New Media

The new social media movement consisting of blogs, forums and a myriad of new online applications has changed the way that people communicate with each other across the world. The new influencers would be the individuals that disseminate this information to the masses. It used to be that the gatekeepers or professionals in the media would be the individuals in control of the information that the public is allowed to see instantly. Now anyone can upload a video, picture, article or any form of written or visual content to be consumed by the public. According to the book "Groundswell" by Forrester categorizes Social Computing behaviors into a ladder with six levels of participation. The term social techno-graphics is used to describe a population according to its participation levels. On application that has been created with this movement that has gathered a huge following is twitter. This social network is small text messages being shared to the general public and others can comment. Twitter became so popular now it has its own applications specifically for twitter users. I believe that these new applications are opening up ne forms of communication to the world. Yet, if you find something online that you think might be a credible source of news, double check the source to verify its claim.

Climate Cover-Up: The Signifigance

The book "Climate Cover-Up" is basically about the issue of climate change and how it is affecting the community. Large corporations and big name energy companies pay public relations firms large sums of money to come up campaigns to help support their covering up the fact that global warming exists or the fact that our earth is slowly becoming a waste field caused by constant pollution. The cause of climate change is none than ourselves.

The most significant part of the book to me was the evidence of scientists documenting their findings in published articles and journals. The documents show so many instances where the evidence of global warming and climate control is real. For example, the book states that thousands of scientists and other experts have done research over the years and have verified the affects of climate change on the earth. Yet, so many deny or refute the fact due to lack of scientific evidence. Public Relations practitioners must be careful representing these types of organizations so that they don't break their code of ethics by misinforming the public and not acting as an advocate for others. It is a large debate today because so many people are in a fight to prove the other wrong.

Framing

The framing of a message very controversial in some social and academic circles. The message can be written any you'd like but the most important factor is how the audience will hear your message. Statistic Frame analysis is an approach to study communication research that pays special attention to the public world views and assumptions. Frame Work inventors formed a team that tested them to find out how the framing affected social policy. These framing tactics are used by politicians, the media, writers, scientists and parents. Everyone uses framing in some sort of way without even knowing it sometimes.In the public relations profession framing is use to gain attention and support from a desired audience. The words you use and the way you use them is very important when trying to get your message across without having the unwanted misunderstanding or the desired effect of the intended message. For example, someone may say we are going to drill for oil now, that does not sound too safe or positive. While another person may say we are exploring new energy possibilities. These two statements mean the same thing,but one definitely sounds better than the other.
Or here is my favorite from my uncle. Work for me at times is very hard and takes up a lot of time. He says, "work smart not hard." This saying implies that if you are smart about getting your work done. For me this means I have more time on my hands to do other things. One question for my readers, Some see framing as persuasion while others view it as manipulation.Do you think framing is a good thing way or why not?

Malcolm Gladwell's- Tipping Point

I am enrolled in a Strategies and Research course where I have to read Malcolm Gladwell's book "The Tipping Point". When I first started reading the book I thought it was going to be boring. Surprisingly, the book was very interesting and had some good points. Anyone interested in a unique yet very plausible reason why society gravitates towards certain ideas.

Some of the key players as far as experts are concerned are the scientist's that research social and communication behaviors in society, businessmen, and communication experts. But more specifically described in Gladwell's book are connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. These individuals are vital to any social movement.

The Tipping Point relates to the Public Relations profession because this crucial point is a communications issue. Gladwell describes, "The Tipping Point"as the point that pushes a trend, behavior to the edge. At this stage Tipping Point gets recognition by the masses. The key players are the motivators that push this particular epidemic spreading like an infectious disease to others. The term stickiness is used by Gladwell to explain that the angle of your message is important.The stickiness can either be identified or related to by others and the subject matter has to convince people to take active roles.

Where do you stand? How do you feel about The Tipping Point?