New Social Media newsroom

You make a really good point. In the four years I have been in school at Auburn, technology has changed so much. Blogging was not even part of my vocabulary three years ago and now it is what I do everyday. Things may be changing rapidly, but in the long run I hope most aspects of PR will retain some of their old familiarity. The use of technology is a good strategy, but technology will change and I think that if you have a good grasp on the basics, you will be able to stay ahead of the curve.
When I graduate and get a job, I will know how to use the technology that is available to us today, but if our online mediaroom is ever down for an hour, I know I will be able to deal with the problem and still get my job done. The online mediarooms are a great tool for the PR practioner of today and I just hope that by the time I am able to work with them, all the kinks in the system will have worked themselves out.

Here are those magic words again “social media.” Since starting this semester, I feel like those two words have become part of my every day vocabulary, along with more specific terms like “blog” or “podcast”. I decided to take Robert’s Style and Design class in my last semester at Auburn before entering the real world in hopes to be on top of social media when applying for a job. The curriculum in this class is at the cutting edge of this profession and where I think a good percentage of the future in it lies. I know being fluent in social media will become more important as the years go on, and even though at the moment I’m loving getting to learn all these new aspects of PR I know this is not where my passion lies.

I love to write. I am not saying I want to write short stories or novels, or even for a newspaper. I love being able to take information and write it in a way that whatever the subject is has become interesting and informative. I am confident I will be able to become fluent in work in the world of social media, but I know that if the internet is down or some site isn’t working that day, I will be able to work around it and get my job down.

The road to perfecting social media is going to be a long and tough one just like the road to the internet and e-mail was, and once we get there it has endless possibilities. I’m just glad I have the basic fundamentals to succeed until this perfection (or as close to it as possible) is achieved.

Wow, this article sums up a lot of what I am feeling right now! Just like your analogy with anti-lock brakes, the rapid pace of change in technology is definitely a scary prospect when first getting used to it. I’ve just started blogging, and am still trying to get the hang of it.

When I chose to be a public relations major I had no idea just how big of a role technology would play in my future. Finding this out now in my fourth year, I know it is necessary to embrace it in order to succeed. It’s not that I am afraid or technology itself, but I am afraid of being able to keep up with its pace.

Technology woes aside, I am excited to be starting my career at a time when so many changes are happening. It will be interesting to see how the strategy does catch up to the new technology. That said, it would be sad to see the “old” way fade away. So I’m glad to hear that you don’t think it will.

Hi!
As your post suggests, it’s an interesting time to be emerging into the public relations world. It seems that we are all standing at the threshold of a whole new way of communicating. It can be ovewhelming at times to be faced with a new wave of technology. It is hard to trust something we don’t fully understand.

Like you say, businesses and just people in general, fear this new technology. The very thing that makes it successful, the fact that it’s open to everyone, is also the same thing that makes it feared. This reminds me of online shopping. My mom still refuses to shop online because she is afraid that someone will steal her credit card number. Despite the fact that shopping online is easier, faster, and offers more choices, she is fearful of this public exposure that the internet can bring.

With all of this in mind, I think social media in general has a lot of fear to overcome. Until public relations practioners can fully prove to their clients and the general public that their information is safe, I think many people will still be hesitant to communicate this way.

Your post reinforces to me how education truly is the key to adopting change. I look over my past three years at Auburn and realize how different levels of classes and education have evolved to prepare me for my career. Before this year, the term social media meant very little to me. As a public relations major, I was just learning the basics: how to structure a press release, media ethics, etc. in my earlier classes. It is now in my senior year and in my style and design class that I feel more apart of the public relations field and a whole new world of social media has been opened up to me. I have been introduced to social media in a much more interactive way than a class discussion. Each day I feel I am learning valuable tools and skills that I know will help me in my career.

Similarly, the change of social media is going to take time. As you said, roadblocks do exist and it will take time for social media to become more established. Change is inevitable however it takes time, education and practice for people to get accustomed to the changes in any field. For public relations, social media is an exciting and transforming step for the future and I am so glad to be entering the field during this time.

The field of public relations continues to evolve drastically by leaps and bounds- not baby steps. It’s an exciting time to enter into the professional realm. Social media in the classroom is a brand new phenomenon; this creates new professionals with a sensitivity and eagerness to implement blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc. Using these tools doesn’t kill the old practices, but it is positive for a company or organization to adapt to new technologies and facilities.

