Growing up Bryant

As I look at the ethics that have been instilled in my life, I am reminded of how my parents raised me. My parents took a firm hand to me when it came to certain ethics they expected us to follow. Among them include: never tell a lie; if it needs to be done, DO IT!; listen first; and the classic, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. While these are personal values, I think they all can and will transcend into my professional life. Many of these have also been further magnified as I have understood the ethics of a PR professional, from classes and as a member of PRSSA.

Let's break these down one-by-one...

1. Never tell a lie. This is one that will definitely carry over into my professional life, as it has been one I still pride myself with in my personal life. My parents can always tell if I tell a lie, so I found out early enough it was worthless to try and tell one. This is an important one in my professional life because I don't think I could work for a team where lies are flying higher than the clouds. Dr. Miller mentioned I am a bit of a purist, which I agree with. This is the type of environment, the only kind actually, I could see myself working for.

2. If it needs to be done, DO IT! How simple, yet so hard to follow. It's easy to get lazy, but in my family that was never an option. It's easy to give in, too. A subtitle for this could be to never quit. If you find someone else who is lazy and never wants to do their part, don't rat them out. You shouldn't even pull them aside unless you're close enough to do so. Instead, do the task necessary, and move along.

3. Listen first. This principle literally comes from the Bible, which again, I hold near and dear. John 1:19 says, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." I think we can all take a dose of this in our professional lives. We have moments when we want to jump in and give our two cents without listening to the other person. Growing up with two other siblings, this was an easy thing to try and do, as we always wanted to out-do the other. It's difficult for me sometimes to watch my tongue when in group discussions. I should listen to others before criticizing or jumping in.

4. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Wow! How Mr. Rogers, huh? I think, above all, it's very important for us to just respect the other person. We're not always going to have people in our lives whom we agree with, but we can at least respect them.

Kanye West: An Expert at PR? Or is he just an idiot?

Many bloggers, myself included believe that Kanye West's recent incident at the MTV VMA's was merely a PR stunt to get his name back in the spotlight. Although I have to wonder is it safe to put your name out there in a negative light? How much can this really work to your advantage? Maybe he's an idiot and an expert at PR stunts.

Just how much buzz can one inappropriate comment make? Well, in our world of social media (via Twitter) - 300,000 tweets in one hour! According to Trendrr, which tracks buzz on Twitter, there were a total of 293,024 tweets in the hour immediately following West's comments.

It amazes me because in the world of social media everyone literally can be a mass communicator. Or to even use a bit of Malcolm Gladwell here we're all connectors in some way.

So, who does this actually help? Does it give sympathy to the loud mouth known as Kanye West and hope for fans that he'll get some help? Or does it send all the pre-teen fans of the young Taylor Swift to pat her on the back? The choice is yours.

Also, according to an article on Huffington Post, President Obama apparently told a journalist in an off-the-record comment that Kanye is a "jackass." I think Press Secretary Robert Gibbs should tell him that nothing he says is off-the-record. He is the President, after all. Apparently, however, the journalist is facing consequences.

Public Relations: Teaching you how to juggle

Mirror, mirror on the wall, just what are my finest skills of them all? My PR adviser/professor recently stumbled across this article about the 14 Key Skills and Attributes for New Public Relations Professionals. After a look at the list I have determined the skills I feel most confident I possess. This article can be found at here, part of Davefleet.com

My three finest selling points are:

1. Social networking tools

During my summer internship I was responsible for creating a social media strategy for the Museum of Aviation. I invited a few friends to join the fan page I created and a few members of the staff who had personal accounts. Within a week we had over 400 members who indicated they were fans of the Museum. At the end of my internship (a ten week period) 700 people showed their support for the Museum via Facebook. When my bosses saw the visitor books and saw the words, "Saw your Facebook page" they knew it wasn't just silly toy college students play around with.

2. Communication skills

Thanks to my rhetoric minor and my love of theatre (and a gift of gab) I have formed very strong communication skills. I can relate to people of all walks of life and communicate interpersonally with them. I have a verbose vocabulary but I also have the ability to talk to someone without talking down to them.

3. Attention to detail

Many times I can look at something and know it doesn't work. I am great at looking at articles and judging what's wrong with it both grammatically and content wise. One of my biggest weaknesses during my summer internship was the inverted pyramid. However, this soon became second nature to me, and I was writing my press releases and needed little to no editing from the higher ups. There's a well known saying that goes "Measure twice and cut once." I think this applies to us as PR professionals in the making.

