Just Google It

Social Media &Boston Bombings

From the President’s Desk

ent

COMMMAY 2013

Volume 2, Issue 6

AN RWU PRSSA PUBLICATION

Helpful tips for media hits

Freshman year is definitely an adjustment for all of us. It’s a time where we truly leave our parents, explore new spaces, make new friends, and really push our limits.

One defining aspect of my freshman year was getting involved with PRSSA. During my Intro to Mass Media class I got an opportunity to touch upon what public relations was. I was really interested in it and through exploring it deeper I found PRSSA. It is still a moment I will never forget.

I was walking to the room where my friend said PRSSA holds all of it’s meetings, and I walk in and there were no guys. It was 24 girls in a room whom were mostly upperclassmen. After one meeting, I was so intimidated by not seeing too many freshman at all I wasn’t sure if PRSSA was for me.

I took a look around, and all I saw were hard working, motivated people passionate about public relations. I saw people who were the true essence of being a workhorse. They were the kind of people that you knew were going to be successful in whatever they set their mind to. After really seeing what I was going to be joining, I figured I would give it a shot.

Meeting after meeting, I started to really get involved in the club. Through this involvement, I got opportunities that I can easily say a lot of freshmen have not gotten. I got to go to L.A. for 12 days to do a class and firm tours, I got to go to Boston to visit firms, and I got an opportunity to help MC and put together the 6th Annual PRSSA Gala. Moreover, PRSSA has allowed me to get to know some incredible people. From an extremely hard working e-board to members that show great participation, the fact is they all led by example.

I guess it’s true when they say, surround yourself with people better so you yourself can become better as well. They were able to raise my level in school and in club participation because I didn’t want them thinking I was a freshman that couldn’t hold my weight. The influence of PRSSA goes deeps into the roots of the events I got to participate in and people I got to meet. There is no question: PRSSA will be a big part of my college career here at RWU. The opportunities that lie within this club seem endless. From Bateman, to Jolly Roger, to e-board positions, and the opportunity to meet incredibly smart and driven people; PRSSA gave me experiences I could never have imagined myself having.

Clayton Durant_COMMunicator

Page 1

From A Freshman’s Point of View

Balancing class projects, work-study jobs, a social life and a good night’s sleep can be a demanding task to ask of a public relations intern. Spending hours during the week in agencies or in-house departments can be tough when working for no pay. Many PR interns usually take charge creating and updating specialized media lists, monitoring clients in the news, clipping media hits and other administrative tasks but to really make your internship worthwhile, step out of your comfort zone and ask for additional responsibilities.

If you consider yourself to be creative and a good writer, (crucial skills for aspiring PR pros!) ask to help with pitching story ideas. This semester, while learning how to pitch effectively by personalizing each email or call to the writer and his/her audience, I learned the importance of reaching out to bloggers to speak about client products.

According to a PR Daily study, consumers consider bloggers to be trustworthy brand advocates, especially the all-powerful mommy bloggers. Many of these women ask for product samples so they can truly understand the product and write an honest review. More often than not, if the moms enjoy the sample and recommend it their readers, they will run giveaways, which is beneficial for her blog and the PR team. The blog gets more recognition through increased social media shares and the PR pros reap the benefits of increased brand engagement. And that's what public relations is all about, right? Fostering mutually beneficial relationships.

At my current internship, I’m able to pitch newsworthy ideas to eco-friendly and mom bloggers. Use these three tips to increase your chances of getting a media hit:

- Actually read the blog! Know what each blogger likes to write about and know their audience

- Be newsworthy! You’re more likely to get a hit if your pitch is on trend

- Provide a call-to-action! Make sure you tell the blogger what you want them to do

Looking for more responsibility will impress your internship advisors and better yet, if your attempts at getting client coverage are fruitful, you can add an impressive line to your resume! Happy interning!

Page 2Elizabeth Monahan_COMMunicator

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With social media usage at an all-time high, everyone has become a reporter. The recent Boston bombing tragedy was the first terrorist attack on American soil in the age of smartphones, Twitter and Facebook. Within seconds of the initial explosion the Internet was rampant with images, videos and speculations.

Social media played a critical role in acquiring clues leading to the confirmation of suspects and eventually the capture of 19-year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Per the Boston Police’s request, people were encouraged to share their photos and videos online in order to aid in the identification of suspects.

The wildfire of online sharing caused speculation that quickly spiraled out of control, leading to accusations of innocent people and inciting panic in the masses. The few facts known in the heat of the ordeal were lost in the sheer volumes of information online. Information on social media can spread like a computer virus, being shared with millions, if not billions throughout the world in just seconds. With everyone wanting to get the scoop, misinformation was viral.

Traditional news sources including television, print and online media got caught up in the moment and misreported, repeatedly, to the point President Obama acknowledged the medias’ tendency to draw assumptive conclusions. Though many outlets found themselves retracting statements and apologizing for misinformation, CNN caught the brunt end when being first to announce an arrest on April 17 th. Once Twitter and Reddit users caught wind of the network’s news, it didn’t take long to spread. Boston Globe, Fox News and The Associated Press felt the need to follow suit and jumped on the bandwagon releasing a similar statement that an arrest had been made. On the other hand, NBC and CBS News had a more reliable source and did not follow the trend. Instead, they held strong by saying nothing until they both confirmed that no arrest had been made. To stop the gossip, a former FBI agent went on CNN and handled the inaccuracy.

