VCU Mass Comm Week

By Kalyn Salinsky




The days of waking up to the thud of a newspaper hitting your front door in the morning may be fading. Today, waking up and turning on your computer is the fastest and easiest way to get your news.

This online trend represents the future of most media outlets, including newspapers, television and wire service.

"People want news; there is a huge appetite for news." Said Jean McNair, news editor at the Associated Press. "What’s changing is how news is delivered."

As a part of VCU’s Mass Comm Week, a panel of speakers discussed the future of the media and the changes that may be occurring as graduates are looking for jobs. About 200 students came out to hear the panel, which was held in the Temple Building on VCU campus.

Wire Services

The Associated Press distributes its news primarily on the Web, where many media outlets are turning to. The Associated Press sends out wire notices to customers including Yahoo News and the U.S. government.

McNair said the Associated Press works well on the Internet because it enables breaking news to be brought to customers in seconds. She said it allows for a "deadline every minute."

The future goals of the Associated Press include expanding ways to get the news you want, in the region you are in. The Associated Press is also striving for more in-depth reporting and analysis in the newsroom, said McNair.

Newspapers and Television

Daniel Finnegan, senior editor at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, discussed the potential for an online-only newspaper in the future. Finnegan said that 1,000 hours per week is put into Internet projects alone at the Richmond Times- Dispatch. Finnegan explained the importance of news and compares it to a form of "checks and balances."

The goal of the Richmond Times-Dispatch is to bring credible news to the community in a trustworthy fashion. However, this credible news may be brought to you differently in the future.

Finnegan said the newspaper has already compacted its self to be smaller both physically and content wise. Finnegan said the Richmond Times-Dispatch will start distributing premium on-demand products by sending out top news on specific days and any other section, such as the sport section, sent only by request. All other content will be on the Web.

The general sales manager from NBC 12, Kym Grinnage, discussed how news is changing on television. Grinnage said that the news on television gives a visual to the audience, but only recaps a story in about two minutes.

"TV is a tease to get your attention," and reading the news is still a necessity, he said. However, with the switch to digital television, news stations will now be able to provide multi-casting and stay as local as possible.

Revenue

So why not make the switch to Internet only? One word: advertising.

All three media outlets discussed the revenue made by advertisers and how it is much higher in print than online. Advertisers will put more money into print news because customers pay more attention to those ads rather than those online. The panelists said many people ignore the advertisements online and many people get the print form for the advertisements. These factors make it extremely hard for media outlets to fully switch over to Internet only news while still making revenue.

Janna Eubank, a sophomore at VCU and aspiring journalism major, said that she preferred the hard copy of the news rather than online news. She attended this event with hopes to decide whether she wants to declare print or broadcasting journalism, however, it seems as though both will be primarily on the Web in the future.

By Lacy Hickl

Guy Barnett, cofounder and creative director of Brooklyn Brothers, along with his partner Paul Parton, spoke about creativity and the new consumer.

Parton explained to the audience it doesn’t matter what medium you’re working in-you have to approach things with an online state of mind. An online state of mind, he said, consists of four components:

• Invite customers in
  
• Trust is everything
  
• The idea is the medium
  
• Advertising is disposable
  

“Trust is absolutely critical for brands these days,” said Barnett. The audience was then shown pictures of several popular brand logos and asked to raise their hands when they saw a brand they trusted. Hands shot in the air when Coca-Cola Co., Apple Inc. and Google were shown, but not even half were seen when Microsoft Corp. came up. Barnett stated that the new iPhone was terrible and he is now losing faith in a company he once trusted.

Advertising has to be cheap and plentiful because one can’t always be sure what consumers will like, according to Barnett. You have to constantly be writing. The company tries not to spend more than eight weeks on a single campaign to avoid having it become stale.

The Brooklyn Brothers created an ad/billboard for the History channel to help promote their new show, “The Barbarians.” The billboard displayed a simple message: “The Barbarians are coming” and used 1400 real arrows on the board. Although there were only two in the entire country, the billboard became the most popular in the channel’s history.

The company has also launched an organic chocolate bar called “Fat Pig.” Barnett said it was difficult to find an organic chocolate bar these days that was just plain and not hindered by the introduction of nuts, almonds, etc.

After the Brooklyn Brothers helped aid Kayak.com with some of their ads, the company gained over 160,000 views on YouTube and their Google search volume increased by 30%.

Many of the big companies these days are looking to the youth for answers on what is going to be the next big thing, the next Face book explained Parton.

