“What’s an Ethics class, and why do I need it for PR?”

 

            I’ve been hearing it all semester when I explain the courses I’ve been taking: “What’s that about?”, “you’re studying public relations why would you need to know ethics?”. Its been ringing in my ears throughout this entire spring semester. Honestly at first I didn’t know why I needed it and thought I learned enough of it in previous courses.

            As long as you’re a good person, you’re not gonna get in trouble, right? Well I have learned this semester the different ways you can be a good person and still find yourself in a lawsuit, or how something can completely pop up out of no where with your company or organization and you might be the only person to blame.

            The big idea of having a course of ethics for PR students is because ethics are different everywhere. People all over have different views of what is right or what is wrong because people from varying cultures and backgrounds have morals and values that may not be recognized by everyone else. The answer is really not black and white when it comes to ethics. Some actions may be seen as unethical but may not be illegal. Some are also seen as ethical yet half of us raised from a different background don’t understand why.

            So, I’ll tell you a few of the major things I’ve taken from my ethics course this semester that may just be enough to help you in a tough situation one day.

            First things first: libel. Don’t do it, ever! It’s no fun to be in a lawsuit and seen as a person that has caused drama in the corporate or media world. If you didn’t know, libel is basically calling someone something that is false or claiming a person did something that is also false. Libel is published and seen between more than just you and the person you published it about. The main thing you can cling to if you’re being sued for libel is if the stuff you published was the TRUTH. If not, then pray no one else saw it and that person can’t prove that you’ve harmed their life and reputation in some way. Side-note: slander is the speaking version of libel and you can be sued for both.

            Now, what’s the role of a public relations professional? The PRSA code of ethics is a ‘code’ that professionals in the public relations world should follow. A list of the values we strive to uphold in the corporate world to prevent the client we represent from looking sketchy and bad.

Here’s a shortened version of the PRSA code of ethics:

·       Protect and advance the free flow of accurate and honest information

·       Foster informed decision making through open communication

·       Protect confidential and private information

·       Promote healthy and fair competition among professionals

·       Avoid conflicts of interest

·       Work to strengthen the public’s trust in the profession

One decision-making model I learned in ethics was called LEAP:

L- Learn everything you can: data, laws, policies, what raises a red flag? Who are the stakeholders?

E-Evaluate your options: when all the stakeholders agree- move to the next step

A-Access you intuition: what feels right? What does your gut say? What would the headline in this news story be? What would your mother think?

P-Put your decision into action: time to make a move, evaluate and evolve from the situation.

Some other interesting points of ethics I have learned are the different theories of ethics such as: Utilitarianism, Communitarianism, Egoism and Consequentialism to name a few. They sound like a mouthful, but they are really just a way to put certain actions taken by previous people into perspective. These are more of a possibility of why they acted that way or they are just a name to place when describing the ethical decision a person makes.

            Consequentialism: “The moral rightness of an action is determined solely by its results, or consequences”. The actions made by the person weren’t moral or immoral because it all depends on the outcome. If it results in good consequences it was a good act, if bad consequences are the end result then it was a bad act.

            Utilitarianism: This falls under consequentialism and it describes the rightness or wrongness of an action by how much it affects the greater good to more people.

            Egoism: the act is morally correct if it promotes one’s long-term self-interest; this can be for an individual, a group, or organization.

            Communitarianism: this theory says actions should be intended to a sense of community and community values. In other words it tries to do what everyone would believe is best, or moral.

 

So those are just a few of the theories of ethics, which there are plenty of more detailed blogs over. But these are just some of the things I learned in my ethics class that I will be taking with me to my public relations profession, I hope now I can show everyone that my ethics class wasn’t just a course that I needed to graduate. I’m hoping all I learned here can keep my future clients from being in a major crisis with no-where to turn.

           

US Airways and the terrible, no-good, very bad tweet



This Monday morning was your typical start of the day for any public relations student I know. Nothing too out of the ordinary came about. Personally, I went to my first class, prepared for a presentation, presented that presentation, and then returned to my seat. As I sat in my Ethics class full of public relations and advertising students, I decided to check Twitter and see what was news for the day.

            It was nearly 3 o’clock when  I saw tweets regarding US Airways tweeting something inappropriate. Oh, big deal! Probably a hoax or rumor. I decided to check US Airways account to see if this was a true event and sure enough they have tweeted an apology regarding the tweet and have removed said tweet.

            My next instinct, like anyone else, is to go find this tweet. Someone in the Twitter world had to screenshot it for the rest of us. They couldn’t leave us all in the dark and hog the excitement to themselves! I search US Airways and there is already several articles regarding the tweet with this “inappropriate” photo. Most articles have it blurred and other Twitter users took the courtesy of just tweeting the graphic picture outright.

            Obviously I refuse to post this photo on my blog, go look it up if you haven’t seen it but you have been warned.

            My reasoning for making my blog this week about this tweet is to discuss public relations crises such as this one. I also feel the need to post some hilarious responses to the incident as well, just for fun.

