The Value Of Actual Public Relations
I’m currently a double grad student seeking to expand my knowledge in the fields of public administration and public relations. To be clear, it is not my intention to turn either of those into a career. Rather, I hope to learn the methods utilized in these areas of academia to become a more proficient communicator and specialist in those respective areas. But during the past 4 months, I’ve become more and more surprised and disturbed about something. It’s not the instruction being taught, rather, the instruction that isn’t.
I was a kid of the eighties. This meant several things, such as having the patience to wait until Saturday morning for a marathon cartoon-watching session and earning the responsibility from my non-cellphone-bearing parents to be home when the street lights came on. It also meant that technological changes were turning analog to digital, magnetic strips to binary code and 25 cent postage stamps into clickable value fields on a green monochrome screen. I was raised sharing my father’s passion for technology and electronics. Our first computers were by the likes of Texas Instrument and Commodore, and I can still hear the sound of the dot matrix printer zipping back and forth, devouring accordion-styled paper feeds as my father worked on his master’s degree. Around 1989, I created my first social media account on a platform known as Prodigy. The now defunct company yielded to powerhouse AOL and ‘on to the next thing’ we all went. I survived those 3.5” floppy discs that came in the mail and was intrigued by the message boards and chat rooms that were becoming ever popular, embracing the anonymity of profile-less screen names.
I mention all of this to support the notion that I’m aware of the benefits and ever-expanding reach and usefulness that the online universe provides, particularly as the owner of two small businesses. The ability to reach audiences and network via sites like LinkedIn are hugely beneficial to anyone looking to further their careers, or perhaps find a long-lost childhood friend. What is often overlooked are the side effects.
While in law school, and even before, I found myself thoroughly entertained by commercials. We’ve all heard vehicle salespeople on the radio pitching their spiel followed by a barrage of hastily articulated legalese. We’ve also seen the protracted television ads for a new medication. The pharmaceutical giants play delicate music with strategically-placed visuals of people holding hands and smiling, while an almost monotone voice rambles off a list of devastating possible consequences for taking that tiny little pill. Here, as I undergo this process of working towards becoming an alleged “master” in this field of public relations, I continue to seek out the fine print and associated risks.
During my undergrad, I was in pursuit of my BS in National Security @NJCU. As part of the curriculum, I was required to take such courses as Public Speaking, Executive Communication in National Security and others. In these classes we were molded and educated on the importance of networking, both digitally and by grasping someone’s hand. We stood before the classroom and spoke on issues and topics with the purpose of becoming better orators. I had the privilege of working under some incredible people including a gentleman by the name of Professor John Gorscak and the brilliant and intuitive Dr. Kathleen Rennie. They understood the importance of eye contact, etiquette, and most importantly, the invaluable benefit of forming deeper, long-lasting relationships.
Now that I transition along my educational path into my grad studies, it seems that I’ve noticed two distinct areas of concern. First, the value of interpersonal relationships is exchanged for a wide audience with shallow depth of personability, and with little likelihood of forming a rapport that would extend beyond the current campaign. Second, many students in my cohort have difficulty understanding what takes place beyond an LED screen pertaining to interviewing, networking events and the like. This is not to discredit these intelligent and creative individuals, but to highlight the side effects of technology dictating the method of connectivity with their peers via threads and posts.
Billboards may catch your attention, but handing someone a business card will make them remember you. The importance of having face-to-face contact over social media as a means of true networking was supported this past week, as I had the opportunity to meet and speak with David Rhodes, the president of CBS News, Evening News Anchor Jeff Glor and several representatives at Bloomberg in New York City, amongst others. They all validated and articulated the importance and value of interpersonability, transparency and focusing on relationship-building.
I suppose my hope is that as I continue this path, I will see stronger emphasis on stepping out from behind an electronic device to create more ethically responsible, cordially approachable, effective communicators. Besides, how much do you really know about the hundreds or thousands of people you send a blanket, occasional 140 characters to? More importantly, how much do they really know or care to know about you?
At least, the importance and value of the First Amendment is touched upon in my program.
Rob has dedicated his life to the service of others, including a dozen years in the United States Army and a decade in emergency services. He is an alumni of the Wounded Warrior Project and a registered first responder and non-financial contributor/donor to the National 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. Robert is highly experienced in both working under pressure in extreme situations, problem solving and formulating effective solutions. An ability to comprehend complex issues and think outside of the box gives him a unique advantage.
He is experienced in graphic design, owns a professional photography business, and is a former Production Manager for a community tabloid. In addition, Rob is an experienced club DJ, having played for music festivals and traveled throughout the United States. In his spare time, he produces dance tracks at his project studio in Syracuse, NY.
His volunteer affiliations include the Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services, Team Rubicon and numerous emergency service entities. As a reflection of his dedication to service, he was presented with the US Presidential Volunteer Service Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2015, on behalf of President Barack Obama, in addition to receiving the US Army Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal twice.