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. 

Goals & Objectives for ABWK

The end of our project is drawing closer and my group is working full force to complete our tasks on time.  We have a list of about 20 tasks that need to be completed so we kicked things off by organizing ourselves with an excel checklist that has each task, whose working on it, and it's status of completion.  This organization has been key as we've progressed through the project.  One of my personal goals was to stay organized throughout the time we work on the project because things can get a little confusing when working in larger groups.  I knew that staying organized would keep our team working smoothly through the project.  

Towards the beginning of the project Dr. Moody asked us to share our attributes with the rest of our group.  These attributes would be things that we knew would help when working on the project.  I listed my attributes as writing and photography.  Within my group I've taken a role as writing some of the content such as, a fact sheet, timeline, and social media suggestions.  This is an aspect of the project where I see myself giving a majority of my contributions.  

An overall personal goal I've set out for myself through this project was to have as much responsibility and input as I could.  I wasn't looking to take over or even become a team leader, but I did want to be a strong contributor to the end result.  I see this project as an excellent example of my PR skills and hopefully I will be able to present it to future employers.   

 

My objectives for the project are to provide Habitat for Humanity with the building blocks for the PR of their new program A Brush with Kindness.  I want to leave them with all the necessary tools to implement the PR when they are ready to launch the program.  I hope we can provide them with fresh ideas and inspiration for further endeavors.   

After learning more about the A Brush with Kindness program I’ve become extremely passionate about helping Habitat for Humanity gain the support they deserve.  This program will help lift the spirits of many people in Waco of those receiving and those giving.