Live PRSSA to the Fullest: How to Get the Most Out of Your Membership

PRSSA Executive Board at Blaze Pizza for a fundraiser!

When I first joined PRSSA as a shy, unsure freshman, I struggled to find my place and figure out where I fit in the crowd. At first, it was all a bit overwhelming and I did not know where to start. Now, in the first semester of my junior year and a member of eboard, there are a few things I would like to tell my freshman self on how to step outside of my comfort zone and get the most out of my membership. If you are a new member of PRSSA and wondering how to get the most out of your membership, here are some tips and ways to get involved.

1. Join the mentorship program

The mentorship program is, without a doubt, my favorite part of PRSSA. It is the best way to connect with an older member of the organization and they are typically your “first friend.” You are paired based on interests and personality and throughout every semester fun mentor/mentee events are held to help break the ice and bond. You can also meet with your mentor for coffee and/or dinner throughout the semester. Your mentor is there to offer advice and guidance, whether it be about classes, internships or Temple in general. Both of my mentors have been instrumental in my growth as a PRSSA member and an aspiring PR professional. Your mentors can open doors for you and are a huge asset. If you have yet to sign up, fill out an application here: https://www.templeprssa.org/mentorship-program

2. Attend networking events.

PRSSA works very hard to ensure members have access to as many networking events as possible. In a city as vibrant as Philadelphia, there is always something to attend. PRSSA works closely with PPRA and PRSA organizations to provide networking events for college-age students. PPRA hosts two great events every year: Networking 101 and Careers 101. These events allow students to meet with professionals in the field. It is the perfect way to become comfortable with meeting people, branding yourself and practicing that very important elevator pitch. PRSSA also holds a conference every year, and this year we are honored to host a regional conference. (For more information, visit: https://www.templeprssa.org/regionalconference.) The conference features a strong panel of guests, from professionals in the nonprofit world, sports, entertainment, agency and so much more. These events are the best way to become comfortable with networking and help you meet as many people as possible. Who knows, maybe the person you network with at the next PPRA event could be your future boss!

3. Join and contribute to a committee.

PRSSA currently has four committees: PR, Digital, Fundraising and Community Service. All of these committees can help you gain experience and knowledge of some different areas of PR. Interested in practicing pitches and learning how to write a press release? Join PR! Interested in writing blog posts and learning how to handle social media for an organization? Join Digital! Interested in planning fundraising events for the chapter? Join Fundraising! Interested in giving back to the community and helping others? Join Community Service! Each committee offers plenty of ways to get involved with the chapter. Fundraising and Community Service frequently hold events outside of meeting times, like food drives and visits to serve dinner at a local homeless shelter. The Digital committee allows members to sign up and contribute to the blog and to social media (TIP: these are great to showcase as writing samples in interviews and are great additions to your portfolio!). The PR committee often holds workshops to help members strengthen their skills. To learn more about each committee and how to get involved, visit: https://www.templeprssa.org/committees

Becoming an involved member of PRSSA is a crucial way to get the most out of your membership. PRSSA is always offering events, programs and workshops to help elevate your skills and open more doors for your future. Joining the mentorship program, attending networking events or contributing to a committee are just some of the many ways to become the best PRSSA member and pre-professional you can be!

This blog post was written by Caitlin Gemmi, Digital Publications Editor.

Celebrating Diversity in PR

Public Relations is the art of connecting with people. It involves the ability of creating relationships between organizations and their publics. It involves the power of making the world as passionate about something as the people we are representing. That power comes with a huge responsibility: understanding people and using our voice to produce positive influence. In order to successfully do that, we must appreciate different perspectives and respect everyone that comes from all walks of life.

This month PRSA chose to focus on diversity. According to dictionary.com, diversity is the “state or fact of being diverse; difference; unlikeness”. All of that is correct, but it is so much more than that. It’s a celebration of differences - different perspectives, different cultures and different stories that lead people down individual paths. All of these paths produce billions of distinct people. Growing up in a generation that is proud of having diversity incorporated in every area of our lives is a blessing and a privilege. Celebrating diversity is equivalent to celebrating equal opportunity. The truth is, if you don’t appreciate diversity, you can not fight for equality and that is a fight that belongs to all of us.

The real question is, where does this fight take place in our field? The answer is simple. The fight belongs at wherever the conversation is taking place. We can incorporate diversity by allowing space at the table for every voice to be heard equally. If PR is the art of connecting with people, we must pay attention to those that are easily dismissed, because everyone has a voice that deserves to be valued. Every human has a perspective that deserves to be shared. Every professional has a distinct contribution that only they can bring due to their individual’s experience. A person’s race, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, social class and the community they were raised in might not define them, but it gives them a special angle in our field.

