Public Relations Princess

TSA & Airlines Discriminate Against Girls With Curly Hair

Preparing for a recent trip to Washington D.C., I made my first-ever attempt to board a plane without checking my bag. I went to Target and spent a fortune on those special little 3 ounce bottles and travel-size beauty products.

When I got to the TSA security gauntlet in Des Moines, a very official TSA agent pulled me out of the line for a "special" screening. Then I was delivered some bad news. "You're only allowed a sandwich bag size bag of liquids," Mr. Screener infomed me. "You have more than twice the amount that is allowed. You are going to have to check your bag."

Not only was this going to make me potentially late in boarding my plane, but the TSA was essentially forcing me to pay a $25 bag fee. I think they must make a special commission on curly-haired girls like me. Here's the secret memo:

To: All TSA gate screening agents

From: The Money Grubbing Airlines

We have noticed that women with curly hair rarely can get through security with the regulation sandwich bag full of toiletries. Snag any of these violators and we will go half-sies with you on the bag fee that they'll have to pay for violating our arbitrary rules.

Secretary Napolitano can't understand why all these frilly chicks are bitching about the regs. Why can't they just use soap and a washcloth like the rest of us? 

So here's what I tried to bring through security:

1. Shampoo
2. Conditioner
3. 2 bottles of hair gel
4. Toothpaste
5. Facewash stuff
6. Facescrub stuff
7. Lotion
8. Babyoil (makeup remover)
9. Bodywash 

As you might surmise, this lack of product for my curly hair would be a disaster. So, instead of throwing my newly-purchased, carefully filled bottles away, Mr. TSA agent perp-walked me over to the exit lane (after my gloved groping by someone who actually turns out to be a Facebook friend) and I was forced to return to the check-in line at Delta, now filled by last-minute slackers.  

So I can only imagine how much money is being made from curly-haired girls like me. How could I possibly survive with this teeny little bag of toiletries? I mean, come on. This is ridiculous.

By the way, TSA, you're sending mixed messages to the public. Here is the picture on your website that says what the bag should look like. The bag pictured clearly contains more than three containers. That is what I looked at before packing. So get your story straight, and stop embarrassing your well-intentioned passengers.  

Don't Fall for the "Reputation Defender" Online Scams

A couple of years ago I had a meeting with a desperate and defeated client. Due to some past personal and business turmoil, when you Googled his name, all you could see was negative stuff. A bankruptcy. A bad business deal. A public failure.

However, what you saw online and the person who sat in front of me were two completely different people. The online image simply didn't match the real person, who was in a new line of work. He had totally turned his fortunes around and wanted the world to see his new successful life.

"Can you help me get rid of those old negative web results?" he asked.

The other day, I was listening to the Glenn Beck radio show and heard an ad for "Reputation Defender." It claimed that it would monitor your online presence and remove all negative references, for a small fee, of course.

I can see how this scenario would be tempting. Just pay some web jockey to erase all the bad stuff! There's just one problem with this. The Web is not some giant white board with a magic eraser. Information on the web, especially if it's a matter of public record, is not possible to change or delete. Just ask Rick Santorum, the presidential candidate who is suffering through a cruel web hoax, perpetrated by some political pranksters.

Back to my client. I asked him if he participated in social media. Not surprisingly, the answer was no. The first thing he needed to do was create some social media accounts. The same Google that was publicly humiliating him was the same Google that could save him. How? By creating social media content in places like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, he could make those negative links appear less prominent by pushing them down to page 2 or 3 of Google results. Here's how that works:

1. Google loves social media and rewards you every time you post. It's algorythms are tuned to social content and rank it higher than almost anything else.
2. You control your own social media accounts. You control what is posted and can screen all comments before they are posted.
3. Social media accounts rise very high in natural Google results. Google my friend Drew McLellan and see what you get. Even though he shares the name of a famous web developer, Drew's social media accounts and blog rank higher than the thousands of web results of his namesake.
4. Reserve your own URL. I highly recommend reserving "yourownname.com" before someone else does. I use GoDaddy.com but there are other services out there.

