What’s your thought on editing Wikipedia?

PRSA Chair and CEO Gerard Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is circulating a letter to leaders with this request. Read on and take the survey…

I am writing you today to provide information on a matter of importance to every PRSA member. PRSA has been engaging in a series of discussions regarding the proper role of public relations professionals in editing entries on Wikipedia, the self-described “free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.” Given that Wikipedia is one of the most widely used information resources in the world, we believe it is important that our members are made aware of this ongoing debate.

Marcia DiStaso, co-chair of PRSA’s National Research Committee, has developed a survey that examines the profession’s experiences with Wikipedia. You can take the survey here.

Survey: Wikipedia and PR

We believe that PR professionals should engage with Wikipedia in a responsible manner that respects the community’s rules and protocols, while also ensuring they act in their clients’ best interests. But the engagement must be a two-way street in which Wikipedia is willing to see and accommodate both sides of the issue.

We have made this position clear in a variety of forums. Recently, I wrote an op-ed for technology news publication, Techdirt, in which I made the case the for PR professionals editing Wikipedia. We have also provided the profession’s perspective in PRWeek, The Financial Times and through a special Facebook group dedicated to this discussion.

There are many other initiatives and causes in which PRSA is currently engaged.  From modernizing the definition of public relations to enhancing the business value of public relations, we are committed to advancing the profession and the public relations professional. We hope you will continue to stand beside us in this commitment by encouraging your members to share their wisdom via this important PRSA survey.

Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. Your input is always welcomed and appreciated.

Best regards,

Gerard Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA
PRSA Chair and CEO

Next Midwest District Call & Leadership Assembly Updates

The Midwest District will have its last pre-Leadership Assembly call on Wed., Sept. 28 at 10 a.m. Agenda items include: national updates, the proposed dues increase, 2012 district conference planning, September affinity call recap and chapter updates. As always, all Midwest District chapters are encouraged to have a representative on the call.

For those that are traveling to Leadership Assembly or International Conference in Orlando, the Midwest District will be having an informal networking dinner on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. after the Diversity Mixer. If you plan to join us, please RSVP to Renee Robinson, district chair.

We also will have a District breakfast/business  meeting on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in Palazzo Salon D/E. All Assembly Delegates and conference attendees from the Midwest District’s 15 chapters are invited to attend both activities. Hope to see you in Orlando!

PRSA International Conference Early-Bird Registration Ends Tomorrow

For Midwest District chapter members planning to attend this year’s PRSA International Conference, the deadline for early-bird registrations is tomorrow, Aug. 26, at midnight. Tomorrow also is the deadline to submit a name for the conference mascot for a chance to win a free registration.

Sign up now to save $200 on registration and visit the conference website for more information on the scheduled professional development sessions, networking opportunities, travel details and more.

Additionally, the Midwest District will be having a dinner on Saturday, Oct. 15, and a District breakfast meeting on Sunday, Oct. 16. All Assembly Delegates and conference attendees from the Midwest District’s 15 chapters are invited to attend. For more details, please contact Renee Robinson, district chair.

Listen up! Network. Get engaged.

It’s a new era for PR and marketing professionals. Learn from the best at the 2011 professional development conference presented by the Southwest Missouri chapter of PRSA. The conference will be held 8:30 am to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, 202 S. JQ Hammons Parkway, Springfield, Mo.

Members of PRSA enjoy a discounted registration fee: $75 until Sept. 9. After that, the fee is $85. Register at www.swmoprsa.org

Speakers include David Grossman, APR, Fellow PRSA, and CEO of The Grossman Group, Chicago. He is one of America’s foremost authorities on communication and engagement inside organizations. Mike Koehler, president and chief strategist of Smirk New Media, Oklahoma City, will share new trends in online brand monitoring through social media. Etiquette for business professionals, online and in professional settings, is the topic for Sheri Hawkins, owner of 2balance, a Springfield (Mo.) PR and communications agency.

For more information, contact PRSA member Claire Faucett, claire@springfieldchamber.com or 417-862-5567. She is chair of the conference planning committee.

August District Council Call Scheduled for Wed., Aug. 24

The next PRSA Midwest District call will be Wed. Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. Central and we have a jam-packed agenda. In addition to the regular national, district and chapter updates, we also will discuss the proposed national dues increase. Philip Tate, PRSA treasurer, will join us for this discussion to address feedback and questions from chapter representatives.

Time permitting, we also will discuss the district’s plans at the 2011 Leadership Assembly, which will be Oct. 15 in Orlando, Fla. Plans include a Saturday night dinner and Sunday morning meeting for all Midwest chapter delegates and interested 2011 International Conference attendees.

Other agenda items include 2012 District conference planning, September and November affinity calls. Each Midwest District chapter is encouraged to have a representative on our monthly calls. Please contact Renee Robinson, Midwest District chair, if you need call-in information.

