Chapter Newsletter

Hugh M. Culbertson Chapter

Ohio University PRSSA
Spring 2011 Edition

Twitter chats: new ways for #ScrippsPRSSA to engage

by Ashley Showen Tweet it up!

F
Students will benefit
or nearly five years, Twitter has from participating
created a buzz across the world, #pr20chat:Tuesdays, in Twitter chats
invoking global conversation in chats 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST because they
tweets of 140 characters or less. Twitter #journc can hear about
comes in six different languages and hat: Mo successes and
p.m. to n
celebrities, companies and average 11 p.m. days, 8 challenges from
citizens across the world are tweeting EST PR pros in the

rsdays,
more than 65 million times a day, industry, in addition
making it one the of the most used #u30pro: Thu to networking.
. EST
8 p.m. to 11 p.m
social networks that exists today. (Graphic compiled by
As Twitter gains momentum and notoriety, Grace Naugle).
people are coming up with better and more
effective ways to use the medium. One of
the more recent innovations is Twitter chats. “It’s a strong community, ranging
in Columbus, Ohio, Chicago PR pro
A Twitter chat is an online conversation from students and young pros to very
Sara Evans launched industry-specific
(on Twitter) that follows a specific experienced professionals – all of whom
Twitter chats a couple years ago by
topic at a specific time and day. Twitter are willing to share experiences and learn
creating #journchat, and a trend was
chats use hashtags which track the from each other,” Whaling said of the chat.
born. #Journchat focuses on connecting a
conversation and tag the information for Whaling said that students can
community of journalists to discuss trends,
retrospective reading. The chats usually benefit from participating in Twitter
changes and difficulties in the industry.
have a moderator who asks questions chats even if they aren’t geared toward
Along with many other chats that
and keeps the conversation on topic. students because they get to hear about
followed #journchat, #pr20chat came to
According to Heather Whaling, founder successes and challenges from PR pros
life, aiming to engage PR students and
and president of Geben Communication and gives students an opportunity to
professionals across the
country in discussion about showcase their social media knowledge
social media trends, best in the presence of numerous PR pros.
Inside this edition
practices and more. The The amount of Twitter chats currently in
chat was originally started operation is astounding. Twitter chats exist
Students keeping the PACE . . . . . . . . 2 on practically every industry topic you can
The art of media relations . . . . . . . . . . .3 by Beth Harte, but almost
a year ago she passed think of, though overwhelmingly are geared
Prescription for prevention. . . . . . . . . . 4 toward the communication sector. Twitter
the torch to Whaling and
2011-2012 Executive board . . . . . . . . 5 chats are even being used in classes to
Justin Goldsborough, who
Scripps senior looks back. . . . . . . . . . 6 moderate #pr20chat every ignite conversation during the lecture.
Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST. SEE #SCRIPPS ON PAGE 5
Page 2 Spring 2011 PRSUCCESS
Students keeping the PACE:
“ ”
This job forces me to be focused and organized
by Sienna Tomko Deep in thought,

