Writing Samples:

Executive Summary:
This summary was written for an issues tracking project about coach abuse mainly in college sports.
Executive Summary: Coaches Abusing Players Overview: Coaches abusing players has been a booming issue in the media over the last year. The biggest story to hit the headlines yet was when Mike Rice from Rutgers University was videotaped cursing at and throwing basketballs at his players. A lot of these stories happen to be in college basketball like the Rutgers story. But it is no secret to the sporting world that this is not an uncommon scenario for many players to face during their career whether it ends in high school or professionally. These coaches have committed some form of abuse ranging from verbally assaulting a player to even an accusation of sexually abusing an athlete. Athletes are quoted in most of the articles and the majority of their responses to their circumstance were shocking. Acceptance of the way these coaches have treated their players is defined as unacceptable by all of their superiors, yet some barely face a legitimate consequence. Summary of Findings: When these schools and teams are blasted in the media for their coach abusing a player it is not handled well. One would think after observing what has happened to Mike Rice and Rutgers University, other schools and teams would be proactive to ensure that they do not also face the same problems but that is not the case. In cases where there is video or audio evidence it seems that is when coaches deny what they did was inappropriate the most. Of course they always retract what they say and issue an apology but creating that negative image is a hard one to erase. Mike Rice is the best worst example of this when he told a reporter after rehab and losing his job that he still did not see what he did as abuse. The team owners and schools typically follow the right track at first and issue statements saying that the behavior of the coach was inappropriate and will not be accepted, also that they

would have never seen it coming. But in a couple of situations, the big bad punishment for the coaches is a short suspension. For the schools and teams that are taking the right steps in trying to restore their image, a lot of what is done cannot be taken back. Some of these coaches have been around for many seasons. This says to the public that they do not have care or concern for the players well-being. Summary of Recommendations: The sports world from all aspects needs to be aware of the epidemic occurring around them. Taking preventive measures with coaches and teams like making policies and procedures to ensure they do not face the same crisis is crucial at this time. From a public relations standpoint, the schools and teams are not working with their coaches on media tactics. A lot of these coaches represent the school in news conferences on a daily basis and for so many of them to go on record and keep saying hurtful things to their reputation and their employers is unacceptable. Educating those who are going to be in the spotlight on key messages and how to portray a positive image in the media should always be done before giving them a microphone. This would benefit crisis control and reputation management immensely. Conclusion: Unfortunately coaches abusing players is trending in the media. False accusations have come up and true allegations have been taken as far as court. The sporting world needs to be aware of what has gone wrong today as far as preventing this from happening and if it does; how to recover from it. It is time to learn from those before and realize that letting coaches try to defend or excuse their behavior is unacceptable and if the company or school is going to say that abusing players is not condoned, make policies and follow procedures to prevent it from happening.

Crisis Communication Plan:

The plan in its entirety was a group project with four other students. Attached are my parts of the assignment which includes objectives, a news release, and a broadcast release.

Objectives: Employees: To increase the number of employees informed of crisis to 85% within the first two hours. Community- To increase the number of informed community members in the area to 75% within two days. Victims- To increase the number of involved persons (family members/guardians of victims) informed to 100% within 4 hours of the incident. Board Members - To increase the number of informed board members to 75% within the first 24 hours. United Theme Park Workers of America- To retain a minimum of 65% of union employees following the crisis.

Continue for News Release

News Release Fun Flags Over Georgia Atlanta, GA 32587 USA Contact: Nikki Terrell, Public Relations Director (987) 658-3668 Cell / (987) 354-7841 Office (987) 658-3689 Fax / Nterrell@funflags.com April 23, 2013

Fun Flags Over Georgia Temporarily Closed Due to Ride Accident Atlanta, Ga.---- Tragedy struck at Fun Flags over Georgia after 12 people died and 88 more became ill on the ride, Its A Worms Life. Park officials confirm that the deaths were caused by contaminated water on the ride. Police are investigating possible sabotage. The theme park is proactively closing in an effort to aid authorities. We are deeply shocked and saddened by this. CEO Rick Scott said in a press conference this afternoon. Prior to this, an agreement between Fun Flags Over Georgia and The United Theme Park Workers of America fell through, causing many employees to quit. Park management plans to renegotiate a contract at a later date. Fun Flags Over Georgia is the third-most popular amusement park in the United States. It resides in Fulton County, Georgia. ###

Continue for Broadcast Release

Broadcast Release Fun Flags Over Georgia Atlanta, GA 32587 USA Read time: 50 seconds Contact: Nikki Terrell, Public Relations Director (987) 658-3668 Cell /Nterrell@funflags.com April 23 , 2013 Fun Flags Over Georgia Temporarily Closed Due to Ride Accident Thought the worst thing you would deal with at an amusement park was long lines? () One Atlanta-based park is learning that problems could be far more serious. Fun Flags Over Georgia confirmed that 12 people died and 100 more became seriously ill after water on the popular ride, Its A Worms Life was tainted. () Police are investigating possible sabotage. C-E-O Rick Scott issued the statement, We are in complete shock and send our deepest condolences to those affected, we are going to do all we can to rectify this tragedy, Prior to this incident, a majority of Fun Flags employees quit following a negotiation fall-out with the United Theme Park Workers of America. Park management plans to continue working on a new negotiation contract at a later time. Fun Flags Over Georgia has closed temporarily to aid officials in the ongoing investigation. () The park plans to reopen at a later date. Fun Flags Over Georgia is the third-most popular amusement park in the United States. It resides in Fulton (FUHL-tin) County, Georgia. - xxx-

