Chapter nine of the book "Careers in Communications" by Shonan Noronha is devoted to the subject of public relations. I found this chapter to be very interesting, as I have recently been considering this as a possible future career choice. I am interested in Mass Communications, but have also become fond of Psychology. My goal was to find a career that could combine both of these areas of study and effectively use them. Basically, public relations, also known as PR, is the developing and keeping of a positive public image for an organization or person. PR is the communication between the organization and its public. In addition, public relations has expanded much in the past several years. Now, research is a major component of this field. Furthermore, new technologies are making it increasingly easier to do research in the field and anything press-related. Some important skills that will be helpful in the field of public relations consist of research skills, Internet knowledge, and understand of psychology. Some skills in this field cannot be learned in school; they must be acquired over a period of practice and application.
Today, at least 158,000 PR jobs are available and it is continually and rapidly growing. Because almost all companies can use PR, public relations specialists work in many different setting and companies. PR firms are almost very popular today. These companies specialize in public relations and have many different clients at the same time. There are more than seven hundred PR firms in the country. Some of these firms are rather large while some only employ a couple of people. Different jobs in this field include PR director, account supervisor, account executive, PR writer, PR researcher, production supervisor, and PR assistant. Salaries for these jobs vary, but average salaries are 42, 000 dollars annually. Some personal characteristics of an individual in public relations are intellect, integrity, perspective, interpersonal skills, empathy, creativity, and initiative. Basically, anyone in this field must be a people person who has a set of values and ethics.
Source
Noronha, Shonan. Careers in Communications. Fourth. New York, New York: The Mcgraw-Hill Companies, 2004. 193-218. Print.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Comm 203 Graphic Novel Blog
Earlier on in the semester of my Intro to Communications and New Media class, I was asked to create a graphic novel. Although I was excited about the assignment, I had some reservations. I consider myself to have a fairly good imagination, but was not totally sure of my abilities as a graphic novelist. Not only did I have to come up with a story line, but I also had to obtain pictures and use only short phrases or quotes to tell the story. For me, this seemed very overwhelming and challenging. Basically, I was going to have to tell an entire story through a series of pictures. However, once I began creating my graphic novel, it became increasingly easier. What started out as a hard, difficult challenge was turning into a fun, creative way for me to express myself.
When trying to determine a story for my graphic novel, I decided to choose a rather simple and familiar story line, that of the Three Little Pigs. After changing the setting and characters and keeping the basic story line, I had my very own story. It was entitled "The Three Little People" and was about three brothers who each decided to build a separate house on the beach. The first brother built his house quickly without securing it, the second brother built his house solely on appearance, but the third brother took the time to build a safe and secure home. Then, one day a hurricane approached the beach and left the first two brothers homeless and unsafe. Fortunately, the third brother generously took his brothers into his safe house until the hurricane passed. By the end of the story, all three brothers learned the importance of hard work and safety.
The major point of the graphic novel was to use it as a mode of communication. I was expected to tell an entire story with pictures, a few short captions, and quotes. The main focal point of the story was the pictures, though. The captions and quotes were there to guide the story, but the pictures did the actual story telling. The pictures had to fit together and appear in a way that was aesthetically and visually pleasing to the eye but also organized and appropriately placed. It was a challenge, but with the assistance of the Comic Life application, it was possible. Although I retrieved the pictures from many different places, I was able to make them all look similar by using the same effect style. The effects were helpful in making the graphic novel look professional and pleasing, and it was my job to organize and arrange them to tell the story in a way that was easy for a reader to understand. Because not all individuals are visual learners, the challenge of a graphic novel is to appeal to all kinds of learners. Even though pictures are geared to a visual learner, for a graphic novel to be successful, the pictures and their placements must speak to many. This is also where captions and quotes can be very helpful in guiding a story.
Graphic novels are a very interesting and challenging mode of communication. They can be fun to make, but also difficult. For a graphic novel to be successful, it must appeal to many and be understandable. Applications like Comic Life make it possible for anyone to create and explore the world of graphic novels. Successfully telling a story mainly by a series of pictures takes much talent and determination. However, when the work is complete, it is very rewarding. Graphic novels are great modes of communication that may not be used widely enough.
