I don’t personally feel as though the content of this billboard is offensive as I am not a religious person and I don’t think it’s my duty to defend the religious beliefs or actions of another. I do however think this add would be considered extremely offensive to Christians, which is ironic, because it is simply trying to tell the other side of the Mary and Jesus story. I think that many Christians would find this offensive because it defames and criticizes Christianity in a sense, showing the Virgin Mary in bed with her husband, although she had the baby Jesus with God. Very literally, this billboard suggests that Mary was unfaithful to Joseph. Adultery is an incredibly despised sin in the Christian religion. The billboard, although funded by a Christian church, mocks and criticizes the beliefs of the church and its followers that the Virgin Mary was actually a virgin, yet somehow was able to conceive a child with a man other than her husband.

Photo from: http://www.nzherald.co.nz

The billboard tells the other side of the story; it shows Joseph, Mary’s husband, who is not the father of baby Jesus, who is the odd man out in this reference to biblical history. This reference is completely offensive to Christians, who believe Mary had “divine” conception to bare the child of God. They believe she was a virgin and believe in her sanctity and purity based on the teachings of the Bible and what they learn in what I consider an extremely hypocritical church and belief system. Many must choose to ignore the “facts” and disregard this part of the story because it would cast negative spin on their commercialized religion.

I believe everyone has the right to believe in his or her own chosen religion, but people also have the right to freedom of speech. This church may receive backlash for the billboards, but in the end the church is simply stating another side to the story, albeit through what many would consider a tasteless advertisement; however, those are simply the people that don’t understand satire and humor and/or are just caught up or brainwashed by religion to become upset over something that might dare challenge their belief system.

The First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution protects the right to free speech, for the most part, and would protect this church in its decision to have this billboard posted. It does not hurt or sacrifice another person’s religious beliefs or other personal freedoms. It simply offers an alternative perspective of the Bible and this particular part of the Christian faith. It may be deemed “tasteless,” but it certainly does a good job challenging the beliefs that are out there and tries to make a statement. This church wants people to understand that there is more to this story/history than what is presented in church and the Bible. It attempts to promote the questioning of reality and perception. The U.S. is so amazing because we have that opportunity without having to worry about negative consequences. Unfortunately I’m not so sure about the rights of those in New Zealand regarding free speech, advertising, etc.

Another extremely interesting note to make about this ad is its direct sexual reference. This is an extremely “in-your-face” advertisement in sexual terms. I wouldn’t be surprised if this billboard was targeted at a younger demographic to get younger people questioning the falsities or truths associated with religion in general. Sexual advertisements are appealing to teenagers and young adults. This billboard doesn’t do it in the “titillating” way that an Axe commercial might, but it would still definitely draw the attention of a younger audience with sexual imagery and a witty phrase. In that sense, this billboard acts as a highly commercialized form of religious education targeted at a younger demographic, which conjures up all sorts of other ethical questions.

Ultimately, I don’t find this billboard offensive. I think it’s clever, witty and humorous, However, that humor does come at the price of criticizing Christianity and the beliefs instilled in its followers. Fortunately I’m okay with that.

So what is the importance of such a style? Why is there a whole book dedicated to such a topic? Why should you, a pr student or professional be interested in such a book? Simple: without at least a basic grasp of this writing style, there is no way you’ll get hired on with a newspaper, agency or corporation…and if you do, I wouldn’t imagine that they’ll keep you around long!

The book deals with every possible grammar or punctuation detail that one might need to know. With news releases for example: there always must be a dateline! The dateline basically tells when and where the news is taking place. From the get-go, a reader knows if the information might pertain to him or her simply based off of location.

1) The dateline should include the city name in all CAPS
2) The city name should be followed by the name of the state, county or territory
3) Based off of state populations however, some cities stand alone (e.g. ATLANTA, DENVER, LOS ANGELES, etc.)–oh and by the way, “e.g.” is correct here…I used my AP Stylebook to check! Soooo handy! haha
4) Certain states must be spelled out, including Ohio, Texas and Utah, but other states are abbreviated (See pg. 77 in the 2009 edition of the AP Stylebook)

This is just one example of AP Style and why it is so important that it be universally known by editors, writers, pr pros and other writing-oriented professions.

