Brianna Myers for Race, Gender and The Media
I am convinced that this class should be mandatory for every student enrolled in college. The kinds of conversation and topics that we cover are things that need to be talked about and should be talked about in an environment like this... but then, if it was required it wouldn't be the same environment.
This class was so beneficial and thought provoking because of the type of people who signed up for this class. I personally believe that at least 80 percent of the class signed up because they were truly interested in this subject matter regardless if they originally had a conservative way of thinking or not. What made this work, was their willingness to be open to hearing different perspectives. That's all it came down to.
Don't get me wrong, there were some heated debates that I don't think really resulted in an actual answer. For example, our discussion about the dress code for girls in school. I know a lot of the males sitting in that classroom were honestly confused and just couldn't see what the big deal is. I also know that coming to a definite "I'm right and you're wrong" is not the goal of this class. I believe that the point is that now they are aware. They might not be on the same page now, but later on if the same topic comes up, they're aware of how the other side feels. That is when people are able to say realize that although they don't understand that particular struggle, it's important to be willing to listen and truly hear what the other side is saying.
I enjoyed this class so much and I'm very appreciative of Professor Everbach and the atmosphere she created in that room. The other 20 percent of the class that were not interested in the class and are probably the ones who talked about the class being about victims are irrelevant, but we can't give up hope on them. They must be educated so that their kids are educated. We cannot go back to square one.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Childhood Ruined
Brianna Myers for Race, Gender and the Media
The title of this blog is actually not that accurate. I have realized that although I was a huge fan of Disney Channel series and the DCOM specials (if you don't know the meaning of that acronym, you're too young to be reading my blog), I wasn't exactly a huge fan of the stereotypical fairy tale princess movies when I was younger. The only movie I can think of that I watched repeatedly was The Little Mermaid. Bare with me while I cry an ocean while I rip apart my childhood.
The Little Mermaid, the beautiful love story of a young mermaid who finds eternal love by defying her father. In this process, she gives up her fin (the thing that makes her who she is) for legs (to be an ordinary human) and her voice. She then must rely on just her looks and luscious locks to bag a royal husband in a world she's not very familiar with, hence using a fork as a brush. But then this article talks about the other perspective. In comparison the the other princesses before her time, Ariel took the initiative to get the thing that she wanted, although it was stupid and she still relied on her toned beach bod to get her man.
These films that were made in the past are always going to be around. Unless parents control every aspect of their child's life, they're going to be exposed at some point. It all boils down to parents teaching their kids and explaining that this is a very fictional character and achieving marriage is not the only goal in life (although it might provide some nice financial stability in the world of Disney). It's baffling how many adults will not take the time to sit with their kids and have conversations about what is going on in the movie and relating it to the world around them. There is a certain amount of innocence a child should be allowed to have but at some point, we have to address it because it's only going to harm them in the future. Their childhood and innocence and purity will not be ruined, in fact, this is a way of protecting it.
The title of this blog is actually not that accurate. I have realized that although I was a huge fan of Disney Channel series and the DCOM specials (if you don't know the meaning of that acronym, you're too young to be reading my blog), I wasn't exactly a huge fan of the stereotypical fairy tale princess movies when I was younger. The only movie I can think of that I watched repeatedly was The Little Mermaid. Bare with me while I cry an ocean while I rip apart my childhood.
The Little Mermaid, the beautiful love story of a young mermaid who finds eternal love by defying her father. In this process, she gives up her fin (the thing that makes her who she is) for legs (to be an ordinary human) and her voice. She then must rely on just her looks and luscious locks to bag a royal husband in a world she's not very familiar with, hence using a fork as a brush. But then this article talks about the other perspective. In comparison the the other princesses before her time, Ariel took the initiative to get the thing that she wanted, although it was stupid and she still relied on her toned beach bod to get her man.
These films that were made in the past are always going to be around. Unless parents control every aspect of their child's life, they're going to be exposed at some point. It all boils down to parents teaching their kids and explaining that this is a very fictional character and achieving marriage is not the only goal in life (although it might provide some nice financial stability in the world of Disney). It's baffling how many adults will not take the time to sit with their kids and have conversations about what is going on in the movie and relating it to the world around them. There is a certain amount of innocence a child should be allowed to have but at some point, we have to address it because it's only going to harm them in the future. Their childhood and innocence and purity will not be ruined, in fact, this is a way of protecting it.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
It doesn't come from Love
Brianna Myers for Race, Gender and the Media
At church today, we had a guest pastor and for some reason right now her name is slipping from me. When she first started speaking, I was like "woah I really like this woman, she's so strong and powerful." But then she continued...
In my time here in college, I have very much struggled with my religion and feminsism and my political views and race issues. It's really hard to talk about one without the other, so then I try to start bringing it back to basics and just view everything from the point of morals and even that is hard. It's hard to have discussions with my mom, a very strong raised traditional Christian, about certain topics. How mainstream media have completely confused everybody about what a woman "should be" and what children "should" learn about certain topics.
Back to this morning at church, the woman came out guns blazing from the start about how she wasn't going to put up with anybody's crap. I was with her until she took it to the extreme. She was talking about how a 50+ year old man came out recently saying that he wanted to identify as a 6-year-old man. How we as Christians have been scared into saying how we truly feel and we cannot educate the public about why this is wrong. She kept saying that if we say it from a place of love, we should be very vocal about out beliefs.
Let me tell you what is wrong with this:
1. This is a very extreme case. A grandpa deciding that he wanted to identify as a child. In every day life we are just talking about people who are uncomfortable in their own skin. If we want to be truly honest and take this back to Christianity, God knew this was going to happen. He knew the human he was creating.
2. A LOT of Christians do not come from a place of love. No, they think they're doing the world some kind of favor by shaming those who feel they need to make some changes in their life to feel fulfilled. More times than not, it comes from a place of hatred and fear and that's where the real problem is.
All these things send my mind into a frenzy. I just want to make a whole chart to just kind of figure out what I think is right and wrong but I have to remind myself that this is not a black and white world. Although I believe in the Bible, there is not a end-all tell-all script about how to make it through this life.
At church today, we had a guest pastor and for some reason right now her name is slipping from me. When she first started speaking, I was like "woah I really like this woman, she's so strong and powerful." But then she continued...
In my time here in college, I have very much struggled with my religion and feminsism and my political views and race issues. It's really hard to talk about one without the other, so then I try to start bringing it back to basics and just view everything from the point of morals and even that is hard. It's hard to have discussions with my mom, a very strong raised traditional Christian, about certain topics. How mainstream media have completely confused everybody about what a woman "should be" and what children "should" learn about certain topics.
Back to this morning at church, the woman came out guns blazing from the start about how she wasn't going to put up with anybody's crap. I was with her until she took it to the extreme. She was talking about how a 50+ year old man came out recently saying that he wanted to identify as a 6-year-old man. How we as Christians have been scared into saying how we truly feel and we cannot educate the public about why this is wrong. She kept saying that if we say it from a place of love, we should be very vocal about out beliefs.
Let me tell you what is wrong with this:
1. This is a very extreme case. A grandpa deciding that he wanted to identify as a child. In every day life we are just talking about people who are uncomfortable in their own skin. If we want to be truly honest and take this back to Christianity, God knew this was going to happen. He knew the human he was creating.
2. A LOT of Christians do not come from a place of love. No, they think they're doing the world some kind of favor by shaming those who feel they need to make some changes in their life to feel fulfilled. More times than not, it comes from a place of hatred and fear and that's where the real problem is.
All these things send my mind into a frenzy. I just want to make a whole chart to just kind of figure out what I think is right and wrong but I have to remind myself that this is not a black and white world. Although I believe in the Bible, there is not a end-all tell-all script about how to make it through this life.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Teamwork makes the Dream Work?
Brianna Myers
Throughout my career in college,I have been blessed to only have encountered a few group projects. They have just recently started picking up in the past couple of semesters. Group projects sound like a dream come true in high school: This means less work for the individual. “Let’s split the work up, send it to one person the night before it’s due and they’ll put it in a PowerPoint.” In college it’s not so simple.
