This Week In PR | No. 10

Another installment of current events and public relations developments for the week, in case you missed anything!

• Chi Omega faced public scrutiny this week after a social media fiasco by one of their members. A member of the chapter at the University of Alabama posted a picture on her Snapchat with a caption boasting that her organization doesn't recruit African American women. She has since been removed from her sorority. (Huffington Post)
• Remember missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370? To add insult to injury, two people have recently been charged with alleged theft of $35,000 from the bank accounts of four of the missing passengers of the flight. Though the missing flight has still not been found, search efforts are scheduled to resume in September. (CNN)
• Although this has been my personal opinion for a while, it's definitely comforting to know that I'm not alone. The events in Ferguson have exposed Facebook's shortcomings in relation to updating users on current events. Despite their efforts (such as implementing trending topics), Facebook falls short to Twitter when it comes to up to the minute updates in social news. (BuzzFeed)
• Yet another social media campaign has gone awry. Puma launched a Twitter campaign where fans could use the #fastergraph tag in order to create a personalized autograph featuring their favorite Puma-wearing athlete. Unfortunately, with free will comes...interesting results. Take a look. (BuzzFeed)
• Macy's has agreed to settle allegations of racial profiling at their flagship store to the tune of $650,000. The signed agreement also implements new policies to prevent any future profiling in any of their other 42 stores in the state of New York. (NBC Washington)

I hope you enjoyed the This Week In PR series this summer! Fridays will return to regularly scheduled blog posts starting next week. 

This Week In PR | No. 9 #Ferguson

Though there are always many public relations fiascoes to share, this is another week where it seems more appropriate to focus on one major issue that, believe it or not, impacts us all.

On Saturday, August 9th, Mike Brown, an 18-year-old Ferguson resident, was shot down by a police officer. Though some details of the altercation between the two are still fuzzy, it is clear from witnesses on both sides that there was a physical scuffle before Brown was shot 10 ten times, though his arms were raised above his head prior to being killed. Unfortunately, the cops and eyewitnesses tell two completely different stories as to what led to this tragedy.

Since the shooting of the unarmed, college-bound student, the city of Ferguson, Missouri, and the nation, have been in an uproar, both on the streets and on social media.

In Ferguson, many peaceful protesters joined together in a vigil to remember Brown earlier this week. However, police were sent to disperse the crowds and soon, the peaceful protests quickly morphed into looting and rioting. Ferguson police responded by throwing tear gas and shooting rubber bullets at civilians, most of which were the peaceful protesters.

In response to the media's interpretation of Ferguson events, many young, African American students took to social media using #IfTheyGunnedMeDown, a hashtag used to start a conversation about how black people are often portrayed in the media. The hashtags #MikeBrown and #Ferguson have also seen traction on social media as a means to share up-to-date information with the public about the developments in Ferguson since some major news outlets are misreporting stories.

Unfortunately, the events in Ferguson show no sign of slowing down and people are starting to take action. This past Wednesday students at Howard University, a notable Historically Black College or University (HBCU), shot a powerful photo featuring hundreds of young, black men and women with their hands raised in surrender. The following day, even more supporters came out for National Moment of Silence vigils held in major cities across the country. In our own city of Philadelphia, hundreds of people stood in solidarity at Love Park to show their support. Though issues in Ferguson still rage on, hopefully their citizens feel comfort in knowing that they are not alone.

UPDATE | After widespread public outcry, this morning the name was finally released  of the police officer who shot Brown: Darren Wilson. Wilson is a 6-year veteran with no previous incidents on his record.

This Week In PR | No. 8

This week (as are most weeks) was pretty full of major current events and changes in the public relations world. Here are just a few to give you a quick recap of what you may have missed.

