pr & ethics: yes, they do go together

I apologize for the lack of posts to this blog. I did not intend to abandon it, but with the influx of health care reform debate this summer, my internship felt more like a full-time job–even more than I could have predicted. But I’m back to blogging, and I will commit to continue updating this blog on a more regular basis. Promise. Thanks for reading!

While many of my friends study the public relations sequence at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, there are many who do not–whether they’re studying another sequence in the J-School or art or photography. I often find myself defending the public relations industry to those friends. Many of them have been jaded by public relations campaigns and professionals gone wrong, and see my major as nothing more than “spinning.”

I’ve told them that while public relations can be used for evil, when it is put in the right hand, it can be used for good. Furthermore, the professionals who are doing it right also follow PRSA’s Code of Ethics. This ethical practice of public relations is also what helped to inspire my running for Vice President of Advocacy on PRSSA’s 2009-2010 National Committee.

So here is a guest post I wrote for the PRSSA blog earlier this year about practicing ethics in the workplace. It is geared toward public relations students, but I would argue that it also applicable to professionals:

In the most recent PRSSA blog post, Nick Lucido writes about a recent ethics scandal involving a public relations firm that allegedly used its interns to post positive reviews on the iTunes app store for its clients. As Nick mentions in the post, the practices described are called astroturfing and violate PRSA’s Code of Ethics. What the Techcrunch article did not address was how public relations professionals-in-training, like the firm’s interns, avoid and handle ethics problems. If you find yourself in an ethical dilemma at the workplace, remember the following:

Know the PRSA Code of Ethics — Consider the code your the encyclopedia of everything ethical in public relations. You should hold yourself and other professionals with whom you work to its standards, and if a colleague asks you to do something that violates the code, remember that it requires professionals to “Counsel subordinates in proper ethical decision making” and to “Require that subordinates adhere to the ethical requirements of the Code.”

Ask questions — Although it might be intimidating, an internship is the perfect time to question a task your supervisor has assigned you. If you don’t understand the assignment or think it might violate the PRSA Code of Ethics, you should let your colleagues know. You might have caught an honest mistake, or they might be able to explain how the task is in line with the code.

Counsel with a mentor — Feel uncomfortable questioning your boss? Ask another public relations professional you respect. Chances are he or she has been in a similar situation.

Remember that it is okay to say “no” — If you review the situation closely and still feel you have been asked to perform unethically, ask for a new assignment. Explain to your colleagues why you think the task is unethical and that you would not be able to complete it. Remember that internships are your first steps toward becoming a professional, and you should not jeopardize your reputation for anyone.

What other tips do you have for interns to learn about ethical behavior? Any tips on how to avoid these situations in the workplace?

j

social media: the ball is your court . . . and in mine and everyone else’s, too

I’m fascinated with social media,  so I was excited beyond belief when my supervisor at my summer internship with the National Coalition on Health Care suggested that I oversee the Coalition’s first-ever social media strategy. For the coming months, it would be my responsibility to use social media for work: mission accomplished.

I quickly learned, however, that explaining the importance and use of social media to my colleagues was easier said than done. Most of them have extensive political and public policy experience and were/are intimidated by the openness of social media (I’ve managed to convince a few of them that it is not pure evil).

Frustrated with my slow progress, I was eager to attend an “Online Community Roundtable” event hosted by Forum One Communications. The goal of Forum One’s roundtable events is to discuss social media strategy and community management among professionals in the non-profit industry. I was looking forward to discussing social media with people who actually “get it.”

At the roundtable, we exchanged thoughts and ideas on how to best reach key audiences, our general annoyance with social media “metrics,” the best social media blogs to read and more.

But I left with more than just the answers to my questions; I left with a sort of “social media revelation”: the future of social media is undoubtedly bright, but it’s still cloudy. It is still so new,  so revolutionary that it can go in any direction we want it to. We can (and already have) use it for good or for evil, develop countless applications and devote jobs just to Twitter. Social media is allowing us to explore our creative side, and it is pushing new media forward.

So before you look to the next self-proclaimed social media experts and pundits for an answer, remember that it is okay to be unsure. We’re all playing this guessing game together.

how the world makes writers

I came across an article on Salon.com, in which a recent print journalism graduate, signed “scared journalist,” asked whether the time he had spent relentlessly studying and interning for the past four years was worth anything, given the current state of the journalism industry. He, like many recent and soon-to-be graduates I know, is stuck working a job fit for high schooler, having his parents foot his cell phone bill and patiently waiting to receive his “big break.” As he has begun to consider different careers that pay more, the “scared journalist” asks whether he should put his dreams of writing for a living to sleep.

The answer that the “scared journalist” received from Salon reporter Cary Tennis really spoke to me. In it, Tennis is straightforward, writing and reminding the “scared journalist” that if he were a “true journalist,” he is “supposed to be having a hard time.” Tennis continues to write, “This is how the world makes writers. It kicks their ass long enough that they finally start telling the truth. They just finally give up and start bleating out little truthlets.”