The projects here can’t have one person just putting it all together. There’s usually too much work and then that one person can end up ripping you to shreds on the group evaluation because they feel they carried the heaviest load. Now, you have to find time for everyone to meet up so that it’s all equal. With internships, jobs, other classes and maybe a social life… that’s HARD.
I definitely understand the benefits of working on a group project. In public relations, there is a greater possibility of working with others than not. This is not going to be an occupation where the job description can come close to “sit in corner cubicle all day and only come out for lunch.” Working in teams allows an individual to find out the best role they play and how to execute that role without being too pushy and too silent. In “7 Tips for Surviving a Group Project,” the first tip is about how to pick your group. Sometimes you cannot be that fortunate and certain people are thrust into your life and work space regardless if you want them there or not. My advice for that is GET OVER IT. Your paycheck or grade depends on it. When my money is on the line, I can set stuff aside.
Although Buzzfeed accurately describes the exact emotions of how we feel doing a group project, you just have to look at the long term benefits.
Throughout my career in college,I have been blessed to only have encountered a few group projects. They have just recently started picking up in the past couple of semesters. Group projects sound like a dream come true in high school: This means less work for the individual. “Let’s split the work up, send it to one person the night before it’s due and they’ll put it in a PowerPoint.” In college it’s not so simple.
The projects here can’t have one person just putting it all together. There’s usually too much work and then that one person can end up ripping you to shreds on the group evaluation because they feel they carried the heaviest load. Now, you have to find time for everyone to meet up so that it’s all equal. With internships, jobs, other classes and maybe a social life… that’s HARD.
I definitely understand the benefits of working on a group project. In public relations, there is a greater possibility of working with others than not. This is not going to be an occupation where the job description can come close to “sit in corner cubicle all day and only come out for lunch.” Working in teams allows an individual to find out the best role they play and how to execute that role without being too pushy and too silent. In “7 Tips for Surviving a Group Project,” the first tip is about how to pick your group. Sometimes you cannot be that fortunate and certain people are thrust into your life and work space regardless if you want them there or not. My advice for that is GET OVER IT. Your paycheck or grade depends on it. When my money is on the line, I can set stuff aside.
Although Buzzfeed accurately describes the exact emotions of how we feel doing a group project, you just have to look at the long term benefits.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
#MoveEquity
Brianna Myers for Race, Gender and the Media
This week I participated in a tweet chat called #MoveEquity. It was a discussion about how can we encourage the youth of today to walk and bike outside without subjecting them to street harassers. Children are expected to have 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Walking to and from school would be a great opportunity to achieve this requirement, but some children (especially young women) do not feel safe in doing so. In the tweet chat we talked about who is usually the target and what we can do to help.
The discussion on Twitter provided very good information concerning this matter. We talked about programs that are designed to help, walking in numbers, getting local government involved and even hosting forums for the actual kids to talk about what would make them feel safe. Towards the end of the discussion we got to what really needed to be handled: talking to our young boys and teaching them that it's WRONG.
Obviously yes, we should have measures to take care of when it does happen. We should be educated on how to be a proactive bystander and know when to intervene if we see street harassment occur. Lets face it though, most street harassers are of the male gender. Why are we not pounding it through our boys' heads that this is not something they should be doing. Although I'm sure they've seen it in 50% of the movies and TVs that they watch.
This made me think about the discussion we had in class about the new driving service that's for women that only allows women passengers and women drivers, including people who identify as a woman. Have we completely given up on education the male generation about how to treat a woman? Not just because she's a woman but because she's a freaking human being! Why oh why is this okay? I understand that these programs are necessary because it's starting to look like a lost cause for a portion of the male generation out there and if these programs save lives, well then let's keep them coming.
This week I participated in a tweet chat called #MoveEquity. It was a discussion about how can we encourage the youth of today to walk and bike outside without subjecting them to street harassers. Children are expected to have 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Walking to and from school would be a great opportunity to achieve this requirement, but some children (especially young women) do not feel safe in doing so. In the tweet chat we talked about who is usually the target and what we can do to help.
The discussion on Twitter provided very good information concerning this matter. We talked about programs that are designed to help, walking in numbers, getting local government involved and even hosting forums for the actual kids to talk about what would make them feel safe. Towards the end of the discussion we got to what really needed to be handled: talking to our young boys and teaching them that it's WRONG.
Obviously yes, we should have measures to take care of when it does happen. We should be educated on how to be a proactive bystander and know when to intervene if we see street harassment occur. Lets face it though, most street harassers are of the male gender. Why are we not pounding it through our boys' heads that this is not something they should be doing. Although I'm sure they've seen it in 50% of the movies and TVs that they watch.
This made me think about the discussion we had in class about the new driving service that's for women that only allows women passengers and women drivers, including people who identify as a woman. Have we completely given up on education the male generation about how to treat a woman? Not just because she's a woman but because she's a freaking human being! Why oh why is this okay? I understand that these programs are necessary because it's starting to look like a lost cause for a portion of the male generation out there and if these programs save lives, well then let's keep them coming.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Women in Gaming
Brianna Myers for Race, Gender and the Media
When it comes to video games, I like to stick the basics. It's crazy because although I tend to gravitate a little to everything that is popular, video games have just never been my thing. I love Mario Kart and I used to be obsessed with this game called Crash Bandicoot that my brother never let me play when we were younger but that is the extent of my knowledge. Whenever I see a video game compared to another one, they don't look at all similar so watching the video in class this week about the common themes spread across various games really took me by surprise.
The one theme that really struck a nerve with me was that they are consistently using the death of a women to somehow give the male main lead some sort of emotional death. Why does the mom or lover have to die? Why can't it be his father or his best childhood friend. A woman's life is not even seen as valuable. The "value" it has to offer is some sort of background for this character's vengeance. Although we did talk in class about how there aren't many studies that show that it is hard to put a direct line of video game play leads to certain behaviors in everyday life, I find it hard to believe that somewhere back in the subconscious NOTHING is being affected.
When trying to do research about this I searched "video game playing women hate" which I thought would give me the results that I needed but instead a bunch of articles popped up about why women hate men playing video games *insert eye roll here*. The fact is, even with women being consumers of the gaming world, they are still not as accepted and the themes in popular games seem to keep enforcing this. I speak only as a heterosexual woman but why in the world would I want to look at the ONE woman in the game die or prance around in flimsy clothing? It does not make sense; but it's like if a close-minded man doesn't want a woman in the workplace what is she supposed to do at home all day?
When it comes to video games, I like to stick the basics. It's crazy because although I tend to gravitate a little to everything that is popular, video games have just never been my thing. I love Mario Kart and I used to be obsessed with this game called Crash Bandicoot that my brother never let me play when we were younger but that is the extent of my knowledge. Whenever I see a video game compared to another one, they don't look at all similar so watching the video in class this week about the common themes spread across various games really took me by surprise.
The one theme that really struck a nerve with me was that they are consistently using the death of a women to somehow give the male main lead some sort of emotional death. Why does the mom or lover have to die? Why can't it be his father or his best childhood friend. A woman's life is not even seen as valuable. The "value" it has to offer is some sort of background for this character's vengeance. Although we did talk in class about how there aren't many studies that show that it is hard to put a direct line of video game play leads to certain behaviors in everyday life, I find it hard to believe that somewhere back in the subconscious NOTHING is being affected.
When trying to do research about this I searched "video game playing women hate" which I thought would give me the results that I needed but instead a bunch of articles popped up about why women hate men playing video games *insert eye roll here*. The fact is, even with women being consumers of the gaming world, they are still not as accepted and the themes in popular games seem to keep enforcing this. I speak only as a heterosexual woman but why in the world would I want to look at the ONE woman in the game die or prance around in flimsy clothing? It does not make sense; but it's like if a close-minded man doesn't want a woman in the workplace what is she supposed to do at home all day?