It takes time, persistence and hard work to push a negative result off your Google results page. It's disingenuous (at best) to promise otherwise. Use the money you would have wasted on "Reputation Defender" and use how to use free web tools like Google Alerts to monitor your own reputation. Then use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and your own blog to create content that accurately represents you and your business. The more stuff you post, the quicker you will start smiling when you Google yourself.

Here is a site that compares these supposed "web reputation" services. The interesting remarks are in the comments section, as usual! Did you notice that I didn't link to Reputation Defender? That's because it's not worth your time to explore. Thanks for reading.

This post originally appeared on IowaBiz.com on October 6, 2011.

Social Media Tourism in Hampton, Iowa

Rural tourism is a tough gig. There are thousands of small towns in rural America, each more charming and picturesque than the last. There are fantastic historic sites, town squares, boutiques, festivals and wineries. Remants of days gone by are carefully housed and cataloged for future generations to learn about. But how do these rural communities stand out? This is a picture of my new farmer friend Roy, and my husband Jim. Roy's the one who looks like a farmer (outstanding in his field!)

This weekend I was invited to participate in a Harvest Tour Bloggers Weekend in Hampton, Iowa. The corn and soybean harvest is at full tilt and the pumpkin patches are yielding perfect orange beauties.

Our first engagement was an evening of star-gazing and music at a lovely park called Maynes Grove,just outside of town. A couple of science professors from nearby Ellsworth College came over and set up telescopes to show us the waxing (or was it waning?) moon. It was so clear and dark, our instructors excitedly pointed out the fact that both Andromeda and the Milky Way were visible to the naked eye. I saw the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, and the North Star. We missed Jupiter by a couple of hours. If you live in the city and have never been out in the country on a clear night, you've never seen how many stars there really are!

The next day, we embarked on a tour of the Historical Society Museum. Retired farmer Joe Pitsor walked us around an entire building full of old farm implements and relics from 18th, 19th and 20th century Franklin County. From an old permanent hair curling machine to a "donkey collar," this place would have made American Pickers go wild! (In fact, American Pickers have already been to Franklin County, and Joe told me he wouldn't let them in the museum!) I was amazed at the innovative machines that farmers invented to improve their own working conditions over time. They went from picking corn by hand (yielding around 100 bushels per day) to modern-day combines that harvest that amount in less than five minutes! After the museum, a few of us stopped by the fabulous Hampton Carnegie library and met the prettiest librarian in the world, Ms. Kim Bell. She graciously showed us some of the more notable features of the architectural gem, including a rounded stacks storage area and original light fixtures, mantel and card catalogue. Unfortunately, the 1970's claimed some of the original furniture.

The highlight of my day was riding in a "grain buggy" with my new friend Mike. I got to watch a soybean field harvest and the process of transferring the grain from the combine to the grain vehicle. I know this must seem very routine, but the technology in these machines is amazing. They have GPS and also are synched with each other so they stay perfectly straight. This helps farmers attain higher yields, avoid accidents, and save time. Here's the video of my ride. Please don't laugh at my farm vocabulary!! 

After returning to town, we cleaned up and attended an event in downtown Hampton called "An Evening Like it Used to Be." It included entertainment from the year 1917, very similar to what would have been performed on a typical evening at the Windsor Theatre. We saw a silent movie accompanied by a live orchestra, directed by the incomparable Leon Kuehner. Leon has been a musician, teacher and band director in Hampton all of his life. Leon is one of those characters that makes Hampton a great place to be. He positively glows with passion for his life's work.

If there's one thing I learned from my years on the Iowa Great Places board, it's that outsiders need to feel like the community is pulling together. Being in Hampton was like being welcomed by a large extended family. People were genuinely proud of their community and seemed glad to see us there. Hamptonians have embraced the challenge of promoting their community together. I'm convinced that this model is the only way for a rural community to survive in the midst of a challenging and competitive economy. 

