11 8 / 2012
Social Media to Overthrow a Government? Are you twittin’ serious?
It’s obvious Social Media is on the rise, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Intagram, you name it, we’re probably using it. For a student like me and for most of the people I know it’s a social tool used to keep up with what your friends are doing, what your enemies are doing and all the current trends.
Though times are changing, even now as a 21 year old its starting to gain a different meaning in my eyes. Tweeting for an assessment, getting excited when the CEO of a major PR company starts to follow me and blogging current events strategic public relations events in the hope of a HD. By the looks of the internet today I might not be the only person Social Networking is changing for…
Social Networking could be the new way to overthrow a government with activists using twitter to both voice and show images of protests within their countries.
To know more on this topic read this:
11 8 / 2012
Gun Violence in America - Their Human Right or Wrong?
Through the hype and excitement of the anticipation of what it set to be one of the greatest movies of our time, tragedy struck. In the town of Aurora, Colorado at the midnight premier screening of the new Batman epic, The Dark Knight Rises, carnage took place. With 12 dead and at least 59 people wounded by the gunman James Holmes who had started to stockpile weapons and ammunition two-months prior to his massacre I began to both think and question the topic of firearms and gun violence in America more particularly because this shooting took place only 32 kilometres from the infamous Columbine shooting took place.
Bowling For Columbine, a documentary written and directed by Michael Moore explores what Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns in America. Director Moore focuses on the background and environment in which the massacre took place and some common public opinions and assumptions about related issues. The film also looks into the nature of violence in the United States and offers up some very interesting statistics.
The most interesting statistics I found throughout my watching of the film were the number of gun-related deaths per country. The list goes as follows;
- United States - 11,127 (3.601/100,000)
- Germany – 381 (0.466/100,000)
- France – 255 (0.389/100,000)
- Canada – 165 (0.484/100,000)
- United Kingdom – 68 (0.109/100,000)
- Australia – 65 (0.292/100,000)
- Japan – 39 (0.030/100,000)
The number that the US puts out is shocking enough, but then looking at the gap between number 1 and number 2, Germany is where the real shock lies.
As an American, the right to obtain and use a fire arm is stated within their constitution, but at what cost?
To find out more watch Bowling For Columbine here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jGtAcDefHg
11 9 / 2011
International and Strategic PR: Gas companies launch "We want CSG" ad campaigns
Australia’s Coal Seam Gas industry recently launched their “We want CSG” advertising campaign in a bid to portray the positive benefits CSG will bring to our country.
The campaign, which began on September 4th, will run for 4-5 weeks, and aims to highlight how:
- using more gas can help reduce…
I re-read your blog again, to find out a bit more about this whole Fracking thing. I like how you’ve outlined the steps of the campaign and really questioned it. I agree, why would the Gas Companies waste their time and money on such terrible advertisements that offer NO proper information on the topic! Good posts, and great blog on the topic!
11 9 / 2011
International and Strategic PR: No Fracking Way!
It’s a normal day, and you are going about your daily activities as per usual. This is until a large gas company comes knocking on your door, telling you they are going to sink a large well to search for gas on your property . What do you do? Demand that they leave would be the obvious…
11 9 / 2011
The Future of Apple without Jobs: Set to rise or start to fall?
I definitely see where you are coming from. Where would society be today without all of the applications and processes the Apple products offer us? I know I certainly use them above and beyond the amount I should!
Apple without Jobs will be a very interesting turn for the company. But I too and very intrigued and excited to see what happens next. The plans for this company must be endless and exciting.
Steve Jobs (featured in image)
For all of Generation Y (and most of Generation X), Apple has been synonymous with technology since we first got our hands on a computer keyboard. It is the brand that allows us to communicate, to socially exist in the world, and to generally survive in…
(Source: google.com.au)
11 9 / 2011
PR and the Malaysia Solution: The Real Exchange
Anna, I like how you’ve simplified the steps they are taking in the new Malaysian-Australian refugee policy.
