The John W. Dillin Professional Award for service to the Florida Public Relations Association has been established as the highest, most prestigious award of the Association. The award honors the spirit and dedication of FPRA’s first president and founder, Lt. Col. John W. Dillin, and his lifetime of service to and support of the Association.

The purpose of the annual award is to recognize an FPRA member for his/her outstanding contribution to the Association and the field of public relations.

Drum roll, please… the winner of the 2009 John W. Dillin Award is:

ROGER PYNN, APR
Curley & Pynn PR & Marketing Communications
Orlando Area Chapter

Send Roger a congratulatory e-mail at rpynn@thestrategicfirm.com

The next individual award given out tonight was the Doris Fleischman Award.

The Doris Fleischman Award honors unrecognized contributions an individual FPRA member has made to the public relations profession and/or to FPRA. In essence, this is an “unsung hero” award intended to reward that individual who consistently provides support and assistance to the Association.

The award was established to honor the achievements and contributions of Doris Fleischman, business partner and wife of Edward L. Bernays, the “father” of public relations. It honors those FPRA members who, like Fleischman, make contributions to the field of public relations through consistent, tireless efforts. It is meant to honor a member for his/her “behind the scenes” work and FPRA volunteer efforts that go unnoticed by chapter members and are not recognized by other awards programs.

Drum roll, please… the recipient of the 2009 Doris Fleischman Award is:

TONI JAMES, APR
Toni James & Associates Strategic PR
Ocala Chapter

Send Toni a congratulatory e-mail at toni.james@embarqmail.com

As part of tonight’s Golden Image Awards ceremony, three individual awards were given. The first award was the 2009 Member of the Year Award. This award is intended to recognize a member who has made a significant contribution to the Association through outstanding leadership, demonstrated enthusiasm, extraordinary involvement and loyal support. The recipient is selected by the FPRA President.

This year, two very deserving individuals were honored:

JEFF NALL, APR, CPRC
Council on Aging of West Florida, Inc.
Pensacola Chapter

Send Jeff a congratulatory e-mail at jnall@coawfla.org

KAREN SMITTLE, APR, CPRC
CH2M Hill, Inc.
Gainesville Chapter

Send Karen a congratulatory e-mail at ksmittle@ch2m.com

Vice President for Golden Image, Rachel Smith, APR, CPRC, served as hostess for this evening’s gala. At the beginning of the program, Rachel gave special recognition to the 2008-09 Local Image Chairs:Kate Barth, Stacie Bucher, Jennifer Bush, Devon Chestnut, Ginny Cooper, Laura D’Abbondanza, Robin Delgado, Stephanie Page Duesing, Amanda Fliger, Janice Cooper Holmes, Amanda Mousa, Rebeca Searcey, Melissa Sheets, APR, and Kathleen Taylor, APR.

Special thanks to the following individuals and organizations: Rachel Smith, APR, CPRC and her committee for putting together a wonderful evening… to the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for judging our entries … to the Southwest Florida Chapter for its financial support of the banquet… to Cheray Keyes-Shima, APR, CPRC, and Chris Carroll, APR, CPRC, of KSC, Inc. for designing all of the printed materials… and to the Kissimmee Utility Authority and CH2MHill for their support of the conference and Golden Image Awards Gala….and to FPRA State President Lanette Hart, APR, CPRC; FPRA Past-President Suzanne Sparling, APR; Ginny Cooper; Kathleen Taylor, APR; Michelle Bono, APR, CPRC; Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC; Toni James, APR; Devon Chestnut; and Vivian Myrtetus, APR, who served as this evening’s presenters.

Click here for complete list of tonight’s winners.

Deirdre Breakenridge of PFS Marketwyse led an open and frank discussion on how public relations agencies can overcome a predator stigma. Focusing on public relations principles (both traditional PR and PR 2.0) that raise the profile of a professional and the agency to the rightful status of counselor and partner, Deirdre showed why agencies need to promote and sustain practices that support the needs of the 21st century organization such as being customer-focused and user-centric. Breakenridge challenged PR professionals working in the agency environment with changing the public image of PR firms. “Public Relations agencies today are in a branding crisis,” she said, adding that agencies need to redefine their position with clients among today’s constantly changing communication landscape.

