The End of an Era

I feel this blog needs a closing post. The purpose of this blog was to show the transformation as I "budded" into a PR professional. I started this blog on January 16, 2010 and while that is just a year ago, it is amazing to look back and see how different I am, personally and professionally. When we all were required to start a blog, none of us (my awesome Mean in Green team) had truly used social networking for PR purposes. Since then we all utilize Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, etc. to accomplish PR.

For a reflection, I think a timeline of PR growth should be created on this blog...

Spring Semester 2010
Jan- Guest Speaker at Flagler College
Feb- Pitch auction themes
Feb- Read The Tipping Point and got inspiration for what PR is all about
March- Create Resume, figure out the art of cover letters
March- Search/Apply for internships
March- Watch firsthand the media's response to the Roethlisberger incident in Milly
March- First independent promotional night (mean in green bball game)
April- Countless hours creating by hand EVERY little perfect detail for our huge Athletic Auction
April- ATHLETIC AUCTION, the pinnacle event of any GCSU PR student's career
Summer 2010- INTERNSHIP @ The Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce
Fall 2010- whew, words/timelines cannot capture everything that went on during this last semester of college
Fall 2010- Senior Seminar- this class was split into two sections. The practical must know info for the real world, and then a research section. SO much is learned in these sections that are essential to learn before graduation
Fall 2010- Created professional portfolio and website
Dec- Final research paper presentations and portfolio presentations
Dec- GRADUATION!!!!!!!!!!! Finished.
Jan 2011- THE JOB SEARCH- I am in the midst of interviews and figuring out the next step in life.... whew what a true learning experience this time of adjustment this is!

Overall, I am so proud to say I am a GCSU Alum!!!!! GCSU and more importantly the mass communication department at Ga College is in my biased opinion one of the top schools/departments to attend to be able to bud into the PR professional that I always aspired to be. I could not have done it without our amazing professor/mentor- Dr. Ginger Carter Miller and my wonderful Mean in Green team. All of you guys have all my love and support forever!!

Government Relations

The following information was taken from a presentation that I had to do in class:


What is Government?
Examples:
Armed forces, police and fire departments
Social programs (health and food safety)
Developers of guidelines and laws
Elected political representatives
*Try to find any aspect of our daily lives that is untouched by government activity

Breakdown of Government
Two relationship perspectives:
Governmental relations
Public Affairs
Governmental Relations
“An organization’s efforts to build and maintain a working relationship with elected politicians or appointed government officials.”

Goal: To ensure the organization’s concerns and needs are known to appropriate representatives to ensure the long-term success and survivability of the organization.

Within these organizations…
Public Affairs Specialist-
Writes factual informational letters
Op-ed pieces
Position papers
Newsletters
Create and place advocacy advertising
Visit government officials to discuss issues
Provide testimony for public hearings

Lobbying
A persuasive campaign to support, defeat, or amend legislation that the organization deems necessary to its own interests.
Continuous and strategic pressure advocacy tactics
Negative side: sometimes results in unethical and illegal behavior to buy influence through expensive gifts, travel, or other perks to politicians

Lobbying continued…
Grassroots- enlist the help of average citizens
Calling legislators
Letter writing
Holding rallies/protests

Stealth lobbying- using front groups wherein the organization hides its involvement

Public Affairs
Fulfills government’s need to inform its publics about its programs and services, respond to inquires, and gauge public opinion of its efforts.

Public affairs, public information officer, press secretary, administrative aide, and government program analyst

Public Affairs
Informational Campaigns
Elected officials
Military

Public Affairs and Informational Campaigns
Must alert constituents of new services or changes and seek feedback
Requires research, planning, implementation, and evaluation (just like corporations) to reach target audiences
Campaigns require creative strategies to reach audience

Public Affairs and Elected Officials
They must tell their constituents what they are doing on their behalf and respond to their needs/concerns
Politicians have press secretaries and staff to help coordinate communication and relationship building activities required for winning elections and staying in office
Media relations/event planning
During their campaigns they need public relations to strategize, fundraise, and communicate effectively

Public Affairs and the Military
“Military public affairs is geared toward boosting public opinion about the armed forces, maintaining or improving personnel morale, procuring financial support for its programs, and nurturing public understanding and support.”
public information officer/public affairs specialist

Public Affairs and the Military cont.
Main Challenge:
Maintaining professional and open lines of communication between military commanders and the news media during difficult times.
Uses:
News conferences, news releases, news articles, media tours, Web sites, television/radio programs, magazines, newsletters, and full transcripts of news conference and other interviews, and embedded journalist
Goal:
Provide accurate and timely information
Consistent messages are reinforcing the military’s strategy and actions

Base Closing and Realignment
Facts:
May 13, 2005- U.S. secretary of defense Donald Rumsfield presented proposal for military base closures and realignments
Rome, New York- Air Force Research Lab
Already had the Griffiss Air Force Base closure in 1993
1995 DoD recommendation to close
Past experience made them determined to fight
Became proactive and gained support with a few influential people
Information is power- goal is to pump accurate and persuasive info build positive relationships with the people in charge of analyzing & assessing Rome’s facilities, give simple/easy facts, economic impact analysis reports, fact sheets with graphics/photos/talking points, PowerPoint presentations, informational DVD and posters, local media relations
Resulted in saving base and they even expanded it to send people from the other consolidated locations

Case Study Abu Ghraib
Three parts:
Public Affairs & the Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Scandal
Damage Control: The U.S. Government’s Response
On-the-Ground Response

Public Affairs and the Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Scandal
Summary:
What is Abu Ghraib?
What was the scandal?
When was the first news release?
Punishment?
Media’s response?

