Communicating Crisis within Minutes, Hours and Days after Tragedy

Communicating Crisis within Minutes, Hours and Days after Tragedy

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tuscany Steakhouse, Decatur

Join the Central Illinois PRSA chapter in celebrating our 30th Anniversary and hear how PRSA 2009 Best of Silver Anvil Award winner, Melanie Magara, and her staff at Northern Illinois University were successful in communicating one our state’s worst crisis situations in recent years.

Magara is assistant vice president for public affairs at NIU, where a shooting on campus killed six people and injured 19 others on February 14, 2008. She will share the story about how the NIU Office of Public Affairs immediately went into crisis mode, handling everything from emergency alerts, news conferences, message development, to media relations, event management and speech writing.

When the eyes of the world were focused on Dekalb, Magara and her staff consistently provided a story of preparedness, transparency, compassion, courage and healing. One year later, campus, community, media government and professional audiences call NIU’s response exemplary. NIU has emerged from crisis with its reputation as a safe and caring institution intact, and inspired by an increase in applications from prospective students.

Prior to her tenure at NIU, Magara served in a similar position at her alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her background includes eight years as director of marketing communications at The Carle Foundation/Carle Clinic Association in Champaign.

Location: Tuscany Steak and Pasta House, 1099 W. Wood St., Decatur (near Millikin University), or www.tuscanysteakhouse.com.

Social/Networking: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: 6:45 p.m.
Meeting: 7:30 p.m. (Over by 9:00 p.m.)
Dinner selections: Penne with red sauce (vegetarian), Lasanga or Chicken Scarpariella. Meals served with salad, breadsticks, dessert, soft drinks, coffee or tea.

Nonmembers - $30
Members - $25
Students - $22

RSVP: Ruth Slottag, rslottag@aol.com, by September 21, 2009.

How To Write a Perfect Cover Letter

Your cover letter has only one job. It is meant to entice the reader to open and read your resume. Sounds simple, but job seekers often stress as much over their cover letter as they do the resume. If this sounds like you, relax, there is a simple approach to cover letters that will streamline your application process and give you confidence every time you send out your resume. Just keep these three cover letter tips in mind and you'll never stress over writing them again.
1. Keep it short.

More often than not you'll send your cover letter via email or some other electronic system. Your reader won't be looking at a piece of paper, but at their computer screen. Ever notice how short your reading attention span is when you're reading text on your computer? That's why online articles are typically shorter than print articles. The same holds true for email messages. If you've got 60 messages in your inbox you don't have the patience for lengthy text. Now imagine you're a recruiter or resume screener and you must get through a couple hundred resumes in a day. If you want your cover letter read keep it short, concise and to the point.
2. Focus on qualifications.

Most job seekers freeze up when writing cover letter because they don't know what information recruiters want to see. The first person in an organization to read your resume is a recruiter or HR professional who acts as a screener. They are interested only in identifying candidates who match their set of qualifications. The better the match the higher the interest. Don't worry about explaining why you are interested in the position, the screener probably doesn't care. He/she only want to know if you qualify as a viable candidate. Use the job posting as a guide to know exactly what qualifications to mention in your cover letter.

3. Don't try to get fancy.

Job seekers get frustrated writing cover letters because they try to make it into a creative writing exercise. That's not necessary. It's much more important that you keep your ideas clear and easily understood. When writing about your qualifications do use the same verbiage to describe your skills as the job posting. You'll make the resume screener's work much easier and they will recognize you as a perfect candidate match much quicker.

Using this simple approach will allow you to take a customized approach with each cover letter you send. Generic cover letters usually sound canned no matter how much time was spent writing them. Worse, a one-size-fits all cover letter looks like it was borrowed off the page of a sample cover letter book. Would you take the time to read a mass-produced letter?

I'm often asked if cover letters are still relevant in today's fast-paced job market. While the form has changed from paper to electronic they are still a vital part of your job-search marketing materials. Cover letters provide your first opportunity to make a good impression on your potential new employer. It pays to write them with clarity and simplicity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest job markets. Her clients gain top performing skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Read more career tips at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Best of the Silver Anvil Awards Coming September 24, 2009!

RSVP today!
Central Illinois Chapter Public Relations Society of American



Communicating Crisis within Minutes, Hours and Days after Tragedy
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuscany Steakhouse, Decatur

Join the Central Illinois PRSA chapter in celebrating our 30th Anniversary and hear how PRSA 2009 Best of Silver Anvil Award winner, Melanie Magara, and her staff at Northern Illinois University were successful in communicating one our state’s worst crisis situations in recent years.

Magara is assistant vice president for public affairs at NIU, where a shooting on campus killed six people and injured 19 others on February 14, 2008. She will share the story about how the NIU Office of Public Affairs immediately went into crisis mode, handling everything from emergency alerts, news conferences, message development, to media relations, event management and speech writing.

When the eyes of the world were focused on Dekalb, Magara and her staff consistently provided a story of preparedness, transparency, compassion, courage and healing. One year later, campus, community, media government and professional audiences call NIU’s response exemplary. NIU has emerged from crisis with its reputation as a safe and caring institution intact, and inspired by an increase in applications from prospective students.

Prior to her tenure at NIU, Magara served in a similar position at her alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her background includes eight years as director of marketing communications at The Carle Foundation/Carle Clinic Association in Champaign.

