Blog Comment #5
Hey Ashley! I am obsessed with The Real Housewives too. I watch it religiously. That’s so neat that you follow the show also. It has been a crazy season so far for New Jersey. I can’t believe all of the drama that has occurred so far. My mom and I both think that someone is going to end up dead by the time the season is over. That Danielle lady is the craziest, by far. She creeps me out. I was unable to watch tonight’s episode but I had my parents record it so i’m looking forward to seeing it the next time I am able to go home.I really enjoyed this blog : )
~Ashley
Add a comment July 13, 2010
Blog comment #4
Hey Charlie! I totally agree with you that studying abroad or visiting another country should be part of our education. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Europe but hopefully one day I will get the chance. I think it is important that we are introduced to new cultures and different ways of living. It helps us become more diverse and open minded, which is always important. I enjoyed your blog, maybe you can add some pictures some time! They would be enjoyable to look at.
~Ashley
Add a comment July 13, 2010
Blog Comment # 3
Hey Lauren! First off, I think that it is so neat you have the opportunity to spend July and some of August in Europe! I found your blog very interesting. Its always neat to hear the opinions of others from different countries. I feel like some of his rules can apply to more than just the train, maybe the airplane or sitting in class. I totally agree with him, foods that smell should not be allowed. Ive had one too many experiences sitting in class when the person walks in and you can smell there exotic fish for the entire hour you have to suffer sitting there. I also feel that PDA is never good, in my opinion its rude. No one wants to be stuck on a train ride, or anywhere for that matter, and have to be subjected to such nonsense.
~Ashley
Add a comment July 13, 2010
PR in Trueblood!
My all time favorite show is Trueblood. For all you that don’t follow this series, ill give you a quick summary of it!
It is about how vampires and humans live together in Louisiana. The vampires are viewed to be bad and harmful, meanwhile the humans are just as bad morally. However, unlike other vampire movies, in Trueblood vampires interact with humans daily. They are even known to date each other.
When there is a PR mess, the vampires have a lady that represents them on the news or in the public. I was so surprised to see that they had a publicist in the show. Its neat to me to see how PR plays a major role in today’s society.
Without PR professionals, there would be a lot of animosity in the news and a lot more tension. In my opinion, PR professionals are great at damage control. There are many examples of this, such as: the Tiger Woods scandal, the Bill Clinton scandal. Is it just me or do celebrities get themselves in a lot of trouble? and they count of they’re publicist to bail them out.
Add a comment July 13, 2010
Topic of The Week, Week 9
It’s no surprise that I was not a regular blogger before this class began. I had created my blog account for a previous class but I never enjoyed it as much as I have this summer term.I intend to keep up with my blog after my class is over.
When you are a first time blogger, it is important that you create an about me page. This way reader’s can get to know you and what figure out what type of person you are. This way , it gives everyone that reads your blog an idea of what type of issue’s you are interested in and will be blogging about. For example, I discussed my love for animals on my about me page and I chose PETA as my organization.
Posting a picture of yourself is also useful when creating a blog. Pictures are especially useful when your reader’s don’t know you personally, it gives them a chance to associate a face with your blog. It helps blogging feel more personable.
When blogging for a class it is important to make sure you have all of your topics categorized so it is easier for your professor to find your work. If not it will reflect in your grade. For example, make sure you have a section for blog comments, reading notes and so on.
It helps to follow your peers blogs, especially class members. This way it can help you make sure you are staying on track if you are confused about an assignment. I know I found myself doing this a few times throughout the term.
When you are blogging about your reading notes, it is helpful to read the material first. This way, you don’t have to worry about which topics you find most important to include in your blog.
When blogging it is important that you consider others opinions. You have to remember that not everyone shares common opinions and beliefs. This is especially important when you are blogging about topics such as religion and race and politics.
It is important that you make sure your blogs are the proper lengths. The professor sets requirements so it is crucial that you meet them. Ive heard that typing your blog in word helps, although I have never tried it.
