The Ehling Report Public Relations Student Society of America

At the table with Letter

Inside: Lunch date
from
Crisis with
Editor
Communications
Burson-Marsteller
Professional
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Highlight
Analysis By:By:Elizabeth Jessica Choi
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By: Elizabeth Holtan Massive crises have undeniably marked the past three
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of advice that crisis communications work, such as people and the world’s largest oil spill consumed the Gulf
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of Mexico. However, the magnitude of the disasters was
only comes CEO embezzlements, surgery mistakes,
from decades of suicides and accidents. However, “you further amplified due to the ease with which people have
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Alumnus Highlight practicing public can’t get that kind of work when you’re access to information today. Firestone and Exxon faced
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relations. 26,” said Meath, who attributes the similar fiascos more than a decade ago. Yet, those disasters
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occurred during an extremely different technological period.
opportunities in part to being “54 and
We d n e s d a y, gray.” Toyota and BP’s crises occurred amidst the Internet’s peak.
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rise of the virtual arena added a new crisis challenge for
his knowledge with a roundtable of a Meath conducts about 100
BP and Toyota: preparing a crisis communications plan that
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dozen PRSSA members in a talk titled, interviews a year on behalf of clients
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healthcare
National Conference Recap
Effective Communication During or technology. What’s important to a
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and dependability took a toxic turn after several reports
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deadlines, accuracy and sound bites.
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The Capital Connection: People,
Meath shared a plethora of expert He views reporters as “information attributed over 19 fatalities to Toyota’s vehicle acceleration
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Four days week, Meath’s work starts comment,” said Meath.
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around 5:30 a.m. and doesn’t end until
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well after dark. Since his days are so It’s important to “take the critical %
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riser; Meath uses the extra morning want to say,” he said. Write down
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PRSSA Initiative
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place of crises.
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continued on pg. 6
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Black PR Pros Hall of Fame
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Honoring Public Relations
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5:35 a.m.: Prepare for a college board review.  
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-12%)(?%/01+(1#1+)4professionals from the past, present
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and future
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9:44 a.m.: Help the CEO of a nursing home speak with the media. 
s Networking within PRSSA
11:10 a.m.: Review a union‐related legal case. 
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3:25 p.m.: Develop messages after a bank robbery with shots fired.  &12#.@.-2&-+#% -12% @.-2&-+#% -12% -22#2% +<-+% <#.% ),#/(-$+J% ()%
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s 7 Rules for Networking Success
4:30 p.m.: Prepare testimony for legislature. 
7:55 p.m.: Discuss messaging for layoffs with a CEO. 
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s Mastering the Elevator Speech
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Crisis Communication continued from pg. 1
London petroleum giant BP is another
company recently notorious for poor crisis
management. In 2010, an explosion on
the Deepwater Horizon, a floating semi-
submersible Mobile Offshore Drilling
Unit (MODU), killed 11 workers, injured
17 others, and released roughly 4.9 million
barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Just
like Toyota, BP avoided communicating
with the public. Their messages were
vague and BP’s CEO tried to shift the
blame by saying the oil catastrophe was
not solely their fault, but the fault of
other companies as well. Not only did
BP constantly assure the public that the
impact was minor, but they also failed to
empathize with those most affected and
threatened by the catastrophe. By the time
BP addressed the situation, the damage to
their reputation was immeasurable.
BP and Toyota shared a number of
errors during their crisis management.
First, they had laggard and inconsistent
responses following the discovery of their
crises. Second, they failed to acknowledge
the problem and maintain honesty. Third,
their messages were ambiguous and
uninformative.
Creating a crisis management plan
that combines both traditional and new
methods is challenging. Neither Toyota
nor BP had mechanisms in place to
identify their problems and mend their
reputation. They should have had multiple
crisis communication plans organized and
ready to tackle every possible worst-case
scenario. However, Toyota has displayed
a new strategically transparent approach
by maintaining a tailored website,
placing ads in mainstream media, and
answering questions through Twitter,
Facebook, blogs and other social media
channels. While Toyota was swift in
utilizing new methods, BP failed to do
so. Understandably, BP was unable to
quickly recall their product and address
consumer safety like Toyota. However, BP
could have tactically used social media to
better inform, answer questions, and show
their geniality. Promptly and carefully
communicating with the public is more
important than ever because information
now spreads at an expeditious rate. The
Internet and social media has become a
permanent facade of the global society.
In order for companies to survive in our
highly interconnected world, they must