            When I first saw the tweet and read the apology I wasn’t sure how I would react as someone representing this company after something like that. The first thing I would do is apologize immediately. People were obviously offended and upset, a lot of people were even more upset the tweet had been up for quite a while. So, first action to take is issue that apology.

Some people and organizations seem to think that waiting until the commotion has died down is the better response. I think that apologizing first and as soon as possible is a better response. This shows you are aware of the incident, it was a mistake and that actions are being taken to fix it.

 

Photo courtesy  of yahoo.com

This is what US Airways did. They apologized and updated the public on the current state of the incident. I thought they did right by issuing the apology and letting everyone know they were doing something about it by investigating.

Next, I would investigate and update the public on the situation as it unfolds. It turns out this tweet was an honest mistake by an employee who removed the post as soon as they realized what they had done. For your entertainment, I thought I would post these tweets I found later in the afternoon the day the tweet went out:

 

It has come out that the link to the graphic photo was in a link from a previous user who had tagged the airline in a tweet. The employee had reported the tweet and accidentally used that link when replying to another user about sending in comments or reviews to the airline.

That poor employee has probably had the worst week ever. But don’t worry, they are getting to keep their job for this honest mistake! A day ago, I read numerous articles about statements from US Airways regarding them keeping their employee and forgiving them of this accident. Here is a recent article I found about keeping the employee.

Don’t you wish most companies were like this? If they had fired the employee even though they admitted it was an honest accident I could see the public being enraged. I think this was just another smart move by US Airways during this crazy week for them.

 

Blogs Suck: at least we think they do

Blogs Suck: at least we think they do

The mistaken stereotype of blogs and their uselessness

by Alexandra Smith

Okay, time to confess. I hate blogs with a fiery, burning passion. I read them when I want to know this or that and one pops up with advice but that’s about it. So I have to blog for my class and I’m not going to lie I have been avoiding it because I get so mad that I am shaking when I sit and try to figure out what to write about. I honestly feel like blogs are for people to sit there and either praise or complain. THEN I was looking up “why do blogs exist” out of anger, and what do you know someone had blogged about this topic… (eyes rolling).

Anyways, I have come to learn that blogs are actually useful in our current world of technology and social media. So tonight my blog is going to be about why they exist and hopefully if you’re like me you can get a better understanding of them.

First of all: Who are you thinking you have a place to be telling me anything on the internet? Are you a doctor or specialist? Are you a professional? Then what do you honestly think you are doing on the web giving advice? Here was my first mistake. I thought this at first and sometimes I still do. The truth is blogs might be more trustworthy than websites at times. Instead of getting information from someone who is trying to sell you a service or product, you are getting firsthand information from someone who really is just sharing their knowledge.

Want to get a wine stain out of carpet? If you looked it up there might be comments on different websites of what brand of cleaner to use. If you find it on a blog, someone may have a cheap and easy way to get the stain out who has shared their stain-removing concoction and instructions of how to make it. The same thing can apply for any kind of information you might be looking for online.

Another misconception of blogs is the idea that they are like a journal for the person who is the author of a blog. It isn’t a place for people to complain about their personal lives- unless it’s the blog of someone famous and people actually want to listen to it. Blogs are used most often these days for companies, products, organizations, or by people who are considered experts on topics in which people read their blogs to listen to their advice or opinion. Companies these days can send sample products to someone in charge of a blog for them to write a review of their product. Some organizations blog just to keep people updated on their latest developments or events. There is often ethical questions from having people blog about products they have received from companies and why it may be considered bribery for a good review, but it still happens.

The next wrong idea I had about blogs was that it was meant for either praise or complaints. This can be true because people can blog about whatever they want. People can even blog about how much they truly hated your product or service. When this happens, you can comment or contact the blogger to see if there is a way to fix the situation. The fact is, it can seem to be about complaining or praising but a lot of blogs are simply informational or helpful. My personal favorite for blogs is the Mockingjay.net blog which posts about any recent news regarding The Hunger Games trilogy books and movies. This is just one example of a topic that an entire blog can be about.

Last, when I was writing my blogs for my class I felt like if people saw it they would think I was just another weirdo blogger thinking they knew it all. I also thought that no one would even see my blog posts because no one would care. When I was contacted about an internship recently and the man told me he “liked the work from my blog”. I asked “really?” and then I realized people really do see the things you post on a blog. The importance of this mistake was realizing that my blog was actually another way of promoting myself and networking. Both of which are really important for an undergraduate student as well as for anyone who may be in the career world.

I’m not going to lie, I really despised blogs. But now I see that they are actually a useful tool in the public relations world. While I’m no professional on public relations or on blogs, I’m glad I got to share the common stereotype that people may have of blogs. I’ve found several other blogs similar to this one that might be more helpful to anyone still wondering “Why blogging?” make sure to visit them!
Very Official Blog- why blogs matter
Why blogs matter to small businesses

Images of Shameful Journalism

Recently, Hollywood lost a beloved star, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, known for films such as Moneyball and The Big Lebowski. On February 2, 2014 the world was informed of the actor’s death caused by an overdose of heroin. News stands and stations have been feeding the country the tragic details of his death all throughout this week. What I don’t understand is when is it enough information for the public to be happy and just move on from it? Do we have to label him an “addict” and a drug abuser while his family is not even a week in to mourning their loss of a loved one?