While I am not studying print journalism, I could certainly relate to “scared journalist,” and after reading Tennis’ reponse, I reminded myself why I wanted to pursue journalism in the first place–to find and tell the stories I am passionate about.

Sure, journalism is a tough market to be in right now, but those who can find and deliver their passions–after a fair share of the world’s ass-kicking–will prevail.

To read the Salon article in its entirity: http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2009/06/29/journalism/index.html

j

the have nots

A few months ago, I was invited to speak as a panelist at the 2009 Schuneman Symposium, hosted by Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. The symposium’s topic was–surprise, surprise–politics and new media. I was invited to talk about my research and use of new media, as it pertained to my work with Scoop08 (now Scoop44) and coverage leading up to and during the election.

I thought that serving on a panel with academia, professionals and journalists would allow me to go unnoticed during the question and answer portion of the panel. Wrong; the first question for the panel I served on was explicitly directed to me: “Miss Huelsman, in your presentation, you referred to the ‘Facebook generation.’ Who is the ‘Facebook generation?’And aren’t you being an elitist by excluding those who don’t have access to the Internet?”

After overcoming the initial shock that a small-town-farm-girl-from-the-middle-of-nowhere was now being called an “elitist,” I paused for a moment and then rattled off the definition of the “Facebook generation,” as I had read in a recent news article. I explained that it is not an entire “generation,” per se, but rather a subset of “generation y” and “millenials” that exists because of its dependency on the Internet.

Then I considered the second part of the question–what about those who don’t have Internet access? As the journalism industry is in the transition of setting up residency online, what do we do to reach those have nots and make sure they can reach us?

We support citizen journalism. By giving citizen journalism our full support, the have nots are being more innovative than ever, employing methods of ground-breaking journalism. Here are two of my favorite examples:

• Last July, the Knight Foundation provided money for a project in Grahamstown, South Africa, in which cell phones were given to 80 senior scholars to report. The project, “Iindaba Ziyafika” (the news is coming), allowed users to use SMS, sending content via messaging, and, eventually, messages with audio and video. This method of citizen journalism is being brought to us by a country that completely skipped land-lines.
• The recent controversy in Iran and the inability for journalists to be in the vicinity of most of the events, has proved our reliance on real time news from citizens at the protests and rallies. Rather than reading second story accounts in the day’s newspaper or visiting CNN’s Web site, we receive first person accounts via SMS updates on Twitter.

The good news is that the “digital divide” that has been created by online journalism is closing. The better news is that by supporting and being open to citizen journalism, we become better journalists, too.

j

role reversal

When I decided to run for the 2009-2010 PRSSA National Committee, I had to submit a 250-word essay about my favorite leader and why I admired him or her. I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of great role models, and I look to each of them for different reasons, but I hadn’t considered who my favorite was.

And while most of my friends who are the oldest child in their families are an example for their younger siblings, I find myself looking up (figuratively) yet down (physically) to my “little” sister. Jackie Huelsman, my 18-year-old sister, a recent alumna of Marion Local High School and the “runt” of my family is my favorite leader and role model because she exemplifies the best characteristics of one:

• She’s the most compassionate person I’ve ever met. Jackie can brighten a room with her smile, and she knows it. She’s kindest to the strangest of strangers and treats everyone equally. Some might call it being naive, but she’s just trying to make the world a kinder place.
• She’s nothing like me. To h-e-l-l (not sure if it’s appropriate to “swear” on my blog) with those who say to admire someone like you. My sister is extremely spontaneous, loves to party and hates school; I once (or twice, or maybe three times) tried to convince her that she was adopted. But, by surrounding myself with people like Jackie, whom I don’t have much in common with, I’ve learned more about myself and how to appreciate others.
• She gets it. Jackie knows that she only has one life to live, and that she’ll live it to the fullest, all day, every day. Sure, I’ve been frustrated with her when I want be serious and she refuses to stop laughing, but she makes life more enjoyable. And after all, life should be about having fun.

Who is your favorite role model and why?

j

“the harder i work, the luckier i get”

I had been applying for summer internships since my six-week winter break, and it seemed as though there were no end in sight. Cover letter after cover letter, approximately 15 different versions of my resume, countless follow-up calls and e-mails and still nothing.

I stared blankly at my computer screen, analyzing a document I created to keep track of the 30 internships I had applied to. Each position was listed, along with its respective organization and the “yes/no/maybe” I had assigned it. Many organizations told me that they were only accepting post-graduate interns and, in light of the economy, many positions were eliminated. My chances of landing a dream summer internship weren’t looking so good.

