Jay Hicks Gives Advice to Fellow Bears

Jay F. Hicks, Director of New Media at KWTX-TV

On Tuesday March 27 our PR Media Programming class, taught by Dr. Mia Moody at Baylor University, had the pleasure of hosting a guest speaker.  Jay F. Hicks, the Director of New Media at CBS affiliate KWTX-TV, came to speak to our class about how new media is evolving and how we can keep up.   Hicks’ job with KWTX-TV involves overseeing all of the station’s efforts in online and new media involving, developing and executing content on multiple platforms. 

As a graduate of Baylor University, Hicks was happy to share his wealth of knowledge with fellow bears.  Hicks emphasized the importance of adapting the traits of an online content producer: being transparent, trustworthy, and allow for a democracy.  He also talked about the importance of still using news releases and press releases, but need to bring them into the 21^st century by releasing them online or via email.

Gordon Collier, Jay Hicks, and Julie Hays supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Hicks also gave advice on how we can bring our resumes into the technological world.  Some of his suggestions for an interactive resume included: tell a story, include social media, use tumblr, and make sure to have a blog.  Hicks’ believes that interview practice and having a mentor are great ways to prepare for a real career. Jay Hicks was extremely informative about social media and how we can implement it to our advantage.