By Christian Baker

Real World PR 2008, a collegiate conference for students interested in public relations, was held Feb. 22, at the Loudermilk Center. Hosted by Georgia’s Public Relations Soci-ety of America Chap-ter, the second largest PRSA Chapter in the nation, Real World PR provided more than 200 students from colleges and universi-

ties nationwide with opportunities to net-work, receive resume critiques, learn about

PR strategies of major companies, and en-hance interviewing Continued on page 3

Members Make Connections at Real World PR 2008

The GSU Connection to the Professional World of Public RelationsPRSSA Informer

Inside:

GSU Chapter Continues to FlourishPage 2

Speaker Spotlight:Mike Neumeier of Arketi Group Page 4

Professional Advisor Christine Mc-ManusPage 5

How to Recession Proof Your PR CareerPage 6

PRSSA Mission:

• To serve our members by enhancing their knowl-edge of public relations and providing access to professional development opportunities.

• To serve the public rela-tions profession by helping to develop highly qualified, well-prepared profession-als.

Vol. I No. 2 Spring 2008

First Ever Induction Banquet to Honor GSU PRSSA MembersBy Jonathan Zamarripa

The amazing growth of the Georgia State University PRSSA Chapter continues this semester with the creation of several new committees and additional opportuni-ties for members who join the organization. Chapter leadership set ambitious goals and

explored new ideas for improving the Chapter and increasing mem-bership.In addition to growing membership and creating new op-portunities for profes-sional development this semester,the GSU PRSSA is proud to announce the first ever GSU PRSSA Induction Banquet.

This event will give members new and old the opportunity to be formally acknowledged for their hardwork and dedication in helping to build a newlty vital campus organization. The GSU PRSSA In-duction Banquet will be held April 17, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Continued on page 4

The Informer’s Christian Baker connects at Real World PR

P. 2

Chapter President Focused on Growth, Organization, SuccessBy Jonathan Zamarripa

According to GSU PRSSA President Candace Gonzales, the spring semester has seen new life come to GSU PRSSA. “Membership has increased this semester from last semester,” Gonzales says. “We have a total of 50 paying members, more than double the number from two years ago.”

Gonzales continues, “My main goal is always to increase mem-bership and make the students at GSU more aware of PRSSA and the benefits of being part of our organization. After that, my goals are to increase the lev-el of organization and account-ability in the Chapter. We took the first step toward that goal with the creation of our new member-run committees. My next goal is to make our first-ever Induction Banquet a hit! I know it is going to take a lot of work, but the events commit-tee and our officers have been working hard. I am excited to see how it will turn out.”

GSU PRSSA is a vibrant stu-dent organization that follows the PRSSA’s mission to help members strengthen their

knowledge in public relations. The Chapter offers exclusive internship opportunities and resume and portfolio build-ing seminars. Last semester began with new faces and fresh individual perspectives that helped make the first annual GSU PRSSA December Meet & Greet a tremendous success. With over 60 guests packing the balcony at the City Grill, the inaugural networking event exceeded the expectations of nearly everyone involved.

The Public Relations Student Society of America has more than 9,600 members in 284 universities across the United States of America. PRSSA was established on April 4, 1968 when the PRSA Board of Di-rectors founded the first PRSSA Chapters at nine universities in the United States. By the end of 1968, they had a total of 14 PRSSA Chapters across the country. Today, PRSSA is still growing in membership and the Georgia State University Chapter is a great example of that growth.

Meeting Highlights

Williams Mills AgencyPresident Scott Mills visited to speak about agency life and give PR advice.Burson-MarstellerRecruiting managers Dena Linker and Maya Kalkin visited cam-pus for an exclusive information session and Q&A about agency internships.Atlanta Convention and Visitors BureauPR specialist Suzanne Forte provided useful information on hospitality PR.Career and Sports EntertainmentLeAnn Boucher discussed sports and entertainment PR.

Board MembersChristine McManus, APR, Professional AdvisorDr. Joseph V. Trahan III, APR, Faculty AdvisorCandace Gonzales, PresidentAndrew Flick, Vice PresidentNathalie Carter, TreasurerEmily Hatmaker, SecretaryChris Thompson, Chapter Relations Coordinator

Newsletter StaffDesirae A. Jones, Editor Christian Baker, Writer Desta McGhie, WriterJonathan Zamarripa, Writer

P. 3

How To Land Your Summer InternshipDevelop a Plan• Meet with your advisor to discuss options• Make a decision of location preferences and the time you will be able to start.• Start with broad areas of in-terest and narrow them down.

Move with Confidence• Develop a strong resume and cover letter.

• Gather letters of recommen-dation.• Be sure to follow up with or-ganizations, especially if com-petition may be stiff.

Be Prepared for the Interview• Study before each interview •Practice interviewing with a career counselor in your school’s career center.

• Remember to send thank you notes after each interview.