It can be a bit tricky to remember everything. The book contains information on abbreviations, addresses, prefixes, capitalization, and so on. The list goes on and on and on and on and on and on…well, you get the point! This stuff can be tricky, even for the most skilled grammarian!

As a soon-to-be college graduate in public relations, I find myself retracing all the things I’ve learned over the past three years in college about grammar, punctuation and public relations. I want to be ready for whatever may be thrown my way in this exciting and ever-changing field….and so should you! Here’s a great article on grammar that you might want to read…I know I loved it!

It’s time to get back to the basics and remember what our field prides itself in! I’m sick of seeing mistakes in the local newspaper. I guess it’s up to you and me to be well-versed and prepared for our field…I mean, it is our job! We certainly can’t leave it up to anyone these days, because honestly, in today’s world, most people could care less…hmmm, sad…

If you need to pick up a copy of the current edition, check it out here.

Now this video may lack in a little taste…but I like the song and it gets the point across: bad grammar is EVERYWHERE! Can’t we all just get an AP Stylebook?

I myself am gaining experience in blogging and I’m finally finding that now I’m much more comfortable in how I write to the online audience. It can be difficult to get started though. There are many common mistakes that people make and they don’t take the time to correct those mistakes before hitting “publish.”

Something to realize when you’re blogging is that what you are saying is going to be broadcasted over the Internet! You may think you won’t have many followers or that it won’t matter because you’re just a student, but hold your horses! Take time to think through what you want to say so you can better articulate it in your writing.

I too thought this when I first began blogging just a couple months ago. “I’m doing this blogging assignment for my J452 class at the University of Oregon. Nobody is going to want to read what I have to say” I thought to myself. I’ll admit it took a little while to gain my confidence and readership, but the only way to gain an audience is to wade into the deep end and get your feet wet!

Just the other day I received a comment on one of my posts from Chris Bruzzo!!! He’s the Vice President of Digital strategy and maintains online content at Starbucks Coffee Company. Needless, to say, I was in shock! And I may sound nerdy when saying this, but working for Starbucks corporate would be a dream come true for me! I’m currently a barista with the company and it has been one of the greatest things in my life! I get benefits and great coffee….perfect for all night study sessions. I’ve also met some of the greatest people in the world because they were also partners. Truly, I’ve made lifelong friends! Who wouldn’t want to work in Seattle for Starbucks?!! Anyways, sorry for that tangent…

The point is, people are reading. It’s how you keep those people reading that matters! People are jumping from one blog to the next online, so you have to provide good information, unique personality, and good grammar! Here are a few tips to think about before you hit “publish”:

1. Reread your post: Proofreading helps you eliminate grammar mistakes, fragments, confusing sentences, poor word choice, etc.
2. Include links: The point of a blog post is to get your thoughts out, but also to provide readers links to other information out there that expands on the topic. If you find a statistic, link it back to the source. This is also a credibility tool.
3. Provide an interesting visual: As Generation Y, and a society that loves the capabilities of the Internet, we’re always looking to be entertained. Make sure to include videos, photos, or audio to your blog posts. This makes the post more enjoyable for the readers…and let’s face it, it’s all about the readers.
4. Have a target audience: It’s important to know whom you are trying to get to read your blog. You have to write about topics that are going to grab the attention of your target audiences. You can’t just go about this all will-nilly! Ask yourself if the post matches the theme of your blog. Does it fit?
5. Really think about it: Think about if this is something that you should be posting on the Internet for potentially millions of people to see. Did you choose your words wisely? Do you sound professional or casual? Does it matter? Are there corrections to be made? Did you check for spelling and punctuation? All of these things are important to think about before sending your blog out over the Internet.

