Don't worry! PR is here to stay.

How is new media affecting the PR industry? You could ask 100 people within the industry and most likely get 100 different answers. Some may get a grin on their face and embrace the new movement, while others might go white in the face and run for the door. Some are scared by the new technology and what it means for their jobs. PR practitioners for years have been in control of communication between their clients and their audiences. No matter what, they were in the know and somehow tailored a message to apply to their targets. That power is slowly slipping away and PR professionals are starting to get worried. Are journalists going to stop calling them for information? Are they no longer the answer to the media's questions? PR professionals can take a deep breathe because they aren’t going anywhere. Yes, new media is changing the way the PR industry communicates, but it is not going to leave us without jobs. The trick of the trade is to join in. Laura Sturaitis, Senior Vice President of Media Services and Product Strategy for Business Wire has the right concept when saying “it is first important to recognize that you must be part of the converstation,” (Breakenridge, 2008). Do not worry for all of you out there who are getting more and more concerned by the minute. You don’t have to be tech savvy to stay connected through new media. It might take some humility and a learning curve, but, in the end, it is completely possible to learn. Once you have the foundation of new media, you can connect with publics and journalists easily.

A lot of PR professionals have picked up on the new media concept, others, especially corporate, have decided it is just not for them. They fall into this "scared" category, but I do not think that they are just scared of the technology. They are scared of what it is going to do to their business. New Media results in transparency. Blogs, Twitters, YouTube Video and Flickr pictures do not leave much to be hidden in the corners, and corporate businesses are not ready for that. They prefer keeping to themselves and only allowing the public to know what they need to know. That is the first thing to learn about New Media, so take notes. New Media is beyond even two-way symmetric communication. It is about communication within networks, between groups, and corporations need to realize this and become part of this communication as active members not just as spy's to get information. They need to understand what people are saying and really embrace what these communication channels have created, which is power to the third-party. Isn't that what PR used to be about? I've embedded an interesting interview below with Richard Edelman where is is speaking of the Trust Barometer and the results it showed toward corporations this year. Take a look.



There are some key points to take away from this video. First, there has been a major collapse in the trust of Business. People do not believe in businesses or in what they are telling them. This is a valuable point, and is a result of a lack of communication. The public does not hear what is happening within corporations until it is a message that they want to hear, which, in turn, most of the time is a cover up. Richard is right, businesses need to "get out there and tell their stories". That is the only way they are going to rebuild trust. People respect the truth, and they definitely respect it more than a lie to cover up a mishap. Corporations need to evaluate what their secret strategies are doing to their reputation and make changes. New media is that perfect change that will allow for them to connect with societies to make an impact.

Find more about the results of Edelman's 2009 Trust Barometer.

What really goes on at War? Guess we will never know.

Ever wonder what happens behind enemy lines? or even on our own lines? We all do. War is a dark and mysterious time that leaves the countries involved confused and unsure of what is happening. Not only is there no clue as to what is happening on the battle ground, but why did they even go to war is yet another question that is so twisted that even the leaders of the countries may not know the answers a few months in.

A point was brought up in class today regarding the theme of the GOOD guys vs the BAD guys during war, and, well, after thinking about it and watching a film on public relations and war, I couldn't agree more. Each country is fighting so hard to make themselves seem like the good guy. They are doing no wrong, everything is perfect. Well, I guess I can't speak for everyone, but, personally, I say it's a lost cause. This might have worked on our parents generation who were unaware of gatekeepers and news angles, yet the younger generation is definitely aware and cannot be fooled by a couple of happy go lucky, hero advertising news-clips and Youtube videos.

This is where the main issues come to hand. So, we know that war is not happy and fine and we understand that during war some things happen that countries may no be proud of, so why not allow journalist to write about the truth instead of covering it up and pointing fingers. As a country, don't we deserve to know the truth. No one likes being at war, and knowing the truth is not going to change that and nor is being lied to. How about this for an idea? Why don't the leaders of countries stop doing things during war that they are ashamed of? Than maybe they won't try to hide the truth. In the movie Remember the Titans, Julius tells the captain of his team "attitude is a direct reflection of leadership". Well that may be a line from a movie, but i think that we can all learn a little something from it. Leaders, stop being ashamed and hiding things and maybe we can all stop being ashamed, lying citizens and be happy to say we are from our country,

As for all you PR practitioners out there, you are not off the hook. Maybe take a stand. I understand it's hard to stand up to authority and could mean your job, but shouldn't there be a line drawn at some point. It is your job to relay the message to the public and be the link between the war, the media and the public. I understand that there are some things that are to be left unsaid, but for the most part reporters deserve to be able to do their jobs and citizens deserve the truth. So, I think that it is time to stop pretending that we are all "GOOD" guys because in war there is no such thing. Let's grow up as a world and start to take some credit for what we are doing. If we make a mistake, it shouldn't be how do we cover this up, it should be how do we make this right, how can we rearrange and regroup. It is not always possible in war for "the truth to come out" because well everyone is brainwashed. There are so many lies that by the end no one really knows what had gone on, but I think that is is safe to say that a nation knows when they were lied to and well nothing good is to come from that as Bush knows.

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