I'm Back! (with a new question)

So, as all of you might have noticed, I have been on a hiatus of sorts (like I can even deny it, right?), however this mini-vacation was a sort of evaluation on what we need to discuss.

The past few posts have been about diversity as a separate issue from everything else. Let's face it, I have ostracized it, but in all honesty, it is an issue that is dealt with separately all too often, however I want to discuss diversity as a subject that is inter-related with other aspects of PR. I want to pose this question to you- can we have a discussion about PR and diversity in a larger scope or do we need to separate the issue all together?

I really want answers. Why? Well, I want to discuss this because of the economic situation. The less corporations and agencies have in the budget, the less they are willing to spend on 'diversity' related aspects of the company. Diversity, sadly, is at the bottom of the priorities of management. So what? Well, I want to think of ways to integrate the discussion, but I want to hear from you. What do you think? Are diversity-talks doomed to abstract ideas that we go over once or can we incorporate it in the culture of a company?

I'll post my thoughts next week.

Diversity in PR; Us vs. Institutionalization

I preach diversity, but I often get the question...Debbie, what if I am not diverse? Or worse, most people are afraid of me and the things I create ( i.e. the diversity committee), because they think that I am part of a minority club that they are not invited to.

To qualm the fears of those individuals, I wanted to address the issue. In the end, I am tired of being a PR anomaly--a crusader for diversity in the industry. I hate the glaring eyes that think diversity is a joke subject.

So, what do I want? Instead, I want willing allies to help make PR better instead of merely "letting" me do my "thang".

So, let us begin with the question--Debbie, what if I am not diverse?

First, I have to say...Ouch! Why? Having that "I am not diverse" mentality as a PR person is suicide. If you are a good PR professional, you have to understand that you have something to offer (um... a.k.a. something unique?!) If you are a PR person without any kind of "diversity", your career will stop at an early stage; therefore, please stop that thought.

But, what is diversity? Do you think it is race? Is it African-American, Asian, Latino, blah blah blah? Yes? Well, diversity is far more than race. Socio-economics, religion, etc. The world is a diverse place, and race is only one component.

So, the first step is to stop thinking about diversity as you vs. them. That's how we halt progress.

It's us vs. institutionalization (social theory to denote the process of making something (for example particular values and norms, or modes of behavior) become embedded within an organization, social system, or society as an established norm within that system.*) In the case of PR, we have created a narrow point of view. The norm is to look at a client and a campaign from the eyes of a white female. Granted, this is not always true, but most often, it is. And though, we try to look from another point of view, it is embedded within us to look from one singular viewpoint--our own; therefore, we have to challenge that norms that confine the growth of our industry.

Then, comes the next question...Debbie, how can we fight institutionalization?

Well, the answer to this question is not so cut and dry. I do have a few suggestions, but I want to hear from you before I say my piece. What do you think we can do? Or, is it a subject that we cannot fight? Think from a student's perspective, a teacher's perspective, and then a professionals point of view. If you disagree, then go on, comment. I want ALL sides. I can handle the criticism.

I will post my thoughts in a week, but till then, what do YOU think?


(*institutionalization definition taken from wikipedia.com)

Why do you think diversity matters?

I have preached about my beliefs about diversity and PR, but I want to hear what other professionals, students and professors think. Is it THAT imperative or am I making a big deal about an issue that is present in all industries? 

I want to see what YOU think so that I can update this blog to answer the questions and concerns that everyday PR people have. The content (i.e research, blogs, Web sites) for diversity and PR is lacking, therefore I am calling on you to help me gauge why diversity is or isn't important in relation to the PR industry? 

Don't be afraid to play devil's advocate! This is a place for OPEN conversation. Here are some questions to ponder (but don't limit yourself to the questions asked):

1. Why has it taken so long to address diversity in PR? 

2. Though diversity niche fields exists, they are constantly coming and going--what does this signify about diversity and PR ?

3. DO you think diversity in relation to race is being emphasized too much--should diversity in experience be more relevant?

4. Men are often found in small numbers when looking at the entire PR field, but what about women in executive roles?

5. Do colleges emphasize the importance of diversity in relation to communication? Should they emphasize it more?

So, with that being said, what do you think?

The Power of Social Media

Before I begin this post, I want to say my disclaimer. I love social media, but I believe that it is not a panacea for diversity or any other problem in the industry. It is merely a tactic that we, as practitioners, teachers, and students, use to communicate more efficiently and to a wider audience.

So, with that disclaimer--I think social media is a new-wave superpower. To some, referring to social media as a superpower is over-the-top and somewhat geeky, but in my experience, social media has empowered me in so many different ways. 

But, why should you believe me? I have a biased view on the topic of social media...right?

Knowing that audiences, like you, are more skeptical than ever, I wanted to walk MY walk to demonstrate why social media is breaking ground. How do I do that? Well, with a couple of examples from my own social media experiment--my blog. When I found out about social media, I chose to combat the evil of homogeneity in the industry of PR. Okay, so that was nerdy, but nonetheless, it is MY cause. 

So first, a little history. I started a blog entitled "Diversified PR" this semester.

Why? I love public relations. I love diversity, and wa-la!

That was the general premise, however by writing about my passion, I found others who share my zeal for diversity. Whoopee you say?

Well, whoopee indeed because the is where the true power of social media is found. I have networked with a public relation's researcher in Oklahoma to the former diversity chair in PRSA to a PR practitioner in China. I am a testament to what social media can achieve.

