As I mentioned in a previous posts, for their final paper of the course my NYU students chose from one of these alternative themes Themes for final paper.doc…
As I had anticipated, many of them (approximately half) chose the third theme which was:
Public relations and mainstream media: the situation as it appears to you today.
Media relations or relationships with journalists?
Why are the two roles interrelated and why are their relationships so tense?
And now, with the advent of social media, blogs and citizen journalism… what will happen to this relationship?
When I will find the time I will try a comparative analysis of the various papers received, but in the meantime you may read here Final Paper Johnson.doc the paper from Kristin Johnson which received the highest grade amongst those who selected that theme. Good reading.
Hi Nicola,
You make some interesting points. I will think about them as I travel to see my family for the holidays.
Cheers, Kristin
(And my sheepish apologies for assuming Nicola is a female name–perhaps I need to visit Italy more!)
… and many other things that I’m too tired to talk about tonight 🙂
Hello Kristin,
1. Nicola is a male name in Italy 😉
2. Engaging in a conversation is very difficult for a public relator, since her natural attitude is to craft the conversation to address her persuasive objectives. Also Edelman, despite the blah blah about the me2revolution, proved this attitude with the Wal-Mart fake blog 🙂
3. New media (it does not matter if it is a blog, a podcast… they are stories) make intermediaries less important because production and distribution of information can be done at marginal costs and you no longer need an industry to do it. That’s why conversation is unavoidable: when the source and the recipient are very very close you have to conversate and when you engage in a conversation persuasion becames a less “scientific” and “aseptic” thing!
Regards,
Nicola
Hello Professor,
Thank you for sharing my paper on your blog. It’s a bit scary to open myself up for public critique, but that’s also the greatness of the blogosphere.
Hello Ms. Mattina,
Thank you for your comments. I will be completing my capstone and practicum in spring 2008. If you have any tips or would like to send along questions that were left unanswered, please feel free to email me at kristin.johnson@nyu.edu. I can always use more material and appreciate insights from senior leaders!
P.S. – While I do work at Edelman, the views expressed in my paper and on this blog are mine as a student of public relations and not as an employee.
Nicola,
miss Johnson is a young professional already integrated into one of the world’s most relevant consultancies. She works at Edelman in the Health Care practice.
I red the paper: it is well written, but does not say anithing new… “It is an exciting time to be in public relations because we are on a new frontier” and then? What will miss Johnson do as a youg PR professional?
Ciao
Nicola