It’s going to be interesting to come up against inevitable opposition from older practitioners resistant to change. There must be a solution that suits everyone’s needs and benefits the company- understanding that change can be good. If no one accepted the Internet as a positive technological advancement, where would we be today?

I agree that change takes time, and I am excited about getting introduced to the new technology tools envolved with PR. Unfortunately, I feel I am very slow with technology and never have been very active with computers ect. My mother, Ginny Murray, is the technology coordinator for Huntsville City Schools and has won many awards in her position. So, the little knowledge I have is from her before my Style and Design PR class at Auburn. I like this post, and I am excited about entering the PR world during these new technology changes. I am ready to get more involved in the technology world with the help of this class and my mom.

Dee,
I really like your last paragraph. I have thought over and over that, although we are getting into this new form of media and communication at a very privative stage, we need to realize that we are just scratching the surface as to the boundless options that are out there. Robert always reminds us that things such as YouTube did not exist a year and a half ago, yet, look how it has taken over our lives and how it has become such a widely-recognized entity. I think it is our job to use the tools that we have at the moment, but be prepared for change and welcome it as it comes.

Since I have never been in the “real world” of PR, I will just have to take the pro’s word for it that this new technology will make our jobs easier. I am extremely new to the concept of social media, and I have to admit that I am nothing short of overwhelmed. This happens any time something comes in and replaces the old way. Before I had a cell phone I never dreamed that not having one would drive me up the wall. I think in just a few years social media will have this effect on me. You take it away and it will be like having to stop at a pay-phone to make a call.

I agree with your statement, “the technology is there…it’s the strategy that has not yet caught up with it.” With all of the new advances in technology, specifically in the PR world, I think it’s hard for PR practioners and students to keep up. As a student in PR who is beginning to learn about this new technology, I’m already feeling a little overwhelmed. I can imagine that it might be a little overwhelming to PR professionals who have been working in the PR world for numerous years. On top of all of their current responsibilites, they have to find time to learn how to use these new communication tools.

Like you said, education is the answer. As more universities start to offer classes that focus on these new tools, there will be more PR practioners who know how to take advantage of them. With technology changes happening everyday, I think it’s important for all PR practioners to take the time to learn about these new tools. Even if they don’t think that they need the tool at first, they may change their mind after learning about the potential advantages.

Reading this post reminds me of a situation that happened this last week at the restaurant I work at. We work off computers. They broke suddenly in the middle of the shift. As you can imagine, it was mass chaos. My point is that new technology does offer exciting new changes and the opportunity to save time and money, but computers and technology always seem to die at one point. Then all you are left with are the basics. In our case maybe just our education is what we are left with.

In conclusion, I agree that things are rapidly changing in our profession, and we are lucky to have a school that allows us to learn the latest things. I do however feel that we can’t know where we are going without knowing where we’ve been. The old ways will always be a good start.

Press releases are definitely making their appearances in the social media scene. As Robert loves to quote - “Paper is dying in PR..” haha. It has become evident that press releases are being restructured into social media formats and their popularity and accessibility is growing in appeal to the public. However, the one big question here is will this new technology be adopted by the mass? The social media press release technology still has several improvements and before it can even be considered for mass adoption; however, today in our world of change and technology, it does not take long for new improvements to become the norm.

Although, there are the “old school” individuals who refuse to learn new ideas and will not dive into new technology at all. Will these individuals be the ones that are left behind or the ones who slow the process of acceptance for this new technology?

Personally, I am excited about this new technology and for all the benefits it provides for pr practitioners. At the same time, I am also worried what future steps this will lead to for our world with technology and the futures of those who work with pr. With new technology, there is always the doubt and concern about the unknown reactions that come afterwards - will our world today fully embrace this new technology with press releases or will they choose to ignore its’ benefits and deny the use of it?

“Usage and comfort always has to catch up with the tool.” I was eased when I read that sentence. It’s not that I do not want to implement all these new and amazing things that I am learning as a PR professional, but “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” For large cutting edge PR firms and other large PR companies, all of this social media is THE best thing. However, just as DeeRambeau said, for the bulk of communications professionals the technology is there…it’s the strategy that has not yet caught up with it.

I am currently working with 3 clients now on various PR efforts from general awareness, all the way to rebranding and starting from ground zero again in building their image. And neither of the three are willing to jump of the social media deep end. Not saying they wouldn’t benefit from all of the new tools that are out there, but they just aren’t ready. They are stuck in their ways, and scared of big change.

