My Final Blog

This is my final blog, it is a bitter sweet feeling. I have enjoyed blogging at times and other times I hated it! However it has shown me that I can start my own creative blog about my feelings day to day. I will be advancing my self in the social media realm by participating and creating. Thank you everyone who has followed our blog as well as commented. I plan to start my blog within the next few weeks, so be on the look out.

-Nicole Jackson

The U.S. looks like the tyrant in Africa?

For the last couple days, the news has been talking about this Somalian "pirate" hostage situation. Basically, a U.S. vessel was transporting aid to Kenya and was hijacked in the open seas near Somalia by the now notorious Somali pirates. There was a scuffle on the boat that resulted in all the hostages being free except the captain, Richard Phillips. The details have not fully come out yet, but the pirates took him and got on a lifeboat. There has been a standoff between them and U.S. warships monitoring the boat every since, until today. Today, there was a daring rescue in which the U.S. military shot and killed 3 hostage takers after the Captain jumped overboard.

Before we can discuss the implications of this, I have to give you a little history on these pirates. As the story goes, these pirates were originally Somali fishermen who tired of illegal fishing off there coast by Asian countries. They then became what they are because of the dire situation in their country and the profits they get from piracy.

The P.R. problems I see are regarding the U.S. image to poor countries and what I see as an armed uprising against the wealth of Western and Asian economies. I believe that in places like Palestine and of course really poor parts of Africa that blame the West for their anguish, (possibly rightfully so, at least in part), these pirates will and are seen as heroes that stood up against the great oppressive powers, and the killing of the pirates just made the people angry. It should be interesting to see how this changes the tide of piracy and anti-American/ Western sentiment. I think that now U.S. ships may be targeted, as the highest form of prize for the pirates. What do you think this event meant for the region?

Outrageous Excuses

Since a lot of us are graduating seniors this semester or in the upcoming semester, I decided to give you some career advice; don’t be late. As a newbie on the scene, you definitely want to make a good impression your first year on the job. However, if you happen to be late because something just came up, here are a few tips from CareerBuilder.com on some excuses NOT to use. I found them quite
strange/hilarious.

Here are 11 of the most outrageous excuses employees have heard for being late to work:

1. My heat was shut off so I had to stay home to keep my
snake warm.

2. My husband thinks it's funny to hide my car keys before he goes to work.

3. I walked into a spider web on the way out the door and couldn't find the spider, so I had to go inside and shower again.

4. I got locked in my trunk by my son.

5. My left turn signal was out so I had to make all right turns to get to work.

6. A gurney fell out of an ambulance and delayed traffic.

7. I was attacked by a raccoon and had to stop by the hospital to make sure it wasn't rabid.

8. I feel like I'm in everyone's way if I show up on time.

9. My father didn't wake me up.

10. A groundhog bit my bike tire and made it flat.

11. My driveway washed away in the rain last night.

My suggestion is just be on time and if you happen to be late, just be honest. However, if you feel honesty isn’t the best policy in your circumstances, don’t use any of the excuses above.

Talk to you later,
Kiah

What would you do?

Recently there has been a wave of white collar crime happening throughout the country. The major issue behind these crimes is a lack of ethics and morals. As PR Praticioners it is important that we uphold moral and ethical standards of our industry. I sometimes wonder what types of ethical issue will I be placed in, if any at all? I'm sure that if I am ever placed in these situations I will make the correct decisions. Do you have any concerns about ethical issues in the work place that may arise? In addition have any of you had any ethical issues arise at internships or jobs?

-Nicole Jackson

Bye Bye..........democrats?

So, today, I watched in horror as a discussion went on on CNN about whether it was right for the White House to ask the president of GM to step down. WOW. This is an outrage. I don't understand what kind of country I live in when congress gives "bailouts" to the companies they want to, and the White House is deciding who can and can not run a privately held company? Again....WOW. Now, this blog is supposed to be about PR, and I see a huge PR issue developing before my eyes. As these things happen, it makes me, and hopefully all of you, increasingly upset. A major source of this anger is the fact that there has been a lot of resistance to the bailout and taxpayer money being given to these companies, but our government still proceeded to give our money away. Now, to give credit where it was do, some members of congress (the majority of the republican party, and some democrats) were and are still against it. But now that this is blowing up in the White House and its supporters face, do you think that the democrats took a gamble and now are digging a grave for themselves next election? I do. What do you guys and gals think?

