February 27, 2012

Dr. Joe McAdoo Memorial Scholarship

Dr. Joe McAdoo was a founder and past president of the Public Relations Association of Springfield (which evolved into SWMO PRSA) and former chair of the Department of Communication at Drury University. He was committed to fostering educational opportunities that maintain the distinction and integrity of the public relations profession.

One (1) $1,000 scholarship will be awarded for the 2012-2013 academic year ($500 Fall/$500 Spring).

The recipient also may attend SWMO PRSA monthly membership meetings and our annual professional development seminar free-of-charge (a $150 value) during the academic year.

To read more about this scholarship and eligibility requirements, please click here.

February 17, 2012

PRSSA Day


From our President Tom Ellis:

Earlier this month, the PRSSA chapter at Missouri State University asked our chapter to host the 2012 PRSSA Day tentatively scheduled for April 27.  Your board of directors enthusiastically agreed.  This is a great fit for our chapter.  We enjoy having a good relationship with the PRSSA chapter and one of our goals for 2012 is to further strengthen those ties. 

Our SWMissouri Chapter will also host a booth at the event and donate $100 to PRSSA to help with the costs of the event.  

Chapter members Claire Faucett and Andrea Harp are serving on the planning committee.  Anyone interested in helping out should contact Claire at claire@springfieldchamber.com or 862-5567 or Andrea at aharp@ochonline.com or 874-4523.

Wikipedia & PR

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 encourage you to send this survey to members of your Chapter, Section or Committee and ask them to take a few minutes to answer the questions. Please also post it to your website, LinkedIn groups, Facebook pages and other forums.

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