Dana Pluss Parks on Public Relations Leadership
When I was first asked to speak with a PR practitioner for my PR Leadership and Management course, Dana Pluss Parks immediately came to mind. With over 20 years of industry experience in agency settings across the U.S. since graduating from Syracuse University, Parks became a successful business owner in 2009 after founding DPP Communications & Coaching, a lifestyle and hospitality PR firm in Denver, CO.
Casualties of the Streaming Wars: Ensuring Diverse Storytelling as PR Professionals
I am always on the hunt for my new favorite television show. My current obsession is “A League of Their Own” on Amazon Prime, inspired by the 90s cult-classic film of the same name, but with a focus on period-accurate queer and BIPOC representation within the same themes of friendship and perseverance. I was instantly enthralled by the show’s creativity, honesty, diversity, and overall storytelling which is why, after first forcing all my loved ones to binge the series too, I turned to social media to find others who felt the same.
Focusing on the Story: Learning from Shonda Rhimes
To the creatives in the entertainment industry, promotion and views are just a necessary evil: what they truly care about is storytelling, and as public relations practitioners, we can learn from them. To Shonda Rhimes -- award-winning producer, screenwriter, author, and showrunner of shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal -- storytelling is an opportunity to gather ʼround the campfire with other creatives and viewers, a community-based experience.
Mitchell Kuga: Lessons Learned Along the Way
I have always enjoyed writing, but I have never considered myself to be a “writer.” I have never felt a deep passion for writing like I have other things and over the years it has become more of a chore than a meaningful experience. Attending Mitchell Kuga’s speaker event at Syracuse University, however, reminded me why writing is so important and inspired me to once again find that spark within myself.
Taylor Swift: The Music Industry’s Agent of Change
The good old days: it’s 2008 and I'm driving with my mom, my blonde curls blowing in the wind, belting my heart out to “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. I am not embarrassed to admit I peaked at that moment, filled with pure bliss. I constantly wish that I could hear that song again for the first time… and thanks to Taylor Swift (and the failings of the music industry), 2021 has brought me exactly that.
Infographic: Tips on Integrating Communal Viewing
Tips on watching your favorite movies and shows with fellow fans and friends, all while staying 6 feet apart.
The Art of Communal Viewing (While Six Feet Apart)
My love for movies and television is firmly rooted in the ability to talk to my friends about our favorite actors, that week’s biggest plot twist, and the newest Marvel death we’re not over. COVID has changed this significantly, however, because there are no more midnight premiers at AMC or “Bachelorette” nights in our dorms. But people have stepped up to the challenge, creating new (and revitalizing old) communal viewing options we can all do from home, and I have been LOVING it.
How to Feature TV’s Newest Star: COVID-19
After nine months of the coronavirus ruining my plans, all I wanted to do was curl up on my couch to watch the newest episode of Grey’s Anatomy this past fall. Unfortunately, I worried that by including the pandemic in the show, I wouldn’t be able to utilize it as an escape from my own struggles. Happily, I was wrong.