My recent discoveries

These musicians aren’t necessarily ‘new’ but they are new to me so thought I would share.

Hope you enjoy…

I’m Yours by Jason Mraz

Another Day by Jamie Lidell

The Quest by Bryn Christopher

Theatre, Friends, Birthdays and Gigging

So it seems the weekend is catching up on me mid-week… this could be reinforced by the fact that I have spent the day in London at a CASE seminar (more on that another time) and last week was also busy with Custard Balti Comedy and Ideas Cafe at Warwick! Feels like I haven’t stopped lately so am quite impressed with myself for finding time to blog about it! I had a great (but busy) weekend…

On Friday night I went to see Into the Woods, a Music Theatre Warwick (student group) production at Warwick Arts Centre. It was performed in the Studio Theatre – an intimate little venue that I reckon held less than 100 people in the audience and the quality of the music, singing and acting was great! The best thing about the whole production for me was seeing members of the local community enjoying a Friday night out watching Warwick University students perform! Working in the Communications Office at Warwick, part of my job is in Community Relations and promoting the benefits of the University (and it’s students) to the local community so I really felt a warm glow when I saw some older members of the local community really enjoying the talents of our students.

On Saturday I had a night out in Birmingham for a double 26th birthday celebration – two old school friends (Lydia and Fiona) have birthdays on consecutive days so we went to the Yardbird jazz bar and Jamhouse to celebrate. A few of my friends now live in London so it’s great when there’s a birthday and they return home! What was even better was that I recently bumped into another old school friend that I haven’t seen for 8 years at a Comedy Club in Birmingham! I mentioned the night out to her and she came along with my old best friend from school! The birthday girls didn’t know about the surprise guests so there were shocks and smiles all round which was brilliant! I also had the opportunity to catch up with my friends families which is something I don’t get to do so often now that they live in London! It was really nice to catch up and reminisce about school days, sleepovers and Sutton Girls!

Finally, on Sunday I realised that my mate wasn’t returning to London until Monday so I made a flippant suggestion that Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong were playing Birmingham Academy in case she fancied it. At about 6pm on Sunday evening my mate called to see if I was still up for it and having seen them at Warwick University Students’ Union about a month ago I jumped at the chance to see them again (despite the slight tiredness from the previous night)! The support act, Beggars, were really great as well! Check them both out if you get chance!

A great weekend all round!

A Week On…

So a week has passed since the deadline for my CIPR Diploma CRT and I have been too busy enjoying having my life back to find time to blog. It’s one excuse after another with blogging – too busy working to blog then too busy having fun to blog.

I actually completed my CRT a few days before the due date as I had a busy weekend planned and did not want the CRT hanging over me. Last weekend I went to see Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong at Warwick University Students’ Union, the Kooks at Birmingham Academy and a friends new apartment and this weekend I went to a friends pre-wedding meal at the Mailbox and another friends engagement party! The social calendar is full to make up for the hermit I became for the month of April.

The Kooks, Naive, Live at Birmingham Academy

Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong (live but not at Warwick SU) - definitely worth catching live if you get the opportunity!

On Saturday I will be heading to Nottingham for the fourth of my CIPR Dimploma taught sessions and it will be the first session of the second module which focuses on planning and management in preparation for our second assessment in August. I was planning to publish my first assignment online here but I thought I should wait to see how good/bad it was before sharing! If the two essays (one on PR and Blogging and the second on PR and Ethical Propaganda) are any good then expect to see them here in June! Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, here’s a preview of my PR and Blogging essay:

Expectations from media, clients and audiences about new technologies are placing increasing pressure on public relations practitioners to increase their use of new technologies (Lordan, 2001). Whilst new technologies won’t replace traditional tools used in public relations the cost to PR practitioners in not using these tools will be in losing their competitive edge to those who have mastered new technology (Anderson and Reagan, 1992 cited in Lordan 2001). As advice to PR practitioners considering entering the blogosphere, Porter et al (2007) suggest an evolutionary approach in which “Practitioners begin using blogs routinely for informational purposes – seeking out alternative viewpoints, the latest news and experimenting with blogs for research purposes. Then use shifts to a more professional – albeit passive – orientation. This issues identification factor allows practitioners to continue to use blogs for information but in a more strategic and professional manner. The final step in the evolution of blog use is to begin engaging in two-way communication.” Whilst this model will not apply to all PR practitioners who use blogs, it does emphasise the importance of a familiarity with and a knowledge of blogs and the blogosphere before being able to use the tool for strategic and purposeful two-way communications.

References

Lordan, E. J. (2001) Cyberspin: The Use of New Technologies in Public Relations, in Heath, R. (2001) ed. Handbook of Public Relations, Sage, London

Porter, L. V. et al (2007) Blog power: Examining the effects of practitioner blog use on power in public relations, Public Relations Review 22 (2007) 92-95

Interlude…

There may be a couple of interludes in the next few weeks as I expect I will be too busy writing essays to be writing blog entries…

Here’s the first:

Hooked on Facebook?

I have become a lazy blogger… well technically I have just been a bit busy lately so until I get another chance to write a proper entry, enjoy this video…

There’s always time for Facebook!

Rhett and Link say even more about Facebook here (including the song again…)

Rhett and Link on Facebook Groups…

“It’s amazing the groups people are willing to join because of Facebook like…’I'll always love my daddy’. You don’t go up to somebody at the mall and ask them to join your ‘I’ll always love my daddy’ group but you ask them on Facebook and they’re like, ‘Yeah, you know I have always loved my daddy… i’ll be in that group.”

Their advice on photos is also very worthy. Remember, if you post something on Facebook, it’s available to the world… including Rhett and Link.

Opinion

“Opinion can be void if not presented from both sides” Preston (2004)

The wise words of Samuel Preston of the Ordinary Boys – a good example of rhetorical theory. You may wonder where I am going with this, but I have recently started studying my CIPR Diploma so thought I would try and make the theory more entertaining by relating it to another of my interests – popular culture!

Rhetorical theory according to Heath (2001): “Through statement and counterstatement, people test each other’s views of reality, value, and choices relevant to products, services and public policies”. Heath supports the rhetorical process as the primary perspective through which PR should be viewed.

For rhetorical theory to be ethical, Heath states that the dialogue must be conducted on a level playing field. But how can a playing field be level in the corporate world? Surely there is an argument here about big fish in little ponds? The louder the voice, the stronger the message?

Skerlep (2001) also advocates the rhetorical approach as it allows multiple viewpoints to be given on situations, allowing the PR practitioner to gain new perspectives. By rigorously questioning and challenging statements, we can arrive at the ethical truth. For this approach to be truly ethical, the PR practitioner must be responsive to these mutliple viewpoints and not ignorant to them.

“In the situtation of public contention on a controversial issue, the speaker can only marshall the best arguments for his or her case… The ‘truth’ can only be reached through argumentative dialogue that reveals which of the participating parties has better arguments” (Skerlep, 2001).

I agree with Skerlep to an extent, but I think ‘debates’ are desirable rather than ‘arguments’ which marks the PR practitioner as an antagonistic challenger of opinion. Although the word ‘argument’ does convey the persuasive nature of these dialogues.

Finally, more words of wisdom from Samuel Preston “A healthy argument to start the day, what better way?” – he must be an advocate of rhetorical theory!