Taking Advantage of PRSA Disinformation Literacy Challenge

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

For years I’ve adhered to this belief: Participate, engage, and explore volunteer opportunities brought on by membership in an organization or move on. From another perspective, why continue to invest time, money, and effort if you fail to take advantage in order to grow and expand your horizons?

That provides a soft opening of sorts for my thoughts on a benefit available through the Public Relations Society of America, where I’ve been a member since 2002.  It’s a benefit that — given the increasingly hostile social and political culture of today — is especially relevant and needed.

Over the years, I’ve gained insight into modern public relations practices and developments by reading the PRSay blog and the Strategies & Tactics publication; over the years I’ve actually even made some contributions. Here’s an article I wrote on technology transfer published in 2019.

Plus, I’ve served on volunteer national committees and those hosted by PRSA Chicago, and I’ve gained valuable insight on the state of the profession through PRSA webinars.

All these activities proved beneficial and supported my commitment to PRSA and public relations. 

But in the January 22 Weekly Roundup email message to members, I was introduced to the Third Annual National News Literacy Week initiative and opened site. The concept of “news literacy,” as noted in this page from Stony Brook University, is part of academic curricula these days. Yet, it was not an area I had pondered very often, given my decades as a communicator. 

Wanting to test my comprehension, I took the three Media News Disinformation Literacy quizzes found on the PRSA Voices 4 Everyone site. Overall, I did “okay” on the the conspiratorial thinking and sharing quizzes, but frankly only got five of the 10 questions correct on the fighting social media falsehoods quiz — a round-about way of stating that I need to work harder to stay current on how to address disinformation, especially when related to the top social media platforms.

Disinformation, “alternative facts,” propaganda, outright lies — all of these communication practices (and I use that word loosely) are counter to ethical, modern, strategic public relations practices.  I encourage all who read this post to take the three short quizzes and challenge colleagues to do the same.

In fact, I just might go back and retake them myself. By the way, the 10-question tests are free to anyone who wants to get a better grasp of this recent concept called news literacy.

 

A Two-Part Post to Kick of 2022

Yes, it was elbow-to-elbow during this TRB lectern session I attended. The subject: Ways transportation needs to adapt in the post-pandemic environment.

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

At just about the halfway point through the first month of 2022, I’ve carved out the time to publish a debut post for the year unfolding. I could not commit to one specific topic, therefore today’s commentary is in two parts. 

So, without further ado.

Part One: First Flight in a Long Time

Well, 24 months, to be exact. My trip earlier this week was a two-night visit to Washington, D.C. to attend and participate in the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board. From an aerial perspective, the view from 30,000 feet above the earth is still pretty cool, I must say.

My flight on American Airlines was around 45 minutes late in departing, but otherwise uneventful, which is how I prefer to fly.

Here are some other observations:

• TSA agents (at least the guy I interacted with) are still pretty gruff. But from another perspective, they have a job that’s challenging.
• There are still long lines at Starbucks. That’s why I opted for a large McDonald’s coffee.
• Back in the day, I could count on finding a discarded newspaper to read on my flight. In this era of handhelds, none could be found.
• Airports continue to attract a panoply of people, from those who are respectful to outright jerks.  Sort of like people everywhere.
• The men and women employed at our airports — from agents to security to custodians — work quite hard and are dedicated. I made a point to thank them when I could.
• Upon my return from Reagan National, I had a window seat facing south, providing a panoramic view of all that makes Chicago a truly engaging metropolis — the lakefront, the skyline, the neighborhoods. 

Part Two: First In-Person Conference in a Long Time

The TRB Annual Meeting is a very big deal for those in the transportation industry. As a member of a standing committee, I’ve participated for the past seven years and have thoroughly enjoyed the lectern sessions and committee work. 

Plus, it’s always invigorating to return to the nation’s capital for a few days. These perceptions stood out for me while strolling the halls of the Washington Convention Center:

• The crowd for the 2022 meeting understandably was smaller than in past years; but the enthusiasm and energy was the same. 
• Transportation has been a vital aspect of society from the early years of recorded history to the present.  The scope of topics presented at lectern and poster sessions exemplifies transportation’s role in our future.
• Everyone who attended had to demonstrate proof of vaccination and wear a mask. It should be noted that we can communicate effectively through a mask.
• People can congregate for a common purpose and remain civil!  This topic has been challenged too often recently. 
• While having lunch at Legal Sea Foods in the concourse at Reagan, I looked east toward Washington and could still see the U.S. Capitol Building in the distance.  Despite the terror that took place there one year ago, the building was still commanding and resilient in the afternoon sun. 

To summarize this transportation-centered commentary, my experience demonstrated that despite the challenges we’ve faced, there’s a lot in life to appreciate. Me, I look forward to the next adventure.