School of Journalism and Broadcasting students promote Pickens Plan

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Students use lessons learned in public relations classes to boost Pickens Plan attendance

(Oct. 28, 2009   STILLWATER, Okla.) - Oklahoma State University students in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting are using their public relations skills to persuade others to get involved and attend the Pickens Plan Town Hall Meeting.

More than 90 students in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting have donated their talent and time to create awareness about the mission of the Pickens Plan, which is to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil through the use of clean energy, such as wind and natural gas.

OSU graduate T. Boone Pickens will hold a Pickens Plan Town Hall Meeting Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena on the campus of OSU.  It is free and open to the public.

During a two-hour strategy session, students put together a strategic communications plan with the sole objective to fill 5,010 seats for the event. While traditional public relations tactics were quickly outlined, such as the use of fliers and sidewalk chalk, the students also included social media tactics in their plan.

“We know the value of Facebook and other social media sites, such as YouTube and Twitter, so it makes sense we would use these methods to generate awareness and action, especially to a college crowd,” said Matt Fletcher, public relations senior in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting.

Bill Handy, visiting assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, along with other professionals at OSU, facilitated the student meeting. "It was amazing to watch their minds and quick efforts to pull this together, even using technology within the meeting to gain access to information or people who could help them along the way. What is awe-inspiring about this is the altruistic focus of the JB students. No extra credit, not bonus points, no intrinsic value other than supporting a cause and a man who is important to them,” Handy said.

Derina Holtzhausen, director and professor in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students. We are excited they get to showcase their talents and gain the experience of planning and implementing such an important public relations campaign. We hope we can help Mr. Pickens educate as many people as possible about the importance of his plan.”

Brooke Feachen, public relations senior in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, is grateful for the opportunity to help with the Pickens Plan. “We want to show our support for Mr. Pickens and his plan. We aren’t trying to persuade people how to think, we’re just informing people of why it’s important to attend.”