When you are blogging about an assignment that you have completed for your class, it is important that you supply a hyperlink to the assignment.
If you happen to be blogging about information that your received from a source, it is ALWAYS necessary that you site your source in your blog. Otherwise it is pliagerism.
Last but not least, it is important to comment on others blogs. This can help you interact with your classmates and share your opinion with them and hopefully give them insight.
Add a comment July 12, 2010
My Night at the Hospital
WOW…that’s what I had to say after leaving the hospital at 4 O’ clock this morning. I have had problems with my ears for as long as I can remember. I get these cysts that turn into the size of a large grape. I have already had three surgeries on both ears to have them removed…but long and behold, they are back!
I was in so much pain last night i could not withstand it much longer. I had been putting off going to the doctor for three weeks now, partly because I have been so busy with school.
I talk to my mom a few times every day but I have never called her past 10 at night, so i’m pretty sure i gave her the scare of a lifetime when I called my parents at one thirty in the morning crying due to the pain I was in. My mom told me to get straight to the hospital, and naturally she was upset with me for putting this off for so long.
When i got to the hospital there were only two other people in the waiting room and they were called back quickly. Finally, my name was called after waiting thirty minutes. I was waiting in my room for the doctor to come in and all I could hear was a baby screaming, like the pain from my ear wasn’t aggravating enough! At last the doctor came in. He was shocked at how big my cyst was and he said it needed to be drained immediately.
So I waited another hour for him to return to drain my ear. I’m sacred to death of needles and he told me that he would have to numb the whole area first then stick a needle in it to drain it and then stick another needle full of saline in it to flush it out. I was freaking out to say the least. After it was all said and done i felt much better.
Little did I know I would have to wait another hour for the nurse to return to bandage me up and give me my care instructions. This was by far the longest wait I have ever waited for medical care. And the worst part…I had to wake up at nine this morning to work all day.
1 comment July 10, 2010
Social Media News Release
The Social Media News Release has been dubbed the “smart media release,” and they are contributing to the success of many companies. It is also referred to as a Multimedia News release. SMNR’s have been referred to as the ultimate marketing tool for consumer engagement. Companies use this tool as a platform to address audiences nationally. SMNR’s are said to be a resource that provides a comprehensive audience with all the components of a news story composed into one package.
A social Media Release is more than just a traditional new release, it is virtually a new format for an online press release. SMNR’s were first pioneered by some of the most major electronic distribution services in the world. They are designed to encourage new technology that contributes to a more customized information delivery approach in the online environment.
SMNR’s are also designed to do a better job of communicating to the media, bloggers by offering different types of formats that better suit the needs of the consumers. SMNR’s go beyond just your average standard pitch, they can include video and graphics along with embedded video clips that add dimension and relevant new bites and often times quotes.
Unlike traditional Media News Releases, SMNR’s allow for blog comments to be attached to to them so the readers can be active and engage in the company conversations and announcements. The popularity of social media can be credited to the increasing popularity of SMNR’s.
Some advantages of an SMNR include its diverse and flexible format. Companies can develop SMNR’s that portray the point they are trying to get across. It’s flexible design allows different companies to attract the audience they are striving for. Through SMNR’s, information is spread in a more timely manner and it is easy accessible.
SMNR’s have so many advantages that it is hard to say what its disadvantages are. I have researched them on the internet and I have yet to find any complaints about SMNR’s.
Some tips for creating an SMNR would be to have a professional create them that is highly skilled in the technology area and knows how to work with sound bites and video clips. Another tip for creating an SMNR would be to make sure it is easily accessible to bloggers and journalists or whom ever your target audience may be. With the technology that we acquire today, it is especially important that companies keep up with the fast pace and make sure that its news release is up to speed.