Mandla Deskins

An early April fools joke

I’m going to try and take you back in time a little bit. Now, do you remember the stress of applying to colleges? I know I sure do. There was the filling out of a bunch of applications and wondering which colleges would accept me. Well, can you imagine getting rejected by a school that you wanted to attend and then receive an e-mail saying welcome to our university? Confusing, right? Well, that’s what happened with UC San Diego on Tuesday. Apparently, they mistakenly sent e-mails out to 28,889 applicants congratulating them on their acceptance and to welcome them to the university. After realizing their mistake a half-hour later, a second e-mail was sent apologizing to those same 28,889 freshman applicants. Assistant Vice Chancellor Mae said, “No member of this department is more acutely aware of the emotional roller coaster that this could cause for our applicants." And even though that this isn’t the first school to do this, this incident is known as the biggest “screw up.”

What do you think? Do you think they handled this very well? I don’t. I think their statement of them being aware of the emotional roller coaster this has caused is not enough. By their somewhat flippant statement, I don’t believe they are aware of the problems they have caused. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Talk to you soon,
Kiah

The PR of TV news: Part 1: AIG

So, for the past couple days, I'm sure you all have heard about the big bad AIG and how they are giving these enormous bonuses and all this bailout money. Well I definitely have. It has been on CNN for at least 70% of a 24 hour day for the past week (by my calculations). Now, of course this is supposed to be news, but is it Public Relations?
I say this because All of this outrage over bonuses was basically created by cable news media. They told us that we should be upset about this, according to the highest estimates 212 million dollars, but not upset about the 120 BILLION+ the company has already received and the billions more they are scheduled to receive soon. If that's not PR, I don't know what is. My question to you is, why demonize AIG for this fraction of the money that is somehow going into the wrong hands, as if the other 99+ percent of the bailout money has been used in the "right" way by the company?

Mandla Deskins

Quiznos or Subway?

Hey everyone! Okay, so we all know Subway’s very catchy $5 foot-long promotion. It gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. Anyway, Subway’s competitor, Quiznos, is trying to take that same idea that Subway came up with but instead they are offering a $4 12-inch sub. Not only are they trying to give you a better deal but they are also trying to use a comically suggestive sex theme in their commercials with phrases such as, “Say it sexy” and “Put it in me”. The reason why I brought this up, even though this may be more on the advertising side than public relations, is do you think that they should have just came up with a totally different tactic? Quiznos has always been behind Subway in sales. Quiznos Chief Marketing Officer Rebecca Steinfort said, “Our main competition is Subway, which is an 800-pound gorilla. We may be 200 pounds, but they're 800.” My thing is, when it comes to their strategy of selling $4 12-inch subs or any of their sandwiches is that I feel that they are trying to be too much like Subway. I feel that they aren’t being original. Also if you’ve noticed, their recent advertisements have had something to do with Subway, such as their past ad of Quiznos beats Subway 4 to 1. I feel that they are concentrating too much on what Subway is doing and they aren’t making a distinguishable brand for themselves. It’s difficult for Quiznos to free itself from the shadow of Subway when they keep comparing themselves to Subway. When I see commercials for Quiznos, really all I think about is Subway. Maybe I’m just biased because I worked at Subway in high school. I don’t know. So, what do you guys think?

Talk to you soon!

Kiah

What's Skills do we Need

As PR students it is very important that we are well rounded. When I say well rounded I mean in terms of being proficient in all areas of media. I know that there are several areas that I can use to make myself marketable including graphic design. I do believe that graphic design is one of the most important components to making yourself marketable in today’s communication field. After a few internship interviews last week I realized that a common link was, all of the interviewers wanted to know what my experience in graphic design consisted of. Each interviewer was interested in what design software I was proficient in as well as what specific publications I had made using those publications. What aspects do you think are the most important for PR students to be proficient in?

