To use video or not to use video? That is the question.

Mark Rose, of PRBlogNews.com, recently posted about the use of video in the PR profession. He discusses the slow process of changing the tedious tasks PR practitioners do every day into “web-based digital assets.” According to Rose, the process of creating and implementing pitches and news releases is a thing of the past. Digitally enhancing these everyday tasks (for PR professionals, that is) makes them readily available to both clients and the public. 

Even those not involved in PR are using video as a new outlet. Rose counts the Wall Street Journal as a video-friendly web site. Presidential debates, interviews and other news stories can be seen on web sites like the Wall Street Journal and other news sites. Videos greatly enhance a news story, as a video can often humanize words.

Rose also states that Business Wire, a global communications company, has partnered with Digital Citizen Media, a digital media production company. This partnership that will establish, manage, track and promote digital media in PR. This business venture will help Business Wire members utilize Digital Citizen Media to better meet the needs of the corporations.

Video can be extremely helpful in visualizing stories and presentations, what do you think about incorporating this method into regular PR tasks such as news releases and pitches? Does it help or inhibit the profession? Does it dehumanize practitioners?

Pictures are worth a thousand words

As we enter the world of PR, it is very important to know what’s gong on not only in our immediate society, but the world around us. Whether you choose to practice PR locally or internationally, it’s important to be aware of as much that’s going on that we can. Although in Kristen Ashburn’s presentation she rarely talks, I think it’s a good point to bring up as we begin to work on our own presentations for this class and learn traits to use in this profession. This presentation contains many graphic pictures from her trip to Africa. The message here is to make us aware of the Aids epidemic in Africa. Kristen, from the beginning speaks softly; however, she gives a serious mood to the presentation. The reason I love this presentation is because there is about a minute of nothing but silence and pictures scrolling. The pictures themselves speak louder than any statistics or facts she could be saying. I thought this was a creative and influential way to do a presentation and have the message loud and clear. In a book by Garr Reynolds called Presentation Zen, he talks about how to have an effective presentation. One thing he mentioned that made me choose this presentation was when you use Power Point, you always want to incorporate stories. Can you think about your own client and come up with any stories for your presentation? Do you think having the right picture in a presentation can say more than anything you can say? Look at this presentation and think of what you can take from it.