I’m not sure when the merge between pop culture and murder trials was exactly born, but I can’t help but wonder how it has affected the outcome of these cases. Within minutes of researching Arias’ story, I was bogged down with numerous fan sites, support blogs and hate pages. It was kind of shocking to see so many social media outlets solely committed to advocating positions on this hearing. Even more shocking was to see the things that people were relating this case to, such as a 50 Shades of Grey affair gone wrong. There were even Facebook profiles commemorating Arias and Alexander’s happier days. The story was being glamorized through its tie-ins with sex and scandal to a point where I was even starting to feel somewhat involved.

When such a large amount of people are inputting their two cents into a legal trial, how exactly does that weigh in on the jury’s decision? I know these representatives are specifically selected and trained on being objective in nature, but come on – they’re only human. One can argue that jury members should simply bar themselves from accessing these blogs and websites. However, I think that’s borderline impossible considering social media’s strong presence. It’s basically everywhere. For instance, I didn’t even find this case – this case found me. I imagine it’s much the same for others, who are then swept into involvement after reading up on the evidence and details.

I don’t know what role PR practitioners play in legal hearings such as this, if any. However, there’s definitely someone framing stories to sway public opinion and social media is doing much the same. So, can we expect to see a future union between intimate courtrooms and public online forums? I think so. There was a time when lawsuits and murder trials were something of extreme privacy, but social media has shifted that to a degree where it’s quite the opposite. There’s a growing public voice and opinion in personal trials, which I think eventually will be incorporated into outcomes in some shape or form. For example, during the final days of the trial, there was demand to have the hearing broadcasted live on Twitter. There are even rumors of a possible Lifetime movie covering a dramatized version of the case. So,while it seems likely that social media’s presence will continue to demand a voice in court cases such as this, the question remains in whether this is a good or bad thing? Does it skew the facts and create a hyped up version far from the truth? Or does it help in allowing justice to be served while the public is heard?

What do you guys think? After all, y’all are the judge…and I mean this almost literally

Since the beginning, social media has been praised for being the perfect vessel to express one’s values, opinions and lifestyle. It was also seen as a great public relations tool for companies, being that it offered effective ways to build relationships with audiences. However, it seems that social media is shifting away from these two trends in exchange for increased marketing and advertising promotion. Facebook has been dodging accusations of privacy invasion for a while now. Use of personalized advertisements has been a controversial one, and these new partnerships reveal the network’s goal to increase correspondence with ad companies. The new business ventures also show more interest in marketing, which could potentially challenge PR efforts.

The reason for these actions is clear: Facebook is trying to increase revenue after its shares fell short of what was anticipated. Shifting attention toward marketing allows Facebook to use the data trail that users leave behind to discover buying trends and preferences. In turn this information can be relayed to advertising companies, boosting sales and traffic for all parties involved.

The question here is whether or not these new developments take away from the essence of social media, as well as the use of social media for public relations.

Targeted advertising could have an adverse effect on what users share, and decreased sharing means decreased activity on the site as a whole. With growing competition and a dwindling user base, this is certainly not what Facebook needs right now.

Increasing the influence of marketing and advertising on social media decreases intimacy. This inevitably affects the use of social media for public relations practitioners and their ability to create relationships through social media sites. Users are starting to feel more like business targets. If the public becomes defensive and opts out of using sites like Facebook, then it will create great difficulties in reaching out to them.

For marketers and advertisers this ultimately means that they can achieve their goal of sending the right ads to the right consumers. This is a positive for both functions, which public relations can indirectly play off of since it’s closely associated with the two. It’s also a good thing for users, because at least they’ll now only being seeing ads for things they’ve indicated interest in.

There’s an even scale of pros and cons. Advertising is a significant portion of everyday life, whether consciously or subconsciously – and this streamlines things appropriately. Public relations practitioners will need to adapt to the new emphasis on advertising through social media, but such is in its capability.

So why has PR been dubbed as the red-headed step child of the business world? CEOs, marketing executives and journalists have all offered a little insight as to why PR is given low priority. Some reasons indicate tracking difficulties. Businesses express that it can become hard to gauge the actual coverage of PR efforts and whether that money is being spent wisely. Other reasons are attributed to PR’s bad reputation with journalists and the inability to scale or leverage success.

This may seem like a turn-off to the profession, but the advent of social media has created a means of salvage. Long-gone are the days where media impressions were calculated through newspaper clippings. Now, social media makes tracking coverage easier than ever by allowing visibility of how many views, shares and likes a story received. 

Social media sites are also a medium to build more human and personable interactions. The strong relationships that this type of connection provides can be an incredibly valuable asset to any type of company. In today’s world, the amount of journalists, bloggers and influencers that businesses need to reach number in the thousands. PR offers just the skill set necessary to accomplish this, with technology being advanced in its favor.

