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Surviving the PR Sequence: Principles of Public Relations 

3/29/2016

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By Nicole Zahn

​​What exactly is public relations? What do you do? Who do you work for? What made you chose the public relations path?
These are some of the questions I am asked on a regular basis by friends and family. To make it simple, I usually respond with “You’re the face of an organization to gain positive public perception for that company,” which leads to many replies of oohs and ahhs. However, public relations is much more than gaining public popularity. For students unsure of where this field can lead them, public relations can be defined, described, and demonstrated throughout the Principles of Public Relations course at Kent State University.
The Principles of Public Relations course is a foundational class required for students majoring and/or minoring in public relations. It provides a basic layout and understanding of the public relations profession.
 
One of the first topics learned in this course is what exactly a PR professional does:
  • They WRITE – Writing is the majority of what a PR professional does. Whether it’s a news releases, for the media or creating social media content, they’re writing.
  • They manage the media – More and more businesses today are using social media to promote their businesses and keep their image strong. Businesses need media teams to keep up with their digital image.
  • They plan and research – Every effective public relations plan starts with research and is carried out by strong objectives, strategies and tactics.
  • They enjoy advocacy & building relationships- PR professionals live for the thrill of engaging and representing a business toward their key publics and engaging with their audiences. They make the face of a company!
The next important topic taught in the course is the type of career paths there are in the PR field:
  • Non-Profit- This could be an event planner or PR professional for organizations such as Relay for Life or the American Red Cross.
  • Agency PR- Firms and individuals hire a PR agency to enhance or build their reputations through the media. They analyze the organization, find messages and translate those messages into positive media stories. If you work in an agency, you will have multiple clients that you are working with.
  • Corporate PR- Connect with different key publics using press releases, social media, products and events and more. In corporate PR you have one client that you mainly work with and know like the back of your hand.
The number one topic emphasized daily throughout this course and major is to NEVER lie. One too many businesses have been involved in a communications crisis and try to cover it up by lying to make it seem as though it never happened. Big mistake. This is called SPIN. SPIN is a form of propaganda created through a bias view of a campaign to persuade public opinion. When sitting in on a panel discussion with PR professionals, the topic of SPIN never fails to come up.
                  If you are unsure about the path you want to take in public relations, do not worry! The Principles of Public Relations course is a great start to figure out if public relations is for you because it lays out the general foundations and basics of what public relations is and what a public relations professional does. Be a strong writer, have an open mind and don’t be afraid to be different because that is what this field is all about. 

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5 Tips to Survive Bateman

3/21/2016

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By Lauren Biertempfel

​Being a part of the PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition is probably one of the most rewarding things for young public relations professionals. Bateman gives great chances to grow as a professional, expand a portfolio and put the knowledge learned in the classroom to work. Bateman is time consuming and fast-paced, and worth every second that is put into it.
 
For any student who is in Bateman, or wants to be, I have a few tips from my personal experience that will help you successfully survive Bateman.
 
1. Be prepared to invest a lot of time: Bateman is time consuming. You will spend long nights in the library with your team conducting research and creating your plan. If you go into the competition with the intention of investing a lot of time into it, you will do great!
 
2. Learn to love your team and leave the drama behind: Your teammates will become your best friends, the people you text at 2 a.m. when you get an idea for the cover of the campaign or come up with new tactics. You do not get to choose your team, but keep in mind that you were all placed together for a reason.
 
3. Grammer is important! Yes, I did that on purpose. The judges will notice and deduct for grammar errors. Make sure your casebook is flawless both visually and grammatically. Your casebook will be printed and kept as an example for years to come
 
4. Become best friends with your client:  The more comfortable your client is with you, the more they are willing to work with you. It may be difficult to get them to open up at first, but adapt to their needs. Remember that this is a competition, but your plan should resemble your client’s ethics and morals.
 
5. Be creative and have fun! Bateman is one of the best experiences you will have in college, and it is a great asset to your resume. It is so easy to become stressed with the workload, but you and your team will balance each other out. This is your chance to show what you know, so be creative and have fun with it!
 


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PRSSA National Assembly 

3/21/2016

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By Gabrielle Woodard 

Attending national PRSSA events always gives me a sense of a bigger purpose in PR and reminds me of why I love PR so much. A few weekends ago I was able to attend National Assembly, in Austin, Texas.  National Assembly is like a smaller version of National Conference. There are representatives from many of the chapters from across the countries and the purpose is to vote on bylaw changes and elect the new national committee for the organizations.
 
During this year’s national assembly we were able to hear from Brandy King, a spokeswoman for Southwest. She spoke about professional tips, how she got into PR and why enjoying your career is important.
 
At the end of assembly we heard from David Grossman and the speech was not what anyone expected. Grossman didn’t tell us about his amazing career or how he got to his current position, he told us about the struggles he faced when he wasn’t being his “authentic self.” Grossman discussed the importance of being authentically you before trying to lead others thus making yourself an authentic leader.
 
