Hi! My name is Kaitlyn and I am a senior public relations major at the University of Georgia. I am creating a blog as an assignment for my major capstone class, “PR campaigns.”

Creating a blog is completely new to me, but I have become more comfortable with the blogosphere as many of my classes have begun to explore the topic. Two years ago, in my public relations research class, I read blogs people had written during Hurricane Katrina. Many were commenting on the damage and the government’s response but some were used to inform the friends and relatives of people who were stuck in the damage of where they were, if they were ok and if they needed help.

The blogoshpere has become an important tool for public relations practitioners as well. Monitoring blogs is now an essential aspect for pr. After hearing Josh Hallett speak, I gained a new perspective on the impact that blogs can have on a company. Not only can not monitoring blogs be harmful to your company, by missing the bad – and possibly false – things some are saying, but it can also be very beneficial to your company. You can get ideas and suggestions from customers and also expand your customer/public base - Just as Nikon did with Josh, when they read his blog about his dilemma in buying a new camera. By offering him a camera to borrow, they largely increased the likelihood that Josh would buy the new model, which he did.

So with the blog I hope to gain a better understanding of how to create and manage a blog. I plan to discuss, post-graduation options specifically for public relations majors...More to come soon!