As a fairly new entry into the PR world (I’ve been working for about 10 months) I have the advantage of being aware of the blogosphere and the role it plays in the communications world from the start. That being said, I haven’t embraced it all together with open-arms and an open-mind. There is the skeptical part of me who feels that blogging, as it were, could be a fad- one that arrived on the scene quickly and swiftly and may leave in a similar fashion. However (I am just full of contradictions today) I do enjoy reading blogs. I have several that I subscribe to and look forward to new posts, comments and opinions. It’s refreshing to be able to read about someone’s life and views- someone you have never met, nor are likely to ever meet outside the realm of the blogosphere (sorry, Mary Ellen, there’s that word again).

Now for the intimidation part. I read blogs several times a day and despite having a comment, I have never posted one on any site. I find it to be a scary notion- passing judgement on someone else’s view or contradicting it where the whole world can read it and then comment on YOUR comments. It’s all so very OUT there. So what better way to confront my demons than head on? Post my thoughts on my own blog and see what everyone has to say about my views. Maybe now I’ll be more comfortable posting comments on the blogs I read- keep an eye out for me! I look forward to doing the same.

So, finally joining Jennifer in the “blogosphere”. (Does that word strike anyone else as funny? I find it hard to type it with a straight face, let alone say it…) Echoing Jen’s first post, it’s pretty obvious that the ol’ sphere is largely a male domain so far. And the genre of PR blogging is – dare I say – over-populated with men, given the actual ratio of males to females in the business, especially on the front lines. So, I guess we’re hoping to add some estrogen to the fracas. Myself, I come to communications from a journalism and publishing background, and my first agency experience was in technology, so I’ve been around digital communications for awhile and have always been interested in its evolution.

Also, in the spirit of full disclosure, I’m hoping to discuss some of the hype around “social media”, especially as it relates to PR and corporate communications, and to play devil’s advocate. As my colleagues know, I’m pretty under-whelmed when it comes to the reach and importance of blogging and bloggers. So far, I’ve failed to see the revolutionary part, and historically I’ve thought of bloggers as kind of digital public navel-gazers. So then, a few questions to stir the pot… Isn’t a blog (web log) just a jumped-up website? And haven’t they been around for years now? And wasn’t the goal of conversation better served by old-fashioned message boards and discussion groups, wherein people reacted to each other’s comments as opposed to one person’s pontifications? 

Can’t wait to hear what you have to say… 

Well here it is, my first blog! For those of you who know me this is quite a leap forward. A fellow blogger was just in my office showing me how to manage my way around the PR Girlz site and how to go about writing my first blog…here it is it may not be pretty or profound but it is MY first blog!

I decided to enter the world of blogging when I noticed that there were not many women in the blogosphere talking about public relations…the glorious and the not so glorious work we do. It is my mission to get the conversation about women in PR started…who knows, one day we might dominate the social media world just like we dominate the PR world – one can only dream!

Thanks for reading and now that I have completed my first blog and it was not so scary, I look forward to writing many more!