Paige’s blog

I took a midterm exam Friday in my photojournalism course, and in part of the test we were instructed to analyze both composition and newsworthiness of a certain photograph. The photograph was “The Viet Cong Execution,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo taken during the Vietnam War, which apparently helped change the perception of war for people everywhere. We’ve learned lessons about how to compose a photograph, but until I wrote about it in the essay-exam, I didn’t realize the strength of effectiveness carried through composition alone. This also lead me to think of media composition on the grand scale–mass media, particularly broadcast media.

First, the Viet Cong pic…Why did this photograph have such a strong effect on people? It’s an eye-level, medium-range shot. That’s nothing special on the photographer’s end. The moment itself was so intense that any added photographic effect would have taken away from the moment. At first glance of the photograph, you gasp a little bit. That’s because the power in the photograph is in the content, the subjects, the time and the place of the photo, not in the angles, the range, the lines or shapes–the composition. Because this was a regular eye-level, medium-range snap from a camera, it captured the image in the real context of the situation. The total perception and a one-word summary of the photo is “reality.” Because of this photograph, people everywhere for the first time understood the reality of war, and they realized it wasn’t a glorious thing. If the shot had been taken at a low angle looking up, or where it was zeroed in on the faces of the troop who’s about to shoot the Viet Cong, where the photo would have a more dramatic effect, the photo would have captured a had a totally different image of the war. The photo would be summarized as “dramatic,” and perhaps, so would war. Now, think of having a mass audience perceive war as “dramatic.” Wow. I don’t even think I want to know. Just to think of the detriment that could be caused if entire societies perceived war as dramatic is awesktrikinig. While writing my essay, I was suplexed me with the realization of the power of media. Media has total control, I believe.

Now, think of broadcast media the way we know it. We don’t watch C-Span that often because it’s boring and time-devouring. We will watch CNN, Fox News, the Today show, etc. for 30-second sound bytes of information, presented in a more entertaining manner. One thing Fox News always does that draws me in is run footage and commentary together for long periods of time. During the heat of the Hurricane Katrina bit, or 9/11, we were all glued to the tv. We wanted to see pictures and hear stories. The 24-hour news crews served us well then too. It’s often a number-one source to help people develop their perceptions, shape their opinions and develop their “realities.” But, this can be dangerous because it tends to make people vulnerable to skewed contexts and half-truths. The people with common sense will recognize Fox News and CNN commentators strongly emphasizing support for a certain political party. You can hear it in the tone of their voice and the use of their language when a Fox News commentator talks about Republicans and then about Democrats. But, I don’t know about you, but I expect the images and footage they show to tell the truth. What about when that’s skewed? It’s not always easy to determine truth from drama with the images. The composition of a photograph or footage on a news broadcast tells a story, but I’ve come to discover it may be a pretty big stretch of the truth.

At one point, the Fox News crew was riding through the streets of New Orleans in a boat, talking about the amount of water in the city, and it being a “soupbowl” holding this city under water, and people being trapped in their attics and on rooftops because the water was so high. They were riding in the boat to film the area. Well, someone walked into the shot, and you could see the water wasn’t even knee-deep, and you could tell that that area was not worthy of a boat and oars. What a skewed perception of New Orleans to millions of concerned viewers and opinion leaders!

It’s the opinion leaders who are able to get the help where the help is needed for those people. So, for them to have a skewed vision of the situation and then relay that message to officials, it slows the process of getting aid in the right places for the right people.

Personally, I find entertainment news to be garbage because it’s so full of bias and opinions. However, it’s powerful. Photojournalism is even more powerful because we rely upon a picture to tell us the truth. It’ scary to think how photojournalists are abusing that power by skewing the truth and creating a picture that’s out of context.

So, I miss one blog entry and there go my points for the entire semester.  Great.  I have to say, once that was the case, it sort of discouraged me from blogging.  However, I don’t want to quit blogging because, not only is it a good communications tool for someone on the brink of the real world, but a great tool to help students organize their thoughts and get them in writing. 

Well, I was thinking, between Robert’s class and the Campaigns class I took last semester, I’ve certainly become much more aware and analytical of promotions strategies.  One person who’s drawn my attention lately is James Blunt.  He has that hit song right now “You’re Beautiful.”  It’s one of those songs you blast in the car by yourself because you’re hoping it’s the story of your life, that someone saw you in passing and now can’t get you off their mind.  However, there’s something that bothers me about the song.  The beginning–good.  The middle–good too. The end–love it.  However, the beginning of the song doesn’t match the end of the song.  I feel like James got a little A.D.D. when he was writing it.  In the beginning he’s all like, “Oh, I saw this girl on the subway and we caught each other’s eye.  We shared a moment.  No worries here because I have this plan and it involves finding her again.”  Then he sings how beautiful she is, and you’re sitting there saying, “Ok James, so what’s your plan?  Yes, yes, we understand she’s beautiful.  Tell us the plan now. Sing about that because frankly, I’m quite curious.” 