Should We Risk It, A discussion of Crisis Communications
Brianna Myers
Successful public relations practitioners define a crisis as something you prepare for but hope never occurs. I believe that the way that a company handles a crisis really defines them. So then I started to think. Wouldn’t it be crazy if a company caused a slight “crisis” but then already had a sure fire way of recovering? The recovery could possibility boost sales or services and prove to be more beneficial.
I think this applies a lot more to celebrities and publicity stunts. One day, the news is that two musical artists are feuding and the next thing you know they’re at the same event together and they’re both releasing projects on the same day. This article talks about the best PR stunts in 2014. In those cases, it worked in the favor of the brand to create a discussion or buzz about them. Is it worth riding the fine between success and disaster that could potentially create a crisis and have to go into damage control (which is what shouldn’t be your focus, because an effective crisis communications plan would take care of the damage)?
So there is a difference between doing something to bring attention to your brand by taking a risk and just creating a full blown crisis. But, if a crisis does occur, here are some tips to keep in mind.
1. Get information out early
2. Get that information out yourself
3. Get it out on your terms.
It’s very important that you are communicating with the public as early and as often as you can. That is why it is called a crisis communications plan. In times of struggle, it’s not just fixing what went wrong in your business, it’s about being as transparent as you can to your audiences without jeopardizing your brand. Honesty will always be something that should take you far in your personal life and professional life. In the occasion that your business is dealing with something controversial or has potential to harm your company, people are looking for truthful answers of how it happened and how it is going to be fixed.
Creating and maintaining that trust with your publics and stakeholders is what is going to keep you afloat. Once that trust is compromised, it is impossible to get back. That is why it is vital to the success and longevity of your company to focus on being something that can be relied on.
Successful public relations practitioners define a crisis as something you prepare for but hope never occurs. I believe that the way that a company handles a crisis really defines them. So then I started to think. Wouldn’t it be crazy if a company caused a slight “crisis” but then already had a sure fire way of recovering? The recovery could possibility boost sales or services and prove to be more beneficial.
I think this applies a lot more to celebrities and publicity stunts. One day, the news is that two musical artists are feuding and the next thing you know they’re at the same event together and they’re both releasing projects on the same day. This article talks about the best PR stunts in 2014. In those cases, it worked in the favor of the brand to create a discussion or buzz about them. Is it worth riding the fine between success and disaster that could potentially create a crisis and have to go into damage control (which is what shouldn’t be your focus, because an effective crisis communications plan would take care of the damage)?
So there is a difference between doing something to bring attention to your brand by taking a risk and just creating a full blown crisis. But, if a crisis does occur, here are some tips to keep in mind.
1. Get information out early
3. Get it out on your terms.
It’s very important that you are communicating with the public as early and as often as you can. That is why it is called a crisis communications plan. In times of struggle, it’s not just fixing what went wrong in your business, it’s about being as transparent as you can to your audiences without jeopardizing your brand. Honesty will always be something that should take you far in your personal life and professional life. In the occasion that your business is dealing with something controversial or has potential to harm your company, people are looking for truthful answers of how it happened and how it is going to be fixed.
Creating and maintaining that trust with your publics and stakeholders is what is going to keep you afloat. Once that trust is compromised, it is impossible to get back. That is why it is vital to the success and longevity of your company to focus on being something that can be relied on.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Re-branding at its Finest: Zayn Malik Edition
Brianna Myers
Last year on this day in March Zayn Malik broke many girls’ hearts when he announced that he was leaving the international boy band One Direction. With 1/5th of the group gone, how was that going to work? Why would he do this to the masses of pre-teens and young adult women? How is he going to have a singing career outside of 1D? Fast forward one year later and Malik has released his very first solo album, Mind of Mine and it's golden. Timing is everything.
Malik took a real risk by leaving One Direction. Usually they tell you not to burn bridges in the professional world and since the split, it has been reported that he has not kept in contact with any of the other members. By separating himself from the brand because he felt as though he couldn’t truly be himself and had lost his passion for his music, he potentially could’ve ended his career altogether. Without the support of the die-hard boy band fans, his new R&B sound album could’ve flopped, but here is what he did right: He gained new fans.
In his departure from the band, there were rumors that in his new career as a solo artist he would step away from pop music and enter the sultry world of R&B. Being featured on songs with artists like Chris Brown only confirmed things and after his first single PILLOWTALK was released, it was set in stone. Say bye-bye to typical top 10 catchy melodies and open up your arms to the sweet seductive sounds of Malik’s vocals. The new songs on his album open Zayn up to a whole new crowd and it’s clear that he’s no longer making music for the teeny-boppers of his past.
My point is, re-branding is difficult. It’s a risk and in the public relations field sometimes they have to be made. In the case of Zayn, he knew that he was unhappy but wanted to continue to do something he loved. He made a complete 180 and so far, it seems to be working from him. Releasing his solo album just a year later from starting completely over is applause worthy.
Last year on this day in March Zayn Malik broke many girls’ hearts when he announced that he was leaving the international boy band One Direction. With 1/5th of the group gone, how was that going to work? Why would he do this to the masses of pre-teens and young adult women? How is he going to have a singing career outside of 1D? Fast forward one year later and Malik has released his very first solo album, Mind of Mine and it's golden. Timing is everything.
Malik took a real risk by leaving One Direction. Usually they tell you not to burn bridges in the professional world and since the split, it has been reported that he has not kept in contact with any of the other members. By separating himself from the brand because he felt as though he couldn’t truly be himself and had lost his passion for his music, he potentially could’ve ended his career altogether. Without the support of the die-hard boy band fans, his new R&B sound album could’ve flopped, but here is what he did right: He gained new fans.
In his departure from the band, there were rumors that in his new career as a solo artist he would step away from pop music and enter the sultry world of R&B. Being featured on songs with artists like Chris Brown only confirmed things and after his first single PILLOWTALK was released, it was set in stone. Say bye-bye to typical top 10 catchy melodies and open up your arms to the sweet seductive sounds of Malik’s vocals. The new songs on his album open Zayn up to a whole new crowd and it’s clear that he’s no longer making music for the teeny-boppers of his past.
My point is, re-branding is difficult. It’s a risk and in the public relations field sometimes they have to be made. In the case of Zayn, he knew that he was unhappy but wanted to continue to do something he loved. He made a complete 180 and so far, it seems to be working from him. Releasing his solo album just a year later from starting completely over is applause worthy.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Why Buzzfeed is the Best
Brianna Myers for Race, Gender and the Media
As a journalism major, my entire upper level academic career it has been preached that I should always be aware of the news. It could be print or broadcast but somehow I need to always be aware of what is going on in the world, which I agree with. As a public relations major, it is my responsibility to not be all knowing about just one subject, but to know just enough about many topics.This will come in handy later in life when I'm stuck at cocktail parties or waiting for the bride and groom to come out when I hit the age where everyone is getting married (which I think is now).
My point is, I have looked at a lot of different news outlets in the past three years. I have learned that I can't just rely on just one to give me all the facts and when it comes to something major, I must do my part and search through many news sources to get complete coverage on just one event. Although I know I can't stop here, my favorite news outlet is Buzzfeed.
Man oh man do I love me some Buzzfeed. They cover everything and I'm not even sure if they consider themselves a news outlet because they do so much. I'm going to consider them one because for the most part, that is what they do; they report. But not only do they report on world news, but they report on pop culture which just so happens is my favorite thing EVER. And it's not just the fact that they report, it's how they do it. The Buzzfeed Video segment of the company is the most diverse group of individuals I see. They frequently create videos showing how people of different sexuality, gender and race respond to things that are taken for norm. Buzzfeed continually to show that just because we have been exposed to something for majority of our lifetimes, it doesn't mean that it's politically correct. Minorities shouldn't have to be completely snubbed and labeled as sensitive just because white culture doesn't want to change their ways. Buzzfeed does an excellent job of showcasing people that other people will identify with like Black Women trying "Nude" Fashion or a girl trying on outfits that actually showed her belly fat instead of hiding it.