Too Attached

So I hope everybody had a wonderful spring break. I went to Miami and I had a really good time. The only downfall that I had was that I took my laptop with me so I could try and be productive on some of my off time but instead my computer decided to break on me. I have no idea how it broke. The man at best buy tried to explain it to me what the problem was but basically told me they couldn't help me with my issue. Anyways, I can no longer turn it on and I'm feeling out of my element. I'm realizing that I am way too attached to my laptop. It is just a Dell laptop but I feel that I am missing a leg or an arm. While not being able to use my computer I've realized I've become way too dependent on it and I sometimes don't know how to do some of the simple things without a computer. Maybe it's because a lot of my work is on there but that's not even my main concern. I just like being able to have access to MY computer, not the schools or my roommates. So you're probably wondering why I'm telling you this. Well the thing is, I wanted to know if I'm the only one who feels like their missing a major part of their life when they don't have their laptop. If you have never lost or broken your computer try and think of yourself without it. I don't know, maybe I'm just too attached.

Kiah

Making a World of Difference

Have you ever though about how much of an impact that you can make by practicing PR? I was thinking about this very topic yesterday while I was being asked to save a stranger's life. There was not literally a stranger sitting in front of me asking for help. Instead there were two women asking if I would join the national bone marrow donor registry list. I later found out that there was going to be a two day drive held on campus to add donors to the list. Prior to speaking to these women I was not aware of the upcoming drive. That made me think what a world of difference a great PR team could make to aid in this cause.
PR is not always about getting celebrity clients the best press or creating positive images for multi-million dollar companies. PR is no different from any other profession it is truly about helping people. Now I’m not saying that only PR people that work for non-profit organizations are worthy of praise but instead I am reminding all of us myself included that it is always important to give back and use your professional talents to impact your community and the world. We all have the gift of getting people's attention and persuading them towards certain things. Let's make sure that at some point we use these gifts to help others. How do you think we can use our PR talent’s to help save the world?

-Nicole Jackson

PR and your next job interview

So, if you have been following my blog, like I'm sure all of you do, then you would have read my post about personal PR. If you didn't here's a recap. Personal PR is how you present yourself to the publics you come into contact with. Now, in my original post, I went over the general topic, but since so many people I know are having so much trouble getting a job, I figure that now is as good a time as any to give some pointers, from a PR perspective.
Now, there are a couple common mistakes that I often see, when people tell me how the job search is going. They are normally a combination of these factors, appearance, confidence, perception among hiring managers, and likability. Now, as PR students and professionals, we know that all of these things are based in opinions of interested publics, something that PR should be able to sway. So I'll go through these one by one and explain how, from a PR perspective, I can help you get a job.

1. Appearance- When applying for a job among a sea of qualified applicants, I find that managers have to find other things to make their decisions for them. A major one is appearance. But not just when you go to interview, from the moment you step in the building to drop off an application or apply for the job, you should understand the environment and dress to create the desired reaction from that building.

2. Confidence- Another thing that I often hear about is that soft voice, of the unsure tone when asking about information. Who wants to hire someone who can't even express themselves in a audible tone? What public would want to here what they are saying?

3. Perception among hiring managers- This one is a little overlap from the first two, but it is so important that it needed its own mention. When you go in for the interview or to inquire about the position, it is crucial that you leave a tailored footprint in the mind of the manager, something that can give you the edge over other applicants.

4. likability- Above all the others, this one, I think, is most important. Though they might be managers or owners and very rich, people are still people. They have feelings and let their feelings guide their actions more than we may think. Being liked by those in the office when you inquire about the job or during the interview or when you are shaking hands, is a very powerful tool. A warm person can relate on a special level and get things that maybe they shouldn't.

Alas, these are my tips, feel free to add your own and tell me what you think. Thanks.