Location: Tuscany Steak and Pasta House, 1099 W. Wood St., Decatur (near Millikin University), or http://www.tuscanysteakhouse.com/.

• Social/Networking: 6:00 p.m.
• Dinner: 6:45 p.m.
• Meeting: 7:30 p.m. (Over by 9:00 p.m.)

Dinner selections: Penne with red sauce (vegetarian), Lasagna or Chicken Scarpariella. Meals served with salad, breadsticks, dessert, soft drinks, coffee or tea.

• Nonmembers - $30
• Members - $25
• Students $22

RSVP: Ruth Slottag, rslottag@aol.com, by September 21, 2009.

Directions: http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1099+West+wood+Street,+Decatur,+IL&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=39.844329,-88.972607&spn=0.029589,0.06875&z=14&iwloc=addr

For more information on the award, visit the PRSA website at http://media.prsa.org/article_display.cfm?article_id=1287

Career Advice for PRSA Central Illinois

Job Search Survival 2009 Undoubtedly, this is the toughest year on record to land a new job. Reaching your career goal will take courage and nerves of steel. Are you up to the challenge? Here are four tips for job-search endurance that will keep you on the right track toward your employment goal. 1. Keep your career goal realistic. This is not the time to strike out in a risky career direction. Following your heart toward a career in which you have little qualifications could yield months of frustration as you find yourself competing against legions of candidates far more qualified. Unless you are in the position to hold out for a very long job search, concentrate on positions where you are best qualified. 2. Realize it will take longer to land your next position. If you've never experienced a lengthy job search, set your expectations out several months and practice patience. You will apply for many positions as the perfect candidate, and get no response. Expect that. You will conduct perfect interviews and hear nothing back. Expect that as well. Just remember that eventually the right company with the right job at the right time will come your way if you stay calm and focused and don't let discouragement keep you from moving forward. Just keep with it. 3. Write a better resume than your competition. Less jobs and more applicants equals extremely high competition. The quality of your resume has never been more important. For the best possible resume keep these guidelines in mind: Focus your resume. Avoid a one-size-fits-all resume. Showcase your best information in the top half of page one. Include accomplishments that illustrate your ability to solve today's business challenges. 4. Sharpen your interview skills. With employers interviewing only the best of the best, when you are chosen to interview be sure you are your competitive best. You CANNOT “just wing” an interview and expect to be called back for a second. Today it takes solid interview strategy to earn a second round of interviews. Interview books are helpful, but they usually fall short of teaching you how to read the interviewer's mind to understand his/her hiring motivations. A study in the art of selling is more effective to achieve great interview performance. A few basic selling strategies include: Asking the right questions to understand the interviewer's “hot button” motivations. Formulate answers around the interviewer's motivations. Know your accomplishments well enough to weave them effectively through your interview to achieve top candidate status. Throughout 2009, the best jobs will go to those who persevere and stay focused. Keeping your expectations and goals realistic will help prevent the emotional ups and downs. Prepare for your job search as if you were competing in a marathon. With patience, endurance and skill you will win your next job. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest job markets. Her clients gain top performing skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation. Learn more about Deborah Walker, career coach at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

2009 AFP Pinnacle Awards Call for Entries

Attention PR Professional:  Has your treasury or finance department successfully completed an initiative in the past year that contributed significantly to your organization?  The Association for Financial Professionals® (AFP) and Wachovia, a Wells Fargo Company, invite you to nominate that winning solution for the 2009 AFP Pinnacle Awards.  AFP Pinnacle Awards are presented annually to organizations that have successfully developed dynamic solutions that make treasury and finance more efficient and effective.

The Pinnacle Awards recognize excellence in treasury and finance in three award categories: Innovation, Risk and Strategy. The Grand Prize Winner receives a $10,000 honorarium towards a charity of choice and is honored during a special ceremony at the AFP Annual Conference in San Francisco. Category winners are awarded with complimentary lodging, registration and transportation for two attendees to the conference. For more information on the AFP Pinnacle Awards and how your organization can enter to win, go to www.AFPonline.org/pinnacle.

April 30 - Southwest Airlines: Nuts About Online Communication

RSVP today!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Peoria, Illinois
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) - Central Illinois Chapter

 

Southwest Airlines: Nuts About Online Communication

 

A blogger once wrote that Southwest Airlines was riding the blogosphere "like a wild horse." Ask all on the Southwest Communication Team, and they’ll agree that it has been a wild ride. For more than three years, Southwest Airlines has navigated the uncharted territory of Social Media – first, with its award-winning corporate blog, Nuts About Southwest, later with tools such as Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Along the way, Southwest has experienced both highs and lows, but its leadership members keep saddling up for more. From virtual riots to an industry crisis, Southwest has learned how to leverage today’s social media tools to successfully support Company initiatives. Through real-life case studies from the past three years, Southwest will show you how its staff members have effectively made, managed, and maintained successful online communities and share every lesson they’ve learned along the way.