There…now get out there and start blogging. We want to hear what you have to say! Just remember to think before you post!

Photo by: DavidErickson on Flickr (8/15/2008)

So here’s the point: Public relations is an industry that is going to change with the times and the tools that become available to us as practitioners. That being said, the new technology is the social media news release. It’s here and I don’t imagine it leaving anytime soon.

So a news release is a paper document written to describe a newsworthy event. As all beginning journalists know, it tells the: who, what, when, where, and why about the topic. But paper? Why paper? How outdated! And sadly, it’s true. As much as I like typing up a news release and printing it onto a piece of paper, the industry just doesn’t run like that anymore. Journalists and pr practitioners might even laugh at the thought of this. That’s because the new social media news release has been created!

Social Media News Release I did with http://www.pitchengine.com

What you do is you go to an online pitching site (I prefer Pitch Engine) that allows you to make a news release and include: pictures, videos, links, company information, RSS feeds, and so on! Oh the possibilities!

Now when a journalist receives the pitch, he or she can link to an about page, see pictures, and even stream video! It allows them to quickly gain more knowledge about the story. It’s efficient—and who isn’t looking for efficient in today’s fast-paced industry!

Although I love what the Internet now makes possible, I still can’t help but feel a little sad that everything seems to have gone digital. I spend a great majority of my day on the Internet. I have Facebook to update; I have a blog to update (fun); I have two email addresses and a travel blog; a LinkedIn account, a PROpenMic account, and a Twitter account to watch, which I do through Teetdeck, Twhirl, and my cell phone! The list goes on and on!

While I do love these things, for some reason I keep trying to hang onto that little piece of “outdated” technology: the print news release. To me, there’s just something about having a news release in my hand that I enjoy. Can we just agree to make a print copy to go with the digital copy? Please? Wow, now I’m begging. I really do prefer the online versions over the print versions. I think I’m just to the point when I’ve realize that my life revolves around the Internet and I’m not really sure how I feel about that. Just a thought! How jurassic of me!

While it’s not surprising to see that Apple, Microsoft and Disney are frontrunners in the online social communities, it is surprising to see that Starbucks Coffee, a highly recognized worldwide coffee chain, is not represented on the graphs and pie charts.

With over 16,000 stores in more than 50 countries, I question why the company still hasn’t utilized social media to the extent that it could. By initiating full-fledged online media campaigns, the company would surely benefit from the capabilities that the Internet now makes possible.

Surely the company has taken into account the possibilities available with social media sites, yet Starbucks isn’t such a company. It’s more traditional in its public relations and advertising activities, relying more on word of mouth, quality products and over-the-top customer service.

It’s understandable that people working for Google, Ebay and Amazon.com would be more in tune with their Internet skills and the tools available to them. They work for Internet-based companies. I still can’t figure out why Starbucks shies away from tactics that utilize the Internet. Why isn’t Howard Shultz jumping on this? Doesn’t he recognize the potential profits of emphasizing social media?
I think he does, along with his communications department, considering he probably has people highlighting the Internet and public relations everyday. I want to say it’s because social media would take away from what Starbucks represents. While many believe it’s a huge corporate monster that dominates the coffee industry, they would be surprised to know that Starbucks only makes up 3 percent of the worldwide coffee industry. I think management members, along with lower-level partners would agree that while the main goal of Starbucks, like every other company, is to earn a profit, it’s next main goal is to provide consumers with quality coffee and to offer them the Third Place Experience. After home and work, people come to Starbucks to relax, study, read, and of course: to drink coffee. No wonder America is the leader in coffee consumption. Americans consume more than 400 hundred million cups of coffee a day! No wonder we’re always so hyped up on caffeine!

By becoming an online giant obsessed with social media and all things related to the online community, it would take away from that local feeling that people get when they walk into a Starbucks, no matter if it’s in New York, Madrid, Seattle, or Eugene, Oregon.

