MBenti's Commentary Space

HR/PR Workshop Post: An Unpleasant Target Experience for a Disabled Customer

2011-01-30T13:27:00.000-08:00

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that employers provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. This can mean physical accommodations such as building a handicap-accessible ramp or it can mean something less tangible like altering the employees' work schedule. The key phrase to understanding reasonable accommodations is that the accommodations must not cause the employer "due hardship."

This introduction to the ADA predicates an experience I had at Target last Thursday. I went to the store with my friend who suffers from a chronic spine condition. It is very difficult for her to sit and get up out of chairs and walking for prolonged periods also causes discomfort. She had planned to use the motorized scooters they offer to get around the store in order to preserve her energy and make it a more enjoyable and less painful shopping experience.

When we arrived at Target, we entered the building to find the motorized scooters. I had personally never used them and it was not evident how they operated. There were three scooters available, and the first one she sat upon had a blinking green light and didn't want to move forward. We tried the second one, which also failed to move forward. Before she got up for a third time, I went to get help.

Cue the painful experience to begin here. Painful because I am constantly critiquing companies on their customer service - ultimately a very important part of PR - and this was one of those "PR Fail" moments as well as an "HR Fail" because I think managers should be trained to handle upset customers with more composure.

I kindly asked the manager at customer service to come take a look. Her attitude was not apologetic, as she took a look at all of the scooters. Nor did it seem that she cared at all that none of them were working and one of their customers would not be able to have the shopping experience she had imagined.

They get used very regularly, she said.

Then you should buy more, my friend said. A former practitioner of labor relations, she wasn't going to give up very easily - not even when the manager finally apologized. "You could get sued for this, you know," my friend said.

The Target manager said that they have four scooters but one was being used, the only one that worked, apparently. "The rest are charging, we usually have signs on them when they are charging." There were no signs.

"You obviously don't want disabled people shopping here if you're not going to provide what I need to get around your store," my friend concluded.

She was forced to use a cart to walk around in pain, laboring her breathing (she recently ceased using an oxygen tank). As requested, another manager met up with us in the aisles of the store. She offered the use of a wheelchair. That wasn't going to cut it. She didn't have the strength to roll herself around. My friend suggested to the Target manager, again, that they should buy more motorized scooters if they weren't going to charge quickly enough for the next disabled customer to use.

"We don't have the resources right now to buy more," the manager replied, not handling my friend's constructive criticism with an ounce of composure. "You don't have money?! Target doesn't have money?" To which the manager replied to my friend that she could leave the store if she was going to speak to her like that. Um....wrong response, Target.

Back to the ADA, I think that reasonable accommodations for disabled customers should also apply, such as providing working motorized scooters to make the shopping experience better. I was unimpressed with how the Target employees handled the situation and how poorly my friend was treated.

PR practitioners - What would you do to rectify this situation from a customer service/PR standpoint?

HR practitioners - What recommendations do you have for the managers' reactions?

"Your Insurance Agent Did What?"

2010-10-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

In August, my boyfriend and I drove about 3,500 miles cross-country from Connecticut to California. Some of you may have read my tweets about the trip with the hashtag, #MBgo2CA. Besides going to college in Burlington, Vermont, I'd never moved before, especially not across the country. Luckily, fellow Champlain alumna, Grace Boyle, has a lot of experience in that area and I followed her blog posts about relocating closely.

Preparing to relocate is a momentous task, and one of the things you have to do is secure new insurance, in my case, auto and renter's insurance. In July, one of those catchy State Farm commercials, "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there," (now you're all singing that little rhyme in your head - I apologize), prompted me to try out their online form for a car insurance quote. Why not? We all know and love how online forms work, so I didn't have all the information in front of me at that time and didn't complete the form.

Later the same day, I received a personalized and friendly email from Steve at Heather Copeland's State Farm in Davis. Smart how they have you put your contact information in right away on that form! He noticed that I hadn't finished it and wanted to help me get a quote. He even put a smiley face in at the end of his email. So, I gave him a call.

Now read closely, this is the important lesson of the day...

We did the usual inputting of the vehicle information to get my quote, and he even said that I would get renter's insurance and a discount for having both on my plan. The crucial component to this conversation was that Steve asked me why I was moving to Davis. I explained to him that I had recently graduated with a degree in PR and had been looking for work in Davis prior to my move.

He prompted me to check out a PR firm where his friend worked, one that I hadn't seen in search results in Google. Steve even went the extra mile to get in touch with her and called me back saying "Send your resume over!" This I promptly did, including a personalized cover letter after doing some more research about the firm.

This little act of my insurance agent getting to know me ended up leading to an informational interview, an interview, and finally to a paid internship which I start next week. Pretty nifty, huh? So, if you're moving to California where the unemployment rate is 12% and people think you're crazy for moving here, or even if you're not moving, you've got to go back to the basics: network, network, network - even with your insurance agent.

Thanks, Steve! :)

Authentic German Beer Brews up Business at the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont

2010-04-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit Vermont's newest brewery at the Trapp Family Lodge which just celebrated its grand opening this past weekend. These photos highlight our trip to one of Vermont's historical places which has a European connection.