It can cross borders, but moreover, it can create communication between diverse individuals. And not just in terms of ethnicity, but much more--these individuals bring diversity of experience to the table.

Moreover, social media allows much needed dialogue to occur between generations. I am an undergraduate student. To some, I am not very influential, and though it is sad. it is how things are, but when I start to get backing from professors and industry leaders, I become a powerful voice. I must say--I feel quite empowered.

It is true that I don't have a new invisibility power or new telekinetic powers, yet I am still better because of this blog. I communicate my concerns, frustrations, and more, to individuals around the world. I am practicing PR through the web. My blog allows me to participate in two-way communication. I help shape my industry. Though it is small, I am still part of the change.

To me, diversity is an issue. I could not deny it. I could not ignore it. So, instead of fighting it, I acknowledged the facts, and I wrote about it.

"Diversified PR" is one blog, but it has already started a conversation between student, practitioners, and industry leaders. Hopefully, it will begin to generate action. The fact that I can become a catalyst to change is the beauty of social media, and thought I have spoken about the relevance of new and social media in diversity before, and I have preached about the opportunity in these tactics to companies, college, and agencies, it is not until I immersed myself in it that I began to believe. 

In the end, I want people to know that social media is a powerful tactic, and though it won't save the world, it is still changing it. What will you do with this new power? Spiderman's uncle said it best, "With great power comes great responsibility." I used mine to address diversity, what hero will you be?

UGAConnect Conference; Diversity and Social Media

I learned so much at UGAConnect, but one thing that I found interesting is a word that kept being thrown around at the conference- community.

I want to elaborate on this because, in my opinion, diversity is integral in community.

Social Media is ALL about community, and though, diversity wasn't directly being targeted at the conference, I saw huge potential in terms of multiculturalism and pr, within the conversations that were occurring between professionals, educators, and students. 

One aspect is the idea of a conversation.

A two-way dialogue is important when anything is being broadcasted within the social media sphere; this becomes an asset to our cause!  This characteristic of new media allows minorities to be part of the conversation. 

Look at this blog; aren't you reading? I was allowed to speak though a blog, which is a form of social media.

Common Sense? 

Well, yes, but no real efforts have occurred with social media in terms of connecting minorities with the field of public relations.

The possibilities are endless; professionals, educators, and students who are all invested in elevating the industry to a higher level by increasing the importance of diversity in the field.

One outcome: the ability to connect minority professionals to minority students and recent graduates . These individuals will become vital in a student's success.

I know that my passion for  diversity has been fueled by two of my mentors, Kim L. Hunter and Bill Imada. They are always willing to help me with anything that I want to pursue in terms of diversity and communications. I have been lucky in finding mentors, but social media will make this easier to accomplish for other students. 

I can only imagine fueling the passions of other students for diversity through facebook discussions? or through twitter? or creating a LinkedIn social sphere? 

Moreover, PRSA could get involved! They could promote their multicultural scholarship. They could provide a connection to companies who are looking for diversity with students who are diverse.

This is just one aspect of social media that could help our cause, but what are your thoughts?

Is social media an asset or an obstacle? 

Asian American Student Association PR efforts

I know this is a blog about PR and diversity, but I wanted to speak about the successful PR efforts of the UGA Asian American Student Association.

Before anything, I want to give a little background about the The University of Georgia Asian American Student Association [AASA].



It was was restarted in 2003 and it has had a difficult time reestablishing itself due to a few variables including but not limited to the plethora of language barriers, the spectrum of majors for Asian students and much more, however this year the executive board has done a fantastic job in recruiting freshman and current UGA students.



First from a PR standpoint, we had to look at the whole group. Minorities are different--that is the first premise people must acknowledge, however keeping that in mind, the sender must also acknowledge that they also share similarities with the majority.



So with this in mind, how do we get hundreds of students excited about an Asian organization when they don't relate themselves with the Asian race but instead think of themselves as a subset of the race like Filipino, Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean, etc?



And moreover, these subsets already have organizations themselves.



Hmmmm, interesting right?



Well, the approach was simple. First know that they are students first. Don't over complicate a situation. What do students want?

They want help. They want resources. They want a reason to join.



We, as AASA, must provide them [students] with what they want.



After assessing this--we looked at ways we can incorporate this with their culture.



The goal became clear--AASA is to be a resource for Asian students to succeed in school, while gaining friendships, along with becoming more aware of Asian issues across the board.



We implemented a mentoring program [FoundAsian] for freshman and upperclassmen, where freshman became mentees and upperclassmen became mentors. This was phenomenal. It did a few things. It broke the 'model minority' stereotype. It allowed members to feel needed. And lastly, it became a resource to build resumes and garner relationships.

Second, we looked at all the other Asian clubs [Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.] and assessed what AASA can do for them.

It was simple--these clubs are small. AASA is big [or is suppose to be].

We had to bridge the gap. We had to welcome other organizations and explain that AASA is trying to help them succeed by allowing them to be part of a community.

One voice versus many voices?
Which louder?
Their issues will be heard,if they buy into the unification that AASA is trying to do.

Soon, we saw response and though it was slow, response was there.

As more organizations joined in, more organizations wanted to be part of the movement.

This Thursday on August 28th, UGA AASA had the biggest turnout in the club's history.

People were genuinely excited--PR efforts are still happening, but the beginning of the year has begun. I cannot wait to see what AASA will do next!

This is an example of minority PR, and how looking at the target audience allows the goals and objectives to be defined.