Chris Yates

Public Relations and Event Planning May 4, 2010

     Well my Events Management group just completed our first event and it was a success. The Comm. Arts Department Career Fair was a fun event to work and plan for, I had a great time.  I learned about a  lot of frustrating aspects about the planning process however. At times, nothing seemed to be going right and things weren’t coming together easily.  This really showed me how important communication is in a group project like this.  I even saw a little bit of conflict resolutioin theory being applied throughout this process, as sometimes we had to choose between the lesser of two evils.

Social Media and Diffusion of Information May 4, 2010

     I was thinking recently about the boom in social media. It has become a major marketing tool for businesses and those in the field of public relations.  But just how widespread is it? I think we’re reaching a point now when a majority of the older generations (especially baby boomers) are going to fully embrace social media.  I’m seeing a lot more evidence of baby boomers taking advantage of applicatoins such as Twitter and Facebook. I think the reason lies within the theory of diffusion of information. It’s possible that the younger generations have become the opinion leaders in the area of computers and online media. Since social media has become a nearly permanent fixture in our lives, the older generations, who were unsure about it to begin with, will gradually start to adopt it.

Learning From a Job Shadowing Experience May 4, 2010

     My job shadow assignment went pretty well.  I was reminded of a lot of basic principles that you really can’t forget about. Writing emails and memos will likely be a continuous activity throughout the day, and in fact the majority of communications with clients will be through email. This means it is extremely important to mind your grammar and spelling at all times. You’re not only representing yourself, but the organization you work for as well.

Tiger and Big Ben May 4, 2010

     Everybody’s probably tired of hearing about Tiger Woods’ and Ben Roethlisberger’s drama. As a sports fan, I’m ready for it to go away so it can be just about the game again. Will we ever be able to leave this behind? I think so, but it will take time.  Kobe Bryant seemed to bounce back from his incident, and you don’t hear of many people criticizing him anymore.  Whenever the media coverage slows down due to time or a bigger, better story, people’s focus will shift.  This is a real-life example of the agenda setting theory.

Crisis Management May 4, 2010

     A topic of discussion that came up in class was crisis management. The class identified various strategies involving the right type of response in a crisis situation:

Offensive Response

• Attack the accuser
• Threat (lawsuit, prosecution, etc.)

Defensive Response

• Denial
• Excuse
• Justification

    There are many other different ways to respond other than in a basic defensive or offensive role.  The important thing is choosing the right response for the right situation.

Public Relations and Ethics May 4, 2010

     When considering ethics in public relations, many things come to mind. PR practitioners must face difficult decisions when representing a client, like being asked to lie or cover up the truth. We can see examples of this happening to companies everyday.  The insider trading busts of the past decade are my favorite examples.  The dishonest practices by Enron and Martha Stewart’s company were rooted in a breach of ethics. Why do things like this continue to happen? Maybe because people don’t take ethical considerations as seriously when a lot of money is involved. Definately a big obstacle for public relations.

Michael Crichton’s “Airframe” May 4, 2010

   Airframe was a little bit different than most of the other Michael Crichton novels I’ve read. It had less action and absolutely no science fiction, but it was fast-paced and interesting. The main character, Casey, works for Norton Airline, a company that designs and builds airplanes.  Her job is to represent the company whenever they get into a crisis situation, such as an accident involving one of their planes. Many of the PR-related tasks Casey is assigned to throughout the book seem realistic enough. She conducts research, talks to journalists, and sets up interviews.  She is even confronted with difficult ethical situations, but of course, everything is exaggerated a bit.  Overall, I think it’s a good example of public relations in pop culture, and I enjoyed it more than Kell on Earth and Hancock.

Hancock and Public Relations May 4, 2010

     I have mixed feelings about Hancock after watching it for the first time.  It is an interesting take on superhero movies however. Hancock, played by Will Smith, isn’t much of a hero. He’s rude, drunk all of the time, and he leaves a path of destruction everywhere he goes.  This is where the public relations aspect of the film comes in to play. Hancock gets help from Ray Embry, a public relations specialist. Embrey convinces him that he can repair his image and create a good name for himself.  There were several good examples of real PR strategies such as conflict resolution, agenda setting, and framing theory. The last 45 minutes of the movie are a big let down though. Even for a superhero movie, it was a little too far-fetched.

Kell on Earth May 4, 2010

     Many PR students this semester are watching the new reality TV show, Kell on Earth.  On the surface, this show seems a little shallow and overdone in the way that most programs in its genre are.  But, Kell on Earth does give a few examples of public relations theory throughtout the show.  For example, contingency theory is evident by the way the firm alternates between advocacy and accomodation. Throughout the show, there are several different problems that arise in which the characters seem to use this approach.