Responsibility is the Key

I vowed that I would not feed into the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation however I can't stay silent any longer. This clearly was a case of domestic abuse that will forever haunt both individuals. My question is who else will this situation haunt? I can pretty much bet that many of the "fans" of both Chris Brown and Rihanna will be haunted as well. They will be haunted because they truly consider Chris Brown and Rihanna to be their role models. They consider them to be individuals to look up to.
Who should be blamed for this phenomenon? I say it is the media's responsibility to not only present balanced stories but to also present a balance of individuals as well. It is no secret that the media gives the people what they want but whatever happened to responsible journalism. An issue that is very serious has been glamorized. Have we become so desensitized that even the indiscretions of celebrities are looked at as exciting events?
I urge everyone who is a journalist to seriously examine yourself and what you believe in. As journalist it is imperative that we take more responsibility for what we put out and how it can affect others. As journalists we have got to become more resonsible and we must make sure that we are adhering to our various codes of ethics.
-Nicole Jackson

Foriegn Policy PR issues

So, yesterday, I was watching the news, as I often do. The current story was about the war in Iraq and terrorism in general. As I watched it, I thought about all the things I have heard about the war and terrorism and U.S. Policies, and I contemplated how I could see this terrorism problem being solved.
Of course, being a P.R. Major, I had to look at it from a PR Perspective. Because that is essentially what I see this war to be. I say that because no amount of military might or troops can stop determined minds, unless, of course, all the determined minds are killed. We learned that in Vietnam, and currently, in the ongoing conflict in Iraq. So, in the face of the continued threat of terrorism and extremism, and in the face of a war that has lasted for more than half a decade, what steps should the U.S. take to win the minds of the people away from terrorism and extremism in the middle east?

Mandla Deskins

Attack of the Snuggie

So I’m going to make this post on a lighter note since spring break is coming up and I know you’re tired of thinking about anything too complicated.

So here I go, have any of you ever seen those Snuggie commercials? You know the oversized blanket that has sleeves? Well if you haven’t, here is the link check it out, http://video.aol.com/video-detail/snuggie-commercial/1451114745. The advertisement shows people enjoying their Snuggie at sporting events, reading on their coach, or even just walking around the house. The commercial has been acknowledged as being extremely corny. There have been many parodies all over YouTube, including the “Cult of Snuggie”. Over 4 million Snuggies have been sold since they went on sale this past August. It has been said that it’s not even the actual commercial that is producing sales of the Snuggie, but instead it is all of the jokes about the commercials that’s getting them sold. Even Jay Leno has made fun of the blanket saying, “Why not just put your robe backwards?” Ellen Degeneres wore one during her show. USA Today has a quote from Scott Boilen, president and CEO of Allstar Products Group of Hawthorne, N.Y., who conceived and markets the China-made Snuggie saying that, "Every once in a while, a product transcends advertising to become part of pop culture." There are nearly 250 Facebook groups on the Snuggie. One fan group has nearly 6,000 members.

Okay, now that you know what I’m talking about, my question for you is do you believe that all publicity is good publicity? Apparently, in this instance, it is. There are more spoofs about this blanket than there are raves praising it. Do you think this applies to all products trying to be sold? Is this just a fluke? Did you like the commercial? Personally, I found it hilarious.

Well that’s it.


Talk to you later!
Kiah

http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-01-27-snuggie_N.htm

What's Next?

As the reality of the economic crisis this country is in hits me, I have been left wondering what next? As a soon to be college graduate I have been wondering what will happen when I enter the real world. As a PR Practitioner will there be jobs available for me when I enter the work force or has our industry taken a hit like many other industries throughout the country. I plan to continue my education after graduating but what about my peers who have to enter the work force? Will they be able to find gainful employment that will support a new graduate? What are your plans after graduation and do you have similar feelings as mine? Please chime in I am interested to see how others feel.

-Nicole Jackson

A bill that will decide our politcal landscape

In his first weeks in office, President Obama has put together a stimulus package that is set to be a PR disaster for some, and a PR milestone for others--no matter whether the economy picks up or sinks further. After passing through the senate and the house of representatives with virtually no Republican support (only three republicans in the house of representatives supported the package), the implications of the package and its passage on congress and the white house are sure to be serious. On one hand, if the economy shapes up in the next year or so, Pres. Obama will be a hero, and the backlash against republicans who did not support the bill could be huge. On the flip side, if the economy continues downhill, the democrats may lose control of congress in the next set of elections. I'm sure that PR people for both sides have already prepared a crisis plan for both scenarios.

My question is, as a PR person for a republican who voted against the stimulus package, how would you advise the senator or Representative to save face? And on what about for the democrats or the president?
Mandla Deskins

Who owns the content on your Facebook page?