“Agencies are being seen only as an engine for media relations and as developers of traditional mass communication messages who target demographics rather than behavior,” Breakenridge said. In her opinion, agency practitioners are telling stories without customizing the message to the communities they are trying to reach. Additionally, the public feels agencies are not being transparent enough in the work they handle for clients, often labeled the creators of “spin.”

To tackle these challenges, Breakenridge recommended agencies address three underlying factors in turning around their image: Attitude, Education & Technology.

First, agencies must see themselves and develop opportunities to become influencers. Practitioners must remember that PR is more about sociology than technology with changing vocabulary and behavior by the many markets they address each day. “The new media landscape is producing an environment where everyone is becoming a content producer, social communicator and citizen journalist,” adds Breakenridge.

Proactive agency practitioners should seek to educate themselves in the many diverse community networks available for consideration in their communication programs. Education demands that the PR professional watch and listen first, visiting different communities (i.e. Facebook, Linked in groups, Twitter, etc.) attending webinars or tele-seminars and following Bloggers. Once educated, agencies can advise clients on where they need to be in the vast world of social media, making the right choices that best serve the goals of the customers/consumers the client is trying to reach. Breakenridge discussed the many avenues to map and chart these social networks, (such as “the conversation Prism”) as well as recommending that agencies watch client competitors. Additionally, she illustrated the need to create a social media policy before embarking on an integrated program in order to identify the goals, audiences and agency and client responsibilities (and communicators) involved in the program.

“Technology doesn’t build the relationships,” says Breakenridge, “it supports the people and creates the platform for the meaningful information being provided to the targeted community – which gets the client direct to their customer.”

What does an agency need to do?

1. Observe the communities and cultures that define the target
2. Listen and pay attention to important conversations related to the brand
3. Identify key communities based on the frequency of the conversations
4. Internalize and analyze the feedback in order to learn about each community.

This new PR agency is a new hybrid PR professional. This professional can be any of the following:

• Spectators – they just watch and listen to the networks
• Joiners – they set up profiles on the networking sites but they aren’t fully engaged
• Collectors – they are gathering information and collecting knowledge, perhaps commenting and doing more comprehensive communicating
• Critic level – they are actively commenting, reviewing, posting, sharing, and building community relationships
• Creator – they are influencers who are creating what people listen to

Agencies should set their sights on being a “Creator” to raise the profile of the industry and re-invent what PR is for clients and the public.

What do today’s agencies need to know?

• It’s never too late to change
• The time to lead is now and we are all learning together
• PR employs a multi-tiered approach to reaching customers to build strong relationships
• Agencies need to be proactive and change their roles
• PR needs a new attitude

Breakenridge says to put the public back in PR agencies should:

• Always be proactive
• Listen and learn what is the best approach for a customer based on who’s having conversations in the market
• Learn and educate your customers; observe and monitor who is talking in their markets and who are their most important influencers
• Be prepared with updated technology and provide insight to customers–demo the latest tools and resources so that you are always the expert
• Assume your new role and be a PR Champion and an agency that is considered a partner not predator

Key influencers to watch:

Brian Solis

Kami Huyse

Shell Israel

Books by the Author

Putting the Public Back in Public Relations

PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences

The New PR Toolkit:

Cyberbranding

About the Speaker

Deirdre K. Breakenridge is President, Executive Director of Communications at PFS Marketwyse. A veteran in the PR industry, Deirdre leads a creative team of PR and marketing executives strategizing to gain brand awareness for their clients through creative and strategic public relations campaigns.  She counsels senior level executives at companies including AmerisourceBergen, Hershey’s, JVC, Kraft, Michael C. Fina, and Secure Horizons. Deirdre is an adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey where she teaches courses on Public Relations and Interactive Marketing for the Global Business Management program. She recently finished her fourth Financial Times business book, “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations,” co-authored by Brian Solis, published in March 2009 and available in major bookstores.  She has also authored: “PR 2.0, New Media, New Tools, New Audiences,” “The New PR Toolkit” and “Cyberbranding: Brand Building in the Digital Economy.”

Deirdre speaks publicly on the topics of PR, online marketing and brand building.  In September, Deirdre was featured as a keynote speaker at the National Women’s In Network Conference.  Previously, she has spoken for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Strategic Research Institute (SRI), Women’s Presidents Organization (WPO), Tier1 Research and at a number of colleges and universities.  Deirdre is a member of the PRSA and has served on the Board of NJ/PRSA and the New Jersey Advertising Club. She was named Woman of the Year in 2009 by the National Association of Professional Executive Women (NAPEW).

