PRactical Issues

It’s time to blog!

Urkovia Andrews — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:25:14 +0000

Image courtesy of images for microsoft office

The new spring semester is underway and I am once again teaching Introduction to Public Relations. Students have established their accounts and are itching for something to write about. This semester, I’m going to provide all the topics for the semester on this one post, so check back periodically to see what is being discussed. As for my students, don’t forget to review your blog assignment sheet.

Topic(s) of the week– 1

How/when/where were you first exposed to public relations (or the concept of public relations)? Why did it attract your attention?

Which area of public relations are you most interested in (i.e. crisis planning, healthcare, financial relations, event planning, etc.) and why?

My Public Relations Wish List

Urkovia Andrews — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:36:29 +0000

The time of year has come for individuals to begin to write his or her wish list. Although sharing my wish list in a public format is not the norm, this year, I thought I would try something different. However, this wish list includes all the things I would like to have with respect to public relations. In my opinion, the opportunity to participate/obtain some of the below items will be helpful in my practice of the discipline.

Funds to attend one or both of the following conferences:

World PR Forum 2012 (or any other year)
South by SouthWest

A closer PRSA chapter in Georgia (USA):

If you work in public relations, or any profession rather, you understand the importance of being active within your professional organization. For me, the closest PRSA chapter is a three hour drive, thus limiting participation.

More good examples of public relations on TV

Granted, there are some good examples of various public relations activities on some of the fall television series (e.g. media relations in Blue Bloods and Criminal Minds, aspects of campaigns in The Good Wife, etc.). However, the actors that perform these activities are not labeled public relations practitioners. I get it. The work of publicists (i.e. the canceled series Free Agents) is more glamorous than the work of a public relations practitioner.

A ~~week~~ day without hearing ” [insert name] is facing a PR issue.”

No, [insert name] is facing a moral, legal, ethical, business, family, etc. issue. Could they have handled things better? Sure. Did they make a mistake? Depends on your view. But lets not be so quick to label everything as a “PR issue.” Sorry, I digress.

Area Coverage:

I know you are wondering “What does this have to do with public relations?”, but hear me out. Public Relations is one of many disciplines that rely on communications, regardless of whether the interaction is face-to-face or in a virtual domain. Thus, I would like to receive 4G coverage from my cellphone provider in effort to better assist me with the virtual communications aspect. Sure I could change providers, but I enjoy the relationship I have with my current company. At least most of the time.

Of course this list is my own, but I’d love to hear from you. What is on your public relations wish list?

Topic(s) of the Week-7

Urkovia Andrews — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:51:46 +0000

Top ten things you learned in Intro to Public Relations. Don’t just provide a list of items. Some additional presentation methods include embedding a PowerPoint slide deck (SlideShare is an option), using pictures/images to denote each item, creating a podcast, etc.

What have you enjoyed, or not, about your blogging experience this semester? Do you anticipate regularly updating your blog for non-class purposes after this semester? Why or why not?

Picture courtesy of istockphoto

Topic(s) of the Week-6

Urkovia Andrews — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:15:48 +0000

Review a current entry-level public relations job announcement. According to the announcement, what are some public relations pieces you must be able to write (eg. fact sheets, press releases, feature stories, etc.). Which of the identified pieces have you had experience writing and which do you need additional experience writing? How will you gain this experience prior to completing your degree?

Provide an argument as to why it is/or is not beneficial for a non-public relations major to complete an introductory level public relations course.

Is Public Relations the Issue?

Urkovia Andrews — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:35:23 +0000

By now you have read or heard several things regarding the issues surrounding Penn State. You have probably also formed an opinion as to what the university should have done, could have done, or should do in regards to their reputation, the coaching staff, university officials, etc. But that is not the purpose of this blog post. A recent New York Times article has labeled the Penn State crisis as a “public relations catastrophe.” Since the New York Times article posted, a conversation regarding the label has occurred on the PRSAY website in a post titled “Public Relations Won’t Fix Penn State Crisis.” Needless to say the ideas conveyed in the article and blog post conflict regarding the field of public relations.

So what do you think? Do you agree with the author of the New York Times article or the authors of the PRSAY blog entry? How could you use this as an opportunity to engage in a healthy conversation with others who do not agree with your view/understanding of public relations? Sound off below! (Before Wednesday, Nov. 16, for Intro to PR students.)

Photo image courtesy of istockphoto.

Topic(s) of the Week-5

Urkovia Andrews — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:54:30 +0000

Why I will/will not use StumbleUpon/Twitter/Posterous/Facebook/Diggs/Google Reader (insert social media platform of your choice)… and why. (You only need to choose one social media platform to discuss.)

Think about the last five movies/concerts you saw. How did you find out about them? (Poster? Word of mouth? Newspaper/Magazine advertisement? Facebook fan page? Emailed newsletter, etc.) Some individuals dismiss traditional public relations and advertising, but what’s your experience?

Movies for public relations students

Urkovia Andrews — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:55:04 +0000

I, like most people, enjoy a good movie. I even have a backlog of movies I want to see once time allows. Some of the movies on my “to-see” list are for pure enjoyment, but some of them, I hope, can be incorporated into one or more of my public relations courses. Many professors, and professionals, recognize the impact of the character Samantha Jones from Sex & City. (I’ll admit, I still have yet to watch this movie and have only seen a handful of TV episodes.) Yet, there are some better options available. I asked, via twitter, for individuals to share what movies they feel all public relations students, or those interested in public relations, should view. I’ve embedded the trailers for their suggested movies/movie clips below. (I can say I have seen all, but one, of the suggested movies. YEAH!)

I know area of public relations expertise plays a significant role in deciding to show or not show a movie in class. However, what are some additional movies, or movie clips, that students new to the public relations major should view?

Topic(s) of the Week-4

Urkovia Andrews — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:06:39 +0000

Find and embed a video clip in your blog post that highlights elements of persuasion and/or propaganda. Discuss the various elements with respect to the video. Is the video effective or ineffective?

Discuss an organizations current conflict situation. Is their response appropriate? What should they continue to do, or not do?

What would you research?

Urkovia Andrews — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:21:51 +0000

Once again this semester I am using a learning journal in the Public Relations Research course as a way to a) get students to reflect on their participation in the course and b) for me to gauge if they are grasping course concepts. Upon completion of a course lecture a few weeks past I asked students the following question: “If you could research anything, what would you research?.” Needless to say the answers ranged from serious to humorous to somewhere in between. Here’s a glimpse of some of the responses.

Are various sports rigged for entertainment purposes?
Do public or private universities produce more students who get jobs immediately after graduation?
How WAS Tupac Shakur killed?
What’s the best diet on a college budget?
Why is college tuition constantly rising?
Whether or not UFO’s really exist.
Why most college students are not interested in church or Christian activities.

Needless to say I enjoyed reading their responses. Some of them were quite the shocker. But now it’s your turn to participate, so I ask, “If you could research anything, what would you research?”.

Topic(s) of the Week-3

Urkovia Andrews — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:50:10 +0000

Write a blog post making an analogy between public relations and something you’re interested in (eg. traveling, sports, decorating, etc.)

Compare and contrast public relations and publicity, with real examples of each.

Photo image courtesy of Istockphoto