“We’re jealous of you all, we’re old, and we didn’t grow up in a digital world,” said Parton.

“It was the best summer of my life being ridiculed by some of the smartest people in the industry,” said Kyle W. Lin, a VCU Mass Comm major who interned with the Brooklyn Brothers this past summer.

RICHMOND, Va. (October 8, 2008) -- Considering landing your first job in PR soon? You would have learned from the best Thursday, during a lecture featured for Mass Comm Week at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Jeff Wilson, Associate VP and Director of Business Development for CRT/tanaka and fellow employee, recent VCU grad Catherine Gryp, gave a 60 minute presentation regarding the do’s and don’ts for respected PR professionals.


CRT/tanaka is recognized as an award-winning, mid-sized PR and Marketing firm in Richmond, Virginia. Both Wilson and Gryp went over an important "Top 15" list that all PR students should remember when applying for jobs.

1. Get internship experience.
Begin to feel comfortable with the idea of gaining crucial experience. If you are not able to find an internship, then considering volunteering, which brings us to our next tip.

2. Consider volunteering for a non-profit organization.
Not only will this appear on your resume as valid real-world experience, it will also be a way to work with an organization that will be able to provide hands-on experience for you.

3. Write. Write. Then write some more.
Begin to build a portfolio of writing samples to have on hand for future job opportunities. Always have an AP Stylebook handy, as it will serve you well.

4. When compiling material, proof it.
If you are not the best proof reader in the world, have a friend or professor do this for you.
"I have seen many wonderful resumes thrown out because there was a typo found in it," Wilson said. "If I’m already looking for a reason to narrow candidates to a smaller pool, don’t make my job easier."

5. Network.
Don’t just go to an event to be able to say you attended. Move around, introduce yourself, and capitalize on the chance to meet important people that may be able to help you later on in your career. Networking is a great way for others to recognize your name.

6. Ask to attend an informational interview.
Many organizations will be more than willing to set up an interview session where job applicants will be able to learn more.
”At a certain time we may not be hiring, but we will keep you in mind if you leave a good impression,” Wilson said. “It shows that you have an interest in the company.”

7. Do your homework.
Know as much about the company as you possibly can. Know the products, services and clients of your organization. It shows that you are serious.

8. Customize your resume.
Make sure your resume is customized to what the agency is looking exactly for. Match the job description they have sent out, particularly pay attention to this in the cover letter.

9. Show your passion. Find your passion.
Find opportunities in career fields that you have an interest in.
” I wanted to make sure this is exactly what I wanted in a degree.,” Gryp said. “A lot of people I graduated with did not see the urge in finding a job in fields that they were interested in. They said they would do it later and they still haven’t found work they really want to do.”

10. Ask questions.
This is your chance to show that you have done the research and work that will set you apart from others.

11. Be willing to relocate.
The economy today is not that stable. Be willing to move away from family and friends to pursue your goals. Think about your future.

12. Be flexible.
”You might not get your dream job right away,” Gryp said. “Be willing to see the wonderful opportunities in other jobs.”

13. Create a support system.
Talk to your fellow alum and classmates. Ask for resources that may help you with your search.

14. Embrace social media.
This is when those long hours being on Facebook may actually serve you well. As a PR major, you should be able to understand how companies use social media for their clients. Always be thinking about what tools are the next big thing.

15. Send thank you notes.
This will set a good impression on the minds of your employers.

The presentation received an overwhelming response of praise. Students did not hesitate to stay after the presentation to ask questions. Many found the presentation to be helpful in their future plans.

Danielle Vaughn, junior and public relations major, shared her thoughts while students began to file out of the room. “I found it to be quite helpful,” she said. “It will definitely help me get my stuff together.”

Jeff Wilson contributes to various media relations and strategic planning concepts within CRT/tanaka. He was recognized in 2007 as Richmond’s “Top 40 Under 40” by Style Weekly. Catherine Gryp, as a December 2006 Summa Cum Laude graduate from VCU, will join the firm specializing in new business development as well as agency promotion.

Labels: catherine gryp, jeff wilson, mass comm week, public relations, vcu

By Hailey Stuart


Maggie Eugene Richard, was part of a community known as Diamond, was surrounded by sickness and death throughout her life. Not only did neighbors fall victim to this illness, but her family did as well.

First her sister and father and finally her mother died. The cause of her loss: an industrial processing plant, operated by Shell and located only 25 feet from her home, emitting toxins into the air.

