Intro to Public Relations Assignment #2

Humane Society Press Release

Article #1

Article #2

Emily Metts
February 25, 2008
JCOM 2300
Intro to Public Relations
Assignment #2: Press Release to Stories

Article 1:
I’m a great believer that animals deserve to be treated humanely, no matter their size, that’s why I chose to use a press release sent out by the Humane Society. It praised Florida for becoming the 35th state to ban internet hunting. I found several different articles related to this interesting new concept that, I will have to admit, I had never heard about before and was very interested to find out more information.
The first article I found came from a local Fox news affiliate in Panama City Florida which discussed the recent meeting of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission where they voted unanimously to ban this inhumane act of internet hunting. They informed readers that, “it originated in Texas several years ago with a Web site that allowed hunters to shoot captive animals by lining up a shot on their computer monitor and controlling a gun with their mouse. The carcass then would be shipped to the customer.” This article was negative towards this new practice of hunting and very positive about the ban. They supplied quotes from the FWC spokesman like, "It's just a violation of all the ethics of fair chase.” They also informed readers that both hunting groups and animal rights advocates, who are usually on opposite sides of the fight, are both opposing this practice, and more states are on their way to banning it as well. Both Utah and Oklahoma have bans pending.

Article: 2
The next article that I found was from the Orlando Sentinel, a Florida based newspaper, and they were also positive about the ban of internet hunting. In fact I couldn’t find any articles that were negative about the recent ban. This article discussed that no one was opposing this new ban and that they couldn’t imagine who would. The article also gave a little bit of history on this new form of hunting, apparently the first and only website for internet hunting started in 2004 and charged $150 an hour and a monthly fee. It has since shut down, and not surprisingly was the only one of its kind, but just to be sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen again states are taking precautions to ban it before it can start again.

Assignment #2: Press Release to Stories
Press releases are very effective tools for companies to get their message out to the public, however only the newsworthy ones actually get attention from the media. In this case the Humane Societies press release about Florida becoming the 35th state to ban internet hunting was very newsworthy. It was something interesting and outrageous that no one had ever heard of before. People were shocked by this new form of hunting; therefore the media had incentive to cover it.
Press releases can serve several different purposes. They can be a way for a company to apologize for any wrongdoing that has occurred. They can be used as a tool to announce a new product. Or, like in this press release put out by the humane society, they can simply be used to get new information out to the public.
A lot of press releases are the drive behind the article, however in this case I don’t think that is what happened. I think that the humane society got the information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and this press release their way of praising them. The articles I found would have been written whether or not the Humane Society sent out a press release.
I believe this press release was effective because they told us the most important information at the beginning.I think that is one of the most important things to think about when writing a press release. It has to catch the reader’s attention in order for them to want to read on and get into what you really are trying to say.

Intro to PR Positioning Framework

Assignment #1

Positioning Framework

Emily Metts

My great love of public relations, new and innovative ideas, and the bustling city life has prompted me to seek a job at Shift Communications, a public relations agency based in Boston and San Francisco, upon graduation. Shift Communications is all about helping new companies break into the market and their strategies have made them one of the leading firms in the area. Their clients come in every shape and size from all over the globe. I would fit right in with this company. I love thinking creatively and with the extensive travelling I have done throughout the world, I would become a great asset to their international clients. I plan to finish my education in public relations to better prepare myself for a career with this company.

OBJECTIVES

Before I graduate in May of 2009, I will gain more information on the public relations industry in the Boston and San Francisco area and find out how to compete with other hopeful applicants.

The job market is becoming more and more competitive now that there are a growing number of people who graduate from college. Every year the number of people who go to college keeps increasing making it more important than ever to find something that makes you stand out to your potential employer.

I will take college courses that make me more able to adapt to the professional environment that my employer as well as potential client will expect me to already know.

I have taken several computer literacy classes throughout my education that will help me in an increasingly paperless world. I have also taken web design classes that will help me attract clients who know that the only way to compete in the market these days is to be online.

OUTPUT OBJECTIVES

I will create relationships with public relations employers by the time I graduate in the spring of 2009.

I will find contacts in the industry and start creating my own social network. I will try to find anyone with a background in the industry and pick their brains to gain the information I need to become better equipped for the industry.

I will have an internship with Shift Communications within the first year after my graduation.

I would be working with an agent at the company who would show me the ins and outs of the way the industry works and how they do business. I would be living and working in Boston and creating my own list of contacts with clients and other companies. It would be the beginning of my career in public relations.

TALKING POINTS

FAST AND EFFICIENT

· I work well under pressure; I can get things done fast and flawlessly. “Emily can handle anything that I throw at her, if something unexpectedly comes up she is the first person I go to and she handles it without hesitation,” says Kent Ody, current employer.

· I have worked at an animal research center for about a year now and the nature of the work that I do there requires me to be accurate and efficient because the research the scientists are doing depends on it.

· Throughout my education I have learned different habits to becoming a good student, being efficient in all my studies has helped me to really take pride in all my work and make sure it is completed to the best of my ability.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

· I lived in Tokyo, Japan for five years, which taught me how to adapt well to new surroundings.

· I have visited several different countries throughout the world and learned all about their cultures and would be able to work well with international clients.

· I embrace new ideas. Moving around as a child gave me the opportunity to see constant change and new ideas get me excited and my creative mind starts working.

PERSONABLE

· I can relate to just about anyone. “Emily was one of our best callers, we were sad to lose her, she could carry on a conversation with anyone and make them feel comfortable and they would really listen to what she had to say,” says Lucia Patterson, former employer.

· I have been in several different clubs throughout my education and they have really helped me become a great people person.

· Throughout my education I have been able be a part of several different group projects and I have always worked well with others in my group and I have really learned what a great asset group collaboration is.