1)  Writing a News Release

I have read articles in Newspapers before, but I never really noticed the format before this class. When I had to write a few news releases for this class, it was a little hard for me. I had to make sure I was using the right format and following AP style. Now after writing a few news releases though, I am pretty confident when it comes to writing them.

2) Keeping a Blog

I never had a blog before this class. I found that I enjoyed it, and now I know what a good blog consists of. Some main points I learned about blogging are: add links, graphics, videos, and any other visuals to make your blog more interesting, edit and double check your work before posting, and write about things you’re passionate about.

3) Giving an Interview

I had never given an interview before this class. When we had to do our personality profiles I had to ask the founder and president of my organization a few questions. I was really nervous, but I realize as a PR practitioner your job is all about talking with and meeting new people, and ultimately getting information you can use in a story. I definitely learned a great deal from the experience, and I think it is really neat that I was able to talk with and learn a lot about someone I greatly admire.  I am confident that if I ever have to give another interview in the future that it will be a lot smoother.

4) The importance of AP style

Before this class I also never heard of AP style. I didn’t know there was a certain way people had to write. I now know that journalists depend on AP style. I honestly I think AP style is great. It keeps everything uniform, and it looks and sounds professional.

5) How social networking sites such as twitter, facebook, and myspace can be a great way to make connections and be informed about current events

This year I learned all about technology, and using the internet to your advantage. Before this class I thought social networking sites were used only for personal enjoyment. I had no idea what great advantages these sites have to offer PR practitioners. Sites like twitter, facebook, and myspace can be used to make so many connections. I learned from our twitter experience in class, that if you follow the right people you can really learn a lot. Twitter is a great site for being updated with the latest news and current events.

6) The importance of editing and checking your work before publishing or posting

I now realize the importance of editing and checking your work. It looks really bad to post or write anything that has spelling and grammatical errors. I also realize that it is so important to make sure you have all your facts right, before writing or posting anything! Nothing will ruin your career as a writer faster than posting inaccurate information. People will discredit you, and it’s really hard to bounce back after that.

7) How to be a better writer

I also feel like I learned about what it takes to be a good writer. Depending on what audience or media outlet you are writing for, there are different styles and different rules you need to follow. I thought the courses we took online at NewsU were also very beneficial.

Podcasts

I had never even heard of podcasts before this year. I had no idea what they were previously. I now know that they are a great way to learn. There are so many different podcasts that cover a variety of different topics. Some are funny and others are really informative. Listening to podcasts is definitely an alternative to learning and gaining insight to reading!

9) Social Media Releases

I didn’t know that much about social media releases before this class. I never really noticed how many options writers have in this current age when it comes to spreading the word about something. There are so many ways and so many media outlets available when it comes to informing people. Writers need to take advantage of these different outlets.

10) Public Service announcements                 

I had never written a public service announcement before. When we had to write one for an assignment it was an experience for me. I am so used to writing long complex sentences that look good on paper, but when it comes to writing public service announcements you can’t do this. Writing a PSA is all about writing for the ear and what sounds good when you read it out loud. You have to makes sentences short and simple, and phrase them in a way that sounds as natural as speaking.

      Overall I thought this class was really beneficial. I learned about so many different things, and I definitely feel I am a better writer after taking this course.

 I learned all about technology, and using the internet to your advantage. Before this class I thought social networking sites were used only for personal enjoyment. I had no idea what great advantages these sites have to offer PR practitioners. Sites like twitter, facebook, and myspace can be used to make so many connections. And I learned from our twitter experience in class, that if you follow the right people you can really learn a lot. Twitter is a great site for being updated with the latest news and current events.

 I also feel like I learned about what it takes to be a good writer. I now realize the importance of editing and checking your work. It looks really bad to post or write anything that has spelling and grammatical errors. I also realize that it is so important to make sure you have all your facts right, before writing or posting anything! Nothing will ruin your career as a writer faster than posting inaccurate information. People will discredit you, and it’s really hard to bounce back after that.

I thought the courses we took online were also very beneficial. Even though they took awhile to get through, it was well worth it! I also enjoyed the guest speakers we had in class, and I loved all the videos we were able to watch, and all the podcasts we were able to listen to in class. Overall I thought this class was great and I feel like I learned a great deal!

The next video we watched was a video that looked professional and legit and named off random facts. The video just draws you in and you can’t help but believe whatever this video lists off. Looking back I remember thinking “No Way!” to a lot of facts that were presented.  At the end of the video it tells you that about 70% of the facts in the video were made up. What I learned from the whole thing was to trust that instinct, because if something is unbelievable, most likely you should not believe it. Unless of course it is backed up by solid evidence. Don’t always believe what people tell you or show you no matter how true and professional it may seem!

1) Write about things that interest you, or things you have a passion for. It makes writing a lot more enjoyable, and you won’t run out of things to write about!

2) Edit and proofread your work! Nothing is more obvious to people looking at your blog than misspelled words, and improper grammar. Read your work twice, and publish once.

3) Add graphics, links, and other visuals to make your blog more interesting! Too many words intimidate a reader.

4) Comment on other people’s blogs! It’s really neat that you are able to voice your opinions on topics, and it’s exciting to get feedback from people in return.

5) Keep up with your blog. Make sure your posts are up to date!

6) Make sure your posts are valid and correct. Nothing is worse than posting something where facts and information are incorrect. People will definitely look down upon you and question your credibility as a writer if you do this.

7)  Make your blog unique and personal. No one likes to see a blog that still has the original background!

Promote your blogs! What’s the point in keeping a blog if no one is ever going to read what you’ve written. It sucks not getting any feedback, so let people know about your blog!

9)  Write about things that will benefit, or inform people. Sure you can write about your day, or what you did in class, but ask yourself “Will this be interesting to people reading my blog?” If the answer is no, then maybe you should write the story in a journal or diary, not post it on your blog.

10) Lastly have fun with your blog! Write about exciting and interesting things, read stories other bloggers have posted, and comment on anything you want. If you do all these things than having a blog will definitely be beneficial.

It’s just amazing to think how far we have come. When we went to the moon in 1969, the huge computers it took to do it were about equal in power to modern pocket calculator! And now we have technology like the iPad! It’s crazy when you think about how much technology has grown and expanded, even in the last ten years! Along with all this new technology, there are so many new ways you can reach people. There are so many options when it comes to getting stories out there, and getting people informed. We just did an assignment for a social media news release this week, and this assignment opened up my eyes with all the different media outlets there are. As writers, whether you want to be a journalist, or even if you are someone who enjoys blogging, we need to take advantage of all the technology available to us. The world and technology is constantly changing. We can’t let this intimidate us though. There are so many opportunities that there never were before, so we just need to embrace them, and use everything given us to change the world for the better!

Watch this video. It touched my heart.

If you too feel called to sponsor a child there are many different websites that make the process of sponsoring a child easy! Here are links to a few of them.

   1.www.worldvision.org

   2. www.ChristianChildrensFund.org

   3. www.compassion.com

Here are some stats about world hunger. Not only will you be addressing issues like starvation when you sponsor a child, you will also be providing for all a child’s basic needs and even education!

• More than one quarter of all children under the age of five in developing countries are underweight, many to a life-threatening degree

• Poor nutrition remains a global epidemic contributing to more than half of all child deaths, about 5.6 million per year

• A child dies every 5 seconds from starvation! By the time you read this nearly 70 children will have passed away!

Nate Anderson, founder and President of Ear Candy Charity

Phoenix, Ariz. April 26, 2010  

Ear Candy, Founded by One Sweet Man  

     Could you imagine having a very successful career and leaving it to pursue your passion? Would you be willing to trade your comfortable life in for one that may be financially unsecure but completely fulfilling? Well this is the choice that Nate Anderson was faced with, and he couldn’t be happier with the decision he made.  

     Nate Anderson chose the path few dare to take in life. He chose to leave a profitable job in order to follow his passion and make a difference in the lives of others.  Nate grew up in North Canton, Ohio, and came from a family of entrepreneurs and socially minded individuals. He soon discovered that he too had the same aspirations. He graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 2004 with a business degree in entrepreneurship and organizational leadership. After graduation Nate had a successful career in real estate, but realized that his heart was elsewhere. “I was making a healthy six figures. I was doing extremely well, but I wasn’t really happy,” said Anderson.   

     Anderson became really involved with a few different charities and took action when itcame to fundraising. It was through this type of work that he discovered his love of helping people. He knew that he eventually wanted to do something with music. So he did some research and discovered that music education is one of least-funded programs in school systems across America. He also discovered that Phoenix, Ariz. is currently dead last in per person educational funding. This inspired him to start an organization of his own, and provide kids with access to music education.  