Accept and Proceed• Accept your offer in writing and verbally.• Invest in appropriate cloth-ing according to the company’s policy.• Arrive early and pre-pared to do your best.

Real World PR continued from pg.1

skills. Real World PR is an an-nual event where public rela-tions professionals and a small number of media professionals come together to assist college students in career development. Some student attendees may have an interest in public rela-tions without a clue as to the PR professional’s responsibili-ties. So, Real World PR also provides insight to help stu-dents determine if they should choose PR as a major.

“At Real World PR, students get a chance to discover the real world of public relations, and professionals get a chance to impart what they‘ve learned and experienced into students’ professional development,” said Denise Grant, CEO of PRSA Georgia. “It’s a win-win for everyone involved. I really wish something like this existed when I was in school.”

This year’s co-chairs, Jacqueline

Petty and Rachel Hadley at-tended Real World PR during their college days. Petty is now marketing content coordinator at The Atlanta Journal Con-stitution and Hadley is senior account executive at Weber Shandwick.

A graduate of Allegheny Col-lege, Petty oversees the confer-ence’s education and operations teams. Hadley, a graduate of University of Louisiana at Lafayette, oversees the student relations and development teams. Petty and Hadley now have the opportunity to ap-ply what they experienced as student conference attendees to maximize current students’ conference experience. “My hope is that students max-imize the opportunities avail-able at Real World PR,” Petty said. “I believe that this con-ference is in existence to help students transition smoothly

from college to career. Students desire to work in public rela-tions, but too often there aren’t any classes that teach students about the responsibilities of a PR professional outside the classroom.” And Real World PR is helping to bridge that gap.

Popular Sessions

Included:•PR 101

• Media Relations

• Agency, Corporate, or

Private?

• Get This Party Started!

• Make Yourself Marketable

• Portfolio Overview Session

• Nonprofits and Government

• What You Need to Know to

Land a Job

• Sports & Entertainment

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PRSA|GA President-Elect Mike Neumeier to Speak at Induction CeremonyBy Desirae A. Jones

PRSSA honors its members this year at the April Induc-tion Banquet. However, the true honor for the Chapter is having Mike Neumeier, APR, former National President of PRSSA, as the keynote speaker. Neumeier is a principal at Arketi Group, an integrated marketing and public relations firm. He currently serves as the President-Elect of PRSA|GA Chapter and the board of advi-sors for Kennesaw State Uni-versity Department of Com-munication.

Neumeier has more than 15 years of proven experience in public relations, marketing and analyst relations. A specialist in counseling clients on the best means to effectively convey business messages to market and media influencers, he has built an enviable record of cre-ating and delivering plans that result in building the bottom line. Neumeier previously served as director of media and ana-lyst relations for Interland, a web hosting and online ser-vices provider. He also has served as a PR and marketing

executive for two large independent marketing agencies, the director of news services for Mer-cer University, and as a writer at the University of Florida’s Health Sci-ence Center. He has earned the distinction Accredited in Public Relations (APR) along with more than 36 industry awards, including a 2002 PRSA Bronze Anvil for design-ing a demand-creation program which yielded a $13 million increase in sales.

Neumeier is the immediate-past chair of the University of Florida’s Public Relations Ad-visory Board, secretary for the PRSA|GA, and has served

on numerous national PRSA committees. He has a B.S. in public relations from the Uni-versity of Florida and is cur-rently working on a master’s in mass communications.

Induction Banquet continued from pg. 1

in the Alumni Hall Ballroom on campus. Chapter President Candace Gonzales says, “I hope that all our members will attend and bring guests because this event is all about them. We also invited PR pros from around Atlanta to help celebrate ev-eryone’s success.” The event will begin with appetizers and mingling followed by an awards ceremony and an Italian dinner.

The cost is $25 for profession-als and $15 for member-invited guests; members are covered by annual dues.Special Thanks to Committee MembersCommittee Chairs:

Felicia Campbell - Events Chris Thompson - PR Nathalie Carter - Membership Members: Jenna Cooper, Caitlin Watts, Kathy Brown, Mary Rose Mac-aranas, Monique Jones

Mike Neumeier, APR will address members and guests as keynote speaker at April’s Induction Banquet

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By Desta McGhie and Desirae A. Jones

The job of a PR professional involves assuming various responsibilities, and Chapter Professional Advisor Christine McManus has assumed many of them. She believes students should follow their passions, and offers this advice: “Do what you love and the money will follow.”

McManus, founder and presi-dent of 26 Communications, a public relations consulting firm, has experience in corpo-rate, agency, and nonprofit PR. Over the years, she gained skills in time management, client re-lationships, and cultivating new business that proved important when she started her own busi-ness. Earlier in her career, McManus traveled from state to state handling media relations for trade shows, pitching editorial coverage and researching com-petition to identify trends in the industry. As a spokesperson for UPS, she was responsible for the vitally important holi-day shipping campaign, as well as B2B and media relations. While working with UPS, she gained valuable experiences with crisis communication by being positioned as the point

of contact for the media during emergency situations. McManus says her most re-warding professional experience was working for The Carter Center. She was directly in-volved in planning and execut-ing humanitarian campaigns and wrote on behalf of mean-ingful causes.

