Robert asks whether PR students should blog and I think it’s a good question! In particular he’s after thoughts from anyone on the following:
(a) if you believe college PR students reading and blogging about PR practices is a viable and valuable endeavour,
(b) what are the key concepts/lessons that should be included in such an exercise,
(c) how will a future employer react to a student’s PR blogging efforts,
(d) what tactics by the students will best exhibit PR knowledge through their blogging efforts, and
My quick thoughts are:
(a) if you believe college PR students reading and blogging about PR practices is a viable and valuable endeavour
Not only is it a good learning exercise but the next gen PR person can’t afford *not* to be well acquainted with the media. If they’re not then they produce disasters like this.
(b) what are the key concepts/lessons that should be included in such an exercise
Well, I’m all for experiential learning so I reckon it;s about how they can engage with, influence and spread ‘the word’ (or any word) in a virtual sense. A bit like SEO101 meets activism101. Or am I being too cynical there? I guess getting people up to speed with writing well and often is probably a worthwhile goal.
(c) how will a future employer react to a student’s PR blogging efforts
Depends on whether they’ve got any nouse around them. At the moment, it might even hinder you… in 5 years, it’ll be the first question at interview.
(d) what tactics by the students will best exhibit PR knowledge through their blogging efforts
Effective use… measure it in links :D
This is definitely something that I reckon Darren Rowse would be better at answering than me!
AND…it’s a perfect platform to explore the ethics of publicly publishing – all the issues surrounding defamation, slander, copyright, plagiarism etc – yet staying true to open, free speech and expression.
As James says – I’d be worried if they didn’t blog!
ABB
[...] Should PR Students Blog? at incorporated subversion James Farmer gives his views from Australia, “Robert asks whether PR students should blog and I think it’s a good question! In particular he’s after thoughts from anyone on the following:” (tags: highered blog Social+media PR+education) [...]
I would imagine Trevor Cook’s site Corporate Engagement might be a good introduction to PR blogging. I don’t know whether he still has links to some of the industry’s early efforts there or not.
[...] Um nur ein paar Statements herauszugreifen: James Farmer, Grafiker und Social Software-Experte schreibt zum Bloggen: ” The next gen PR person can’t afford *not* to be well acquainted with the media. If they’re not then they produce disasters.” Und PR-Student Paull Young bringt die meisten Argumente, die ich auch sehe. Ein Bild von ihm gefällt mir aber besonders gut: Er vergleicht das Bloggen mit der Anschaffung eines Welpen. Denn wer einen kleinen Hund so richtig nett findet, sollte sich im Klaren sein, dass er sich 15 Jahre lang um ihn kĂĽmmern muss. Mit einem Blog verhält es sich ganz ähnlich, auch wenn’s vielleicht nicht 15 Jahre sind. [...]