Shop Talk

I will not be attending the PRSSA National Conference in Miami Beach. I decided I would probably spend too much money thus leaving me even more of a poor college student.

I am however, interested in attending the Eastern Communication Association’s convention in Philadelphia. My professor is in charge of one of the Interest Groups. I will probably apply to be a Student Ambassador. It seems like gopher work, but I am always interested in getting an inside look at operations.

For my Cases and Problems class, my professor presented us with a portfolio assignment. We must include information from five professionals that we have contacted as well as a host of other requirements including business cards and a synthesis of what we have learned.

Personally, I think I will really enjoy this assignment. Judging from the reaction of my classmates, they might think it is a little too much work. I look at it differently. This is a sure-fire way to meet professionals in the area and get to know those professionals and vice versa. I want to be able to walk into a real interview before May and the firm already knows who I am.

I have seen so many that cannot find jobs. I think this is mainly due to the fact that they do not actively look until a month before graduation — well, at least the people I have known. It would be nice to think you can have a job come to you, but you really cannot expect such things unless you do a little work. Some people are afraid to do that, unfortunately.

No words can describe my anger with the publication of this picture.

Credited to the Associated Press

I just posted my résumé. I apologize for the fact that it is all over the place at the moment. It looks neater in the word document, but alas there seems to be no function to directly upload it. Or perhaps I just have not found it yet. Either way, it is posted.

 

I feel that I must do something to help alleviate the situation in the South. Therefore, I am working on my campus to organize a massive drive. I had a brief discussion with someone in Student Development today. He informed me that there has been talk, though not too in depth. There is a strong possibility that some meeting will be held in the next several days. There will probably be a need for leadership to which I personally would oblige my services as I am very adamant about this cause. I will post updates as they come.

I am horrified. Absolutely horrified. It was evident that Hurricane Katrina would cause significant damage in the Gulf Coast, but I did not realize that it would be of this magnitude. I have always had a sheer fascination with the weather and had followed the news reports almost religiously. They predicted upward to a Category 4 with a slim chance of Category 5, yet the latter happened - a Category 5, 175-mph hurricane …, “Catastrophic” in lay terms. By the time Katrina made land-fall, windspeed was down to Category 4 strength, yet the devastation has been phenomenal, especially in New Orleans.

Because I am a young future professional, I am compelled to look at this tragedy not only from a personal standpoint, but a public relations standpoint as well. In a personal sense, any disaster leaves me reeling, whether it is natural or by design. I think it affects people in such a way that we know that we are human and that we are not totally invincible. Furthermore, the images presented by the media really tug at human emotion. I imagine that one cannot look at these photos and read these stories without experiencing some sort of emotional discomfort.

This brings me to my first point from a public relations perspective. Is it ethical for the media to publish pictures of the dead? We normally do not see pictures of our dead soldiers in Iraq, mainly due to the graphic nature of said publications. We did not see much in the way of media endorsed photographs of the dead in the 9/11 and 7/7 tragedies. This hurricane is a tragedy, albeit one caused by the weather compared to Iraq, 9/11, 7/7, etc. What makes it different? Is it because they’re not horribly scarred or without limbs? What makes it different? I can only chalk it up to the fact that most of the victims are poor and black. Unfortunately, we are experiencing a real illustration of America’s entrenched race and class system. To that, I reply: STOP IT. These people are not animals. They are not meant for exploitation. They are human beings and should be treated as such. Why must we sensationalize tragedy? What more are we to gain other than labels of being “morally bankrupt”?

Secondly, crisis management plans will now completely have to change. A news article for Knight Ridder Newspapers quotes an official as saying that the levee breakage in New Orleans was more or less inevitable because the system had been designed to only withstand upward to a Category 3 force hurricane. Obviously, hurricanes are unpredictable forces of nature. Meteorologists and hurricane experts can only predict their strength and track. The reality is that their predictions do not always hold up. Therefore, it is not safe to assume that current means of protection are sufficient. I believe this to be especially true in the wake of increased global warming. Scientists warn that there can and will be more weather systems like Katrina that can cause as much destruction, if not more.

What do you do with 300,000 or more displaced people? That is the question of the moment. I do not recall an episode in recent American history in which the government has had to deal with a vast number of displaced people in any single event. In a true sense of Darwinism, people have turned to lawless behavior as a means to survive, mainly fueled by their desperation. This is becoming a governmental nightmare. Of course, who would actually think that something of this nature would happen? Once again, crisis management plans will have to be altered. There must be more provisions to deal with as many of the problems that are currently being run into.

Finally, there is the issue of global relief efforts. It is inspiring to see the number of people working to alleviate the situation. I sincerely hope, however, this relief effort will entirely benefit the victims. I am reminded of a story I read concerning the Red Cross’s efforts in the wake of 9/11. Funds were misappropriated which created an uproar amongst donors and other involved parties. It resulted in the resignation of the head of the organization before the funds were rightly distributed. Therefore, I hope in the wake of this tragedy that those who have pledged money honor their commitments and are doing so for the greater good, and not a self-serving interest.

I am moving my journal from Blogspot to here at a fellow PR professional’s suggestion. It may take a moment or two for me to adjust, so please keep that in mind.