Internship Spotlight: University News Services
by Caroline Jones
Are you looking for an internship or another way to gain more writing experience? If so, the University News Services internship is the perfect opportunity to get a solid start to a career in public relations.
The University News Services (UNS) office is located at 300 Plaza Centre One in downtown Iowa City. The internship lasts one semester, or you may work there during the summer months if you will be living in Iowa City.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to: interviewing media contacts and writing press releases and news stories for various University publications, identifying relevant University of Iowa stories and pitching them to local, regional, national and international media outlets, archiving news stories and assisting in various administrative tasks.
As a student you may be thinking, “What’s in it for me?” Or “How will I benefit from this experience?”
“From the UNS internship, I was able to hone my AP and press release writing expertise–two basic but essential skills for a PR professional,” said Jennifer Ferm, former PRSSA president and recent UI graduate.
By the end of the semester your portfolio will be full with writing samples you will be proud to submit to an employer.
“During my Golin Harris internship, my account team really trusted my writing skills and therefore gave me assignments above the intern level writing materials on behalf of the client,” said Ferm. “I cannot say definitively if Golin Harris would’ve hired me without my strong proficiency in writing that I perfected at UNS. I’m forever grateful for the experience.”
On top of that, the staff members at the University News Services office are friendly and willing to help you in any way possible.
Lois Gray, the assistant director/editor for UNS, is quite possibly the kindest woman you could ever work for. No matter how busy her day is, she is never too busy to listen or help you with anything you need.
“Once I met Lois and started my internship at UNS, I was much more productive under someone who was so genuine, helpful and upbeat,” said Gloria Hurtado, PRSSA vice president after her internship in spring 2008. “As an intern, it’s easy to feel intimidated taking on tasks that require skills still under development, but she took the time to help with every step of the process. I’m greatly appreciative of her mentorship.”
Gray assists with writing and editing news releases and the entire UI News Digest, provides media support to the UI College of Education, International Programs as well as to a number of other areas on campus, including Women’s Resource and Action Center, the Rape Victim Advocacy Program, Honors Program, Registrar’s Office, UI Center for Human Rights and much more. She updates news headlines on the UI Homepage, serves as managing editor for the UNS web site and is the assistant editor for UI faculty and staff newsletter, fyi. Aside from that, she oversees the internship program and recently coordinated the video production internship.
A native of New Hampton, IA, Gray received her bachelor of arts in journalism from Grand View College in Des Moines and obtained her master’s degree in journalism from the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication. After a decade of working in daily and weekly journalism, she realized she wanted to work in higher education media relations, combining her experience from studying abroad and her love for higher education.
“Some of the best moments in my current position with University News Services, University Relations, is when we know we’ve helped educate the public about really significant research or when we’ve really made a difference in people’s lives through an outreach event or big news,” said Gray.
“A recent example was during the Flood of 2008, we were able to work with this natural disaster and help educate people on campus as well as work with members of the media – locally, regionally and nationally – as well as alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff and members of the general public – through a Flood Blog, press conferences, press releases and other communications vehicles. It was an opportunity to show the resilience of our campus and how teaching, research and service continue despite the obstacles.”
The experiences of an internship with UNS will vary from each semester.
As we have mentioned before, you never know when a crisis will hit. As an employee of any organization, you must be prepared to face new challenges and demonstrate your willingness to accept more responsibility.
PRSSA Public Relations Director Aly Dolan provides a first-hand account of crisis communication.
“When the flood hit, my boss’ had their hands full with crisis communication,” said Dolan after interning with UNS last summer. “Fortunately, a lot of press releases and stories that were originally assigned to higher positions were passed along to me. It definitely improved my writing.”
Perhaps most importantly, PRSSA has built a positive relationship with the University News Services office, one that will be your responsibility to uphold and build upon in the future. As a member of PRSSA, you already have an advantage when applying for this position. UNS has been an invaluable resource to our chapter and we hope to continue to send our talented members to work there.
A Fundraiser with sprinkles on top!
by Tina Larson
Our first fundraising event was held on Tuesday, August 26th at the Coldstone Creamery downtown on the corner of Dubuque St. & Washington. We had several members volunteer to work behind the counter and raise some much needed money for our chapter.
Special thanks to: Brittany Wichtendahl, Tegan Zimmerman, Stephanie Block, Tina Larson, Gloria Hurtado, Carla Keppler, Caroline Jones, Cara Adams, Melissa Rasper, Megan McIntyre, Aly Dolan and Genevieve Krier. These enthusiastic members took orders behind the counter, passed out samples and also recruited people from outside to come in for a delicious snack. Some Firm members also stood outside passing out OurCampus360 promotional items, including calendars and t-shirts.
The fundraiser lasted from 5-9 p.m. with members working 2 hour shifts. We were given a percentage of all the sales during the four hours and also the tips.
This fundraiser was a huge success, thanks to the members who volunteered and to the beautiful weather! If you missed out on this fundraiser, make sure to sign up for upcoming fundraisers. The money from all these events go to agency tours, banquets and other events throughout the year.
Editor’s note: We are currently planning fundraisers for the Spring semester. Contact Carla Keppler for more information and to get involved!
Dodgeball Madness
The Firm committee was in charge of planning the event. Members worked diligently to get donations from local businesses for raffle prizes and gift baskets. In addition to bragging rights, the winning team and consolation team received a prize basket filled with a trophy, shirts and gift certificates from local bars and restaurants. Local restaurants, such as: Atlas, Blackstone, Micky’s, Z’Marik’s, Pizza Ranch, Carlos O’Kelly’s and Bruegger’s donated gift certificates.
The event had a total of 14 teams, all of which used Patches O’Houlihan’s Five D’s of Dodgeball: “Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge!”
(Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, 2004)
Colleges Against Cancer had a table and representative handing out information about American Cancer Society and fliers about their upcoming Z’Marik’s fundraiser on Monday, November 17th, in which one dollar from each Mac and Cheese bowl sold went to Relay for Life.
Talya Vexle , The University of Iowa gymnastics coach and cancer survivor, was also in attendance to show her support.
Once the championship game was over, the adrenalin filled participants headed to Short’s Burger and Shine, 18 S. Clinton St., for great deals on delicious burgers and beverages. The Summit also offered participants free cover till 10:30 pm.
The American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge in Iowa City welcomed their first guests earlier this year. They provide a temporary home-like residence, without charge, to cancer patients. For more information, visit www.iowahopelodge.org.
Diana Baculus: Advice to Live By
by Genevieve Krier
We are quite a marketable group of people. Just ask Diana Baculus, local public relations professional and speaker at the October 15th PRSSA meeting. Baculus brought to the group stories from a variety of experiences, beginning with radio broadcasting. From being on air, to radio advertising, and eventually becoming sales manager of the station, she was piecing together different aspects of PR, building her marketability. Throughout her early career, Baculus contributed twenty-two years of PR and marketing in both the hospital and government sectors. “Public relations skills are very transferable,” stated Baculus.
Much of what is learned in the PR field can be applied to nearly any job where one interacts with people. On the local level, one could be a spokesperson for your city’s government or an area special interest group, or as a PR specialist for a nearby school. Baculus decided to use her diverse background to start her own firm right here in Iowa City.
“There was a huge learning curve for me,” she recounted, “(because) a firm is more about business building than public relations.”
Her firm, The Summit Group, has been advising clients, handling crisis communication and branding for over four years, garnering multiple awards for her services.
Baculus couldn’t stress enough the importance of “trend spotting” within a specific sector. As PR professionals, we must always be a few steps ahead when it comes to managing the image of an individual or company. Making the most of the media means jumping into the blogosphere, following posts found on nearly every news media website and more specifically, Twitter.com. It comes down to networking with those already established in PR and those of interest surrounding a hot PR lead. Doing research to keep up-to-date on the latest news, trends, and controversy illustrates one’s knowledge and drive, giving young professionals a leg-up in the industry.
Rod Pritchard: Goals to Success
Have you ever heard someone say, “I get along with people and I love to talk” as their reasoning behind a desire to work in public relations?