Midwest District Launching Speakers’ Bureau

To assist the Midwest District chapters in identifying and securing speakers for their various programming needs, we are launching a District-wide speakers’ bureau. For those interested in becoming a Midwest District speaker, please fill out the attached form. We will contact you within 30 days to let you know if you have been selected as a Midwest District speaker and we will post information on all of our selected speakers on this site.

 PRSA Midwest District Speakers Bureau Application

We look forward to hearing from you!

Northeast Wisconsin Chapter to Host 10th Anniversary Annual Meeting Oct. 26

Peter Shankman Event Details

Event will feature Peter Shankman, founder of Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

The Northeast Wisconsin Chapter of Public Relations Society of America will hold its 10^th Anniversary Annual Meeting featuring PR Celebrity Peter Shankman at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 26, at Brett Favre Steakhouse, Green Bay, WI. The event is open to all communication professionals.

Shankman’s 90-minute speech will focus on how companies, agencies and others can use social media to generate revenue.

Shankman is a former journalist, turned public relations professional, turned entrepreneur who is recognized worldwide for his new ways of thinking about social media, public relations, marketing, advertising, creativity and customer service. He is most well-known for founding Help A Reporter Out (HARO), which connects thousands of journalists to sources around the world looking to be quoted in the media. According to his website, HARO is currently the largest free source repository in the world, sending out more than 1,200 queries from worldwide media each week. HARO’s tagline, “Everyone is an Expert at Something,” proves over and over again to be true, as thousands of new members join at helpareporter.com each week. The site currently connects 102,829 active sources with 29,478 journalists.

Shankman is also the founder of The Geek Factory, a boutique Marketing and PR Strategy firm located in New York City. Peter is the author of “Can We Do That? Outrageous PR Stunts That Work — and Why Your Company Needs Them” (Wiley and Sons 2006) and a keynote speaker at events worldwide including The Affiliate Summit, South By Southwest, The Public Relations Society of America, The International Association of Business Communicators, Mobile Marketing Asia, and the Direct Marketing Association. He was also named one of PR Week Magazine’s “30 under 30 to Watch”.

• 2:30 p.m.: Shankman Presentation
• 4:30 p.m.: Q&A & Networking
• 5:30 p.m.: Dinner, 10^th Anniversary Celebration and 1^st Annual Premier Awards

Fee and registration information is available at the PRSA-Northeast Wisconsin website!

The first annual PRSA Northeast Wisconsin PRemier Awards will recognize the exceptional practice of public relations by professionals throughout Northeast Wisconsin. For more information or to submit an entry, visit: www. prsanewis.org/awards.php.

PRSA Announces 2011 Board Candidates

PRSA announced the leaders who submitted applications for PRSA National leadership to the 2010 Nominating Committee for review and consideration at its July 30 – Aug. 1 meeting in Chicago.  

Midwest District leaders who submitted applications for the 2011 Board of Directors include: 

Rose M. McKinney, APR
President
Risdall McKinney Public Relations
New Brighton, MN

Debra D. Peterson, APR
Manager, External Communications and Community Relations
CenturyLink
Overland Park, KS

PRSA members are encouraged to send candidate insights and comments via e-mail to the 2010 Nominating Committee at nomcomm@prsa.org or mail the letter to PRSA, Attn: Nominating Committee, 33 Maiden Lane, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10038. The deadline for submitting comment letters on behalf of candidates is Monday, July 12, 2010.

For more information, please visit the PRSA website.

PRSA National Board Applications Due Today

Thinking about a PRSA leadership position?  Well, don’t delay because the deadline is today. Here is a link to PRSA documents and information about the 2009 National Board Nominating Process: Nominating Web pages. This year, there are three opportunities for which a candidate from the Midwest District may apply:

• Director-at-Large
• Assembly Delegate-at-Large (two positions)
• Assembly International Delegate-at-Large (two positions)

Candidates seeking a director-at-large position have no geographic restriction and can be from anywhere in the world. The following requirements must be met: 1) Be a member in good standing; 2) Be Accredited in Public Relations; and 3) Served as a voting Delegate in at least one National Assembly or as a Chapter President, Section or District Chair, or as Chair of a National Committee, National Advisory Board or National Task Force.

Assembly Delegates are to be active and informed members of the PRSA annual business meeting termed “Assembly Meeting.” The Delegate-at-Large represents members who do not reside in an area served by a Chapter. The International Delegates-at-Large represent members outside the United States and Canada.

All candidate applications must be received today by 5 p.m. in the time zone in which the candidate resides.

District Revitalization

Public Relations Society of America

The Public Relations Society of America’s Midwest District is reemerging and we’d love for leaders from all of the chapters within our District to be involved.

Within the PRSA structure, a district’s key role is to support chapter leaders and assist them in making chapters organizationally effective. The secondary role is to serve as a route for leadership between the chapter and national levels. Strong districts are important elements in chapter success and provide a vital link between the local and national organizations.

Many districts offer professional and leadership development at a regional and local level that complement national programs. These can include district conferences, leadership training, and other programs that help improve organization effectiveness, support the society’s mission and further enhance the value of PRSA membership.

If you are interested in helping shape the district’s future, please let us know.