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• Remember Malaysia Airlines? As predicted, they have recently launched a social media campaign in an effort to restore consumer trust. Take a look and/or participate in the conversation using #FlyingHigh on Twitter. (Mashable)
• Ladies, it would seem that we aren't the only one's whose body image is heavily affected by the media; men are also subjected to "fat shaming." While women are subliminally (or not so subliminally) told to get smaller, men are equally told to get more buff. It's great that the media is treating both sexes equally, but perhaps they should do so while being encouraging instead of discouraging. (TIME)
• President Obama has officially issued an order for air strikes to be launched over Iraq as well as air drops with aid for "religious minorities threatened by extremists." For his full statement, click the following link. (Associated Press)
• Edward Snowden, the NSA whistle-blower, has officially been granted a three-year stay in Russia. His temporary asylum came to an end on July 31st, but he has since requested it to be extended. On August 1st, his request was granted and Snowden will now have Russian residency for another three years. (CNN)
• It's no secret that the Chinese government can be fairly strict so it should come as no surprise that they've recently enacted tighter restrictions on instant messaging applications. Their reason? They were put in place in an effort to "help build a clean cyberspace." Hopefully they reach their goal. (Wall Street Journal) 
• In light of the massive breach of security that compromised around 1.2 billion usernames and passwords, the Associated Press has a few tips on how to make your information a little more secure...at least until this Russian hacking ring has been caught. (Associated Press) 
• To end on a lighter note, Kentucky State University's interim president, Raymond Burse, has agreed to a salary cut of $90,000. Why? The money will instead be going to 24 minimum wage campus workers in order to raise their hourly salary to $10.25 an hour, a pretty significant jump from their previous salary of $7.25 an hour. When explaining the bold move Burse simply explains, "I did it to bring the lowest wage employees up to a level where I think they should be." (CNN Money)

This Week In PR | No. 7

• Malaysia Airlines has seen its fair share of troubles this year. Earlier this year, flight MH370 simply disappeared while more recently, another flight was shot down over Ukraine. Since the tragedies, flight cancellations have risen and Malaysia Airlines is steadily losing profit. Many wonder if the company can recover from the two massive hits it has taken this year. (PR Daily)
• Target has also had a pretty rough year failing to fully recover after its massive security breach in late 2013. In an effort to improve upon that in the upcoming quarters, Target has hired former Pepsi Co. executive Brian Cornell. Coming in with an impressive resume, Cornell has also formerly served as CEO and president of Sam's Club and CEO of Michael Stores Inc. Hopefully this new change in leadership will be just what Target needs to turn things around. (Huffington Post)
• Though I (and I'm assuming most other people my age) have known about this "new" term for a while now, it seems to have just made its way into older circles and has become somewhat of a major story. Several news outlets have written about the phenomenon known as the "usie." If you aren't familiar with the term, it simply gives a name to the group form of a selfie. This may not be earth-shattering news, but at least now you'll be in the know. (Associated Press)
• Scary or innovative? Popular text application, Kik, has introduced a new feature they're calling chat bots. The idea is that users will be able to chat with brands in the same way that they chat with their friends. While this isn't new technology, the platform its being utilized on is. Brands are taking advantage by (what else) pushing their products to Kik users. (PRSA)
• It seems that there has been a case of mistaken identity. The New Zealand Herald recently ran a story reporting that New Zealand native and Isreali solider, Staff Sgt. Guy Boyland, was killed in a fire fight in Gaza. Unfortunately, the picture ran with the story was of deceased comedian Ryan Dunn, the Jackass star that died of a car crash in 2011. The Herald has since issued an apology to the Boyland family. (Mashable)

This Week In PR | No. 6

This week, unfortunately, has been riddled with tragedy. From Israel continuing to attack Gaza to the recent shooting down of a Malaysian Airlines flight,  this week's news headlines have been grim to say the least. In an effort to give both of these ongoing issues their proper respect, This Week In PR will focus solely on these developments.

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• Earlier this week, Israel ended its cease-fire and continued its air strike attack against Gaza. The death toll has risen to over 260 civilians and shows no sign of slowing down. Efforts to quell the aggression between the two countries have yet to prove successful (CNN).  Since the end of the cease-fire, Israel has also bombed a Gaza beach, killing four young boys of the Bakr family (Wall Street Journal). Most recently, a CNN live segment was interrupted when Israeli onlookers cheered as bombs rocketed across the sky over Gaza (Buzzfeed). It remains unclear whether or not U.S. involvement will happen in the near future. 
• Just yesterday, Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot out of the sky from over 30,000 feet in the air. Although the event is still under investigation, it is clear that the explosion was caused by a ground to air missile. Because the plane wreckage is above ground (as opposed to submerged underwater), answers about the cause of the crash are coming more quickly (TIME). It's also been revealed that the plane held some of the greatest minds and pioneers in the fight against HIV/AIDS who were on their way to an international AIDS conference in Melbourne, Australia (Buzzfeed). Hopefully the loss of these researchers will not slow the ongoing battle in the AIDS community. 

This Week In PR | No. 5

Need a recap of this week's public relations happenings and current events? Well, you're in luck. Here's what happened this week in PR.