Hampton is one of those places that you should make time to go see in your travels through Iowa. Tell 'em the PR Princess sent you. Thanks to Deb Brown for the invitation and your friendship.

Make Your Social Media Presence "Perfessional"

The number one question I'm asked when talking about social media to professionals is "How can I create a social media presence that is professional but still reflects my personality?" This is a vast improvement over three years ago, when the number one question was, "How can I get all these freaks who I didn't even like in high school to stop following me on Facebook?"

Here are my suggestions for creating a social network that is both personal and professional. Hence, the term "perfessional."

1. Be Professional: Relax. It's not rocket science. You are used to being professional, day in and day out. Year after year. You know how to play office politics. You know how to keep confidences. Now take those skills and apply them to your social media presence. A good rule of thumb: Don't write it if you wouldn't want your comment read by your boss, or your mother! Or both!
2. Make funny observations: The best way to show your personality is to allow your sense of humor to show. Share a clean joke. Post a funny Onion article. Allow your friends to see that you're not a wet blanket.
3. Avoid spam: Don't be that guy that falls for every "Here's a cute photo of you!" spam link. People will not only unfriend you in a heartbeat, but also think you're a dork. If you find out you've been spammed, for goodness sake, delete the offending post and apologize!
4. Express your opinion occassionally: Believe it or not, people care what you think. Don't feel you have to remain neutral all the time. People will respect you for expressing your opinion on matters that are meaningful to you.
5. Share your personal interests (in moderation): If you enjoy motorcycle racing or are proud of your grandkids, by all means, share a photo or two! As long as you're not constantly gushing about your perfect child or posting pictures of every meal you cook, it's great to share your non-work interests.

Nobody wants to follow a business-only Twitter account or a Facebook page that does nothing but push out real estate listings or press releases. Lend your personality to your social network, and make it one of your biggest assets.

This post originally appeared on the Iowa Biz Blog.

Google+ What's in it For Me?

Despite my great admiration for Google products, I was a little trepidacious about throwing myself (and my time) into creating a new social network. I already maintain three mainstream social networks (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) and then spend time on several others just to maintain a sense of what's new and evolving in the social media space. That's what my clients expect, so I make the effort.

However, it's my life and my time. So, I truly do draw the line when it comes to creating a whole new network. Since I was already using Google's ubiquitous email product (G-Mail), and also dabble in Google Docs, use the Google Reader and Google calendar, I decided to click the "Claire +" button on my Gmail dashboard. See, they sucked me in right away by personalizing that little button. Instead of reviewing every single feature, I thought I would share a few of my favorites.

The "Feed": The "feed" or stream looks just like the Facebook feed we're all used to. One really cool difference I noticed right away: You can "edit" your feed post after you post, unlike Facebook, where you have to delete your post and re-post if you make an error. (If you have clumsy fingers like mine, that is OFTEN!) And as a PR professional who is judged my typos, I appreciate the ability to correct my mistakes. 

Easier Photos: my biggest frustration with Facebook has been the difficulty in uploading photographs. Maybe it's just me, but unless you're using iPhoto or Flickr to upload, Facebook has never made it easy. In Google Plus, you can upload from your computer in the regular way, but you can also "drag and drop," which is very slick. It only took me a few seconds to upload 20 of my favorite photos to an album and adding labels is easier, too. Don't even get me started on sharing photos on Twitter. It's an arduous process unless you're using a mobile app.

Circles: Google+ makes it easy to create different circles of people within your network. This feature allows you to easily drag and drop people into circles and also to control which post your latest post goes to. Facebooks "groups" feature is so clunky and unintuitive that I don't know many people who use it. Plus, it was an add-on, so many people already had 500+ friends by the time it was ready. Google+ was smart to make it part of their set of introductory features.