A
sk any one of the graduating Ashley Showen
seniors and many of them would and Devin
attest to the fact that holding Hughes, seniors,
a PACE position during their college brainstorm for a
career was one of the best decision they recent project at
made. Unlike other jobs on campus, the the Patton College
of Education and
Program to Aid Career Exploration (PACE)
Human Services.
provides students with the opportunity
PACE jobs
to explore their career interests while
model real-world
taking classes at Ohio University.
experience. (Photo
According to the Financial Aid
by Sienna Tomko).
website, the PACE program employs
approximately 400 students each year.
The program serves as an excellent to areas of the field you may have never “My PACE positions have helped me with
resume-builder for students looking to considered,” said Kelsey Spellman, interpersonal relationships in the workforce
expand their work experience, allowing PRSSA President and events and donor and taught me how to (gracefully) learn
them to enhance their professional relations assistant at University Libraries. from making mistakes,” Naugle said.
skills while earning a paycheck. Spellman recommends underclassmen
With many of the seniors preparing to narrow their search when Lesson Three: It’s Real-World
for graduation and nearing the end applying. She also believes students Experience
of their PACE positions, a few were need to apply to positions they are You just can’t learn some things in the
willing to share the lessons they interested in learning more about. classroom, especially in the public relations
learned from their PACE positions. field, without experiencing them first hand.
Lesson Two: It’s a Great Portfolio “The biggest area that PACE helped me
Lesson One: Find a Position That You
(and Resume) Builder with has been growing more comfortable
are Interested in
Almost all of the seniors commented on with writing and interviewing. We’re
The PACE program helps students find a
the numerous opportunities for portfolio talking about constantly having real-
mutually beneficial fit between their studies
pieces. Whether they had experience world assignments that get published,
and potential job offerings on campus.
writing for a magazine or designing a which is hard for a classroom to
Whether a student is interested in health
brochure, the chances PACE offers for simulate,” Hughes said. “It’s no different
care, arts, science or admissions, students
resume and portfolio building is endless. than my full-time job will be someday,
can search and apply to a wide range of
Senior Devin Hughes currently in the sense that I will have multiple
Ohio University campus departments.
works as the public affairs intern at assignments and deadlines, and if I don’t
Senior Grace Naugle, interested in
The Patton College of Education and get them done, the organization suffers.”
health care communications, found
Human Services, a position that he has As all of the seniors prepare for
her PACE position as an opportunity to
held for two years. A strong advocator upcoming jobs and post-graduate
learn both wellness and healthy lifestyle
of the PACE program, Hughes has internships, their time spent with PACE
promotions. During her time at WellWorks,
found his time building up pieces for his offers them key talking points and
a fitness and wellness facility serving
portfolio ‘instrumental in job interviews.’ opportunities to show they have the tools
Ohio University and the surrounding
Naugle also has highlighted her work to apply their studies to the real-world.
Athens community, Naugle gained
through her resume and portfolio. The
knowledge in software and programs that
concrete work of compiled writing and Lesson Four: Learn to Be (More)
are relevant to the public relations field.
design pieces add to her portfolio, Professional
“The best part about PACE is that you
ultimately gaining her overall confidence. SEE PACE ON PAGE 5
have the opportunity to expose yourself
PRSUCCESS Spring 2011 Page 3

Mastering the art of media relations

Pros weigh in: being strategic during pitching, relationship building
by jackie Bavaro strategic marketing communications
agency in Charlotte, N.C., says the

A
t a recent PRSSA meeting, Jeff most important qualities a media
Hirz, an OU alumnus and new relations specialist must possess are
addition to the PR firm, PR 20/20, excellent writing and speaking skills.
stated that, “Media Relations is more of an She states, “One must be able to write
art than a science.” Although mastering and speak succinctly and in way people
this art does not entail a Rembrandt can understand. Being comfortable
rendering or a Picasso portrait, it does talking to someone you don’t know
consist of certain skills necessary and getting your message across in
when crafting a pitch, launching a new 30 seconds to a minute is crucial.”
product, or simply staying in touch. Duffy explains that to be an effective
Erin Pope, Media Relations specialist University Communications and media relations specialist, one must
at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Marketing student writers Brooke be strategic. First, learn how to contact
Columbus, Ohio, says 75 percent of her Carpenter and Anne Cummings see each reporter, whether he or she prefers
job is being reactive and staying up to date the other side of media relations email, phone or social media. Then,
on the job. Both are PR majors.
on trends and recent news. “Staying research thoroughly. “It is not enough to
on top of what reporters are interested be a media relations person without the
in is important so you have the ‘know attention and garners support. She research,” Duffy says. “Being prepared
how’ to pitch and strategize,” Pope says. encourages students not to be afraid with a complete understanding of the
She also recommends providing quality to take on a challenge and to think story you’re trying to convey and any
content to reporters to keep them coming of a creative angle when writing potential follow-up questions is essential.”
back asking for advice and expertise, a pitch or launching a product. As a media relations specialist, a
while forming healthy relationships “It’s important to think outside the masterpiece may be attributed to a
based on trust. Representing a client box on how a product can solve timely pitch or creative launch of a new
effectively requires listening, smart problems for the consumer while product with the focus of getting clients

“
writing, and being well
spoken. Pope states,
“A good listener is
always important when
understanding the
and brands the best media
coverage possible; however,
Being comfortable taking to this is not the end goal. There
someone you don’t know and getting must be a way to correlate
secured media coverage to