            Above is a post that was recently shared and showed up on Facebook. I’m posting it because I think the world could use a little more of the humility shown by the young woman that wrote it. Nothing angers me more than how bad journalism can make itself out to be. When you hold so much power and persuasion how can a company such as New York Daily News create a cover such as this:

            This was released Thursday, February 4 as an invite for readers to look at the details of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death. Does anyone up at NYDaily care about the image of its magazine? Is anyone else offended by the lack of sensitivity shown by this publisher? Perhaps some tips in common decency would be in order for the ‘professionals’ that approved of such a headline.

            If I were on the public relations team for NYDaily I would obviously have a pretty big mess to clean up. When something like this happens is when PR professionals should jump in and say “hey let’s not make ourselves look bad” instead of trying to sell magazines in such a manner. I would recommend an immediate apology along with a new front page advertised in a more decent way. The whole black background and red bold letters make it seem like the cover to a dramatic and dark film, which works for the story as long as more humility is shown with the facts. And the title "Drug Den" needs to go. This example is obviously just one of the more recent incidents in which journalism has made itself look like reporters and newspapers are heartless. Not saying they are, but a majority of people think this. And who can blame them?

            Let’s not forget the many times that front-page spreads have been regarding the messy details of a failed marriage. I get it. It’s news. I guess this is how public relations professionals and journalists are different. We’re trying to keep it clean and classy while reporters apparently don’t care.

            The story is completely different when a public figure does the damage all themselves. I’m wondering what the agents for Texas country singer, Josh Abbott, are currently thinking after he openly admitted to cheating on his wife as well as addictions on his own Twitter account.

                       

            Yikes. I’m not sure whether to applaud the man for his honesty or feel bad for his manager and those who have worked so hard for the image they have helped him create. If I were in charge of his public image, I would recommend him lay low for a while until it all blows over. Maybe somehow make the public sympathize for him, since I’m sure there is explanation for his behavior. I’m sure his fans will remain loyal since this isn’t breaking through the news and is coming from his own mouth. In public relations, I think forgiveness and empathy is something that not many people can give, but it’s what a lot of us in the industry might someday have to work toward for our client’s sake. 

Twitter and film promotion

               Twitter is used these days for tons of different promotions. Actors, singers, athletes, and different public figures use their Twitter accounts to connect with their audience and fans. One thing I’ve noticed Twitter has been used for in a successful way would be the use of advertising for entertainment purposes, my favorite being for film or television.

               There’s tons of different ways to use Twitter for promotion or advertising. Brands and companies have someone on their Twitter account all day waiting for a clever tweet to come to mind to grab the spotlight. Until recently, I thought it was just a means of people expressing their feelings in a limited amount of space. This past summer my mind was changed when I saw a retweet regarding one of my favorite film franchises releasing their new trailer online. “EXCLUSIVE: Catching Fire trailer” is all I read before jumping up and down for joy as I waited for the link to take me to the exciting new trailer of a film I had been all too excited for. As I continued to read I realized they had released the trailer on Twitter instead of premiering it at an awards show like most films do.

photo courtesy of @hungergamesnet

               Above is a recent tweet from after the film had been released to promote a new trailer. I’ve come to notice that a lot of free publicity has come for film franchises and television shows via Twitter. And what better way to gain publicity other than for free?

               Another example of this is a fairly new web series called “The Walking Tedd” which I heard about through Twitter and Facebook. Word of mouth came in handy when my cousin was tweeting about this new show needing a certain amount of donations to get the ball rolling on production. Of course I retweeted to help the cause. Now, the web show is up and running with followers and fans.

Photo courtesy of @IamWalkingTedd

               Pretty neat. Not only was this show needing money just for production, they had no means of advertising to say the least. Yet here they are with fans telling their followers to check it out.

I also found this article recently about how to promote your film before you go to a film festival. It’s all about using social media and word of mouth through bloggers and Twitter. The use of this microblog has surely changed the face of promotion and advertising for a lot of industries. We can expect a lot out of this little app we carry in our phones in the next few years.

Welcome to my blog!

Nothing excites me more than the entertainment industry; specifically with actors, movies, and novels worth making a buzz. A blog and several posts are required for two of my capstone classes as a public relations student at the University of North Texas. So, sometimes my posts will have to do with assignments regarding PR and other times I plan to use this for media and entertainment purposes on my own. I’m very excited to get started! Go follow me on Twitter @alixdsmith if you like. I usually will retweet interesting news in the entertainment world as well as plenty of random tweets I might find entertaining.

To start off, my name is Alexandra and I usually go by Alex. I  am a member of PanHellenic at my University and my favorite things are books and movies. I also really enjoy fitness and jogging. I’m currently going through physical therapy so I may or may not post about my excitement for recovery. Enjoy!

 

Twitter: @alixdsmith

Instagram: alixdsmith