First, we got a tour of the brewery from the brew master, Allen Van Anda, who was kind enough to show us each part of the brewing process at the Trapp Family Lodge. We were impressed because it's just him doing all the brewing!

Though I would highly recommend a trip to Stowe to get the full experience, you can try the new Lager on tap at other venues in Vermont. The Trapp Lager is currently being distributed to 26 Vermont bars and restaurants according to the Burlington Free Press blog post, including The Daily Planet and American Flatbread in Burlington according to Allen.

You can enjoy the view of the Vermont mountains with your brew - just $5 per .5 liter.
Pictured here is their Vienna Lager which tastes "Just like a classic beer in Vienna" according to a student who studied abroad in Vienna last spring. Their Dunkle, which is a German-style dark beer is also pictured and tasted just as delicious. We couldn't decide which one we liked better!

Be sure to check out the brewery at the Trapp Family Lodge and enjoy a local brew which has the authentic taste of a Vienna Lager!

Special thanks to Allen for giving us a great tour, even after a VERY busy opening weekend.

Prost!

Tweeting Takes Over #Campchamp | Written for the Champlain Current

2010-04-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Tweeting Takes Over #Campchamp

By Marissa Bentivoglio

Whether it's an assignment for a media communications course, to advocate for a club on-campus, to locate a job, or just to complain about the internet at Spinner Place, students, faculty and staff at Champlain, or #campchamp as it is known to the Twitterverse, are flocking to Twitter to connect, share, learn and gripe.

PC Mag, an online magazine focusing on e-business, defines Twitter as, "A very popular instant messaging system that lets a person send brief text messages up to 140 characters in length to a list of followers. Launched in 2006, Twitter was designed as a social network to keep friends and colleagues informed throughout the day. However, it became widely used for commercial and political purposes to keep customers, constituents and fans up-to-date as well as to solicit feedback…Twitter messages ("tweets") can be made public and sent to anyone requesting the feed, or they can be sent only to approved followers" (http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=Twitter&i=57880,00.asp).

The typical Champlain student's exposure to Twitter most likely began with Elaine Young's internet marketing course. "I started playing with [Twitter] in March of 2007, and talking about it in class a little during Fall 2007. Then Spring 2008 I started doing more with it. Fall 2008 was the big push," said Young, Assistant Dean of Business as well as a business professor. As part of Champlain's hands-on philosophy, Elaine has her students dive right into the new technology, even if some people are hesitant.

That was then, now many media classes including Rob Williams' Contemporary Media Issues courses (also known as #MCM315 on Twitter) are tweeting about what they're reading, links to their assignments on their blogs, and submitting questions to the professor. Young's senior level marketing students are graded on their "live-tweeting" efforts which require students to summarize the content of a presentation and send tweets throughout the duration. The point of this "live-tweeting" is so that people who are reading and following the feed on twitter can benefit from the presentation without being physically present.

What started with a class assignment has lead to job opportunities for some ambitious individuals. '08 Champlain graduate Grace Boyle, who majored in Public Relations, is the college's case study for using social media to land a job after graduation. Boyle wanted to pursue a position in Boulder, Colorado after Champlain and did so with the power of networking via social media (and a lot of hard work!). She works for Lijit, a start-up in Boulder. "Your Twitter profile is like your resume - it's where your ideas, thoughts, interests, profession and network resides. The power of Twitter shouldn't be overlooked," commented Boyle.

Current students are also making use of Twitter by tweeting what's good in the dining hall, or what clubs are having meetings and where they are located. The Environmental Club, Student Government Association, Ski and Ride Club, LEAD, and other organizations on campus have a twitter account that the various representatives update about activities happening on campus. Students can "follow" librarians at Miller Information Commons (@champlib) whose account is run by Andy Burkhardt, Emerging Technologies Librarian and Sarah Cohen, Information Literacy Librarian. Besides answering students' questions, they will often will tweet pictures of the view of Lake Champlain from MIC's third floor vantage point.

Besides the Champlain community of #campchamp is the greater Burlington community or #btv. This hash tag provides information about what is going on around the city of Burlington. Many local eateries such as Handy's Lunch, August First, New Moon and many others will tweet what their specials of the day are. Most recently Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's was a topic of discussion using the #btv hash tag.

The school is also finding many ways to promote Champlain on Twitter. The Office of Admission has a twitter account @champlainedu while Public Information Officer Stephen Mease uses Twitter to get the word out about Champlain College (@Champlaincolleg) by linking press releases to tweets and "re-tweeting" or quoting what students on twitter are saying about Champlain. What's a better way to get the true feel of a college than directly from the students themselves?

Twitter is a technology people can use to crowd source information. Students, faculty and staff on Twitter were asked to comment on the #campchamp community using the hashtag #CCcurrent. Here's what they had to say:

The responses are generated here: http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23CCcurrent.

Looking for Opportunities in PR and/or HR

2010-04-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was honored to be included today in a blog post with 25 other PR students on PR at Sunrise written by Andrew Worob. This post labeled us as "Future PR Stars," and I am so impressed by the students who are on there.

Throughout the day, PR professionals have been reaching out offering their support which I am very grateful for! I decided it would be best to write a post detailing what I am looking for post-graduation.

