What I Learned From PRowl Public Relations

I'm allowed to get a little sappy for my last blog post, right?

Interviewing for PRowl was the best decision I made in my four years as a Temple Owl. I have met the most amazing people, learned more than I ever imagined possible and had the greatest experience I could have hoped for. PRowl helped me grow and be confident and try new things. Being a part of Temple's first and only student run firm not only solidified my knowledge that I chose the right career path, but it also taught me a lot and I've listed some of the most important things below:

1. We're all just trying to find our way
From freshman year through until graduation, we're all just trying to be the best we can be.

2. Your "competition" are also your biggest supporters
Yes, you'll be competing with your peers for jobs; but they're also going to be the ones you call when you get your dream job. Don't burn bridges.

3. You can learn as much from your peers as you can from your professors
Everyone has a unique perspective and their own expertise. Learn from those around you.

4. No challenge is too big or too small
You can handle anything with the support of the right team. Remember, you're not above anything.

5. People are inherently good
Your peers, your professors, the community and everyone in between wants you to succeed and are more than willing to help you get their if you're willing to make the effort.

Thank you to each and every member of PRowl, past and present for making my college experience amazing. I can't wait to see the firm grow and succeed even more.

Above All, Love What You Do

If you were to picture your perfect future, what would it be?
Money
Happiness
Family
Travel
These are just a few things that might come to mind.

In my perfect future, I spend every day doing a job that I LOVE to do. Whether it's 9-5 or 24/7, as long as I truly enjoy what I'm doing I know I'll be happy and successful. I'm one of the lucky people who has never doubted their major. I've had PR in my heart since before I even came to college and that never changed. Now, as I email every person under the sun about a full-time job, that still stands true.

Spending the past three years with PRowl Public Relations has only solidified by passion for PR, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. It has everything to do with the fact that I was a sophomore in college working with real clients and being thrown into work that entry-level employees do. I love to be challenged. It has everything to do with being surrounded by people who love public relations as much as I do. It's been the perfect environment for myself and my peers to grow in.

Millions of dollars would be nice. A big house with nice cars and acres of land, endless vacations to tropical places, the whole nine yards. I think that's what most people are aiming for. I choose happiness and I choose to wake up every day knowing that I will be doing something that I'm passionate about.

That's my one piece of advice, to everyone: above all, love what you do.

Tips for a Successful Phone Interview

Phone interviews are often one of the first steps on the road to finding a job or internship. Sometimes the calls come from someone in human resources for the company you're applying to and sometimes they come right from the person in charge of the position. Phone interviews are generally scheduled ahead of time, but can also come unexpectedly after a resume with contact information is submitted. This is why it's important to target your job search and make sure you're always doing your research into the companies you're applying to.

Whether you're talking to a recruiter, HR manager or the person to whom you would report if you were hired, phone interviews are tricky. They can't see you so you don't have the advantage of using body language to convey your enthusiasm or sincerity. Often times, phone interviews are only slotted for a certain amount of time, so you may have to squeeze as much information as possible into that one phone call.  In order to have the most successful phone interview, use the following tips:

1. Have your elevator pitch ready
You're always going to be asked to "tell me a little bit about yourself" and you should be prepared to answer in a complete and concise way.

2. Write it all down
Employers are impressed when you have questions to ask them at the end of an interview. If you're writing down the things they're saying and questions that pop into your mind while you're talking, you'll have something insightful to ask at the end.

3. Stay calm and confident.
Your voice is your main tool during a phone interview. Keep a steady tone and speed when you speak and make sure the person on the other end can hear you at all times.

4. Follow up
If you don't already have their email, make sure you ask for it at the end of the conversation. Let them know you plan to follow up and offer to send them any supplemental material such as writing samples of portfolio pieces. They'll be impressed with your initiative.

Phone interviews are the gateway to in-person interviews so it's important to be your best. Do you have any more tips or tricks you use during these conversations? We'd love to hear from you.

Learn to Make Your Own Decisions

There's no such thing as a stupid question, right? While that may be true, there are definitely questions that are pretty unnecessary. I tend to ask a lot of them. I would rather ask a lot of questions and do something right than forge my own incorrect path. While I still stand by that, I've learned through my internships and time spent as a leader in student organizations that there are a lot of times where the questions need to be skipped and executive decisions need to be made.