Reported Incidents
Videotaping & photographing naked male & female detainees
Forcibly arranging detainees in various sexually explicit positions for photographing
Forcing detainees to remove their clothing & keeping them naked for several days at a time
Forcing naked male detainees to wear women’s underwear
Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate themselves while being photographed & videotaped
Arranging naked male detainees in a pile then jumping on them
Placing a dog chain or strap around a naked detainee’s neck & having female soldier pose for picture
Using military dogs (w/out muzzles) to intimidate/frighten detainees and, in at least one case, biting & severely injuring a detainee

Damage Control: The U.S. Government’s Response
April 30, 2004
President Bush
White House Spokesperson (Scott McClellan)
General Kimmitt (media briefing in Iraq)
U.S. Department of State
May 3
Pentagon
May 4
Deputy Commanding General of Detention Operations in Iraq
Special Defense Dept Briefing with the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army and Provost Marshal General
May 5
President Bush with Alhurra and Al Arabiya Television Stations

Damage Control cont…
ABC’s Good Morning America with Secretary Rumsfeld
NBC Today with Secretary Rumsfeld
CBS Early Show with General Peter Pace
White House Press Briefing
Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing
Maj. Gen. Geoffry Miller at Abu Ghraib

On-the-Ground Response
Developed public diplomacy messages
The day-to-day media relations (opened 24hrs/day)-briefings, news releases
Media tours of Abu Ghraib- allowed reporters a look at the detention center, cells where abuse occurred, and housing tent for detainees

On-the-Ground Response cont.
Message: remind reporters that an investigation was launched immediately when abuse was reported, investigation followed procedures, those responsible were being held accountable, and that corrective action had been taken to prevent further abuse.
Epilogue: by June 2006, 11 low-ranking solders had been convicted

My Internship at the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce

Walking through the door on my first day as an intern, I had no idea what to expect. After going through the basic first day instructions, I received my first assignment, writing a press release for the newspaper. It was exciting that on my first day, I was able to do something for the ‘real-world!’

Since then, writing has become routine and I strived to conquer each new project the Chamber put in front of me. I spent most of my days working on specific projects, such as revamping the Alice Walker and Drugs Don’t Work brochures, creating flyers and a Leadership Alumni post card and producing videos for the Web site. These projects took place in the midst of answering phone calls, referring members, greeting tourists, running errands and fulfilling other daily tasks.

Each week, I participated in meetings around town and networking events such as Networking @ Noon, Business After Hours and Lunch-N-Learn. These events have given me the opportunity to connect with Chamber members and gain insight on this wonderful community. The personal contact with the community that I was able to have every day is one of my favorite parts of this internship.

Having an internship at the Chamber has been an invaluable experience. The Chamber staff has helped teach me tools that I could not have received anywhere else. It is a huge sacrifice of the Chamber’s time to have an intern, but the knowledge and skills that I have gained because of them is astounding. In a few short months this internship has allowed me to create enough material to have an impressive portfolio to use in the search for my career.

The time spent in Eatonton and Putnam County was a wonderful experience! I have fallen in love with the way of life found there. From saying hello to new found friends around town to enjoying the beautiful countryside drive to work; this community has welcomed me as its own this summer. I will be forever grateful, professionally and personally, for the time I have been able to spend there!

PR In Action

The PR Campaigns class put together the open house for Digital Bridges. This event helped Digital Bridges get their name out there and allowed people a chance to hear about the services they offer as well as take a look at the building. This video asks two students how they heard about the event and interviews the AE for the campaign, asking her about what went into putting this open house together. I believe their event was a success because I know people walked in the door that day that normally would not have ever stepped foot inside that building. It definitely raised awareness for Digital Bridges. All of this is a prime example of PR In Action.

SWOT of Athletic Auction

I can't believe we don't have a million details to tend to, many people to answer to, and tons of projects to complete... we are finished, the event was a success, and athletics is happy!

The awesome feeling that overcame us as we looked around the gym before the event started is indescribable! Maybe because we thought all the tedious details were never going to end, but the "we did it!" feeling was incredible!

SWOT ANALYSIS- what PR event can conclude without doing a swot analysis??

