jersey regions.
• Gain hands on experience and create quality portfolio pieces by teaming up with PRaction, Rowan University’s student-run public relations firm.
• Attend mentor night to get a feel for what career opportunities are available via the PR industry.
• Participate in an agency tour.
• Most importantly create lasting friendships. Meet a passionate group of students who immerse themselves in diverse activities and want to help you take advantage of as many opportunities as possible throughout your collegiate career. These people become a base network serving to help you navigate your road to a successful career in PR.

PRSSA meetings begin today in room 226 in the library at 5 p.m. For those of you who are new to PRSSA come 15 minutes early and attend our new members meeting. Rowan PRSSA has a little bit of everything to offer. Get involved this semester and help our Chapter achieve its goals and have a ton of fun along the way. I can’t wait to see familiar faces and meet our new enthusiastic members.

I know you are eager to find out the details for this semester. We’ll be sure to expand on each topic at the meeting. If you can’t make it to the meeting because of the weather or you have a class - but you are still interested in getting involved please feel free to comment on the blog. Ask questions – get answers.
Drive safely, see you at 5.

Traveling Across the Pond

By: Lauren Bottazzi

Hello from London! It's truly one of the most exciting cities in the world. At first, it's a lot to take in, stepping off the plane at the enormous Heathrow Airport. Quickly, I followed people I recognized from my flight through customs and down to baggage claim. I prayed I would spot my suitcase making it's way around the luggage belt. I let out a sign of relief to see my gigantic suitcase moving my way. I was off to Terminal 3 to meet my CEA group. If you're not the type of person who likes to ask for help, there is no doubt navigating around Heathrow won't be an easy task. I hopped on the Heathrow Express, suitcase and all, and successfully found my way to Terminal 3. My group cheered when they recognized I had made it because I was the last to arrive. Next stop, Goldsmiths University of London.

The lovely city of London is rich in tradition, history, and diversity. On any given day, there are over 300 languages spoken here. Our guide, William, gave us a quick tour as we sped through the streets of central London. The flag over Buckingham Palace waved proudly and it indicated that Queen Elizabeth II was home today. During the taxi ride, my potential flat mates and I got to know each other. They were equally excited to be here and from all over country: Maine, Texas, Arizona, Ohio, Philadelphia, and South Jersey.

The British are all about "going green." In fact, I noticed that the lights in our flats are scheduled on a timer. Whenever we're out of the building, the lights automatically shut off in order to save electricity. As for the city, maintenance workers spend time sweeping cigarette butts off the street. On some street corners you will find something that's rare in the states. A glorified port-a-potty labeled "toilets" costs 50 pence to use but it's open to the public. Also, the bags in our kitchen are green bags and they're very strict on recycling. London's campaign to try and reduce litter is brilliant and it certainly captures your attention. Huge dumpsters painted in the colors of a cow have a billboard directly about them that say: "MOO FEED THE COWS !" An innovative and hilarious way to keep the streets of London clean. I hope to see animal print dumpsters at Rowan next semester.

Today, I Joined Twitter

I have a confession to make. In my quest to stay on top of technology I somehow failed with Twitter. I heard of Twitter months ago, and just never made the time and effort to figure out what it was all about. Through my blog subscriptions I have read about many uses for Twitter. PR professionals are pitching stories through Twitter, and journalists are covering them. People use Twitter to self-promote or to follow their favorite corporations or celebrities. According to one article, President Obama announced his running mate via Twitter. So, today I finally decided to do my homework about this unique social medium.

I read an article by David Pogue of the New York Times called Twittering Tips for Beginners. I was comforted by his opening, in which he said that he too was late getting started with Twitter.

Please read Pogue's tips for new Twitter-er's in the quoted text below. If you want to know more, follow the link to the full article above, where you can read his complete explanation of each tip (some are not very clear unless you read on).

If you are on Twitter, what are your helpful hints for us newbies? Oh, and if you'd like to follow me, my twitter name is christinamarcus.

Pogue's tips:

"* You don’t have to open your Web browser and go to Twitter.com to send and receive tweets.

* Your followers can respond to your tweets, either publicly or privately.

* It seems clear that you, as a tweet-sender, are not actually expected to respond to every reply.

* The Web is full of “rules” about the proper way to Twitter, and a lot of them are just knowier-than-thou garbage: How many tweets a day to send out. How many people you should follow. What you should say. And so on. The first adopters are milking their early advantage for all it’s worth. I found one rule, though, that answered a long-standing question I had about Twitter: “Don’t tweet about what you’re doing right now.”

* People can be just as snotty on Twitter as they are everywhere else on the Internet.

* Another person criticized me for not following enough other Twitterers. The implication was that if you send out tweets but don’t subscribe to a lot of other people, you’re an egotist."

And Pogue's conclusion is:

"In the end, my impression of Twitter was right and wrong. Twitter IS a massive time drain. It IS yet another way to procrastinate, to make the hours fly by without getting work done, to battle for online status and massage your own ego.

But it’s also a brilliant channel for breaking news, asking questions, and attaining one step of separation from public figures you admire. No other communications channel can match its capacity for real-time, person-to-person broadcasting."