In PR class yesterday, I had the privilege to meet and interact with three very interesting PR professionals. They shared their stories and experiences, and I have learned a lot about the industry. Rand Lavonn's presentation about the Staying Warm initiative by Atmos Energy was fascinating. Not only because they were able to increase contributions significantly, but especially because this happened during a time when a lot of customers were living on tight budgets. I also thought it was very interesting to learn about his transition from journalism to PR. He said the pace in PR is very different, it's very slow compared to news, and it's also very quiet. I have worked as a reporter in a television newsroom for two years, and I loved the deadlines, the fast pace, and the busy, loud, and always-changing work environment. I'm not sure if I would enjoy a slow and quiet work place. Danielle Allen had a very fascinating presentation as well. She talked a lot about trust, and how to build credibility in PR. My favorite quote from her is: "People trust people like themselves." After her presentation, she talked about the work she has done related to the natural gas industry. Even though I have a lot of respect for her as a professional, I disagreed with her remarks on gas drilling in the North Texas area Barnett Shale. I'm from the Netherlands, so I pretty much did not know anything about local gas drilling until XTO Energy was planning on putting one in my town. I slowly got educated after hearing several environmental specialists and attending very long city council meetings. My opinion regarding gas drilling tactics will never change after hearing from many concerned neighbors speaking about dirty tricks by XTO representatives, citizens getting their hearts broken by a local pastor, and especially after seeing the XTO representative avoiding questions and speaking half-truths to the City Council and city citizens.
Don't get me wrong. I'm absolutely in favor of gas and oil drillng. I understand it's necessary and vital to the American economy. I just think there's a right time and place for everything. And above all, I hate being lied too. I guess a lot of crazy things happen when money is involved. Considering situations like this, it's no wonder citizens lose their trust in big oil and gas companies.
That's why I believe Danielle Allen must be in a very challenging position to try to keep up the reputation of related businesses. So it is very interesting to see how they are trying to educate the public with things like Energy Tomorrow's interactive online game. I played the game, and I actually learned a lot from it!
I believe education will be a very important tool in trying to gain back trust. But it will take more than that. And that little problem in the Gulf of Mexico (which happens to be the biggest environmental disaster in American history) isn't helping either.
Don't get me wrong. I'm absolutely in favor of gas and oil drillng. I understand it's necessary and vital to the American economy. I just think there's a right time and place for everything. And above all, I hate being lied too. I guess a lot of crazy things happen when money is involved. Considering situations like this, it's no wonder citizens lose their trust in big oil and gas companies.
That's why I believe Danielle Allen must be in a very challenging position to try to keep up the reputation of related businesses. So it is very interesting to see how they are trying to educate the public with things like Energy Tomorrow's interactive online game. I played the game, and I actually learned a lot from it!
I believe education will be a very important tool in trying to gain back trust. But it will take more than that. And that little problem in the Gulf of Mexico (which happens to be the biggest environmental disaster in American history) isn't helping either.
