Real World PR ‘O9

Okay so here they are… my posts on my experiences at Real World PR! I have so much info and amazing experiences to share that I had no idea how I was going to fit them all into one blog post without droning on. But, thanks to my fellow student, Madison Fisher, I have found the solution to use multiple blog posts.

Hope you enjoy, comment, and have lots of intriguing questions!

But before I begin telling you all about the yummy fruit and muffin breakfast accompanied with the “Meet the Media” panel discussion, I have to comment on the interesting ride we had on the way to the conference. Caitlin Greeley courageously volunteered to risk the crazy Atlanta traffic and drive me and Meg Reid to Real World. Granted, we left at five a.m. and didn’t really hit that much traffic, but I have to give Caitlin and her GPS props for driving through those often unpredictable streets. We may have passed the location a couple times in a round about way and gotten lost in the ghetto on the way back but I have to say, I shared some really interesting conversations and thoughts with those girls. So thanks ladies, good times!

Anyways, the morning started off with the perfect breakfast, the contents of which I told ya about above and while we were all finishing up and still sipping on our Coke products and coffees, three panelists from CNN took the stage. Victor Hernandes (@vhernandezcnn) the Director of Coverage for CNN, Lila King (@lilacina) the Senior Producer of User Participation for cnn.com and iReport.com, and lastly, Jennifer Martin (@jencnnpr) the Director of PR at CNN.

These three talked extensively about the presidental election this year and how it differentiated from the past years in reference to the country’s voices through social media.

Some points I thought were interesting to list were:

1. In the ’08 campaign people met in the middle. Obama sent a text announcing his VP, people were not just listening but responding, and most of their questions and responses were much diffent than those asked by your every-day news reporter.
2. Different examples of twitter use. Obama used it strongly and effectively to communicate day-to-day happenings, not just what was going on with the campaign. McCain used it strictly for politics and specifics dealing with his campaign and was less successful. Yet, McCain’s daughter, Megan, who I have mentioned before on my blog, used her blogging skills very effectively.
3. Use technology & social media to your benefit. It was suggested that students strongly emphasize their knowledge of social media and technology in interviews and in real life.
4. “Slice of human life”. This is what twitter is and should be used to display.

Well, there ya have it, the first round of panel discussions we six Clemson students attended including me, Madison, Caitlin, Meg, Lauren, and Rachel. We all had our days planned, our sessions we were going to attend starred, and our resume critiquing sessions scheduled… watch out Real World PR we were there to take you by storm!

Stay tuned for…

* Agency or Corporate
* Non-Profit and Corporate Social Responsibility PR
* Heather Oldani with McDonalds
* More than “Invitations 101”: Event Planning