First, a little (more) about me:

I will be receiving a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations from Champlain College on May 8, however I am also highly interested in Human Resources to the point where I am a student member of SHRM and planning on taking the exam to be a Human Resource Manager this summer. My internship at Lake Champlain Chocolates, located in Burlington, VT, has accommodated both my interests in HR and PR allowing me to intern in both departments. I have been actively assisting with HR at a small geriatric care management company called Growing Options since 2008, helping with hiring, creating job descriptions, etc. I won't go into too many details to keep this post succinct, but if you'd like to view my online resume you can visit it on LinkedIn.

Searching for opportunities:
I'm looking for a position where I can utilize both my PR and HR skills. The locations I'm most interested in for opportunities are:

Fairfield/New Haven County, Connecticut

Sacramento/Davis area, California

Dublin, Ireland (where I studied abroad last Spring)

Thank you for your attention...and I am looking forward to starting a tumblr based on my combined interests shortly. Stay tuned...!

Valentine's Day: Spreading the love!

2010-02-08T19:26:00.001-08:00

The past few years on Valentine's Day, I've had a tradition of handing out hand-made valentines to everyone I come in contact with. It's nice for everyone to feel appreciated, and I think Valentine's Day is about reminding the people in your life that you care about them. The idea of passing out valentines shouldn't end in elementary school, so continue the tradition and make someone's day!

A Valentine's Day two years ago, I wasn't going to be able to physically hand out my valentines to everyone, so when I was done cutting them, I laid them out on a desk and took a photo. I posted it on Facebook where I tagged everyone I couldn't see that day in the picture so they felt like they received a valentine. I just wanted them to know I was thinking of them.

This year, I am interning in a chocolate factory. This is awesome for many reasons, but now I can be more adventurous in personalizing my valentines. I want to include a chocolate heart with each valentine (If only this delicious treat would transfer well through Facebook!), and since this year I do have a significant other to worry about, I wanted to do something special for him.

Lake Champlain Chocolates' Retail Manager, Emily, decorates each of these hearts by hand with a personal message at the factory store in Burlington, Vermont. This year alone, she has over 160 requests of personalized messages to transcribe onto these dark chocolate, raspberry truffle-filled hearts called "Heart Throbs!" I put my order in early, and I decided to write a message to my boyfriend in German because he studied in Vienna for a semester where he spoke German.

Just wanted to offer a few pointers on how to make the holiday a little more enjoyable, personal and fun. If anything, get a box of chocolates, go skiing or riding, or watch a movie with a friend and enjoy yourself. You deserve it!

What's something special or fun you've done on Valentine's Day to differentiate yourself?

Traveling Europe: A Seasoned Student's Tips for an Amazing Abroad Experience

2009-12-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas, I was planning on embarking on my study abroad semester in Dublin, what I now understand as one of the greatest decisions of my life. Nostalgia has been brewing, and was especially prevalent yesterday when I recommended a place to stay in Dublin to a fellow Champlainer. Looking at a map of Dublin brought back so many memories, and I realized that I had acquired so much knowledge of the city by living there which I surprised myself by remembering, such as the South side of the Liffey is noted by the even number districts such as Dublin 2, Dublin 4, etc, and the North end is noted by the odd numbers. This prompted me to write a post of recommendations from someone who's been there to my friends and co-workers who are about to embark on their own study abroad experiences. I hope I can offer some wisdom, as I was hesitant to take the leap at first myself, but am so happy that I did.

First of all, congratulations on signing your life away in paperwork (including Champlain's "I will not drink clause" if you're going to Dublin - ha!), purchasing your plane ticket, packing up and moving home after the semester - you are halfway there and the best is yet to come! Which leads me to my first point...

1. Your pre-departure stress will be rewarded.

Sunrise before landing in Dublin.

Prior to my arrival in Dublin, I was stressed about everything, nervous about the unknown and leaving the safety, friends and comfort of Burlington to study in Ireland. By the third week in, I was having the time of my life and had already scheduled a trip to continental Europe to visit my friend in Vienna for the weekend (Most of you know the end of that story). So, trust me - all your hard work to get there will be rewarded by the times you will enjoy all over the continent!

2. Don't be upset if you get lost - it happens and it's part of the experience!

The first day I arrived in Dublin, a group of us Champlainers walked around and purposefully got lost in order to get a feel for the city. Don't be afraid to ask for directions. The best places to ask for directions are hotels or banks because they are likely to speak English, and can probably offer a map. When I was in Paris and desperately looking for my hotel, I even walked into a Starbucks and the employee was happy to help me (sometimes familiar places are comforting).

3. If possible, travel with one other person or in groups.

Now, I'm not saying you can't take a trip by yourself for the weekend, but it's already a better time when you can share experiences, laugh when you say a phrase wrong, decipher public transportation schedules, and enjoy the food with others. Take advantage of your friends who are studying in different countries! It's likely that they can accomodate you (or sneak you in - whichever!) and it's always better to have an expert on-hand so you can enjoy your time there with a little less stress.