Google's transparency Here is a great G+ site that discusses the features in detail and includes video of how they work. I trust Google a bit more than Facebook. Maybe it's Zuckerberg's shifty eyes.

Sparks: Dumb name, great concept. If you're wondering how you'll ever find people to follow (the quintessenial question on Twitter), sparks provides a window into Google + that is a lot easier to use than searching Facebook for thought leaders on certain subjects. Plus, you can follow someone without their permission, unless they decide to block you (kind of like Twitter). Facebook's search does not seem to be very intuitive to me, plus, you can't just lurk on someone. You have to be friends to see their feed.

Hangouts: Here's an easy way to introduce newbies to the nuances of video chat. There are still a lot of people who don't know how to do video chat on their own. Being on Google + gives you a simple way to chat with friends. The first time you use it, give yourself a little time to download the plugins you'll need. Here's a picture of what your screen will look like when you're chatting. My good buddy Josh (one of the founders of VineMe) and I had a chat this morning. Don't laugh at my hair. It's humid, so gimme a break.

The "Achilles Heel" of Google +: So far, Google + is off to a great start, with 20 million users. But early reports suggest that even though many early adopters and internet glitterati are using it, people are not coming back to log on every day like they do with Facebook. Therein lies the problem. You can share on G+ all day, but is anyone paying attention? I think this question will remain unanswered until G+ gains critical mass like Facebook and Twitter. So I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

Speaking Out Against Unpaid Internships

A few months ago, I participated in the 140 Character Conference here in Des Moines. The format is pretty cool, kind of like a mini-Ted Ex. I could have spoken on any subject under the sun, but choose one that is near and dear to my heart: Student internships.

Recently, I read a Warren Buffet quote, "You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out," in reference to the shady financial practices perpetrated by Wall Street. The same is true with internships. When the economy turns for the worse, you find out which companies are ethical and which are not. 

Unpaid internships are illegal unless they meet very specific criteria. Any company who solicits unpaid interns is swimming naked in the human resources pool. The logical way to stop these internships is to encourage students not to take unpaid jobs. But, its much more complicated.

Universities are complicating the situation by posting unpaid internships right next to paid ones, which implies a tacit endorsement of the practices. To make matters worse, professors and programs at the college level emphazise the importance of internships in getting a job upon graduation. And I'll admit, as a hiring manager, I am usually more impressed by a student who has managed an internship or two on top of their academic duties.

Probably the most important thing to point out is that the students who need these internships are the LEAST LIKELY to rat on their potential employers. They're so desperate to get the experience that they will shell out a lot of money to live near the internship and work for free. The down economy is making the proverbial tide go out and stay out.

What's the answer to cracking down on these unpaid internships? Here are a few suggestions?

1. Speak out. When you see an unpaid internship offered, call the U.S. Labor Dept and report it. States have federal DOL offices. Here is the contact info.
2. Forbid your child from working at an unpaid internship.
3. Call local colleges and universities and ask them what their policy is on posting or tacitly encouraging unpaid internships. Follow up with the university adminsistration with a letter that contains the rules for internhips. 
4. If your child has worked an unpaid internship, you may be able to collect back pay, even if they agreed to work for free. Contact a labor law attorney to see if you have a claim.
5. Tell people you know that most internships, unless they exist to benefit the intern, are most likely illegal.

Companies who play be the rules should be the most concerned. Big, for-profit companies who offer unpaid internships are cheating the young people that they employee. It's wrong. And I'm speaking out.

Sounds Like Congress Needs a Social Media Policy

I've watched the spectacle surrounding Weinergate for days now. During Weiner's tearful presser where he took "full responsibility" (whatever that means) for his transgressions, after the tears stopped, the arrogance came through.

One line really bothered me, though. It was his astonishing read on his culpability. "I am not going to resign. I did not break any House rules."

Except the catch-all House rule that states:

The House rules state that “a Member … of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.” Um, I believe he violated that rule. Unless the standard of behavior in the House is sexual depravity.