It’s funny though, I think Starbucks is adapting more and more to advertising and public relations and the use of the Internet. Finally, in 2009, the company released its first ever television advertising campaign to go along with its first instant coffee, VIA. I guess it goes to show skeptics that the normal mediums aren’t necessarily needed to start a thriving company and promote a brand. With the bux, it’s good old-fashioned customer service and product that keeps consumers returning visit after visit for their caramel macchiato. That and the company is extremely well versed in corporate social responsibility and its emphasis on civil rights, the environment, the consumer and its partners. All around, it is such a remarkable and respectable company.

By the way, I just so happen to be drinking a cup of Komodo Dragon while writing this. As a native of the Pacific Northwest, I would be shocked if you expected me to be doing something other than having a cup of joe at 1 p.m. Don’t you just love coffee culture?! If you’ve never been to the region, I suggest you do so! Plus, it’s the only place, in my opinion, that you can get a truly good cup of coffee!

So I arrived on time as usual to my social media and public relations class, only to discover that the day’s topic was corporate social responsibility. So here is the definition I got from my professor: “Describes the relationship between business and the larger society.” So basically, it pertains to how corporate sectors of a company interact with employees, potential consumers, other companies, and the environment.

Management and other corporate entities must ask themselves how they are treating their employees, the environment, etc.

There are four components to corporate social responsibility:
1. Economic: A profit must be made
2. Legal: Procedures must follow laws and regulations
3. Ethical: A connection must be made with employees who feel safe and comfortable in the work environment. It also means making ethical decisions and being transparent
4. Discretionary: The philanthropy component

I feel as though these are excellent points to look at in order to run a successful company. While this topic isn’t necessarily “pr related,” it’s just another factor of the greater picture: success and lots of it.

Corporate social responsibility doesn’t just help the company however; it also emphasizes the importance of human rights, environmental protection, and other areas of interest. That means making sure that a company isn’t harming an ecosystem, say through an oil spill: BP in the Gulf of Mexico. It means bringing clean drinking water to less fortunate people in the world: Ethos Water. It means caring about fuel emissions. It means various things, but in my perspective, it means being a good world citizen and doing so for reasons other than success. As a public relations student interested in humanitarian pr, I would say this is one of the most important topics of conversation that companies can have these days. We are facing global problems in civil rights, environmental protection, poverty, disease, etc.

It’s time to take action. It’s time to be responsible. It’s time to be a global citizen. Let’s hope companies take the same interest in these values because we’re all in this together.

So what does it mean to be professional? It means being responsible, on time, dressed appropriately, sincere, excited, eager, prepared, focused…I could give you numerous adjectives for what it means to be a professional, but here are the top five things that signify a professional in my eyes:

Prepared: There is nothing that says “unprofessional” like someone who shows up to an interview without a copy of his or her resume and a lack of understanding for the job and company you are interviewing for/with. Being professional means practicing for interviews, knowing your talents and what you can offer, and being able to present them to a potential employer. You have to be prepared for anything and everything!

On Time: This means physically, mentally, emotionally…Being professional means being able to make it to interviews, meetings, luncheons, news briefings, etc. This means making your deadlines, because employers don’t want a team member who can’t get his or her draft of an article in on time. They need someone prepared for the fast pace of society and the business world. And by the way, if you have trouble getting up in the morning, remember to set a couple alarms and grab a coffee on your way to work, a meeting, etc. Start the morning off right and you’ll set the tone and pace of the rest of the day!