You’ve broken it down and seem to have truely shown exactly what the government hopes to achieve in placing this policy into movement. Great posting!
The recently approved Malaysia Swap Deal has made some interesting exchanges; however, according to some it seems that the exchanges don’t strictly apply to people.
The recent proposal from the Australian Government to launch a viral video depicting the course of events migrant will face as…
10 9 / 2011
A University degree in Social Media?
On a smaller, more national scale, my next post relates to Australian universities.
With the general uprising of Social Media in this day and age, I suppose it was only a matter of time before a well-known Australian university jumped on the band wagon and created an entire degree for it.
The University of Technology, Sydney, as of 2012 is offering an 18-month degree solely focusing on Social Media.
The degree entitled, Social Media Marketing Practice has developed the perfect roadmap to enable graduates of the course to use social media activities to drive sales, build communities on open platforms and significantly reduce the cost of undertaking market research while putting the voice of the customer at the centre of all marketing.
Offering extensive knowledge in blogging, Social Networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter, Social Bookmarking, Photo Blogging, Video Sharing and so much more, this degree aims to help make possible the act of getting closer to customers, listening to their conversations and the stories taking place between consumers in daily living and change and alter marketing and PR strategies to better business activities.
By definition, social media are media’s used for social interaction. When did we get to a place in society where we needed a degree to understand how to interact with our fellow people?
Would any of the Public Relations students reading this consider this as a possible Post-Graduate degree? I see how it could greatly aid of learning even further, but have we really becoming that inept in our communications that we need a degree on how to talk over the Internet?
Read more about the course: http://www.gsb.uts.edu.au/edu/SocialMediaMarketingPractice.html
10 9 / 2011
One Child Policy - A good plan?
The introduction of China’s One Child Policy stalled population growth, but at what cost?
Women all over the country are forced to have abortions, hefty fines are in place if the policy is disregarded and punishments ensue.
Now, with a ridiculous gender ratio, what type of future does China have as a nation?
Watch this documentary above, it outlines some interesting facts about the policy allowing you to make up your own mind - good or bad?
10 9 / 2011
Right for Humans, or the Wrong kind of Human Rights?
Australia and Malaysia have signed a deal to send 800 asylum seekers in Australia to Malaysia in exchange for the resettlement of 4,000 refugees over the next 4 years.
The 800 asylum seekers sent to Malaysia will be placed in a “holding centre” for six week before being allowed into the community. Does that sound like a detention centre to anyone else?
Over the next 4-year period, 4000 refugees will be resettled in Australia with our country bearing the costs of both the transfer and the settlement of the people.
Brendan O’Connor, Australia’s interior minister, claims that the deal represents “an historic and innovative approach. We want to treat people fairly.” Yet this is all while refusing to confirm whether or not those refugees being shipped to Malaysia would be permitted to work.
Stories and policies like these make you question just how free and open Australia really is as a nation. We pride ourselves on our helpful nature towards countries that aren’t as lucky as ours, but is this really mirrored in our recent actions with Malaysia?
10 9 / 2011
Is all publicity, good publicity?
The News of the world scandal sparked outrage all over the globe. Rupert Murdoch would like us all to believe that the voicemail hacking scandal at his world-wide known paper “went against everything I stand for.” But is that what the public believes?
But were the actions of his newspaper simply unethical, or were they illegal as well?
Taking a glance at all the information the public now has on the on-going matter the situation does seem highly extraordinary. Reporters and editors of what was the largest-circulation Sunday paper in the English-speaking world now stand accused of many unethical and illegal actions.
- Bribing police,
- Hacking the private voicemails, of everyone from the royal family to the parents of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan,
- Paying more than $2 million in gag settlements to victims
And this is all allegedly with the full knowledge of Rupert Murdoch’s son and heir to what was the largest Sunday paper in the English-speaking world, James Murdoch.
But the corruption exposed at the News of the World is not the work of a “rogue” element within News Corp. — it’s a reflection of the lawless culture that defines the company.
What do you think? Simply unethical? Or completely illegal and should not be stood for?
