Should public relations practitioners be social media savvy?

With the continuing growth of social media globally, the idea of a PR practitioner being expected to be familiar with social media is not farfetched. A relevant question may even be when this will no longer be an expectation, but a requirement.

Many in the field of PR are aware of the advantages of using social media as a tool. Facebook alone has over 400 million worldwide users. Other social media sites include Twitter, Google+, Bebo, Linkedin, etc. With social media connecting such a large amount of people from around the world, it is a given that global PR practitioners should take advantage of the sites’ networking capabilities.

With all of the different social media sites available, and constant changes in how to navigate some sites, one could see the challenge in being familiar with every site. But with the unlimited advantages of using social media as a tool, the expectation of PR practitioners to use it is here to stay.

An interesting article relating to this is, “How PR Pros Are Using Social Media for Real Results,” located at http://mashable.com/2010/03/16/public-relations-social-media-results/

By Sammie Jo Dellinger
Associate Manager

How should global public relations deal with new media and technology?

As global technology continues to evolve, how important is it for PR practitioners to stay up to date with new media and technology? For the most part, understanding and using these tools are basic skills for practitioners. However, there are those who may feel the technological evolution is too fast, as we progress from one social network to the next. This becomes even more complicated when we think about using these tools on a global scale.

I read an interesting article discussing Facebook users around the world. Obviously, the country with the most Facebook users is the US. Surprisingly, Indonesia is the country with the second largest number of Facebook users. There are a lot of differences among Internet users in different countries. China has the largest internet population, and Japan and Korea ranked high. I have heard that smart phones work as an Internet infrastructure, so there are a lot of Facebook users in Indonesia.

However, new media changes are not only based on the amount of users, but also on the regulations and culture. For example, there are a lot of regulations in China. And also many new social networks have popped up in Japan and Korea, specific to these countries and their cultures.

As I mentioned, it’s very important to keep up new media and technology, but if we consider the cultural value at the same time, it can make things very complicated. It is virtually impossible to keep up with every country's individual social networks as a practitioner.

Even though there are a lot of differences, there are a lot of common understandings.
We laugh when we are enjoying and cry when we are sad. These are universal behaviors.

I think the area of global PR is the place where we can consider universal PR activities based on new media and technologies without culture or each country’s regulatory conditions. Then, we should break them down to each country’s PR based on cultural values.

By Tetsuro Otsuka
Associate Manager

Scandalous Perceptions?

The new television series, “Scandal”, debuts midseason this fall on ABC.

Kerry Washington stars as Olivia Pope, power consultant and previous media relations consultant to the President; a role loosely based on Judy Smith, former press aide to the Bush administration.

The plot centers on Pope, who leaves the White House to open her own firm where she specializes in “fixing” the images of the country’s elite. Pope may be able to get even the most disreputable images back into society’s good graces, but she can’t quite fix her own life or those of her staff members. The series, which comes from the producers of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice”, will no doubt be riddled with love affairs gone sour. However, the question concerning public relations is whether or not the series will do justice to the profession.

In a world where public relations is already viewed with negative connotations, how will “Scandal” affect the image of the profession? Will PR practitioners once again be viewed as “liars”, and “constant partiers”? Or will the series portray the PR profession as what it truly is: A profession promoting ethical behavior, honesty and openness?

By Kate Brissenden

Associate Manager

Women and Public Relations

ATTENTION MALES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS – Noticing more females in your classes? The article “PR- It’s a woman’s world” provides a brief explanation of women breaking the boundary in a field previously dominated by males. It is apparent that women are taking the stage in PR and enabling corporations to broaden their PR scopes. In the United Kingdom, there is an apparent gender divide in the public relations field which allows women to set the stage. The article also demonstrates how women are moving away from stereotypical careers into a work force dominated by males.

On second thought, a female stepping into a PR position requires tough skin. Women are facing issues concerning apparel, and second-guessing which items to wear or not wear for interviews or important meetings with their boss. Check out “Women turned down for jobs based on engagement rings”, for a story about a company looking at hands rather than faces in the interviewing process.

“PR: It’s a woman’s world” is available at:
http://www.prconversations.com/index.php/2011/02/pr-its-a-womans-world/
After reading the article, do you think males should beware? In a field of high competition, will males feel as though they are being stepped on? What are your thoughts on female development in PR?

“Women turned down for jobs based on engagement rings” is available at: http://prdaily.com/marketing/Articles/9407.aspx
Ever thought a company would hire you based on the size of your engagement ring? Have you ever faced this or heard of this before?

By Anna Craver
Associate Manager