The past seven months have gone extremely quickly and it is hard to believe that the school year has come to an end. I have had many “last days of school” before, but this year marks a significant difference, because it is the final time I will experience a last day of school.

This year marks my transition from life as a student to the beginning of my life in the working world. Of course I have had jobs before, but not ones that have specifically related to a career. This is an interesting and exciting time, as I am about to embark on my first “real” job experience.

            I have been in some form of school since I was four, so getting used to the lifestyle that comes along with a full-time job will no doubt be a big change. I know that I will enjoy some aspects of working life -such as not having to complete homework, while missing others, such as being able to wear whatever I feel like on a daily basis.

Overall, I will miss my experience in this short but focused public relations program. I know that I will continue to maintain contact with a number a individuals that I have met this year, which is a great way to begin to develop my professional network. It makes me both excited and anxious to think about where everyone will end up, but I look forward to seeing what the future holds!

With the emergence of new forms of technology in recent years, there has been debate as to whether or not traditional forms of media are being replaced by newer, modern forms. The same is being asked regarding traditional channels of reaching the media.

The media release has been a traditional way for public relations professionals to contact various media outlets for many years. According to author of the book In The News, by William Wray Carney, “The oldest and most reliable way to reach the media is through the news release”. This has been the most widely used medium for communication between public relations practitioners and the media, until recently.

The popularity of the Internet has made way for a new form of the news release, The Social Media Release. This release has gained attention and use since its initial inception in May 2006. The Social Media Release was created by public relations agency SHIFT Communications. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Social Media Release can be found on this site, which also offers a free downloadable template for individuals in the industry to model a release from:

 http://www.pr-squared.com/2006/05/the_social_media_press_release.html

While traditional aspects of a media release remain on this page such as a headline, core news facts, boilerplate and contact information, the Social Media Release contains additional information as well. Links to multimedia such as photos, MP3 files, podcasts, or videos, and the option to save these documents to sites such as DEL.ICIO.US or Technorati tagging are included on the page as well. These new options encompass the social and interactive aspects of this type of release. In less than two years, this new form of news release has gained significant attention. As the Internet gains popularity, its use as a tool in a public relations capacity has grown significantly as well.

The Social Media Release has taken the online world by storm and naturally has both its critics and its supporters. Website www.socialmediarelease.org offers some insights to these arguments. According to this site, ideally, the Social Media Release is used in conjunction with a traditional media release to help enhance the message that is being offered. The Social Media Release allows for two-way communication and essentially allows for further information without the spin that can exist on the more traditional form of the release. Critics of the Social Media Release argue that simply because this release is offered online, does not neseccsarily mean that it is being accessed and used to its full potential. According to Todd Defren and Brian Solis of www.socialmediarelease.org,

 “The key to the SMR’s long-term success will be the ability to truly be social; to not only deliver the news in a snazzy new format, but also to facilitate discovery through Social Media channels, encourage sharing and spark conversations, all in a way that brings customers, journalists, bloggers, and analysts together around your story and your community.”

Whether or not the Social Media Release proves to have longevity, or simply becomes a passing fad rather than a new tool with staying power has yet to be determined.

How do you feel about Social Media Releases?

While I am still working on learning the basics of blogging, I have recently been exposed to another form of social media: The podcast. Prior to my class at school, I have had no experience whatsoever with podcasting. The assignment asked for students, in groups, to contact a professional in the public relations industry associated with social media, and conduct a short interview. We were asked to record the interview so that it could be turned into a podcast.

 I must say it is quite overwhelming to be thrown into a situation where you are completely unfamiliar with the technology that is being used. (For me, this is especially true since I don’t even own an iPod). With the help of my fellow group members, however, we were able to work together and successfully conducted a podcast. Jennifer Beale, a public relations professional who specializes in networking, was kind enough to help by allowing us to conduct a short interview with her. The theme of the interview was the use of social media in a networking capacity. I learned about a form of social media that I was previously unfamiliar with. Overall, it was a great learning experience.

I would like to begin by thanking those of you who commented on my previous posting, I now feel like I have a stronger grasp regarding blog etiquette.

A huge amount of attention is being placed on politics south of the border as the race for the next president is heating up. The buzz surrounding these candidates has caught my attention, and realizing that I do not know much about them, I have decided to make an effort to find out more.

During my search, I surprisingly learned that 71-year-old Republican candidate John McCain has a 23-year-old daughter named Meghan. She is a recent graduate of Columbia University who is now working on her father’s campaign. One of the ways she is assisting is by keeping a blog: http://mccainblogette.com/. This blog offers a behind the scenes look at life on the campaign trail; featuring a song list, photos, videos, as well as regular updates-all from a young perspective.

This particular aspect of McCain’s campaign really caught my attention, as I too am a 23-year-old girl who is interested in pop culture. As I began reading, I wondered: If I was an American citizen, could my vote possibly be influenced by this blog?         

Candidates often use celebrity endorsements to appeal to the younger voting demographic. It appears that a new way of reaching this group has emerged. Political affiliations aside, do you think that Meghan’s blog will help her father reach America’s youth?

After silently reading over the blogs of my classmates for the past week or so, I have decided to come out of the woodwork and begin updating my blog as well.

Blogging is admittedly new to me, and that is perhaps why I have been hesitant to begin posting. A number of questions have been swirling through my mind, besides learning how to navigate the technical aspects of this new social medium; I have also been wrestling with what I will call “blog etiquette”. My blog will be public relations related, so will not be a personal type of blog. My question is, is there a specific set of unwritten rules that are to be followed in the blogging world, or are blogs simply another form of free expression? I look forward to learning more about blogging in the coming weeks.

Seasoned bloggers, feel free to offer any insight or tips you may have, I appreciate it!