Strengths:
* The PR DreamTeam is amazing! We all have so many qualities that truly make our team invincible! We each have characteristics that are essential to creating an awesome team that without one of us we couldn't work as well. Our individual talents balanced out to make the event a huge success!
*Tradition- the fact that this particular event happens every year, the clients and guests knew what to expect and how to do it all, even though we had no clue what we were getting into
*Client- our clients were very understanding and helpful during the whole process

Weaknesses:
*Timing- we really did everything the last two weeks before the event, even though we had all semester
*Budget- we did really well at staying within our budget, but if we had more we could have made it look even classier

Opportunities:
*We were able to put this night together!
*We had the chance to plan a huge night like this and gain awesome, valuable experience for the future
*Made friends with people in the community

Threats:
*The ticket price in this economy kept people away- not selling as many tickets as normal/not raising as much money as last year
*Not getting the word out to enough people that might have came if they knew about it
*Needs bigger/hotter items that would draw people in

Evaluation of Mean in Green

Planning my own basketball theme night was a huge learning experience. I thought it would be simple and that the hardest part was coming up with a cute theme for the night and everything else would just fall into place. Well that wasn't the case...

1) My event was “It’s All About Prevention” with Bobcat Athletics on Jan. 29. I helped ATSO, the Athletic Training Student Organization, plan their emphasis night. I worked with Kirk Armstrong to plan this night. ATSO had a Tape Off (ankle taping competition) and a Knock Out basketball competition during the halftimes along with a raffle to win two date night packages.
Itinerary for the night:
Women's Game
First Half- Media Timeout- student reading PSA
Halftime- Tape-off competition
Second Media Timeout- announce who won the 1st drawing
Men's Game
First Half Media Timeout- student read PSA
Halftime - Knock Out competition
Second Half Media Timeout- announce the date night drawing

2) I would say that the night was a success. All the details for the night went off without a hitch. The whole evening was smooth, the events during the halftimes were great, and ATSO made a good amount of money with their raffle. The attendance for the Women's game was pretty good and the Mens game was PACKED! My clients, Kirk Armstrong and GCSU Athletics, were completely satisfied with the night and that's all that matters to me.

3) The best learning moment from my event was dealing with a difficult client. I never thought that I would be met with such resistance. It was hard to not take it personally. I'm glad I had to go through all those hoops with him in this type of setting instead of experiencing it on a tougher level in the professional world.

4) The one thing I wish I could do over would be dealing with my client. I hate that someone views me in a weird way for no reason. Maybe if I had met in person first instead of an email then everything would have been spelled out and not confusing to begin with.

5) I'd grade my event an A. My first reaction was to write a B based on the internal communication and struggles that happened but then I realized that those elements don't matter to the overall success of the night. They help me grow as a professional but in regards to the basketball night, it really doesn't matter. I'd say an A because everything went as smooth as possible.

6) I think consistency is the most important thing in order to keep "Mean in Green" alive. We need to keep the core elements the same every single time and keep reminding people of them. I think the most important parts of a Mean in Green event is the logo, the name, and wearing green. We need to emphasis wearing green in all descriptions of a Mean in Green event in order for people to pick up on the fact that GCSU Athletics wants fans in green at games! It's the easiest and most effective way to unify us as GCSU Athletic Fans!

Oh MillyVegas.... oh Ben Roethlisberger...

This past week, Milledgeville has been home to media vans and reporters, a sight most have never seen before. As a mass communication student in this community I can see both sides to this debacle. It's neat to see what professionals do in high profile/breaking news type stories. But as a lover of this community and school, it is frustrating to see what lengths the media will go to in order to get a scoop. In class, Pate called it "Drive-by reporting" comparing it to a drive-by shooting... they come in, disrupt, cause tension, get the story, and get out of town, leaving everyone to deal with the strain their presence created.
Dr. Miller asked some questions on her blog concerning these reporters....

What did you learn this week about the nature of media coverage in a time of crisis or emergency?
~The nature of media coverage in a time of crisis or emergency is FAST, FAST, FAST! It's pretty cutthroat! They want the details first and it doesn't matter to them who they tick off, hurt, or embarrass. As long as they have the stories as they develop then they are golden.

What's the one lesson of crisis public relations you'll always remember from this event? What is your takeaway from this, as a practitioner?
~It is important to speak first on behalf of your client so that the story everyone is talking about is the one you want them to hear. Once a side gets presented, the court of public opinion has already cast their judgment. You have to make sure it is in your favor by getting your story out the way you want it, before anyone else has a chance to sway peoples minds.

And what would you like to tell the people of the world who have a whole new impression of Milledgeville?
~Milledgeville is a wonderful, small, southern town. It is our home away from home. An incident like this would have happened regardless of the actual town Roethlisberger was in. Milledgeville is one of the safest cities I've been in and this incident doesn't change how we feel about this town. And yes, the police chief may sound a little southern, esp with a name like Blue, but he's a cop, not a public speaker so give him a break.