”
reporter’s wants and your message accross in 30 seconds is the brand or the organization’s
needs and being able business objectives.
to condense a broad crucial. Know what the client, and
array of information -Laurie Duffy, the reporter wants, and
into a concise and then find the space where
captivating pitch is vital Taylor Strategy the two can meet. At the
when standing out.” end of the day it’s about
Karen Bailey, Senior business growth and results
Counselor at Fahlgren Mortine Public incorporating personality. Remember that illustrate the effectiveness of a
Relations in Columbus, Ohio, says to have fun with it,” Bailey says. product, brand, client or company.
being creative can add to success in Laurie Duffy, Ohio University alumnae For more information on media
media relations because it demands and Account Supervisor at Taylor, a relations, please visit www.Ragan.com.
Page 4
Prescription for Prevention
ImPRessions account works with Ohio Department of Health
by Sam Tischler
O
n average, prescription
drug overdose causes four
unintentional deaths every
day. This is according to the Ohio
Department of Health (ODH), who
has launched a campaign to raise
awareness about the dangers
of prescription drug abuse.
The “Prescription for Prevention”
campaign began in September
2010, focusing especially on
Southern Ohio, where the highest
levels of reported abuse exist. The
counties involved include Adams,
Jackson, Ross, Vinton, and
Cuyahoga, all of whom have seen
a rapid increase in drug abuse
incidents, according to ODH.
With the help of PR agency
Fleishman-Hillard, Ohio University
students are adding Athens County
to the list. The ImPRessions
“Prescription for Prevention”
account is working with student
leaders in Athens High School to
initiate peer-to-peer conversations
about the dangers of drug abuse.
“We took advice from
what Fleishman did in
other Ohio counties and
formulated a plan that would
work with our school,” said
Account Executive Molly Essell.
Currently, account members
are in the process of organizing
a movie night that will allow the
high school students to learn more
about prescription drug abuse
in a fun and familiar setting. This
has proved to be a crucial group
to target, with 25 percent of high
Spring 2011 PRSUCCESS
school students admitting
to using prescription
Prescription For
drugs, at least once, Prevention
without doctor approval,
S t o p t h e E p i d e m i c
according to ODH.
“I truly believe that
through our work with the
Athens High School, we
are increasing awareness
of the prescription drug
abuse in this area,”
Account Associate Kristen
Renard said, “and by doing
so we’re
taking steps
t o w a r d
ending the
problem.”
One way More than n 25 p
percent of high
sc ool students report
school reportedd using
to begin a prescription drug without
wi hout a
script
doctor’s prescription e.
at least once.
solving the
problem is
to inform
the public
on how to
correctly Prescription for Prevention account
dispose of their prescription drugs. used various promotional materials to
ODH states that “a recent create awareness about the campaign,
national study found that 53 as pictured above. On average,
percent of people ages 18- prescription drug overdose causes
25 obtained prescription pain four unintentional deaths every day.
relievers free from family members
or friends for non-medical use.”
Because of this, last year, then a positive outlook on their efforts to
Governor Ted Strickland declared improve awareness of the problem.
Sept. 25 to be “National Take-Back “I think that [our work] will
Day”. This day gives Ohioans the inevitably force students to at
opportunity to properly dispose least think about the dangers
of their unneeded prescription of misusing prescription drugs,”
drugs at local drug drop-off events. Account Associate Andreya
While the road to recovery Carlson said, “and hopefully
may be a long one, ImPRessions that will result in a decline in
account members continue to have illegal prescription drug usage.”
PRSUCCESS
CONT’D FROM #SCRIPPS
During these chats, tweets are flowing
in by the second. To help focus the chat,
Whaling recommends using tools like
tweetgrid.com to increase the value you
get out of the chat. Other applications
include tweetchat.com or a Twitter
client like HootSuite or Tweetdeck
in which you can create a separate
column for the Twitter chat hashtag.
Some Twitter chat best
practice advice from Whaling:
“Twitter is all about developing
relationships and connecting with
people in new ways. When students
participate in a chat, part of the goal
should be to make new connections.
Keep the conversation going throughout
the week to build stronger relationships.
One way to do this: Create a private
Twitter list to track tweets from people
you meet in chats. That way, you won’t
miss a relationship-building opportunity.”
Want to try out a Twitter chat? Here
are some suggestions from Whaling:
#journchat: Mondays, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
EST
#u30pro: Thursdays, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
EST
#pr20chat: Tuesdays, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
EST
Congratulations to the 2011-2012
PRSSA
PRESIDENT
Executive Board:
➢ Heather Farr
VICE PRESIDENT
➢ Bethany Scott
CEO of ImPRessions
➢ Nicole Bersani
VP OF FINANCE
➢ John Marvar