Questions were recently raised when users of Facebook were curious about who controls the information shared on the social networking website, which now has 175 million users worldwide. Facebook discreetly updated its terms of use recently. After the update, tens of thousands of Facebook users joined groups protesting the new update fearing that Facebook now owned all of the user’s information. In an attempt to calm their users, Facebook greeted them with a sign-in message Wednesday morning stating they will be following their old terms of use policies. Facebook also stated it doesn’t claim to own your photos or any content on your site. The site created a group called “Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities”, which was meant to let users share their input. Lastly, Facebook has issued an apology for any confusion that this might have caused.

So I pose one question to you, how do you feel about this situation?

To see a full article click the link below:
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090218/ap_on_hi_te/facebook_sharing


Talk to you soon!
Kiah

Communication Can Prevent Tragedy

Continental Airlines is currently in a position where they can be totally honest and forthright or they can be partially honest. After 50 people were killed in a plane crash less than a week ago it seems as though Continental would be very honest instead they are siding with the actions of their pilot. Although the actions of the Continental pilot were within the legal confines of the techniques used by Continental, they were not correct for the specific situation. The major issue is a communications issue. The two organizations that regulate airlines the NTSB and the FAA have slightly differing opinions. They have slightly differing opinions on how pilots should handle icing and whether they should navigate manually or by using auto pilot. This is a crucial difference that could have possibly prevented a tragedy. As PR practitioners and communications specialists it is part of our responsibility to make sure that communication is not a barrier in organizations we work for. Perhaps had the regulations been more clearly defined and outlined this tragedy may not have happened.
-Nicole Jackson

Appalling Behavior

After pictures of 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Athlete Michael Phelps surfaced showing him smoking marijuana, Subway decided to accept his apology and keep him in their plans for their new advertisement campaign of “Fresh Celebrities.” Other celebrities included in that advertising campaign include Ryan Howard, Chris Long and Reggie Bush.

Instead of taking Phelps out of their plans, Subway has decided to postpone the advertisement scheduled to be aired early of 2009. Phelps also had an endorsement deal with Kellogg but the company cited his “recent behavior” as being “inconsistent” with Kellogg’s image and decided to drop him from any advertisements.

Another celebrity, Chris Brown, is faced with having his ties cut from companies such as Wrigley’s. Chris Brown is under investigation for battery. His girlfriend, Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty, was named as the battery victim. A 911 call this past Sunday morning brought L.A. police officers to the scene of the alleged assault. Brown, with his attorney present, turned himself in to L.A.’s Wilkshire police station. He was charged with making criminal threats and was released after posting a $50,000 bond. He will be going to court March 5 to face the charges.

With these recent high profile incidents, I pose a couple of questions for you. As a PR professional, if you were a publicist for Chris Brown or Michael Phelps, what would you suggest for them to do? Also, if you were doing PR for Subway or Wrigley’s, how would you have handled these situations?

Talk to you soon,
Kiah

Public relations vs. Spinning

As a PR professional I have come to realize that many people have a misconception of our profession. People that do not understand what PR is may think that we simply “spin” negative stories about our companies/organizations. PR practitioners that are not properly trained or that participate in unethical practices can be seen as “spinners.” Spinning brings up the issue of ethics within our profession. Public relations adheres to a code of ethics much like other professions. Below you will find the Public Relations Society of America code of ethics. This code of ethics lists core values that are at the heart of our profession. Although many people make mistakes and have moments of weakness, it is important to be aware for the ethical dilemmas that you may encounter if you have such moments. What do you see as a serious ethical dilemma within our profession?Advocacy We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate. Honesty We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public. Expertise We acquire and responsibly use specialized knowledge and experience. We advance the profession through continued professional development, research, and education. We build mutual understanding, credibility, and relationships among a wide array of institutions and audiences. Independence We provide objective counsel to those we represent. We are accountable for our actions. Loyalty We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the public interest. Fairness We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media, and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression.(This information was taken from the PRSA website. This code of ethics was not created by me but by PRSA. This information can be obtained at http://www.prsa.org/aboutUs/ethics/preamble_en.html)

-Nicole Jackson

Personal Public Relations

As a PR professional, we are often taught about how to create positive public opinion for an organization or a company. We know that you must present the organization in a positive way so that public will respond positively to your goals. In one of my classes my professor is adamant about us being mindful of our "personal PR". She tells us to act as if we are trying to influence public opinion about ourselves all the time. According to her, your appearance, your posture, the way you speak and the way you carry yourself. All of this has bearing on the public’s opinion of you.