strategically utilize both traditional and
new methods to communicate swiftly,
strategically, and authentically. •
2
How a hashtag spelled
a recipe for disaster
The rising landscape of new media over the past
decade has not only diminished the reaction time
to news but has also subjected the news to a lot
more scrutiny. As such, the importance of a public
relations professional’s editorial role has seen a
multifold increase. Not only is editing vital, but it
is even more critical to respond quickly to leverage
public image of a brand. Social media public
relations and marketing can prove disastrous if the
wrong tactic is used.
On Feb. 3, 2011, Kenneth Cole, a prominent
fashion designer and owner of a New York fashion
house, posted a Tweet using a Cairo hashtag to
promote the launch of Kenneth Cole’s latest spring
collection.
It created an enormous upheaval because of
Cole’s insensitivity to use Egypt’s rising unrest to
relate to a new fashion trend. Heavy criticism and
ridicule, estimated by the media as 1,500 negative
retweets an hour, resulted in a reply by Cole.
It was not the reference to Egypt or to the new
spring collection that caused controversy but the
tactless, tasteless and foolish use of Twitter. The
inclusion of a mere hashtag (#Cairo) automatically
included followers of the turbulence in Egypt and
implied Kenneth Cole’s intention to compare the
grave situation to its spring collection.
Kenneth Cole failed to recognize that its Twitter
post was not just about marketing but about inviting
conversation. Social media is not a tool to employ
without thought and neither is it a promotion
board. It is a platform to engage in open dialogue
By: Smita Bhooplapur
and interaction. There should be an organized
fashion to educate and advise people to maintain
a company’s online presence. Yes, the purpose is
to enter public presence but companies should be
wary of the irreversible and instantaneous nature of
social media. Once posted, neither the message nor
its impression on the public can be erased.
In the case of Kenneth Cole, they did apologize
to salvage the situation but the apologies posted
on Twitter and Facebook were too passive (“…
to everyone who was offended…”) and went off
a tangent on Cole’s work. It also implied that he
realized his bad sense of humor only on hindsight.
Such phrasing implies a lack of maturity and
sincerity. An apology that offered no explanation
but genuinely accepted the mistake, followed by
a proposed plan of action to improve the situation
would have been more effective for Cole and the
company.
Peter Kapcio, director of reputation management
services at Eric Mower and Associates in Syracuse,
N.Y., said in a personal interview that Cole’s mistake
was that they were trying to capture a world-wide
crisis and harness it for commercial purposes.
“You can’t fix stupid,” he said. “Twitter didn’t do
the damage, it was the stupidity of the message. It
all boils down to one thing – social media is fast
and timely and decisions have to be made quickly.
Handling social media is not for an unseasoned
person. One has to have knowledge and expertise.
In the rush to deploy new media, companies often
do not figure out how editorial functions are taken
care of.”
“It’s almost always there is something before the
trigger that is the cause,” said Kapcio, suggesting
that a crisis is often rooted in a more fundamental
problem than it appears to be. “A sincere apology
and time is the only fix.” •
Connect with Us!
Syracuse PRSSA
@SUPRSSA
SUPRSSA.tumblr.com
 Interview with Advice to Students
Deborah Hyman
Deborah Hyman is currently Director of
Global Communications at Verizon. She has
previously worked as Director, Employee
Communications at Empire Blue Cross/Blue
Shield and Senior Manager, Public Relations at
Freddie Mac. She began her career as a reporter
at the Daily Press. She earned a B.A. in Mass
Media Arts from Hampton University and a
M.A. in Public Communication from American
University.
During my conversation with Deborah
Hyman, we talked about several different areas
of public relations, in particular social media,
relationship building and the National Black
Public Relations Society. Ms. Hyman also
offered several pieces of advice for current
students.
Social Media
Public Relations professionals are “always
looking for the next best way to communicate
to audiences,” said Hyman. Social media have
opened the door to new ways of communication
between organizations and relevant audiences.
Hyman recommends staying in front of
developing communication trends, including
social media.
What is APR?
By: Jessica Leeds
As Newhouse students, we have the
privilege to communicate with and learn from
professionals who are well educated, intelligent
and full of advice. It’s likely that we’ve all come
across the three capitalized letters after their
name and wondered: what exactly is APR? Is it
a degree? Do you have to take a test to receive
the title?
APR stands for Accredited in Public Relations.
Accreditation is a strictly voluntary certificate
program whose purpose is to recognize those
practitioners who have demonstrated experience,
competence and sound judgment within their
professional careers. The program is overseen
by the Universal Accreditation Board, which is
a diverse blend of public relations professionals
from a variety of sectors in the field.
By: Elise Trent
The Power of Relationship Building
One of the components of public relations
is relationship building. Hyman stresses the
importance of building relationships with media
before something happens. If your company
experiences a positive event, then you already
have the relationships in place to effectively
communicate your company’s message/story to
information outlets. If something goes wrong,
you already have relationships in place to help
you get in front of a crisis and stem the problem
before it gets out of control.
National Black Public Relations Society
Ms. Hyman sits on the board of directors for
the National Black Public Relations Society
(http://nbprs.org) Over the organization’s 14
year history, the National Black Public Relations
Society has served as an advocate for black
professionals in all areas of public relations. It
is a volunteer-driven organization with chapters
in major media markets across the country. The
organization is 300 members strong and its next
conference will be held October 27- 30, 2011 in
Milwaukee, WI.
Don’t be fooled—it may sound simple, but
