Reina's Blog

My Interview with WCCO Reporter, Bill Hudson

2010-12-01T00:38:43Z

I recently sat down for an interview with WCCO-TV reporter Bill Hudson. This man is an incredibly talented storyteller who has been in the journalism industry longer than I have been alive. He has been working for WCCO-TV for over 20 years and continues to share the compelling and riveting stories he's been telling for decades. I was interested to hear Bill's story and his advice when it comes to the journalism field. He had an immense amount of information to share but a few things stuck with me that I will never forget. He had some great information to share that can be applied directly to my current position in college.

I think a lot of college students have the mindset that they need to take the first job they're offered out of college. Because of this, many students end up unhappy with the wrong career, in the wrong career path. Bill taught me that it's important to know what you want and to be able to tell if a job is the right fit for you or not. If a job isn't the right fit or it doesn't feel right, don't accept it. After graduating college from St. Cloud State University, Bill took a year off while he searched for jobs and even turned a few job offers down. It wasn't until a year after his graduation that Bill found a job that felt right for him. I've seen many students before me graduate and feel shameful or upset that they don't immediately have jobs. I've also seen students accept jobs that aren't in their careers paths or jobs that they simply hate. Of course it's rare that you'll land your dream job after college but at least go for something that makes you happy and is in the realm of your career goals.

The journey to your highest potential in your career "doesn't happen over night" as Bill would say, but don't get lost on the wrong path trying to force your way there. Do what you love and love what you do, and as Bill told me, "Keep an open mind, but set your standards high and be true to yourself, and the subjects of your stories, and you'll do a good job and succeed". I think it's important for college students and professionals entering the working world to hear this advice. Bill's advice helped me to set high standards for myself while also not setting them too high. It's a difficult balance but if you understand it, it will help you to succeed and be happy with your first, second, even your third job. Keep your head up and follow your dreams. It may take some time but as long as you stay on the right track, at least you know you're heading in the right direction.

Meatball Sundae

2010-11-24T06:04:56Z

I recently took the time to read Seth Godin's book Meatball Sundae. I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by his wisdom and the information he had to share about the new world of media marketing. In his book Meatball Sundae, Godin uses the analogy of a "meatball sundae" to represent the business of marketing. The meatball represents "the basic staple, the things that people need, the stuff that used to be marketed quite effectively with TV ads and other mass-market techniques". The sundae toppings represent "New Marketing. Myspace, Web sites, YouTube, permission marketing and viral techniques". Godin breaks the book up into three parts with 14 "trends" that apply to new media marketing. The book also features several case studies that serve as example for the new media marketing rules. Godin describes through the book that "the trends of new marketing require a new kind of organization and a new way of doing business". The book describes very clearly how marketing worked in the past, how that has changed, how marketing works today, and how we anticipate marketing will work in the future. Godin supplies the reader with great tips when it comes to media marketing. Some of the main points I took away from the book are; we must learn and adapt to new media marketing in order to succeed in the future, we can't try too hard and add too many topping to our sundae, and to remember that the new marketing can create big changes in both people and businesses. The new media marketing isn't just for marketing businesses, we can now also market ourselves; as professionals and individuals. New media marketing shouldn't be intimidating or overwhelming, it is an opportunity and a catalyst to success. I would recommend Meatball Sundae to anyone who is interested in learning about new media marketing. The internet has provided us with a million new opportunities and we would be foolish not to utilize them to our benefit.