Now, I understood where she was coming from but I wasn't sure how important this "personal PR" was. So, I did an experiment. I walked around for a whole day with my pants sagging all the way below my buttocks. It was a very interesting experience.

First of all, the first place that I stopped publicly with my pants sagging was a gas station. After I paid for my gas and was walking to my car, I was approached by another patron asking if I wanted to buy some weed. Not saying that this couldn't happen anyway, but I am certain that my personal PR created a more comfortable environment for him to ask me. The second place I went was Wal-Mart. This was a very uncomfortable experience, because older people looked at me with such disdain that I found myself pulling my pants up. Needless to say the experiment ended there.

I guess this story is just to tell you how your "personal PR" creates perception and behavior of the public that you come in contact with, so just be mindful. You should ask yourself if you want to be viewed as someone who wants to buy weed or get respect from those who have similar views to your current and future professors and the people who will and have signed your paychecks.

Obama's Mistake

I was reading an article on www.cnn.com about how President Barack Obama admitted he was wrong in his decision to select Tom Daschle as his Health and Human Services Secretary.

Daschle withdrew on Tuesday when it was discovered he failed to pay taxes in the past. There were errors which included falsely reporting $15,000 in charitable donations and failing to list $80,000 in lobbing income. Daschle said that it was a paperwork error.

Critics are questioning Obama’s call for a culture change in Washington. Obama was quoted saying: "Ultimately, I campaigned on changing Washington and bottom-up politics," Obama said. "And I don't want to send a message to the American people that there are two sets of standards -- one for powerful people and one for ordinary folks who are working every day and paying their taxes."

I personally don’t see why Obama is apologizing for Daschle. It was Daschle’s fault for being negligent and making false claims. I understand it was Obama’s decision to appoint Daschle has his Health and Human Services Secretary but I don’t see this as being Obama’s fault.

Do you think this was Obama mistake? Do you think that Daschle’s tax problems sent a message that the more powerful are treated differently than average people? What would you have done in this situation?

To see the full story, follow this link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/03/obama.daschle/index.html


Talk to you guys later!

Kiah

Landing the Perfect Internship

Landing the perfect internship is not only a luxury but it has become a necessity for many students. Although many students dream of landing their dream internship, only a few are fortunate enough to land what one would call a dream internship. However landing an internship that is well suited for you and is productive is probably a more realistic goal. Below are issues that you may encounter when trying to land your dream internship, there are also helpful solutions to these issues.

1. Location, Location, Location
Many students believe that if you are not in a major city you cannot have meaningful internship. This is very far from the truth. More so than the location of your internship, it is important to make sure that the company/organization you will be interning with is a good personal fit. I would also suggest making sure that the company you intern with ahs aspects of their intern program that are important to you.

2. Paid vs. Unpaid
When should you take an unpaid internship? This is a question that only you can answer just because an internship is paid/unpaid does not mean that you will do any more or less work than with the other. There are several factors that should be considered before making a decision as to whether you can take an unpaid internship. These are factors that can vary drastically from person to person.

3. First Impression
Before receiving an interview with a company/organization, the first impression of you often comes from your resume and cover letter. This is an element that can either push you forward or stop you dead in your tracks. Before sending a resume off to companies, ask a professor or someone professional to look over your resume. Having a second opinion may stop you from turning in a resume that has careless errors or is worded in a confusing way.

I hope that this blog post was helpful in some way. Good luck finding the perfect internship. Remember that universities have a wealth of resources when it comes to internships and jobs. If you are a FAMU student, register for internship and job information at www.famusjgc-oip.com.

A sticky situation

In one of my favorite classes, Public Relations Methods, with Dr. Larae Donnellan, every class we would start the lecture with a discussion of current news and the Public Relations issues that are involved with them. I'll continue that tradition here on the blog (it was one of my favorite blogs).

