Virginia Tech: A Week for Remembrance

Isn’t it crazy how time flies by? It seems like just yesterday I was a freshman sitting in my first college class wondering if I would be able to make it through the next four years. Now, I’m a senior, only months from graduating and finding a real job. I guess my purpose for writing this blog is reflection. We are supposed to use this blog for PR purposes and I will get to that eventually.

A year ago this Wednesday I was sitting in front of the television watching the news of the Virginia Tech shooting unfold. I do not think the actual pain of the day sank in for a few days after the shooting. Three days ago I was preparing to go out with some of my friends when I saw what the date was and I realized that I had forgotten. Now I am seeing Virginia Tech everywhere. Flags outside of homes bearing maroon and orange, bumper stickers with “We are all Hokies today,” written across them. It is so hard for me to believe that an entire year has passed.

Now for the PR. I wanted to blog about Virginia Tech and how the news media should handle this one year anniversary. I truly hope that instead of reliving the day, similar to how we have relived September 11th in the past six years, the news media decides to remember those lost. Although a year has gone by, there are still unhealed wounds and countless emotions that have not been dealt with. Perhaps instead of exploiting the shooting, like we did a year ago, we should take the entire day to reflect, even give thanks that nothing else as tragic and catastrophic as Virginia Tech has happened again.

In closing, I hope those who read this can see where I am coming from. From a college student’s perspective, not a day goes by that I do not give thanks that nothing like this has ever happened to myself, my loved ones or my friends and classmates. From a PR perspective, I think it is important to realize the fine line between effective journalism and respectful journalism. Let’s take this week to remember those who we have lost, not to get the highest number of viewers.

Speaking Up

Last week in class, Robert French asked his students to sign up for a couple of PR networking sites on the internet. First, theloveliestvillage.org, a networking site specific to the Auburn students and faculty (hence the loveliest village.) He also asked us to make an account for PROpenMic.org which is a worldwide networking site for all PR practitioners, but particularly students and faculty of higher education.

This week I wanted to blog about some of the things I noticed about these two sites. First, they are VERY similar in the design and account aspects. I know that Robert designed PROpenMic and theloveliestvillage.org was created in congruence with loveliestvillage.org. I really like the easy-to-navigate designs of both sites. It is really easy to find your friends and add them accordingly. I especially like the extra “Gadgets” that you can add to your profile. While a few are more on the serious, informational side, most are fun like Chuck Norris facts and Scramble, a game. I think it is important to have fun things on these sites to keep people coming back. Sounds a little immature, but the fact of the matter is that college students are always looking for entertaining things to do on the internet.

I look forward to see what PROpenMic and The Loveliest Village have to offer its members in the future. I think these are wonderful sites for networking, making connections and finding jobs and internships and I think they will only benefit students and faculty members that join.

Networking Nuptials

This past weekend, I attended the rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and reception of a friend of mine. She and her husband work together in Atlanta at a major company that deals with Graphic Design and a majority of the guests also worked in Atlanta at various companies. Being one of the younger guests there, especially being one that had not yet graduated from undergraduate studies yet, I was approached by several people about what I wanted to do after I graduated in December. I was excited to meet new people and did not consider the chance to network while attending the festivities, but when the opportunity arose I did not pass it up.

I exchanged information with several people, including one person who works at a marketing firm and another who has several connections with Nascar. I chose to blog about my experience because it was the first time that I was ever approached by someone about possible work in the future and it was the first time that I had a chance to network, or as we have learned at Auburn, create mutually beneficial relationships. I left the reception feeling confident with my future contacts. I felt like I had a better chance of eventually getting my foot in the door in a career that I would really enjoy. I guess the purpose of this blog is to show people that regardless of where you are, a wedding, the supermarket or a party, there are always opportunities to meet new people and make new connections and I am very excited that I took advantage.

Auburn Tragedy: The Talk of the Nation

Last Wednesday, we sat in Style and Design with Robert French discussing the tragedy that occurred the evening before. Some of us knew Lauren Burk, the freshman Delta Gamma who was shot and killed at 9 o’clock the previous night. A lot of us sat listening, still distraught, but mostly scared, of what was going to come next. There were no suspects that we knew of and we wondered what would be in the media in the following days. After all, Auburn is a small town and people are killed every day all around the nation. What made this incident a special case?

We joked about what Nancy Grace would say and decided that if we were a news station we would already be in Auburn reporting the story. If you live in Auburn, you would know that this is just what happened. Wednesday night “Auburn freshman slain” was plastered on the news screens. Nancy Grace was attempting to make ties between Lauren’s death and the disappearance of another Auburn student in the years past. From a public relations standpoint, this is to be expected. I am proud of Auburn, and especially the officials working on the case, on their candor and ability to be discreet when talking about the case.

It was important that the police did not give away too much information. After all, they do not want the killer to know that they have leads or any evidence. Since the murder there has been an arrest, but I worry that officials felt forced to get some kind of solution as soon as possible. I’m worried that the person they have in custody could be used as a scapegoat in order to show everyone all of the effort that they put forth. Obviously, I do not know the evidence that was used to charge this man with murder, and I pray that they have the right person. The most important thing is that Lauren is remembered as the cheerful, intelligent girl that so many people knew her to be. Unfortunately, I was not fortunate enough to know her, but I will never forget her story.

Sharing the Spotlight?