When trying to determine a story for my graphic novel, I decided to choose a rather simple and familiar story line, that of the Three Little Pigs. After changing the setting and characters and keeping the basic story line, I had my very own story. It was entitled "The Three Little People" and was about three brothers who each decided to build a separate house on the beach. The first brother built his house quickly without securing it, the second brother built his house solely on appearance, but the third brother took the time to build a safe and secure home. Then, one day a hurricane approached the beach and left the first two brothers homeless and unsafe. Fortunately, the third brother generously took his brothers into his safe house until the hurricane passed. By the end of the story, all three brothers learned the importance of hard work and safety.
The major point of the graphic novel was to use it as a mode of communication. I was expected to tell an entire story with pictures, a few short captions, and quotes. The main focal point of the story was the pictures, though. The captions and quotes were there to guide the story, but the pictures did the actual story telling. The pictures had to fit together and appear in a way that was aesthetically and visually pleasing to the eye but also organized and appropriately placed. It was a challenge, but with the assistance of the Comic Life application, it was possible. Although I retrieved the pictures from many different places, I was able to make them all look similar by using the same effect style. The effects were helpful in making the graphic novel look professional and pleasing, and it was my job to organize and arrange them to tell the story in a way that was easy for a reader to understand. Because not all individuals are visual learners, the challenge of a graphic novel is to appeal to all kinds of learners. Even though pictures are geared to a visual learner, for a graphic novel to be successful, the pictures and their placements must speak to many. This is also where captions and quotes can be very helpful in guiding a story.
Graphic novels are a very interesting and challenging mode of communication. They can be fun to make, but also difficult. For a graphic novel to be successful, it must appeal to many and be understandable. Applications like Comic Life make it possible for anyone to create and explore the world of graphic novels. Successfully telling a story mainly by a series of pictures takes much talent and determination. However, when the work is complete, it is very rewarding. Graphic novels are great modes of communication that may not be used widely enough.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Comm 203 Academic Major Blog
When entering into college, one of the most important and key points in anyone's journey is to choose a major. Choosing a major determines the classes one takes and ultimately the career one has after college. Therefore, it is very important for someone to take an adequate amount of time to really think about all of the many options a college has to offer and decide which one may best fit them. Personally, I decided early on in high school that I wanted to major in Mass Communications. Although I did not know exactly how I was going to use this major in my future, I had many ideas and concluded that once I became involved in the Mass Communications program at Shepherd University, I would find my perfect place in the field. Fortunately, I believe I have. I am also interested in psychology and realized that Public Relations may be a good place for me to investigate and find a career.
Overall, Mass Communications has many benefits and reasons for choosing it as a major. To begin, the field is continually changing, but also continually growing. Although some aspects of the field are becoming extinct and obsolete, new and different technologies allow for new and different jobs and opportunities. Another reason to major in Mass Communications is the variety of job opportunities. There are so many different jobs involving Mass Communications. For example, jobs such as journalism, public relations, advertising, filmmaking, and many others are included in this major. It is a good starting point if, like me, one is not totally sure about future possibilities. In addition, there is room for growth and advancement in many of these jobs. One may not start off at the top, but with dedication and work, it is possible to advance. Mass Communications may not be right for everybody, but it is a good place to explore for people with a variety of interests.
There are a great variety of classes offered at Shepherd University in the Mass Communications major. Since I have only just begun my journey on this path, I have not really gotten a chance to explore or take too many of these classes. I have taken a Speech class and a Voice and Diction class and I am currently in the Introductory to Communications and New Media class. Other classes include History of Film, Narrative Scriptwriting, Organizational Communications, Music Video, Advertising and Imagery, Media Law and Ethics, Computer Mediated Communications, Motion Graphics, and many others.
Ultimately, I hope to gain out of the Mass Communications program the experiences and knowledge to start a job I love. I desire more than just a degree in the field; I want the tools to do something with the degree. Hopefully, at some point in the near future, I will be able to start a job that I like and eventually advance that career to the perfect job because of my foundation in the Mass Communications department at Shepherd University. With determination and drive, I feel like this is a very realistic possibility for me. I am excited to see where my future goes!
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