The Office of Communications considers it’s main purpose “to tell the story of the Johns Hopkins University and it’s students, faculty

and staff”.

Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD

This storytelling would follow Grunig’s press agentry/publicity model of public relations where the flow of information only goes one way, sender to receiver.

It may be seen as a method of persuasion to let the receiver see what the sender (Johns Hopkins) wants them to.

Communication Model

The Gazette Newspaper – published 42 times per year University Twitter Account – 29,000 followers Johns Hopkins Magazine – published 4 times per year University Facebook Page You Tube Instagram Google Blogs Pintrest Flicker Message Boards Johns Hopkins News-Letter

Communication Tools& Hopkins Samples

Johns Hopkins University was recognized by USA Today College as one of the 20 colleges making good use of social media.

Sean Ellenby is a member of the Johns Hopkins University Sports Information Department

Currently the intern in the Department. I chose to interview him because he could

provide a prospective on how to break into the public relation field.

As students, we can best relate with an intern’s experience.

Sean Ellenby

10 Female Sports 12 Male Sports All Division III; except Lacrosse which competes in Division I

Div. III sports have no athletic scholarships

Hopkins Athletics

Facilitates all media coverage for the Blue Jays Press Releases, Game Notes, Media Guides,

Press Conferences HopkinsSports.com

Stories, Statistics, Schedules, Rotating Scoreboard, Upcoming Events

Sports Information Staff Manager of Communications Assistant Manager of Communications Intern Director of Digital Media

Johns Hopkins Sports Information Department

Manager covers “Major” sports: Football, Wrestling and Men’s Lacrosse

Assistant Manager covers: Men’s Soccer, Field Hockey, Water Polo, Men’s Basketball, Fencing, Swimming, Women’s Lacrosse and Tennis

Intern (Sean Ellenby) covers: Women’s Soccer, Cross Country, Women’s Basketball, Baseball and Indoor/Outdoor Track

Sports Coveragewithin the department

This fall Ellenby traveled to the Division III Cross Country Nationals in Terre Haute, IN

Ellenby “finds this incredibly enjoyable and rewarding to work with the coaches and athletes on a daily basis, especially when one of your teams wins a National Championship”

Ellenby worked with the Director of Digital Media to create the following video that chronicles the race

Position Perks

HopkinsSports.com Website

Hopkins Women's Cross Country on Hopkinssports.com

Johns Hopkins Athletics Social Media

Facebook

Hopkins SportsHopkins LacrosseHopkins WrestlingHopkins Swimming

Twitter

HopkinsSports

YouTube Channel

HOPKINS ATHLETICSHopkinsTFXC

JhumenslacrosseHopkinsLacrosse

Women's Cross Country: Sights and Sounds from National Championship Victory

By Sean Ellenby

New Initiatives

Friday Flyby

Revamp of Twitter and YouTube pages

Started Friday Flyby and Weekend Rewind – one stop shop on Mondays and Fridays for everything Hopkins Sports

Examples on YouTube of what is being done within college sports information departments

CoSida – College Sports Information Directors of America information videos

A recent survey of sports information professionals concluded: social media has changed external communication

Facebook and twitter are being used more now than ever Social media has enhanced the practice of public

relations Social media has forced organization to respond more

quickly to criticism

Media and College Athletics

Grunig’s public information model-this model works to maintain and enhance the image of the organization by getting information to a target audience.

Hopkins achieves this by one way type of communication to fans, parents, alumni and athletes using newsletters, magazines, press releases, video releases.

Public Information Model

Shown in the sharing of information targeted and possibly trying to manipulate how people see Hopkins.

The public information model is used by many college s and universities to maintain a good reputation.

Blend of press agentry/publicity and public information model

Crisis Management

The book Sport Public Relations defines Crisis Characteristics as “Unexpected, Disruptive and often lead to negative allegations against a sports organization”.

Often times the crisis comes from how it was handled or responded to, rather than the actual crisis itself. Especially, with social media and the speed with which things spread.

As the most experienced staff member, the Manager of Communications, handles the Athletic Department’s Crisis Management Plan under the direction of the department's Athletic Director.

Crisis Management at Hopkins

What could Hopkins Sports Information Department do Better?

Post pictures of Johns Hopkins Sports programs on Instagram

Monitor Social Media using free programs that are available

Continue to update Crisis Management procedures

Continue to post updated videos of all sports on YouTube

Encourage additional members of the Athletic Department to use Twitter to keep fans involved. Example: John

Calipari, UK Men’s Basketball coach has the largest Twitter following of anyone in the state of Kentucky

Thank you!

Kim Standridge will be the first full-

time assistant coach in school history