In order to make a quick and effective decision on your own, there are some simple steps to take:

1. Develop a thorough understanding

You're much more likely to make a solid (and correct) decision if you have all your background information. Think of that "what-if's" before you start your task and find all your answers at the beginning, rather than running into roadblocks later on.

2. Utilize the internet

Search engines are a wonderful thing. Rather than asking your coworker or boss how to use promoted posts on Facebook or create a graph in Excel, just look it up online. 

3. Look for previous examples

Don't reinvent the wheel. If you're doing a job that someone has done before, there are examples of the right way to do it somewhere. Go through old files and see if you can find an older version that might be able to guide you.

4. Be confident

When you make a decision without asking anyone else, be confident that you're doing the right thing. Even if it turns out you aren't, you'll learn from it!

So if you're ever faced with a situation where an immediate decision needs to be made and it's up to you--don't get nervous and second guess yourself. Follow these tips and you're on your way to making great executive decisions. Plus, supervisors, managers, and directors all the way up to vice presidents and CEO's have to make their own decisions, so you're really helping yourself in the long run by learning to do it now.

How to Handle Rejection

I'm not talking about getting turned down for a date--you'll have to go to another blog for advice on that one. I'm talking about job rejection. Whether you're about to graduate and applying for your first full-time position, you're an eager student applying for summer internships, or you're just looking to make a career change, there's a chance you could be facing some rejection sometime soon.

Getting a rejection letter or email for a job that you carefully crafted a cover letter and tailored your resume to can be pretty discouraging, but I prefer to think on the bright side of things and I've come up with some ways to handle rejection and turn it into something positive.

1. Learn from it
Maybe you can pin-point what you said (or didn't say) that caused your job-quest to end in rejection, or maybe you're not quite sure. Go back through the job description and look at the skills and think of ones you might not have highlighted enough or ones you could improve on. Think back to the interview process and consider what you might have done better or changed. Use this opportunity to reflect and improve.

2. Understand it
In a perfect world, every employer would call the people they reject and tell them exactly why they aren't getting hired. Unfortunately, that's usually not the case and it's up to you to figure it out. Try and think about the office atmosphere, the type of work they do, and the way they do it. You might have had all the qualifications, but not have been the right fit for that company. If they didn't think you were a right fit for them, they probably weren't a right fit for you anyway.

3. Use it to your advantage
In interviews you might get asked "what's your biggest failure?" or "talk about a time you didn't succeed and how you handled it". Job rejection is a perfect scenario to use in an answer to this question. You will learn from it and it will help you along the way, whether you realize it now or not, and employers will be impressed with how you handled it and all the ways you used it to become a better PR pro.

4. Chin up, soldier
Remember, there are hundreds of opportunities out there for you. Don't let one rejection get you down or stand in your way of doing the best you can. Keep looking for jobs and internships and you'll find the right one, even if it's somewhere you might not expect.

How have you handled job rejection? We want to hear from you.

8 Terms to NEVER Use in a Press Release

'We're thrilled to announce our new product launch," said Joe Smith of XYZ Inc. "We are proud of all the hard work our team put in and are excited to watch the success unfold."

How many times have you read a quote like that from a bigwig at a company or the mayor of the city? Chances are, it's a lot. While the readers might not know that many quotes in a story are written by PR professionals, the journalists definitely do and when they read quotes like the above that are dripping with overzealous emotion and fake positive attitude, they're likely to roll their eyes and move on to the next headline in their inbox.

To give your story (and your client) the best chance of landing some news coverage, skipping those overused words and phrases that make journalists cringe is crucial.  PR Daily recommends omitting the following words and phrases from your press releases:

1. Pleased/proud/thrilled/excited to announce

2. When asked for his/her input

3. Best-in-class/Best-of-breed

4. Wealth of experience

5. For the first time ever

6. This event boasts an impressive lineup

7. Just in time for

8. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Can you think of anymore overused words of phrases PR pros should avoid? We want to hear from you!

CSR: The Good, The Bad and The Laugh-Worthy

A wildly successful Saturday at the Temple University Invitational: A Taste of Philly PR left me with new knowledge, connections and inspiration. One particular session stuck with me and I'm hoping you'll see why. Scott Tattar, a local PR professional with over 30 years of experience including working for Ketchum, owning his own firm and most recently presiding over the PR department at LevLane Advertising, spoke to the group at the Invitational about corporate social responsibility.