Then, shortly after he says he has this big plan, he sings ”…and I don’t know what to do.  I’ll never be with you.”  What??  You just said you had a plan.  Focus James, focus!  That’s how the song ends too.  He concludes he’ll never be with her. 

I guess the song could be the process of how he loses confidence in his plan, but really it just sounds like he had a plan and forgot he was singing about that and then he starts singing about how he doesn’t have a plan.  It’s like he had this experience, and he needs closure, and there are two possible endings to the story.  Instead of picking just one, he starts with one and finishes with the other. So, to me, the overall message in the song is, “James, you’re A.D.D.”

The PR in this…How does a song like this become a hit?  I have to believe it’s a result of someone knowing someone knowing someone (and James Blunt being able to pull off a video where he’s shirtless in the rain).  It just makes me wonder what the dominant influence is that’s promoting this song/artist?  Is it the lyrics?  If so, I don’t find the rationale behind that.  Is it the tune?  Perhaps.  It’s catchy, and coupled with the lyrics “you’re beautiful,” it’s a sweet, sensitive song you hope someone hears and thinks of you.  Is it a hit because of James Blunt?  Well, he is eye-candyesque and he’s a talented piano player.

It just seems that even if the song’s lyrics aren’t that strong, the tune, the look of the artist and probably a few contacts can secure the song a spot on America’s Top 40.  Because it’s those three influences that made the song a hit (assuming it is those three influences) and not the words in the song, it’s only logical to conclude the song is a hit because of good PR.  

  

 

So, I’ve been writing and deleting, writing some more, and not posting.  It’s been a while, but I’ve needed time to put my thoughts in order…before everyone reads them, that is.  Well, one thing on my mind lately, has been the how-to’s of strategy execution.  As college students, we spend a lot of time in the classroom, learning how to research, how to strategize and how to execute a strategy, but when it comes to the actual execution, it’s fairly fresh to me.

I have to say, I’m proud of the critical-thinking skills I’ve developed in my college days, but college is winding down.  Yes, yes, I know our internships exist so we may apply our knowledge of PR, and my internship certainly served me well, throwing me right into situations where I got to practice PR. But, what is the key factor in an effective execution, when I’m a professional and not an intern? When the pressure is riding on me, what will I need to do to execute effectively? 

There are a few things I feel are key to implement a plan.  I’ll go ahead and begin with talking about the importance of timing.  In PR, it seems you have to be super sensitive to the timing issue.  In marketing for instance, we see in mid January all the Valentine stuff being put out on the shelves.  We know Pilsbury will have its heart-shaped cookies in the refrigerated section and the M&Ms will be red, white and pink starting about January 5th or so.  In PR, we still have to sell according to a timeline, but I don’t think our timeline is as distinct. 

Let’s look at celebrity publicity for instance.  Jessica Simpson made one or two songs in the 1990s.  That one cutesy song “I Think I’m in Love” with the “Jack and Diane” tune in the background was a start, but it didn’t make her the A-list star she is today, nor did 98 Degrees’ two or three hits do the trick for Nick Lachey.  After those songs became old news, so did Jessica Simpson, and did we even know Nick’s last name was Lachey at that time?  The two were one-hit wonders (well, with a few hits).  Then they were out of the picture.  It wasn’t until the “Carson Daily Roast” a few years ago that I noticed Jessica Simpson again, and that guy, oh, what’s his name…the 98-Degrees’ guy…Nick!  Yeah, that’s it.  I thought, “wow, why are these two getting all this attention at the Carson Daily Roast?”  I remember thinking it was funny that these washed-up semi-stars were gaining attention from MTV.  Then, low and behold, Nick and Jessica were a married couple–newlyweds.  Hot theme for a reality show?  I think so.  And, little by little the couple arrived back on the scene.  Jessica puts out a hit album a little later.  Then, whoa, Jessica has a sister.  What better way to get attention then to ride on your sister’s coat tails?  The Newlyweds and Ashlee Simpson ended up icons in the entertainment industry.  I think it’s amazing.  Nick, Jessica and Ashlee’s publicists certainly paid attention to timing, getting them publicity here and there, while intriguing potential viewers before their show would air.  Timing, coupled with an interesting story, allowed the two to effectively re-enter the Hollywood scene and allowed Ashlee to arrive. 

