By Patricia Y. Hartman, APR I got my start in advertising and public relations years ago when I answered an ad in the Mobile Press Register for an advertising agency media buyer. My English degree had nothing to do with the job, but I could read and understand the Arbitron market reports (radio measurement service),... Continue Reading →
Out in the Field: Photojournalist Experiences Love and Loss
As a photojournalist, Rodney Rocker regularly meets grieving families while covering news stories. Today, he is facing a tough loss of his own. His mother, Mattie Rocker, passed away after a courageous battle with Alzheimer's. The following excerpt is a tribute to his mother. On the morning of June 29, 2017, I was working... Continue Reading →
PR Awards: Don’t Let the Process Scare You Away…You Just Might Win!
By Penny Hatcher As with many other things in life, sometimes the hardest part of entering an awards competition of any kind is just getting started. There are so many nagging questions hindering you from even taking the first step. What to enter? Is any of my work even good enough? What if I don’t... Continue Reading →
Want to Lose Fans? Just Post About Politics
In today’s politically charged atmosphere, it’s hard NOT to have a strong opinion. Politics are EVERYWHERE. It’s all over my Facebook and Twitter feeds, and the blogosphere is inundated with political “experts.” The tone of these posts are often charged and aggressive. Everyone on the internet seems to have an opinion, where facts are alternative,... Continue Reading →
PR Peeps: Don’t Bully the Media at an Event
If you are the media contact for a big event, you may think it's your job to walk the reporter through the story, and tell them step-by-step how they should cover it. After all, it's your job to get the best coverage possible for your event, right? Wrong. In fact, the worst thing you could... Continue Reading →
Want to Be Popular on Social Media? Genuinely Engage Your Fans
Many of my friends know I am a huge fan of the show Sons of Anarchy. I stalk follow most of the actors on Twitter, and every now and then, I'll like a tweet or leave a comment on an account. I will never forget when I first followed Katey Sagal, and within five minutes,... Continue Reading →
How NOT to Handle a Negative Review
It's never easy to receive criticism. In fact, it can make us downright cringe. When I was a journalist, producers used to edit my scripts so much, I could no longer recognize my own story! Sometimes, a news manager would return it and tell me to scrap it and start over. ?$@#&*! In my own... Continue Reading →
Your Career and You: “Don’t Be Anti-‘Social’”
Okay…a random-ish thought for my Curry CollegeCOM/PR student-friends and Curry College PR Student Association members sparked by having participated in three or four Twitter chats in the past couple of weeks courtesy of colleagues scattered across the globe…
How active are you on social media? And on which platforms? And what is the general “theme” of your activity? I’ve written about this before, but the topic just seems to keep coming up in one way or another, so…
Now before you start jumping up and down and screaming “Kirk, I actually have a REAL job that keeps me running all week plus, as YOU well know, I carry a full load of courses every semester, so where do you think I’m going to find time to ‘play’ on social media”…take a deeeep breath and listen.
I know how hard you’re working, and I admire and respect you for…
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From Candidate to Credential: Advice From a Seasoned APR
By Dr. Jacob Farbman, APR Earning the APR credential over 10 years ago has created numerous professional opportunities for me. Since earning my APR, I’ve led or have been a featured speaker at workshops and presentations at the national, regional and local levels. I was fortunate enough to have an article published in Public Relations... Continue Reading →
Leadership Lesson from Greg Allman: Faking it Doesn’t Fly
PR, meet HR! Dawn Hrdlica-Burke is a human resources consultant and influential speaker. She is also a contributor to the blog "Fistful of Talent". As communication professionals, we should always offer HR a seat at the table. Dawn will be a regular contributor at PR Gumbo. You can find her article below. Last month, Greg... Continue Reading →