When creating SMNR’s it is important that you don’t go overboard with links. It is good to provide links on your release but you don’t want to have too many because that can cause confusion for your reader.When a company is choosing images for it’s release, it is also important that they opt for high-resolution multimedia that can be easily applied.Make sure to always place terms in key positions; for instance, only in headlines and first paragraph’s.
Examples of Social Media News Releases can be found at these site:
http://writingriffs.blogspot.com/2008/06/social-media-news-release-examples.html
http://writingmatters.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/social-media-press-release-tips-and-examples.html
Websites used:
http://www.searchengineguide.com/jennifer-laycock/why-you-should.php
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/
http://socialtraining.wetpaint.com/page/Social+Media+News+Release
http://business.ezinemark.com/disadvantages-of-social-media-149378123d.html
Add a comment July 9, 2010
Topic of the Week 8
Public Relations and the media have a relationship that is based on mutual cooperation. Although PR people can sometimes drive journalists crazy. Ways that a PR person can drive a journalist crazy includes:
- excessive hype
- not doing the necessary homework
- making a nuisance of themselves.
- improper advertising
- over communication
- hyperbole
- use of artificiality and manipulation
- damaging the fragile
- spam
- not meeting deadlines
PR people tend to send too many emails, faxes or call too many times. so avoiding doing this would reduce the aggravation for journalists. It is important for a PR person not too make too many follow up phone calls.
In journalism, time is everything and there is no such thing as late. So naturally journalists get angry when PR people do not meet deadlines. It would be best if the PR person met the deadlines that journalist set for them.
It is important for journalists to be careful when selecting e-mails and and “trinkets” to send to journalists. Journalists find these to be tasteless and trashy. PR people often times send gimmicks in hope that it helps separate their media kits and releases from the pack, journalists find these to be a waste of time.
The over-usage of hype and promotion have caused journalists to openly insult PR as nothing but deception. Here journalists use the term “flack.” Such name calling implies lack of respect among journalists and PR people.
Some of these ways are discussed in public Relations Writing And Media Techniques.
Add a comment July 8, 2010
Topic of the Week 7
For our topic of the week for week seven we were to complete a course called Five Steps to Multimedia Storytelling. The first step of the course focused on choosing a story. Here I learned that the best multimedia stories are multi-dimensional. I learned that multimedia stories are nonlinear, which means you engage readers by by letting them choose which elements to read and when to read them.
When choosing a story it is important to keep the main characteristics in mind. Since middle school I have always been taught to develop my paper by breaking it up by paragraphs, but here they advise you not to do so which I found surprising. They said to focus more on “this part” and “that thought.”
The next step in this course was making a storyboard. Here I learned that creating a story board involves three parts. The first part is defining the elements. The second part is identifying the media. the third part is storyboard the concept. I wish they had gone into more detail about this step, I would have liked to learn more about each part.
I found step three to be the most helpful. We had activity that we had to complete and it involved choosing the right equipment for a backpack journalist. I found it surprising, how many tools they needed in case of an emergency on set.
The final step was producing the story. I learned that both print reporters and and multimedia reporters organize and shape they’re stories the same way. I found it surprising that they use different tools to decide which elements to choose for the story. Here the web designer for your site will serve as your editor.
Overall, I found this course to be helpful. I liked the activity that they offered it gave me a better idea of what making a story implied. However this course took me longer than the other courses have taken. I still enjoyed it.
Add a comment July 8, 2010
Stormashley's Blog 
Blog Comment # 6
Hey Ashley! I totally agree with you about the Tiger Woods scandal. I think he is a sad individual and what he put his family through is terrible. I also agree with you that publicists shouldn’t do all the dirty work for there clients. It makes me so mad that he “apologized” to the public. It was not sincere at all, a blind person could have seen through him.And i completely agree with you that these men need to grow up. It seems like the more money they have the more problems they have. Tiger Woods had the seemingly perfect life and he washed it all down the drain by doing what he did. I hope he regrets it for the rest of his life. At least she walked away with $750 million.
~Ashley
Add a comment July 13, 2010