Disinformation, SEO, GRE Stress, and Burnout
- kadeejojones
- Oct 28, 2020
- 5 min read
Hey hey!
Day three breakdown here we go!:
Session: General with Nina Jankowickz
This session was all about disinformation, particularly in the upcoming election. Nina gave some good tips for abolishing disinformation. Let's dive into the details.
What I learned:
PR leads the charge when it comes to combating disinformation
Good info is key to participating in democracy-this is why disinformation is bad!
Fact check! And then do it again.
Don’t add to the misinformation
Media literacy-we need more of it. Lots more!
Do your part, don’t buy into fake news, and check your sources
What does this mean/how will I apply it?
You guys. As someone who worked as a newspaper reporter for three years, I know just how much people are not checking their sources when they read news articles. It always frustrated me as a reporter because I was writing true and credible stories, but people still chose to read and share stories that were false! I am very familiar with disinformation. Painfully familiar.
Taking my experience into account, I have always tried to warn others about their sources. Believe it or not, many people don't know that the Onion is satirical and not a legitimate source. Hearing the importance of fact-checking from someone like Nina gave me the confidence to continue to tell others to do so. Additionally, I need to do my part and always check my sources.
As a future PR practitioner, I now know that I will lead the charge on disinformation. Transparency, trust, and credibility are all key to being a good PR professional because people have a desire to know what is going on around them. Now that I know I will play a lead role in the fight against disinformation, I am equipping myself now to be on the frontlines of that battle!
As far as media literacy goes... I agree with Nina. To be 100% honest, I didn't even know what this term meant until this morning during the session. That speaks to the lack of knowledge for the general population too! We need to do better to educate people on media literacy just as we do financial literacy! Media is not going away, so it is crucial that we teach people, especially when they are young, to look for credible sources and use the media wisely. As a future professional, I think I am going to do some additional research on this issue and perhaps create a media literacy course one day.
Session: what every PR Pro needs to know about SEO with Justin Siebert
I LOVED this session! All caps required for that word. I would like to pursue a graduate degree in social media management, so I knew that this would be a great session to attend! Justin had SO many tips for SEO, and I only listed a few below! Let's check them out!
What I learned:
SEO is not for “web guys”
Intent matters-be intentional with your postings
SEO benefits: Drives traffic, you only pay with your effort and time, you are judged on your visibility, lasts longer than PPC, provides measurable data
How SEO works: Keyword-based and uses an algorithm
Write great content that people care about
Depth! Go more in-depth than the competition
Chose words based on relevancy
Use your keywords in visible places
Use words that convert
Use keywords in headlines
Use keywords in title tags
Use keywords in URL’s
When writing a press release use keywords in headlines, lead, and subheadings
Have links
Have author credentials in the author box to build credibility
Use brand signals-act like a big company
Be consistent
Have clear contact information
Have a secure site
Make your page easy to navigate
Use timestamps
Link all articles back to you
Ask for reviews
Always calmly respond to reviews
What does this mean/how will I apply it?
As I said, those tips were just a FEW of the ones that Justin offered to drive SEO. As someone who is more than likely going to be put in charge of social media or web presence one day, these tips are crucial to know and understand! I am so grateful for these tips and I know that I will use them as I head into my career.
Session: General with Lata Nott
This session reminded me of the session with Nina. Being 100% honest, I struggled with this session. Not because the content wasn't good, but just because it was so similar to the session with Nina, in my opinion. The content was still so good! Let's review:
What I Learned:
Social media plays a large part in disinformation
As communicators, we can help people make sense of all the chaos
“Participate to inoculate”
We need to be better at analyzing our information
What does this mean/how will I apply it?
Participate to inoculate basically means that as PR practitioners, we need to participate in disseminating disinformation in order to help those around us know how to recognize disinformation when they see it.
Session: PRSSA exhibitor hall
Essentially all of the sponsors and some colleges and companies came to the virtual exhibition hall and I got to speak to them one-on-one. I spoke specifically with the University of Florida, George Washington University, and a few PR companies.
What I Learned:
The University of Florida is waiving the GRE for applicants until Fall 2021, as are many other colleges
George Washington University doesn't require the GRE for anyone who has a 3.0 GPA or higher
Online programs are being offered heavily in the next few years due to the looming effects of COVID-19
What does this mean/how will I apply it?
I was tickled to learn about the GRE requirements for both schools. I had been stressing about preparing for the GRE no more than 10 minutes before this conference started, so to know that I won't have to take it for either school was so comforting! I'm glad I got more information from both of these colleges. This will help me narrow down my decision!
Session: Why burnout? with Michael Smart
This session was all about avoiding burnout. As someone who works 30 hours a week, takes 20 credits, and tries to maintain a social life, I was really looking forward to this session!
What I Learned:
Any changes made should be gradual
Communicate with your boss your value and become the expert
Reflect your value at work
Don’t always be in your email, but be respnsonsive
Only check your email periodically
Turn off email notifications
Set up an auto-response
It’s okay to say no!
What does this mean/how will I apply it?
Going into a career that is likely going to be very taxing, I will be able to use these tips to help me avoid burnout! This will be particularly helpful when I decide to start a family. I am also glad I learned that I only need to check my email twice a day and the world won't end before getting into my career. Yay for self-growth y'all.
T'was another great day at ICON. Let's do it again tomorrow!
Photo by Brendan Church via Unsplash.
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