In the media frenzy, haste led to serious accusations of the innocent. Soon after the FBI released surveillance videos of the suspects, the New York Post took a photo offline of two marathon viewers and published it on the paper’s cover with “Bag Men – Feds seek these two pictured at Boston Marathon.” The innocent backpack-wearing Massachusetts high school student feared for his life until the close of the manhunt. People also took to social media to post graphic images of Tamerlan Tsarnaev after his death, create false accounts in the suspects’ names, and distribute insensitive statements and inaccuracies.

In short, the week of the Boston bombing was not a banner week for the media, or us amateur reporters. Let this be a lesson to all – think before you post, and of course, don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.

Page 3

Kyrie Perry_COMMunicator

The Good –

Social Media & the Boston Bombings: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

The Ugly –

The Bad–

Page 4

How many times have you heard the phrase, “Just Google it?” In the past few years, Google has eased its way into every day vocabulary for people and become a verb. This is one of the many reasons, that Google has become the most influential brand in the United States as of 2013 above Amazon and Apple. Getting to this point was a struggle, but with constant hard work it was possible.

Google did what Senior Vice President with Ipsos MarketQuest in New York stated is necessary to have a successful brand which is that, “Brands have to work hard to build their name and when it actually exercises influence over our daily lives and our daily decisions, you know that brand has done its work.” Google is used for everyday purposes, when people want answers quick and easy.

Google has continued to build their brand over the past 15 years, and put their consumers first, while figuring out how to make money. Google constantly updates their search engines, and continues to strive to have the best information, in order to be a reliable source for consumers. They ensure that consumers are able to find what they are looking for, which makes Google a user friendly site, and when people can trust a site they constantly revisit it. A consumer’s loyalty to a company is which helps to build a company’s brand image.

Over the past 15 years, Google, has worked to build their search engine, and invested a significant amount of time, into developing a brand. Due to this hard work, Google has become influential in Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, the U.K., France, Germany and China, making it a global brand. It is constantly growing, and more and more countries are beginning to use Google.

Now with modern technology, and multiple search engines just as Bling being used, Google is in constant competition, which is why they continue to work to improve their brand image and please consumers. This is because although Google may be at the top now, they are well aware that with one bad incident, or failure to stay modern, their brand image could be destroyed. But if Google continues to fufill their goal of making consumers have the easiest access to information than they will remain on top. Going globally is the next stop for Google and they have already excelled at this, becoming the number one search engine in Canada.

Sydney Eason_COMMunicator

IT

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As a freshman at Roger Williams University I joined many clubs, hoping to find my place here. I was quickly drawn to RWU’s Public Relations Study Society of America chapter. The chapter had so much to offer including great new friends, community fundraisers, professional networking events and so much more. Since my first year in PRSSA, I have become heavily involved in the chapter. Next year, my senior year, I will officially be the organization’s president.

As president there are a few things that I would like to accomplish. First, I would like to hold more networking events. I would like to bring in monthly speakers who can talk to the chapter about different topics of our member’s interests.

Additionally, I would like to extend our firm tours. Currently, the chapter offers firm tours in Los Angeles, New York City, and Boston but unfortunately these are all too far away for internships during the semester. I would like to hold firm tours in Providence so that students can meet professionals who they can get internships and jobs with during the school year in order to receive class credit.

I would also like to collaborate and exchange ideas with students at URI. URI has a huge PR Society and is considering becoming a PRSSA chapter as well.

Most importantly, I would like to revamp our chapter and really get everyone involved. I plan to do this by putting in place guidelines for becoming a member with out just writing a check and throwing our chapter on a resume.

I welcome any ideas and suggestions from old and new members and can’t wait to work with everyone. I am confident RWU PRSSA is going to have a fantastic year!

Caitlin Galeotti_COMMunicator

From the President’s Desk...

Page 6

Sofia Giovannello_COMMunicator

These past four years have flown by; I cannot believe that I will be walking across a stage in two short weeks to collect my bachelor’s degree. People always warned me that college would fly by-- when I was in the midst of things, it just didn’t seem that way. Long, sleepless nights spent in GHH spending endless hours upon hours on papers and designs...it was difficult for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I recently made a list of my final assignments for the semester (as I do every semester), but this semester, it felt a little different. This will be the last assignment list I will ever make. Unless I decide to go back to attend graduate school, I will never have to do another assignment for a grade ever again... what an odd feeling.

I have always been so eager to start my career; I have been thinking about what my future will hold for years. I thank RWU and PRSSA for all of the opportunities I have received; I know I could not have gotten half of the leadership roles at another school, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Although I have not yet secured a job, I feel so confident walking into an interview and knowing that I have the skill set and knowledge necessary to succeed in any position. This is confidence that I had never possessed before, and I can see how I have grown in so many ways since freshman year.

It has been an amazing experience to be the Editor-in-Chief of COMMent for this past year, and I see it only growing larger and evolving in the future.

Endless thank you’s to all contributers and readers!

xoxo

...From the Editor’s Desk

Editor-in-ChiefSofia Giovannello

COMMunicatorsClayton DurantSydney EasonCaitlin Galeotti

Elizabeth Monahan Kyrie Perry

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