I really appreciate this outlet for allowing me to me entertained while also gathering news I should be aware of. I know that it doesn't cover everything I should know but for my daily quick skim of news coverage, Buzzfeed is usually my one stop shop. Not only am I learning about other cultures and people different from me, but I think it accurately helps other people understand me as a young African American woman and I definitely thank them for that.
As a journalism major, my entire upper level academic career it has been preached that I should always be aware of the news. It could be print or broadcast but somehow I need to always be aware of what is going on in the world, which I agree with. As a public relations major, it is my responsibility to not be all knowing about just one subject, but to know just enough about many topics.This will come in handy later in life when I'm stuck at cocktail parties or waiting for the bride and groom to come out when I hit the age where everyone is getting married (which I think is now).
My point is, I have looked at a lot of different news outlets in the past three years. I have learned that I can't just rely on just one to give me all the facts and when it comes to something major, I must do my part and search through many news sources to get complete coverage on just one event. Although I know I can't stop here, my favorite news outlet is Buzzfeed.
Man oh man do I love me some Buzzfeed. They cover everything and I'm not even sure if they consider themselves a news outlet because they do so much. I'm going to consider them one because for the most part, that is what they do; they report. But not only do they report on world news, but they report on pop culture which just so happens is my favorite thing EVER. And it's not just the fact that they report, it's how they do it. The Buzzfeed Video segment of the company is the most diverse group of individuals I see. They frequently create videos showing how people of different sexuality, gender and race respond to things that are taken for norm. Buzzfeed continually to show that just because we have been exposed to something for majority of our lifetimes, it doesn't mean that it's politically correct. Minorities shouldn't have to be completely snubbed and labeled as sensitive just because white culture doesn't want to change their ways. Buzzfeed does an excellent job of showcasing people that other people will identify with like Black Women trying "Nude" Fashion or a girl trying on outfits that actually showed her belly fat instead of hiding it.
I really appreciate this outlet for allowing me to me entertained while also gathering news I should be aware of. I know that it doesn't cover everything I should know but for my daily quick skim of news coverage, Buzzfeed is usually my one stop shop. Not only am I learning about other cultures and people different from me, but I think it accurately helps other people understand me as a young African American woman and I definitely thank them for that.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
All We Wanted Was a Dislike Button
Brianna Myers
Facebook has recently released new Reactions in addition to the old “Like” button. The new Reactions, looking similar to Apple Emojis, include Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Anger. They seem to be a hit with many Facebook users and due to their easy access of just hovering above the Like button.
These new emotions are actually pretty clever. It’s very awkward to Like a post about someone’s loved one who passed away. The Like button had just become a way of acknowledging a post and was very distant from the post. These new reactions allow conversations to be started and give users an opportunity to be a bit more vocal about their emotions. For marketers, they can also be a life saver. Content creators are able to see how people on Facebook react to their content before putting it on other platforms. Kind of like dipping their big toe into the pool before jumping in the ocean. If they were to see users reacting very negatively towards their content, they could easily pull it and see where they went wrong instantly. But what happened to our Dislike button?
Ever since I created my Facebook account in the 7th grade, I wondered why they couldn’t have a Dislike button. I mean you can’t like EVERYTHING. That’s annoying. I remember when there used to be Fan Pages to petition to get a Dislike button. After all these years, surely it would’ve been created. YouTube has one, but maybe Facebook didn’t want to be associated with that and wanted to be original, which luckily worked in their favor. Now that the reactions are being utilized heavily, I realize that the Dislike button would not be as effective as I once thought. The Dislike button could just turn into a way of online bullying. In a time where children are having more access to the internet at younger ages, a Dislike button could potentially be more harmful and hurtful than we imagine. Also the dislike button doesn’t really give any other initial insight. Why don’t you like this post? The reactions are able to do this more adequately.
It looks like the Facebook Reactions are here to say and possibly more in our future. I guess I’ll just have to get used to seeing four different reactions from my friends and family on one post.
Facebook has recently released new Reactions in addition to the old “Like” button. The new Reactions, looking similar to Apple Emojis, include Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Anger. They seem to be a hit with many Facebook users and due to their easy access of just hovering above the Like button.
These new emotions are actually pretty clever. It’s very awkward to Like a post about someone’s loved one who passed away. The Like button had just become a way of acknowledging a post and was very distant from the post. These new reactions allow conversations to be started and give users an opportunity to be a bit more vocal about their emotions. For marketers, they can also be a life saver. Content creators are able to see how people on Facebook react to their content before putting it on other platforms. Kind of like dipping their big toe into the pool before jumping in the ocean. If they were to see users reacting very negatively towards their content, they could easily pull it and see where they went wrong instantly. But what happened to our Dislike button?
Ever since I created my Facebook account in the 7th grade, I wondered why they couldn’t have a Dislike button. I mean you can’t like EVERYTHING. That’s annoying. I remember when there used to be Fan Pages to petition to get a Dislike button. After all these years, surely it would’ve been created. YouTube has one, but maybe Facebook didn’t want to be associated with that and wanted to be original, which luckily worked in their favor. Now that the reactions are being utilized heavily, I realize that the Dislike button would not be as effective as I once thought. The Dislike button could just turn into a way of online bullying. In a time where children are having more access to the internet at younger ages, a Dislike button could potentially be more harmful and hurtful than we imagine. Also the dislike button doesn’t really give any other initial insight. Why don’t you like this post? The reactions are able to do this more adequately.
It looks like the Facebook Reactions are here to say and possibly more in our future. I guess I’ll just have to get used to seeing four different reactions from my friends and family on one post.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Identifying the Enemy... Later
Procrastination. Everyone’s biggest enemy. It’s one of the reasons why I’m writing this blog post JUST before it’s due. Future employers, I promise I will be better at this by the time you hire me. No worries.
The common factors that lead to procrastination:
1. The due date is just too far away.
In your head, two weeks is plenty of time. You have it planned out what you’re going to do so no way it’s going to take all time. Next thing you have two days and just a stack of plans and no actions. No good.
2. You have no clue where to start.
Nothing sounds right or everybody else is doing that. You try to be as original as possible but you just can’t wrap your head around a good solid idea.
3. You’re two episodes away from the season finale of your current Netflix binge and you JUST have to know what happens.
Let’s face it. Fuller House just came out on Netflix and to treat myself for writing this, I’m going to bucker down all weekend and watch that. It’s a disease that has no cure.
Although procrastination habits are easy to fall into, they are not something that I would want to follow me into my professional career. Good ideas and plans lose their ability to turn into Great ideas and plans whenever not enough time is put into them. Relying on last minute things to fall in place causes stress and with public relations already being a high stress career, why add on the extra?
Here are some tools that have helped me:
1. Just do at least one thing a day.
If the date is two weeks away, make an effort to do a small part of the project a day. If it’s a paper, find the sources one day and write your thesis the next. That way throughout the entire time period, you’re being proactive about it.
2. Find a place and make it your “working spot.”
Sometimes to get in the right mindset, you have to be in the right place. I tend to do work from my bed but if I know the project is going to take full concentration, I relocate to a library. Being in a place outside my room, pushes me to do my work because I don’t want to waste my time there and I’m usually ready to get back in bed.
3. Schedule yourself breaks.
While working I put my phone, and if I can, my laptop out of reach that way I cannot be easily tempted. Then I schedule myself with breaks where I can check social media or watch a 15-minute clip of Netflix. It helps with keeping my focus and so I don’t feel overwhelmed.
Photo Cred
The common factors that lead to procrastination:
1. The due date is just too far away.
In your head, two weeks is plenty of time. You have it planned out what you’re going to do so no way it’s going to take all time. Next thing you have two days and just a stack of plans and no actions. No good.
2. You have no clue where to start.
Nothing sounds right or everybody else is doing that. You try to be as original as possible but you just can’t wrap your head around a good solid idea.
3. You’re two episodes away from the season finale of your current Netflix binge and you JUST have to know what happens.
Let’s face it. Fuller House just came out on Netflix and to treat myself for writing this, I’m going to bucker down all weekend and watch that. It’s a disease that has no cure.