If you're going to travel by yourself, talk to some of your friends because you never know which one of their friends is studying abroad in the same city which is your destination! If that fails, consider indulging on a tour of the city such as a culinary tour (talk about yum!) . This way you can meet people and bond over a common love of food or your interest in the city. Which leads me to my next suggestion (which is especially relevant if you're "flying" solo)...

Chocolate truffles from my Parisian Chocolat Tour.

4. Study up about your destination before you arrive!

How to get to the Guinness Storehouse.

Learn the public transportation ahead of time - most tourist destinations have websites with maps included and directions so have those with you and study on the plane! Plan out how you're getting to and from the airport, your hostel, etc. Spontanaeity is great and all, but you will feel relieved if you can pull out your maps before you arrive at your destination. Dublin's tourist site is a great example - they even have a city tour podcast you can download before you get there! Your hostels will probably have all this information on hand, so even if you don't plan ahead someone can direct you upon your arrival. (I would suggest purchasing a little plastic envelope to carry all of your paperwork in with your reservations, plane tickets, etc. so you can stay organized in your short stays around Europe.) Also, learn some specific laws about the country - in Austria there is no open-container law so you can drink on the U-Bahn (their subway), which is not true for Ireland.

5. Finally, don't limit yourself and keep an open mind. The possibilities are endless (to quote a Champlain marketing piece...).

But it's true - travel as much as you can. You will come back a new person with a fierce sense of independence, confidence and self-reliance. Don't hold back because the risks will be rewarded with things of which you could have never dreamed. I will never forget climbing down to ruined castles and meeting life-long friends over pints of Guinness at various pubs or the snow in Vienna, the serendipitous sequence of events in Paris, and the beauty and history of Amsterdam.

I have to throw a 6th one in here:

6. YOU MUST GET KEBAB! They are the BEST!!!!

Here's me enjoying my first kebab in Vienna after a night of dancing.

All in all - I am completely and utterly jealous of those who are about to embark on their study abroad journeys. I wish I could go with you, but I have to graduate this May. So please, please do me the favor of keeping me in the loop (another tip - don't expect a good internet connection anywhere in Europe). Take lots of pictures and write down your experiences in a journal; you won't regret it - my friend's roommate in Vienna wrote down a quick bullets of what he did everyday in a little notebook if he couldn't write a whole entry. I hope I was able to offer some useful tips, and I'm sure you will be able to write your own after only a few short weeks abroad. Have FUN and be safe!

If you've studied abroad, or live in Europe and are reading this - what advice can you offer?

Congo Week 2009 CELL OUT | Wednesday October 21

2009-10-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

What to do:
- TURN YOUR PHONE OFF from 12 noon to 6 pm on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009. No texting!!!

-You can also do a "video game" out or use this message as an out of office reply

- Change your voicemail to reflect the message below:
“Did you know that Congo has anywhere from 64 - 80 percent of the world's reserve of Coltan, a natural resource that is central to the operation of our cell phones? As we benefit from coltan nearly 6 million Congolese have died in the deadliest conflict since world war two as a result of the scramble for coltan and other minerals key to the functioning of modern technology. Join us in solidarity with the Congolese people and turn your phone off for a day”

You can also add this:

"If you want to learn more on how to help, go to Congoweek.org click the cell out link and learn about the cell phone recycling program."

Thank you for participating today - it will be from 12 noon to 6 pm.

What Geriatric Care Management Means to a 20-year-old

2009-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

When you get that call at 4 in the morning that your eldest relative, 95-years-old, is being taken to the hospital, you want to be sure that someone you trust is going to be able to take care of her. You want to be able to get up, make a cup of coffee and think, "I can't do anything more and she's in good hands." If you're 180 miles away, you want to know that someone can be there to hold her hand, someone she's grown to love and trust over the past few years. You don't want her to be frightened, and you want her to have a reassuring voice asking, "How are you doing right now? Do you need anything more?"

There is no need to worry about fighting with the doctors or trying to translate "doctor speak." You will receive immediate updates as they come in, be called every hour to check in, and when you arrive she will be there to help you through things as well. There's no substitute for the relief that someone else can be there for your elder family members when you can't physically be there, and knowing that that someone is a person who your family member is able to trust is truly priceless. You know that she will be there to help you, will cancel all other appointments on her schedule to be there for you when a crisis arises (even if it happens in the middle of the night). This person is Lisa Krauss for my family, and I don't think that we could ever do without her, especially in great times of need such as this.

Most everyone has an elderly person in their lives who they see might need some extra help or guidance. Not a lot of people know about the option of Geriatric Care Management. Although I've worked with Lisa for the past year professionally, my personal experience working with her as our family GCM for the last 2 1/2 years has been all I needed to appreciate her and the services she provides. If you're located in Connecticut and would like to find out more about Lisa, visit her website or her blog. If you've connected with this and would like to find a GCM elsewhere in the country, visit the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers to find a care manager. The thing that I want to take from my experience with Lisa is passing on the knowledge that there are options when you reach a point where your parents or older loved ones need assistance; you don't have to handle this difficult time in life alone.

So, I will put this question out there: How many people feel the same way as I do? Did you know about Geriatric Care Management before reading this post?

