The Challenge of Fake News

When the phrase “fake news” first emerged, I thought it was literally fake news. I thought, “How could the journalism and communications industry allow such a thing as fake news to become so popular?” As an undergraduate public relations student at the University of Florida, our program has a heavy focus on writing. In a reporting class, a fact error […]

Determining the PR Niche for You

Public relations students are taught many things in the classroom: how to craft the perfect news release, what to do when a crisis occurs and how to remain professional on social media. Students are often left on their own to determine what section of the industry they will enter — nonprofit, education, entertainment, crisis, healthcare and more. With so many […]

March Monthly Reading Round-Up — Diversity Champions, Teaching Ethics, Oxford Commas, Ad Stunts

Between midterms and spring break, it was tough to keep up with industry news in March. Below are eight interesting articles you may have missed this month. The Power of Conferences in a Social-Media Age Author: Alexandra Samuel Publication: The Wall Street Journal While being on social media at conferences seems like it would disengage attendees, it actually has the […]

From Athens to APCO: Bridgens Continues to Serve the Society

Gary Bridgens is a New York-based project consultant at APCO Worldwide, where he supports clients across a variety of industries with issues management and corporate communications strategy. Prior to working for APCO, Bridgens completed internships with a boutique integrated communications agency, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association and Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s campaign for president. Bridgens is a recent graduate of […]

Same Language, Different Strategies: What It’s Like to Work in the UK

Graduate programs for international public relations are few and far between and while I’m not an expert when it comes to international public relations (or an expert when it comes to graduate school…), I’ve discovered that programs are rare because international communications is a skillset that is only perfected by experience. As a recent public relations graduate with a desire […]

Parman and West Join Forces to Honor Summar

This article was originally published in the University of Tennessee-Knoxville newsletter. You can find it here. Two 1994 University of Tennessee Public Relations alumni, Travis Parman and Mary Beth West, have joined forces to honor Dwayne Summar by increasing funding for the existing Dwayne Summar Public Relations Endowment. Their $35,000 collaborative gift will enrich the learning experiences of current and […]

How Chapter Fundraising Can Take You All the Way to Boston

Whether it be a budget-slashing session for your Chapter, petitioning more funds from your school’s student government association or pleading with your PRSA sponsor Chapter, we all need to raise funds for our Chapter. How else will you subsidize the costs of those snazzy new Chapter sweatshirts or attend the next National Conference in Boston? Let’s be honest: PRSSA national […]

Why You Should Apply for Your Chapter’s Executive Board

All PRSSA Chapters have benefits: professional connections, personal relationships, education enhancement and ways to jumpstart your career. In addition each Chapter allows for its dues-paying members to become leaders. As someone who has been on their Chapter’s executive board for the majority of their college career, I can guarantee you that there are plenty of reasons to consider running for […]