Eugene took it into her own hands to stop this sickness and challenged the industrial giant Shell.

Forteen years after the death of her beloved sister, the people of the Diamond community were victorious, and paid to move the community.

This was the plot and true story of Ronnie Greene’s first published book, Night Fire. Greene, an investigative reporter for the Miami Herald, and fellow author Sergio Bustos, a deputy editor for the Miami Herald, spoke about their first books for Mass Communications Week on Thursday. Both are alumni of VCU.

According to Greene, writing a book is different from writing for a newspaper. With news, Greene “had to fight for every word” in stories that took place throughout the years. However, with a book, he could give the reader information that is far more in depth.

Bustos shared similar opinions.

“It was just the opposite from writing in the newspapers,” said Bustos, author of Miami’s Criminal Past Uncovered, when asked if there were limitations on what material could be in the book. He explained that, unlike news writing, in a book you must include each detail so characters and situations are able to develop and keep the reader interested.

Two years ago, Bustos and a fellow editor wrote a series called Flashback, in which they retold crime stories from Miami’s past with new angles and details. It appealed to many local readers as it told stories many of them knew about and could relate to.

As their series began to gain popularity, Bustos received a call from an editor of History Press, in Charleston, S.C. He asked Bustos if Bustos could write a book based on the idea of Flashback, including six stories.

“It’s not every day that someone just calls you to write a book,” said Bustos, and so he and his editor “decided to take the plunge.”

When they started, they believe that they could simply transfer the stories they had already written from the newspaper to the book. Much to their surprise, however, book writing required much more details and development.

Bustos explained when writing for a newspaper, “you really put a story on a diet,” as information and details must be cut out to make it a fast and easy article to read.

Both Bustos and Greene found the work put into book writing very rewarding.

Do the authors have a preference of books or news writing?

Greene responded, “no doubt books, and this is my first one.”

Bustos has already been approached to do a second book. “I am dying to do it,” he said. “I would much rather do it this way.”

Blogging Guru Visits VCU
By Alli Atayee

RICHMOND, Va.(October 9, 2008) - - CEO of Livingston Communications, Geoff Livingston, stopped by VCU’s campus to discuss the impact of social media and its effects on students, corporations and traditional media.

The audience, made up of mostly mass communications students, seemed to be rather unresponsive at first, but Livingston did well to engage them by bringing up something all students can relate to, Facebook.

“Most Facebook users, just like all the students in the audience, are casual users,” says Livingston ,” but there is an aspect to the social media giant that most of us don’t realize.”

“Every one can see your page,” Livingston emphasized.

Many employers, including Livingston Communications, do a thorough background check on perspective employees which includes visiting their Facebook and Myspace pages. He advised those in attendance, especially those who are planning on applying for jobs and internships soon, to be weary of what they reveal about themselves on the sites because it has open access to all.

Facebook, which has over 100 million active users, as well several other social media sites have put many large corporations on notice. With traditional advertising and PR not having the same effect it used to, many companies are now trying to use these sites in order to reach consumers. It works both ways though, and consumers can often get a heads up on companies, products or other services they are interested in.

The movie Clover field, was used as an example of how this wave of information can travel both ways.

“ That movie sucked,” said Livingston.

Livingston spoke about how the movies advertising targeted social media users, college and highschool students, to get penetration in a way that movies in the past have never had. The movie had a much anticipated release, but failed to live up to the expectations of viewers. And those viewers went right back to those same social medias and let everyone know how they felt about the flim.

“ Small pictures are necessary to create a big picture,” Livingston said. Brands are no longer only represented by a a single element or source, but rather by a collection of different sources to show who they are. Livingston says the tools used most commonly by companies to get their brands to stakeholders are
• Verabal, the more people talk the more exposure it receives
• Visual; consumers are more likely to pay attention if they see something everywhere .
• Experience

“ I knew that blogging was a big growing community,” said Taylor Milford, a sophomore public relations major, ”but I was not aware of how much of an effect it has already had on how regular traditional media."

RICHMOND, VA (October 9, 2008) - Social media expert Geoff Livingston addressed a packed auditorium of students on Thursday during VCU’s annual Mass Communications week, sharing his expertise on social media’s effect on today’s Public Relations endeavors in the business world.

Livingston, CEO of Livingston Communications, a communications firm in Alexandria Va., began his presentation by showing students his own Twitter page , a social networking and blogging service. He asked his Twitter community and followers to give advice for him to share with students, about what they should do, from a PR and marketing standpoint, when first getting out of college.

Some of the advice given by Livingston’s followers was to make sure to first understand the purpose of social media; otherwise it is just a gadget. It was also advised, by his followers, to read the PR blogs and that goals and strategies are critical in social media as in any other communication.

After sharing the advice from some of his followers, Livingston told students about what getting into the business of PR and social media is like.

“You’re going to make some enemies, you’re going to hear some things that you don’t like if you’re involved in social media,” said Livingston.

Negative feedback can result in positive change. When customers tell companies that they don’t like their product or that there is a problem with the product, this helps companies to produce a better product or service.

“People don’t just buy things from people because they have something to sell,” said Livingston. “We need to have something of value sold to us.” That’s what negative feedback eventually gives consumers, something of value.

Livingston discussed the ever-popular Facebook and the power of this social tool. He gave the advice to make sure that you clean-up your Facebook page.

“I have not hired people because of what I’ve seen on their Facebook page,” said Livingston. “Your reputation is on the line.”

He recommended that students not post pictures that they wouldn’t want future employers to see or to have any unsightly content on the page. So maybe making your Facebook page private, isn’t such a bad idea.

The social media authority emphasized the fact that social media is about to become the next big thing in the business, marketing, and advertising world. Social media are currently in the majority phase of the diffusion curve, the adoption cycle of any technology or innovation. This means that social media is continuing to grow its popularity and almost cause a dominating effect in terms of communications. He said that traditional PR and marketing aren’t working as well as they used to and that social media is taking the place of these once coveted tools.

Traditional media need social media, but according to Livingston, “Not any one source creates the brand. You have to integrate your social media; build sales, change brand perception, provide public awareness, educate.”

Students seemed intrigued by the information that Livingston had to offer

“The presentation actually inspired me to go out and get a Twitter or to start a blog,” said mass communications student Sarah Rodriguez.

“The talk itself was pretty enlightening; blogs and social media, the effects that they have on business and people’s personal lives,” said junior Andrew Pauly.

At the end of the presentation, Livingston gave out copies of his award-winning book “Now is Gone.”


By: Kathleen Whitlow

Livingston Communications CEO, Geoff Livingston discusses PR in social media sites with VCU students.
By Kyle Horan

RICHMOND, Va. (October 9, 2008)—CEO of Livingston Communications and expert on social media sites, Geoff Livingston, spoke Thursday with VCU students about the value of sites like twitter.com and facebook.com to public relations.

Livingston answered students’ questions about the uses of social media sites and blogging in the media. Livingston says that these types of sites are important for branding and that they will become necessary tools for corporations. Corporations and media can use these tools to receive feedback and advertise on a large scale.

“Start a blog today and write ‘I’m in dell hell’ as the title and I guarantee you will hear from somebody from dell, corporate, within 24 hours,” Livingston said.

Bloggers have a lot of influence on brands. Livingston says a brand represents a commitment. It is a promise from an entity to a stakeholder. Brands do this verbally, visually, and through experience. Bloggers have the ability to identify good and bad brands. Livingston uses an example of the movie Cloverfield.

“Everybody wanted to see Cloverfield. It used a lot of social media tools actually to promote it,” Livingston said.

What happened was that bloggers went to see Cloverfield, many of whom thought the movie was bad. So, the bloggers go home after seeing it and post on their blogs how bad the movie was. Due to this, the movie had a good opening day but sales dropped due to the negative PR. Livingston said that this was an example of bad branding.

Facebook.com is a good place for organizations to advertise their cause. Livingston uses the example of a Facebook group created in response to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

“This was taken last week. 970,000 people have signed on for the Save Darfur facebook social cause application,” Livingston said, “how’s that for branding.”

However, Livingston said Facebook.com is not a good place to raise money, because it is difficult to ask for it over a social site. Despite this, the value of Facebook.com as an advertising tool is clear.

Livingston also spoke about common corporate mistakes in social PR such as a one size fits all mentality and ignoring the stakeholders. Livingston said that problems like these can hurt the image of corporations.

Students attending the event received copies of Livingston’s book “Now is Gone” after the lecture. Many students had their perspective on social sites changed because of the event.

“I didn’t even know what twitter was before he even opened it up so I think I kind of want to expand the different mediums that I know of right now,” said student Ebony Smith.

RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 10, 2008) -- Public Relations is completely different from what it was ten years ago. The internet brought with it social media, which changed a PR professional’s job forever. Geoff Livingston came to VCU to tell students all about it.