Back and Better than Ever

2009-05-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

I made it back from Europe! It's been awhile since I updated, but I can guarantee to you in that time there has been much learning happening. Here's a synopsis of what my 2009 has held thus far of which I will elaborate upon further (i.e. cool experiences, lessons learned, interesting cultural differences) in spare time this summer:

January 7 - Arrived in Dublin, Ireland

January 12 - 2nd Semester began at Champlain College Dublin with 16 credits including: Critical Thinking (my philosophy credit), Irish Literature (see my final project here), Global Environmental Earth Science, and Social Marketing (non-profit's included).

February 19-22 - Visited my UVM friend in Vienna, Austria

February 28- March 1 - Champlain Dublin trip to Northern Ireland

March 14-15 - Overnight trip to County Kerry, Ireland

March 19-22 - Solo trip to Paris, France (which yielded this project)

April 3-5 - Champlain Dublin trip to Western Ireland (Co. Galway and Co. Clare)

April 9-12 - Visit to Amsterdam, Netherlands

April 23 - Matt and I presented our social marketing plan to Dublin City Council about ways to increase cycling in Dublin

May 6 - Returned to the states

May 11 - Back doing PR and HR at Growing Options, Inc.

All in all, life's been great, crazy, and more than I could have ever imagined. I miss Europe terribly, but now that I have friends in all the places I've visited, I think I will be making a trip back sooner than I think.

To those who are going on the Champlain Mobile Journalism (mojo) Trip to China - I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK! Enjoy traveling the world; the world has so much to offer. You can follow their adventures in China on their blog.

10 Media Revelations: A Reflection

2008-12-15T08:43:00.001-08:00

These "revelations" are a reflection on what I've learned from the class Contemporary Media Issues. Using the four books as sources, I have put together the most important concepts I have taken away from the class. The videos are to emphasize a point. Thanks to Rob Williams for making the semester so worthwhile and encouraging me to "Meditate on my media."

*Media Revelation #1: We’ve lost the importance and relevance of a message.

Just because we can send a message doesn’t mean that it is relevant. Postman channels Henry Thoreau and Walden in Amusing Ourselves to Death; when the telegraph was invented we thought we should send a message from Maine to Texas because it was possible, not because it was necessary (62). In Feed Anderson features the m-chat which can be used to send messages using The Feed; when Titus goes to school one day to see that someone is sporting a lesion he immediately m-chats Violet to tell her about it (184). Messages to immediately notify people of something happening aren’t necessarily important to a conversation; we just react and use various media outlets because they enable us.

*Media Revelation #2: Media conglomerates have severe consequences.

The type of news and programming we receive depends on the ownership of the media which currently lies in the hands of six large conglomerates. In Media Society, the use of horizontal integration from website to merchandise for the new Harry Potter movie all related back to making a profit for AOL Time Warner (43). The more people who own media sources from TV to radio stations, the more concentrated news sources become, which is why independent news sources are so important. The many contributors of Project Censored 2009 are declaring that the United States is in the middle of a truth emergency because the media is being exploited to spread the word for those with a corporate or political agenda instead of promoting public awareness (284).

*Media Revelation #3: Objectivity in the media is not realistic.

Not a lot of news outlets will admit that they are biased, one of the best examples being Fox with its slogan of news that is “Fair and Balanced.” Media Society reflects on the impact of advertising on the news; advertisers only want to pay for messages that will reach a larger audience and media who appeal to a utopian idea of “objective reporting” are the recipients of advertising dollars (70). The Project Censored team delves deeper into this subject while looking at the media coverage of the suspension of the writ of Habeas Corpus, and which sources are quoted (195). They also commented that the ideal of “balanced” reporting is not always possible, but by quoting “both sides” of an issue they are attempting to frame an issue in a certain manner.

*Media Revelation #4: The most prevalent form of censorship is self-censorship.

Journalists fear crossing the wrong people might put their jobs on the line. Censored 2009 reveals the internal fight journalists contend with as they decide which truths to tell and which to leave alone as they face criticism from corporate sponsors as 35% of journalists said they avoid reporting on stories that would hurt the pockets of their employers (259). Media Society documented similar numbers; in a 2000 survey of journalists, 41% engaged in self-censorship either by completely omitting a story or toning it down (71). Most of this is attributed to the pressure journalists feel from corporate advertisers who fund their publications.

*Media Revelation #5: The rest of the world is getting more diverse and accurate news coverage than the United States.

Censored 2009 is a series on important stories left out by the American media each year. The first story in the 2009 edition was a report on the one million Iraqi casualties as a result of the U.S. occupation (20). International media had reported this as early as June 2007, but the U.S. media have left this number out, mostly likely for propaganda efforts. There are other types of censorship happening, especially relating to the military. The military controls information given to the press by considering what the press can or can not have access to; an example provided by Media Society was during the Gulf War photographs of soldiers’ coffins being unloaded from the planes could not be photographed (115). What good is the freedom of the press if such restrictions prohibit both sides of a story to be shown?

*Media Revelation #6: Events where important topics of public discourse should take place instead emphasize the importance of image in our culture.

