social media

In at the deep end
CIPR student representative Michael White had to learn quickly once his PR event grew beyond the confines of the university. New council and university communications partnership
Leeds City Council and Leeds Metropolitan University have teamed up to help public relations students get on the job training, assist with their studies and boost their employment chances once they’ve graduated. “We love Tweeting during meetings” say Leeds Met Students’ Union
The Leeds Met Students’ Union Executives are showing Leeds City councillors who appear to be stuck in the dark ages just how useful a few Tweets during a meeting can be. Nowhere web
Do online communities necessarily have less value and meaning than those in the real world, asks Laura Smith. Confessions of a Facebook addict
The growth in digital PR opportunities has encouraged Clare Thomas to re-evaluate her ambition to work in fashion. Besides, it’s a good place to be for a Facebook addict. It’s written on the tablets
Apple’s forthcoming iPad will be a game changer for publishers and for PR argues David Clare. Online campaigning lessons from the US
We know how important social media was in Barack Obama’s campaign. But what lesons have been learnt for UK party politics asks Jag Singh. Elections need X Factor (and text factor)
More young people vote in The X Factor than in General Elections. Surely it’s time to learn lessons from this, says Lucy Hird. Time for election 2.0?
The successful use of social media by the Obama campaign is widely admired. But have British politicians learnt the lessons, asks James Knight. People power or PR power?
Does the advent of Web 2.0 demand a PR 2.0 asks David Clare, as he reviews some recent books on the subject. Brands on the run from social media storm
Does the advent of social media change our understanding of PR asks Janelle Hardacre and what does this new world mean for brands? PR and social media: the good, the bad and the ugly
Social media is now a maintream activity, and so it’s inevitably the target of public relations activity. As Laura Crimmons reports, this can be done well, but it can also bring the company much public criticism. Bridging the digital skills gap
Despite the recession, there’s a shortage of talent in digital PR. Ben Cotton asks what graduates should know and do to meet this demand. Anti-social networking
The mobile internet means we may be constantly communicating, but are we really connecting asks Suzie Watts. After Cluetrain
It’s ten years since The Cluetrain Manifesto proclaimed ‘the end of business as usual’. Amanda Vinten reviews Cluetrain and subsequent milestones in the literature to ask what has changed since 1999. Winner of the Claire Mascall Public Relations Prize announced
Katie Brown, a final year PR student at Leeds Metropolitan University, was named as the winner of the prestigious Claire Mascall PR Prize at the final C.I.P.R guest lecture last week. How Oxfam uses social media for social good
We publish an edited version of Katie Brown’s award-winning essay on Oxfam’s use of social media to promote stakeholder engagement. Students leave classroom for class war
Forget Paris 1968 and the Kent State anti-Vietnam war protests. The face of student protest in 2009 involves web tools and a heavy dose of irony. My career: from uni to UN
Just a year on from graduating, Richard Millington is now Social Media/Online Community Manager at the United Nations in Geneva. He tells how he built is CV to secure this opportunity. Chirpy celebrities
It may have started with celebrity following, but Laura Daly now thinks she’s experiencing the future of marketing and communication. Academic conferences in 2010
Here are some public relations academic conferences that are inviting contributions and will welcome attendees next year. Celebrities and digital media in campaign for Ugandan orphans
A new charity launched today uses celebrity support, media professionals and online engagement to make a difference to abandoned babies in Uganda. Student bloggers offered rewards for writing
As part of its EuroBlog investigation into the impact of social media on public relations practice, Euprera will make three awards at its February Symposium at Ghent, in Belgium, February 2010. Each winner will receive a prize of 250€. Speaking digital with a local accent
A new research study by regional communications agency Golley Slater shows how the UK regions are adopting new media at different speeds. Strategy and social media concern comms chiefs
The latest research into communications professionals in Europe reveals a spirit of optimism despite fears about budget cuts. The major concerns of almost 2,000 communications professionals surveyed were how to link communications to business strategy and how to cope with digital evolution and the social web. ‘Chicago School’ leads the world in PR careers advice
There’s much valuable experience and free advice out there on blogs for those in the early stages of their PR careers. Richard Bailey recommends two, coincidentally both produced by Chicago-based PR consultants. Free social media newsrooms for charities
Social media news release service Pressitt has completed a social media newsroom for Bright One, the volunteer-run communications agency. It is now offering free social media newsrooms for other not-for-profit organisations. Music on the internet? It’ll never catch on
Gareth Thompson recalls the 1994 European launch of the online music pioneer. Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) and the mixed press reaction to what was to become a defining change for music distribution. Simple Acts support refugee awareness
Public relations volunteers are working to raise awareness of Refugee Week 2009 (15-22 June). Face to face or Facebook?
Emma Long explores the approaches PR students can use to make friends and influence people in the industry in a PR student’s guide to networking Get ahead, go digital
Portfolios are a well-established weapon in the PR student’s armoury. Ben Cotton asks if it’s time they went digital. How to start a PR consultancy business
It would take a brave individual to start a company straight out of university. But with a couple of years’ experience under your belt it’s realistic option. As PR entrepreneur and Speed managing director Stephen Waddington describes, there’s opportunity aplenty for new businesses in the PR and communications industry. Online public relations: evolution or revolution?
You wait for years, then two books come out at once on the same subject – from the same publisher. Richard Bailey reviews the latest additions to the literature on public relations and social media. Social media goes mainstream
A conference on social media has shown the widespread adoption of new tools and approaches in public relations. Don’t OD on your FB
A student not addicted to Facebook? Amy Grimshaw explains why and how she kicked the habit. Social media – and me
As people are responding less to traditional media and turning to the internet instead, PR practitioners should learn about new communications channels, writes Natalie Smith.