getting that APR title is no easy task. To qualify,
you must have at least five years of professional
public relations experience. Then, you must
fill out an application and send in the fee. Next
is the Readiness Review, which consists of a
written questionnaire and a presentation in front
of a panel of three professionals, who will ask
you questions about your questionnaire and
examine your professional portfolio. Finally,
you must take an extensive written examination.
If you pass those steps, then you are accredited
for life.
Although the APR is an accreditation that
comes with a lot of prestige, it also comes with
some controversy. In fact, less than half of
PRSA is accredited. Although she recognizes
the controversy surrounding the title, Professor
During her interview, Ms. Hyman offered
several pieces of advice to public relations
students:
(1) Offer a company a solid foundation of
public relations skills. Don’t wrap yourself
up in working in one industry.
(2) Take the time to develop solid
computer skills and expertise in Microsoft
Office Suite, especially PowerPoint and
Excel.
(3) Strengthen your social media skills
by learning how to utilize blogs, websites,
podcasts, etc. These are all outlets for your
future client/company and could give you a
“leg up” down the road.
(4) Don’t work somewhere your
grandmother wouldn’t recognize. There
is something to be said about brand
recognition and the longevity of a company.
(5) Hone your writing skills. If you can’t
write, how are you going to use social
media, websites, and online blogs? At the
end of the day, you have to be a writer at
heart. •
Maria Russell, APR, believes that it is beneficial.
“I think it’s a way to have people focus on the
basics of what it means to be excellent in public
relations,” she said. “It never hurts you and
could help you.”
When you’re five years into your public
relations career, you may find yourself
considering the accreditation program, as it
may open up career opportunities and allow
you to further your professional education.
For now, try speaking with as many public
relations professionals as possible to determine
if accreditation may be right for you. •
3
Black PR Proffesionals
Hall of FAme
Joseph Varney Baker
Baker was the first African-American to gain
national prominence as a PR practitioner, the first
African-American to become a PRSSA chapter
president and the first to become accredited by
PRSA.
Reverend Barbara Harris
The first African-American woman to practice
public relations and
An internationally recognized activist for
women’s rights and racial equality.
Moss Kendrix
The first African-American to acquire major
accounts such as Coca-Cola and Carnation,
Kendrix made corporate America aware of
African-American buying power.
Brandi Boatner
First African-American woman to serve as
National President of PRSSA. She is currently an
External Relations Professional at IBM
Cheryl Procter-Rogers, APR, Fellow PRSA
Senior communications and public relations
professional with over 30 years in the industry,
Proctor-Rogers was the 2006 national president
and chief executive officer of PRSA.
Dr. Debra A. Miller, APR, Fellow PRSA
The first woman of color and the first African-
American to be elected chair of PRSA, and the
first woman of color to receive the coveted Gold
Anvil award.
Ofield Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA
PRSA Gold Anvil award recipient. PRWeek
named him one of the five most effective
communicators of the year. Founder of National
Black Public Relations Society.
4
PRSSA defines its role in diversity as follows:
“ To expand the objectives of this Society
while actively recruiting and retaining members who
can offer a variety of experiences through a broad
spectrum of racial, ethnic, religious and sexual-
orientation groups. The Society aims to encourage
the educational success of our members in order to
provide the professional world with educated, diverse
students to form strong and effective relationships
with a multicultural, global society ”
- PRSSA Diversity Toolkit
Diversity and
public relations
By: Emmelie De La Cruz
Diversity in public relations is a growing trend. In
recent years, companies have made a conscious effort
to hire more minority professionals in order to be more
skilled in communicating with the growing multi-
ethnic markets. The growing presence of Hispanics
and the buying power of African-Americans are factors
that cannot be ignored. Ethnic diversity is an integral
part of an excellent organization but change has been
slow. If practitioners are to be the moral guidance of
an organization, they must help in the development of
effective communication with minority publics and
help others within the organization understand the
value of those relationships.
Institutions of higher learning are also lacking ethnic
educators. Hiring more women and minority faculty
would have a great impact on public relations education
and the representation of minority individuals in the
field and academic works. The presence of these
educators would allow students to have professionals
they can relate to and identify with, which would lead
to assistance, encouragement and guidance for the
rising professionals.
As a Newhouse student and a woman of color, I
can understand the value of having a professor or a
mentor that understands my needs, experiences, and
struggles. I am very proud to have Dean Branham, a
woman of color, as Dean of Newhouse. Her presence
has instilled hope and pride for the future of the
communications industry. I look forward to working
in an industry that understands the value of diversity
in culture, community, and communication. Research
however, still indicates that women and minorities
are still underrepresented in companies and top-level
management as well as underpaid. We have progressed
but must continue to strive for excellence. •
PRSSA Abroad By: Laura Foti
Brittneé Anderson, a junior public relations major from Atlanta, Georgia, is an avid tweeter. However,
Anderson is currently studying abroad in Beijing, China, and has had to find a new outlet for her
tweets due to government regulations. The Chinese government blocks the use of Twitter, Facebook,
Tubmlr and other social media sites, a foreign concept for an American communications student abroad.
Anderson spoke to The Ehling Report about her adventures, the state of public relations in China and
how she maintains her online presence.