Deirdre is a contributing editor of TechConnect, PRSA’s Technology Newsletter and also blogs about PR 2.0 Strategies at www.deirdrebreakenridge.com.

In this session, Lauri-Ellen Smith, APR, of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office discussed the essentials of communicating with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) during times of disasters and emergencies. The NIMS for public information changes everything about how government and non-government organizations communicate with the public, via the media during times of disasters or emergencies (planned or unplanned events).

Post 911, every unplanned event and many planned events that impact the public are handled using the National Incident Management System. Go to the FEMA website. The 700 class is the introduction class, where you can learn about Incident Structure.

Sitting at the right hand of the incident commander is the public relations officer.  Class 702 is just for public information officers.  You can go through the PIO (public information officer) tract to get a certification.

The model expands or contracts depending on the magnitude of the event or the period of time that has passed since the event occurred. The Joint Information Center (JIC) is sometimes set up to include all of the key players from every organization with a stake or responsibility in the event. There will be a representative (PIO) from every agency in the room.

The Joint Information Center is a federally sanctioned media center which responds to media queries about an incident. This insures a coordinated response. It keeps people staying in their lanes.  Consider everyone you should have around that table and in your own communications plan. 

Hurricane Katrina and our lessons from it have helped prepare the Federal government, state government and local government for a more coordinated response.

Who runs the JIC? You need someone working electronic media, standing up your shadow website, conducting rumor control, etc. (Your shadow website is set up in advance of the event and includes a space for post-emergency information.)  When you write your emergency communications plan, think about who will fill each role in the Joint Information Center.  Think beyond the walls of your own organization. Encourage anyone who should be involved to take the certification course.

You will also need a good administrative person to be responsible for personnel accountability.

The command information in the JIC includes research; interviews; daily updates or re-caps to the website, media and those directly involved in recovery; editing and distribution of videos/ DVDs; Command messages; etc.  In your plan, have a list of topics that are CEO worthy and those that are not in terms of who should address the media.

Only the Incident Commander can speak on things that are run through the NIMS, not the PIOs from any of the agencies involved.  You no longer work for your agency when you’re working in the JIC. You’re working for the Federal government.

Lauri-Ellen is lobbying to get NIMS certification courses as part of the APR continuing education.

The emergency management plans are referred to now as “All Incident Plans” because you will do things differently depending on what happens.  Make sure your plan for each of your clients or for your organization includes how you will respond to a variety of different crises.  Social media has to be part of your plan.

Be ACCC certified! (You should include anticipation, coordination, communication and cooperation in your plan.)

You will get inquiries from the media about things you’re not prepared to talk about. You need to plan on the timing so that you can report when you will get back to them. Anticipate media needs and questions.  Ask the nay sayer at your organization about what the worst thing that could happen to your organization would be.  

Security, accuracy, propriety and policy are all very important. You don’t want to deal in scenarios. If you have to wait to get the absolute accurate information to the media, do it. “No confirmation of ___ at this time.” “As of this time, ___.”  Etc.

Full of expert advice from a seasoned professional, this session was so worth the hour…and more. Many thanks, Laurie-Ellen Smith, APR!

Focusing on Audience, Messages, Messengers, Methods and Outcomes gives any organization, public entity or business the tools to capture interest and leverage action. Led by Jack Levine, the AMMMO strategy allows the proper balance of creativity and flexibility, and promotes conversations with the target audiences for maximum relationship development.

One of the amazing things about Jack Levine is, once he’s met you he knows you for life – even if you haven’t seen or spoken to him in years. Now that’s public relations. For Jack, it is very much about building and maintaining relationships. Does that work? Consider the unsolicited comment from Lauri-Ellen Smith, APR during the PR Under Fire ­general session earlier in the day. Lauri-Ellen, special assistant to the sheriff in Jacksonville, said she first met Jack in the early 1980s in Tallahassee and it was the first time she realized that her “vocation and avocation could be one and the same. It opened my eyes.”