Dress to Impress: Of course the way you dress depends on if you’re interviewing for a job, already have a job, etc. It depends on the company and those who work there. Obviously it depends on various things, but remember: wear something that makes you at least appear like a professional. Ladies, that means no mini-skirts! Gentlemen, that means ditch the converse and v-neck! It’s time to be an adult, inside and outside of work! You’ll be respected much more by those you talk with if they can look at you and tell that you take pride in your appearance.
• Women: Put on your pantsuits, skirts, blouses, heels, etc. You can still show your personality through a high-wasted belt and appropriate accessories! Keep it young and sophisticated and remember to be yourself! They’ll love you!
• Men: Put on your button-up shirts, ties, dress shoes, blazers, etc. Remember guys: belts, shoes and socks should always match and never put on too much cologne! One spray on the wrist and one on the neck should do the trick! Oh, and by the way: ditch the Guido hairdo! Too much hair gel will just stiffen up your hair and, most likely, make it impossible for you to conjure up any intelligent conversation or thought!

Be Responsible: Now that you’re entering the real world, you can’t stay up till 4 a.m. at the bars every night. You have to get some sleep in order to function properly and be successful at your job. This doesn’t mean you can’t have fun; just remember that you aren’t 19 anymore searching for a frat party. Being responsible also means, and I stress this, that you are not only responsible at work, but outside work too! You represent a company no matter where you might be. Your actions reflect back on you, as well as your company, peers, and colleagues. It’s time to grow up and be a professional. Start now: keep a planner, set alarms on your blackberry, go to bed at a reasonable hour…it’s up to you to make the change. You’re not in college anymore; you can’t just skip work like you did with biology!

Be Yourself: There is nothing better than a person who knows him or herself inside and out. It’s hard to be professional if you don’t know what you want in life. You have to know what you enjoy, what you respect, what you take pride in and so on. That takes time. Remember, you are unique, and employers and others will take you more serious if you know how to present yourself and your ideas, feelings and expressions without doubting or questioning yourself. So get out there and be yourself…you’ll be much happier and those around you will notice it!

Good luck…I hope to see you out there!

Using correct grammar and spelling is such an important issue because language is the way that we communicate effectively. We must worry about proper spelling, passive and active voice, punctuation, and many other factors that surround writing and communication of ideas.

As a journalism student at the University of Oregon, I have more than one time found myself face to face with a grueling professor who puts into effect the automatic fail system. That means that with one error, whether in grammar, punctuation, spelling or content, the student receives an automatic fail without a chance for improvement. At first I found this rule extremely cruel and unusual. I’m in college; I have a job and an internship; I have a boyfriend; how would it ever be possible for me to find every single edit in my papers? How could I find every comma splice or misuse of quotation marks? Well in all honesty, I had to come to terms with my grammar issues in order to fulfill my desire to be a good public relations practitioner.

It’s important to find the time to edit and re-edit your material before submitting it. It’s important to be professional and precise at what you do in order to gain respect from your peers and other people in the industry.

While I hated getting an “F” on that 30-page paper, I had to learn one of the biggest lessons of the career: being accurate and precise is everything in this field! Nobody wants to send out a social media news release, only to find that he or she used “there” instead of “their.” How embarrassing! Let’s hope you take these thoughts to heart…I mean, you don’t want to be know as that guy: the one who has no respect for proper grammar and usage. An employer isn’t going to give a job to someone who misspells something on his or her resume!

By: the_munificent_sasquatch on Flickr (10/4/2008)

This makes me question the safety and privacy of Twitter because not only is a message publicly visible on the site, it will be visible for hundreds of years to come. It’s said that in the future, people will be able to examine tweets to understand pieces of history. They’ll be able to look at specific thoughts, from specific dates and from specific times! That’s just crazy! Literally…

As a member of Generation Y, I’ve participated in MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and so on. While they are great social networking tools and can be addicting and fun, I think my generation has gone a little too Internet happy. I’m starting to question this who “social networking” thing and it’s validity/safety.

It’s as easy as the click of the mouse. Someone can start a Facebook profile and start searching through profiles for just about anyone who uses the site. You can see pictures, birthdays, hometowns, status updates, the works! Like any smart person, I’ve made my profile and all those setting private, but how private are they?