Iowa vs Minnesota Football

2010-11-22T01:37:41Z

The University of Iowa versus the University of Minnesota football rivalry. This is a tough topic to discuss. I'm a student at the University of Minnesota and I've lived here my entire life, but its hard to root for a football team that currently holds a record of 2-9 for the 2010 season. On the other hand, I have a considerable amount of friends who currently attend or attended the University of Iowa - and the Hawkeyes are a team you can root for. Their record last year was 11-2; their current record is 6-4. OK, maybe they're not that good this year but at least they're more hopeful than the Gophers. Minnesota hasn't scored a touchdown against the Hawks in years. The Iowa/Minnesota games I've experienced in college have always been incredibly embarrassing for us, to say the least. I was actually surprised to discover that Minnesota is leading in wins against Iowa for the "Floyd of Rosedale" trophy that has been passed back and fourth between the two schools since 1935. Wow, Minnesota had a good football team once? That's hard for anyone to believe who has attended the U of M in the past 10 years. But the Gophers just hired a new coach and they're trying to finish the season strong, and the Hawkeyes haven't been looking as good as they usually do. So with the annual Iowa/Minnesota game coming up this weekend, I'm faced with a dilemma. Which colors do I wear and which team do I root for? It would be obvious for some people to say Minnesota but it's hard to watch your team struggle, and I've been rooting for the Hawks for the past two seasons. I'd love to see the Gophers take the Floyd of Rosedale home but I honestly don't think it's going to happen. I know I should stand behind my school but I might jump on the bandwagon and show up to the game in black and gold ... We'll see.

The Roots of Homegrown Lacrosse

2010-11-12T03:19:15Z

I recently wrote a feature article on a non-profit organization in Minnesota called Homegrown Lacrosse. This organization was created by two lacrosse players that wanted to give back the lessons learned and sense of community they obtained through their experiences with the sport of lacrosse. The two men that created this organization are Aron Lipkin and Colin Achenbach. Both men played Lacrosse in high school and college. The sport gave them a way to go to college, a sense of community and a way of life. They noticed an aspect of fun and freedom in lacrosse because it is a new and flexible sport. Lacrosse is unique because it allows anyone to start at any age and any level. The sport also allows kids to be more independent because parents and adults are less informed about the sport so they can't put pressure on their kid's performance. The sport and program has proven to be extremely beneficial for children with physical and mental disabilities. Homegrown Lacrosse welcomes children with ADD, autism, fetal alcohol syndrome and other similar conditions. Homegrown Lacrosse sees every challenge as an opportunity to grow. The organization has had many successes and has seen many achievements and accomplishments take place through their programs. Homegrown Lacrosse offers winter training programs, recruitment workshops, youth spring and summer camps, leagues, inner city programs, in-school PE programs, community clinics and leadership programs. Homegrown Lacrosse was founded in 2003 and has been available at 26 schools in the metro area. I interviewed Aron Lipkin to gain more insight on the sport of lacrosse and the ideas behind the Homegrown Lacrosse non-profit organization. Aron shared with me the steps behind creating Homegrown Lacrosse, his favorite moments and experiences with Homegrown Lacrosse and his hopes for the organization in the future. If there is anything I learned form Aron, its his love and passion for the sport. Lacrosse shaped who Aron is today by teaching him lessons on and off the field. Aron described the Lacrosse community as "being part of something special" and because of that he felt compelled to "give back" what was once given to him. For more information on Homegrown Lacrosse, follow homegrownlax on twitter or visit www.homegrownlacrosse.org. To view a story Kare11 did on Homegrown Lacrosse, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MVEe7ztqAc.

Conan O'Brien's Return to Television

2010-11-12T03:00:42Z

If you've been paying any attention to the media lately, you would know that Conan O'Brien had a battle with NBC nine months ago, took some time off from television, and just returned this week with a new show on TBS. Conan fans and comedy lovers alike have been twittering and blogging about his triumphant return. Everyone seems to be in favor of having the unique and hilarious red-headed comedian back on TV. The premier of his new show has been long awaited with promotions and advertisements all over the internet for the past couple of months. Conan has pronounced his fan base as "Team Coco" and even created a team coco website with all things Conan. He has also been promoting his new show on Twitter. Both of his online techniques have resulted in great success. The ratings of his first show were through the roof on Monday, November 8th beating Leno, Letterman, Colbert and Stewart. His ratings slowly declined throughout the week but the big question is, will Conan's new show on TBS be a success? I guess we will just have to watch and find out! As a 22 year old, I've grown up seeing Conan O'Brien on late night television for the past 16 years. I couldn't image late night television without him and I am glad to see he is back.