What was your reaction when you realized you couldn’t tweet from Beijing?
Anderson: It was so sudden, I got off the plane and I couldn’t tweet anymore! I thought about how I
was going to make contact with the “other” world and it was scary. I can talk to my friends on Skype but
it’s not like Twitter. I figured out that I could cheat and update my LinkedIn, which connects to Twitter,
but I can’t write the same things. I use twitter to correspond with friends and LinkedIn for professional
networking so while it was a loophole it wasn’t that much of a loophole. I was worried about how it
would affect my summer internship because I just stopped tweeting. I feel that my online presence is
waning and I want people to see that I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth.

How do you connect with social media then?

Anderson: I’ve discovered a proxy that allows me to connect to Tumblr and Facebook and I do that
regularly. The proxy I use says that I’m in Canada or Europe so it gives me access to the blocked
sites. I like the separation but I still need the connection to the western world. Not having social media
disconnects me from that. The government bans websites but they don’t really cut down on proxies–
you’re not going to get arrested for using one. It allows me to look at Twitter but not to update it. It’s a
tease because I can see what people are saying but I can’t respond.

Why ban websites to being with if people just use proxies?

Anderson: I think it’s about power for them. China has a superiority complex. I think they think, “The
U.S. isn’t going to have an upper hand on us” and of course for the potential for social unrest. Look at
Egypt–they used social media sites to join together.

What are the attitudes toward social media in China?

Anderson: They don’t care about Facebook and Twitter and they don’t care that they once had it. They
have their Renren, the Chinese version of Facebook and they like their Weibo, the Chinese version of
Twitter. I guess if you haven’t had Facebook for years then it doesn’t bother you, but I’ve had Facebook
since freshman year of high school so it was an adjustment. I’ve become dependent on computers to
share my experience.

What was the biggest cultural adjustment for you?

Anderson: The people in that a lot of things that are customary in the U.S. and in the South are not
here. People don’t smile at you when you walk down the street, there’s no such thing as saying, “excuse
me.” There are no lines, you get in where you fit in. I believe in manners and a smile but people don’t
seem to believe in that here.

Why you think it’s important for public relations students to study abroad?
Anderson: It’s important that PR students to study abroad because we are communicators and we
need to learn how to communicate with everyone. If you’ve never been outside the country you won’t
know how to communicate with people that aren’t western. China has one billion more people than the
U.S. and it is interesting to see what works here compared to the U.S. They try to put western spins on
marketing here but not all groups respond positively to that. China is the number two growing economy
in the world but you have to see it from the communications perspectives. Ogilvy has five or six offices
in China so they’ve recognized the importance of traveling abroad and learning to communicate with
other cultures. When you’re young, you have the opportunity to travel and explore another market and
see if that’s where you want to be. Personally, I like China but I don’t know if it’s a place where I want
to live and work.