The Congress could have saved itself a lot of time if it simply made each member sign a social media policy. The policy should explicity explain the following elements:

1. Every member of Congress should understand the responsibility involved with using social media. Clearly, Congressman Weiner thought that hiding behind his computer in his underwear was ok. But this is not something he would have done in his congressional office.
2. You can't be a Congressman from 8-5 and then turn it off and be a private citizen. You take the oath, you are responsible for your behavior online 24-7. It doesn't matter whether you use "government-owned" electronics or not. Former Alaska Governor Palin is finding out the hard way that conducting government business on personal email is just as wrong.
3. Lewd chat and photos are OBVIOUSLY inappropriate in a professional setting. If a private employer found evidence of this behavior on an employee Facebook page or Twitter account, they would be gone. GONE.

A social media policy should be a legal document signed by each member, much like a non-compete contract or internet use policy. That way, when things like this happen, congressional leaders can use that document as proof that each member was apprised of rights and responsibilities and are held accountable for trangressions.

Mrs. Pelosi and members of the House ethics committee, if you need some help drafting that policy or educating your members on appropriate online behavior, just call.

 

Public Relations Professionals: What Do They Do?

I watched the Indy 500 last Sunday. I'm of those people who used to care less about the Indy Racing League. Didn't care about the cars, the drivers, the sport. The noise of them buzzing by was the perfect background noise for my Sunday afternoon naps.

That is, until I worked on the Ethanol account in a public relations firm. For two years, my team and I had an incredible opportunity to shape a national debate: Would ethanol be a part of our nation's solution to our dependency on foreign oil? The people who hired us wanted to build awareness for the corn-powered fuel and educate Americans on its benefits. It proved to be a challenge. Outside of the Midwest - where corn is hauled to ethanol processing plants and turned in to pure alcohol - it did not have much name recognition. That is, until the Indy Racing League announced that it all of its drivers would use 100% ethanol in each and every race.

The day that Paul Dana, ethanol advocate and first driver of the "E" car, was killed in a test run at Miami Homestead is firmly planted in my mind. That Sunday, in my house painting clothes, I dropped everything I was doing to write a press release about Paul's death and his legacy. My thoughts bounced back and forth between the loss of Paul, his wife who was carrying their child, and my job to get the facts right. My collegue Sharyl and I traded drafts for two hours before sending it off to our client for approval.

So, back to my premise. What DO Public Relations Professionals do? Here's my take.

1. They shape the debate: Ethanol is a mandated fuel mix in many states. But winning the hearts and minds of the American consumer was the goal. My job was to identify the knowledge level of the consumer, identify strengths and weaknesses, and to use public relations channels to inform the public through a variety of means.
2. They research: The only way to measure consumer awareness was to do national research, which my company commissioned. Then, using the raw data, my job was to identify areas in which consumers needed more information, had erroneous beliefs, or simply didn't care. Knowing how to design and execute a research plan was crucial to my job.
3. They write: After identifying key messages, those were written in to all kinds of documents. We wrote an Ethanol insert for all the Indycar programs, we wrote fact sheets, news releases, media pitches, position papers, powerpoint presentations, op-ed pieces, web copy, blog posts and ad copy.
4. They plan special events: The photo above was taken at an event at a Dallas, Texas 7-11 convenience store. Our second driver, Jeff Simmons, took over behind the wheel after Paul Dana passed away. That event featured two more Indy car drivers, the Secretary of Energy of the United states and ethanol advocates from all over the country. We gave away cheap ethanol and pitched reporters all over the state. It took a lot of time and planning, but it reaped benefits in the local media and taught Texas to pronounce ethanol "Eth-an-ol" rather than "eeeth-an-ol."
5. They manage crisis situations: When Paul Dana died, the ethanol industry suffered a psychological blow. Not only was its most passionate and visible advocate dead, but he died in a firery crash in the ethanol "E" car. Not a great visual. Moving the organization past this loss and regrouping was part of my job.
6. They talk to the media: I formed relationships with media across the country while working on the ethanol account. It was my job to think of as many angles as possible, so my team worked hard on finding reporters from as many beats as we could. We ended up pitching energy reporters, business reporters, feature reporters and trend reporters. The most memorable and creative pitch my team did ended up appearing as an AP story in more than 140 different media outlets.
7. They find advocates: There were many allies of ethanol, such as corn growers, industry groups, convenience stores, "Clean Cities" initiatives, and of course, the Indy Racing League. It was our job to reach out to them and form alliances for our client, and figure out ways we could work together.
8. They tell the truth: Sometimes in the heat of the moment, it's tempting to skip steps, make assumptions, and push the button before the facts are checked. Sometimes the client is asking you to do things that push the boundary of the truth. Sometimes it's your boss. Don't be tempted to take shortcuts that will undermine your credibility with your team, client or employers.
9. They educate themselves: PR Professionals should be among the smarest people on the team. They're articulate, well-read and care deeply about the subject matter they represent. They keep up on current events, read the newspaper and know about what's going on in the world.
10. They use new media tools: There has been much debate about the role of social media in the PR world. Moving forward, I can't imagine a PR professional doing a thorough job in any industry without utilizing all tools as their disposal.