Amid a tech-heavy conference jammed with New/Social Media, Jack’s presentation may be considered somewhat old-school. He used a good, old-fashioned flip chart and markers.  But there were no complaints. This blog will relate Jack’s concepts in the reverse order presented, primarily because the title of the talk focused on his AMMMO approach; just think of the others (Advocacy Bridge and Crossroads) as frosting on the cake, or value-added.

AMMMO

This uses a sequential approach because before you know the action you want people to take you have to know your audience first. If any one told Jack their audience is the general public, he’d tell them to “go back to PR Kindergarten.”

Audiences – It’s all about demography: in the 1950s there were basically three generations, – children, parents and grandparents. Your grandparents were as old as it got; in these past two generations added another generation … and we’ve added a whole other audience generation. Those in their 50s and 60s have never been as young as they are now. When Jack’s  father came to this country, life expectancy was 47. When they passed the retirement act in 1967, they were joking in the cloakroom about 65 because who would live that long? Why is this important? Consider that today, $7 out of $8 donated to charities are given by people over 50. How do you get younger people engaged in an organization? They’re not going to give money; what resource do they have? Time. Any organization that doesn’t have an outreach strategy is missing the boat.

Messages – A message is not a slogan, a slogan is a kind of message, but you can’t put a message on a bumper sticker. A message is a “factual and emotive statement with a purpose.” It has to resonate with your target audiences.

Messengers—This is the deliverer of the message. Now here is the rub: there are some entities acting under the delusion that there are single messengers. Your messengers have to be as diverse as your audience, and should be members of your audiences. You’ve got to look for the strategy of co-joining these three … so your audience is going to take action this because they have credible messengers delivering a factual and emotive message.

Methods – There are so many, Jack said he can’t even mention the first hundred. Face to face? Yes. In meetings? Yes. But your message has got to reflect their audiences. Have you ever noticed that every backporch light has a spider web around it? That’s because that’s where the bugs are. You need to be where the bugs are. If you want to work with 20- year-olds, don’t go to the Kiwanis meetings.

Outcomes – If you believe your purpose is to get your audience to agree with you, you are wrong. Your purpose is to get your audience to act on their and your behalf.

Remember, your audiences, message and messengers (your AMMMO) are always changing. So, If you’ve got a strategic marketing plan that’s more than a year old, revise it.

(2) Advocacy Bridge With consummate artistic skill, Jack sketched two communities on the banks of the “Red River.” On the left bank were those who Know Most, Care Most and Do Most for a cause. On the other side were the DMs—decision makers – who made all the decisions pertaining to politics, media, business/corporate, philanthropy, civic causes — in short, all the decisions about the left bank folks (the KMs, CMs and DMs). Thirty years ago, the KMs, CMs and DMs communicated by calling across the river, “Hello over there … we have some good ideas. Do you hear me?” Nope. The DMs on the right bank did not: Individual shouting not a good communications device over a great divide.

Some brave communicators jumped in the river individually, arrive wet and out of breath. They needed a change in strategic communications, so they borrowed the philosophy of civil engineers: build bridges, first build foundations, then raise stanchions (yes, Jack takes analogy pills every morning). Here are the stanchions:

Data – oh ,how boring. After all, the word “number” starts N-U-M-B. If you don’t know your numbers, if you can’t articulate the cost of, the how many of, then you’re a non-starter. Every DM I know … wants to know how many. This is Florida, so old data is no data.

Solutions – The difference between whining and winning is the difference between having a need and knowing how to deal with it.

Advocacy – Strategic communications. Jack said, he’s not sure people understand what pubic relations is.  He said “strategic communications and advocacy” are more exact in what the profession hopes to convey and achieve. The root of “advocacy,” after all, is  voca, or voice.  Hopefully it’s a voice of authority, credibility.

Says Jack: “Here’s the magic, when you build a bridge to your intended audience of decision makers, then you pave the roadway and something really amazing happens. The KMs, CMs, DMs are more comfortable, they’ll traverse the great divide, and the Decision Makers will traverse this well-constructed bridge. It’s a test that they’ll come to you if you make your case in this way.”

(3) Crossroads – Every day Jack said we should ask ourselves, where are we? “The profession is at this unbelievably complicated crossroads all the time. There’s politics, policy, media, programs, civic, business and philanthropy. The purpose is to get them all coming to you. Only way is to entice them to come your way. Each of these roads has its own driving rules.”