An article printed in PRWeek discusses a news station in Huntsville, Ala. that allegedly “blacked-out” an episode of 60 minutes in February because of a Republican bias. With the 2008 election swiftly approaching, I think this is an extremely interesting case to analyze. By law, mass media networks are required to allot the same amount of airtime to all parties running in an election. For instance, if Barack Obama gets a 1 minute commercial on NBC, Hillary Clinton and John McCain require the same amount of time.

While the news station is obviously denying the allegations, it can be argued that it “blacked-out” the episode intentionally. Alabama is predominantly Republican in many of its counties, particularly the Huntsville area. If the local news station had a certain bias toward Republicans, it is possible that it may have stopped the program from airing on the local level.

In response to this, I think it is absolutely absurd if the news station intentionally “blacked-out” the program. Every voter in the United States deserves to see the full story from all angles of the election. It is unfair to think that since most of the state is considered Republican that the democratic side should not be shown. Each candidate, and party, deserves the same amount of media time. If we start taking this liberty away from people, what is next? If the news station in Huntsville intentionally did not show the episode, something needs to be done about it.

Totally YouTubular

It is hard to believe what a phenomenon YouTube has become in the past few years. It is now possible to find national commercials, entire television episodes or even videos created by your neighbors on the Internet. YouTube has made this possible. I did not realize when I signed up for Style and Design that we would be using YouTube to post our videos, but I am glad that it is required. In the future, I see YouTube being used internationally by everyone, including businesses, to promote ideas and products.

This is what Hearst has decided to do, according to a recent article found at http://tinyurl.com/3c693q. Hearst Magazines will follow in the footsteps of many other national media companies such as TVGuide. Hearst has already planned a competition using its “Seventeen” magazine to raise awareness about teenage pregnancy by having teenagers post videos about their “Plan A”.

YouTube provides several benefits for Internet surfers and bloggers. It is a great outlet for self-expression and some “YouTubers” has gotten their 15 minutes of fame, and then some, just by posting videos on the site. Businesses can greatly benefit from posting on YouTube because so many people visit the site on a regular basis and it is just another way to get your name in mainstream media.

Candidates Can Connect with Social Media

This year, we will be voting for a new president of the United States. In the last election, I was not able to vote due to technicalities with out-of-state ballots, etc. This year is my year. With this being said, I have made a conscious effort to pay attention to all that is political. I am trying to accustom myself to the campaigns, be open to both parties, despite my tendency to lean toward democratic views. I have visited the websites, watched the YouTube videos and followed the national debates. However, to reach my generation, I believe the best channel to use is social media.

I pay attention most to what the candidates are trying to do online to gain support. For instance, a majority of voters this year are of Hispanic decent. Having a minor in Spanish, I decided to go to Google.es and search for each candidate’s official site offered in Spanish. I visited Clinton’s site first, but her site was bilingual, so Spanish speakers could only read some of the articles. Barack Obama’s website was entirely in Spanish. John McCain, the current front-runner for the Republican party and Mike Huckabee, another Republican candidate, did not have an official site in Spanish. Spanish speakers comprise a large group of our voting population and these candidates are not reaching a prime target.

The YouTube videos that I watched were very intriguing. The Barack Obama video was especially impressive and included a great amount of star quality to help the viewer connect with the message. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fZHou18Cdk&feature=related) It sounded like a real song. The video about John McCain,(http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs) I was a little thrown off by. I assume it was a spoof to knock McCain, and if this was the case, it worked on me.

The presidential candidates can really use social media to their advantage if they try. I know that some candidates have even established Facebook and MySpace pages and this is a great way to gain supporters and campaign. I think if they aim some of their tactics toward social media channels, the 2008 candidates will reap the benefits.

Facebook Finally Good for Something

I knew Facebook was good for something other than cyber stalking! After reading this article about Union University’s use of blogging and social media outlets, I am excited to hear that Facebook was finally put to good use! Since the Virginia Tech tragedy, Auburn University has been trying to establish AU Alert, a system designed to alert students whenever there is a emergency on campus. I think Auburn could learn a thing or two from this example.

If you walk into a computer lab on any given day, you will see that several students are not doing homework, studying or researching, but in fact, they are on Facebook or MySpace. With all of the new handheld technology, students can even sit on the concourse or in class and surf the web. With this in mind, Auburn should consider expanding the AU Alert system to the social networking sites like Union Univ. did.

As silly as it may sound, this is what students look at these days. The television news is becoming obsolete. We need everything laid out before us on a computer screen and this is a great way for Auburn to keep us up-to-date.

Rayfield Works with Children at Little Tree

Kaylan Rayfield is a senior majoring in Psychology. She will be graduating from Auburn University in August 2008. Since beginning her studies at the university, Kaylan has taken several opportunities to work with young children suffering from autism.

Currently, she is interning at the Little Tree Learning Center where she works with the children, of various ages, gives them tests, and helps them perform different tasks. After completing her degree, Kaylan wished to attend graduate school where she will earn a degree in Abnormal Psychology.

Sarah Elmer: Intern Extraordinaire

Sarah Elmer, a senior, will be graduating this spring from Auburn University with a degree in public relations. Currently, she is working as an intern for the Opelika Chamber of Commerce. Sarah has a genuine interest in the politics that organize city affairs and hopes to gain great insight into the town’s daily workings.