360DigitalInfluence

Last week, I hosted one in a series of round table discussions focused on public relations, social media, and academia. A packed room of students, professors, and practitioners gathered to talk about where our industry is headed and the impact of social media in undergraduate curriculum.

There were a few notable agency folks in room, as well as some really interesting communications scholars. I happened to sit next to PhD student Brian Smith, who’s studying the convergence of social media and public relations.

I managed to corner Brian with a flipcam before the keynote and he talked about his research on the receptiveness of corporate messages, as well as his advice for college students preparing for a career in PR agencies. And yes, in fact there was an earthquake during the first 15 seconds, which explains both the jerkiness and my rambling intro.

Check out Brian’s blog for an academic’s take on social media and for perspective on peer review researched in our field.