 Detroit Chapter Public Relations Society of America | February 2010
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Train the Media Trainer: How to help your spokespeople become exquisite during any interview |
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Train the Media Trainer: How to help your spokespeople
Do you want your spokespeople to be more calm, confident and powerful with traditional and social media? Five-time Emmy® award-winning producer Shawne Duperon has trained thousands of CEOs, executives and PR pros how to become effective interview subjects and avoid on-air and on-camera interview mistakes. In this session you will learn:
No matter what your level of experience, when you leave this session, you’ll pick up new tips on how to foster your spokespeople to act like a pro on the set if they’ve never done it before, and how to elevate the skills of your most seasoned representative. Duperon has worked in television for nearly 20 years. She has taught thousands across the globe how to be excellent on-camera, so media consistently seek these spokespeople as ongoing guests. She has worked at ABC and NBC, interviewed hundreds of celebrities, and has been featured in newspapers such as USA Today, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune. She’s currently a Ph.D. candidate, creating leading-edge research on the relationship between mass media, gossip and word of mouth. Duperon is also a featured teacher in the 2010 documentary “The Luminaries,” a profile of the world’s most transformational thinkers. The program will be held Feb. 16, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Walsh College, 3838 Livernois Road, Troy. Cost is $15 for PRSA/PRSSA members and $25 for nonmembers. Make your reservation via PayPal — you do not need a PayPal account to use PayPal. Any questions, please contact Nancy Skidmore or call 248-545-6499. |
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Lattes with Legends |
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Join PRSA-Detroit members for an informal networking session, courtesy of a couple of seasoned public relations professionals who will offer their insights on whatever your topic of interest. Here’s your chance to meet and interact with:
Bailey and Snyder each bring more than 30 years of experience, spanning agency and corporate work, and they offer a wealth of knowledge for all practitioners. Bailey’s expertise includes strategic management planning and corporate image enhancement for organizations of all sizes in all industries, including automotive, health care and professional services. Snyder retired from General Motors in June 2009, and now works in the not-for-profit sector. At GM, he oversaw a broad range of communications responsibilities from outreach to diversity and lifestyle media to corporate responsibility to economic development.
Get a special sneak peek at the PRSA 2010 Michigan Conference (April 22, Rock Financial Showplace, Novi) as Biggby Coffee co-founder and CEO Bob Fish, “Biggby Bob,” will talk about creating and nurturing a corporate culture. As our host at Lattes with Legends, Bob will be on-hand to shake hands and give a little insight on perspectives he’ll be sharing at the conference. So take this opportunity to pick his brain about his talk, his active Twitter channel or how he manages to visit so many locations. The program will be held Feb. 25, 8 a.m.-9 a.m. at Biggby Coffee, 31055 John R Road, Madison Heights. Free to members and non-members. Space is limited, so please RSVP to Nancy Skidmore or 248-545-6499. Earn your Accreditation. Study dates set. Get started today. The PRSA-Detroit Chapter will host its award-winning APR prep session for members seeking Universal Accreditation on Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13 at Walsh College, which is located at 3838 Livernois Road in Troy. Instruction is slated for noon – 5:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday. Any PRSA member in good standing can pursue Accreditation. However, it is recommended that candidates have at least five years of experience in the full-time practice or teaching of public relations and have earned either a bachelor’s degree in a communication-specific field (e.g., public relations, journalism, mass communication) or have equivalent work experience. The knowledge, skills and abilities tested are confidence builders for those early in their career and sources of self-affirmation for senior-level practitioners. Candidates will receive a complete overview of the Universal Accreditation testing process including Readiness Review, Portfolio Presentation, preparation resources and the multiple-choice computer exam. Guest speakers – several representing Michigan universities – will present areas of practice evaluated by the exam, including:
To get a head start on the Accreditation prep process prior to March 12, candidates are encouraged to:
Cost for the Detroit Chapter Universal Accreditation prep session is $75, which includes instruction, lunch on Friday and breakfast and lunch on Saturday. To register by PayPal, visit the PRSA-Detroit Chapter website. For questions about the Universal Accreditation prep session, contact PRSA-Detroit Accreditation Co-Chair Tim Wieland, APR, or 248-304-1414. Former PRSA-Detroit board member By Dan Artman, APR
