What I Learned in PR Campaigns

By: Sarah Jones

Source via Pinterest

This semester was one of the hardest semesters I've ever had while at UNT. I believe it was because I'm a senior and they typically save all the challenging classes for the end, as they should. As seniors in college it's important to challenge us and give us a glimpse into how the professional world is going to be.

Which is why I'm so glad I took PR Campaigns. I mean it's a required course and I'm so glad it's over, but it gave me the confidence, knowledge, and skills needed to move forward in life outside of college.

Not only did the class teach me many things about PR but it also taught me life lessons. I learned how to work in a group of very different people all working towards the same goal. It was a challenge; personalities clashed and there were moments where I wasn't sure that it was going to get done. However, in the end it got done and it taught me how to deal with future coworkers. It reminded me that our endgames are the same and we just need to respect that and work together toward the common goal.

I used to think PR was too stressful, but after taking this course I see that's it's only as stressful as you make it. I just need to be confident in my work and know that I know what I'm doing, and I will get better at what I do through practice and observing. The strict deadlines and feedback from my professor really helped me become more comfortable in my PR abilities.

Overall, this class is the best class I could ever take towards my degree and I'm glad I took it and made it through like so many before me have and many after me will. So congratulations PR class of spring 2015, we made it!

What Ethics Taught Me

By: Sarah Jones


Going into my senior level ethics course, I thought it was going to be a vocabulary lesson on big words and ethical theories. However, 15 weeks later I can see I was wrong about my initial assumption.


Yes, I did learn big words and ethical theories but I also learned so much more. I learned what good  ethics looks like and what bad ethics looks like in a professional setting. Throughout the semester we were shown examples of how to handle ethics in the workplace correctly. I believe that's more important than learning the theories. While knowing the theories is important, knowing how to handle real life situations is probably one of the most valuable things a college senior can learn. We can learn and get tested on the material taught in class all day long, but what we really need is real world experience. That can be kind of hard in a class setting but by the use of having us do case studies really helped open our eyes to the kind of things that go on in the professional world. By doing this we can learn from the mistakes and successes of different companies.


More importantly one of the best lessons I was taught was to never forget my morals and values even when the company I work for has a perverse outlook on what being ethical should be. Going forward in my career and life I hope to use what I have learned in this course to be a voice for what I believe is ethical. I also hope to stay true to myself and not be succumbed to the peer pressure of following everyone else's ideas. Also, I believe it's very important to listen to the client and his or her definition of ethics to make sure what's being done is ethical to them. It's very important to not only listen to yourself but to also pay attention to those around you to make sure what you're doing is fair to them as well.

Houston Rockets Controversial Tweet

By: Sarah Jones

This past week another social media professional fell victim to the Internet when Houston Rocket's social media manager tweeted this tweet during Game 5 of the series:

Source via CBS DFW

Of course, the tweet has since been deleted but not before things blew up on the Internet and caused problems for social media manager, Chad Shanks, and the Houston Rockets organization. The Rockets immediately tweeted an apology tweet to Mavericks fans and animal activists, who were among the enraged audiences.

Source via Twitter/Houston Rockets

The next day Shanks announced his unemployment, issued an apology and stood up for himself using the same platform that got him fired. The content in those tweets can explain to anyone in the business why he was chosen to serve as the social media manager for a high profile organization.

Source via Twitter/Chad Shanks

Although the tweet on the Rockets page wasn't really classy, the way he worded the tweets on his personal Twitter is evidence that shows a seasoned social media professional realizing he made a mistake that so many people make. It even happens to people who have been in the industry for years. In my opinion people were too quick to judge Shanks. Looking over the Rockets social media page before and after his firing one can tell when he was let go. The content became tamer, not as light-hearted or fun. It's not how the Rockets social media platforms should be ran. Sports have a young, male, audience. So, the social media content Shanks was creating for the Rockets were perfect for the organization. He incorporated Vine, memes, and witty remarks to engage with his audience. 

Also, the tweet wasn't really the most risqué thing that's been tweeted, but because it's the Internet things got blown way out of proportion. The tweet probably would've gotten a few good chuckles between his friends but because he forgot what a big platform he is in charge of he had to suffer the consequences. However, I don't believe this is the end of Chad Shanks' social media career. Since the incident he has made appearances on numerous radio and TV shows including Late Night with Seth Meyers. Overall I just like the way he owned up to it and admitted he made a mistake but stuck to his guns throughout it all. 

Source via Twitter/Chad Shanks

In an interview with Sporting News he further explains the reasoning behind the tweet. In it he explains how he made a mistake, and how people don't understand just how difficult it is to work in social media. He talked about knowing your audience and thinking before you tweet. I've never been more impressed by someone who tweeted something classless and then turned it into something classy. The Rockets were too hasty with its decision to fire him and in this case I don't believe the punishment fits the crime. He has such a big following now because of it, all the organization would have to do is have him issue an apology and go on with his career of creating great social media content.