A GSU alumna, McManus’s career is a blueprint for suc-cess that the aspiring public relations professionals in GSU PRSSA can follow. Her own inspiration to pursue a career in PR came from seeing a PR pro-fessional at work. And, as the professional advisor to GSU PRSSA, she is now able to in-spire others in the same way.

PRSSA Professional Advisor Christine McManusPRSSA Vision:

G. E. A. R. S.Growth: To become the largest, most re-spected, and widely recognized organiza-tion for preprofes-sional students with an interest in public relations.Education: To enhance the future professional through classroom preparation, leadership, andexperience.Advancement: To move the public rela-tions profession forward through public awareness, meaningful ethics, and diverse representation.Relationships: To align with PRSA and for a free interchange of ideas through pro-fessional relations, practical trainingand mentoring.Students: To pro-vide members with national, regional, and local opportunities to network, share ideas, and grow professionally.

Chapter Professional Advisor Christine Mc-Manus is in charge of officer elections and serves as liason to PRSA|GA

In a recent survey of econo-mists conducted by the

Wall Street Journal, 71 percent believe the United States is now in a recession. While that may be bad for the housing industry or the manufacturing industry, the public relations industry will remain unscathed. Why? Because PR is recession proof, or at least that’s what some in-dustry prognosticators believe. First, PR is cost efficient. That’s why many believe public relations budgets (and hence employment levels) will re-main steady despite a recession. Some even foresee larger bud-gets for PR departments as they absorb communication func-tions from the marketing or ad-vertising departments. Second, PR is people driven, not prod-uct driven. Public relations can help clients weather the storm by building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders. Third, PR is more effective than advertising at reaching target audiences with key messages. But some, like Anne O’Neill, an account supervisor at Man-ning Selvage & Lee, think clients facing a recession may be less willing to spend money on public relations products.

“I think they see PR as a luxury that can be put on hold,” says O’Neill. “For instance, if their profits or stock prices are drop-ping they aren’t going to be as inclined to spend money on cute mailers or ongoing media outreach.”

Others caution against over-generalization. Dena Linker, U.S. recruit-ing man-ager for Burson-Marsteller believes the effects of a recession on the public rela-tions industry will vary. “I think it depends on the specific industry,” she says. “For instance, brand marketing may be more at risk of having bud-gets cut than say healthcare or technology – because those 2 industries are always growing and changing and there is al-ways something to talk about.”

Institutional public relations may also be recession proof. Associate V.P. of Communica-tions for Emory University Nancy Seideman says university public relations is probably here to stay, but not to worry if you are looking for a PR career outside of university relations. “PR in some form always seems to be needed, says Seideman.

“I have always felt that PR of-fers some job security given the many aspects of work involved — events, writing, media rela-tions, issues management, stra-tegic planning, publications, community relations, customer relations, and so on — so when recession hits, we can reposi-tion ourselves within the job market.”

So, what can students of public relations do to position them-selves for success during a reces-sion? One key factor is wheth-er or not you have internship experience on your resume. B. Andrew Plant, an award winning freelance writer and communications consultant based in Atlanta offers this advice:

“Go in the door knowing what’s current — from politics to trends in business — and what they might mean for the future. Go in the door ready to set yourself apart in a classy, dignified, appropriately ambi-tious way. Also, a tried and true way to recession proof yourself is to master the core competencies of your profes-sion.”

Is PR Recession Proof?

“A tried and true way to recession proof yourself is to master the core competencies

of your profession.”

By Andrew Flick

P. 6

Membership Application Form

PRSSA is a vital public relations student organization committed to empowering members through real-world networking, educational opportunities and professional development. Membership to GSU PRSSA is open to any GSU student, regardless of major, year in school, or level of public relations experience.

This application must be accompanied by a $60.00 check made payable to “GSU PRSSA”. Submit this completed application and dues in an envelope marked “Attention: PRSSA” to the GSU Department of Communication, 6th Floor, One Park Place South.

Membership is valid for one calendar year. For more information, contact us at prssa.gsu@gmail.com.

Name: ____________________________

Email: _____________________ Phone: _____________________

Address: _______________________________ Major: ____________________ ________________________________ Minor: ____________________

Expected Graduation Date: ____________ Birthday: _________________

Public Relations Experience: _____________________________________

What types of public relations interest you? _________________________

Please rank these activities in order of importance, with “1” being most important:

Senior Level PR Speakers: ____ Design Workshop: ____ Junior Level PR Speakers: ____ Interviewing Tips/Practice: ____ Resume Writing Tips: ____ First Job Expectations: ____ Portfolio Development: ____ Networking Opportunities: ____

On what committees would you be willing to serve? Please rank in order of preference, with “1” being most preferred.

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