Through my experience working on this account and many others, I've used every part of my brain to help my clients put their best foot forward. I've helped them make business decisions, challenged them to think about certain issues in a new way, given them fresh perspective.

(And I want to reiterate: I was only one person on an entire account team. No one person could have done all this work! I simply wanted to give real examples of all the types of work a PR person might be expected to do.)

It's invigorating. It's why I love my job. PR is an awesome career.

 

Six Alternatives to Sending a Press Release

It's my firm belief that list-building services such as Vocus and Cision - while making reporter list building extremely easy - have also created a generation of very lazy PR professionals. It's nice to pull a minty fresh list out of that database. But that is the easy part. Now it's your skill and creativity that will get your news in front of those reporters. Yes, I said CREATIVITY.

Arguably, the worst part of being a PR Professional is facing that list, breaking it down, and digging in to pitch those reporters. But the most important thing is NOT writing the press release and blasting it out. First, you have to back up and say, "What is my message, and who would appreciate hearing it?"

If you have to, go ahead and write the press release. In fact, if that's how you organize your thoughts, or find your key message, be my guest and write it. But DON"T SEND IT!! Challenge yourself never to send another standard press release again. That is, unless someone specifically asks for one. Or your client forces you to write one. This is really, really sneaky. Even if you write it, don't send it.

Instead, here are alternatives that you SHOULD be utilizing instead of a press release.

1. Pitch email: More than 90% of reporters claim that they want to receive pitches via email. Since you're already emailing, just put your pitch in the form of a story, with bullet points emphasizing the most important details you want the reporter to know. Here is the key to a successful pitch email:
   
   • Google the reporter's name. After ensuring that she still writes for the news outlet, click on one of her recent articles. Make sure it is within the same genre as your pitch. In other words, if you are pitching a healthcare story, make sure that she covers that subject.
   • Write a one paragraph personalized intro for every email you send."I read your series on healthcare abuses in the nursing home industry..." Show some interest in the reporter's work.
   • The remaining portion of the email can be the same for every reporter. This is your brief opportunity to capture the reporter's interest with your pitch. Make it short, and make it interesting.
   • Write a subject line that gets attention and describes your pitch. "For your information" is not a good subject line.
2. Make a website posting (preferably a blog post): If your client has a newsroom or a blog, post your pitch material in the form of a web article or blog post. Use story-telling language, not a standard press release format. Tag the post with keywords and link out to the company's website or other information if possible. You can start a new blog on Posterous in less than 15 minutes.
3. Send a Tweet: Turn your key idea into a tweet. With a little practice, you'll be a pro at getting your message across in one or two tweets. Ideally, it would be great to send these messages to a reporter as a direct message, but if all else fails, go ahead and say "@JeffZeleny, did you know that the most outstanding pork tenderloin sandwich in Des Moines is at Smittys?" (of course, you'll want to come up with your own tweet material) If the reporter does not respond, follow up with an email pitch.
4. Send a Facebook message: I'm friends with a lot of local reporters on Facebook, but not so many national reporters. But even if you're not friends with a reporter on Facebook, you can still send them a message. Attach a link or photo if you have one.
5. Pick up the phone: Sometimes, a quick conversation to gauge a reporter's interest can save you a lot of time, especially when it seems as though a reporter is no longer covering that beat. If you keep your call brief and courteous, the reporter will be happy to point you in the right direction. If they don't answer or are on deadline, follow up with a pitch email.
6. If you're in the same city as the reporter, offer to meet them for coffee. Sometimes reporters are looking for any excuse they can to get out of the newsroom for a while.