Although procrastination habits are easy to fall into, they are not something that I would want to follow me into my professional career. Good ideas and plans lose their ability to turn into Great ideas and plans whenever not enough time is put into them. Relying on last minute things to fall in place causes stress and with public relations already being a high stress career, why add on the extra?
Here are some tools that have helped me:
1. Just do at least one thing a day.
If the date is two weeks away, make an effort to do a small part of the project a day. If it’s a paper, find the sources one day and write your thesis the next. That way throughout the entire time period, you’re being proactive about it.
2. Find a place and make it your “working spot.”
Sometimes to get in the right mindset, you have to be in the right place. I tend to do work from my bed but if I know the project is going to take full concentration, I relocate to a library. Being in a place outside my room, pushes me to do my work because I don’t want to waste my time there and I’m usually ready to get back in bed.
3. Schedule yourself breaks.
While working I put my phone, and if I can, my laptop out of reach that way I cannot be easily tempted. Then I schedule myself with breaks where I can check social media or watch a 15-minute clip of Netflix. It helps with keeping my focus and so I don’t feel overwhelmed.
Photo Cred
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Fifty Shades of Conflicted
Brianna Myers for Race, Gender, and the Media
There hasn't been many books that I've read that I didn't enjoy. I wouldn't have completed the book. If I didn't like the writing style that bad in the book, I would probably just read a spoiler online just to save myself the trouble and the time. I read The Twilight Saga in middle school and I read the Fifty Shades in High School. I enjoyed them both, especially since Fifty Shades started off as a fan fiction of Twilight, but this was before I was "woke."
I'm going to talk more about the books rather than the movies because we all know: Books > The Movie it was turned into. The female protagonists of the books posses the same qualities. They're weak, delicate, and both ultimately gain their self worth from the male lead in the story. Throughout both series, the women immerse themselves in their significant other's lifestyles. Hell, Bella DIED to be with Edward. Anastasia signed a contract to start her relationship with Christian (to simply things immensely). One thing, these women also have in common, they're both white.
Even without the physical description of all these characters, one's mind just assumes they're white. These kind of scenarios (even in the land of vampires and werewolves) only appear to happen to white people. I cannot imagine a black woman letting a man dictate their relationship with a piece of paper. The media just would never cast black actors to play any of these roles because that's not the stereotype. Can't say if this is a good or bad thing. Because there are black females who are very passive and probably black men who are interested in the BDSM lifestyle. It shouldn't be abnormal or controversial to see them cast in these positions, but I don't think I ever want to see a black woman abused on camera, emotionally and physically, for the pleasure of middle America.
I want to see people that look like me cast in roles that are more like the everyday me. On the daily, I am not going to be walking down the street and meet a guy who buys me a car and pays off my student loans or one who has been living for centuries but looks like he's 20.No matter what, books that gain this kind of publicity are definitely going to be made into film. And while yes, I would like to see more people of color in major motion pictures, if they’re going to be depicted this way the activist side of me says don’t cast them.
Disclaimer: I probably will continue to watch The Fifty Shades trilogy in theaters and probable reread the series a couple more times. I hate to say I’m attached and can’t stop. Please pray for me.
There hasn't been many books that I've read that I didn't enjoy. I wouldn't have completed the book. If I didn't like the writing style that bad in the book, I would probably just read a spoiler online just to save myself the trouble and the time. I read The Twilight Saga in middle school and I read the Fifty Shades in High School. I enjoyed them both, especially since Fifty Shades started off as a fan fiction of Twilight, but this was before I was "woke."
I'm going to talk more about the books rather than the movies because we all know: Books > The Movie it was turned into. The female protagonists of the books posses the same qualities. They're weak, delicate, and both ultimately gain their self worth from the male lead in the story. Throughout both series, the women immerse themselves in their significant other's lifestyles. Hell, Bella DIED to be with Edward. Anastasia signed a contract to start her relationship with Christian (to simply things immensely). One thing, these women also have in common, they're both white.
Even without the physical description of all these characters, one's mind just assumes they're white. These kind of scenarios (even in the land of vampires and werewolves) only appear to happen to white people. I cannot imagine a black woman letting a man dictate their relationship with a piece of paper. The media just would never cast black actors to play any of these roles because that's not the stereotype. Can't say if this is a good or bad thing. Because there are black females who are very passive and probably black men who are interested in the BDSM lifestyle. It shouldn't be abnormal or controversial to see them cast in these positions, but I don't think I ever want to see a black woman abused on camera, emotionally and physically, for the pleasure of middle America.
I want to see people that look like me cast in roles that are more like the everyday me. On the daily, I am not going to be walking down the street and meet a guy who buys me a car and pays off my student loans or one who has been living for centuries but looks like he's 20.No matter what, books that gain this kind of publicity are definitely going to be made into film. And while yes, I would like to see more people of color in major motion pictures, if they’re going to be depicted this way the activist side of me says don’t cast them.
Disclaimer: I probably will continue to watch The Fifty Shades trilogy in theaters and probable reread the series a couple more times. I hate to say I’m attached and can’t stop. Please pray for me.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Are you Invited?
Brianna Myers
You know that feeling of being part of something that nobody else truly understands? Something binds you and the others in a special way that maybe you couldn’t even understand. You have your own language. Your own jokes. Your own rules. I’m talking about Black Twitter and if you have no idea what I’m talking about…. That’s your loss.
Black Twitter is a separate section of Twitter known for making ordinary people go viral and creating hashtags that have set the agenda of what is talked about in news. The community of Black Twitter has the ability to roast someone into oblivion or to call out people on the injustices done to our community. Hashtags created vary from #SelfieOlypics to #BlackLivesMatter.
Black Twitter is like the family that you never knew that you had but somehow you know everything about them. Hashtags like #ThanksgivingWithBlackFamilies showed that no matter where you were from, some things are just universal when it comes to Black Culture. The Auntie that is always getting a divorce. The way you throw away the food when you don’t like it. The cousins that always come back from a “store run” with red eyes and smelling like air freshener.
Not only does this subculture of Twitter know how to make your stomach hurt with laugher but when issues affecting the Black community need to be spoken about, they make sure of it. It’s a way of saying “We know this is wrong, and we aren’t going to let them get away with it.” Without Black Twitter, there would be no call to action to look into policing nationwide. Stories like Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland would not have gotten the attention they deserved without the power of Black Twitter. Protests and rallies were able to be organized on Twitter and with the vast expansion of this community were able to be recognized and talked about.
It’s amazing that there is a place where young and old black people can come together and actively talk about what is going on. Not saying that you need a formal invitation to participate but watch out if you choose to... it can get ruthless.
You know that feeling of being part of something that nobody else truly understands? Something binds you and the others in a special way that maybe you couldn’t even understand. You have your own language. Your own jokes. Your own rules. I’m talking about Black Twitter and if you have no idea what I’m talking about…. That’s your loss.
Black Twitter is a separate section of Twitter known for making ordinary people go viral and creating hashtags that have set the agenda of what is talked about in news. The community of Black Twitter has the ability to roast someone into oblivion or to call out people on the injustices done to our community. Hashtags created vary from #SelfieOlypics to #BlackLivesMatter.
Black Twitter is like the family that you never knew that you had but somehow you know everything about them. Hashtags like #ThanksgivingWithBlackFamilies showed that no matter where you were from, some things are just universal when it comes to Black Culture. The Auntie that is always getting a divorce. The way you throw away the food when you don’t like it. The cousins that always come back from a “store run” with red eyes and smelling like air freshener.
Not only does this subculture of Twitter know how to make your stomach hurt with laugher but when issues affecting the Black community need to be spoken about, they make sure of it. It’s a way of saying “We know this is wrong, and we aren’t going to let them get away with it.” Without Black Twitter, there would be no call to action to look into policing nationwide. Stories like Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland would not have gotten the attention they deserved without the power of Black Twitter. Protests and rallies were able to be organized on Twitter and with the vast expansion of this community were able to be recognized and talked about.
