The Shrinking Newsroom

Any PR professional knows that Public Relations is based around timeliness, what is current, what is new and especially what is newsworthy. In a world with literally hundreds of media outlets right at our fingertips, an interesting concept to discuss is the reality of the shrinking newsroom and how to adapt PR practice accordingly.

PRsay (a PRSA affiliate) author Philip Tate discusses what he considers to be the benefits and the frustrations that accompany the shrinking newsroom. The following are some important points that Tate discussed about how media has evolved in his professional experience.

Tate said that although there have been cuts in newsroom staff, local newsrooms have endured in keeping "six out of every eight reporters." The number of investigative reporters have actually increased in recent years, he said. Tate also emphasized how it is not that certain departments have necessarily been cut out completely, but that reporters need to be more well versed and write on a variety of subjects rather than simply just one specialty.

Lastly, Tate said the major implications for "the shrinking newsroom" for Public Relations professionals is to work harder to find the most timely information and distribute it as quickly as possible. The focus of the newsroom is still gathering newsworthy information in the ever-changing world of media.

To read the full article and learn more about Tate's perspective on the "shrinking newsroom" click here.

This guest blog was written by staff member Michele Reilley.

How Soon Do We Forget?

In "The Biggest Corporate Image Catastrophes" on Investopedia.com's Financial Edge, writer Stephen Simpson, CFA discusses several corporate blunders that got past the "well-greased PR machine of the corporate world."

Some are more recent than others. How many do you remember?

1. BP: Tone-deaf comments from the now-former CEO quickly led to a thundering backlash after the recent well explosion and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

2. Goldman Sachs: Goldman was allegedly misleading some of its customers, paying huge bonuses and essentially lecturing the government on how things ought to be. Goldman did not do anything new or anything that its peers have not done - it was just clumsy enough to do it in front of microphones at precisely the time when the public wanted contrition and modesty.

3. Toyota: After laughable excuses for a problem with a sticky accelerator in some models, including blaming the floor mats, Toyota ultimately acknowledged the problem and launched a recall. But in waiting so long to fess up to the problem, Toyota lost its gold-plated reputation as being a better kind of car company.

4. The "Big Three" (Ford, Chrysler, General Motors): After being bailed out of bankruptcy with tax payers' dollars, auto industry executives made their job even harder when they flew to Washington, D.C. - aboard private jets - to plead their poverty in front of the Congress.

5. JetBlue: On a snowy Valentine's Day in 2007, JetBlue kept several plane loads of passengers sitting on the tarmac for hours - with one plane being held captive for nine hours.

6. Abercrombie & Fitch: The youth retailer has been in hot water with the public for print ads, questionable taste, racist t-shirts, or company hiring policies that put the less-than-beautiful people in the back room.

To read the full article, click here.

Things I Didn't Think I Would Have to Know

One of the things I loved about being a Communications major in college was that I was required to take any business classes and only two math classes. It wasn't until my senior year of college that the realization set in that I would someday have to figure out how to pay back my student loans and how to contribute to a 401(k).

After talking with some business professors and finding books to read about these topics, I was still feeling a little lost. Then I decided to attend a financial presentation for college students at the Fox School of Business. The program covered topics like investments, student loans and credit. It was also directed by Fox School Alums, so they had an understanding of what it's like to be a Temple Student.

When I started my new job in June 2010 I felt comfortable talking about the options for investing in a 401(k) and I understood a lot of what was being presented to me. I'm also not as nervous to start paying back loans because I have a better understanding of how to tackle the situation, thanks to attending the program.

My advice? Take a business class no matter what your major is, look for programs like the one I attended last spring, and be prepared to deal with topics outside your area of study in the "real world." Just because you didn't go to college for finance, doesn't mean it won't school you when you graduate.

*Temple students: The program I attended last April was called "Spring Forward" and it was presented by the Fox School of Business Alumni Association. Keep an eye out for a program like it next spring!

Beware of Job Scams!

The other day I received an email from a recruitment coordinator saying that they had seen my resume online and would be interested in interviewing me for a sales position within the next two weeks. This seemed odd to me, because I did not recall posting my resume on the website they mentioned. The email was in a template form and did not mention anything specific about my resume, only that my background and qualifications made me a strong candidate for the position. This gave me the feeling that the email was sent as a mass email which they only personalized by inserting my name at the top.

