Young PR Pros

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

FIR Presents Young PR Pros: Episode #91 – Changing the Definition of Spin Doctor, is it Possible?

Young PR Pros For our regular listeners you don’t need to change anything, you will still continue to receive new weekly episodes through iTunes or Stitcher.

For those who don’t know, the FIR podcast network, run by internationally acclaimed communicators Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz, is a collection of business podcasts on niche topics that appeal to communicators in different countries around the world. The anchor show, For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report, is the longest running communications podcast, broadcasting business and communications advice for more than a decade. In 2013, Hobson and Holtz expanded their podcast and created a network of a dozen shows, including the popular Canadian social media podcast Inside PR, hosted by Martin Waxman, Gini Dietrich and Joseph Thornley.

For our first episode on the podcast network, we discuss the definition of the word spin. Some people see this as a four-letter bad word and want it eliminated from our vocabulary. Others see it as a flexible word with the opportunity to bend and change - or spin if you will - the definition.

Hosts, Kristine D’Arbelles and Julia Kent bring in two experts to weigh in on this debate. The first is Elizabeth Gray-Smith, Social Columnist at iPolitics. We caught up with her earlier this year at the uOPRA Let’s Grow Together conference and asked her how she felt about the word spin - spoiler, she doesn’t think spin needs to be a four-letter bad word.

The second expert is Gini Dietrich, CEO of Arment Dietrich and who is no stranger to the podcast, offers her view on the word spin. If you know Gini at all, you can guess what her opinion was. Here is a hint, she runs a blog called Spin Sucks.

As our hosts easily discover, there is no easy right answer. The good news is that having this conversation is important to making our industry a better place. We have come far from the days of Mad Men, but there is still more work to do.

So what can young professionals do today? Be curious and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to stand up to your boss if you are uncomfortable with the task they have given you. Remember, no one gets fired for asking a question. Sometimes that is all it takes, one curious person asking the right question.

What do you think? Do you think we can change the definition? Or should we get rid of the word? Or do you have another solution?

Get this Podcast:

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
You can also connect with Young PR Pros through their blog our Facebook Page, or on our Google+ page, or send us an email at youngprpros@gmail.com, or send us a message on Twitter @youngprpros, @kristinedarbell, or @kentjulia. You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

Young PR Pros is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by Kristine on 09/17 at 01:20 PM
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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Young PR Pros joins the FIR Podcast Network

Young PR Pros PodcastWe’re proud to announce that Young PR Pros is the latest podcast to join the FIR Podcast Network. Introduced in 2012 by Kristine D’Arbelles and Julia Kent, Young PR Pros covers a range of topics of interest to those at the early stages of their careers in PR and communications, from job hunting skills (like building resumes and interview tips) to the state of PR and communications and how young PR professionals can shape the industry’s future.

As the show’s popularity has grown, D’Arbelles and Kent have been invited to universities and communication events across Ottawa to speak about building a career in PR. Listeners tune into the podcast from across Canada and around the world, including the U.S., Australia, and India.

Listen here as Kristine and Julia tell you a little about what to expect from Young PR Pros:

We’re thrilled to introduce Kristine and Julia to the FIR community!

About your hosts

Kristine D'ArbellesKristine D’Arbelles Kristine D’Arbelles works for the Canadian Automobile Association as Manager of Public Affairs. There is never a dull moment in her day, whether it is media interviews, managing the CAA National Twitter account or managing a new project to keep Canadians safe on the road.

During her spare time she builds relations with IABC Ottawa members as the Vice-President of Membership on the board. She also helps impaired speed skaters in their endeavors to one day make it to the Paralympics. She does so as the Director for the Impaired Speed Skating Association of Canada (ISSAC), a not-for-profit that empowers impaired speed skaters and provides funds for training, travel and equipment expenses for Canadian impaired skaters.

Julia KentJulia Kent is a communications and marketing professional in Ottawa, originally from Halifax. A graduate of Carleton’s journalism program, she is experienced in broadcast journalism, public speaking, event management, social media, marketing, communications, proposal and web writing.
Julia is the communications chair on the executive council for the Carleton University Alumni Association, the Ottawa chapter president of the Halifax Grammar School Alumni Association and the former industry relations manager for IABC Ottawa.

In her free time, Julia writes for her food blog, reads for her book club and plays competitive soccer.

As always, we’re grateful to Effective Edge for the design of FIR Podcast Network album art.

Posted by shel on 09/10 at 08:32 AM
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