Five Things Fisher Students Learned Through Meet the Media
November 16, 2018
Last week, The PRIMA Group hosted its fourth annual Meet The Media panel series on campus. An interactive student-led panel discussion, Meet the Media explores the relationship between public relations, journalism, and social media.
Members of this year’s panel included professionals from the Rochester Business Journal, WROC-TV 8, WXXI, Dixon Schwabl, Rochester Regional Health, Seneca Park Zoo, Democrat & Chronicle, and WHEC-TV10.
College News asked PRIMA students what five things they learned from Meet The Media 2018.
1. The world is at our fingertips as social media is ever-changing.
As social media continues to evolve, students must grow with it. Social media is a great way to engage with people, find new audiences, and monitor your brand or company.
Everything is instantaneous on social media, therefore, it gives you the ability to respond immediately, especially if incorrect information is spreading quickly. With social media becoming increasingly popular every day, students shouldn’t forget the importance of face-to-face interaction. It’s crucial to go out and meet people.
According to Adam Chodak, evening anchor and managing editor at WROC-TV 8, “The best way to receive information is to be in the community and listen.”
2. “Relationship-building is one of the most important skill sets necessary to succeed.”
That’s advice students learned from Sarah Hanson, director of marketing at Seneca Park Zoo. No matter your college major, it is paramount to form meaningful relationships and network with others.
Julianna Monacelli, director of consumer public relations at Dixon Schwabl, also said that the most important part of PR is relationship-building.
“Whether it’s your client, team, or the media, it has to be open and honest,” she explained.
And, be approachable, accessible, and authentic.
3. Do your research!
According to the panelists, you’d be surprised at how many people come in for an internship or job interview and don’t know exactly what the organization does. Preparing for an interview goes far beyond bringing your résumé and perfecting your elevator speech.
Make sure you know the organization’s mission statement, their past work, the future of the company, and more. Be prepared to ask questions to show that you’ve done your research. Lack of research is a waste of time.
4. Intern! Intern! Intern!
Internships are a necessity for all majors. Start off on the right foot; introduce yourself and shake everyone’s hand.
Be proactive! If you want to make the most out of your internship, be passionate and eager to learn every aspect of the field. If you want to learn the ropes of a different department, all you have to do is ask!
Lastly, having a bright personality will make you stand out from the crowd and be remembered in the future.
5. All you have to do is ask.
The last question students asked Meet the Media panelists was, “As students, how can we develop relationships with the media while we’re in school?”
Sarah Taddeo, reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle, immediately responded with, “What you’re doing right now.” As in, listening to Rochester media professionals through these PRIMA sponsored events.
“Ask us out to coffee, we want to help you,” Taddeo stressed, noting the importance of networking.
Ending the panel series with a great piece of advice, Maureen McGuire, anchor at WROC-TV 8, told students to “go out and have a really good, interesting life.”