 

Paula Berg is the Manager of Emerging Media for Southwest Airlines, the nation’s leading low-fare air carrier and the largest domestic airline in terms of customers carried. Over the last two years, Paula has managed and developed the Company’s corporate blog, “Nuts About Southwest.” Since its launch in April 2006, “Nuts” has experienced tremendous success – building a community for its loyal customer base, serving as a virtual focus group, and influencing several business decisions. In 2007, “Nuts” was named Best Blog by PR News and has been recognized in major publications ranging from Wired Magazine to The Wall Street Journal. In addition to managing the Company blog, Paula leads Southwest’s online communication and social media efforts. Prior to her work in social media, Paula was a spokesperson for the airline with emphasis on strategic communication, media relations, and reputation management. Paula also supervised on-location production for three seasons of Airline!, Southwest’s reality series for the A&E Television Network, which filmed Southwest’s daily operations in four cities. After brief stints selling beer on Phish tour and working for the Colorado and United States Senates, Paula woke up and smelled the jet fuel and began her career at Southwest Airlines in 2001. Paula is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned a bachelor's degree in communication and a minor in political science.

 

When: Thursday, April 30, 2009, 6 p.m.

 

Where: Embassy Suites East Peoria Hotel & Conference Center, 100 Conference Center Drive East Peoria, IL 61611, 309-694-0200 Office

 

Dinner selection: Taste of Italy Buffet includes: CAESAR SALAD, CHEF'S CHOICE OF VEGETABLE IN SEASON, BOWTIE PASTA or LINGUINE, MARINARA--PESTO--and PARMESAN CREAM SAUCES, MEATBALLS, GARLIC BREADSTICKS, SHREDDED PARMESAN CHEESE, COOKIES, TEA---COFFEE---WATER.

• Social hour: 6:00 p.m.
• Dinner: 7:00 p.m.
• Meeting: 8:00 p.m. Over by 9 p.m.

• Nonmembers $30
• Members $25
• Students $24

RSVP: Terri Johnson, tljohnson@eiu.edu, by April 23. Cancellations after close of business on April 23 will be subject to the full dinner charge. Please pay at the door with cash or check. (We apologize that credit cards cannot be accepted). If an invoice is requested prior to the event for business purposes, please advise of such with your RSVP.

 

Directions: Click Here for Google Maps

 

 

 

PR NEWS CSR Awards Announced

PR News just announced the winners of the 2009 CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Awards.  Check out all the award winners at http://www.prnewsonline.com/awards/csr2009winners.html.

PRSA National Writes Back on USA Today PR article

The USA Today wrote an article about the PR industry yesterday, February 10.   http://www.usatoday.com/money/books/2009-02-10-pr-book_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

PRSA National came out with the following response.

February 11, 2009

To the editor:

Seth Brown’s article and book review, “Despite Dim View of Public Relations, It May be Needed,” concludes that “PR is amoral, difficult to define, and difficult to measure.” Had Mr. Brown actually solicited input from the public relations industry in researching and writing his article, he would have come to a very different set of conclusions.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) champions a Code of Ethics for its 32,000 professional and student members and, more broadly, the public relations industry at large. The values it advances—Advocacy, Honesty, Expertise, Independence, Loyalty, and Fairness—are fundamental beliefs that guide the industry’s behaviors and decision-making process. The PRSA Code also contains specific provisions for advancing the free flow of accurate and truthful information, and for disclosing all information necessary to foster informed decision making in a democratic society.

In our complex, pluralistic society, public relations helps individuals reach decisions and function more effectively by contributing to mutual understanding among groups and institutions. It aids businesses, governments, and other organizations in understanding the attitudes and values of different audiences in order to further the achievement of their institutional goals. The public relations practitioner is a counselor to management and a mediator, helping to translate private aims into reasonable, publicly acceptable policies and actions, and to mitigate risks.

The outcomes that public relations drives are no longer difficult nor expensive to measure, and include both attitudinal and behavioral metrics, as well as financial measures, such as return-on-investment. Public relations’ effect on sales, market share, brand awareness, stock price, reputation and trust, customer satisfaction, fundraising, employee morale and retention, event participation, Web site traffic, and regulatory changes can all be quantified, by way of example.

Mr. Brown also decries the industry’s lack of formal training. In fact, PRSA maintains student chapters at 302 colleges and universities that offer baccalaureate degrees, are accredited by nationally or regionally recognized accrediting associations or boards, and offer a sequence of at least five courses in public relations that are supplemented by ancillary courses allied to this field of study.

Furthermore, PRSA and the Universal Accreditation Board, a consortium of 19 public relations and communications organizations, administer a course of study and testing that allow individuals to become Accredited in Public Relations (APR). The APR designation proves that an industry professional has successfully demonstrated competency in the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to practice public relations effectively in today’s business arena.

As for Mr. Brown’s use of “Hitler, Goebbels, and the Nazi propaganda machine” as a metaphor for the public relations industry, I would hasten to add that Hitler was a book author, as well.

Sincerely,

Michael Cherenson, APR

Chair and CEO

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

33 Maiden Lane

New York, NY 10038

212 460 1400

Social Media and the Effect on Communication Professionals – Are you ready to understand how it impacts your brand and reputation?

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Bloomington, Illinois
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) - Central Illinois Chapter

Social Media and the Effect on Communication Professionals – Are you ready to understand how it impacts your brand and reputation?

Joe Strupek, CPCU, CLU, is assistant vice president of Public Affairs at State Farm Corporate Headquarters in Bloomington, Ill. Joe will discuss the impact and influence of social media on advertising/marketing, public policy, media relations, customer service and community relationships – and the ultimate impact it has on brand and reputation.

