PRCA 3330- Chp. 15 Giving Speeches and Presentations

This weeks reading was all about giving speeches and presentations, here are some key points I found important to remember from the chapter:

• A speaker talks to listeners, not at them. Use pronouns like “you” and “we” to make the talk more conversational and let our listeners know you are talking to them. It must fit the audience, be specific, get a reaction, have a definite objective, and be timely.
• Know your objective, a speech can inform, persuade, activate, or celebrate- it can also amuse or entertain. There is no point of making a speech unless it accomplishes somethings. Speechwriting requires clear objectives, effectivie organization of relevant key messages, and knowledge of the audience.
• Nonverbal communication is important in a speech. Speakers should be enthusiastic, make eye contact, and use gestures that support their words.

If you would like to learn more about writing emails, memos, and proposals check out “Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques (6th Edition) by Dennis L. Wilcox” at Amazon.com

Will Work For Education??

I’ve been hearing a lot about internships lately, and not just in the public relations sector. There has been many discussions about whether or not unpaid internships are ethical. A post on PR Open Mic first brought this debate to my attention. The New York Times reported that unpaid internships had risen in the past years which seems to be due to the lack of jobs and the state of the economy. Apparently there are 6 requirements that unpaid internships must meet and not all of them are meeting them. The TIMES reports that some employers may feel that it is convenient to lay off workers and get extra help from unpaid students. Another issue is that some internships involve non-education work that does not count as a learning experience. There is also the question of whether less “affluent” students have the same opportunity or pick at internships and if that make students who can not afford to spend a summer without an income “less competitive job candidates” after graduation.

Check out this video, via MoneyTalkNews which shows some of the benefits of unpaid internships (if you can afford them) :

Personally I don’t think I would be able to intern for a semester without working at the same time, that being said, a paid internship would be ideal.  I always see unpaid internships that look like great opportunities for me- so it feels like my choices are automatically cut in half. Is it fair that people who have support from parents or other monetary sources have more options when it comes to internships because they are not held back by needing an income? Do you think that some internships are unethical?

NFL Holds Players to Moral Standards??

Ben Roethlisberger may have gotten pass charges in Georgia but the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t let him off too easy. Roethlisberger will be suspended for 6 games this upcoming season, for breaking the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Here are statements regarding the situation from Goodell (via NyTimes.com):

“I recognize that the allegations in Georgia were disputed and that they did not result in criminal charges being filed against you” - “My decision today is not based on a finding that you violated Georgia law, or on a conclusion that differs from that of the local prosecutor. That said, you are held to a higher standard as an N.F.L. player, and there is nothing about your conduct in Milledgeville that can remotely be described as admirable, responsible or consistent with either the values of the league or the expectations of our fans.”

I think its great that the NFL decided to punish Roethlisberger for his behavior even if it was not found to be criminal. It is bad PR to have someone representing your organization in a way that you would not like to be represented. I hope that this decision stands as a precedent for other players so that they realize that they are representing more than just themselves, and that their personal behavior effects the reputation of their team and their organization.

Girl Scouts Missing Money Making Opportunity??

I just watched this hilarious clip from SNL talks about how the girl scouts are sitting on a money making idea that they don’t know is there! Only selling cookies once a year and not making these delectable delights available through online purchase. Are the Girl Scouts doing bad PR? They’ve been around for a long time and their marketing strategy seems to work for them, but it does make you think, why haven’t they used the internet to their advantage? Why are cookies only available through a quote: “army of little girls?“

I couldn’t embed the video, but here is a link to the video via Huffington Post, definitely worth checking out!

PRCA 3330 – For Those About to Blog.. We Salute You

I have really enjoyed learning how to blog and sharing my ideas with my classmates (and hopefully) other people that had achance to read what I had to say (or type..). I had no idea that I would get so carried away with a class assignment but this blog has really felt a lot more like fun then school work. With that being said, here are ten tips to student bloggers, in hopes that you too will get to learn while having fun:

1. Have your own voice. Write in away that shows people reading your blog what your personality is like. When a person is a good writer its almost like you can hear their voice when your reading their work- this is the effect you want your blog to have.
2. Have a central topic. People who have popular blogs are usually people who stick to one central idea. Perez Hilton blogs about celebrities, Mashable blogs about social media. If you specialize in one thing, people are going to think of you when they want to learn more about that topic.
3. Comment. Let people know how you feel about their post-not just “good post” or “yeah I think I heard that” but “I agree” or “I disagree” and offer more feedback on the topic, this way people know your reading for content.. .not just for credit.
4. Start Early. This blog is due next Tuesday, and I am still finishing up some last minute post and comments. If the topics and assignments you are going to write about are already posted weeks before hand-work ahead. Trust me! When it gets down to finals week and you have tons of work coming to you from all directions you’ll be glad you’re already caught up on your blog.
5. Have fun. Add pictures, hyperlinks, quirky jokes. Make it fun- yes its an assignment but that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative and think outside the box.
6. Check out other PR blogs. Looking at how other people in PR blog has really inspired me to create a dot.com blog one day. My favorite has to be LittlePinkBookPr.com, its fun informative and shows the personality of its blogger.
7. Look everywhere for ideas. Its actually been fun to hear something new on TV and think about what angle would be best to blog about this topic. There are ideas for post everywhere, you just have to look.
8. Write for your audience. Don’t just write about topics that would be interesting to you. Remember your audience wants relevant post- not just rambling about your day to day activities.
9. Help each other out. If a classmate post a comment on your blog, visit their blog and comment back. If someone ask for your help with a certain feature of wordpress take the time to explain it to them. When you help each other it makes the process easier.
10. Tous les Jours Mon Amis!!!( Everyday My Friends!! )Blog everyday, practice makes perfect, the more you do it the better you will get at it.

PRCA3330 FINAL – Social Media News Release

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Erica Campbell (Spokesperson) MCCS Laurel Bay Youth Center 843.812.4395 (cell) 843.228.7640 (office) Going Back to Her Roots

BEAUFORT, SC-April 22, 2010

If you approached her from behind you might mistake her for a teenager. At closer inspection however you can distinctly see a girl who is in her late 20’s, and happens to be a little over four months pregnant. She moves around with the kids at the youth center, playing and running with as much energy and enthusiasm as they have. They call her “Ms. Mani” her name is Imani Grahm.

Grahm graduated from high school a year early and graduated at the head of her class at Tuskegee Ala. four years later. A self defined “grandma’s girl” she decided to move back to South Carolina and work at the same youth center she attended as a child.

You went to school for accounting, what made you decide to work with children?

I wanted to work somewhere I could be close to my grandmother. I also had a hard time finding a job in accounting when I first graduated, and when the opportunity to work at the youth center came around I decided to take it. I really do enjoy working with kids and helping them learn. I may not be working in the field I studied, but I’m content and I feel like I am making a difference.

When you were younger did you attend any youth programs like the ones at the youth center?

Yes, I actually went to the youth center for summer camps. We would go on trips to the beach and the zoo. It was so much more fun than just being at home all day. I lived with my grandma and she worked most of the time so it was good to have something to do when she was gone, and to interact with children that were my age.

So you were raised in Beaufort South Carolina?

Yeah. I was born in Maryland but my mom was having a hard time raising me as a single parent so I moved here when I was 6 to live with my grandmother and grandfather. They were like my parents, they made sure I had everything I needed and I feel really lucky and blessed to have had them.

Is there anything that you have learned from working at the youth center that you think will help you with your child?

I’ve learned a lot. I see how much time and attention children need. I also realize that they like for you to really get involved and play with them not just watch them play. I also know that they can be a handful at times but dealing with ten kids at once at the youth center will hopefully prepare me to deal with just one.

What do you think the most rewarding thing about working at the Laurel Bay Youth Center is?

It has to be when one of the children come back and tell you that they made an A on a paper you helped them with, or that you helped them to get a good grade on a test. They have fun here but the most important thing is that they are still learning. That has to be the most rewarding part, knowing that something you did made a difference in their life.

Grahm has expressed interest in taking classes in early childhood development so that she may better help the children she works with. Her ultimate goal is to one day be director of a program like the one the Laurel Bay Youth Center offers; with her passion for children and readiness to learn it seems she is already on the right path to reaching that goal.

