From Student to Professional

Diana Rogers is a communications specialist for the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, a non-profit organization that is a public trust that helps to place people in homes. Rogers is an alumna of the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College, where she was active in Public Relations Student Society of America and wrote for the Oklahoma Daily. She also has a Master’s of Education from OU. Rogers has spent her entire professional career with OHFA, working there since 2005. Her college experiences were very important for her future career. “It got me pretty prepared for writing, especially considering how much I do now,” she says. She also interned with OHFA during her time at OU, a move which later turned into her career.

As a communications specialist for OHFA, Rogers writes press releases, plans events, produces internal and external communications like newsletters, and oversees production of OHFA’s annual report. Public relations, especially for a smaller non-profit, is not limited to simply producing media tactics such as these. Rogers says the true value of public relations for any organization is its management and long-term planning functions. “It’s strategic, not just tactical,” Rogers says.

Experience during college is crucial to a public relations student’s future. “It’s so important to have internships. It’s a way to get your foot in the door and to get experience for your career later on.”

Roger’s advice for success as a public relations professional is to know your organization and know your audience and their needs. “We try to find out what the media needs are, and make sure that our communication plan tries to align with what our business objectives are,” she says of OHFA’s PR philosophy.

As with any career, drive, passion and intelligence are also vital.

“You have to be passionate and involved. It’s all about thinking critically and strategically.”

"Ethics in Public Relations: Responsible Advocacy" by Kathy Fitzpatrick and Carolyn Bronstein

"Ethics in Public Relations: Responsible Advocacy" by Kathy Fitzpatrick and Carolyn Bronstein

by: Kristin Bussell

I found "Ethics in Public Relations: Responsible Advocacy" to be a very insightful book for the field of public relations as a whole. The book is a collection of essays, divided into chapters, which each focus on either a particular field within public relations, a common element of PR campaigns, or an issue that frequently surfaces in the field of PR.

For example, the book includes a chapter that focuses on ethics within public relations efforts of nonprofit organizations. I found this chapter especially interesting because I feel like this semester’s work (meaning all the campaigns formulated by our class) was equivalent to working in a nonprofit organization.

An example of an issue this chapter discussed was the temptation to not uphold responsible advocacy by “twisting” information organizations present to news media. Though this temptation exists across the board in all PR fields, the chapter argued that because non-profit practitioners are both passionate about their organization and on an especially tight budget, the temptation is perhaps more prevalent.

Another chapter I found interesting, and very pertinent to our semester’s campaign, was the chapter on the Internet as a newly emerged medium and how to ethically utilize it. The chapter pointed out that because the Internet is essentially commonplace to every working environment it is thereby virtually just as accessible to lower income organizations as it is to larger companies. In other words, the Internet provides a level playing field while at the same time enabling anyone to become an “authority”. As the chapter discussed, this pertains to ethics in PR because since such things as anonymity are achievable there is temptation to, for example, falsely accuse competing companies or falsely promote your own and not take responsibility for the wrongdoings.

Dream A Little Dream

The minute after my name is called and I walk across that stage, I'm running out the door, grabbing my pre-packed suitcase and boarding a plane for the illustrious New York City! The lights of Times Square dancing in the reflection of my Dolce sunglasses, the looming skyscrapers shielding me from the harsh sunlight and the ridiculously long, gas guzzling Escalade limos that will take me from event to event have been calling my name since the first time I set foot in the city that never sleeps. Start spreadin' the news, 'cause I am going to take this city by storm. I'll be planning lavish parties, movie premieres and Broadway spectacles before you can say "jazz hands." And then I woke up.
While it's extremely tempting to head East and see what kind of crawl space I can get for $2,000 a month in Manhattan, it's probably not going to happen any time soon.
Since the death of his mother more than two years ago, I've been taking care of my cousin, Tabe. Going from cousin to mom in an instant can make anyone take a second look at her future. Of course, I wouldn't trade him for the world. My dream is to be the best parent I can be. What does that take? Patience. Lots and lots of patience. I suppose I could also apply the R.A.C.E. model to toddlers, but somehow I think the only kind of race I'll be partaking in involves Lightning McQueen.
To be completely honest, while the glitz and glamour sure is fun, I'd love to be working in the non-profit sector. Being able to give back when I've been so richly blessed seems to be the only proper thing to do. Of course, I'd love to be involved with any organization that supports children. I am actually currently in the planning stages of a summer arts and athletics camp for Native American youth. As has been mentioned in previous blog entries, one must be able to plan on a dime when working for a non-profit, as well as be able to "work it" for donations, grants, etc. I guess we'll have to trade in those Dolce & Gabbana shades for some Dollar General sunglasses.
So, instead of boarding a private jet to New York, we'll be hopping on a Continental flight to Disney World after graduation, and, you know, I think I might like that a little better. And, who knows, maybe he'll want to go to art school in Manhattan!!

My Big Payoff, Nothing to do with Money

My Big Payoff, Nothing to do with Money

by Ashlie Clay

Public relations is a profession that transcends boundaries, whether a railroad company shipping coal or a small B&B tucked away in the mountains. This untamed nature of where public relations practitioners can be utilized leaves ample room for taking my public relations degree and practicing the art of strategic communication in an industry that I have a sincere interest in. However, my sincere interest and how it ties into a professional career has yet to be discovered.

One of my favorite shows is ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. In this reality show of sorts, a group of carpenters and interior designers design, build and decorate a home for a family that has faced significant hardships in their life. At the beginning and end of each episode I all but ball, as the stories, happy endings and just the generosity of people overwhelm my heart. Ideally, I would like to have a career that creates this sort of life changing events for people as this television show does each week. My dream job would leave me with that warm fuzzy feeling. I am not one to sit in an office or cubicle all day every day and I have an undying need for interaction with other people. With this in mind, the corporate world just does not seem to be in the cards for my life after graduation.

So what would a job like this take? This sort of job would entail lots of hard work and creativity, a knack for people and being able to adapt at a moments notice. Very unlike the corporate world, the world of nonprofits is without the glitz, glamor and usual luxuries and all about the nitty-gritty and rewarding pay-off. Seeing families with a place to call home, children with positive role models playing active roles in their everyday life and kids going home on the weekends with food to eat would be reward enough. I want to serve a bigger purpose and bring smiles to people’s faces. The key is just finding out what career within the public relations realm will allow me to do just this.

True Priorities

True Priorities
By Annie Bowen

Throughout college I would occasionally stop and really force myself to consider my future career and the industry/type of job I want to pursue. During this, I would ask myself certain questions like: How much money do I want to make? What is the right balance between time with family and job responsibilities? What type of impact do I want my job to have on society?

Eventually I would get overwhelmed thinking about all of the possibilities. As I near graduation, however, my true priorities begin to emerge. Although I know careers paths are organic and always adapting, there are certain aspects of my dream career that remain constant.

For instance, it is vital that I work for an organization that provides some benefit to society. This could be the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure or another non-profit organization that supports an important cause (like a blood bank or children’s hospital). Second, I want a job that allows for a wide variety of responsibilities such as event planning, writing, design, presenting and developing strategies for both the long and short terms.

I do realize that pursuing a career in the non-profit sector generally means a smaller salary than in other public relations careers (such as financial/stockholder relations), but I genuinely believe that the benefits of contributing to a non-profit organization will outweigh the fiscal disparity.

I also realize that there are numerous obstacles to being hired for a non-profit job, especially since I want to stay close to the Oklahoma City area. My goal, since I will be graduating in December 2008, is to spend as much time as I can researching potential organizations as well as networking whenever possible.

Image available at http://www.wish.org/

Bridges, formerly known as ILSY

Bridges, formerly known as ILSY

Katie Puckett

As an OU Public Relations campaign group, Team Purple was first presented with a client in hopes of implementing a new name for their unique program.  

Independent Living Services for Youth or ILSY, located in Norman, OK has recently undergone such a change. The program that helps high school students who live alone to succeed, has changed its name to Bridges. Such an important change for an agency means revamping everything from brochures to street signs. Team Purple has been working hard to implement this new and huge change for the non-profit organization.  

Team Purple first conducted primary research such as surveys and focus groups for the United Way of Norman agency. Through this research, our team got ideas from our key publics about what elements the new name should consist of. We presented our three name choices to the ILSY board members and after much anticipation, the name, Bridges, was chosen. After the new name was confirmed, Team Purple asked the Bridges' staff to give us feedback on a new logo for the organization. After hearing the staff's input, Team Purple designed three sample logos. Our team is now in the process of designing invitations and planning an open house event along with a news conference to promote the new name and logo.  

Team Purple and I are excited to move forward with our campaign and overall hope to bring Bridges more volunteers, donations and most importantly, awareness.

Balancing Act

Balancing Act
By Michael Maldonado







On Thursday, October 4, Team Heroes attended the official presentation/tour for the Center for Children & Families, Inc. During the presentation, several directors within the organization spoke to us about the mission, needs and general operations of CCFI. Many other students in the class have probably heard the two CCFI groups lament over the somewhat contradictory objectives that have been presented to us. CCFI wants everyone in the community to instantly think of them when discussing organizations related to children and family development but they do not want to raise any funds or take on any more clients or volunteers. While overcoming this challenge is at the top of our groups’ priorities, an entirely different challenge occurred to me during the CCFI visit. How do the people at organizations that witness some of society’s most heartbreaking issues put their judgments and emotions on hold to do this kind of work?

CCFI is no stranger to seeing some horribly traumatic cases come through their doors. Our group was briefly told some examples of cases where children are neglected, abused and underdeveloped. Working on the public relations side of the organization, we do not even witness these things first hand. This is just a group project for a campaigns class for us. However, this is not just a project for Whitney Russell, the person in charge of communications at CCFI. She sees these things every day when she goes to work and is expected to put her sadness and anger aside in order to do her job.

Thinking about Whitney’s job brought me to yet another realization. The idea is not to leave one’s emotions at home but, rather, to bring them to work and incorporate them into the job. CCFI is one of Norman’s largest family development organizations and it is constantly seeing clients and helping families. Executive Director Linda Terrell told our group that she has seen miracles happen at CCFI. This is because everyone at the organization puts so much passion into what they do—from the Executive Director to the child therapist to the person in charge of communications. Linda Terrell explained that part of the CCFI philosophy is to treat all people involved in incoming cases (whether they are abusers or the abused) with a loving attitude. This is where the healing begins.

When considering a career in public relations, many people are somewhat hesitant to enter the non-profit arena. Not only do opportunities in the non-profit world seem less glamorous than some of the more sensationalized PR careers that seem to get more media attention, but they also occasionally deal with clients with very upsetting issues. Imagine doing PR every day for an organization such as Bryan’s House which helps children who are infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. The emotional strain of doing work for an organization like Bryan’s House is undoubtedly difficult. However, it is important to understand how doing PR for such an organization has an immensely positive outcome for everyone involved.

The CCFI visit really gave me a different perspective on the work Team Heroes is doing for them. While it may be painful to hear about some of the issues that they have to deal with, the rewards of sharing CCFI’s message and aiding in the mission of the organization seem priceless. Having an emotional tie to them may also help us do an even better job.

Ever heard of CCFI? Neither have I...

For the nearly 40 years that CCFI, the Center for Children and Families,Inc., has been around, it has never had a public relations practitioner. For a non-profit organization that helps children in abusive or troubled families, not having someone to write news releases or send out advertisements , well, no one in the community gets a fair chance to hear about it and the great services it offers.

CCFI started in 1969 as a place where “juveniles” who didn’t have a safe place to stay could find refuge from troubling situations. Now I say juveniles in quotation marks because it’s not the juvenile delinquents we automatically think of when we see the word. In this instance, juvenile just means someone under the age of 18.

The Center for Children and Families hasn’t always been the name of the organization. In 1972, CCFI was known as JSI, Juvenile Services Inc. It later became known as CCFI in 1999 when the definition of Juvenile took a turn from minor to delinquent.
CCFI currently has 5 different programs offered for clients: Divorce Visitation Arbitration, Neighborhood Centers, Teenage Parenting, Parents Assistance and Extended Families.

As you might have thought, the Divorce Visitation Arbitration program provides assistance to families where the parents are separated or going through a divorce. It’s something that is offered not only to reduce stress in the children’s lives, but also to help the parents.



The Neighborhood Centers program gives chances for small communities to come together and build strong relationships.

Teenage Parenting, a growing, national problem, offers supports to teens that are pregnant or who have already have had the child.

Parents Assistance is specifically focused on helping and educating parents who are going through troubles times at home.

And finally, the Extended Families Program provides children under the age of 18, who have parents that are dealing with unfortunate circumstances, a place to stay for a short time.

Even though CCFI is funded by the United Way, they only give a small portion of funding. CCFI could always use more donations and more volunteers.

As mentioned above, CCFI has had no former publicity, but still they have a full house of clients. Think of all the extra help some publicity will do.

A Bump In the Road

A BUMP IN THE ROAD

Raising awareness without a specific call to action.

Public relations is a field that many people don’t understand. They believe that anyone can do what a public relations professional does without any skill or training. Well, clearly they have not taken a campaigns class or attempted to provide a campaign for a non-profit organization. It’s hard to find the right balance between doing what you think is beneficial from a public relations perspective and doing what the client feels to be beneficial from their standpoint. That’s the position our group is currently in with our client, Center For Children and Families, Inc., (CCFI).

We have a wonderful organization for which we are currently developing a public relations campaign to attract more media coverage for their events. CCFI is a non-profit organization that helps many different individuals throughout the Norman, Okla. community. Last year they helped nearly 10,000 clients and are, to date, at capacity for taking on new ones. Receiving more clients might not be possible at this time for CCFI, because they are helping as many individuals as their resources will allow.

CCFI is a branch of the United Way Foundation. They are currently in a “blackout” period due to United Way policy. This means that they are not allowed to ask for dollar donations of any amount until otherwise specified by United Way. (I believe the blackout period will end sometime in November).

This is where our campaigns group hit a small bump. We have been asked to attract positive attention to CCFI from caring individuals in our community. This is doable. However, what will be their call to action? Once these people have heard of and are familiar with our organization, what will they do with their new knowledge? After speaking with Communications Specialist, Whitney Russell, we decided that it would still be beneficial to raise awareness of CCFI throughout Norman in order to build future groundwork in working with our great community. It may not be easy to raise awareness without asking for a specific call to action from our target audience, but whoever said the real world of public relations was easy?