This post really is not geared specifically for pitching bloggers. But my advice is to never send a blogger a press release. Bloggers are not traditional journalists. They aren't used to receiving press releases. In fact, most don't use them at all. Amber Naslund covers the sentiment well here. Plain and simple, press releases are just too formal. The quotes are absurd and aren't even used in most newspaper stories. I've never seen a blogger regurgitate a press release, especially not the made-up gobbelty-gook quotes.

PR pros have this incredible opportunity to be content creators instead of "content suggesters." Unless your client is absolutely hounding you to get in the Wall Street Journal, spend your time and energy telling your own story on your own website. Then use social media to build an audience (including media) and get your story out. My favorite homegrown content success story is Blendtec.

They created their own videos on their own site and used social media to tell the world. No boring news releases allowed. In fact, I wish I could hand Blendtec a stack of press releases to blend.

Journalists Using Facebook in Reporting: Lazy or Smart?

In the past week, I have witnessed two incidents in which a mainstream journalist, one print and one TV, have used Facebook as a tool to gather source material for stories. In both situations, they were criticized by people who questioned the efficiacy of Facebook as a credible source for journalists to utilize.

Three years ago, when I first joined Facebook, I noticed that very few mainstream journalists had joined the crowd. After talking with a few of them, I learned why. Here were the reasons they gave:

1. I don't want to expose my personal life to my work colleages, boss and the public.
2. My boss won't let me join Facebook.
3. My station blocks Facebook and I can't access it remotely.
4. I can't maintain journalistic integrity and have opinions about the news of the day.

Those barriers are falling one by one.

Personal vs. Professional:  Most professionals have found that there is such a thing as a "work-life" balance on Facebook. Or at least, learned to appreciate that they can truly enjoy using Facebook for most things, while realizing that simply by being a journalist in the public domain that they have to watch what they say to some extent, while still enjoying Facebook in all the ways their friends do. Most of my journalist friends post pictures of their kids, talk about where they might eat dinner, and complain about being tired or sick, just like the rest of us do. Guess what? They're human. It makes them more credible, not less.

Mainstream media news directors are finally hopping aboard the social media train. And more importantly, they're finding out that having their own journalists use it as part of their jobs is a huge advantage. It's risky, for sure. But as long as the companies train the journalists on how to use social media properly and trust them to be professional, journalists can use social media to investigate, discover new story angles, quickly find information, locate sources and also report the news.

News outlets are unblocking social sites as more reporters use it to do their jobs. The evening news desk guy at the Des Moines Register now checks in on Foursquare to the "paragraph factory" and his employer is obviously aware that he's using Facebook to gather news. His co-workers, once warned by leary editors not to use Facebook are now often required to do so.

Journalistic integrity: Our society has been fundamentally changed by social media and they way the public uses is to communicate. It would be plain foolish for a naturally curious reporter not to use this powerful tool to listen to people talk and gather information. Of course, reporters have to be careful about what they say, but they should be fully aware of the implications before using it.

Are you "friends" with reporters on Facebook? What's been your experience interacting with them?