Through social media, PR now has meaningful data to influence large decisions. Most of the latest innovations in online media platforms play to the strengths of PR. It’s time to capitalize on this and demand increased priority. The foundation of public relations is to establish strong relationships between a business and its audience. Through social media this is more attainable than ever before and PR offers just the right people to perform accordingly.

It’s time to shine, PR professionals!

“The rapper [eXquire], a panelist at Wednesday’s “Importance of Online Video and Social Media” discussion, transformed himself from a security guard at a parking lot to the star of a video with 400,000-plus views … in under six months, almost entirely based on his social media prowess and tireless work ethic.”

We’ve seen a recent trend with ‘bedroom artists,’ who become famous within the confines of a production studio that is literally their bedroom, as the name implies. This SXSW panel raises the question as to whether attaining stardom through social media will provide longevity.

The panel discussed how it has become arguably more important to have a social media schedule than a touring schedule, because having a consistent online presence contributes to audience and sales growth. Some artists see this viewpoint as an insult, claiming that true talent requires more than Twitter and YouTube skills.

However, there’s something to be said about the success that these self-made artists have found. Perhaps what has created such a solid fan base lies in the essence of personable connection that social media sites deliver. Many people log on to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to check out what their friends are doing. So, when an artist uses these sites to link with fans it automatically replicates similar feelings of friendship and equality. This alone is a strong way to reach out to any type of audience.

I personally think it’s awesome that social media sites have allowed many people the opportunity to expose their talents. Not everyone has the money or means to access large corporations and production studios. I think it’s equally awesome when established musicians and actors use social media sites as well. It shows a type of intimacy that isn’t commonly witnessed. This is why I believe that there is longevity in creating a larger role for online presence when it comes to fame. It may be a relatively new trend, but it’s undeniably one that will make or break you. So, it’s probably safe to say that social media stardom is here to stay.

When socializing over online platforms first began, there was only so much to choose from. There was more of a monopoly back then, primarily from sheer lack of competition and online growth. Individuals over the age of 20 are used to operating on just one social media platform and then graduating to the next as soon as the former dies out. It’s a very linear and exclusive process.

This new trend shows that it’s mainly teens decreasing their activity on Facebook, citing boredom as the main reason. However, maybe it isn’t that teens are experiencing distaste for Facebook so much as they’re just exposed to more options. Their generation is one that doesn’t have to commit to a monogamous relationship with just one social media site at a time. I don’t think it’s boredom from Facebook itself, but boredom from spending exclusive time on Facebook. Why limit self-expression to just one medium when you can exercise dozens?

When I was a teenager, I would spend hours and hours (seriously, hours) on Myspace. When that fad ended I did the same thing, but on Facebook. I would dedicate all of myself to those profiles, treating them as an exclusive relationship where my time was not shared elsewhere. However, this generation’s younger crowd is used to dispersing their personalities over a broad spectrum of social networks. They show their artistic side on Tumblr, their photography on Instagram, their hobbies and interests on Pinterest, and save their socializing for Facebook and Twitter. Long gone are the days of monogamy (as far as social media goes, I mean), and welcome are the days of exercising choices and options.

So I don’t think Facebook has to really sweat this one out. Not yet, at least. It’s a trend we haven’t seen much of until recently because a whole new stage of online development is just barely being tapped into. Facebook just needs to shake the jealousy and learn to share some attention.

Oddly enough, what really caught my attention with this announcement was that among all the uproar, rumors and controversy that the resignation has caused, the Vatican is still attentive to updating Benedict’s social media. Even just ten years ago the idea of a Pope managing an online networking account would be revoked, because truthfully the whole thing is an anomaly. Papal responsibility is strictly defined by traditions that have been relatively unchanged for centuries. On the opposite hand, social networking pages, such as Twitter and Facebook, are seen as quite the modern advancement. I personally would have never put two and two together, but Benedict’s Twitter account has received substantial popularity since its creation two and a half months ago.

The Vatican has stood firm in remaining true to its rooted customs, so what is it about a social media page like Twitter that has influenced such change? Benedict, more so than any preceding Pope, has vocalized belief in some of the strictest Catholic customs. Bearing this in mind, it seems peculiar to think that he would be the first to manage such a successful online account and innovative means of connection. Such is the power of social media that it can influence the core values of one of the oldest institutions this world knows.

It brings into question what other traditionally based establishments will follow the trend towards online social networking. Will we be seeing religious covenants uploading Instagram pictures using Nashville filters and promoting activity through tweets and wallposts? I’m half joking, but also a little serious because you just never know. Our generation is one of progression and breaking norms, so who is to say that we won’t witness Presidents, Prime Ministers, and other influential leaders taking fun ‘selfies’ on Facebook someday?