Strupek joined State Farm in 1984 and has held various positions in the Claims, Learning and Development , Executive, and Public Affairs departments. His current responsibilities include internal and strategic communications, issues management, and he serves as the Brand Director.

Strupek has a bachelor’s degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and has earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations. He’s also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation, WTVP, in Peoria, Ill.

When: Thursday, March 5, 2009
Where: Central Station Café, 220 E Front St., Downtown Bloomington - (309) 828-2323 - http://www.centralstation.cc/
Dinner selection: Italian Buffet includes: 4 meat/4 cheese lasagna, Chicken Parmesan, Chef's Choice of Fresh Veggies, 2 Salads, Garlic toast, Brownie, Tea/Coffee/Water. Bar will be available.

Agenda:
Social hour: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: 7:00 p.m.
Meeting: 8:00 p.m.

Cost to attend (dinner included):
Non-members $30
Members $25
Students $22

RSVP: Liz Kerns, LFiala@gmail.com by February 26 or call 217-414-5312. Cancellations after close of business on February 26 will be subject to the full dinner charge. Please pay at the door with cash or check. (We apologize that credit cards cannot be accepted). If an invoice is requested prior to the event for business purposes, please advise of such with your RSVP.

Directions: Click Here for Google Maps

Ethics Corner: News Watch

It’s a new year, but the news continues to be filled with questions of ethics that affect perceptions of our profession and of important public institutions as well as corporate entities and non-profits. Here’s a sampling:

Illinois isn’t the only state with a governor whose performance has raised ethics issues. In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal has done a great job of self promotion but a poor one in doing his job, according to C.B. Forgotston, a political watchdog. The Shreveport Times reports that Jindal has promised passage of ethics reform, but Forgotston is skeptical that it will stop the corruption that has plagued Louisiana politics for decades.

The Financial Planning Association, a trade association, has no plans for public relations efforts, “despite the fact that a large majority of financial advisers are looking to industry organizations to help bolster their image in the wake of the Bernard Madoff scandal” (Investment News, January 5).

According to the Miami Herald, Monsanto’s claims that genetically modified (GM) foods will solve world hunger are a “gross overstatement at best and at worst an outright lie.” Additionally, neither side of the GM foods controversy can support that they are completely safe or unsafe.

Encroachment on public relations by journalism: Dan Abrams, former anchor and top executive with MSNBC, is launching a new public relations firm that will hire practicing journalists to advise corporate clients on handling the media. Conflict of interest, perhaps? Certainly a violation of journalistic ethics!

Environmental groups remain suspicious of business efforts to go green. Mark Jeantheau, of GrinningPlanet.com, writes that corporate public relations engages in doublespeak and code words to cover up a lack of sincere concern and action for improving the environment.

From north of the border, the revered Royal Canadian Mounted Police has a serious reputation building effort ahead. Part of it stems from management’s improprieties in handling of pension and insurance plans for the Mounties. A government report also noted that management frequently disregarded the force’s core values of honesty, integrity, compassion, respect, accountability, and professionalism.

Lapses in ethics continue to abound. It behooves us as PRSA members to maintain ethical practices and find ways to spread the word that public relations is not about making bad organizations look good.

Save the Date - PRSA International Conference 2009

Save the Date and plan on attending the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego from November 7 - 10.  For more information, visit:  http://www.prsa.org/.   

The Silver Anvil Awards - The Icon of Best Public Relations Practices

The Silver Anvil, symbolizing the forging of public opinion, is annually awarded to organizations, which have successfully addressed contemporary issues with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. In the 60-plus year history of the Silver Anvil Awards, more than 1,000 organizations have been recognized with Silver Anvils for excellence in public relations.

Silver Anvil Awards recognize complete programs incorporating sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. They must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession.  Deadline:  February 13, 2009

Professional Development Opportunity - AWC January 2009 Bloomington Meeting

• January Meeting Topic:   9 Tips for an Awesome 2009
• When: Jan. 14, 2009 * 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Where: Redfire Grille, Bloomington
• Meeting Info:  As we enter 2009 we face many unprecedented situations - a new presidential administration, uncertain economic stability, troops at war and more. AWC will kick-off 2009 with a powerful presentation to get you prepared for the year ahead. As we get back to fundamentals, our presenter will cover nine tips to create an awesome new year, including:
• Creating SMART goals
• Repeating affirmations daily
• Celebrating your wins regularly
• In addition, our speaker will unveil a special offer - an opportunity to participate in a Mastermind Team. You won't want to miss this meeting in order to get all the details and find out what this is all about.
• About the Speaker:  LaShanya Aikerson is our newly elected president-elect. She works as a Knowledge and Change Management contractor to State Farm Insurance. In addition, she does Corporate Training and Consulting and worked with such companies as IBM, American Express, AT&T, and Warner Bros. Her current workshops target Communication Power.
• Meal Choices
• Veggie wrap & sweet potato fries
• Pulled barbeque pork sandwich & sweet potato fries
• Cost:
• $16, members & students
• $20, guests
• This includes meal, beverage and a small contribution to AWC.

RSVP:  To register for this event, respond to the e-vite or email awc_bn@yahoo.com by 5 p.m. on Jan. 9.  Reservations that are not honored are subject to charge.

Welcome New Central Illinois PRSA 2009 Board

President and Assembly Delegate
Elizabeth Kerns, MA, IOM
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
217.522.5512 ext. 223
lkerns@ilchamber.org

President-Elect
Brian Sowa, Ph.D.
Eastern Illinois University
217.581.6943
bcsowa@eiu.edu

Secretary

Marcelyn Love

Illinois State Office of Communication
marcelyn.love@illinois.gov 

Treasurer
Jeff Brand, Ph.D.
Millikin University
217.424-6225
jbrand@mail.millikin.edu

Accreditation Chair
Ruth Slottag, APR
SIU School of Medicine
217.545.2819
rslottag@aol.com

Ethics and Advocacy Officer
Jeff Courtright, Ph.D.
Illinois State University
309.438.7310
jlcourt@ilstu.edu

Webmaster
Ernie Slottag, APR
City of Springfield
217.789.2235
eslottag@aol.com

Membership Chair
Deb McCarver, APR
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
217.522.5512 X244
dmccarver@ilchamber.org

Board Member at Large
Lewis Pryor, APR
State Farm
309-763-3436
lewis.pryor.gtg9@statefarm.com 

Past President
Terri Johnson ABC, APR
Eastern Illinois University
217.581.2326
tljohnson@eiu.edu

Interested in volunteering? E-mail any PRSA board member today!

Ethics Corner - December 2008 - By Jeff Courtright, Ph.D.

The Greek word from which we get “ethics” is also the one from which we get “ethos”—the personal character we bring to our communication in public lives. Yet how do we balance the public and the private? Take a moment to reflect: A productive work life, a happy home, time for leisure (I know, some of you are saying, “What’s that?”), and taking care of your health, physical, mental, and spiritual. How do you keep it all in balance?

A recent article in the new PRSA online research journal, Public Relations Journal, may not provide the answers, but it sheds some light on the problems we have balancing our lives and how public relations professionals manage this balance (defined as “the balance between personal, home, and work responsibilities”).

In the article, Aldoory, Jiang, Toth and Sha (2008) studied how work-life balance is perceived by male and female practitioners. The researchers conducted eight focus groups, one all-male group and one all-female group in each of four cities (Washington, New York, Chicago, and San Diego). Moderators also were the same sex as the participants. Several interesting findings suggest some things to think about as we go about our business.

First, the participants tended to look at their lives holistically, i.e., work and personal lives are not two separate things. The balance is fluid and the complexity deep. Words such as “tug of war,” “multitasking,” “integration,” “juggling,” and “flexibility” were used in focus groups to characterize perspectives on managing the balance. Personal/home life was limited to just family. Respondents include exercise, athletics, private time, and time for pets.

Of course, there are many factors that affect our perceptions of how well we balance our public and private lives. Partners and supervisors can adjust our thoughts and feelings about the balance in either a positive or a negative way.

Gender also was a factor. Interestingly, men stressed the need for integration but viewed the problem of balancing work and family as more of an issue for women. Before you groan or shake your head, hang on: the all-female focus groups expressed the same idea. Indeed, one female participant suggested that women place that expectation on themselves. In fact, one of the key findings in the study is that these practitioners, when they perceived that their level of balance was not where they wanted to be, either would express feelings of guilt or discuss what factors in their lives they would blame for the imbalance.

Here are the challenges that practitioners face, based on the study. (Perhaps you’ll recognize some of them.)

1. Public relations itself is a service industry that is a balancing act; expect struggling with balance due to the nature of the profession.
2. Society’s perceptions of what makes for a good professional and a good balance create pressures on us.
3. Sometimes employers only give “lip service” to flexible leave policies, in reality giving the impression that taking advantage of such policies would negatively affect one’s career.
4. As noted above, the women themselves saw other women (and sometimes themselves) as a source of the “super woman” image. Our perceptions create barriers.
5. Using technology in a balanced way can be a challenge. (How addicted are you to e-mail or your Blackberry?)
6. The fluidity of self-identity makes it hard to maintain some degree of balance. Since work and personal life are never truly separate, how can you manage the ebb and flow of life?
7. Parenthood. ‘Nough said.
8. Some practitioners lengthen their hours at work in order to satisfy what needs to be done. Is this wise? Does it help bring about balance or not?
9. The amount of guilt felt when one part of life “intrudes” on another.

As stated previously, the study doesn’t provide answers to achieving “balance.” However, the participants did identify some strategies to help:

1. Open and honest communication with supervisors, partners, spouses, etc.
2. Time management with the use of firm routines for weekdays and weekends.
3. Use new technology to your advantage. It can help you manage work issues when at home and vice versa (and likely other places).
4. If your current job makes it too difficult to balance life, leave. (The study stated it this way because that’s how the participants talked about it. I would certainly say, “Consider it carefully.”)
5. Discover the amount of balance you can achieve, and recognize that it won’t be perfect. Accept what you can’t change, change what you can, and know the difference.

For the complete article, go to http://auth.iweb.prsa.org/xmembernet/main/pdfpull.cfm?prcfile=6D-020401.pdf. If you bookmark http://www.prsa.org/prjournal, you can see one of the many benefits that your PRSA membership makes possible for you.

2009-2010 Board of Directors

Dear Members of Central Illinois PRSA,

I am sending you the slate for the 2009-2010 board of directors for the chapter. We will formally vote on these at the Dec. 3 membership meeting in Springfield, when we will hear all about the Bicentennial celebration of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

I look forward to your feedback on the slate. Please let me know your interest in working on any committees during the next year and your approval or concerns by return e-mail.

Please reply that you agree to suspending the rules and only have a 29 days instead of the 30 required in the bylaws. The formal vote, again, will be in Springfield on Dec. 3. If you cannot attend that event, please feel free to e-mail your acceptance of the slate or your disapproval of the slate, as well. The officers serve two year terms. The board terms are one year.

Sincerely,
Terri

tljohnson@eiu.edu

Slate for 2009-2010 Board of Directors for Central Illinois PRSA

• Liz Kerns, Illinois Chamber of Commerce – President and Assembly Delegate
• Brian Sowa, Ph.D., Eastern Illinois University – President-Elect
• Terri Johnson, APR Eastern Illinois University – Immediate Past President
• Jeff Brand, Millikin University – Treasurer
• Marcelyn Love, Illinois State Office of Communication – Secretary
• Jeff Courtright, Ph.D., Illinois State University – Board member and Ethics & Advocacy Officer
• Ruth Slottag,APR, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine – Board member and APR Chair
• Ernie Slottag, APR, City of Springfield – Board member and Webmaster
• Deb McGarver, APR, Illinois Chamber of Commerce – Board member and Membership Chair

December Meeting! December 4 in Springfield, IL

Bonus Tactics Online article: PR legend Harold Burson, APR, Fellow PRSA, shares advice on PR profession

Source: http://prsa.org/supportfiles/news/viewNews.cfm?pNewsID=842347662

On Oct. 23, the City College of New York hosted “The Living Room Experience” with Harold Burson, APR, Fellow PRSA, founding chairman of Burson-Marsteller. The 87-year-old PR veteran spoke with moderator and professor Alicia Evans and a crowd of about 60 PR students and professionals.

In a wood-paneled room with stained glass windows, surrounded by pillows, cushions, rugs and plants, Evans and members of the audience asked Burson, the architect of the largest PR agency in the world, about how he got his start, changes he has seen in the profession through the years and tips for future and current PR professionals.

Defining public relationsBurson began by stating that public relations has been around since people first started interacting with each other. He referenced early PR practitioners like Ivy Lee and Edward L. Bernays, while encapsulating the history of profession. Burson cited Bernays as the person who first established the methodology of public relations, which he says is very much still the methodology of today.

He agrees with Bernays’ original definition of public relations as the function, which analyzes public opinion and helps determine a policy or actions that will agree with the public interest. He added, “after you set your course of behavior and actions that way, then you start communicating… and public relations really has two parts: behavior and communication. I subscribe very much to his definition, but what I have been objecting to the last 20 years is how the word communications has taken over as a descriptor for public relations and I think it really demeans what we do.”

An early startBurson began working at The Memphis Commercial Appeal, a daily newspaper, when he was 13 years old. He received on-the-spot editing and advice from his editor, which he said was the best training he’s ever had. After graduating from high school at age 15, Burson went to college at Ole Miss and became a stringer for the Memphis paper, making 14 cents per column inch.

Around 1940, he started working and “realized it is better to be part of management rather than to be the people who do all the work,” he said. Burson met the owner of a construction company who asked him to take a leave of absence and handle media relations for him. Six months later he was in New York doing publicity for the company. Burson decided he wanted to learn the business and traveled with him for three years, which he referred to as his “business school education.” So, by age 25, he was already working with the business press and the trade press in publicity and started on his own firm in August of 1946 with two clients. Soon after, he teamed up with Bill Marsteller, who was known for his advertising tactics, founding the Burson-Marsteller agency.

The agency goes internationalA defining moment for Burson-Marsteller came in 1959 when Burson read a New York Times article stating that a treaty had been agreed upon by six European nations that would start a common market. Shortly thereafter, two of his largest clients announced that they were opening manufacturing operations in Europe. Since Burson was always interested in foreign relations, he decided to expand into Europe. The agency opened its first office in Geneva in 1960 and opened its second office in Berlin in 1965.

“From 1960 to 1990, Burson-Marsteller and Hill & Knowlton — the largest firm overseas at the time — were the only two local PR firms,” he said. “It was a great market for us. International business was more profitable than domestic business and for thirty years, Burson-Marsteller and Hill & Knowlton had the international business to ourselves.”

After Burson briefly discussed his foray into the PR profession, he fielded questions from Evans and the audience. Among the topics covered:

What is the common thread in public relations in all countries?
“I’ve always had trouble with international public relations, I don’t think there is any such thing. Public relations is country by country by country so basically its being able to coordinate and… deliver the same message in all these different countries, taking into account the differences in culture and the way that they do business.”

What keeps you enthused?
“I like the people and getting involved in [solving] different problems. I like young people and I like going into the office each day. I have three ongoing client interests (now four) that I continue to putter around with… Merrill Lynch, Coca-Cola and recently AIG and I still do some institutional and ceremonial appearances.”

What in this business is always consistently true?
“The basics of the business have been constant since the beginning and will be constant until the end of time and that is that you can’t make promises and not deliver on them — and that if you are going to make a claim, you’ve got to deliver on that claim. Also I feel that every action that is not in the interest of the people and does not meet public expectations may be successful in the short term, but it will never be successful in the long term. I believe that truth, transparency, and payoffs… I think if you have problems, no matter how serious or difficult, try to make it and get by — make a one day story out of it if you can. I think our successes depend on our serving the public with truthfulness.”

“Looking ahead, there will be a very tough job market. Particularly in the field of communications, there are more college graduates coming out of school than there are jobs — you need to know that you’re going to have a lot of competition when you get out there.”

Burson also offered three important things young people and professionals should be doing right now:

1. Build A Network. There is nothing that will serve you more in life, no matter how old you grow up to be, than being networked with people. Being networked is not only just knowing somebody — but you’ve got to work to keep in contact with those people. And the trick is you want to try to network with the winners, and not the losers.- We did a survey in our New York office on how people got to Burson-Marsteller and for 40 percent of them, it was by knowing somebody who knew somebody — sometimes three or four remote. But with these networks — you know, if you get into trouble or need some information, you’ve got somebody you can call on. I urge you to keep up with people who you think are going to be important in your life and to start now.

2. Spend as much time as you possibly can trying to be a good writer. If you are a good writer, then you are going to be a special person in any organization that you have anything to do with. If somebody comes into our organization and it becomes known that they can write well, that person becomes 110 percent billable almost over night. There are so few people who are coming out of school today who are really good writers. Writing is really getting to be a dying art and the computers and text messaging is not helping it at all.

3. Try to develop a body of knowledge about a lot of different things. Whenever anything comes up, at least you can talk for two minutes about it and make people think you are smart. You have to be able to speak knowledgeably for the first few minutes and the only way I know how to do that is to do as much reading as you possibly can — newspapers, magazines, books, talk shows on television and things like that. My father had an expression — he said that you should “always be in the know.”

Amy Jacques is the associate editor of Tactics and The Strategist Online. E-mail: amy.jacques@prsa.org.

October Ethics Minute from PRSA Central Illinois

Well, it’s the silly season again. After a long, long, run up to the presidential primaries and conventions, we finally have arrived at the weeks after Labor Day leading to the November election. And what have we heard? We’ve heard both candidates accuse each other of being “celebrities,” and what was fine for Barack Obama to say against Hillary Clinton’s policies (i.e., “like putting lipstick on a pig”) became a sexist slur on Sarah Palin when Obama used the same phrase to describe McCain’s proposals for governance. What has happened to ethical, reasonable debate on the issues?


Well, if you want a good catalog of other bad examples, see Joe Klein’s article in Time magazine, “The Lying Game,” published online September 17 and released in print September 29. For other examples of messages out of control, check out the “Screwups of Campaign ‘08” on the same magazine’s website. What’s unfortunate is that many equate political “spin” with the public relations profession at large.

What is fortunate is that PRSA has undertaken an effort to encourage ethical communication during these last weeks of the race. In early August, PRSA National's Advocacy Advisory Board set up a Facebook group – Clean and Fair Campaign 2008 – to promote one of its proactive themes for the year, civil discourse in the presidential campaign. According to the initial call via e-mail, the board’s thinking was to” garner a large group of members who would, effectively, constitute a nationwide ‘petition’ on behalf of the principles of the group.” As of mid-October, the group has nearly 2300 members.

I’m also pleased to report that our chapter has had a role in the national effort. PRSA Associate Director Joe DeRupo sent a call out to the group to obtain possible contacts with the two presidential campaigns. I was able to put him in touch with Audrey Till, an alumna of the Illinois State University public relations program, who is working on the Obama campaign.

For more information about the Clean and Fair Campaign, check out its page on Facebook, letters issued to the McCain and Obama campaigns on September 10, and the PRSA Advocacy Media Room.

Also, if you hear of any issues of communication ethics or advocacy that our chapter should address at the state level—political or otherwise, please contact me at jlcourt@ilstu.edu  – I’ll be glad to bring them to the chapter executive board for discussion and attention via this website and other venues with the board’s approval!

New Member Recommends Reading - Guest Lecturing

I saw this and thought it might be helpful to the APRs in the PRSA-CI chapter. It’s a free guidebook about guest lecturing, and it seems pretty useful.

http://www.instituteforpr.org/education/guest_lecturing/

Best regards always,
Pete Smudde

PRSA Fall Meeting Details Announced! RSVP today!

Reputation and Its Impact on the Bottom Line
By Michael Cherenson, APR, Chair-Elect, National PRSA
Please Join us in Bloomington, Thursday September 25

In 2007, Michael Cherenson was named Chair-elect of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world's largest organization for public relations professionals, with more than 32,000 members, 109 Chapters nationwide, and 19 Professional Interest Sections. Cherenson will assume the role of PRSA Chair and CEO in 2009. Prior to his election, he served as PRSA Secretary and was a three-year member of the organization's Board of Directors.

Cherenson's expertise extends to all disciplines of public relations, including corporate, marketing, internal and crisis communication, government relations, event management, and interactive public relations. At Success Communications Group, he serves as the senior public relations counselor and strategist, and is involved with all public relations activities for the firms' diverse clientele.

An 18-year industry veteran and the author of three studies on the impact of reputation, Cherenson is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Universal Accreditation Board and holds an Advanced Certification in Political Management from the Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) at George Washington University, Washington, DC.