National Conference can be very overwhelming. You are surrounded by 1000 other PRSSA members and have sessions all day, where you can hear from amazing professionals. I really enjoyed National Assembly being a different change of pace. We only had sessions until about 4p.m. Also not being surrounded by members of your own chapter, everyone was forced to branch out and get to know other people.
 
National Assembly made me so excited to attend National Conference in November. I am eager to introduce members of PRSSA Kent to the many amazing people I met at National Assembly and let everyone expand their networks. I really hope everyone will consider attending National Conference in Indianapolis this coming November. 

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Media at the Movies: Merchants of Doubt

3/15/2016

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By: Charleah Trombitas
            JMC hosted a viewing of the movie Merchants of Doubt, which shined a light on many ethical dilemmas, followed by a panel of professionals to discuss the happenings in the movie. Let me start by making it known that this movie is a documentary, so there is a clear bias. Also, I would like to mention that I enjoyed the movie, though PR professionals were shown in a horrible light. To give a quick summary about the movie, it showed how major controversies in America have been handled and things that have been covered up by so-called “PR professionals.” I think there were five takeaways from this movie and the panel that followed:
 
1. There are going to be those practicing PR that act unethically. Thankfully, the Kent PR program focuses on ethics and so does PRSSA. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity for the same schooling and some professionals that work in PR do not have schooling for the profession. It’s sad that there are people out there giving PR a bad name, but it is bound to happen. It’s important to remember that these people are a bad example and not someone to look up to.  
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2. There is a difference between being loyal to your company and being unethical. Though at times you may be posed with ethical dilemmas, you should always strive to make the right decision. A company that you work for should never ask you to be blatantly unethical, and if they do, you should consider if that is a place where you want to work.  

3. Even if you have a belief, be open to new ideas and opposing views. In the movie, there was a global warming skeptic. He took it upon himself to do research about the topic and look at both sides. After his research was completed, he changed his beliefs to thinking that global warming was a real issue. That is just one example about how having an open mind allows you to learn, and maybe even prove yourself wrong.  

4. Having the reputation of an ethical professional can be lost in a second. You can work an entire career making all the right decisions along the way, but it only takes one unethical choice to ruin your reputation. Now this might sound scary, but if you are conscious of your personal and professional choices, it shouldn’t be a problem. David Hertz, a panelist for the ethics discussion that followed the movie, said it best: “You can build up your integrity for years and then lose it in a second.”  

5. Journalism and PR professionals work together and need to have good relationships. They keep each other in-check. Journalists need PR professionals to know what is going on within their organizations. PR professionals need journalists to get their story out in print or on the web, and from an objective view. Both professions are held to a high ethical standard and should be able to respect one another’s profession.  
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In the end, after seeing this movie I became motivated to make sure I am always ethical in my decision making. No job, boss or amount of money will force me to put my name on something that can ruin my reputation or even worse, something that is untrue.
 
 


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​From Kent State to NYC: a Q&A with a recent PR Kent grad

3/14/2016

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By Hanna Moore
 
I recently spoke with Katie Smith, PR Kent alumna and current New Yorker about her internship, the transition into a new city and her advice for current public relations students.
 
Tell me about yourself!
I'm Katie, and I graduated from the PR Kent program this past December. I'm a total news junkie and grammar nerd.
 
Where is your current internship?
My current internship is at PPR's NYC office.
 
What are some of your responsibilities in this role?
I support Dell's corporate, brand and corporate social responsibilities teams. I do a lot of news scanning and coverage reports, researching and building media lists, drafting pitches, suggesting Tweets, media backgrounders and more!
 
What experience at Kent State helped you land the internship?
This is my fourth internship, so I think my PR classes plus my previous internships gave me a really solid foundation for the fast-paced agency role I'm in now. I believe each experience has built upon itself and led to new opportunities. In media relations and publicity I had a lightbulb moment and decided I should pitch my sorority's philanthropy event to the Record-Courier, and they actually ran a story about it! That experience landed me an internship at a fashion PR agency in NYC in 2014.
 
Then I began working at Flash Communications, which honed my writing and editing skills. Those skills helped me land a marketing internship with a company that was looking to expand its PR efforts. The culmination of the rigorous classes like Bateman, PR Tactics and PR Online Tactics along with these internships, got me to my dream city.
 
What is your dream job?
I'd really like to start my own agency by my mid-thirties. It's a pretty lofty goal, but the challenge excites me. If that doesn't work out, I'd love to be the SVP of communications. I don't think I have a place in mind at the moment, but I want the work I'm doing to make a difference. 
 
How has the transition been from moving to New York City?
This is my second time living in the city, and this time was much less of an adjustment. At my first internship I ran a decent amount of errands, but it was great because I got acclimated with the city. New York is obviously a lot different than Ohio, and I think the main thing people making the jump need to do is consciously be aware of their surroundings at all times.
 
What advice do you have for someone who wants to work in public relations in New York City?
  • Believe that you can. 
  • Find connections within the PR Kent network (thank you, Michele Ewing for my connection).
  • NYC is great but far from glamorous. 
  • You need to be organized, hardworking and adaptable.
 

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