It’s amazing that there is a place where young and old black people can come together and actively talk about what is going on. Not saying that you need a formal invitation to participate but watch out if you choose to... it can get ruthless.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
A Permanent Uniform
Brianna Myers for Race, Gender and the Media
I am 1000 percent positive that today in class we had the most heated debate to date. A talk about advertising and how women are depicted in them turned into a talk about dress codes and the way young girls at an early age are forced to wonder "Am I treated this way because of the way I dress?" We are preached to believe that men are "sexual beings" and "just can't control themselves" when women expose their bodies. Are we supposed to be wearing a permanent uniformed to be approved by conservative men? The constant things that kept running through my mind in this discussion were:
1. That's the dumbest piece of ignorant crap I've ever heard.
2. Why should young girls and women be force to alter their actions and choices because of the disgusting men that think it's okay?
and 3. What about the women that breastfeed in public?
The debate about if it's okay if a woman should expose her breast to feed her child in public has recently come up a lot. Personally I believe that if a baby has to eat, then a baby has to eat. In numerous articles men have presented the argument "I can't pull my dick out in public, so why can a women pull her breast out?" Um, I don't know, maybe because your dick isn't sustaining life for another helpless human being. If men are able to sexualize a woman in that situation clearly there is a bigger picture here. The plus side is that there aren't many cases where you hear a man groping a woman while she was feeding her baby.
Men thinking they have control over a women's body is where the issue starts. In class the only reason we could come up with why men proceed to grope women and force themselves upon them is the desire for control. The mindset that a man has the ability to make a girl blush or make her feel uncomfortable were frequent themes. It's honestly baffling and it's not just "the sick and twisted." It's your friends, your neighbors and typically someone you're comfortable with.
School girls should not be penalized for the over sexualization of their body that they aren't even completely familiar with themselves. That's not their issue. Don't make it their issue.
I am 1000 percent positive that today in class we had the most heated debate to date. A talk about advertising and how women are depicted in them turned into a talk about dress codes and the way young girls at an early age are forced to wonder "Am I treated this way because of the way I dress?" We are preached to believe that men are "sexual beings" and "just can't control themselves" when women expose their bodies. Are we supposed to be wearing a permanent uniformed to be approved by conservative men? The constant things that kept running through my mind in this discussion were:
1. That's the dumbest piece of ignorant crap I've ever heard.
2. Why should young girls and women be force to alter their actions and choices because of the disgusting men that think it's okay?
and 3. What about the women that breastfeed in public?
The debate about if it's okay if a woman should expose her breast to feed her child in public has recently come up a lot. Personally I believe that if a baby has to eat, then a baby has to eat. In numerous articles men have presented the argument "I can't pull my dick out in public, so why can a women pull her breast out?" Um, I don't know, maybe because your dick isn't sustaining life for another helpless human being. If men are able to sexualize a woman in that situation clearly there is a bigger picture here. The plus side is that there aren't many cases where you hear a man groping a woman while she was feeding her baby.
Men thinking they have control over a women's body is where the issue starts. In class the only reason we could come up with why men proceed to grope women and force themselves upon them is the desire for control. The mindset that a man has the ability to make a girl blush or make her feel uncomfortable were frequent themes. It's honestly baffling and it's not just "the sick and twisted." It's your friends, your neighbors and typically someone you're comfortable with.
School girls should not be penalized for the over sexualization of their body that they aren't even completely familiar with themselves. That's not their issue. Don't make it their issue.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Before there was Rosa, there was Ida
Brianna Myers
Everyone is familiar with the story of Rosa Parks and her refusal to relocate to the back of the bus. It’s iconic and goes down in history as one of the pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. What we weren’t taught about in our basic public school history class is the story of Ida B. Wells. In 1884 (71 years before Park’s event) Wells refused to move from her seat on a train for a white woman when the conductor asked her to. A couple of bites and scratches later, a gang of men removed her from the train. That kind of fight and determination dictated her journalism career. Wells, known as Iola Princess of the Press, strived to bring light to the truth about the lynchings in the south.
Ida B. Wells was not the only black woman journalist of her time. What made her different was her courage to not just write about woman’s issues but also about politics and race. She easily became a headliner writing under the name Iola to appeal to the common people and strengthen her connection to the south. Wells was one of the owners of Memphis Free Speech and Headlight and Free Speech. It wasn’t until three men, one of them being her friend Thomas Moss, from Memphis were lynched did she launch her anti-lynching campaign.
In the South, lynchings were thought to be the repercussion of raping white women. The truth is that an African American could be killed for being competition, for their interracial relationships or for just plain hatred. When Wells found out that Moss, a local business owner who was wrongly killed, she felt it was her responsibility to report about the sickening, hateful actions of the whites in the south.
Starting in Tennessee, Wells conducted her own research to expose the truth behind some of the brutal killings that were taking place. The result: whites burning down her office and pretty much saying that she couldn’t return to Memphis. Luckily Wells was in New York at the time and stayed put. She continued to write, releasing an in-depth report about lynching in America in the New York Age. The Princess of the Press also held lectures in the 1890s to round up support from whites. The anti-lynching campaign made its way to the White House in 1898 when she demanded for reforms to be made.
Her anti-lynching campaign caught on to black women’s groups, the NAACP, and other Civil Rights advocate groups. Wells was able to take something that she truly believed, the fact that lynching was a crime and should be stopped, and spread it to the public. That is ultimately what I, as a striving public relations professional could only hope to do with my future work.
Photo cred to Rejected Princesses
Everyone is familiar with the story of Rosa Parks and her refusal to relocate to the back of the bus. It’s iconic and goes down in history as one of the pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. What we weren’t taught about in our basic public school history class is the story of Ida B. Wells. In 1884 (71 years before Park’s event) Wells refused to move from her seat on a train for a white woman when the conductor asked her to. A couple of bites and scratches later, a gang of men removed her from the train. That kind of fight and determination dictated her journalism career. Wells, known as Iola Princess of the Press, strived to bring light to the truth about the lynchings in the south.
Ida B. Wells was not the only black woman journalist of her time. What made her different was her courage to not just write about woman’s issues but also about politics and race. She easily became a headliner writing under the name Iola to appeal to the common people and strengthen her connection to the south. Wells was one of the owners of Memphis Free Speech and Headlight and Free Speech. It wasn’t until three men, one of them being her friend Thomas Moss, from Memphis were lynched did she launch her anti-lynching campaign.
In the South, lynchings were thought to be the repercussion of raping white women. The truth is that an African American could be killed for being competition, for their interracial relationships or for just plain hatred. When Wells found out that Moss, a local business owner who was wrongly killed, she felt it was her responsibility to report about the sickening, hateful actions of the whites in the south.
Starting in Tennessee, Wells conducted her own research to expose the truth behind some of the brutal killings that were taking place. The result: whites burning down her office and pretty much saying that she couldn’t return to Memphis. Luckily Wells was in New York at the time and stayed put. She continued to write, releasing an in-depth report about lynching in America in the New York Age. The Princess of the Press also held lectures in the 1890s to round up support from whites. The anti-lynching campaign made its way to the White House in 1898 when she demanded for reforms to be made.
Her anti-lynching campaign caught on to black women’s groups, the NAACP, and other Civil Rights advocate groups. Wells was able to take something that she truly believed, the fact that lynching was a crime and should be stopped, and spread it to the public. That is ultimately what I, as a striving public relations professional could only hope to do with my future work.
Photo cred to Rejected Princesses
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Maybe it Wasn't About Football
Brianna Myers for Race & Gender in the Media
Superbowl Sunday, basically a holiday here in the country. If it so happened that one year it happened to fall on another day, I'm convinced many people would call in "sick." It only seems fitting that this year somehow a game of football also revolved around race.Cam Newton, a black quarterback of the Carolina Panthers versus Peyton Manning, quarterback of the Denver Broncos.
Newton this entire season has been under scrutiny for his so called "racy" dance celebrations, but are they really "inappropriate?"Can't help but wonder why it's such a big deal. Maybe it's because he's black and successful and we all know how much white America loves to tear that down. Back in November a mom wrote a letter to Newton basically saying that he wasn't living up to his role model potential and his dance moves scarred her 9-year-old daughter.
1. It doesn't say anywhere in his NFL that he has an obligation to be a role model.
2. Newton is known for giving footballs to children in the stands and taking the fine for it.
3. If your daughter hasn't seen the dab dance move by now, you're sheltering her too much and she's already off to a bad start.
Not only was it black quarterback aka thug versus white quarterback aka angel, the most influential icon of our time, Beyonce, made reference to the Black Lives Matter movement during her halftime performance. Performing her newly released song "Formation" Beyonce's background dancers were donned outfits paying homage to the Black Panthers, one of the most influential civil rights group. The radical halftime performance led to an anti-Beyonce protest of Queen Bey in New York. As in, "We should protest Beyonce because she said something mean about the police." Get over it. Police are killing people for being black.
From a media point of view, the Super Bowl was way more about other things than just football this year. Newton had something to prove. Beyonce used this platform to show that we have not forgotten. We will not forget until justice is served.
Superbowl Sunday, basically a holiday here in the country. If it so happened that one year it happened to fall on another day, I'm convinced many people would call in "sick." It only seems fitting that this year somehow a game of football also revolved around race.Cam Newton, a black quarterback of the Carolina Panthers versus Peyton Manning, quarterback of the Denver Broncos.
Newton this entire season has been under scrutiny for his so called "racy" dance celebrations, but are they really "inappropriate?"Can't help but wonder why it's such a big deal. Maybe it's because he's black and successful and we all know how much white America loves to tear that down. Back in November a mom wrote a letter to Newton basically saying that he wasn't living up to his role model potential and his dance moves scarred her 9-year-old daughter.
1. It doesn't say anywhere in his NFL that he has an obligation to be a role model.
2. Newton is known for giving footballs to children in the stands and taking the fine for it.
3. If your daughter hasn't seen the dab dance move by now, you're sheltering her too much and she's already off to a bad start.
Not only was it black quarterback aka thug versus white quarterback aka angel, the most influential icon of our time, Beyonce, made reference to the Black Lives Matter movement during her halftime performance. Performing her newly released song "Formation" Beyonce's background dancers were donned outfits paying homage to the Black Panthers, one of the most influential civil rights group. The radical halftime performance led to an anti-Beyonce protest of Queen Bey in New York. As in, "We should protest Beyonce because she said something mean about the police." Get over it. Police are killing people for being black.
From a media point of view, the Super Bowl was way more about other things than just football this year. Newton had something to prove. Beyonce used this platform to show that we have not forgotten. We will not forget until justice is served.
Friday, February 5, 2016
The Odds: Diversity in PR
Brianna Myers
It’s not breaking news that women in the professional field are not paid as much for the exact same job that a man does. It’s not a surprise that there are more men in charge than there are women. Seeing that I am a woman seeking to enter the professional world of public relations, this is an issue that is going to hit me very soon, if not already. Not only am I a woman, but I am also African American and with it being Black History Month, it only seems right to see the other challenges that await.
Before public relations was even called public relations, African Americans were practicing it throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Led by Martin Luther King Jr., blacks in America marched alongside anti-slavery organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference trying to the change mentality of white Americans. They weren’t just trying to enhance the image of a company or a single person, but of an entire culture.
Now there aren’t many minorities in the public relations field. The Institute for Public Relations reported that only 4.5% of management PR jobs were held by African American women. The odds don’t look so good, do they? The reoccurring point that comes up is that, African Americans and other minorities are not entering the communications field because they do not see themselves represented. It’s difficult to enter a career path without seeing somebody that you could potentially relate to.
Stereotypes are something that every culture carries along with them, for some more than others. In 5 Myths About Black PR Professionals, the author points out something that I think has an effect on the amount of potential African Americans choosing this as their career. Employers try to stick those who are non-white on the multicultural team. They assume that blacks want to always work with black media and influence black people but that’s not always the case. For me, it is but I understand that for others that’s not their passion and they don’t want to be forced to do something that is not pleasing to them.
The crazy thing is, diversity can only be beneficial for a company. Hiring employees of different genders and ethnicities can open up a business to so many other markets. Businesses and firms should be going out of their way to make sure they are made up of the different races; especially since in just a few years minorities will no longer be the minority in America.
It’s not breaking news that women in the professional field are not paid as much for the exact same job that a man does. It’s not a surprise that there are more men in charge than there are women. Seeing that I am a woman seeking to enter the professional world of public relations, this is an issue that is going to hit me very soon, if not already. Not only am I a woman, but I am also African American and with it being Black History Month, it only seems right to see the other challenges that await.
Before public relations was even called public relations, African Americans were practicing it throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Led by Martin Luther King Jr., blacks in America marched alongside anti-slavery organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference trying to the change mentality of white Americans. They weren’t just trying to enhance the image of a company or a single person, but of an entire culture.
Now there aren’t many minorities in the public relations field. The Institute for Public Relations reported that only 4.5% of management PR jobs were held by African American women. The odds don’t look so good, do they? The reoccurring point that comes up is that, African Americans and other minorities are not entering the communications field because they do not see themselves represented. It’s difficult to enter a career path without seeing somebody that you could potentially relate to.
Stereotypes are something that every culture carries along with them, for some more than others. In 5 Myths About Black PR Professionals, the author points out something that I think has an effect on the amount of potential African Americans choosing this as their career. Employers try to stick those who are non-white on the multicultural team. They assume that blacks want to always work with black media and influence black people but that’s not always the case. For me, it is but I understand that for others that’s not their passion and they don’t want to be forced to do something that is not pleasing to them.
The crazy thing is, diversity can only be beneficial for a company. Hiring employees of different genders and ethnicities can open up a business to so many other markets. Businesses and firms should be going out of their way to make sure they are made up of the different races; especially since in just a few years minorities will no longer be the minority in America.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
What Exactly is a Pr Personality
Brianna Myers
Last week in my first blog post for my PR Communications class I talked about how I was pretty sure that public relations was the right field for me. The classes challenged but excited me, people seemed to agree and writing has only become easier but then I started to think. What kind of personality does the typical PR professional have?
An article published in Your Coffee Break, a UK lifestyle magazine that’s focused on material geared towards the professional business woman, listed out traits of a successful public relations professional. In 10 traits of Talented Public Relations Pros the author listed out the most important qualities and why they were so important to this specific field of work:
1. “Be a strong communicator and relationship builder”
2. “Be a good writer”
3. “Be informed”
4. “Be detail oriented”
5. “Be comfortable with public speaking”
6. “Be good at multitasking”
7. “Be flexible”
8. “Have thick skin”
9. “Be patient”
10. “Don’t be a know-it-all”
All of these traits make complete sense and in my opinion, one should be way higher on the list. Not being a “know-it-all” should come right after being informed. In PR, working in teams is a big deal. It’s important to be able to communicate one’s ideas but also to be able to actually listen to somebody else’s. By being able to do that, it’s like constant growth and knowledge being absorbed every single day on the job which is honestly the best part about the job.
It wasn’t until around high school that I began to realize that being able to work with other people without over powering them but also being able to speak your own ideas was a quality trait that not everybody possessed. It should be common sense that communication is not a one-way street and that it takes active listening and talking for the end product to reach full potential.
Photo cred to theabbiagency.com
Last week in my first blog post for my PR Communications class I talked about how I was pretty sure that public relations was the right field for me. The classes challenged but excited me, people seemed to agree and writing has only become easier but then I started to think. What kind of personality does the typical PR professional have?
