PRSSA Kent members, alumni participate in first chapter Twitter chat

(KENT, OHIO) March 9, 2015 - The Kent State University Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA Kent) led its first ever Twitter chat Wednesday, March 4.

The chat, which started at 7:30 p.m., centered around the phenomenon of newsjacking. Author and professional speaker David Meerman Scott defines newsjacking as “the process by which you inject your ideas or angles into breaking news, in real-time, in order to generate media coverage for yourself or your business.”

“PRSSA Kent was inspired by the National Twitter chats, and we wanted to bring that back to our Chapter,” Chapter President Meghan Caprez said. “Members, alumni and Kent State faculty participated in the inaugural chat, and they shared great insight into newsjacking.”

PRSSA Kent wanted to introduce students to the newjacking social media tactic, its ethical implications and its best practices as it is applied to public relations. The conversation was led by the Chapter’s official Twitter handle, @prssakent, and participants could respond with the hashtag #PRKent.

“It’s always exciting to see participation with the members and faculty,” said Social Media Manager Chelsea Graff. “This is something that we plan to start doing more often.”

Those who missed the chat can read the discussion on Storify.

PRSSA Kent (www.prssakent.com) was established in 1968 as one of the 14 original Alpha Chapters of the Public Relations Student Society of America. With more than 70 members, the student-run organization collaborates with its parent Chapter, the Akron Area Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, to coordinate meetings and events that offer professional development and networking opportunities to Kent State University students interested in the public relations and communications industry.

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