Melissa (Faulkner) Motschall, Ph.D., APR, passed away on Jan. 20. Melissa was a professor of Public Relations at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). In addition, she taught undergraduate and graduate level public relations and professional writing courses and was the adviser to the Eleanor Wright Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. A longtime PRSA-Detroit chapter member, Melissa served on the chapter board for two terms from 2001 to 2007. She was a tenured professor of public relations at EMU since 1995 and earned her PRSA accreditation in 1999. Dr. Motschall received her Ph.D. in communication with a concentration in public relations and organizational communication from Wayne State University (WSU). She also earned a master’s degree in communication from Purdue University in Indiana and a bachelor’s degree in communication with a public relations concentration, also from Wayne State. “Melissa was a kind, generous and compassionate person – and so committed to sharing her knowledge of public relations with both her peers and her students,” said Susan Ferraro, APR, 2010 PRSA-Detroit vice president. “On several occasions, she went out of her way to give me advice and did so with a graciousness and sincerity I’ve rarely felt from other public relations professionals. I will miss her with all my heart.” Two of her former students, Markeisha McCall and Kameya Shows, summed up the impact Melissa had on them: “We wish we could have thanked her once again for what she did to instill passion and precision into our lives. Melissa loved her work and her protégés and that fire was contagious. It’s because of her influence that we approach our professional lives with such zeal and excellence. More importantly, she taught us the value of mentoring. She enriched our lives and, in her honor, we will commit to enriching the lives of others. Thank you, Melissa.” In addition to teaching at EMU, Melissa’s earlier career included serving as an instructor of public relations and advertising at the University of Detroit, communications director for WSU’s Center for Urban Studies, public affairs officer for the Michigan Townships Association and instructor of police communication training. Wife of Jon and loving mother of Nanette and Alexis, Melissa was a Grosse Pointe Farms resident. “Melissa’s spirit will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched,” said Ferraro. By Rich Donley, APR
January was a time for extensive planning and some quick implementation, so members can have a great year. The month also was a reminder of how, in one instant, life changes. Your board and committee chairs have been working diligently behind the scenes. At our first board meeting last month, we discussed a number of upcoming programs and initiatives to re-engage members and continue delivering value in programming, networking and professional development for all levels of practitioners in various industries. Building off a successful January program, “Checking the Vitals on Social Media in Healthcare,” we have a host of dynamic initiatives in the coming months, including:
See the events listed within this newsletter and on our Web site for complete details and registration information. Life can change in an instant, what are you going to do today January also was a reminder of how short life really is. In one instant, the devastating earthquake in Haiti on Jan.12 killed an estimated 200,000 people and left more than 600,000 homeless. The world has watched in shock, but has come together to provide an outpouring of funds, food and other support. There are a number of organizations where you can provide Help for Haiti. In one moment, in our world here at home, PRSA-Detroit lost a dear member of our family, Melissa Motschall, Ph. D., APR, on Jan. 20. She was an Eastern Michigan University public relations professor for 15 years, an adviser to the Eleanor Wright Chapter (EMU’s PRSSA chapter), a member of the PRSA-Detroit board of directors (2001-2007) and Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award recipient (2005). Melissa quietly and compassionately left her mark through her devotion and service to family, friends, students and faith. She is a great example of how to live your life, and to face an untimely death. We will miss her, as will her family, colleagues, friends, students, PRSA family and many others she impacted. There has been an outpouring of support and ideas to continue Melissa’s legacy and give back to the students and profession she so loved. As of this writing, we are still working out details with her family and colleagues to setup a PRSA-Detroit student scholarship fund in her honor. As we reflect on the past month and look ahead to the accomplishments we envision for 2010, I think about one of my favorite sayings (author unknown), framed on my desk, which reads:“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind … let it be something good.” What are you going to do today?
