Things I Learned in 4460

·      Network! Network! Network!

·      “If the public thinks you have a problem… Guess what? You have a problem.”

·      Never tweet that you won’t be in class due to bad weather, a slight cold, lost contacts, sick hamster etc., etc.

·      There is such a thing as a dumb question i.e. “Today we are learning about phone pitches.” 5 minutes later… “What are we learning today?”

·      People over 50 DO tweet.

·      Bourbon and wine can cure anything

·      Always have a full fridge and beer during winter weather warnings

·      Twitter is the place for breaking news- especially for #untj

·      Don’t put anything on the internet you wouldn’t want your grandmother or grandkids to see

·      Be a leader- being hard on your group doesn’t make you a Nazi.

·      NO “No Comment”

·      Word Nerd: Someone fascinated with learning and using new words

·      Grammar Gremlins: Are you smarter than a 5^th grader?

·      Social Media is always evolving along with traditional media, not against it.

·      When Kentucky wins, we all win.

·      Check your e-mail thoroughly and often- forward to the appropriate address if need be.

·      Procrastination Assassination: If you procrastinate you will wish you were dead.

·      Taco Bell’s meat is real: Don’t believe everything you read!

·      If you hate talking on the phone- change your major.

·      It’s not who you know it’s who knows you.

·      TweetDeck will transform Twitter into something new, exciting and completely different. It’s addictive.

·      Classes really do last for 3 hours.

·      Senioritis is 10 times more intense in college and 20 times more inconvenient.

·      If you can’t find your classmates after a big assignment go to Fry Street- everyone’s there.

·      A pitch can be thrown (away).

·      Paper bleeds.

·      Time Management: Turnitin is the ultimate authority on the outcome of your grade.

·      Grades come when they come.

·      If you ever find time to get bored, are stuck at school during a tornado watch and/or sudden hurricane @samjb’s office is the place to be.

-Alisha Mychele

The Hedonic Calculus

 This semester in Ethics, Law and Diversity in Strategic Communications I learned to look at situations not only from a moral and business standpoint but an ethical and legal standpoint as well. More often than not, when people look at an issue they are only concerned with the legalities of the situation. I now know that just because something is legal doesn’t make it ethical. There are many instances when something is legal but is not ethical such as the instance with Cracker Barrel. Cracker Barrel not only refused to hire homosexual employees they fired those on staff that were “out” and/or that they assumed to be homosexual. Although this was a legal act it was unquestionably unethical.

Before taking this class I assumed that if something was illegal it had to be unethical as well but this is not always the case. Something can be deemed illegal from a utilitarian standpoint but still be ethical for the most part. The different case studies we presented in class showed both sides to this. Whether it was the Dove Real Beauty Campaign, the PETA Holocaust Campaign or the Toyota Runaway Prius case they all opened our eyes to a different outlook on the situation.

This class also gave me a clear position on the different Codes of Ethics in the industry: public relations, marketing, WOM, advertising, everything journalism related. I feel I am walking away with a better understand of advertising and the codes of ethics associated with the field. Before I enrolled in the class I never considered advertising to be the most ethical field of journalism and it didn’t cross my mind that they might have a code of ethics as well. I now find myself looking at situations from an ethical standpoint and considering the different ethical dimensions and theories. I now have the hedonic calculus bouncing in my head or was that a utilitarian thought?

-Alisha Mychele