During his tenure on the PRSA Board of Directors, Cherenson served as chair of the PRSA Advocacy Advisory Board, liaison to the Board of Professional Ethics and Standards and the Public Relations Student Society of America, and co-authored a PRSA study on MBA Programs and their communication curricula. In 2005, Cherenson represented PRSA and the U.S. State Department and its Bureau of International Information Programs on a mission to Croatia, where he served as a keynote speaker at the 6th Annual Croatian Public Relations Association Conference.

An advisory board member to the University of Florida's Department of Public Relations and Fairleigh Dickinson University's Corporate and Organizational Communication Department, he is past president of the NJ Chapter of the PRSA, which honored him with its Service Award in 2002. Cherenson is a graduate of Ithaca College, NY.

• Date: Thursday, September 25, 2008
• Agenda: 6 p.m.- Social/Networking; 7 p.m. – Dinner Served; 8 p.m. -Program
• Location: Alexander’s Steak House at 1503 E. College Ave. in Normal, IL. For directions, please refer to mapquest.com or call 309-454-7300.
• Menu: Choice of Pork Chop, Chicken Breast or Top Sirloin; Salad Bar; Baked Potato; Texas Toast; soda, ice tea, coffee
• Cost: Members: $25; Non-Members: $30; Students: $22
• RSVP: To Liz Kerns (lfiala@gmail.com) by 5 p.m., Monday, September 22nd with your meal selection. Cancellations after close of business, Tuesday, September 23rd will be subject to the full dinner charge. Please pay at the door with cash or check. (We apologize that credit cards cannot be accepted). If an invoice is requested prior to the event for business purposes, please advise of such with your RSVP.

Our friends at PRA are have a September Meeting....

PRA has updated their website with information about their September kickoff meeting. PRA meet September - May. The event is on September 17 and will be a media panel with representatives from the Peoria Journal Star, WEEK-News 25 and WMBD-1470AM. Interested? Let them know you are a PRSA member!

More information: http://www.pracentillinois.org/pra-news/

RSVP: Reservations open the first week of September and they will have RSVP information available at that time.

Contact: Rhonda Parker, Director of Development and Communications, Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception; 309-674-2005; heading_ave_dev@yahoo.com

Web Membership Contest: You could win a free PRSA membership in August.

If you are not yet a member of PRSA but would like to be, here is your opportunity. PRSA will give away a free one-year PRSA National membership, along with other prizes including: a silver Balmaine concorde pen, black leather backpack with drawstring top, travel clock with calculator and calendar, and a baseball visor cap.

 

How to Participate...  visit http://www.prsa.org/membership/freemembership.html. 

Complete the entry form including:

Your contact information.

Profile questions.

Challenge questions.

1. What is the name of the seminar to be held in Boston Sept. 8-9? (Hint: click Professional Development, then Calendar of Events at http://www.prsa.org/)
2. How many PRSA Chapters are located in the state of Oregon? (Hint: click Networking then Chapters at http://www.prsa.org/)
3. Who is one of the keynote speakers for the 2008 PRSA International Conference?

Rules:  The contest is open to PRSA nonmembers who are residents of the U.S. In order to be considered, the correct answers to the three challenge questions must accompany the completed entry forms. The winners will be drawn at random from the eligible entries. Winners will be notified in September.

Good Luck!

PRSA Member, Thurwanger, Changes Careers but Remains in Central Illinois

Michael Thurwanger of Peoria, a former commander and public relations specialist with the U.S. Navy, current PRSA member, and Central Illinois PRSA Board Member, has been named director of the Ronald W. Reagan Leadership Program at Eureka College effective July 1. He also will teach communication courses at the college.

Thurwanger retired in 1996 after 20 years with the Navy, including more than 15 years as a public affairs officer. His responsibilities included directing public relations support for high-profile international events for the Third Fleet and developing communication strategies for the Secretary of Defense. Other responsibilities included media relations, production of Navy publications and developing curriculum for and instructing at Department of Defense Information schools.

For more information, visit:  http://www.eureka.edu/news/releases/spring08/thurwanger_reagans.htm 

AWC - Bloomingtom/Normal has an award winner! Next Event!

Host: AWC-Bloomington/Normal


Location: Redfire Grille, 1605 S. Morrissey Drive, Bloomington, IL 61704 US

When: Wednesday, August 13, 11:30AM

On Sept. 26, 2008, Bloomington-Normal chapter member Maria Henneberry will accept a national AWC Headliner Award at the AWC conference in Washington D.C. The award recognizes one member who has recent national accomplishments, as well as consistent communications excellence. Henneberry joins the ranks of past winners including Barbara Walters, Rita Cosby and syndicated columnist Heloise.

Join the Bloomington-Normal chapter on Aug. 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Redfire Grille as we honor and hear from Maria. She will discuss her career journey, including:
-Favorite aspects of a media career
-Overcoming challenges
-Guiding principles for success

R.S.V.P. by 4 p.m. on Aug. 8

Don't miss this chance to learn from a Headliner. Please respond to the e-vite or awc_bn@yahoo.com. Indicate number of attendees and meal choice of veggie wrap or blackened chicken breast sandwich.

$16 for members, $19 for guests. We kindly request all reservations are honored with payment.

To Learn More:  Visit the Events page on www.awc-bn.org to learn more about Maria and upcoming events.