Livingston, CEO of Livingston Communications, gave a speech Thursday in Temple 1165 at 2 p.m. about how social media affects the role of public relations, and society as a whole in today’s world.

Advertising and traditional PR aren’t working the way they used to. Livingston explained that social media is changing the way firms do business and they way PR professionals represent them. Today, websites like facebook are changing the way public relations is done; turning word of mouth into the greatest weapon a PR pro can have in their arsenal.

Livingston started the seminar by showing comments made on his personal twitter about what PR majors should do first after the graduate. He then took several polls to show the audience how much we rely on our social media and how companies have made the internet and information so easily accessible and vital to our daily lives. People now rely on amazon.com to buy books, and blogs such as perezhilton.com or facebook for news.

“That’s the power of social media,” said Livingston, “Everyone is walking around with a Gutenberg press in their hand.”

Livingston also gave tips to people who might be looking to apply at PR firms such as his. He advised for people to clean up their facebook and myspace before applying, and if you don’t have one, create one.

“Let’s put it this way, if I’m going to hire somebody for social media, and they don’t have a facebook…what does that tell me? It tells me they can’t do it,” Livingston said.

Livingston used humor and examples (such as his own twitter website) to capture the audience’s attention and drive home the impact social media has on our lives and public relations as a whole.

“The lecture was very interesting. I never really thought about how much I rely on social networking websites and websites like amazon.com.” said VCU sophomore, Katrina Earley.

Earley wasn’t the only student who enjoyed and learned a lot from Livingston’s seminar.

“I really liked how he opened the seminar with the twitter tips from other PR professionals. The people gave some really good tips, and it showed how helpful twitter can be,” said Amber Seitz, VCU freshman.

When asked if he was ever criticized for his social media business approach, Livingston had a pearl of wisdom to share.

“Yeah, I have people who tell me that I’m crazy. That it’s not real.” Livingston said. “Then I tell them I just closed a $2 million deal on facebook and they shut up.”

By: Janelle Scott

RICHMOND, Va.(October 9, 2008) — CEO of Livingston Communications Geoff Livingston was eager to present to a fairly full Temple 1165; so eager that he began the presentation a few minutes early at the audience’s conformational nods.

Livingston began writing blogs after leaving a job where he was prohibited to do so. From then on, he says he’s been adamant about keeping up with them. During Thursday’s presentation, Livingston explained how his blog, and other forms of social media, are important to public relations.

Livingston’s presentation, “PR and Social Media” was centered on the tactics that people must use in order to carry out public relations effectively. He said that online sites like Twitter and other social networking sites are the future of today’s public relations.

“If you Google Zappos, guess what comes up? 23 million impressions,” said Livingston. “Do you know how they did that? Twitter.”

Livingston said that Zappos has 400 of their employees out there “tweeting”(using and updating their Twitter accounts with new information). Because of this, Zappos has grown to become a $1 billion business.

Along with explaining that almost every influential blogger has a Twitter account, Livingston spoke about other social media websites and their importance. He did so by asking the audience questions.

“How many people here have a Facebook profile,” said Livingston.

Livingston continued to ask the audience who had MySpace, or Twitter. Hands flew up in response and decreased a considerable amount with each question asked respectively. The VCU population, represented by the audience, was not infiltrated with Twitter users despite Livingston’s spiel about its importance.

Livingston said that Facebook, something relatable to college students based on the number of people who admitted to having one, is a social necessary. He admitted to screening potential employees by looking at their profiles. When asked what he was looking for in a positive Facebook profile, Livingston said he liked seeing people who had friends and were well rounded.

On the other hand, Livingston said that he deemed it a red flag if a potential employee didn’t have a Facebook because it showed one of two things. Either he or she was incapable of using its technology or he or she was hiding something unappealing that could be questionable.

Audience members seemed to be understanding of the benefits of maintaining a Facebook profile, however, some felt as though people may be a little careless with what their peers put online.

Andy Grizzard, a junior at VCU studying Public Relations, had positive feelings about Livingston’s presentation because of the awareness he said it created among students.

“I thought that the presentation was very beneficial to students because we need to know our limits as far as Facebook,” Grizzard said. “With the economy the way it is today, we can’t afford to lose jobs just because of something stupid you put on Facebook.”

Livingston gave out copies of his book Now is Gone to audience members in addition to speaking about the blogs he keeps online.

By Misha Adams