     In 2007 Anderson founded Ear Candy Charity in Phoenix, Ariz. Ear Candy’s mission is to provide kids with music education in communities where school music programs are struggling, or nonexistent. Ear Candy does this in many ways through various programs.  First they start or support struggling school music programs, they create after school programs, and they provide beyond the classroom experiences to give a holistic view of music education. They also have instrument drives and various other events to gather resources for kids and their schools. Ear Candy focuses its efforts in the Phoenix area as well as various parts of Arizona.  

      Anderson started this organization at the young age of 25, but never did he think that he would end up doing this. Surprisingly Nate would not even consider himself a musician, or even a music teacher. He just knows the powerful influence music has on kids. He played piano as a kid, and this really opened up his eyes to the world of music. Even though he says he is not a musician, he has a passion for music and an even bigger passion for spreading the gift of music to kids.  He absolutely loves what he does. He says “It’s a perfect mix of who I am. I’m a giver, a business savvy person, and I have a love of music.” He knows that this is what he was meant to do, and anyone who talks to him cannot disagree.  

-END-  

 Watch these videos if you want to know more about Ear Candy and their mission!   

Here of some photos!  

More Links:

• http://www.earcandycharity.org/Default.aspx
• http://twitter.com/EarCandyCharity
• http://www.facebook.com/#!/earcandycharity?ref=ts

More Facts:

Description: Ear Candy is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing music education in communities where school music programs are struggling, or nonexistent.

Objective: Ear Candy’s mission is providing kids access to music education. They do this in many ways through various programs.  First they start or support struggling school music programs, they create after school programs, and they provide beyond the classroom experiences to give a holistic view of music education.

History:  Ear Candy was founded in Phoenix, Arizona in 2007.

Founder/ President: Nate Anderson

Location: Phoenix, and various communities in Arizona.

                               Contact Info:                                             Contact Info:  

                               Noelle Cottom                                           Ear Candy Charity  

                              (555) 555 5555                                         (555) 555 5555 
                                      

           email: Necottom@seuniversity.edu                 email:Info@EarCandyCharity.org

                                                                                    Mail:

                                                                                    Ear Candy Productions, Inc

                                                                                         365 N. 4th Ave, Suite E
                                                                                         Phoenix, AZ 85003

Tonight I went to an event called Wide Awake. This event was to bring awareness to the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children, men, and women around the world. It really changed me and moved my heart. My heart breaks for all the millions of individuals who are slaves around the world. Those people who are raped and abused numerous times a day, and have no way out. Over 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade.  32 billion dollars is made every year off the bodies of young girls and women in sex trafficking. Over 12 million people worldwide are trafficked for forced labor or sexual exploitation. If these statistics don’t break your heart, then I don’t know what will. What breaks my heart almost as much is how very few people in the world are informed. People don’t know that this is taking place right now all over the world. If people don’t know that this is happening, then how can we put a stop to it? It is our job as Public Relations practitioners to bring awareness to issues, and let people know that they are going on. There are so many ways to get the word out, and who better to do it than individuals who are going into a field that is all about communicating with people. PR practitioners have access and connections to media outlets and people that the average person does not.  So why not use this advantage to change the world? There are so many issues like slavery that need to be addressed, and that people need to be aware of. So we need to take action now! Even if you are not going into Public relations there is still so much you can do. You can do many things personally, like giving your time or money to organizations, you can tell the people you know and bring awareness about issues, or you can contact a PR practitioner and get them to spread the word. If you want to help stop this sickening tragedy, there are numerous organizations you can get involved with. Some are Redeem the Shadows and Stop Child Trafficking Now. Get involved and change the world!

1) Arrive early

2) Know the position

3) Listen carefully to questions

4) Always be positive

5) Tailor your resume

6) Delay salary discussions

7) Make the interview a conversation

Know what the next steps are after the interview

9) Complete your notes

10) Send a follow-up letter

                The tip that stuck out most to me was #7, make the interview a conversation.  I think that the majority of us are so nervous, and focus on strictly answering the questions during an interview that we fail to show our personality. You have to remember that the person giving the interview is a human being too, and you should think of an interview as simply talking with someone. Thinking like this will automatically help with nerves. Another thing to remember is to simply be yourself. Let your personality shine during an interview, because a big part of the interview process and landing a job is being remembered!