On Wednesday Oct. 1 Rod Pritchard, the marketing and public relations director at Coe College, debunked this and many other myths commonly held in public relations.
Pritchard, whose previously worked as a farm broadcaster, in local cable television sports and as a marketing and communications director for various companies, reiterated that public relations is still very much about some key skills.
Though many relate the field to special events, easy work, and shaking hands, Pritchard stressed near perfect written and oral communication skills though he said networking is critical.
“Developing relationships is key,” Pritchard said. “Be responsive. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so, but promise to get back to them.”
Experiences abroad as a worldwide marketing coordinator taught Pritchard a lesson about being aware of his surroundings.
“Foreigners generally know a whole lot more about Americans than we do about them,” he said. “To be a leader in a changing world, take advantage of college opportunities.”
These opportunities include: foreign language classes of which he suggested Spanish, travelling abroad, internships, and cultural programs on campus.
“You are at a time in your life when you have unlimited opportunities in front of you – both professional and personal,” Pritchard said. “Be sure and take advantage of them!”
Pritchard left the group with a final thought from Confucius “Choose a job you love and never work a day in your life.”
Ten Important Things to Keep in Mind For Your Future
1) A positive attitude is essential for success.
2) Develop excellent written and oral communications skills.
3) Networking is critical.
4) Take advantage of opportunities to get real world experience.
5) Understand that it is truly a worldwide economy.
6) Develop goals and work toward them.
7) Think about obtaining advanced degrees.
8 ) Your first job can be very important in determining your career path.
9) Your personal happiness will, in large measure, be determined by whom you choose to spend your time with.
10) Seek a profession for which you have a passion.
Lessons Learned From Tragedy
While many of us watched the terror that unfolded on Virginia Tech’s campus April 17, 2007 one man saw a completely different angle than what we caught on the nightly news.
Having faced a coworker fall victim to gunshots once before, Jeffrey Douglas thought he’d never live a day harder than that until one student opened fire on campus the morning of April 17.
As the communication director for Virginia Tech, Douglas became in charge of holding press conferences, establishing a base for the families that were rushing to campus to find their loved ones, establishing space for the hundreds of media personnel that flooded Blacksburg, and coordinating with local and state officials.
After Governor Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency, many satellite trucks, reporters and families swarmed onto campus. Virginia Tech entered into the first phase of a crisis plan—managing the emergency.
A “media city” was formed in the first 24 hours as officials tried to confirm a suspect. The “city” housed news rooms, briefing rooms, outlets with internet access, bathrooms, and food donated by local businesses.
Looking back at the chaos Douglas offered a Crisis 101 Plan for anyone dealing with a crisis. Though he said every crisis is different everyone can learn from these tips.
1. If you have a crisis plan in place, put it into effect immediately and drill it into everyone involved.
2. Establish a communication center. Keeping the media happy keeps everyone else happy.
3. Designate a spokesperson. During a crisis everyone needs to hear their information consistently from one clear voice.
4. Keep the president, CEO, etc. visible. It may save them from being blamed later.
5. Communicate as much as legally possible as soon as possible. From what Douglas shared, many parents were upset that their children didn’t know about a shooter sooner.
6. Stay on the message. Only disclose relevant confirmed facts.
7. Share additional information as it’s handed out.
8. Assemble with the media, police and volunteers and share information. Everyone can help each other collect information and confirm it.
To stabilize campus—phase two of a crisis situation—Virginia Tech made updates on their main homepage streaming important alerts and messages hourly meanwhile students used social media to share their status.
The university attempted to stabilize the Virginia Tech news we were all seeing across the nation. A Joint Information Center was created to route all information regarding the shootings to one location by including administration, local and state officials, local telecommunication companies who offered support, and the media.
In the days that followed Douglas said it was important to resurrect Virginia Tech, the final phase of the crisis. Returning to normalcy meant asking reporters to go home, offering counseling to those grieving and looking forward to the next sporting event—something Doulgas said was a great way to heal as the university attempts to not let this massacre define them.