And then, out of the blue, a friend sent me a job posting she found on LinkedIn. The posting was for a 90-day internship with the National Coalition on Health Care in Washington, D.C. While the position was targeted toward law and economics students, I was immediately drawn to what seemed like an amazing opportunity. I applied for the position that same day, had a phone interview two weeks later and was offered the position a few days after my interview. Today, I accepted the position, and I couldn’t be more excited.

I will be serving as the coalition’s public advocacy and strategy intern to help craft and implement its use of traditional and new media, as well as helping to improve its grassroots/grasstops communications with the public and policy makers. And after speaking with my future coworkers, it seems as though I’ll have plenty of creative room.

But the best part isn’t my relocating to D.C., working for a former counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice or being able to use Twitter at work. Because, for me, the best part about this position is the chance to work for an issue I am so passionate about.

That is why I became a public relations student in the first place. I had a desire to strategically bring to light issues that truly mattered, not to be a “spin doctor,” promoting non-necessities that won’t make a difference. To be a storyteller and to change the world.

And it hasn’t been easy. However, as James Carville once said, “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” How true.

j

traditional and new media: why can’t we be friends?

About a month ago, I was home for a family gathering, when my aunt approached me with her questions regarding new media. “What’s this Twitter thing? I don’t want to twitter!” Other family members chimed in, asking me whether I thought the local daily  would be replaced by blogs and Web sites.

I wasn’t surprised with their concerns. Those not familiar new media often see it as dark cloud looming over traditional media, ready to rain on its centuries-old parade. But that’s not the case. This is:

• Integration is key. New media cannot simply “replace” traditional media. The two are different, and they rely on each other. How many blog posts have you read that are reactions to stories in traditional media? One of the beautiful things about new media is the story that made the front page of the morning’s newspaper can be replaced by up-to-the-minute breaking news on the publication’s Web site.
• New media is easy-to-use. Thanks to Oprah and Ashton Kutcher, Twitter has increased by the millions in recent months. The funny thing is, many people I know refuse to blog, but are willing to have a Twitter account. Twitter is a micro-blogging site. If you use Twitter, you blog. And other forms of new media—Facebook applications and You Tube—are just as easy to navigate and use.
• Traditional media is not going anywhere, it’s just changing. While the future of traditional journalism might be uncertain, it will conform to meet new standards. New York Times Frank Rich reminds us in his recent column that Americans will forever rely on the journalists who put their lives in danger to cover news from the front line. As Rich suggests, those same journalists have to pay their rent, too. Think that paying to read an article online isn’t in our future? Think again.
• Journalism—no matter how you get it—is alive and well. Journalism schools around the globe are eager to change their curriculum to teach students how to write for multiple platforms and to adjust to multimedia standards. Students are eager to learn, too. Scoop44.com, the first-ever online national student newspaper by and for college students, is driven by youth hungry for opportunities to report. And even though the site’s content is written and edited by students, we’ll hold them to the same standards.

In my opinion, traditional and new media are made for each other. What do you think? Do you think new media will replace traditional media? Or do you think the two can live in harmony? Let me know!

j

it’s not who you know, but who knows you

Since my freshman year, I’ve heard the ever-so-popular networking phrase, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

Wrong. It doesn’t matter how many business cards you’ve collected, how thick your Rolodex is or how many connections you’ve made on social networking sites. What does matter is who knows you.

And to make sure people know who you are, go back to square one of the networking game: creating the brand called “you.”

Here’s my take:

• Be unique. Know what you’re good at and let others know it, too. Do you stay ahead of new media trends? Are you passionate about a social issue? Having a speciality will help define who you are and give you an edge over your competitors.
  
• Be versatile.  After you’ve identified what makes you different, don’t forget to show interests outside your area of study or profession. Be able to willing to venture outside your comfort zone.
• Be consistent.  Do you have a Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter account? Make sure they follow the same messaging and are identifiable with your brand. It seems simple, but you might be surprised how many people use different names, profile pictures and personalities on different networks.
• Be proactive. Create your brand before someone else does it for you. Branding yourself is part of your own reputation management, and if you’re able to manage it yourself, you’ll be able to defend it.

What’s your brand?

j

well, i’m blogging . . . with a purpose

I have been slightly obsessed with cyberspace and the emergence of new media for quite some time now, so I decided it was time to start a blog with more of a purpose. But I didn’t just want to blog for the sake of blogging.

About the blog

I started this blog to write about my experiences, or musings, if you will, as I continue my studies of journalism, politics, life and more. I want to evoke the imperfection of thought as I have those experiences and to express myself in a way to engage readers. While this creates an arena for debate, it is a golden opportunity for us to exchange thoughts and ideas.

What to expect

I have always considered myself a lifelong student and am fascinated with learning. I want this blog to focus on what I encounter and what I have learned from those experiences. I hope you will learn something from them and, hopefully, teach me more, too.

So, that’s it. Sweet and short. While you’re here, take a look around and let me know what you think.

Happy blogging to you, and I am going to start writing my next post! Stay tuned!

j