I am on the cusp of being completely afraid of social media, then I shift to the point where i really love it and I am extrememly excited to have the opportunity to be educated about it.
With any technology there are negatives that come along with it. There will be times when computers crash or information is lost. But I think it’s important to be able to go with the flow.
I think the best advice to give someone is that change is inevitable and you must be willing to accept things for what they are and go with it.

Technology has changed so much even in the past year. There are always new ways being introduced to communicate with each other and make things easier. I can’t imagine life without new technology being introduced everyday. However, sometimes I feel like we rely too heavily on the convenient ways rather than taking the time to truly understand why something works the way it does. Technology makes things so much easier and faster that we tend to rush through things because we trust that our devices won’t let us down. Now, every program and device has templates that show you how to do things. As in this example, technology can crash at anytime and if we don’t have a grasp on the basics of PR we will be in quite a predicament. Although it is very important to keep up with the changing times, it is also important to hold on to the key concepts that made PR the way it is today. I think it is crucial to teach students the old-fashioned way of doing things along with technology so that when websites are down they will still be able to get the job done in a timely fashion.

I found this article to be very interesting. One part of your post I have a question about. When you say: “the concept of enabling every Tom **** and Harry to mash up and spread your company’s news simply scares the bejesus out of them. Not interested”, what is the difference from every Tom, **** and Harry reading the same news in a more traditional medium, like a newspaper, and botching it up?

I think that a fear like this one should be put to rest because in the technology age we are in, you can’t, as a company, be afraid that everytime you put something out there someone will mess it up. That’s inevitable.

Dee,

I completely agree with you and your thoughts on the new social media. I have come to terms with the phrase “change takes time.” I tend to be someone looking for instant gratification, but in this case, the words could not be more appropriate.

I believe it to be very important to learn and to take the time to master this structure of social media. It is hard. I am finding as the weeks are passing in Mr. French’s class, that I must step up and truly take the time to establish good social media skills.

I could not agree more that education is the key. My parents have lived believing that, and so, have ingrained it into me. This is one reason I love my Style and Design class. It by no means is easy, but the education I am learning in there about blogging, podcasts and web design will take me above and beyond in the field of pr.

I end my comment with this quote by Robert Louis Stevenson, a famed Scottish writer and poet, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”

This class is planting seeds of knowledge that will one day reap a harvest of exciting work and a life educated in social media.

Dee,

Your knowledge of social media is extremely helpful and insightful to all of us, soon-to-be college graduates. It is comforting to know that the news release that is getting pounded into our heads daily is not dead and that we are being taught to become more comfortable in entering the rapidly changing world of communications.

This new social media world we are adapting to and growing in is great, and is inevitably going to be the future of our professions. I enjoy keeping up with the daily news, reading O’Dwyer’s, blogging regularly, and interacting anyway I can through social media to enhance my PR application skills.

However, isn’t there something to be said for those ‘roadblocks’ you mentioned? They are the ones that got us and the PR profession where it is today and taught us the basic fundamentals that still apply to the PR world. I am just curious to see if this social media world keeps evolving and becoming more internet dependent, when are we going to get our eyes off the computer screen and on to the person sitting next to us? Change is good, but so isn’t face-to-face interaction?

I am astounded by how rapidly the social media aspect of public relations changes on a daily basis. It seems that every time we turn around someone is creating a new tool for the online press release, but it never fails that some people hate this one, but other people love the other one. Every time a new form of the social media press release is developed people seem to disagree about which form is the best or most user-friendly. I agree that the online press release is a necessity these days, and PR practitioners absolutely have to keep up with the changing times in order to keep their clients in the game. But I also think that it’s important to keep the traditional aspects of PR in mind. I think it’s so important for us, as students, to learn the traditional form first, and then constantly try to keep up with the changes. We need to be able to use whatever type of media our clients need to get out their information to the correct audience. I truly believe that the changes happening in PR are a good thing, but we have to remember that we are here to serve a client and reach a consumer. We need to know how to reach all audiences and that requires being familiar with the old and the new tools.

Good day! 

By the way, I love that too!  How did you find that?  

See you soon! Girly Girl 

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I like the point you made in your post about people liking new technologies that saves them time and money. I consider all forms of social media to be a more efficient way of communicating with other individuals via the internet. It is a great way to share ideas and opinions with individuals half way across the world without even leaving your computer. Just as the new media newsrooms are a convenient way to gather information and updates about certain topics with leaving your work desk.