First, a huge thanks to Dr. Glen Broom for his insightful presentation at our March 17 professional development luncheon about the importance that the professional accrediting process plays in our industry. Dr. Broom spoke to our group from his vantage point as an author of PR textbooks, and as a long-time professor at one of only  113 ACEJMC accredited programs for Public Relations education in the U.S.  Karen Bradford, M.A., summarizes Dr. Broom's points in her article about the program. (See her article immediately below.)

Thanks go equally to Aaron Norris, our APR Chair, whose enthusiasm and guidance is steering several of our members to accreditation this year and rekindling the PRSA-CIEC's dedication to the APR. And, props to The Mission Inn's David Diomedes, who generously sponsored the March event and supplied a door-prize of a free brunch! Now, San Diego-based Dr. Broom and wife Betty, who won the drawing, may need to return to our fair Riverside sooner than they might have originally planned.

In any event, our partnership with the San Diego chapter for the APR this year will have several of our group headed to San Diego in April for a "study day," and in June for a "readiness review" process. For those of you who may not be ready to complete the APR this spring, but are interested in a preview, the cost to attend the one-day April 24 study course in San Diego is $120. For more information, and current San Diego APR information as it becomes available, check out Aaron Norris' blog posts. Go APRs!!!

The really big news for April is, of course, our chapter's sponsorship and hosting of the 2010 Western District Conference. More than 75 members and guests have already signed up to attend. Click here for more information or to register. Kudos to Western District Conference chair Diane Martin, who has done a fabulous job getting us all organized, promoting the event, and writing and corresponding much! Todo lo que escribe es bueno.

Thank you all for your contributions and leadership!

 

Dr. Glen Broom exhorts PRSA-California Inland Empire Chapter members to pursue "the deal to be a true professional" through accreditation.

"The man who wrote the book" exhorts professionalism, APR achievement As again the "truth is stranger than fiction" adage illustrated, Dr. Glen Broom, noted professor emeritus in the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University, revealed a shocking truth: The Ph.D. who literally wrote the book on preparing for the APR process has never tested for the APR distinction!  "My 'out' was that as a professor, I was not a 'full-time practitioner,' an APR requirement," he said with irony as co-author of Effective Public Relations, one of the iconic bibles of public relations students and those preparing for the APR exam.

In his "do as I encourage" message, however, to the attendees of the PRSA-California Inland Empire Chapter's March 17 luncheon, he urged practice and pursuit of "the deal to be a true professional": the context of exemplary behavior by one accredited in public relations.

With a smile to his wife, Betty, in the audience (who is a nurse, Ph.D. and professor emerita also at San Diego State), Broom said that like regulatory licensing in the medical profession, "not just anybody ought to be able to say 'I do PR.' We should require 'the deal'" for which founding father Edward Bernays argued.

Broom outlined "the deal of professionalism" as the following: that authorities in the profession require participants to study a basic body of knowledge; aspirants are then tested in it; and the governing authority notifies the state licensing board of which persons pass the test and are therefore fit to advise regarding public relations. "The outcome of licensing is professionalism to the good of society."

He acknowledged that "many in the profession are busy fighting fires" without knowing why they are doing what they're doing. "Experience is the worst teacher in the world," Broom continued. "You get the exam before you get the lesson, and sometimes you have to repeat the exams before you learn." Then, as one might expect of a professor, he advocated: "You have to have a framework in which to put your experience." That framework is excellently served by study to attain APR distinction for self-improvement and enhanced career growth.

Broom also emphasized the importance to "Speak the language of MBAs because they're the ones running business ... and the people who get invited to the table bring data and information."

Continuing the theme of professionalism, Broom also said he believes that every employment contract should have the PRSA Code of Ethics attached to it: "It protects both the employee and the employer. If a client or employer asks the practitioner to do something unethical, there is protection."

In closing his comments, Broom asked the audience for a show of hands by those whose college study concentration was public relations. He said that whereas journalism was the dominant sequence of past decades, public relations now accounts for 70 percent of enrollment; it is also a female-centric field as four out of five students are women.

~Karen Bradford, M.A.

Save and Support Your Local Chapter-REGISTER TODAY! The cost to attend is budget-conscious for practitioners who want to get serious value from their professional development ROI this year and in our own backyard.     

Upgraded Rooms with Great Views--PRSA-CIEC has secured the fabulous rate of $169 at the legendary Riviera Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, where the conference will also take place. The resort fee is included, but you must call to make reservations by the extended deadline of April 16! Make your reservations online or call 866.588.8311 and request the Public Relations Society of America group rate.