• In entertainment news, Laverne Cox became the first transgender woman nominated for an Emmy for her role in the Netflix breakout series Orange is the New Black. She has been recognized for her role as Sophia Burset, "an inmate who committed fraud in an attempt to pay for a sex change procedure." Note: Cox's identical twin brother played the role in the scenes prior to the character's surgery. That's pretty powerful. (TIME)
• There's a fine line between humor and professionalism on social media. However, the CIA seems to be dancing on the line when it comes to their Twitter account. In fact, their first tweet read, "We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet." While Twitter has become a major platform for creativity and humor, some think that certain organizations should abstain from participating in the trend and stick to more professional updates. What do you think? (PR Daily)
• The summer is a great time for vacationing and winding down, but if you're interested in still being stimulated occasionally, there are plenty of great opportunities nationwide for growth and networking. Here's a compiled list of seminars on social media, analytics, and more. (Mashable)
• Globally, issues in the Middle East continue despite President Obama's pleas for peace. The Palestinian death toll has risen to over 100 civilians today. Gaza militants have fired over 550 rockets, hit over 1,100 targets, and wounded close to 670 people. Their offensive tactic shows no sign of slowing down; unfortunately, it seems to be expanding. (Associated Press)
• ESPN Magazine's annual body issue is out and this time around, their cover athletes are of all shapes and sizes. We've become accustomed to seeing the covers of this issue graced by the most athletic and "physically fit" professionals, but this issue is more representative of all body types. I'd say that's a pretty good play on ESPN's part. (Huffington Post)

This Week In PR | No. 4

It's Friday, which means it's time for your weekly roundup of public relations happenings and current events.

• In case you missed it a few weeks ago, FAFSA's Twitter account posted a meme from the hit movie Bridesmaids with the quote, "Help me I'm poor." Naturally, it was received with mixed reviews. While some took great offense, others thought the use of a popular meme was a great way to connect with FAFSA's main audience: young adults. Regardless, this week FAFSA tweeted out an apology explaining mocking people in need was never their intention. (PR Daily)
• The News of the World phone hacking scandal first surfaced back in 2011, but on Tuesday former head of News International Rebekah Brooks, her husband, and her personal assistant were acquitted of all charges. Most people found the verdict shocking since there seemed to be plenty of evidence against them and agree that even if Brooks had no knowledge of the phone tapping, that it's her role as head of the company to take responsibility for any short-comings. (Jezebel)
• It's no secret at this point that employers, internship directors and, well, anyone you would like to network with often check your social media profiles. However, now if you're selected for jury duty it's possible that the lawyers can take a look at your Facebook profile. Is this an invasion of privacy or simply a more efficient way to weed out any ineligible jurors with ties to the case? (Now This News)
• Recently, comedic duo Seth Rogen and James Franco released a trailer for their new movie "The Interview." However, the film which is a comedy about assassinating Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was seen by North Korea as "an act of war" with promises of "merciless" retaliation if the film is released. Some wonder if there is any connection to North Korea launching three short-range projectiles earlier this week, if it was in response to growing tensions with South Korea, or if it's simply a regular test. (TIME)
• On a much lighter note, if you haven't already noticed there is something new on your Twitter timelines: GIFs! In a partnership with Giphy, a popular GIF site, users are now able to embed GIFs directly from their Giphy account or by tweeting the link to the GIF they want. As if picture and video tweet integration weren't enough, now you can enjoy looping animations over and over again, and people seem to be loving it! (Mashable)

This Week In PR | No. 3

This week in public relations and current events was full of head-turning headlines...and faces. Here's just a few of the things that occurred within the last week.

• Though this news is probably more relevant to this blog's younger readers, it's news nonetheless. The Unicode Consortium announced the release of 250 new emojis. Making their debut in late July, the emojis include icons that have been highly requested by users as well as a few (well, several) that will probably never be touched. Let me know if you figure out a way to incorporate three types of floppy disks into a text. (CNET)
• In response to Russia's recent crackdown on social media, Twitter executive Colin Crowell took a trip to Moscow to speak with representatives from the Russian government. Though details of the meetings have not been disclosed, President Vladimir Putin has always been weary of the internet and Crowell's goal is to ease any fears that Twitter is used in any way as a "government tool." (BuzzFeed)
• American Apparel president and CEO Dov Charney has been suspended pending a "month-long 'cure period.'" Though the reason for his release was not stated in the press release announcing his dismissal, Charney has been the center of a few sexual assault allegations in recent years. In addition to those rumors, the American Apparel stock had been performing poorly for a while now, with stock prices only rising the morning after Charney's firing. (Refinery29)
• During a new program unveiling, T-Mobile CEO John Legere compared his competitors to rapists saying, "These high and mighty duopolists that are raping you for every penny you have, if they could do something nice for you they would. The f—ckers hate you." Naturally, this sparked a huge social media backlash with many angered T-Mobile customers voicing their disgust for the CEO. The next day, Legere also took to Twitter issuing an apology. (PR Daily)
• Remember my comment about this week's head-turning faces? Just yesterday a mugshot released on the Stockton Police Department's Facebook page went viral. Why? It just so happens that the arrested citizen, Jeremy Meeks, is quite handsome. By the end of the day, the photo of Meeks had accumulated over 30,000 likes, 9,400 comments, and had been shared over 2,900 times! That has to count towards good behavior, right? (FOX News)

Feel free to share even more newsworthy or interesting stories in the comments section below!