Tattar defined CSR as "how you create love for a brand that creates a sustainable relationship between you and the community" and noted that a lot of people go right to thinking about eco-friendly and green initiatives when they hear corporate social responsibility. While we would never discourage being more kind to the environment, that's not exactly what a successful CSR program initiates.

Some essentials of CSR are:

• Empowering the customer
• Clarity of focus
• Targeting the buying community

Some good examples of CSR programs were mentioned during the conversation, including Target's Red Card program that allows customers to donate 1% of their total cost of purchase towards the school of their choice and Target will match it. This is a successful CSR initiative because it's empowering the customer as well as staying community-focused.

Poor examples of CSR initiatives were mentioned as well. Learn from the mistakes of others, right? Burger King has a program that donates proceeds to fighting childhood obesity. As good of a cause as it may be, that is just one big oxymoron and doesn't exactly empower the customer.

I came away from the session with a full understanding of corporate social responsibility that I didn't have before, and I hope you get the same from my post.

Can you think of any great (or terrible) examples of CSR programs? We want to hear from you!

Facebook's #TransformationTuesday

Facebook has come a long way since its beginning, but lately it seems like there are changes implemented every week. Check out the evolution of Facebook here.

The site recently changed the layout of the newsfeed to make it consistent across mobile and desktop platforms. Facebook also announced that images will be more prominent on user's timelines. This stems from research that proves that people are more attracted to visuals than they are to lines of text. More announcements on changes on the site can be found at www.facebook.com/business/news.

Whenever Facebook makes a big change there is a lot of push-back from users. People tend to be resistant to change, even if it ends up benefiting them. Whenever Facebook changes the way it looks or the way it can be used, people resist and say they want to old format back. Of course this push-back fades away and everyone falls back in love with their favorite social site after they get used to the change.

Don't underestimate people's resistance to change. If a big change is being planned, make sure consumers are notified of the process and intent so they can properly prepare. This keeps people from bad mouthing your organization and builds brand loyalty.

Do you think Facebook is making too many changes? We want to know!

Check out more #TransformationTuesday images of popular websites like MySpace, Yahoo and Twitter.

10 Steps to a More Productive Day

This infographic from Lifehack offers great tips on getting more done throughout the days. It all starts with a simple list.

Listing the tasks you're hoping to accomplish makes it easier for you to prioritize. Whenever I make my to-do lists I always put the due date next to my tasks so I can make sure the urgent ones get done first.

Even if you're bogged down with work it's important that you're keeping yourself energized by having some fun. Listen to your favorite tunes and give yourself breaks every once an a while for snacks or chit chat to keep your body engaged and focused.

Tip #5 is something to think about. What time of the day are you most productive? If it's in the morning, aim to get the bulk of your work accomplished then. This can help you with tip #9: optimize and reflect. Always keeping thinking of ways you might have improved your productivity.

The end of your productive day will end the way it began: with another list! There is nothing more satisfying than checking off your tasks but sometimes a few remain unfinished. Rather than leaving your list as-is, re-write it without your completed tasks. It will be shorter and appear much more manageable that way.

How do you keep yourself productive during the day? Any tips for moments when you just feel like giving up? Let us know!

Media Training 101: Tips on Teaching Your Client

Advocacy. Advocacy. Advocacy.  It's PR 101, it's what we do for our clients and it's what is engraved into our brains from the start.  Part of advocating for your client or your company can be media training. Media training is simply preparing your client for press conferences, interviews, TV appearances, etc. It's a daunting task because no matter how prepared you and your client can be, the media can always throw in a question or comment that you didn't expect. It is our job to make sure the client is prepared for that.

Start off the media training with something fun and engaging. 

Pretend you're the reporter and ask them really hard questions. Chances are they'll freeze up (that's why you're in the position of training them, after all). This will show the importance of what they're about to listen to and experience.

Keep your client's personality in mind.

If they're generally a formal person from a suit-and-tie company, they might not be comfortable loosening up in a conversational situation with a reporter. Practice makes perfect and the more you help your client embrace relaxation, the better they will do in the interview. Cool, calm and collected is a really overused saying for a reason.

Don't use jargon.

Whether we realize it or not, our field is littered with jargon that no one else understand. Clients don't know what editorial and impressions mean so there's no use in talking about it during your training. Keep it short and simple and easy for them to understand so they stay in full focus during your presentation.

Focus on the mission statement.