An article published in Your Coffee Break, a UK lifestyle magazine that’s focused on material geared towards the professional business woman, listed out traits of a successful public relations professional. In 10 traits of Talented Public Relations Pros the author listed out the most important qualities and why they were so important to this specific field of work:
1. “Be a strong communicator and relationship builder”
2. “Be a good writer”
3. “Be informed”
4. “Be detail oriented”
5. “Be comfortable with public speaking”
6. “Be good at multitasking”
7. “Be flexible”
8. “Have thick skin”
9. “Be patient”
10. “Don’t be a know-it-all”
All of these traits make complete sense and in my opinion, one should be way higher on the list. Not being a “know-it-all” should come right after being informed. In PR, working in teams is a big deal. It’s important to be able to communicate one’s ideas but also to be able to actually listen to somebody else’s. By being able to do that, it’s like constant growth and knowledge being absorbed every single day on the job which is honestly the best part about the job.
It wasn’t until around high school that I began to realize that being able to work with other people without over powering them but also being able to speak your own ideas was a quality trait that not everybody possessed. It should be common sense that communication is not a one-way street and that it takes active listening and talking for the end product to reach full potential.
Photo cred to theabbiagency.com
Friday, January 29, 2016
A Dash of Crow
Brianna Myers for Race, Gender, and The Media
In class on January 27 we talked about the controversy of the potential boycott of the Oscar's and the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
It's impossible to bring up this subject without also bringing up Stacey Dash.
Dash, in an interview with Fox News, said something along the lines of if Black people want to be nominated for Oscar's, they have to get rid of channels like BET and awards shows like the BET awards and the NAACP awards. Basically she's saying that black people would be offended if there were channels and shows that only honored one people. First, has she watched TV lately and second, many white people have been honored on BET.
I can't even put into words all the reasons why Stacey Dash is wrong for what she is saying, but luckily Roland Martin from TV One NewsOne Now did. In one of Martin's segments, he corrected he on the false statements she spoke in her interview. He mentioned America Ferrera, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg as recipients of Image Awards(Award show hosted by the NAACP) and noticeably, they aren't black.
Dash's comments on FOX placed the blame on African Americans for the segregation and racial tensions in American. The act of contributing to organizations and companies that push for the recognition of colored people somehow justifies major award shows like the Oscars snubbing black actors and films that were actually major hits in the box offices this year.
Martin then pointed out the many magazine covers that Dash herself has been featured on; Magazines that are geared towards African Americans. After rattling off title after title, Martin finished his segment of demolishing her claims by saying, “The next time you embarrass yourself and you lie, please pull your phone out, pull your iPad and say, ‘Let me at least call a brother like Roland who might tell me before I go on, don’t make an ass out of yourself,’ looking like a damn fool.”
Martin’s video circulated the Black Twitter like fire. The overwhelming response was gratitude towards Martin and his willingness to call out Stacey Dash on her comments and exactly why she had no right to voice them.
So eat that Stacey Dash.
In class on January 27 we talked about the controversy of the potential boycott of the Oscar's and the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
It's impossible to bring up this subject without also bringing up Stacey Dash.
Dash, in an interview with Fox News, said something along the lines of if Black people want to be nominated for Oscar's, they have to get rid of channels like BET and awards shows like the BET awards and the NAACP awards. Basically she's saying that black people would be offended if there were channels and shows that only honored one people. First, has she watched TV lately and second, many white people have been honored on BET.
I can't even put into words all the reasons why Stacey Dash is wrong for what she is saying, but luckily Roland Martin from TV One NewsOne Now did. In one of Martin's segments, he corrected he on the false statements she spoke in her interview. He mentioned America Ferrera, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg as recipients of Image Awards(Award show hosted by the NAACP) and noticeably, they aren't black.
Dash's comments on FOX placed the blame on African Americans for the segregation and racial tensions in American. The act of contributing to organizations and companies that push for the recognition of colored people somehow justifies major award shows like the Oscars snubbing black actors and films that were actually major hits in the box offices this year.
Martin then pointed out the many magazine covers that Dash herself has been featured on; Magazines that are geared towards African Americans. After rattling off title after title, Martin finished his segment of demolishing her claims by saying, “The next time you embarrass yourself and you lie, please pull your phone out, pull your iPad and say, ‘Let me at least call a brother like Roland who might tell me before I go on, don’t make an ass out of yourself,’ looking like a damn fool.”
Martin’s video circulated the Black Twitter like fire. The overwhelming response was gratitude towards Martin and his willingness to call out Stacey Dash on her comments and exactly why she had no right to voice them.
So eat that Stacey Dash.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
What in the World?
Brianna Myers
At the beginning of any semester, there's a little apprehension about the new classes on my schedule. This semester was no different. The funny thing is the classes in the Mayborn School of Journalism offer a little bit of comfort because I know the classmates I'm going to be interacting with throughout the semester, but the instant I walked into JOUR 4460, the vibe was different.
I'm very confident in my choice to study public relations. Every single class that I have taken in this field up to now just confirms that this was the right decision for me. It's very satisfying knowing that my college experience has not been wasted up until now. Excitement is a frequent emotion that I get while turning in assignments.
I came across this article on Buzzfeed and it’s actually funny how relatable it was. I even took a Career Aptitude test and public relations specialist was one of the careers I received along with sales and sports agent and others. My love for working in teams and problem solving helps me find joy in this major.
The first class meeting of Public Relations Communication was eventful to say the least. The other juniors and I were unsure of how to answer our professor’s question as to why there were so many juniors in the class. When Professor Samra Bufkins looked confused and explained that this class was designed to be taken after all other journalism courses at UNT, I don’t think any of knew how to respond. I’m not really sure how all of us got advised to take this course at this particular time in our collegiate career but we’re here now and we’re just going to have to power through.
It is comforting knowing that there are others in this class going through the same situation as me. Throughout our first meeting, I could sense that my professor was hopeful of our potential to succeed but also nervous for us to see how we are going to handle the workload. On the other hand, I felt as though the seniors in the class were not AS welcoming. Certain comments on social media were not exactly encouraging. Not that it’s my classmates’ job to be encouraging and maybe it’s just me but if anything there was no need to have a comment. We are fully aware of the challenge that we are taking on this semester.
I am relying on my love for my major and my passion to succeed. It may be difficult at times but I’m not known as a quitter and I’ll be in office hours every week if that’s what it takes. I’m ready.
Photo from memegenerator.net
At the beginning of any semester, there's a little apprehension about the new classes on my schedule. This semester was no different. The funny thing is the classes in the Mayborn School of Journalism offer a little bit of comfort because I know the classmates I'm going to be interacting with throughout the semester, but the instant I walked into JOUR 4460, the vibe was different.
I'm very confident in my choice to study public relations. Every single class that I have taken in this field up to now just confirms that this was the right decision for me. It's very satisfying knowing that my college experience has not been wasted up until now. Excitement is a frequent emotion that I get while turning in assignments.
I came across this article on Buzzfeed and it’s actually funny how relatable it was. I even took a Career Aptitude test and public relations specialist was one of the careers I received along with sales and sports agent and others. My love for working in teams and problem solving helps me find joy in this major.
The first class meeting of Public Relations Communication was eventful to say the least. The other juniors and I were unsure of how to answer our professor’s question as to why there were so many juniors in the class. When Professor Samra Bufkins looked confused and explained that this class was designed to be taken after all other journalism courses at UNT, I don’t think any of knew how to respond. I’m not really sure how all of us got advised to take this course at this particular time in our collegiate career but we’re here now and we’re just going to have to power through.
It is comforting knowing that there are others in this class going through the same situation as me. Throughout our first meeting, I could sense that my professor was hopeful of our potential to succeed but also nervous for us to see how we are going to handle the workload. On the other hand, I felt as though the seniors in the class were not AS welcoming. Certain comments on social media were not exactly encouraging. Not that it’s my classmates’ job to be encouraging and maybe it’s just me but if anything there was no need to have a comment. We are fully aware of the challenge that we are taking on this semester.
I am relying on my love for my major and my passion to succeed. It may be difficult at times but I’m not known as a quitter and I’ll be in office hours every week if that’s what it takes. I’m ready.
Photo from memegenerator.net
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