Today, as I was reading associated press stories (a daily habit), i read an update about the case of the Salmonella found in the peanut butter. I'm sure most of you are familiar with this case, but just in case i'll bring you up to speed. A peanut butter plant in Georgia had substandard facilities with roaches crawling around, among other things.

Anyway, in the U.S. there have been eight deaths and one of the largest recalls by the FDA in national history. Now, as more facts come out, more issues arise. New info surfaced showing that there was repeated testing by Diebel Labs employees who tested and found the salmonella present in small quantities at the plant but tested again until they found a negative, failing to instruct the plant to throw all the peanut butter out. Now, as this unfolds, i'd like to give a idea on what i think the government and the factory should do to restore public confidence and fix this mess.

First, the plant needs to be closed. After eight deaths and such poor conditions, the plant must be closed. That's the first step. Second, there needs to be tighter government regulation, because a failure of this stature is absolutely unexceptable. I mean, just a short time ago, we were balking a China for having lead in toys and tainted infant formula, and now, on our soil, this?

Now, i beleive that an announcement of new, tighter regulation by the federal government and closure oif the plant are the only way we can get out of this mess? A future PR practioners, what do you think will and should be done?

Social Media Tools YOU Need to Know

Being a senior PR student, I personally love to know all the ways I can become more competitive as a PR practitioner. I want a good job with a good salary, as I’m sure you do too. In order to be competitive, we all need to be up to date with the different types of media that are evolving every day. With the world moving into an era where I believe traditional media will be obsolete, I looked up social media tools that PR graduates should be experts in before graduation.

Take a look…

• Blogging-This isn’t as simple was one would think. It does take some time to get a grasp on what you would talk about. First, you need research other blogs and observe them for a little bit. Secondly, you need to participate in someone else’s blog and then you should be good to start your own blog. A great place to check out some blogs is www.technorati.com.

• LinkedIn-Did you know over 30 millions professionals use this to exchange information, ideas and opportunities? Yeah, I didn’t either until I just visited the site. But I will tell you, I’m signing up on this as soon as I’m done blogging! (I will update you how I feel about it.)• Twitter-So…What are you doing? Well that’s what Twitter wants to know. Twitter is another social-networking site that allows users to send and receive user’s updates. Did you know that Obama allegedly Tweets? Hmm…

• YouTube-Now everyone knows how to view YouTube but did you know this is actually a great researching site and is not only a place to look up goofy videos or view our favorite music videos. I know when I interned last summer in New York City, I was assigned to do a project where I had to research companies and see what YouTube videos were posted on them and present them to a future client.

• Podcasting-This is a form of audio broadcasting on the Internet. For example, let’s say you live in New Jersey (like me!) and you really miss that morning show that you used to listen to all the time before you came to FAMU. Well great news! You can actually get the podcast of that station and put it on your I-pod. How exciting!

• Flickr-This is an online photo and video management site. I personally am not too familiar with Flickr but you can check it out at www.flickr.com.

• Facebook, MySpace (social networks) – Do I really need to go into explanation about these? Oh, and a little advice, you should invest in deleting all of those pictures you don’t want future employers to see.

• Wikipedia- An online encyclopedia. And guess what, you can create your own wiki. Go crazy kids!

• Google docs, chat, groups, etc.-These are just chat rooms and groups that you can participate in.

• RSS feeds and aggregators- If you’re in Dr. D’s class know that RSS means really simple syndication. (hint hint)

• Social bookmarking (del.icio.us) – “del.icio.us is a social bookmarking service that allows users to tag, save, manage and share web pages from a centralized source.”- www.delicious.com Another site I’m not too familiar with.

• Search engines including blog searches

• VoIP, such as Skype-This allows you to make calls from your computer to other people on Skype, landlines and cell phones.

Well if you made it all the way to the bottom, I appreciate you taking the time to learn how you can become more competitive as a PR practitioner.

Talk to you later!

Kiah

Welcome to our blog!

We are Kiah, Mandla and Nicole, senior public relations students at Florida A&M University. Kiah is from New Jersey, Mandla is from Oakland, Calif. and Nicole is from Kalamazoo, Mich.

As a team, we will regularly be posting our ideas, thoughts and research about the effects of social media on FAMU pr students. You will be able to find new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Talk to you soon!


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle