Playing Defense: Social media users pose a threat to SEC sports teams

The Southeastern Conference has issued new rules that prohibit fans from sharing videos and photos for commercial use during games according to an Aug. 20 article in The New York Times. These rules are aimed at social media users who copy TV broadcast and create their own highlight reels and post them on sights, and charge fees for advertisers and those who access their sights. Some disagree with these new rules saying the social media tools help promote the conference. Many fans have created unofficial websites for their favorite teams and these are viewed as competitors for other traditional media outlets and advertisers. The SEC wants to protect itself against new innovations in the future. Personally I think as long as the websites are not charging money to view and advertise on the site it is fine. It is not right that they will make money off of SEC game footage but as long as it is free to viewers, it is bringing attention to the games therefore promoting them in a positive way. I do not think it is competition because people would rather view accredited sites over a personal blog of Facebook page for information. The more the name is out, the better public relations there are. I think you should continue to let fans post what they want about their favorite teams. It seems that the SEC is creating more trouble for themselves when in the end it is not a very big deal.

Tweet temptation: Twitter may allow advertising

According to prsa.org, Twitter announced on September 10th, they are contemplating the possibility of advertising. They believe microblogging sites provide an attractive platform for advertisers to promote their brands. I see where Twitter is coming from because using advertising on the side will not only make them a profit, but will attract more people to their site. As a Twitter user, I believe I would find the advertising on the side distracting and annoying because I do not like it when I use Facebook but if in the long run it is more lucrative for Twitter then they should add it. I think it is a smart business move for Twitter to publish that they are thinking about adding advertising before they actually do it to get the public talking about their name. If someone who has never heard of Twitter before sees this release, they may be curious and want to go find out more about it. By waiting to add the advertising, it seems like they are giving the public a chance to voice their opinion in what they want. Many Twitter users are concerned with how advertising will affect their Tweets. They are worried pop up ads will dilute the creditability of their tweet. I think Twitter should construct a poll of some sort and ask the users what they want. The avid users are the ones who will be affected by this change and they need to consult them before making any drastic decisions.

My Public Relations Skills

After reviewing the post on davefleet.com I believe my public relations skills are as follows:

Writing: I have had a lot of experience with writing for public relations thus far in college and I know I will have many more chances to improve upon my current ones. I am able to pick out good writings and know what elements a good press release needs to have.

Communication Skills: I know how to effectively communicate with others and I can get things done in a productive manor. I enjoy talking to others and sharing knowledge.

Attention to Detail: This is a big skill of mine because I analyze every detail of what I do and make sure everything is into play. Little details are important to me and I do not let anything slide.

Media Relations: I am working on this skill and I am trying to networking every opportunity I get. I know how to make a media list and I have had a little experience pitching items so although I am still developing in this category, I have a little knowledge already.

Work Ethic: I realize public relations is not a typical job and will require more out of me than a regular job and I am willing to commit to it. I work well under pressure and I like deadlines. I try to pitch in and help everyone around me achieve their best.

Blogging: Obviously I am working on this skill. I know that blogging is and will continue to be an important part of public relations and I am trying to learn all there is to know about it.

Micro Blogging: I am also working on this skill and I hope to be fully trained in the 'twitter' world by the end of my college career. I know this is also an important part of public relations and I am willing to learn all there is to know about it.

There are a few areas I am still unknowledgeable about and I still need to work on before becoming a professional. Pro-activeness, seo, coding, blogger relations, social media ethics are the ones listed on the blog and I had very little experience with. I would like to learn about all of these areas in our public relations administration class.