My Letter to the Editor - Minneapolis Music Scene

2010-11-06T17:46:03Z

Minneapolis has a great music scene and an abundant amount of listeners that live and breathe music. The big concerts that are held at Target Center and Roy Wilkins get plenty of attention. They're often advertised, promoted and discussed through multiple media outlets in the twin cities area. These concerts and their performers are popular, extravagant and well let's face it ... expensive. I have nothing against these big productions but the true heart and center of music in Minneapolis takes place at the small venues with the genuine and humble bands that have yet to discover fame. It's at these concerts that I've seen the best shows, met the best people, and have had the best times. It's at these small venues where you can pay $10 to see a show, stand five feet away from the stage and even meet the band members after the performance is over. As a newspaper that contains a music section and covers music events taking place around the metro area, it's these concerts that I think you're missing out on. I'm always reading articles and reviews on the big shows that everyone else is writing about. I'd like to hear about the shows that no one else is writing about; the shows taking place at First Avenue, 7th Street Entry, Triple Rock, Varsity and Cabooze. Minneapolis is lucky to have so many intimate venues that have the character and uniqueness that they do. Let's find a way to bring the underground Minneapolis music scene to the surface and write reviews about the authentic shows that are taking place all over the twin cities area. Now this is something I'd like to read about.

The Effect of the Internet and Social Media on the Public Relations Profession

2010-11-03T05:40:25Z

Public relations is the practice of managing communication between an organization and its publics. Public relations began with speech and social gatherings, later evolving into print form. Press releases have been the most common form of the public relations practice for decades. They're still used today but since the use of internet has risen to an all time high with laptops and smart phones, the basic press release is being challenged.

The internet allows users to view images, videos and links to other web pages. This is something that press releases can greatly benefit from. With the creation of social media, two-way communication is flowing around the world more than ever and facebook, twitter, and blogs are allowing people to share opinions and talk back.

The internet is creating a very positive impact on public relations and I think the public relations profession is doing a great job at evolving to keep up with technology and follow the trends of the internet. The social media release is the latest form of public relations available on the internet. This type of release allows readers to interact with the information being shared. A recent online press release about social media releases can be viewed at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/strong-growth-of-social-media-release-highlights-continuing-evolution-of-the-newswire-104789829.html.

I love how the internet is so easy, so accessible, and so interactive. I'm grateful to be maturing amongst all of this technology and communication. Some people may view our need for constant connection as a bad thing but I think it's great. The world suddenly feels so small and everything is at your fingertips. News stories, pictures and videos can be shared in an instant, it's a fascinating thing. This is clearly a great thing for personal use but its honestly an even better thing for professional use. Marketing, advertising and PR agencies now have new ways to reach clients and consumers, and with social media, the public now has a way to talk back and companies now have a way to hear what their consumers are feeling. Two-way communication is very important in any business and that's what the internet is all about.

I can only assume that in the future the internet will continue to shape the public relations profession. I am learning a great deal about the internet and how it relates to PR in class. This is beneficial for current and future students because we are learning things that the generations before us did not. Businesses and organizations all over the world are suddenly seeking new professionals that are trained and skilled with the internet. This is creating new jobs, more jobs, and unique jobs for college students that are about to enter the work world. I see the internet and social media as a great new opportunity for not only public relations, but for all businesses.

Who am I

2010-09-30T18:17:03Z

Reina Woodruff is a senior in the School of Journalism at the University of Minnesota. She is majoring in public relations with supporting courses in marketing and will be graduating in the spring of 2011.

Reina is a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America where she is a member of the Activities Committee. Reina has recently volunteered to work a fashion show for the University of Minnesota where she will do internal PR and event planning to assist the production of the fashion show.

Reina is currently an intern at WCCO-TV in the Twin Cities area where she works and communicates internally and externally on event planning for the High School Sports Rally show. Before interning with WCCO-TV, Reina interned with Clear Channel Communications for eight months. Reina was a promotional intern for both AM 1130 KFAN Sports Radio and FM 100.3 KTLK News Talk Radio.

Reina has done photography for all the events she has worked and is highly skilled in this area of her profession. Reina enjoys taking on new challenges and learning from her experiences. She is interested in all areas of journalism, communications and public relations and is open to opportunities and experiences in all areas as well.