The Do’s and Don'ts of Pitching in 2024: Recap of WMPRSA’s “Meet the Media” Event
WMPRSA’s “Meet the Media” event remains popular as it helps answer the ever-changing question of, “what does media prefer when receiving a pitch?” This was an opportunity to hear firsthand from media professionals and have five minutes of one-on-one time with members of the media to share story ideas.
How PR Pros Can Be Allies to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community
Using the right language is the first step in being an ally to the deaf and hard of hearing community. Mickey Carolan, the author of three books that celebrate the lessons he learned from his Deaf parents, shares tips.
Insights From the Plank Center Emerging Leaders Summit
The Plank Center hosts many events to further its mission of “empowering and advancing the next generation of emerging leaders in the profession through mentorship, programming, education and fostering meaningful connections.” One of these events is the Emerging Leaders Summit, a forum for practitioners, educators, and students to come together to discuss crucial leadership issues in public relations today.
Why PR and PRSA Matter More Than Ever
Never before in the history of our profession, or in our society, has relational PR been more important than it is right now. Public distrust of once-respected institutions is at an all-time high. There’s no middle ground because people aren’t connected to one another or to those institutions. That’s where knowledgeable, experienced PR professionals make a difference.
Top Takeaways From WMPRSA’s Past PRoof Winners Panel
This past month, professionals gathered locally to hear from a panel of past PRoof winners and gather insights on how to craft award-winning submissions. Attendees learned about everything from submitting an entry to planning for awards far in advance. If you missed the event, you can still learn tips for crafting your entry with our top takeaways.
Five Takeaways from Our Signature DEIA Program
In late October, we hosted “Accessibility in the Workplace: Going Beyond Compliance.” This was an opportunity for our organization to not only recognize the importance of the disability community but also to take steps to better understand it. We partnered with Disability Advocates of Kent County (DAKC) and Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) to bring in five panelists teach us about creating a more equitable workplace environment.
Listen and Act: A Conversation About Allyship with Maleika J. Brown
Maleika Joubert Brown, Ed.S is the Director of Equity and Inclusion for the Grand Rapids Public Schools, where she began as a math teacher and grew her career in the district for 26 years. WMPRSA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee was pleased to have Brown visit over the summer to speak about her role and how to be an ally for individuals who are a part of marginalized communities.
Renée Cummings: From journalist and PR practitioner to AI JEDI
Renée Cummings is a leading data ethicist, criminologist, and criminal justice consultant. She serves as the first Data Ethicist in Residence at the University of Virginia. She’s been called an AI Jedi. She explains the journey that brought her to data ethics and why you need to be better informed about this emerging area. She was recently featured on All Tech is Human where she also provided insight on AI & Human Rights.
How JEDI Communicator of the Year Levi Rickert advocates for Native Americans
Grand Rapids resident Levi Rickert is the founder and publisher of Native News Online, which reports on issues impacting American Indians in the U.S. and Canada and advocates for the Native American community.
GrandPR: Grand Valley State University’s Student-Run Integrated Communications Firm
During this academic year, I made a priority of attending WMPRSA Third Thursday panels. I could depend on Third Thursdays for genuine conversations with PR professionals, who offered advice on how to successful start a communications career. The Third Thursday panels are a great way to network, too.
In the last two Third Thursdays, important themes emerged for those of us students who are nearing the end of their educational career and the beginning of a workplace career:
Advice from Professionals: College to Career
During this academic year, I made a priority of attending WMPRSA Third Thursday panels. I could depend on Third Thursdays for genuine conversations with PR professionals, who offered advice on how to successful start a communications career. The Third Thursday panels are a great way to network, too.
In the last two Third Thursdays, important themes emerged for those of us students who are nearing the end of their educational career and the beginning of a workplace career:
Five Easy Ways to Be a WMPRSA Ambassador
There is no secret sauce enticing people to join an organization like PRSA or the West Michigan chapter. It can be a tough sell, particularly when fewer organizations will pay national membership dues or allow employees to attend luncheons and networking events during the workday. The national downward trend can feel overwhelming at times.
WMPRSA Communicator of the Year Jamiel Robinson uses his voice to advocate for expanded economic opportunities for Black communities
WMPRSA Communicator of the Year Jamiel Robinson uses his voice to advocate for expanded economic opportunities for Black communities
How to Advance Justice and Equity: A Conversation with WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tracey Brame
How to Advance Justice and Equity: A Conversation with WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tracey Brame
2021 Year in Review. There is No “Normal,” but WMPRSA Rolls with It
What a year. This was supposed to be when life got “back to normal,” yet it’s been anything but that. In fact, our entire 2021 at WMPRSA operated in the virtual space. Never would I have imagined that during my year as president, I would not see one WMPRSA member in person.
How Communicators Can Make Progress and Impact Through DEI: Dr. Sandra Upton
Dr. Sandra Upton is Founder + Chief DEI Strategist with Upton Consulting Group (UCG), based in Grand Rapids, Mich. UCG is an experienced and innovative team of strategists who work with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) professionals and organizations around the world by providing proven strategies to create inclusive and equitable organizational cultures.
How To Be An Ally Of The Latinx Business Community: A Conversation With Raul Alvarez
How to be an Ally of the Latinx Community | Raul