As just one example, Jack noted the pressure on the Media to make decisions every single day. ” Other than emergency medicine, the military or law enforcement, I don’t think there’s any more stressful job … ” For those who complain that the Media doesn’t get it right, we need to ask ourselves, do we know all we need to know about what they need to get the story right for us? Because these (media) folks, with or without us, they’ll get the story out. It’s like learning to ride a bike, once you got the momentum and cadence, you got it. This profession is changing, we need to hop up on the seat and get steering.”

(Just as an aside, Jack does not believe traditional media is dead or dying. He pointed out that yes, they’re in transition, and yes they’re laying off a third of their staff. But while only 40 percent of adults read a paper  in full every day, the thing to remember is that 100 percent of Decision Makers do. “The folks who make decisions want to know what’s in their daily paper. If anyone is trying to tell you that New Media is better or more important than what’s in their daily paper, they’re not telling you the truth.”)

About the speaker:

Jack Levine, founder of 4Generations Institute, is a communications and public policy consultant. He previously served as President of Voices for Florida’s Children for 25-years. Jack’s expertise is in developing and delivering messages to the media, public officials, and a diverse network of advocates on the value of preventive investments in children, parent leadership, grandparent activism, and dignified services for elders. Jack serves as Partnership Director for GRAND Magazine, a national publication reaching out to the some 77-million Baby Boomers in their active and energetic grandparenting years. He holds a Master’s degree in Child Development and Family Studies from Purdue University, and a degree in English Literature from Hunter College, City University of New York. Jack served on the charter board of Voices for America’s Children, teaches political science at Florida State University and advises the University of Florida’s College of Law. He was a founding member of the Florida Commission on Responsible Fatherhood. In his spare time Jack is an avid photographer and serves as a gourmet cook for friends. A native of Long Beach, New York, Jack has been a teacher and urban youth counselor, and for four years, worked as a waiter and dining room captain in resort hotels in New York and Miami Beach. A graduate of Leadership Florida, Jack was the first recipient of Leadership Florida’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.  He has been honored with the Florida Juvenile Judges’ Media Award, the Voice for Children Award from the Children’s Home Society of Florida, and was named Floridian of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel. Jack and his wife, Charlotte, have two sons – Aaron and Josh, both graduates of Florida State University and currently working as educators. And, inspired by the magic of grandmother’s power in the dining room,  Jack cooks for friends of friends once a month. He’s been doing that for five years and says its a great way to meet new people. Get in touch, he may just cook for you.

The goal for today’s presentation, titled What is Public Relations and What Are the Career Options?, was to introduce students in public relations related programs to the broad and varied aspects of the PR profession and the diverse career opportunities available within the field of public relations and how, on a broader scale, PR serves a vital element of every business. The discussion was presented by the Community Service Committee of the FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter. Panelists included Kendall Clifford, Patricia Austin Novak, APR, Linette Trabulsy, Audra Shaneman, Sam Yates and Debra Banta, APR.

Moderator Debra Banta, APR welcomed twenty up-and-coming professionals from colleges and universities around the state of Florida.

Pat Austin Novak, APR shared that working in PR is most similar to being a maestro in a very complicated orchestra.  While this is a very clear and appropriate analogy, there are very many dysfunctional parts that make up this orchestra and require a clear talent at, among other things, teambuilding.  Important tips for a new PR practitioner include:

• Brand yourself within your organization – if you don’t brand who you are and what you stand you for won’t be able to show what you can offer your employer or client.
• Stake out your territory so you know what and when to respond.
• Demonstrate your integrity and it will translate into maintaining the integrity of your organization.  Public relations is often considered the conscience of the organization.  There are always competing interests in an organization and PR practitioners must understand these differences and work to become a master of social behavior to take these competing interests and give them the respect they deserve while working together to accomplish the goals of the institution.

The bottom line is that in order to make an impact in the “big place,” you must be a “big person” – have “big” integrity, be “big” enough to stand up and advocate for the proper PR principles for your organization and be “big” at branding yourself.

Resources suggested by Pat for the future PR professional include The Wisdom of Crowds and Bowling Alone.