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MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS:

Download MCCS Logo

Download Imani Grahm

QUOTES

“MCCS SC Youth Program mission is to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring individuals.” -MCCS.com

“Youth Centers provide a safe haven for school age children offering recreation activities and before and after school programs. The facility boasts a full sized gymnasium, playground, arts and craft room, game room and teen center.” - marinecorpsusa.org

About MCCS Laurel Bay Youth Center

MCCS Laurel Bay Youth Center is a Beaufort, SC based organization that provides support to Marines and their family members, making resources available as well as methods for meeting the challenges of the military lifestyle. Affiliated with the Boys & Girls Club of America. For more information on MCCS Laurel Bay Youth Center, please call 843.228.7640 or visit us www.mccs-sc.com.

RELATED LINKS

Laurel Bay Youth Center
Contact information and locations of after school and summer programs

L.I.N.K.S.
Lifestyle skill development for military families

Boys & Girls Club America
Official site of Boys and Girls club of America

Go Green- Make Some Green

It’s almost Earth Day, the perfect time of year for a  post about how Mother Nature has been doing some amazing PR lately! It seems like almost every company has some type of “green” thinking behind it now. Linking your product or brand with a green idea is a great way to get some attention while showing the public that you don’t just want to make money- you want to make a difference. Here are some great examples of green advertising:

Hanes goes green, helping the planet for future generations – the kids in this ad are adorable!!

Hilarious-  Ludacris and Tommy Lee go green (from PlanetGreenTV)

For more information on going green, check out 29 Tips To Go Green!

PRCA 3330 – Social Media News Release

What is a Social Media News Release?

This is the definition of an Social Media News Release from webprpro.com:

a new format of writing press releases that incorporates web-based tools for people to share and discuss the information of the release with one another

Basically, it gives you the opportunity to disseminate information with a platform that allows you to communicate with the people you disseminate the information to.

• When should a PR practitioner use a Social Media News Release instead of a regular News Release?

copyblogger.com gives these reasons on why regular press releases may fall short- and why SMNR’s may be the better option:

1. They have the wrong focus
2. They are full of marketing speak that can cause readers to “mistrust” information
3. They do not have a specific audience in mind

For more information on SMNR’s, check out these blogs post:

Briansolis.com

Copyblogger.com

You can also get templates for SMNR’s here:

pitchengine.com

prxbuilder.com

PRCA 3330 – 5 Steps To Multimedia Storytelling

This weeks topic is all about the NewsU course 5 Steps to Multimedia Storytelling

What did I learn?

The best multimedia stories are mult-dimensional. They include elements that will transfer well to video, graphics, and photos. They are non-linear; don’t think first part, second part- think this part, that part. The first step to multimedia storytelling is creating a storyboard.

What surprised me?

I didn’t realize how much equiptment went into multimedia use. On the section about backpack journalist it had a list of what to bring which included energy bars, a pocket knife, and rubberbands (very MacGyver) I would never have thought that those types of items would be necessary.

What do I want to know more about?

I would like to give it a shot one day; it sounds like a hard process but it also sounds like a lot of fun. Taking an idea from a storyboard to an actual presentation seems like it would be very rewarding. NewsU also listed links to some sites that had good examples of multimedia story telling, so my lesson on multimedia storytelling isn’t going to end with the NewsU course!

What Do You Want From Me?

Okay- I had to do a PR Connection about Tiger Woods. Not because I think he is a horrible scum bag. Not because I have some funny joke involving the witty usage of golf terms and innuendo. I had to do a post about Tiger because I want to know what exactly a person has to do to finally curve the hunger of the seemingly starving media. I just have to know; what exactly do they want from Tiger?

I have seen more than a few blog post on PR advice for Tiger, here is some advice from Business Week, followed by my opinion (of course):

The public likes results. If Tiger played well people would start to forget about his personal life and start focusing on his professional golf career. Okay, so he is playing again.. problem solved.

If you’re a winner that trumps bad behavior. He may not exactly be back on the top, but he isn’t exactly on the bottom.

If the public feels sorry for you it doesn’t matter how crazy you acted. Sorry, I don’t think he is going to have luck with this one.

Apologize and take the heat. The public likes that. Well he has apologized, but the media said that it just wasn’t quite good enough. Come on people- he didn’t cheat on you, he cheated on his wife.

I just have a hard time figuring out what infidelity and golf have in common. Why are we so obsessed with the personal lives of celebrities? What is it that makes us feel like we have been personally betrayed when they end up being someone other than who we thought they were?