Now that I've chosen my three finest selling points I'll mention three areas I need improvement.

1. RSS, RSS Readers

Aside from a few people who found my blog through Twitter, those who read my blog at the Museum, and of course Team LASC, I have a very small number of people reading my blog. I would like to do more to reach more people, especially potential employers to read my weekly blog posts.

2. Coding

This is a big one! I have no idea what an HTML code is other than copying+pasting one I found on those free sites for a background image when I had a MySpace. I couldn't even begin to tell you what the different coding methods are.

3. Media relations

I got a great taste of this during my summer internship by sending out press releases on a daily basis. However, I do feel very insecure when talking on the phone. I may have strong communication skills but I do not feel very comfortable talking on the phone. Mostly because it's difficult to know when you've said too much, when you should say more, etc. It's also very frustrating when you don't always know the answer to something on the spot. A quick pause on the phone sometimes feels like an entirety.

There's still a lot to learn and as I said in earlier post, be flexible! We must never be afraid to learn more and learn new skills. PR, like the world, is constantly changing and evolving. It's time to get busy and learn how to juggle!

The Before and After Effect

First rule of Public Relations - Get your hands and feet dirty and then dive in head first!

I’m going to refer to this post as the “Before and After” effect. I have come a long way since attending GCSU beginning in the Fall of ’07. As I look back at my time as an undergrad in the Mass Communication department I am reminded of many things I wish I had known before I was accepted.

1. Never, ever underestimate the wonderful power of networking.

Networking yourself is probably the best way to get noticed in the business world, school life, personal life, etc. Throw yourself out there, and tell your potential employers why they can’t live without you on their team. I learned this the hard way during my internship. At first I was extremely intimidated by my bosses at the Museum of Aviation. I found, however, that these bosses I was scared of would possibly lead me to another job in the future. Once I let go of my inhibitions, I was able to get to know them and succeeded in impressing my higher ups. This has potentially left open the door for future careers.

2. Always have a plan of action.

One of the things I quickly understood when getting into the public relations concentration was that I needed to always have a plan and not just “wing it” as I had done for the previous two years. PR is not a type of career you can just “wing it” because it requires thorough planning on your part and your team’s part. The decisions you make can effect not only you but your entire team. This is why I’m glad I now understand the importance of timelines for deadlines. Never underestimate how amazing writing things down can be. Don’t just plan to remember an important date or due date. WRITE it down!

3. Be flexible.

This sounds really easy, but unfortunately it’s not. Never get too comfortable where you currently sit. Tomorrow that seat could be taken and you might need to find a new place. Don’t be afraid to wear another hat if your time permits it. Find your skills and use one at a time, because tomorrow you might not need it, but you may need the others. If you allow yourself to be moved around and experience different areas of PR, you’ll have a more well-rounded experience.

4. Write until your hand hurts!

I love writing! But I hate, HATE AP style. I have found, however, that AP style is probably the hardest thing to get down but the most beneficial skills in any media career. During my internship I wrote a zillion (okay, more like twelve) press releases. I am thankful, because it allowed me to study the style more and keep it fresh in my mind. I can now say I can write press releases in my head. I know what an effective lead looks like, how to include the 5 W’s, and where quotes are necessary. Simply put, don’t be afraid of writing. Write until your hand hurts because only then will you truly begin to understand anything about AP style.

5. Take photography classes! Or rather, never be afraid to develop new skills!

Finally, I would recommend taking a photography class if your class schedule permits. During my summer internship I found that photography would greatly enhance my ability as PR professional. During the summer internship, I submitted a press release inviting the media to cover a big event. Well, guess what? No one showed up! Why? Michael Jackson had died and this was more newsworthy than an article concerning the Museum. I found that if I could take my own photos and include them in a press release, the media’s work would have already been done. They could run my article (pictures and all) in their next issue. Unfortunately, my photography skills were limited to saying “Say Cheese!”

There you have it. Those are just a few things I wish I knew back when I was a pre-public relations student/major. I wish all new public relations students all the best. Make this major/career all you can make it. As I said before, get your hands and feet dirty! Then dive in head first! Most of all have the time of your life. College is far too short.