I was sitting in my J452 class and I overheard a girl tell how an online user randomly notified her that she liked her pictures. Of course the girl, who I’ll call “T,” was shocked to learn that someone had posted her Facebook pictures to his or her website. I don’t quite remember where T said the guy was from—I think England or Australia. That’s not the point. The girl’s Facebook profile and her pictures were set to private, yet someone was still able to hack into her profile and upload the images she had posted of herself. Can you say scary?!

I’m not sure how I feel about all the tweets being archived by the Library of Congress for years to come. It’s seems like an invasion of privacy or something…I don’t know, I may need to take a break from all this social networking…okay, that’s a lie, I’m addicted like the rest of my generation. But still, these are good topics to think about!

By Lorna Li on Flickr (5/24/2009)

Being someone super interested in humanitarian work and how it relates to public relations, of course my topic was on Product (RED), a global initiative that began with U2 lead singer, Bono. (RED) is a campaign that partners with companies like Nike, Starbucks and Verizon Wireless in order to raise money to fight the global spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

While exploring the campaign, I found myself inspired by such a global effort to help citizens of our planet survive such terrible viruses and diseases. I don’t think there is anything less selfless…or is there?

Product (RED) has helped more than 5,000 people in Africa with their fight against HIV and AIDS. Percentages of (RED) product sales go toward the global fund. During the holiday season, Starbucks donated $.05 to the fund for every holiday beverage that was sold. That’s fantastic! or is it?

While I appreciate and commend the effort by the company to be part of the initiative, I can’t help myself but feel like the company could offer a little more. Should we be grateful for what the company is doing, although we know it could be doing more? Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure those who have been helped by the global fund are more than appreciative for the help, but I still see an underlying motive.

I was having the conversation with my parents regarding the article I was doing for PROpenMic on Product (RED). I am all for the initiative, but then I wondered: “Well, these companies partnering with the campaign are going to make millions, if not billions, of dollars on sales of their products with the (RED) logo.” Is that ethical when you think about it? Sure, Apple may sell an enormous amount of red iPods and donate a percent of the profits to the fund, but the company is also making extremely more than it’s giving. Companies are profiting from the struggles of others in famished and impoverished countries.

Then I had to ask myself whether or not the initiative is necessarily a good thing. And of course it is! While the companies are not giving as much as I think they could afford to give, they still choose to give. It’s an ethical question to think about. It’s better to have the initiative and have companies generously giving what they feel they can afford, rather than not giving at all.

Product (RED) has been greatly criticized because many feel it takes advantage of those in need, as well as plays on and targets consumers in an unethical manner. People feel like they are making a difference, and they are. That’s why the initiative was so successful. Very few people have the ability to make a one-time monetary donation, but if they are already going to buy a coffee, an iPod, shoes, etc., why not buy (RED) and give a little back? I’ve debated the ethics of this campaign since it started. In the end, I’m pro (RED), but I still understand the critiques of the initiative.

Below I’ve made a list of some pros and cons of going into humanitarian pr, an area of the industry that I’m extremely interested in because I want to see others benefit from my work. At the end of a long day, I want to know that I’ve made a difference in the life of another. Some call that ideal, which may be true, but hey, we all live on this planet together, whether we like it or not. In my opinion, it’s our responsibility to help each other in times of need because we’re all human.

Pros of Humanitarian Public Relations:
• Plays an important part in global development
• Helping others survive during extreme situations
• Emotionally beneficial to the practitioner
• Helps to quell outrage and crisis
• Able to learn about the world and the people in it
• Creates awareness/Informative

Cons of Humanitarian Public Relations:
• Less monetary compensation
• Emotionally draining at times
• The question of ethics and morals
• One person can only do so much
• Difficult to raise awareness
• Financial contributions are difficult to find
• It’s difficult to find creative ways to get donations

Below is a great example of humanitarian work that was done buy some young adults in Cameroon. YouTube videos are often used as a way to grow awareness about human crisis happening across the globe. I thought it was a great video about Generation Y and how young adults are trying to help others and create sustainable programs in other nations.