VP OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
➢ Amanda Stefanik
Spring 2011
CONT’D FROM PACE
Some students, like Ali Myers, did not
necessarily work in the public relations field.
As a marketing assistant at WOUB Radio
and Television, the experiences during her
two-year internship provided her with many
skills that are important in any profession.
“This job forces me to be focused and
organized, which are obviously important
traits of a PR professional,” Myers said.
“I absolutely recommend it. Although I’m
not doing the typical “PR things” that may
be done in class (writing press releases,
making PR plans, etc.), I am honing many
skills that are important in any profession.”
Ashley Showen, public relations
and journalism intern at The Patton
College of Education and Human
Services as well, has learned from
her weaknesses during her PACE job.
From those weaknesses, Showen has
learned to pay more attention, ultimately
making her a better communicator.
Lesson Five: It’s a Never-Ending
Learning Experience
“Every day can be unpredictable,
so take in everything as a learning
experience,” said Myers. “It’s important
to be open-minded because every
position is going to give you experience
that will help you in the real-world.”
If interested in a PACE position, visit
the Ohio University Financial Aid website
for more information, http://www.ohio.edu/
financialaid/employment/emp_pace.cfm
VP OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS
➢ Lexi Sweet
VP OF INTERNAL RELATIONS
➢ Sam Bartlett
VP OF MEMBER RELATIONS
➢ Nina Bressau
VP OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS
➢ Anna Marie-Franz
Page 5
Quick Facts about PACE
➢ Internship-like work experience
➢ Work up to 10 hours per week
➢ Pay: $7.40 per hour
➢ 30 hours of completed
coursework
➢ 2.3 accumulative grade point
average
➢ Must be a full-time student (12
credit hours per quarter)
➢ Positions available fall through
spring quarter, Some positions
available year-round
➢ Students may NOT hold a federal
work-study and a PACE position at
the same time
Current PACE Seniors
Grace Naugle, Special Events
and Education Assistant at
WellWorks
Ashley Showen, Public
Relations and Journalism
Intern at The Patton College of
Education and Human Services
Ali Myers, Marketing Assistant
WOUB Radio and Television
Krista Meyer, Marketing Intern
at Office of Summer Sessions
Molly Essell, Development
Special Projects Assistant at
Office of Development
Devin Hughes, Public Affairs
Intern at The Patton College of
Education and Human Services
Kelsey Spellman, Events and
Donor Relations Assistant at
University Libraries
Anne Cummings, Compass
Writer at University
Communications and Marketing
PRSUCCESS
Attention PR stars : pass it on!
Scripps senior looks back on PRSSA memories
by Molly Essell
A
s the exciting, yet also
dreadful, event that is
graduation is upon us spring
quarter seniors, I often find myself
looking back on the last four years
and remembering what I did and/
or did not do that has shaped me
as the young woman I am today.
Specifically, I made the decision
to join PRSSA winter quarter of my
sophomore year when I switched my
sequence from magazine to public
relations. It may have been a year and
a half late that I joined, but looking
back, it was one of the best decisions
I made. Joining PRSSA allowed me
to not only meet new friends in my
sequence, but also network with
PRSuccess
Special Thanks
Editor-in-Chief
Grace Naugle
Adviser
Dan Farkas
President
Kelsey Spellman
Spring 2011
That 70’s Show
star Wilmer
Valderrama
ran into Grace
Naugle, Shandi
Huber, Molly
Essell and Anne
Cummings at the
airport during
the ‘09 Chicago
Networking trip.
individuals in the PR sector that I
otherwise would never have met.
This networking advantage that
PRSSA has, has helped me learn an
incredible amount of public relations
knowledge that unfortunately is not
always taught in the classroom. Now
being a member of the executive
board, I feel a sense of leadership
among a group of talented individuals,
and continue to learn from my
peers and professional advisors.
I think I will always feel a strong
sense of pride for the JSchool and
its students. Because of this, I feel
it necessary to try to pass on any
helpful information I have to the
lucky students and PRSSA members
who have some time left in college.
Contributing Editors:
Nicole Bersani, Rachel Csaszar,
Heather Bartman, Alexis Sweet, PRSSA
Executive Board
Photography:
Sienna Tomko, Grace Naugle, Shandi
Huber
Page 6
Here is the short, but
meaningful list of advice
I have for the young PR
stars of Scripps.
1. Try to remember everything
you learned in J133… even if
you hated every minute of it.
2. Join organizations… and
really get involved with them.
3. Don’t be afraid to network
with professionals… it gets
easier every time.
4. Apply for a PACE job to
get some awesome experience
during the school year… and
get paid for it.
5. Make a bucket list… and
complete it before you blink
and it is graduation.
Thank you to all the wonderful
speakers from this quarter!
-Aaron Brown, Fahlgren Mortine
-Troy Kirkpatrick, CommHa, LLC.
-Tammy Monroe and Katy Gariby,
Northlich
-Zachary Bingham and Mary Garrick,
SBC Advertising
-Jeff Hirz, PR 20/20
-Steven Herron, Hyperdisk Marketing
-Janelle Huelsman, Fahlgren Mortine
-Courtney Cooper, Webbed
Marketing
-Courtney Walker, RMD Advertising
-Alyssa Mehling, Moody Nolan