It's the core of their business and something that they should know inside and out. By incorporating something that they are already comfortable with and making it the base of the training it will help them adjust better.

Wrap it up by reiterating why media training matters.

You can repeat your initial interview exercise and watch them be amazed with the progress they made in a few short hours. End with key takeaways that are most important for them to remember. Always offer yourself up for additional help outside of the training session.

As PR professionals we are supposed to be media aficionados. Sometimes these skills can get in the way of seeing how other people are going to feel if they're talking to a reporter. Put yourself in your client's shoes and make sure to talk to them that way. You're helping them with their skills and cultivating your relationship with them, all in one.

 

Spend Spring Break Thinking About Post-Grad

Spring break is the perfect time to start thinking about post-grad opportunities. You finally have some free time to start planning your course of action.

Grad school?
Full-time internship?
Full-time job?
Travel?
Move back home?

The possibilities are endless to the point where soon-to-be graduates are practically drowning in them. If you're anything like me you have about a thousand questions and a lot of different ideas (some irrational, some totally plausible) about what's going to happen after May.

If you're considering grad school, here's a great resource from Pearson that offers the why's and why not's, FAQ's and other helpful resources to answer all your questions.

If you're not quite ready to enter the real-world workforce, a full-time internship this summer is a great alternative. You can gain more experience without the pressure of committing to a real job.

If you have a yen for travel now is the time. Ask for a trip for your graduation present! If you don't go now, you might never go at all. The only people who have more free time than recent grads are retired seniors.

Are you looking to save some money? Moving back home is something many post-grads do. As long as you're sure you're doing it to save money and not just hide from your real-world responsibilities, it can be a sensible option.

If you're totally ready to start your full-time job then spring break is the ideal time to start looking around and applying. Make a list of the places you might like to be and then search for companies, organizations or agencies in those places. Be aware of what type of environment you want to work in; is it formal where you have to wear business professional or are you looking for an informal place where you can wear jeans? A company's website can tell you a lot about the atmosphere.

Some great job resources are LinkedIn groups, Indeed.com, CareerBuilder.com or your college or university's career center!

What are some ways you're preparing for post-graduation? Not planning on looking for jobs for a while? Tell us why!

Why Are PR Students Taking Jobs in Other Fields?

As graduation looms closer each day, the job hunt has begun for many college seniors. When chatting with fellow classmates about where they might see themselves post-grad, many have told me that they have no intention of actually going into public relations. To a PR-obsessed person like me, this sounds absurd (why would you ever want to do anything else, am I right?) but it's something that actually happens a lot.

There are several reasons why people who have dedicated four years of their life to studying this field might not want to end up in it:

Lack of internships
Classroom learning is great, but there's nothing like the real thing. If you don't get internships in college you have no way of learning the ins and outs of real-world public relations. It's a lot more hands-on and a lot more fun.

Letting a bad experience change your path
A lot of people have had that one teacher who told them "you're not going to make any money" "all you do is busy work" and that deters them from wanting to pursue a career in PR. Rather than take one person's opinions and basing your decisions on them, make sure you're asking around and seeing what the reality is.

PR was never what you wanted to do in the first place
Public relations, marketing and advertising go hand-in-hand and every university has a different way of teaching each subject. Sometimes the three are integrated in classroom teachings and sometimes they are kept completely separate. In the case of schools that keep them separate, you might come in thinking you want to do PR, not really understanding what it's all about and actually marketing would be a better fit--but you'll never know. Make sure you do a lot of research before you choose your major and always, always take classes outside of your field!

Of course there are people who spend all four years studying a subject and just end up finding a different path that works better for them. That's great! Before you make that crucial choice, make sure you're doing it for the right reasons.

Have you or someone you know experienced this? Share your story!

How to Deal with a Bad Boss

If you've never had a boss that you considered bad, you're a very lucky individual. I've been working since I was 15 at a variety of jobs so I've encountered a few.  Sometimes they down-right don't know what they're doing and sometimes they're selfish and mean. Other times they're nice people, they just don't have the proper education and training to be in charge of other people.

There is one bright side of having a bad boss. It's character building and it teaches you a very valuable lesson: how to deal with difficult people. That's important, since you're going to come across more eventually.