I wasn't interested in the position described in the email, but I decided to Google the name of the company anyways to find out what they were about. Sure enough, I found many websites where people described experiences similar to mine. Some people wrote that they did respond to the email, only to find out that it was a scam.

Scammers are taking advantage of how many people are currently out of work and looking for jobs. They realize that many people are applying for jobs online, so they have started sending emails and fake job applications in the hopes of tricking people into revealing personal information.

An article from CNN.com gives some tips for spotting a job scam. Here is my summary of the key points:

1. No legitimate job will ask you for money.
2. Beware of ads that make outrageous claims, don't specify job duties and don't require a resume.
3. If "work from home" appears in the header, it is probably a scam. Working from home should not be part of a job title and is often used as bait by scammers.
4. Miracles do happen, but it is not likely that they will appear in your inbox on their own.
5. Much like kidnappers, scammers often catch their prey by dangling enticing things in front of them. Don't fall for promises that sound too good to be true.
6. Beware of emails that come from well-known companies but carry a "free" email address (such as gmail, aol, etc.) for reply. Scammers have used the names and websites of reputable companies to fool job seekers.

Do you have any other tips to help job seekers protect themselves against job scams?

Find Food on Twitter!

Here in Philadelphia, food trucks are very popular. Trucks park along curbs all over the city and serve hot food at cheap prices--on the fly. At Temple alone, I can think of over 15 food trucks lining various streets on campus. Many people have their favorite foods they like to get from their favorite trucks.

But what happens if one day your food truck isn't parked where it normally would be? Enter Twitter onto the scene.

That's right, food trucks all over the country are tapping the power of Twitter to keep their faithful customers abreast of their location.

Twitter is also facilitating a change in the types of cuisine that can be found on the streets. In California, as discussed in an article I recently read in Food and Wine Magazine, it is a rising trend for famous chefs to serve their cuisine out of trucks that allow them to travel around the city. Author Salma Abdelnour has credited social media for the success of these new "catch-me-if-you-can" entrepreneurial ventures. Some such trucks have amassed as many as 63,000 followers on Twitter, as people "chase" the trucks through the city for a chance to sample these fine foods.

Pretty cool, if you ask me. The power of social media never ceases to amaze me!

Click here to view Food and Wine Magazine's list of top restaurants, food trucks and and carts to follow on Twitter.

Do You Like This?

You know that little button Facebook is famous for? Did you know the "Like" button can be added to other websites?

An article on Mashable details how to add the "like" button to other websites. A new application allows website users to add the "like" button in order for viewers to like their site. Over 350,000 sites have added the "like" button.

Read the article here.

Facebook Hits 500 Million Users and is Only Growing Stronger

For social media users all over the world, Facebook has become a portal of communication, a transportable yearbook, a free marketing tool, or a way to organize events. On July 22, 2010, Facebook announced that they officially hit 500 million users, which is approximately a 500% increase in users in a mere two years. With this networking site growing so fast, the company is constantly working towards innovation. A recent article from Ragan.com outlined five predictions for the Facebook empire:

1. Optimized Aggregator of All Content on All Platforms (including mobile) for Individuals and their Friends: The website intends to have increased features that allow videos and other multi-media content, and will also expand Facebook mobile, enabling users to share and find more content through the website.
2. Portals and Websites for Businesses: Today, many businesses create a Facebook page before they even create a website!
3. Blogging Platform Replacement: Although blogs are likely to remain popular to those of us who are interested in writing and PR, writing a note on Facebook is significantly easier than creating and updating a blog for the average user.
4. Monetizing will Continue to Grow: Since Facebook is able to specify gender, age, career, location, interests and other key demographics, it has proven to be an incredible marketing tool.
5. Continual Integration With Every Corner Of The Web: Facebook has added the “like” option to a wide range of websites, which may be just the beginning of their integration with other websites.

As Facebook grows (and approaches the billions!), it has changed from a way to keep in touch with your friends and family to a multipurpose, multi-million dollar website.

As the site continues evolve, perhaps we should all ask ourselves: how can we change the way we use Facebook to take advantage of the site’s expanding list of benefits?