As of right now there is no news of whether a Twitter account will be re-launched upon or before selection of the new Pope. Vatican Radio reasons, “It is unimaginable that one could continue to use a communication tool so popular and powerful during the sede vacante period.” It was also addressed that it will be at the discretion of the selected Pope whether or not to pursue any new online networking pages. Until then we can only wait to see if the influence of social media will persuade yet another traditional individual to convert to modern ways of connecting.

State Rep. Peter Sullivan has introduced a bill proposing that the executor of an estate be granted control of the social network profiles of the deceased. Sullivan stated that it would allow families a sense of closure in being able to decide if a profile should continue or end. Sullivan also addressed that it would help end cyber bullying of the departed. This statement references several cases where young teens have committed suicide as a result of cruel banter, and how hazing would continue on their Facebook and Twitter pages even after departure.

For now the bill is admittedly incomplete and unenforceable. However, it raises the issue of how rights to online privacy may need to be negotiated in instances where individuals are no longer living. We all know social media plays a significant role in the lives of this generation, but no one planned on that role being extended to the afterlife as well. Although Facebook has created a function where deceased profiles can be changed into memorial pages, there has been overall negligence in dealing with the growing number of postmortem users. Besides, the steps in applying for conversion to memorial pages are rather arduous for families still in mourning.

However morbid the topic may be, it still addresses that social media’s power has grown to a point where federal regulation is possibly necessary. The government needs to adapt swiftly to keep up with the online universe, but isn’t the beauty of cyberspace in that it transcends physical mortality and traditional means of regulation? Is intervention even needed? I suppose only time will tell what new rules will be instated to match pace with social media’s growing influence. Until then, get to work on those wills! (Just kidding), happy Friday everyone.

The new norm in receiving roses from a loved one is to take a picture of said flowers, pick a flattering filter, and then post to Instagram for all to see. Thousands of images portraying couples romantically embraced litter the pages of Tumblr, and love notes now take the form of wall posts and tweets. Social media is the new vessel to show that special someone (and your entire online network) how much you care, but has this trend created an impersonal way of showing intimacy? Traditionally, the bonds of love were characterized as deep feelings privately shared between yourself and the other individual involved. However that approach has seemingly become outdated. Nowadays, if a relationship is not broadcasted through one’s online profile then its existence is put into question.

Social media has already redefined the art of friendship, and is moving quickly to set that change in relationships as well. This advancement from traditional means doesn’t have to be seen as entirely negative though. Its impersonal nature is still in question, but it can’t be denied that this new approach to relationships falls into stride with social media’s goal to connect people. It’s a new medium for romantic involvement and helps keep couples united over long distances. Perhaps public displays of affection via the web serve in strengthening relationships as well. It’s a more tangible and visual way of showing off who is meaningful to you, which is something that spoken words aren’t always able to do. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with posting a little reminder to yourself and others that what you have is special and cherished.

Positives can be embraced in this new union between social media and romance, and from that relationships can still be empowered. So maybe for this Valentine’s Day a wall post or status change may indeed suffice, but just a word of advice…

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Cyber smooches can’t compare

To what real kisses do.

]]> http://www.sammisochoa.com/define-your-valentine-online/feed/ 2 http://www.sammisochoa.com/football-commercial-controversy-pr/ http://www.sammisochoa.com/football-commercial-controversy-pr/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:30:42 +0000 blog http://www.sammisochoa.com/?p=372 It’s just a matter of days until Super Bowl Sunday, an informal American holiday marked by an excessive intake of fried food, over consumption of adult beverages, and deeply felt passion (aka borderline aggression) from male and female fanatics. Oh, …

Until recently San Antonio has always been perceived as either a family-oriented suburbia or a cow-town with no running water. While those of us who live here know this to be untrue, other parts of America still need a reminder that, on the contrary, we do not ride horses to work. Well, at least not all of us. This is why articles published by Forbes and the like are helping shift perceptions of our city and eliminate stereotypes that have plagued Texas’s business reputation for years.

Just the other day I was hanging out on the patio of a local restaurant, and engaged in conversation with a young entrepreneur who had recently moved down from Salt Lake City. He claimed that he’d been hearing a lot of talk about the business market in San Antonio, and knew that he needed to seize such opportunities for the sake of his career advancement. This young man is not alone in his venture, considering that many young professionals have begun to commute here based on the promise of growth that San Antonio offers. Stereotypes are being eliminated and our community’s image as a thriving business entity is emerging. The downtown metro area is only just beginning to truly distinguish itself in the professional world, as well as in the creative and artistic society. Articles similar to the one published by Forbes ignite the positive PR that we need to generate even more buzz about our city and contribute to further growth.

It goes without saying that San Antonio is infinite in the beauty that it offers, but let’s continue to demand the attention that we deserve by offering our talents and skill to the development of our community. It is the people of San Antonio that make it special, and with that we want to congratulate and encourage further success. Kudos San Antonio, let’s work our way to the top spot!