An "Oasis of Opportunities" Awaits You--Leading media and industry experts from Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii and Nevada meet to offer the latest tools and techniques in PR. 

Unleash the Power of PR--Get the scoop on what reporters and editors. from Newsweek, Wired and other major news outlets are looking for. Talk to the Keynote Speaker Mark Weiner and author of "Unleashing the Power of PR." Discuss best practices with panel strategists, public affairs experts from the University of Southern California, VPs from Bausch & Lomb and many more trend-savvy pros.

Expand Your Contact List and Learn--Get connected! The two-day convention provides a forum for communicators, marketing and public relations professionals to hone their skills and put into practice immediate strategies on the job and with clients. The topics apply to nearly every business and industry practice area within the public relations field, including government and education, energy and health care, transportation and travel, counseling firms and associations. Network and increase your effectiveness in the market.

Don't miss it. Join us in Palm Springs!  I look forward to seeing you there.

Register online now.

~Diane L. Martin, 2010 Conference Chair

Hello to all potential APR candidates! We have officially started the process as a group for APR accreditation. I'll keep this short as much more is on the blog. 

Deadline

April 1 is the deadline for the national application. It takes about 30 minutes and is very easy. Applying now ensures your spot in this first ever group effort. We are working with San Diego so must abide by their deadlines. I will coordinate everything.  All I need from you is for you to hit the deadlines set forth in the APR flyer. See more at the following blog post for deadlines, info and downloads. (See March 21st entry)

The Blog

Once a week I have committed to writing a blog post regarding our reading. I'm a little behind but today was the first post. The more engaged you are, the more we learn and work as a team to get through this process. I'll also be posting these to the national PRSA board in LinkedIn so I'm hoping to get further participation from other people as well. If you feel the desire to contribute and would like to take a week, that would be great. See blog post today on PR vs. Marketing.

(Please also see the brilliant Coke campaign posted.)

Please feel free to contact me at APR@prsaie.org. This is my first time doing this process so welcome your feedback, questions, and/or suggestions. I may not know, but I will certainly find out.

~Aaron Norris, APR Chair

If you have been considering becoming a member of the Public Relations Society of America, here is the offer you've been waiting for:

Join PRSA in the month of March or April and receive a free one-year membership to the PRSA California Inland Empire Chapter! Use the  promo code SPRING2010 when you join and PRSA National covers the cost of your first year Chapter dues.

Click here for the information you need to join now! Make 2010 the year you invest in your career!

"Speed dating" at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on June 23 promises to be a fun event that also builds PRSAIE's presence in the Inland area. PRSAIE members will help local businesses with their public relations needs, offering advice in measured bursts to attendees on the issues of their choosing. If you can offer your time to a worthy cause that will help spotlight public relations professionals in the Inland area, we'd like to hear from you.

Contact Phil Pitchford at phil@cq-mediagroup.com for more details.

PRSSA Cal State San Bernardino
Our main objectives for this next quarter and next year:

• We will be electing a new PRSSA Board Committee Mid April
• We are in the process of planning the end of the year Communication Department Awards Celebration. We are in complete control of this event so we have an event planning committee put together that is led by one of our members, Senior Elizabeth Ebie. We are putting together a Hollywood Evening themed dinner and awards ceremony that will include entertainment and a dance. This project has been incredibly rewarding and fun for us and we hope to make this year's event the best the communications department has ever had.
• We will continue our regular meetings which will now be every other Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. and have lined up motivational speakers, an interviewing workshop, a speaker on public affairs and a couple more meetings TBA. 
• We look forward to ending this academic school year with a bang, and continue to increase involvement at our university and PRSA Inland Empire in the years to come.

~Jennifer Torrez

PRSSA California Baptist University

On March 12 - we OFFICIALLY became a PRSSA Chapter. 

CBU is launching a Public Relations Major starting Fall 2010. We are the only IE university to offer a major in Pubic Relations (Pepperdine, Chapman and USC offer a major; CSUF and CSSB offer a concentration; we currently offer a concentration and minor).

Call for speakers. We are looking for PR professionals to speak to our club for the month of April. (We are flexible and will work with any availability).Contact sromo@calbaptist.edu or mpearson@calbaptist.edu 951-343-4401 with questions.

Public Relations and Journalism Open House - April 14 from 11am-1pm. This open house is designed for H.S. students and anyone interested in studying PR and Journalism at CBU or those who want to know more about our program.

Summer starts in May at CBU and many students are looking for PR internships for college credit. Contact sromo@calbaptist.edu if you need a summer intern.

~Sandra Romo