Take the most recent election, for example, in the debate our candidates were allotted just two minutes of time to answer each question on economic, social and international issues. Postman tells readers an anecdote about a Senate campaign in New York of which he took part; the candidate who he was working with on a campaign carefully wrote position papers on all the topics whereas his opponent made 30-second commercials and won the election (129). Postman recognizes that any candidate running for office needs to understand the changing Web 2.0 world in their campaign because of media such as TV and internet, image is more important in getting a message across. The infamous, first televised debate between Kennedy and Nixon is considered by Media Society as an example of the importance of appearance over issues; polls showed those who listened to the debate over the radio thought Nixon had won versus television viewers who thought Kennedy the winner (234).

*Media Revelation #7: Advertisers contribute to the bias of media outlets.

Who is advertising affects the content of a publication. According to Media Society, a newspaper ran a feature story with tips on how to buy a new car; as a result local car dealerships conspired to take out 52 pages of ads from the paper resulting in a $1 million loss in advertising for the paper (222). GM used the names of journalists from the Washington Post as bylines in its advertising supplement published in September 2007; the editor didn’t have an explanation for the combination of editorial advertising abused by GM as cited by Censored 2009 (256). PR is blurring the lines between real journalism and slightly altered press releases by taking advantage of their audiences’ trust in credible media sources.

*Media Revelation #8: The epistemological shift from word to image has been exaggerated as a result of Web 2.0.

Images have become more effective than words, and if a message is presented in words, it must be succinct. Postman outlines this shift by stating that a new medium changes where we get our information and our ideas (28). Although Postman was writing about television it is parallel to the internet, a medium which we are dependent on for many needs, where videos are being watched more than newspapers are being read and books are becoming e-books. Our ability to sit and read periods of text is being tested in this fast-paced age of Web 2.0, as highlighted in the article Is Google Making Us Stupid? A moment in Feed illustrates the declining attention span well, when Violet sends Titus a long message about her history and her slow decline, and he said that he didn’t listen to the whole thing at once because he saw it would be long (227).

*Media Revelation #9: Every message has an hidden agenda.

No matter what the message, there is always more to be found by taking a closer look. In Feed, Titus glorifies the “corps” being good citizens and paying for Schools so that kids can learn things, but what they’re learning is about how to be a good consumer while consuming free samples such as pizza for lunch (110). This is not an over exaggeration, it is probably a grim future of PR for corporations to get the heads of children at an early age, but appears to be for “good.” A chillingly similar example of current agenda-setting is the No Child Left Behind Act provided by Censored 2009. Without further examination NCLB appears to have been passed to make public schools a more “equal learning environment” opposed to its purpose of increasing the textbook industry’s annual profit by as much as $5 billion (74).

*Media Revelation #10: We are taking shortcuts as a result of new technologies.

In order to keep up with our Web 2.0 technologies, there is a new short-hand language being deployed, all of the new incoming messages are saved for our convenience and emails are now considered a “formal” communication since instant messenger has arrived. Media Society reflects on the fact that physical space and social place are becoming less significant because of the visual images and conversation space brought to homes by television and cyberspace (311). We can watch live events happening without having to worry about reading about them the next day in the paper to learn about what happened, and we can connect with friends and family without physically being together by employing computer mediated communication tools. In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman considers the “headlines” of messages sent and received by a telegraph as a language that was shortened and impersonal (71).

Our Keurig Project

2008-12-08T08:46:00.001-08:00

What do you think? Am I just like Jane?

Black Friday, An Experience

2008-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, this year was the first time I've ever gone shopping on Black Friday. I got up at 4 am and was standing in line by 5. The marketing and PR that goes on that day was well thought out. The Sonicare people for "a Plaque Free World" were standing outside Target and were very intense. They were getting some press out of it, it really seemed like a rally or a protest. Here's the picture I found, probably shot when I was walking out of the Target in the background! Earlier when I walked into Macy's I was greeted at the door by an Oceanspray representative with free samples of their new Cranenergy drink. I got a few extra, I'm a bit cranberry-obsessed. I found of the blog of a mom getting "free samples" in the mail from earlier this year, apparently the product has been around for awhile unbeknownst to me. It comes up second on a google search.

Finally, I've got another great example of how bloggers are becoming so influential for PR. A close friend and I always meet up to have coffee and a bagel at the European Shoppe. He and I were talking about how the Mayflower Inn & Spa sold for a few million, so I checked to see how much it sold for ($31 million if you're interested) and then found this great blog post about the spa that has to have been solicited by a PR person. It has great visuals and enticing text, plus it comes up on the first page of Google results for the Mayflower Inn. SEO much?

Remember life before the computer...?

2008-11-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight I did something I haven't done in awhile, I wrote by hand my homework that needs to be posted online. There was something amazing about being away from a computer for 3 hours rather than being in front of one. I was at my friend's room, which made me not want to lug my laptop the mile it takes to get to her residence hall. Instead, I printed the prompts to which I needed to respond, plus my documents on Microsoft word I needed to review, and brought along some reading materials that need to be blogged on later.