Timing–a key factor in executing a PoA.

So, I’ve decided to dedicate my blog to strategies and tactics I think can make or break someone practicing PR.  Good PR, I seem to have noticed, is a collaboration of a God-given gift, a knowledge of your surroundings, paying particular attention to timing and detail, communicating with precision and accuracy, knowing when to let interactions happen naturally and comfortably, and knowing when to apply force.

Let’s examine PR in a simple situation we’re all familiar with–a blind date.  It can be a good situation, but how awkward can it be too!  Your friend Jenny sets you up to go out with her friend Dan.  You go to dinner.  The conversation is so forced.  “Where are you from, what’s your major, how do you know Jenny?…yeah, Jenny does do that funny wheezy noise when she laughs.”  The conversation can go any way, but by the end of the night, you’re either going to be tagged as a good date or a bad date.  Not everyone is a good date.  We all know that.  But if you’re the bad date, you have to ask yourself, is it me, or is it the date setting.  You may be funny and good-looking and have a blast at karaoke nights, but one-on-one dinner is awkward, uncomfortable and an ineffective way for Dan to get to know you the way Jenny wants him to know you.  You want to be in your truest, most charming form, so you say, “ok Jenny, I’ll meet your friend Dan, but instead of a one-on-one date, let’s get you, me, your boyfriend Josh, our friends Lauren, Emily, and Nick, because Dan knows them too, together to watch the O.C. at your apartment.  Then, you may say to Jenny, “Ok, we’re not going to make this a set-up, so don’t even tell Dan you’ve been wanting to set the two of us up.”  Instant solution to not creating pressure.

I’m convinced that most things can work in your favor if you take to right approach.  The medium is the message.  If I remember anything from Dr. Villaume’s COMM 3500 class, it’s that phrase, “the medium is the message.” In every situation where I see that something will work in my favor with a little good PR, I try to approach the situation using the most effective medium for achieving the richest results.

It’s like a game to me.  How do you win in chess? Strategy.  PR is a game of strategy.  You have to know the game to be good at it.  Learn the game.  Know your players.  You’re handed a situation.  You want some result from it.  Assess the situation thouroughly.  Develop a strategy, using particular tactics and persuasive appeals.  Develop contingency strategies in case something unexpected occurs.  Then, you have to execute according to your plan (that part I am still breaking down and developing thoughts on).

Good PR comes from experience, I believe.  You have to constantly be aware of what’s taking place around you. And, you have to practice strategizing and executing your stratgies enough to where you don’t appear to have a strategy.  People only see results.  Then they step back and say, “how did she do that?”

It’s interesting what I’ve found defines good public relations.  First, let me explain how dorky I am, in that I like to take everyday happenings and pick out the public relations aspect of them.  I believe it makes for good practice for the bigger, more important, true PR situations.  For instance, this morning I had an article due for my career development class.  I left the article lying on my desk.  When it came time for me to discuss my article, I gulped the knot in the back of my throat and, not making eye contact with anyone, confessed to leaving my article at home.  Not only did I not complete my assignment, but I had to ask the teacher advice about a career workshop I want to attend next week. 

My first thought was, “She’s not going to take me seriously, nor invest that much time and energy into me this semester after I’ve forgotten to do the first assignment.” 

And why should she?  After the class left and I asked her about the workshop, I apologized for not completing the assignment.  Not that my apology gave me the number-one spot on her favorites list, but it was a little tactic to show her I am taking her class seriously. 

These are the simple strategies which good PR practitioners must know how to use comfortably.  The best practice is to use the less significant situations in life to apply the strategies and tactics we’ve learned in class, such as how to approach conflict, how to reverse a poor impression you may have given, or put those persuasive theories to test.  If anything, I’ve discovered practicing PR in a non-business situation is a way for trial and error to occur without creating detrimental effects.  

I love that I have an audience to whom I can blog about these little PR experiences because my roommate majoring in accounting just doesn’t have the same appreciation as I do for life’s little PR moments!  

Hello, my name is Paige and I’m a senior at Auburn University. I’m a third-generation Auburn student, but not an engineer like the generations before me.

I’m a PR major and French and Spanish minors. Foreign languages guide my path.

In the near future, we’re talking May, I hope to have developed more skills to strengthen my competitiveness for the job market.