In an ever competitive university market, our Director of The Public Relations Program and current PR student Julia Parmley write that understanding new media and online interactivity are vital to new student recruitment. This, along with other insights appear in their recent article published in the PRSA Journal entitled "Tools of engagement: Universities reaching to the private sector for new perspective and best practices."
Last week, I had the opportunity to interview Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, one of a few Hispanic women in congress, and the first member to have a sister in congress at the same time. She was an amazingly energetic person with a unique story. Talking with her gave have me a view into a person who takes on very serious issues at work, but somehow manages to be down to earth and is always able to connect with other people. A good mix to have as a member of congress. Enjoy!
Running for congress at the age of 27 is pretty remarkable. There are many hurdles as a young candidate, but there are also a few advantages. One is an ability to connect to young people through social media. When we interviewed Krystal Ball, candidate for Virginia's First Congressional District, currently held by Rob Whittman, I asked her about her notorious Facebook ads. (For those of you who don't live in Northern VA, her Facebook ads pop up if you have anything political in your profile and you live near Northern Virginia). She told us that they are a great way to build an early coalition and connect with young people. Additionally, they allow the user to micro-target very specific audiences. And she not only employs ads, but also recognizes that after someone clicks the ad, they need to be taken to a well populated facebook page. This is where the conversations happen and relationships are built. A recent article in PoliticsMagazine entitled "Why you should start your online GOTV early" discusses the use of new media for early GOTV. The plan is to use new media early to develop a highly targeted base of supporters that can be called upon later in the campaign. It is a cheap and easy way to build a base without having to expend too much. Many campaigns wait until their operation is in full swing to really engage online communities, but it may be wiser to engage these "net roots" early on. It's obviously not the #1 focus of many campaigns, but if you follow this model and focus on relationship building through the web early, it can be a great advantage when it comes to the last weeks of the campaign. (This article is in no way an endorsement of the candidate)
We had the opportunity to interview Michael Steele at the Young Republican's National Convention in Indianapolis. We asked him, "What do you say to those young people who love politics, but don't see how they can make a career of it, and actually pay the bills?" His message was heartfelt and amongst other things, we loved his comment that as a young person in politics the most common meal is probably "cold chicken and pizza." But on a serious note, we think his message of sacrifice is an important one. (Image credit here)
A few weeks ago, we sat down with Dave Wenhold, the President of The American League of Lobbyists. In this longer clip, he talks about what a day in the life of a lobbyist looks like, what he looks for when hiring interns, and how a young person can get involved in lobbying.
In an effort to support young people, the GSPM is partnering up with Mobilize.org for an amazing event in Chicago on "Exploring the Millennial Generation's Return on Investment," to take place on November 17th through the 20th.This will be a summit of ideas and a grant competition. Details are below and anyone is welcome to attend!
Washington, D.C. - October 2nd, 2009 A few weeks ago, the 4th version of the "Did you know" videos was released. There are many lessons and insights to be taken away from it, but the one that made the biggest impact on me is the importance of new media literacy. There are so many tools to be used, but do we know HOW to use them? Everyone is obsessed with amassing Twitter followers and Facebook fans, but do we know how to cultivate meaningful and useful relationships with those people and through those tools? In 2009, to build valuable social capital, we all need to be fluent in new media communication and best practices. If you want to work at the top of the political world, this will be crucial to your success. So after you watch this amazing video, check out some of the links below. They are resources that have been a big help for me. 1. Mashable 2. FastCompany 3. The Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet 4. Pew Internet and American Life Project
Running for congress at the age of 27 is pretty remarkable. There are many hurdles as a young candidate, but there are also a few advantages. One is an ability to connect to young people through social media. When we interviewed 
A recent article in 
A few weeks ago, the 4th version of the "Did you know" videos was released. There are many lessons and insights to be taken away from it, but the one that made the biggest impact on me is the importance of new media literacy. There are so many tools to be used, but do we know HOW to use them? Everyone is obsessed with amassing Twitter followers and Facebook fans, but do we know how to cultivate meaningful and useful relationships with those people and through those tools? In 2009, to build valuable social capital, we all need to be fluent in new media communication and best practices. If you want to work at the top of the political world, this will be crucial to your success. So after you watch this amazing video, check out some of the links below. They are resources that have been a big help for me. 1.