Somehow, all the work I needed to get done didn't seem so intimidating without the blank screen and blinking cursor ruining my eye sight. Also, while I was doing my homework, my friend was editing another friend's paper. For an hour she read to me sentences which needed to be rewritten, and I helped just by listening, not by reading. It occurred to me (as it should since reading Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves To Death) that we have become such visual learners. It was nice to just listen aloud to my friend's paper, and edit it without having the whole paper in front of me. I was able to reword the sentence faster than she was, because she was faced with retyping the thing, and all the words were jumbled in front of her.

After I stopped editing the paper, I went on to read this article for my Contemporary Media Issues class, one that correlates strongly with Social Interaction. It seems a bit long, but I think you will be comforted to see the effect that social media has on our lives, long term. Plus, I don't think this could better illustrate the connection between the two classes, our friend Danah Boyd was mentioned, although a different article where she described the parasocial relationships as people we follow closely using social networks or microblogging even though these people might be unaware of it.

The article also talked about how social networks seem like a requirement for 20 year olds to monitor their online identity, because, let's face it - who knows what pictures of you will be posted if you don't check? Basically, it's intriguing and I think my Internet Marketing teacher would be enlightened, as it enforces her love of Twitter. Now onto my homework for my Contemporary Media Issues class. We post all of our class comments (homework) on our class blog.

I hope you'll try doing work without a computer soon, because you may find it inspiring! Which is why, I said aloud to my friend ""It was nice not to be in front of a computer, for once, I think I will blog about it when I get back." Alas, I've continued the vicious cycle.

What a blog is for...

2008-11-18T18:30:00.001-08:00

Spreading the word. View this video!
A few reasons why:

1. You can impress your employer with a new way to be socially responsible
2. You'll learn something you probably didn't know before
3. It's about the environment, one of the top challenges facing us today
4. Great images of world scenery
5. Happy to see a video instead of a few paragraphs of text? I think it's a nice change myself.

Family Editor

2008-11-17T14:11:00.000-08:00

Public Relations is writing, but it's also about who you know. My aunt has been in the advertising industry for years, so she also understands the importance of how something is worded, whether it be a brochure, web site or just a proposal. I can always count on her to offer advice on any projects I send her way which makes me feel more confident in what I'm writing. I don't have the years of experience that she does, and I'm not afraid to ask for help when its needed.

This fall I had the task of writing the ad copy for a full page ad that will be running for a full year in 2009. As someone who is a college student, I'm not completely confident in my writing yet, but I will become more confident over time. I was relieved when my aunt helped me with the writing of the ad copy by offering comments on what I had done. Whatever class I'm taking it always helps to have another pair of eyes offering constructive criticism- and I'd rather get it from a family member than from a future client.

Just so you don't think that I'm the "family leech," my aunt is going back to school to become a paralegal. She just started online classes this fall so she sends me law documents to test the readability. We help each other out, plus I bring her Lake Champlain chocolates. : )

Ethics, Silence, Patience and Grace

2008-11-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, I played off the Foo Fighters' album title in mine, but it summarizes this post nicely.

In every class I've been learning about PR in different lights. In my principle PR class, I'm learning about building relationships with people, how to create media kits, write effectively and getting feedback from classmates. I'm learning about how to be in the business, how to fit in and what to do and not to do.

In my Contemporary Media Issues class we've been talking about how PR flies under the radar. Do people realize that sometimes 60% of content in news sources were generated by news releases? The answer is probably not. Unlike advertising, PR is not labeled. Most people don't know what a VNR (Video News Release) looks like if they saw one while watching the nightly news, but they understand what a commercial is. Is it ethical? That's a question I've been debating.

Then there are things that I've been absorbing in my Social Interaction class and my Internet Marketing class. In Social Interaction in a Digital Age I was introduced to the nasty side effects of bloggers outing "bad PR." In a blog post written by the editor of Wired magazine, he posted the email addresses of PR people he had blocked. This is the side of PR that gives it a bad name, and it's unfortunate. In a reactive blog post, author of PR 2.0 points out the best way PR professionals can become better, so at least something was said to amend the problem.

Now, Internet Marketing is all about how appropriate online resources can be best leveraged to benefit a client. So, this is a class about "learning how and when to use the tools."
So, I like to think about this question, "How can I be a change in the profession?" How do I go against the stereotype? I like to say "I'm not going into politics" if someone gives me a questioning look when I say I'm going into PR. Then I realize that it's not just politics...

I've come to the realization that no matter how much I question my decision to go into PR when I read about all the work that goes into good PR that usually does not receive credit (Good for Obama for giving credit where credit was due in his speech) I will always come back to the reason - I like to work with people in a positive way. That's why I wanted to go into PR and in the end PR is about developing positive relationships with people about something you think is worthwhile. Now, let's see how well I can put that into practice as a PR professional. We shall see...

Re: Social Interaction in a Digital Age

2008-11-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

Connections between the classes I am taking this semester:

I am taking 4 classes that revolve around the same topics this semester. They are all intertwined, especially when it comes to a Web 2.0 world. I created this blog for my Contemporary Media Issues class, but I really think that these issues are relevant to Champlain students no matter if you're in the class or not. In that class we reflect on the impact of media on our lives, and weigh the pros and cons, looks at persuasive techniques in media texts. We've been focusing on the election, but also have been reading the books Censorship 2009, Feed, and Amusing Ourselves to Death. All of these titles relate to how the media are shaping our world and our future. If you are in the CCM division I would strongly suggest reading Feed and Amusing Ourselves To Death. Feed is very short, and the other title is very worthwhile and will give you a completely different perspective on being a media professional.