If you do happen to have a boss that you just don't get along with but you have to stick out the job for a while, here are some tips I've learned to make life easier for everyone:

1. Don't take things too personally. This is pretty hard, but chances are your boss is treating everyone poorly, not just you. If that isn't the case...you should really reevaluate how badly you need the job.
2. Remember there are always other options. If it's your first internship or real job a bad boss can really discourage you from continuing a career in that industry. Don't think that way! The majority of people in the world really are nice and want you to succeed, so go out and find some of them.
3. Focus on the better things. Do you love your co-workers? Great! Hang out with them and try and stay out of your mean boss's way.
4. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself. If your boss is treating you unfairly or makes you feel down every day, just tell them. Not everyone is empathetic so they might not realize they're really hurting your feelings and effecting you.

Have you ever had to deal with an issue like this? Help others in similar situations and tell us what you did!

Although I've dealt with some bad bosses, I've found myself in an internship with a boss I really enjoy working with. You just have to keep searching and the right fit will come around.

Social Media Lessons from the Grammy Awards

Award shows are a prime time to use social media and build your brand, be it personal, product, or otherwise.  You're automatically included in a celebrity-crazed social community when you utilize whatever hashtag is related to the show.  This past Sunday, several brands (local and national) were live tweeting the Grammy Awards along with the rest of the college students and young professionals on my newsfeed. It really caught my attention and I think it's because it shows that those brands care about what's going on and what their audiences are interested in.

If you're going to participate in the award show mania on social media, there are some things you have to keep in mind.

Be prepared for some backlash
No matter how true the tweets about Taylor Swift or Pharrell might be, there are some die-hard fans out there that will send some pretty rude things your way if you disagree with them. Be prepared with some proper responses for such a situation.

Can we say it enough? PROOFREAD!
Live-tweeting is basically a race between your fingers and the funny, horrifying and classic moments happening on screen. It can be easy to misspell a word or slip up in a post when you're rushing to get it out.

Engage, engage, engage
It's all well and good to push out your own thoughts and opinions about what's going on. If you really want to connect with your audience and build your brand, engage with what they are saying. Respond to their tweets or ask their opinions in a Facebook post.

Were any of your favorite brands following along with the Grammys? What were some of your favorite moments?

Stay on Track This Semester

Classes have already begun for many colleges and universities and will start for the majority of the remaining ones today.  We might as well start off on the right foot this semester and pave the way for smooth sailing in the next several months.

• Get a planner. Use it.
  There is no better way to stay on top of your schoolwork, social activities, and other commitments.  If you write everything down there is no reason to forget it. That way you'll always know what's coming up and what you have room for, be it homework or fun events.
  
• Talk to someone new.
  Don't be a loner on the first day of class. Scope out your classmates and sit next to someone who seems like they might have a similar vibe to you. You could end up making a great connection, helpful study buddy, and possibly even a new friend!
  
• Go to office hours.
  Professors notice the students who go above and beyond in class. If you visit them during office hours you will stick out in their mind. Spending time outside of class with your professor will also ensure that all your questions get answered.
  
• Eat breakfast.
  You're a busy bee and you need energy for the day. Eating even just a little something for breakfast every day will keep you going through all your classes and extracurricular activities.  You'll beat that mid-day funk and be able to perform at top speed. 

These are just some of the things you can do to keep yourself on track for the upcoming semester.  Get organized right away and you'll stay organized throughout.  End the year with a successful semester and reward yourself with a summer of fun (not that we're counting down the days or anything)!

What will you be improving on this semester?

Bonjour! A Little PR from Paris

At this very moment I'm across the pond being captivated by the beauty of France. In addition to visits to cultural landmarks, tours of the most beautiful landscapes, and dining at divine restaurants, I've also been to visit several different companies. We've been to see the French Fashion Institute, Hermes, and Peugeot and are set to see many more.

On these visits I've noticed some serious cultural differences in conducting business that any aspiring public relations professional will want to know if they're considering doing business abroad.

Dress

In the United States, "business casual" is generally the norm and "business formal" is saved for fancier occasions.  In France, "business formal" is the norm and the French take great pride in how they dress. Americans always need to look their most professional and very best when doing business in France.

Time

The French look at Americans as "always in a hurry". If you're going to do business with the French, you need to be prepared to slow down and go at their pace or you'll risk looking too aggressive.

Language

In France, it's common to use 'terms of endearment' in business conversation.  You'll hear "mon cheri" used and at first thought it may seem sexist or politically incorrect. The French don't view it that way and it's best to just accept the cultural adjustment.

