Spring 2023, Volume 9 PR ROUND UP Shippensburg University PRSSA Newsletter IN THIS ISSUE Public Relations Student Society of America is the leading organization for students who are interested in the public relations and communications industry. Here at Shippensburg University, our chapter prides itself on inspiring students to take that next step in pursuing this type of career. We assist members in gaining real-world experience and help them produce professional-quality work. Through this organization, students Enhance their education. Broaden their network. Launch their career. MESSAGE FROM OUR VICE PRESIDENT SPREADING AWARENESS ON THE IMPORTANTANCE OF PR STUDENT EXPERIENCES IN PRSSA pg.2 pg.3 pg.6 pg.8 5 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PUBLIC RELATIONS
A MESSAGE FROM OUR VICE PRESIDENT 2 JOIN TODAY! SOCIAL MEDIA: Start discussions and connect with PRSSA members by plugging into PRSSA social media. Use our hashtag to follow the conversation: #PRSSA LEADERSHIP: Add to your portfolio and gain valuable leadership skills by running for office in your Chapter, student-run firm, or the PRSSA National Committee. EVENTS: Network, learn, and interact with public relations students from around the country at PRSSA events, such as International Conference, Leadership Assembly and District Conference. To learn more about PRSSA at Shippensburg University, please contact Madison Griffith at [email protected] Being selected as vice president of PRSSA has been an amazing experience thus far. Last year as a freshman I was a member and got to work on so many fun and interesting projects with PRSSA. That is why I am so excited to continue my journey in PRSSA as vice president. I am so excited to help our new president, Madison Griffith, in running PRSSA for the 2023-2024 academic year. This semester we had the pleasure to continue working with SCRC, Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition, with creating social media posts for their March event ‘Match Madness’. We also put together our second annual networking night, where we gathered professionals from all types of communications positions to network with our other student media groups. This semester we doubled the size of our attendance from last spring and expanded our reach to more professionals in other specializations of communications. This has been a great year for our new E-board. With increasing recruitment, involvment, and professionalism. We cannot wait to continue our hard work into the 2023-2024 school year. Madelyn Tursi
HOW PRSSA HAS HELPED ME 3 By: Anna Garman ‘25 When I first joined PRSSA two years ago, I never thought it would bring me so many amazing opportunities. I have been able to do things that I did not think would be possible during college. My most important opportunity was becoming the Director of Finance and Fundraising. While that was not my first choice, it has made me grow and learn. It has given me the ability to be proud of something and gives me a chance to leave something better than I found it. As a member of the E-Board it is really exciting to see our members take advantage of opportunities and reach their full potential. I think one of my favorite attributes of PRSSA is getting the opportunity to travel. I have been able to take a trip to Pittsburgh for district conference and travel to Dallas, Texas for international conference. The best part is that I got to do it with my friends. All these opportunities have brought me out of my comfort zone, and I only have PRSSA to thank for that. I cannot wait to what to see what else is in store with PRSSA and look forward to seeing what our members can do. I am a freshman at Shippensburg University. I’m majoring in Communication, Journalism, and Media with a public relations concentration. However, I applied as a political science major and have since changed my major twice (communication studies and now communication, journalism, and media). You may think I’m simply indecisive, changing my major twice before the end of my first semester, but there is more to the story. So how did I finally decide to become a communication, journalism, and media major? Well, I realized in the spring of 2022 that my passions had changed. I had developed a a love for writing in my senior year of high school. I enjoyed writing and was good at it. I also joined the campus radio station, WSYC, and realized that I loved graphic design. I had made many graphics and posters for my radio show. I wanted a way to combine these interests. I made the decision to switch my major to PR and was happy with that. However, indecisiveness still lingered in the back of my mind. That’s when my advisor, Dr. Sipes, told me about PRSSA. Attending a few PRSSA meetings is a requirement of being a PR major, but after attending a few meetings, I kept going. PRSSA has affirmed my decision to change my major. I can listen to speakers talk about their careers in PR that ranged from social media to graphic design to ghostwriting. I have the opportunity to work on client projects for The Slate and SCRC and did hands-on PR work. Additionally, becoming a member of the national PRSSA grants me access to newsletters and scholarships from the organization. Overall, I’m glad that I changed my major and joined PRSSA. I plan on being a member throughout my whole college career and feel that the experiences I will gain will prepare me for my future. WHY I JOINED PRSSA By: Megan Sawka ‘26 2022 PRSA ICON Conference
4 THREE GUEST SPEAKERS GIVE PRESENTATIONS AT SHIPPENSBURG PRSSA MEETINGS By: Luke Rainey ‘26 Shippensburg University’s PRSSA chapter was thrilled to welcome guest speakers Katy Gentile, Ilse Ghysens, and Keri Oram to its meetings in March. Katy Gentile is a 2019 graduate of Shippensburg University, where she earned her degree in Public Relations and was involved in its PRSSA chapter. After graduating, she moved to Florida and worked as a Marketing Coordinator for LandQwest in Fort Myers. In May 2021, Gentile accepted a position at Chico’s FAS, Inc. as a Social Engagement Specialist. Chico’s FAS is a company that sells women’s clothing and has more than one thousand locations throughout the United States. She advanced to her current position as an Associate Marketing Manager in August of 2022. Gentile is also a member of the PRSA Gulf Coast chapter. When she met virtually with Shippensburg’s PRSSA chapter, she provided details about her roles at Chico’s FAS and employment opportunities within the company Ilse Ghysens studied at KU Leuven, Campus Brussel and earned her master’s degree in Translation English/ Italian Business Communication in 1998. Ghysens was a Global Internal Communications Manager for Volvo Construction Equipment from 2001 to 2007 in Brussels before moving to Boca Raton, Florida, to become the Director of Communciations. She assumed other positions in Volvo before becoming an independent consultant in 2012. After working at GSK from May 2021 to May 2022, Ghysens earned her current position as a Communications Project Manager for Human Resources at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Ghysens’ presentation covered tips for professional development, and she also discussed one of the greatest challenges of working in Public Relations: entering an industry where one has little knowledge. She emphasized exposure and time as two components that help Public Relations professionals be successful in their positions. Keri Oram was the final guest speaker. She graduated from Shippensburg University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Journalism and a Public Relations emphasis with a Political Science Minor in 2011. She was the president of Shippesnburg’s PRSSA chapter in her senior year. In June 2011, Oram began working at Metro Bank as a Community Relations Coordinator before becoming a Public Relations Specialist in 2014. She held positions at Capital BlueCross, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA, and PRworks before her current position at Michael Baker International as a Senior Public Engagement Specialist. Oram serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Public Relations Society, and she remains active within her alma mater as a member of the Shippensburg University’s Communication/ Journalism Department Advisory Council. Oram’s presentation included comparisons between her positions throughout her career, in addition to some of her best and worst experiences in each role. The Shippensburg University PRSSA chapter is grateful for each speaker’s time and insight. The chapter is especially thankful for their commitments to building relationships with the chapter’s members and the entire Communication, Journalism & Media Department.
5 Freshman year in college is one of the most exciting, yet nerve-racking times I have experienced. With all of the new surroundings, freedom, and people, I was faced with many emotions. When my parents dropped me off, I was so excited and scared at the same time. However, I knew I belonged at Shippensburg and, now was my time to shine. I am majoring in Communications, Journalism, and Media with a concentration in Public Relations. After my first week of classes, I was so happy with my decision as all of the syllabi read interesting information and the professors in the department were so kind and welcoming. I was proud of myself for achieving the Dean’s List after my first semester, but I knew that I wanted to get involved in more. So, I took a step out of my comfort zone and decided to go to the PRSSA general interest meeting. LIFE AS A FIRST-YEAR STUDENT IN PUBLIC RELATIONS By: Rylee Swails ‘ 26 By: Rylee Swails ‘26 PRSSA Students at CJM Day Rylee Swails at Netwroking Night I am so happy I did because I instantly clicked with all of the members and felt so welcomed. I eventually became a member of PRSSA and have been involved in several activities, while also learning how to network and create friendships along the way! For example, I attended the Admitted Students Day and represented myself at the PRSSA table, alongside some of the executive board members, participated in three fundraisers, and created social media content for our Shippensburg’s SCRC Program! PRSSA is such a fun group of people who have motivated mindsets to better one another in our field!
6 While the economy continues to naturally fluctuate as it does, it comes a high demand for jobs that support the fast-growing needs of the market. Millions of industries are competing to meet their profit goals and increase their profit margins. There are many tasks—no matter how big or small—that require young and readily prepared individuals to take them on. This is where the field of public relations comes in. In an ideal world, each employee in every company that specializes in their different field—such as marketing, analytics, human resources, etc.—can all tackle their separate issues to maintain a successful and effective business model. But the work world is all but ideal in modern times, which is why the job of public relations must often require more flexibility than those in other departments. Public relations specialists are not only focused on meeting the needs of publics and target audiences, but also the demands of many coworkers and departments in their businesses. Workers in the field of public relations typically manage crisis communication and preparation, as well as the coordination of public events and image building for clients and businesses. But since public relations relies on the public, situations are often unpredictable and dependent on variables that are not always able to be planned for. As this is a common trend, business executives must work diligently to supplement all the needs in every aspect of their companies. Moving responsibilities around and distributing workloads across an entire landscape of a workplace is extremely complicated in every working field. Which is why there must be a single branch of business that can be versatile in the assistance of putting out every unpredictable wildfire presented by the inconsistent demands of the public—a public relations specialist. While the role of public relations specialists is often understated, the importance of these multiskilled individuals cannot be overstated. Public relations workers must act as the glue that holds entire businesses together, even when the most intimidating threats to a successful business have yet to be discovered. It is not always a sexy role, but the uniqueness in PR specialists lies within their core responsibility—to ensure everyone else is on top of their stuff. Because if they are not, the entirety of their public perception can be in jeopardy, and since the success of each business is directly linked to the satisfaction of the consumers and publics they serve—it is quite literally the most important task of them all. All businesses, regardless of their focus, requires intelligent and welcoming workers that can both improve the image of the companies they lead as well as bridge the gap between their company and the public in order to meet the needs of their consumers and deliver the best service possible. The job entails many late nights and a variety of diverse challenges depending on the industry you may enter, there are a few common denominators that link every worker in the field. Innovation, preparation, and empathy. To excel in the highly competitive industries you must think outside the box. Every aspect of business can be shaped and evolved into something greater or more “colorful.” To draw excitement to even the dullest appearances can spark unexpected interest and attention that can put your people in front of others within a similar market. You will become an intricate part of your company and the first person your coworkers go to when they have a question about making their work stand apart from that of the competitors. Preparation is another key to the importance of PR. As previously mentioned, the field of public relations is unpredictable due to the ever-changing needs of both publics, as well as quickly fluctuating trends. But not everything is unpredictable, and we as humans all have common patterns that can be accounted for when trying to prepare for the unexpected and unprecedented changes that arise. Trends often dictate the behaviors of the public, and with today’s technology that makes it much easier to digest and react in the most efficient way. Polls, focus groups, analytics in online viewership, cookies, all assist public relations work. SPREADING AWARENESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS By: Micah Partee ‘26
7 KEEP UP WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! @shipprssa @prssaship @shippensburgprssa A crisis is often unpredictable and can dictate not only the course of a company’s success, but as we have seen in recent years, can even determine if a company can stay in business at all. Millions of dollars and employees are at stake when even the tiniest of bad press makes its rounds in the media. It is not only critical to work swiftly and meticulously when hit with a crisis or bad press, such as the old gas goliath of BP, but it is also important to get the truth out and genuinely apologize when needed. People are not naïve, but they can be forgiving. The most important is the duty of consolation. A considerable amount of empathy is essential to understanding the people in your company and key publics. You must know how to read the room. An awareness of knowing the right thing to say when to say it, and how in a cover letter or press release, a tweet or post online, and even critical perspectives in business meetings. It is extremely important to keep in mind the human side of the people around you in your industries—as in the name, you are working with relationships. It is a people business, and with that requires sincere listening and understanding skills. The numbers and analytics are very important parts of improving your business models, but the people represented by the statistics and figures are the most important of all. The trajectory of your business relies with them. With the evolving market and technological intricacies that make up the most diverse and exciting business landscape the economy has seen in decades, there is an immediate need for young and compassionate workers to uphold high positions in the PR field. Public relations is a quickly growing field and can be lucrative as well as rewarding for people who love to solve any issue that is presented to them. The future of business is calling, are we ready to answer it?
