Tag Archives: communications

Teetering Future of Newspapers Stirs Up Future of PR Industry Debate


The more I read in the news about the lay-offs and closings of newspapers around the country, the more I see people starting to question the future of the PR industry. While I understand the concern, the truth is that the PR industry is not going anywhere—if anything, this newspaper collapse will weed out the unworthy publicists and bring about a PR era of truly talented specialists.

Yes, the media industry is the channel through which PR effectively communicates. But, the more technology changes and adapts the media industry, the more everyone needs to change with the times and keep up with the newest mediums.

PR is here to stay. The medium through which we channel our clients’ information is going to continue to evolve; so we need to continue to use our current print media channels, while incorporating the newest avenues to become a part of the ongoing communication evolution.

PR specialists will be tweeting, friending, and following clients, journalists, and the like to get their stories out to the people. The trick here is to understand how to effectively inform through these new mediums, NOT STALK. You see, most people have not quite mastered the concept of using social media outside the realm of personal use. This will be the ultimate challenge for the future of the PR industry, as survival of the fittest (meaning communication effectiveness) will turn out the worthy PR specialists.

-Posted by Tiffany Morgan @TiffanyMMorgan

The Revolution Will Now Be Twittered


In the rise of Web 2.0 over the past few years, Twitter’s impact on the flow of communication between people has never been more important to a situation as it is now in the coverage of last week’s Iranian elections and the subsequent aftermath. The past week has seen disputed election results and protests, with tensions still at high levels between rival parties. The Iranian government, in an attempt to control the international perception of this crisis, has banned foreign journalists from attending rallies in Iran, and has detained journalists who attempt to report on the ongoing events. This blockade of international news reporting has rendered traditional news outlets as unreliable sources for accurate news.

Enter Twitter.

These elections have dominated the trending topics section on Twitter, as Tweeple have turned to twitter as an alternative means of communication as a result of mainstream media’s inability to produce accurate and detailed news on the conflicts in Tehran and the rest of the nation. Numerous individuals in Iran—both journalists and activists—have used Twitter as an outlet to convey the details of increasing violence and conflict.

And people are listening.

Just check out #IranElection. Or follow influential users like “Persiankiwi”, “Change_for_Iran”, or “TehranBureau”. Minute by minute updates are now available, as well as uploaded pictures depicting the state of affairs in Iran. In the 20 minutes I have been writing this article alone, over 2000 additional tweets have been posted with the hash tag “Iran Election.”

NBC foreign correspondent Richard Engel has called this the “first true internet uprising”, and rightfully so. This just goes to show the power that Twitter possesses.

Connecting this to franchising and PR—if anyone stills doubt the power of twitter, or deems Twitter a ‘fad’, think again. Twitter has implemented itself as a powerful mode of communication that should be used by franchisor and franchisee alike. Creating discussion about your brand is vital to the perception of your business. People will discuss your business—for better or worse. Whether you are there to lead the conversation is up to you.

Just as past revolutions have been transformed via new technological formats, this revolution has now been twittered.

–Posted by Max Blau @MaxBlau