Linette Trabulsy, President of the Treasure Coast Chapter shared that before choosing PR as a career interest, she was a pharmacy major.  While in school at the University of Florida, she took the pharmacy entrance exam and failed horribly.  She chose to withdraw from pharmacy classes and re-examine her career goals, where in an Intro to PR class she realized that the field of public relations was an interest and something that truly excited her.  Through her career, she stated that working directly with the media is her most favorite part of the job and that PR is never boring because there is always a difference challenge every day.  Dealing with the media presents difficult challenges because they have control of whether the pitched story is covered and how it is presented.  Key to effective media relations is developing strong, ongoing relationship with local media contacts and developing relationship with other PR practitioners.  Both the PR practitioner and the media have a job to do and it’s our job to help them get their job done.  It is important to remember that when setting up an interview or press release you must consider the audience.  Also, if you are not the contact for additional information, make sure that the person who is the contact has been adequately prepared, briefed, and available and is comfortable in speaking with the media.  Frequent contact with media representatives is a key to keep the lines of communication open and maintain relationships.

Audra Shaneman shared that in her organization things are very compartmentalized and was excited to find an organization made up of “like-minded” professionals in the FPRA.  Her work in PR caters to a very specific audience made up of the residents within the Mariner Sands Country Club community.  Many of her “clients” or residents are seasonal, so the summer gives her time to plan, organize and prepare for events throughout the fall, winter and spring.  Currently she is working to completely overhaul and redesign the organization’s website.  Central to all decisions is the corporate bottom line and always looking to increase revenue.  A mantra is her office that’s relevant for all areas of public relations is “Retain, Recruit, Revenue.”  Retention is always important with clients of any kind and recruiting is also important and requires being able to be unique and set apart from others and throughout all these efforts, consideration of the bottom line is important as a benchmark.  Internal buy-in is also very important.  Walk around and visit with other departments in your organization to not only learn what’s going on, but to also gain buy-in with internal audiences through your interest in what they are doing.  Be proactive in knowing what’s coming up in three months, six months, eight months, etc. to know how to best plan outreach efforts and develop goals for using the appropriate outreach vehicles.  Most importantly, customer service plays an important role in client relations.  Know what’s going on so that you can always be at the decision making table to play devil’s advocate and/or provide solutions to the management team.  Some important career advice: don’t get hung up on titles or salary.  Pursue responsibility, influence and credibility.

Kendall Clifford shared her perspective as a recent graduate that’s been working for an agency for two years now.  As a freshman in college she realized that business as a major wasn’t going to work.  She found a passion in public relations and communications while exploring majors in college and found internships very important and beneficial.  Through two different internships, she learned that PR was the career for her.  While at the University of Alabama, her first internship was working in event planning for the athletic department.  The second was with the university’s transportation department, developing a strategic public relations plan for implementing a campus transit service.  The benefit came when she saw the fruition of her efforts as the implementation plan was put into place.  Public relations is often about change and it allows for the practitioner to help manage this change through accurate information in a timely manner.  It is also a continual learning experience.  She encouraged the students to not focus on salary and prestige but in finding a job they like that allows them to do what they like while also learning new things.

Sam Yates shared that he was originally in the media business and is now on “the other side of the yellow tape.”   Public relations keeps you on your toes every day.  At one time his agency represented Simon malls’60 properties.  After a difference of opinion, the partnership ended and his agency was downsized.  Being flexible and able to adapt is key to owning your own agency.  His experience in the news business, allows him to think like the media and better advise his clients.  The media can’t be controlled, but they can be influenced. He shared an example that happened at Easter with one of his mall clients.  The Easter Bunny event at this mall decided to close early and the employee running the event became engaged in a screaming match with a parent.  This evolved into the employee punching the parent, the parent then physically assaulting the employee and the Easter Bunny then entering the fray.  Another incident with another client mall involved a double homicide.  While the first example was funny, and the second tragic, they are both media relations nightmares.  With the world of social media, anyone who Tweets, Facebooks, blogs, or podcasts is a citizen journalist.  This makes the role of the public relations practitioner much more difficult.   Forget everything that you learn in college about the media.  It is a strictly on-the job skill that is learned through trial by fire.  In media relations, consider your media contacts, anticipate what the media needs to be able to block, have an answer for or provide a defense to for your client.  Also be able to clearly identify your friend and your foes in working with the media.  The ones who are “friendly” may allow you to share a little more information.  The underlying foundation of public relations is “do the right thing” but this may cause you to have to walk away from clients.  A crisis can happen any day for your clients or for you as the PR professional and can be typical as the ones shared previously or they can be non-traditional such as not having an effective or appropriate public relations plan in place.  Having a plan for both your client and your organization is critical.  Never let situations get out of hand by having a plan that will allow you to gather the facts and respond accordingly.  A key to a crisis plan is to limit the exposure of your client.  During a crisis always monitor what’s going on so you know how to appropriately respond.  This also means that the public relations practitioner must keep the media accountable – this includes citizen journalists, too.  Seven tips to win with the media:

1. Be on the record
2. Express facts not opinion
3. Can the jargon
4. Always tell the truth – it’s the right thing to do and if you don’t it will come back to haunt you
5. Learn to say I don’t know
6. Make every media encounter an opportunity
7. Stay calm

Tara Ricks who works with Sam Yates quickly shared information about how she went from graduating college four months ago to now having a job in the PR field.  She gave six tips for getting a job:

1. Have strong self-confidence and realize you will always be learning
2. Don’t phone your college experience in – be present in your classes and build a portfolio now
3. Take and keep your notes
4. Become a part of the social media movement – don’t just participate, be a part of it, but be professional
5. Brand yourself
6. Take advantage of internships
7. Get your name out there and be a part of the community you work in

Public Relations Career Resource Guide

Links

• The Florida Public Relations Association – the oldest public relations association in the United States; a statewide organization of nearly 1,500 public relations professionals.
• Public Relations Association of America – a leading PR organization that reflects a variety of issues impacting the PR industry and provides timely insight to tactics, strategies, the marketplace, the future of the PR trade, and a wealth of resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Public Relations?
• What is the difference between public relations and media relations?
• What’s  the difference between Advertising, Marketing, Promotion, Public Relations Publicity, and Sales?

Professional Development in the PR industry

Universal Accreditation Board – What is APR? APR or Accredited in Public Relations is a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice, and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective, and sound professional judgment.

PR Career Resources, Mentors and Guides

• With a focus on Your Future in Public Relations, this site covers who has a future in PR, what gets you started, where to find career support when the going gets rough, and why you should even bother.
• The Princeton Review — Paying Your Dues – Since public relations require a familiarity with a wide variety of topics, a broad education is the best preparation for the career.

Postsecondary Programs in Public Relations

• University of Florida
• Florida State University
• University of Central Florida
• University of Miami

About The Panelists:

Kendall Clifford – Kendall Clifford is known as the “Sparksetter” at the Firefly Group, however her more conventional title is Public Relations & Marketing Specialist. Kendall has quickly achieved a reputation with clients for producing creative, compelling results. Areas of focus include media relations, marketing, community outreach and education collateral materials development, copyrighting, graphic design, and comprehensive event planning activities. She graduated from the University of Alabama where she interned with the University’s Department of Transportation as the Campaign Manager and Creative Director and was responsible for the creation and execution of the successful “My Ride, My Reason” campaign. Kendall will discuss:  Starting your career / importance of capitalizing on postsecondary educational opportunities/internships /opportunities of working in a locally-based agency.

Patricia Austin Novak, APR – Patricia Austin, APR, served as the chief public relations officer at health care organizations in Vermont, New York and Florida for more than twenty years. In her retirement, she has continued to work as a public relations consultant to health care and educational organizations and teaches at Indian River State College. During her two decades as a member of the Florida Public Relations Association, she has served as Chapter President, State Vice President for Chapter Services, and a judge for FPRA’s Image Awards. She holds a Masters Degree in English from Southern Illinois University. Pat will discuss:  The importance of “adapting” one’s skills to suit the organization and the PR mission.

Linette Trabulsy – Linette Trabulsy is the Director of Development for St. Anastasia Catholic School in Fort Pierce.  Trabulsy is in charge of the school’s fundraising efforts, public relations, special events and communications.  Most recently, she was lead Community Outreach/Media Specialist for the Martin/St. Lucie Service Center of the South Florida Water Management District. She is responsible for identifying outreach and media opportunities, informing the public about critical issues, and generates support for District initiatives.  Prior to working for the District, Linette worked for the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners as a Public Information Officer for 3 1/2 years. During this time Linette “weathered” Hurricanes Jeanne, Frances and Wilma, coordinated the media for President George W. Bush’s visit, responded to national and international media to St. Lucie County’s innovative solid waste solutions, and traveled to New Orleans to provide post-storm assistance after Hurricane Katrina.  Linette will discuss:  The evolution of her PR career path / Proactive communications / Establishing media relations/government relations.