It's your job as an American business-person and PR professional to be prepared for the cultural differences you'll face when doing business abroad. France is just a drop in the bucket of cultural clash.

What are some other cultural differences you can think of? We want to know!

Intern vs. Employee: Whose Job is Harder?

You might think there is an obvious answer to this question and wonder why I'm bringing it to debate at all.  It seems like a no brainer, why would a part-time (or even full-time) intern have a harder job than someone actually employed by the company?

Let's break it down:

Employee

• 40 hour work week (but let's be real, in PR we all know it's more)
• Multiple clients, projects, meetings, etc.
• Work-life balance challenges
• Inter-company relationship maintenance

Intern

• Busy work 
• Smaller tasks
• Part-time (generally)
• School-work-life balance

The biggest difference between the intern and the employee is that the job isn't the intern's end-all. They aren't bound to this company for an extended amount of time like an employee is. However, the employee is there every day. They're familiar with the in's and out's of the people they work with and the clients they have.

I think it's harder being the intern because you're NOT there every day. Even if you are, you're not included in every email chain and every meeting. It's hard to get completely familiarized with every client to the proper extent when the job isn't your main focus because of school, extra curricular activities, etc.

Which do you think is more difficult? Have you had an experience where you struggled as an intern but felt that if you were employed you would succeed?

What's Your Social Media Personality?

This is a little bit like the quizzes you find in the back of a Seventeen Magazine. What kind of social media personality are YOU? Check all that apply.

PR Daily posted this infographic that breaks down the type of people who are using social media, and it's pretty spot-on.

Most PR students and professionals (myself included) would most likely fall under the "Ultras" category.  We love our social media and we're proud of it and we might even find ourselves getting a little antsy when we can't check it several times a day.

However, there are definitely some classifications that aspiring PR pros don't want to fall under.

• The Peacocks

It's great to have a lot of followers, but social media isn't a popularity contest. If most of your audience is people that have no relevance to what you're saying, you might as well be talking to yourself

• The Ranters

Sometimes it's hard to contain our opinions, especially on hot-button issues. It's in our PR nature to want to respond right away. It's okay to speak your mind, as well as it's well thought out and appropriate. Ranting is never encouraged.

• The Ghosts

What good do anonymous or "fake" profiles do you? If no one knows who you are you can't gain much credibility. Online safety shouldn't be taken lightly but as long as you're smart about what you put out there, you can still be honest about who you are.

So, which social media personality are you? Are you a cross between a few or a completely new breed? We want to know!

The Best Ads of 2013

AdWeek chose their top ten ads of 2013. 

You can check them out here.

The list includes KMart's Ship My Pants commercial

and the Dove Real Beauty Sketches commercial, among others.

The ten videos that made the cut had a lot in common.  They were all either touching and heartwarming, like Chipotle's "The Scarecrow" commercial or hilarious like the Geico "Hump Day" commercial.  Just as a story needs to be newsworthy by maintaining relevancy, the same goes for advertisements.  Ads achieve relevancy by making an impact on their viewers. These top ten ads do this by giving viewers something to take away, like a funny phrase (i.e. HUMP DAAAAAY) or a message that resonates with the heart.

Which ad is your favorite? What makes it stand out? We want to hear from you!

Crisis Communication Crash & Burn

Employee scandals.
Illegal activity.
Product recalls.
These, and more, are all things that call for crisis communication.

Temple University recently announced the cancellation of seven sports teams and has found itself in the midst of a situation that could use a lot of crisis communication.  While an initial announcement was made, there has been a lot of backlash from students, parents and faculty about the issue and minimal information has been provided from the university.

I'm not here to place blame on Temple, I am simply analyzing the situation from the perspective of a public relations student. While I haven't had much first-hand experience with crisis communication, I've learned a great deal about it and there are several things that should be done in an instance like this:

• Get accurate information out fast. If you don't the press will and word of mouth will and the message you were hoping to convey is hopelessly lost in translation.
• Never say "no comment". Always have something to say, or others will end up putting words in your mouth and taking your caution as avoidance and guilt.
• Use empathy. Put yourself in the shoes of the people that are being affected. Make it known that you are doing so. Generic responses and cookie cutter actions are only going to show people that you're disconnected with your audience.

Based on what I've learned during my education here at Temple, the university could up their crisis communication and handle the situation more effectively. It's a tricky issue, I think everyone understands that. What would you do if faced with such a crisis?