This Week In PR | No. 2

• It appears that Europeans' protest against driving company Uber may have been the best publicity they've ever received. Uber saw a major spike in profits after protests broke out against the company saying that they are taking money away from taxi drivers. Despite posing fierce competition for taxi companies and having what many feel is a less than thorough driver screening process, "Uber's signups in the UK alone rose 850%." It seems in this case big business may just win out in the end. (Forbes)
• It's been clear for a while that video is the newest and most popular trend in social media so, of course, Facebook wants in on some of the action. The company is introducing a new feature to their Messenger app that will allow users to record and send 15-second videos. All this comes after their accidental launch of the Slingshot app, which had the same video capabilities. But good luck trying to download Slingshot; the app was removed from the App Store shortly after it was added. (Mashable)
• Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, there have been 74 school shootings in America. In an effort to come up with a solution for student protection, ProTecht invented the "Bodyguard Blanket," a bulletproof pad for students to put over their bodies in the event of a school shooting. However, people are beginning to question whether ProTecht's motives are noble or profiteering. You decide. (PR Daily)
• Twitter COO Ali Rowghani resigns, ironically, via a tweet saying, “Goodbye Twitter. It’s been an amazing ride, and I will cherish the memories.” Though his resignation may seem abrupt to the public, Rowghani had been losing responsibilities within his position for months now. Originally appointed to help bring in a new audience and increase current users participation, Rowghani's leadership has only seen plunging stock prices and a less than impressive growth in users. Despite Twitter's recent struggles, Rowghani will stay on as an adviser and no one new will be appointed to the vacant COO position. (NY Times) 
• On Tuesday, 11 of the leading public relations firms made a public statement saying that they would not alter the Wikipedia pages of their clients. After years of sneaky editing, these firms have promised to abide by the Wikipedia rules in an effort to mend the relationship between the two industries that has experienced strain over the past few years. Hopefully this statement signed by firms such as Edelman, Ogilvy & Mather, and Ketchum will encourage smaller PR firms and agencies to follow suit. (Ad Age)

This Week In PR | No. 1

This year we're introducing a new series here on the PRowl blog: This Week In PR. Just as it sounds, Friday will now serve as a day to recap current events and public relations developments of the week! In case you missed it, here are a few things that have happened this week in PR.

• If you would ever consider signing a prenup, you may also want to take a look at signing a social media prenup as well. That's right, this is a growing new trend that people are adopting to protect themselves from their spouses posting unflattering photos online. Apparently, discussions about social media have become increasingly common in divorce proceedings, which should come as no surprise. (TIME)
• In a savvy PR move, the company Swimsuits for All is living up to its name by recreating the recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue using plus sized models. It's no secret that many people find the models used for the swimsuit issue (and several other publications) are not representative of what most American women look like. Swimsuits for All's alternate shoot reminds us all that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. (PR Daily)
• While Instagram has been the leader in photo sharing for quite some time now, it has not been ahead of the curve when it comes to editing. This Wednesday, however, that changed with their newest update. Within the app, users are now able to adjust filter intensities, brightness, contrast, saturation, and warmth. Instagram is slowly, but surely, becoming a one-stop shop for all things photo and video. (PR News)
• This article is less of a PR development and more of a useful tool. Several of us are beginning to hunt for jobs after college and social media is growing into an amazing resource for aiding that search. We now live in a time where a simple hashtag can get you an interview. This article breaks down tips and tricks to utilize on various social networks that can help you find a job, secure an interview, and get your foot in the door. (Mashable)
• For those of us who are bloggers or manage a website, you already know how important traffic is in spreading your message. However, what you might not know is what you may be doing wrong in increasing that traffic. While people are becoming more knowledgeable about the role of SEO, there may be other factors within your content or marketing that are hurting website views. This article lists five things to keep in mind when trying to bring in a larger audience. (Huffington Post)

If there is anything else that happened this week in PR, feel free to share and discuss below!