Navigating the Social Media Sea at the 2010 Bulldog Reporter Media Relations Summit

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With the constant cries and decrees of the death of traditional journalism coupled with the ever-growing and omnipresent influence of social media, public relations professionals find themselves at the helm of an exciting period of evolution in the communications industry. Our CEO, Aedhmar Hynes spoke to this and the future of PR in the ever-changing media landscape as part of a panel, “The Future of Public Relations: Seizing the Opportunity,” at the 2010 Bulldog Reporter Media Relations Summit this week in New York City.

With the rise of social and the changing winds in the media industry, is the role of the PR professional dead as we know it? Absolutely not. In fact, as Aedhmar noted during the panel, “with the evolution of communications landscape, the role of the PR professional is more paramount than ever.” In order to service clients better and surf through the changing waters, it is important for PR professionals to have a steady finger on the pulse of the industry and what the public is using.

For example, while social media is undoubtedly huge and here for good, what may be hot in the social media landscape now, may not be so next month. Pointing to the fall of the once dominant MySpace, Aedhmar noted the necessity of not just knowing the hot tools of the moment, but also what drives users and consumers to these tools. Understanding how and why social media tools are trending is a key importance for every PR professional.

Panelists who spoke alongside Aedhmar included Matt Harrington, Edelman U.S. President and CEO; Peter Land, PepsiCo Beverages Americas, SVP, Communications; and Martin Murtland, Dow Jones & Company, VP, Solutions for Corporate Communications.

I spoke with Aedhmar briefly after the panel to get her key takeaway – the importance for PR pros to make messages distinctly heard above the continuous chatter: