Blog 4: UWW PR Alumni

As much as I love attending UW-Whitewater I cannot wait to finally graduate and begin the next chapter of my life. UWW has been very good to me throughout the past few years. I have learned so much throughout my education there, especially about myself. However its almost about that time that I begin so say goodbye and start preparing myself for my professional future. After watching these many short videos about lives and careers of UWW PR allumni I have become extremely excited about my future. Most of the PR professionals seemed to be so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their job. I feel like it is very seldom that you people so passionate about what they do! I just loved it!!
Although I enjoyed many of the videos there were three that really seemed to stand out...
1. Lynnette Hulgan was probably one of my favorites because she reminds me a lot of myself. She very enthusiastic about her job and really knows what she is talking about. She really shows a passion and drive for all that she has done and I think that is why she is so successful.
2.Kristin Gritt is another PR professional that I really enjoyed listening to. She  was very honest about her career and the many steps it took for her to get where she is today. She was also very enthusiastic about her career. You can really tell how passionate she is about her career and this is what has lead to her success.
3.Rick Daniels is also another PR professional that I really enjoyed listening to. He was also very knowledgeable and passionate about his job. He really had a lot of advice to offer. The advice was well appreciated.

My views on Twitter

I would have to say that my initial thoughts towards Twitter and Tweeting were pretty negative. I'm not a person that likes to continuously update others on what I'm doing and interested in every second of my day. Since really getting to know Twitter its beginning to growing on me.  I wouldn't say that I Tweet as often as I should but i do often look at others Tweets to see what's going with them. I tend to find useful information from others posts including lots of information that pertains to PR professionals.  On a professional stand point I think Twitter and Tweeting are very useful tools to take advantage of. Not only is it free but it is also very easy to use and master. It allows your message to reach many different audiences in a matter of minutes.
Find me on Twitter at @KristinHardy10 .

Everyone is a Media Outlet

This short really points some interesting ideas on the way that information is not processed and transported throughout the world. In the past the information that we once received was written by professionals and was received through credible new sources such as newspapers, the radio and T.V newscast. Now a days much of the information we receive is from a less than professional source in  most cases. When we hear about something its usually over the banter of Facebook or Twitter not so much CNN or The New York Times anymore. I don't believe that traditional sources of journalism will ever die, they will just be put on the back burner for now. Who knows eventually amateur journalism will show its faults and the  population will realize that it is best to stick to the journalist with a background. Don't get me wrong in some cases you need to hear the story of the public from first hand. However we should not depend solely on one form of journalism over the other. To get the real story you must find the perfect balance between amateur journalism and professional journalism. It may take some research but finding out the truth will make up for the time spent researching.

Patrick Meier: Changing the World, One Map at a Time

This whole topic is completely interesting. Before having to listen to this video Patrick Meier: Changing the World, One Map at a Time  for my class I had never heard about this organization. I am just completely inspired by this presentation and the Ushahidi organization. One of the points he makes is how useful social media networks truly are. Not only are they free but they are interconnect so your word spreads more quickly than it might have in previous years. Another important point Meier makes is that the humanitarian efforts of Ushahidi were not started by larger humanitarian organizations like FEMA or the United Nations. These efforts came from everyday people in a college dorm room. Which proves to me that with the technological advancements in social media, an  everyday average person can help to save the world. Another important point that Meier had made was the fact that volunteers are self selected. Which important because that means they're there because they want to be, not because they have to be. Which is an extremely important to think about. It's more or less a life lesson. We all know that we are happier and more efficient when we are participation in something that wanted to do rather than something that we were forced into. This presentation was inspiring and I look forward to following Ushahidi via Twitter.

Ushahidi: Saving the World One Map at a Time

Ushahidi is a non-profit tech company that develops free and open source for information collection, visualization and interactive mapping. They build tools for democratizing information, increasing technology and lowering the barriers for individuals to share their stories. Ushahidi is an organization that is willing to take risks in persuit of changing the traditional way that information flows. Ushahidi first began as a collaboration of  Kenyan Citizen Journalists during a large national crisis. The website was then used to map out incidents of violence and peace efforts throughout the country based on reports that were submitted by internet or mobile phone. This original Ushahidi website made others realize how important and necessary that it was to have this type of media. Not only does it help out Africa but many other countries benefit as well. Many other projects that Ushahidi has accomplished include the Ushahidi Platform, The Swiftriver Platform and the Crowdmap Platform. These platforms are all used to help others receive information efficiently and effectively. Ushahidi is 5013 C non-profit organization that is registered in Florida but is run by volunteers throughout the world and managed by a core team.  This non-profit organization has had a huge impact on the world so far. It has allowed information to reach the public in a efficient and effective with accuracy and integrity. For more information on Ushahidi and its platforms please feel free to browse their website for deeper understanding of  this organization.Ushahidi Home page

Facebook: A PR professional's Gold Mine

 Facebook has over 800  million active users as of  2011, 350 million of which are connected through their mobile devices. These statistics  can be found on  Facebook and prove the value that Facebook plays in our professional careers. The fact that Facebook allows us to reach such a vast variety of people throughout the world so easily is truly a blessing. Other social media trends are becoming popular as well but Facebook is truly the leader in this innovation. The other social media sites such as Twitter and YouTube are popular as well  and do offer a different look at social media.  However they do not offer all that Facebook is capable of. Twitter and YouTube seem to be very limited to what you can actually do on their sites and because of that people seem to enjoy Facebook 
Currently Twitter only has 106 million active users which is about 700 million less active users than Facebook. That means with Facebook you are able to reach 700 million more users than its leading competitor making it the ultimate source for PR professionals. Don't get me wrong Twitter is great too, but seems to be very limited. Some Twitter statistics can be found using Twitter Marketing Trends . I like the fact that Twitter allows you to get straight to the point and to "retweet" if you like something. This allows for a message to become viral, which is nice, but I still think Facebook is better. Its just set up better and allows you to do more with it. Many different companies have caught on to Facebook craze and can be found using this social media network. It also helps that all the different advertisements are catered to you the customer. If you go to the Ads You May Like section, there are numerous ads that are based on the things that Facebook and it's sponsors think you may like. Which makes the experience more enjoyable for the Facebook user and the PR professional.
Many of the company's that came up on my Facebook's Ads You May Like section were clothing and shoe company's and company's advertising their Breast Cancer awareness. Which when you think about it it totally makes sense. I do enjoy shopping as do many other girls my age so of course we love getting sales and coupons just for being your  friend on Facebook.  American Eagle on Facebook allows you to look at the company's new season campaigns and find out about any new promotions. They also allow you to learn more about the company and its mission. All in all this would not be possible on any other social media site. Facebook is the way to go!

My experiance with discussing the Oscar Grant Shooting incident

I thought that it was interesting to see everybody's take on the subject. It's always nice to get other people's opinions and see their view. Discussions are always helpful in that sense. They allow you to touch base with the topic from a view different that what you may have already started with. Discussions mostly seem to be opinion, which is there is nothing wrong with. You must know when to separate one's opinion from actual fact. Otherwise this was a good experience. I have done many other online discussions for other classes and I have noticed that they really help you to grasp the subject and its content.