In my internet marketing class I am uncovering new ways to use PR and advertising. This definitely ties in with what I am learning in this online class of how people connect over the internet. I have to think about how a target market is using the internet and computer-mediated communication (CMC, for those who don't know) tools.

In my Writing for Public Relations class I have to keep in mind how to approach writing the copy for a number of different media - whether it's a website, print ad or brochure I need to think about the audience. Same thing with marketing. The persuasive techniques I am learning in my Contemporary Media Issues class really come in when I am writing for this class, as well.

Overall this semester seems to be an integration of a number of different professors and what they think is important to learn. I really am enjoying all that I am learning, although it's been difficult to balance all the work. It's a lot of group work, but it's definitely worth all the hands-on experience I am getting.

I completed my first video project with my friend and peer Kristen last week! Please check out the 1 minute video that is below this post...Can you spot any persuasive techniques?

2008-11-01T15:39:00.001-07:00

Thoughts on the First Presidential Debate in HD

2008-09-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

I got a chance to watch the presidential debate last night and engage in some of the online live-blogging that was happening from a number of sources, as much as I could while watching. I was listening and reading what people were saying on Election.Twitter, what my internet marketing professor thought, what two bloggers from The Atlantic were live-blogging, and also trying to think about the persuasive techniques.

People were asked to leave their comments on the debate and Andrew Sullivan chose this comment that a reader left. Why? It wasn't about policies or who was a better speaker. It was based on the body language of both candidates. Prior to reading this today, I commented that I would have felt differently about the debate if I had listened to it on the radio. I would have found McCain to be more sure of world events, even if he digressed, "By the way, I went there once..." as he did a number of times. Watching the event and seeing how McCain reacted while Obama was speaking - laughing out loud, not looking at him when Obama was looking at him. That made me feel that, even though John McCain was acting rude and very arrogant. So, I felt that this post was really saying something about how watching the debate on television links us to the limbic part of the brain in a way that wouldn't reach us if it were only broadcast on the radio.

Also, it was the first presidential debate ever televised in "High-def." What I thought was funny was that in the live-blogging from Marc Ambinder - also of the Atlantic - said, "9:10 McCain's tie is bleeding all over my TV."

Media Memoir

2008-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Thinking back on childhood, I can see that my surrounding life was very much impacted by media. I can’t imagine growing up without it. I know I would read books, which usually seemed like a better use of my time, but with so many other interesting media available – why bother focusing on that? I would read lots of books for school, so I forgave myself. The television had the most impact, however the radio, when I drove in the car with my mom or when I first got my computer in 6^th grade, those too became integrated into my way of life.

The most primal “medium”, after books, to which I was first interested in would probably be radio. Whenever I was in the car my mom would listen to Star 99.9, which is a station in Connecticut that still plays music from the 90’s, or my dad would listen to his favorite “oldies” station mostly consisting of music that had long since been converted to tapes from eight-tracks. One radio show on Star 99.9 was called “Love Songs at Night” and you could call in a request for a song. I requesting a song to dedicate to the boy I had a crush on at the time. It seemed like the thing to do. I also loved radio because I would find out about new songs by Mariah Carey – my favorite artist growing up, which was before her breakdown.

My brother and I used to watch cartoons, mainly on Disney or Cartoon Network together in the morning during the summer when we would stay at our family’s cottage on a lake. Then when the weather got warmer we would go outside and spend the day in the water. During the school year, I would find myself unwinding by sitting in front of the TV for a half hour before starting my homework. Also, before we went out to the bus during the school year, we would play Nintendo 64 with our neighbors; it served as motivation to get up and ready in the morning for this time of play. I remember how mad we would become if we didn’t beat a new level on “Mischief Makers” before my mom was nagging us to get out for the bus. I know videogames are an alternative medium themselves, but I thought it was a bit more “educational” than just simply watching the TV. They were interactive!

Then, interaction really hit home when I found a big, heavy, cow-print box sitting in my basement one day. What’s this? – Why my very own computer! Of course it was for the entire family, but I couldn’t help but think about all the wonderful things I could do on a computer. Before my parents bought our first computer from Gateway, I would often use a new-age typewriter for typing school papers, and I was sick of using it even though it was a fairly nice one. The internet didn’t really hit home until I was in middle school, but then I was on AOL with my first screen name and email address, I believe it was “MBLovebug”, and that was the end of life as I knew it.

It is safe to say that my childhood was molded by media, like most others. I would, more often than not prefer to watch TV than read a book. Although, I will say that I was reluctant to get an iPod because I didn’t like the concept of instant gratification. I was happy with my CD player, and enjoyed the moments where I would carefully select which CD I wanted to listen to next. Now, I can have all my music at my fingertips, and it bothers me a little bit. Maybe I’ve inherited this quality from my Dad’s who still has his eight-track collection from the 70’s. I feel the need to preserve what once was in this ever-evolving world of technology and media.