“The US consumer market is changing. Multicultural Americans are not only driving culture, but we’re driving markets,” said Andrew McCaskill, Senior Vice President of Nielsen. “If your teams don’t reflect or understand your customer base, it’s not just bad optics; it’s strategy malpractice.”

As professionals, we can definitely make an effort to understand every customer, but would it not be more valuable to incorporate people on our teams that have direct connections to the demographics we are attempting to reach? The millennial demographic is a diverse one, which means that having diverse team members is an essential component that every PR professional should take seriously.

Working in public relations allows us to build these beautiful bridges between organizations and their publics. These bridges connect people in mutually beneficial relationships that hopefully contribute positively to the world. However, to build a bridge with a strong foundation we must incorporate people with strong voices that offer a different perspective and the ability to connect with groups of people, especially those that usually lack representation. As PRSSA members, we get to decide what type of professionals we are going to be in the future. Let’s decide to be professionals that make room for everyone at the table.

This blog post was written by Maria Ribeiro, General Body Member

Reflection on the #MeToo Movement: What Can We Do as PR Professionals?

The Me Too Movement went viral with the #MeToo hashtag in the fall of 2017 that prompted men and women around the world to share their stories of sexual assault, harassment and abuse. #MeToo was started back in 2006 by social activist and organizer Tarana Burke. She started the campaign on MySpace to promote empowerment of women of color who were victims of abuse, specifically in less privileged communities. Alyssa Milano, a popular actress, drew attention to this movement when she used the hashtag on Twitter after the very first allegations that came out against prominent film producer Harvey Weinstein in October of 2017. What followed was a widespread movement of victims coming out with their stories and allegations through social media and news media, which outed various public figures in Hollywood.

After Milano made her tweet, the hashtag was used by more than 4.7 million people in over 12 million posts on Facebook in the first 24 hours. The overwhelming participation in the #MeToo hashtag proved that this movement was not just a viral moment, and that Hollywood was not the only industry being exposed. Revelations of sexual harassment and abuse have also been made in the music industry, politics, academia and the sciences, organized religion, sports, military, college campuses and corporate environments.

It has been almost a year since the height of the #MeToo movement and it has not lost traction in 2018. Donald Trump’s presidency has been filled with controversial moments related to this movement, from the Access Hollywood tape, his alleged rape of his ex-wife Ivana, and now his defense of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in light of multiple sexual assault allegations during his confirmation hearings. As I am writing this, his first accuser, Dr. Christine Ford is telling her story on a national stage. It is clear that sexual assault and misconduct have touched every area of society, and has included people of all genders, ages, races, professions, and social statuses. We have seen the outpouring of stories from victims and their abusers over the last two years, but have we seen any change or consequences for these offenders?

In many of these accounts of sexual assault, harassment or violence, the abuser has been publicly shamed via the media, but only few have been held legally accountable for their actions. Harvey Weinstein, actor Bill Cosby, Olympic athletics doctor Larry Nassar, music producer Dr. Luke, Stanford swimmer Brock Turner and rapper 6ix9ine have seen criminal trials for their abuse, some of whom were eventually sentenced while some were left with a slap on the wrist and a dent on their reputation.

There have been celebrities, companies, organizations and fan bases that have publicly supported alleged abusers, despite statements and proof from their victims. Victim blaming and gaslighting are a prevalent response to many of these allegations, and is part of the reason victims fear reporting and telling the public what happened to them. Others have created a “cancelled” culture by removing their endorsement or support of any public figure the moment they are accused or called out for their behavior to hold them accountable.

I have felt very empowered and inspired by the #MeToo movement to use my voice for change. I have great respect for the individuals who have bravely shared their stories, despite enduring online hate, disbelief, and threats to their personal lives, in order to remove abusers from positions of power and protect others.

As a communications and public relations student, I have a commitment to being a truthful and ethical communicator. I feel it is important to believe victims and empower them to share their truth. It is important to pay attention. If as a society we continue to tolerate abhorrent behavior, we send the message that abuse is acceptable in the workplace and elsewhere. I believe we must hold each other accountable and speak up. As public relations professionals, it is our duty to give a voice to those who cannot speak. We have the ability to create influence on public opinion and perspective for the better by using our platforms and resources to make change. I choose not to defend or downplay the actions of individuals who create unsafe environments, violate and endanger the physical and mental health of others, and use their power or position to take advantage of people.

Looking to the future, I hope the many professional industries who have been affected and continue to be affected by this movement carry a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault and harassment, so we do not continue to say #MeToo.

This blog post was written by Olivia Rotondo, Vice President