Audra Shaneman – Audra is the Membership Communications Specialist for Mariner Sands Country Club in Stuart.  Hired in 2003, she moved into the newly created membership communications slot in 2006. Her main responsibilities include co-editing the club newsletter, producing and managing content for the community cable channel and website, and creating flyers, posters and invitations for club special events and tournaments.  She also holds a Community Association Manager license from the state of Florida.  A transplant from Minnesota, her previous employment includes being the Legislative Aide to the Minority Whip in the Minnesota Senate and working in public affairs, donor development, membership marketing and special events for Minnesota Public Radio. She has Bachelor of Science Degrees in Marketing and Biblical Studies. Outside of work, Audra enjoys family time with her husband and two small children, women’s ministry, motivational speaking and writing. Audra will discuss: Hands-on communications within the corporate structure.

Sam Yates – Sam Yates is President of Yates & Associates, Public Relations & Marketing, based in Jensen Beach with a satellite office in Orlando, Florida. Yates & Associates serves local, regional, national, and international clients. Sam is a former television anchor and was an aviation/aerospace reporter in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus, Ohio markets. Sam has more than 30 years of media and public relations experience. He began his career in broadcasting while a high school student at Dan McCarty High School in Fort Pierce. Sam’s experience is far reaching having handled clients such as The Iams Company, Dodge Truck, Timberland, Simon Property Group, Bank of America, The Huntington National Bank of Florida, and National City Mortgage. Locally, Sam is the public relations representative for the American Red Cross Martin County Chapter. He is also the spokesperson for the American Red Cross during local disasters such as hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma.  Sam will discuss:  How the PR industry interfaces with the media and the role of PR in crisis management.

Debra Banta, APR – Debra coordinates GED Testing and Special Projects for the Martin County School District. Her 24 year career with the district has provided Debra with the opportunity to merge her passions for education and public relations into a job that she finds rewarding as well as creatively challenging. She serves on several community boards, including the Education Foundation of Martin County and the Indiantown Education Coalition, which involve community outreach, event planning and fundraising.  She earned a B.S. degree from the University of Southern Connecticut in English/Secondary Education and a minor in Journalism; she also earned an M.S. degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. In 2006, she a achieved a personal milestone and passed the Universal Accreditation Board Exam to be recognized as Accredited in Public Relations (APR). Debra has been a member of the Treasure Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association since 1998.  Debra will serve as the moderator for the FPRA Panel Discussion.

The students here represent the University of Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida state University, Flagler College, and the University of Florida (Go Gators!). They work with production agencies, athletic associations, TV stations, state representatives, PR agencies, student newspapers, and even a Spanish firm. Several students also volunteer their time with churches, wish-granting organizations,

Some topics discussed:

• Find a way to incorporate your passion into your career. A few students work for sports associations or sports marketing firms because they love football, basketball, etc. Sports PR can be an all-consuming job but if you love it, it will be fun.
• Volunteer! You can gain valuable experience and transferable skills from volunteering with an organization that excites you.
• Step outside your comfort zone or your “plan” for your career. Emily shared how she moved to Florida for the summer to intern with the FPRA state office and ended up becoming an integral part of the conference team. Realizing that Florida is where it’s at for public relations, she’s making the move from William Smith College in upstate New York to the University of Tampa next spring.
• Scoring a paid internship is great, but consider the experience you want as well. Unpaid internships can offer the opportunity to work on projects and receive training you might not have in a paid position. Money is important to get by, but in the long-term your best move is to intern at a place whose work you like and respect and where you’ll be proud to say you worked at later in your career. If you’re passionate about travel, for example, but the travel PR internships available are unpaid, consider the fact that the internship will give you skills that later help you land a job in the travel communications field.
• Network, network, network! Go through your personal and professional connections and make a list of who may be able to help you get and internship or full-time job. Let everyone know you’re looking for employment.
• Market yourself. Inventory your skills and say what you’re worth. Consider your nontraditional interests and how those might translate into potential job skills. Do you spend a lot of time on social networks? (Who among students doesn’t?) Then chances are you’re a pro at developing social media. Word your skills in a way that makes employers want you to work for them!