1. The only thing public relations professionals do is craft press releases. Public relations is hard to define; many perceive the profession as only press releases and conferences. However, public relations is so much more. Public relations’ ultimate goal is to increase brand awareness and influence public opinion in a positive light by using facts and truthful information. Public relations work with internal and external clients and external press to expand client audiences. Public relations also create complex strategies to handle crises, which can be extremely fragile and imperative for a brand’s continued success. Public relations also create short-term campaigns that promote new products or news while managing long-term business reputation. Public relations utilize social media, produces events, and crafts emails, showcasing the profession’s versatility. 2. Public relations lacks honesty. Many people feel that public relations are full of lies meant to persuade the public through falsities. In the modern day and age, that belief is far from the truth. While public relations had a less than honest start, take P.T. Barnum’s outlandish publicity stunts for his famous circus. However, now, public relations practitioners follow the PRSA Code of Ethics, which requires and values honesty, fairness, and expertise, among other values. Public relations is not about short-term sales; public relations is about reputation, and to create a good reputation, consumers need trust. Public relations builds trust by promoting clients’ specialties and highlights, not by using misleading statements. 3. Public relations and Marketing are the same thing. Another misconception about public relations is that marketing and public relations do the same thing. Marketing focuses on selling products or services; marketing aims to sell using pre-established trust. Public relations attempts to build buisness to consumer trust. Public relations also promotes an entire brand. Meanwhile, marketing focuses on specific products or aspects to promote. Marketing also typically utilizes paid media and communicates to audiences; meanwhile, public relations primarily use earned media and communicate with audiences. While public relations and marketing work to build a brand, methods are quite different. 4. It’s not essential to have a public relations team. Unfortunately, some businesses, as a way to cut costs, have perpetuated the rumor that public relations are unnecessary. However, public relations is critical in successful companies, both big and small. Public relations can improve brand recognition and reputation through multi-channel media engagement. Also, public relations provides brands with profit through brand awareness, trust, and credibility aimed toward targeted audiences. On top of that, public relations solves business issues from crisis and reputation management by using trained crisis communications professionals that can de-escalate potential brand disasters. While public relations does not equate to instantaneous results, public relations is necessary for successful businesses. 5 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PUBLIC RELATIONS By: Amy McGee ‘24 8
5. Only big businesses need public relations. The words “public relations” often bring to mind Fortune 500 companies, but even small businesses can significantly benefit from public relations professionals. Public relations can establish and emphasize a small business brand voice. Public relations can also positively engage with and strengthen the connection to target audiences through social media, flyers, and special events. Similarly, utilizing public relations builds trust, which may lead to word of mouth recommendations, trusted more than paid advertisements. While public relations may seem unnecessary for small businesses, that small cost will ultimately pay off in the long run. Becoming a good leader during your college years is a valuable skill that can serve you well in your academic, personal, and professional endeavors. Being a leader requires more than just a title or position; it involves certain qualities and behaviors that inspire and motivate others. Here are some guidelines to help you become a good leader during your college years: Develop Self-Awareness Good leaders are self-aware and understand their strengths, weakness, and emotions. Take the time to reflect on your own behavior, motivations, and values. Understand your own leadership style and how it impacts others. This will help you make conscious decisions and better understand and connect with others. A part of self-awareness comes from reflecting on your own thoughts, words and actions as you communicate with others. Pay attention to what’s happening around you by following cues from your environment. Be more empathetic, understand the needs of others helps selfaware leaders relate to those they lead. You have to be adaptable. Self-aware leaders assess a situation and respond by changing their behaviors. Build Effective Communication Skills Communication is a critical skill for any leader. Learn to communicate effectively with others, both in writing and verbally. Be clear, concise, and confident in your communication. Listen actively to others. Good communication fosters collaboration, builds trust, and helps you convey your ideas and visions to others. You always have to be prepared, if you don’t know what you’re talking about, your audience won’t either. Start familiarizing yourself with the context around an issue before you initiate communication. Always know your audience; read the room to look closely for nonverbal signs of engagement, confusion or understanding. Listen to feedback from your team; it helps build trust overall. Lead By Example As a leader, you should set an example for others. Be a role model by demonstrating integrity, accountability, and professionalism. Be consistent in your words and actions. Show respect and treat others with fairness and kindness. The behavior that you have will influence others and will help you gain their trust and respect. It also increases productivity. A GUIDE TO BECOME A GOOD COLLEGE LEADER By: Arya Nautiyal ‘24 9
Foster teamwork and Develop Leadership Skills A good leader understands the value of teamwork and collaboration. Encourage teamwork among your peers, classmates, or colleagues. Create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and heard. Foster a culture of collaboration, where diverse perspectives are appreciated, and ideas are encouraged. Good teamwork can lead to higher productivity and better outcomes. Leadership skills can be developed and improved over time. Seek out opportunities to develop your leadership skills through extracurricular activities, volunteering, or taking leadership roles in student organizations. Learn from other leaders and mentors. Attend workshops, or seminars. You should reflect on your experience and learn from your success and failures. Learn From Feedback and Failures A good leader is open to feedback and learns from failures. Be willing to accept feedback from others, and use it as an opportunity for self-improvement. Embrace failures as opportunities for learning and growth. Reflect on your mistakes, and make necessary adjustments to your leadership approach. Continuously seek feedback and strive for self-improvement. Embrace diversity and Practice Empathy A good leader values embraces diversity and inclusivity. Recognize and appreciate and diverse backgrounds. Create an inclusive environment where everyone feels included, respected, and valued. Foster a culture of diversity and inclusivity that encourages creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Empathy is essential of a good leader. Try to understand the emotions of others, and show empathy toward their concerns and challenges. It can help you build meaningful relationships, handle conflicts, and make better decisions. Remember, leadership is continuous. Never be scared to take leadership opportunities during your college year. MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS Amy McGee Member 2024 Olivia Cason Copyeditor 2024 10
11 MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS Madelyn Tursi PRSSA Vice President Head of Newsletter 2025 Madison Griffith PRSSA President Co-editor 2024 Arya Nautiyal Member 2025 Dr. Carrie Sipes PRSSA Chapter Advisor Anna Garman Finance and Fundrasing Chair 2025 Luke Rainey Member 2026 Rylee Swails Member 2026 Micah Partee Member 2026 Megan Sawka Member 2026