Professional Blogging: Source of Free Info

Blogging in the realm of corporate communications and PR is a huge source of information. Looking through some of the blogs, I noticed free advice being handed out about how to be successful in the PR or marketing industry. ‘The Bad Pitch’ blog talks about receiving credit in the PR world. It talks about, that from now on it does not matter if you receive credit for information being picked up as long as it is getting picked up by other sources. Also, if you are going to put something out there, make sure it is your best work.
The ‘Marketing Monster’ blog gives you twelve steps to being successful in marketing. This is free, helpful information being handed to you! Blogging has obviously been a growing trend, but it is starting to gain credibility. You have professionals in the industries posting their thoughts about the industry and their ideas/opinions on how you can be successful. Blogs about industries can prove to be a helpful tool for young professionals trying to figure out what they are doing. You can search these blogs and see what people are saying about what is currently going on in your field. They might be opinions you don’t agree with, but it might make you aware of a possible growing problem within your industry. Also, you might learn a valuable lesson from someone else’s experiences they have posted and could possibly save yourself from a few mistakes and “learning the hard way lessons” through someone else sharing their knowledge beforehand.

Condolence Commercials?

Everyone has heard about the sudden death of Heath Ledger. Being a celebrity, his death has received more attention than any other Joe Blow's death would. Celebrities seem to receive more attention for mistakes and everyday events that happen in their lives due to the public's odd obsession to know. (I am one of those people in the public) Ledger was most famous for his role in 'Brokeback Mountain,' where he broke barriers by portraying a gay cowboy having a secret love affair with fellow actor, Jake Gyllenhaal.
In the wake of Ledger's death, the media has been all over it. From the Internet, magazines, and news to E! True Hollywood, you can't escape the thought of it. I was watching VH1 when I saw something brand new and was a little baffled by it to say the least. During the commercial breaks there were commercials of condolences to Ledger's family and friends. I know this is meant to be a polite gesture in honor of him, but seriously, I think this is going too far. I'm sure Ledger's family and friends appreciate the support and concern, but they already hear about it in the news, radio, and read about it in the papers and the Internet. Why should they have to see it during a commercial break? I already think that celebrities' lives are broadcast too much, but a death is not something that should be displayed everywhere at every moment of the day. How can family and friends be expected to move through the grief process when it is in their face 24/7?

Welcome!

Welcome to my first blog! This blog is an assignment for one of my classes as SMU. As I said above, I am a senior Corporate Communication and Public Affairs major. This blog will explore the new ways of communication through blogging. Before I start writing about other topics, I must warn you that I know very little about blogging but am eager to learn. I want to encourage everyone to leave comments and feedback so I can learn, and hopefully improve my blogging skills quickly!