Do you think creating messages and campaigns varies from culture to culture?
Anderson: Absolutely. In the U.S. there are more niche markets. In China, there are individual markets
but at the same time people are all trying to keep up with the Joneses but the Joneses is everyone so
the messages are not tailored individually. China is growing and people are experiencing an increase in
wealth. I haven’t been all around China or Beijing but this is what I’ve seen so far.

Do you miss the weather in Syracuse?

Anderson: God no! It’s cold here but it’s not Syracuse cold and while it snows it’s not Syracuse snow.
I do miss PRSSA! •

5
 Michael Meath continued from pg. 1
Meath’s favorite media relations
tip is to give the reporter what you’re
holding at the end of the interview: the
sheet of paper you’ve prepared with
your talking points. This helps build
trust and improves the chance of being
quoted in tomorrow’s paper, Meath
said.
“I get frustrated that sometimes
reporters are impatient,” skeptical
or cynical, he said, but “they’ve got
incredible pressures.” Meath also
pointed out that “we can’t stereotype
them,” and that PR professionals are
often stereotyped too. Meath is there
to help reporters do their job, he said,
and taking even 10 minutes to compose
his messages ultimately benefits the
media.
The Meath lens
All of Meath’s
work at Strategic
Communications
is viewed through
the “Meath lens”:
strategy, integrity and
communication, which he says is the
recipe for an organization’s success.
Do companies screw up? “Sure,
everybody does,” said Meath. It’s an
organization’s values that really matter,
he added. He’s turned down clients that
don’t meet his standard of integrity. It’s
all about managing your reputation and
the company’s collective reputation, he
said.
“Professor Meath’s focus on
integrity was a high point of the
lecture,” said PR graduate student
Colin Thorn. “It was refreshing to hear
how practitioners assist organizations
on a personal level. Contracts and
proposals aside, PR is still a service
based on relationships.”
Meath is in the business of helping
organizations manage their reputations,
but it’s important to manage your own
reputation, too, he said. When speaking
with a client or reporter, “I might have
a glass of wine. I won’t have two,
because that’s my reputation,” Meath
said.
“My biggest takeaway from the
presentation was... how to maintain a
solid reputation as a practitioner,” said
Thorn.
On social media
PR practitioners must know how to
use social media, but Meath says it’s
important to monitor conversations
before contributing to them. “You don’t
have to be everywhere,” said Meath,
but “once you’re there, be there.”
Meath believes young public
relations professionals have an PRSSA 2011
advantage in the age of social media.
Companies are “looking to you to be
Regional Activities
an expert,” he said. However, “don’t
ever let that replace good writing,” PR Advanced: Be the Change
added Meath. Boston University
Feb. 26
Advice for the young professional
The only way you get a seat at an
organization’s decision-making table is
if you bring outside experience, Meath
said. “Go do something else,” he said, The Reality of PR: A Survivor’s
and come back to PR. Guide to the Public Relations
World
“If you’re smart, you can learn Penn State University
anything,” and you can apply that March 25–26
knowledge to PR, Meath said.
Approach entry-level work “with
humility, don’t pretend to know Get Social: A Blueprint for
anything,” and ask lots of questions,
Social Media Strategy
he added.
Indiana University
Understanding how to hold a good April 8–9
conversation and remembering names
are also key skills to flourishing in
the industry. He practices what he
preaches: at the beginning of the talk, PR Capital: Gateway to a
he introduced himself to every person Career as a Young Professional
individually, shook their hand and Ohio State University
remembered their name. It’s a simple
gesture that holds a powerful lasting April 16
impression.
“If you show genuine interest in
people and in organizations, you can
do anything,” Meath said. “Anything!”
Meath is an adjunct professor at
the S. I. Newhouse School of Public January/February
Communications and the president of
Strategic Communications, LLC, a Report Staff
Syracuse-based crisis communications
and reputation management practice. Editor-In-Chief
He holds a master’s degree in Emmelie De La Cruz
communications management from
Newhouse and is a registered lobbyist.
Contributing Writers
For more information on Michael
Meath and Strategic Communications,
Laura Foti
LLC, visit www.stratcomllc.com. • Elizabeth Holtan
Jessica Choi
Jessica Leeds
Smita Bhooplapur
Elise Trent
Contact us:
syr.prssa@gmail.com