PRSA 2010 Michigan Conference spotlight on Peter Shankman By Moira Horne, APR
With a great lineup of speakers, you will want to join fellow public relations professionals at the PRSA 2010 Michigan Conference: PRevolution: Creating Stability in a Shifting Landscape on April 22 at Rock Financial Showplace in Novi. Here is a quick look at luncheon keynote speaker and networking master Peter Shankman. Be better, or take up residency on the “Isle of Mediocrity” Here’s what it comes down to – all the social media in the world, no matter how fun it may be to use, is pointless if you can’t find a way to use it to increase your revenue. At the end of the day, that’s what truly matters. Fortunately, you can have it all – the cool and the revenue – if you remember a few simple rules about social media and how to use a few key tools. Join Peter Shankman as he discusses these tools: what to use, what to avoid, and most importantly, how to make them work for you and your business. Shankman is the creator of Help A Reporter Out (HARO) which has become the gold standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources on deadline. He is the founder and CEO of The Geek Factory, Inc., a boutique marketing and PR Strategy firm located in New York City, with clients worldwide, including: Snapple, NASA, Walt Disney World, Abercrombie and Kent, The Ad Council, American Express, Discovery Networks, Napster, Juno, Harrah’s Hotels, and many others. Don’t miss this opportunity to have fun as you sharpen your social media skills. Register today for PRSA 2010 Michigan Conference PRevolution: Creating Stability in a Shifting Landscape.
Success in Social Media requires careful planning By Bob Doetsch, APR So, who has a social media plan for their business or client? Not many hands went up when that question was posed to attendees of the Jan. 28 panel discussion, “Checking the Vitals on Social Media in Healthcare,” at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. Yes, most of the 72 attendees at the event dabble in Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools in their jobs, but as far as defining goals, objectives and metrics to bring purpose and vision to the effort, it’s clear that more work is needed. A panel of healthcare public relations practitioners engaged the mixed-industry audience on the current state of social media in the profession, particularly as it relates to healthcare. Serving on the panel were:
The forum was facilitated by Tina Reed, health and environmental digital journalist at AnnArbor.com. When wading into social media, “you have to set expectations and measurements at the outset with your client,” said Tschetter. Otherwise, park those fingers and thumbs until you’re ready, she and other panel members advised. “A lot of people at our hospital are excited about setting up blogs,” said Ferris. “That’s great, but I talk with them about their objectives, the required time commitment and ongoing content generation so they understand what they’re getting into. You don’t want to launch something and then have it die of neglect,” he said – to many nods of agreement. “I talk people down,” agreed panel member Soulliere. “We take a slow and calculated approach to getting doctors and others on social media.” With these caveats, the panel agreed that public relations professionals need to lead the way in social media in their organizations. If you aren’t doing so already, educate and engage executives on the topic, advises Palazzolo. “I was able to show our leader how we could educate a half-million people about hospice by posting our information on LinkedIn,” she said. “Reporters and researchers are finding us that way.” Aside from the need for strong social media planning, other takeaway points from the event included:
Membership payment options By Barb Bartos, APR and Maria Ward PRSA membership is critical to the public relations professionals’ career. Hurt by the economic downturn, many professionals are finding it difficult to maintain their memberships due to unemployment, underemployment or companies no longer paying for their dues. For PRSA-Detroit members contemplating giving up their memberships, there are alternatives. PRSA National offers some options so that you can remain a member and continue to enjoy the benefits of PRSA. Here are some things you can do to obtain or renew your membership:
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2010 starts off with mixed emotions, a reflection on what’s to come and what has been.
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