Media Policy
This policy was written as a class assignment. The assignment was to choose a real life organization and create a policy based on the organizations needs.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos Media Policy 2014

Caitlin Crow-Nikki Terrell Policy Purpose: The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are involved and active among many news media outlets. The relationships between the organization and those media connections are vital for the success of the organization. The Wahoos have a major dependence on the media to gain fans and supporters both internally and externally. This policy is to ensure that all interactions with the media are business professional, timely, appropriate, and beneficial to the organization as a whole. Role of Media Relations Director: The Media Relations Director acts as the primary spokesperson of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. The Media Relations Director uses their expertise to: Create and promote a positive image of the Wahoos within media outlets Monitor and evaluate media interactions Update the organization of important media information/stories Prepare materials and counsel any and all who may also act as spokespersons Communication Procedures with the Media: All employees of the Blue Wahoos are encouraged to speak with the media. If the circumstance arrives we ask that all employees do the following:

Maintain a professional relationship with media outlet Communicate in a timely manner Represent the Blue Wahoos with pride and professionalism Inform the Media Relations Director of all comments or interviews with reporters (If a planned media interaction occurs contact Media Relations Director prior for appropriate coaching and message development)

Specific Circumstances: Players Health/Injury Status: The trainers and physicians attending to the player in question are authorized to comment or report on the status or update. No other personnel are authorized to distribute such information. Personal Information: Personal information that is not public record is not to be distributed to the media by any member of the Blue Wahoos. Newsworthy Stories: If any story or event happens within the organization in any department, notification of such occurrence should be reported to the media relations department immediately. Press Releases: All departments can submit press releases to any media outlet following these regulations: Story is newsworthy and important for the organization and its publics Written in AP format Submitted for approval to the Media Relations Director in a timely manner Reporter Procedures and Guidelines: Credential Requests: Media Credentials are required for home game access. The form for credential requirements can be found at: Http://www.milb.com/documents/2/4/2/70212242/2014_MiLB_Press_Credential_Agreement_x3 lx9t88.pdf To receive approval for credentials, contact the Director of Media Relations 24 hours prior to the game to ensure time to process the application. No discrimination including but not limited to sex, race, or age will be tolerated when determining approval for game access. The Media Relations Director has final say on approval for credentials. Field Access: Representatives should never interfere with the game preparation and postgame procedures of the coaches and/or players. Media representatives are allowed access to the field one hour prior to the first pitch. During game access will be determined and approved by the Media Relations Director at the time of the game. Post-game access is permitted one hour following the end of the game. Any one-on-one specialized interview with coaches or players must be approved by the media relations department 24 hours prior to the game.

Guidelines: Treat all Blue Wahoos affiliates/team members with respect and professionalism Absolutely no alcohol consumption is allowed on the premises

Do not solicit players or coaches for autographs Do not disrupt the fans experience by blocking views, harassing for interviews, etc. Any media representative that does not follow these guidelines/procedures or specific instructions from the media relations department will be escorted from the stadium and denied credential requests in the future. Sunshine Statues:
Insurance Ch. 624- to abide by regulations and to ensure members secure and reliable health insurance. Member means an insurer who participates in or is entitled to participate in the management of a rating, advisory, or other organization.

Selling alcohol Ch.561- Vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages at retail only. No vendor shall purchase or acquire in any manner for the purpose of resale any alcoholic beverages from any person not licensed as a vendor, manufacturer, bottler, or distributor under the Beverage Law. Purchases of alcoholic beverages by vendors from vendors shall be strictly limited to purchases between members of a pool buying group for which the initial purchase of the alcoholic beverages was ordered by a pool buying agent as a single transaction. No vendor shall be a member of more than one cooperative or pool buying group at any time. No vendor shall import, or engage in the importation of, any alcoholic beverages from places beyond the limits of the state. Evaluation of the policy: A bi-monthly evaluation meeting will be held with the Media Relations Director, the President and Vice President. These leaders will review a content analysis, sprout social reports, and google analytics. This analysis is to measure the progress of this policy to ensure success with the Blue Wahoos communication and interactions with all media outlets. Edits and updates will be made accordingly.

Personality Profile
This personality profile was written for an assignment in Writing for Public Relations.
Air Force Wife Life in Japan Being a newlywed in general is not an easy step in life but being a newlywed and living in a different country is what you would call a major challenge. Yesenia Helms married Clifford Helms in August 2011 and in December 2011 they packed up everything they could and moved to Japan for Cliffords job in the Air Force. The basics of getting married and sharing a life together were not the only struggle the two had to face when they arrived at their first apartment together in Okinawa. They quickly had to learn about the many rules and regulations living on base in a foreign country entailed. Yesenia said the hardest part is there are so many rules and even a curfew at 11 p.m. now that we can only do so much on the times we have off together. Chilis is one of few restaurants on base and on Friday night there is at least a two hour wait. Most of the time we just get to go food and eat at home, Helms said. The biggest culture shock on base for Yesenia was driving a car on the opposite side of the road, in the opposite side of the car. She said, There is no telling how many times I have gotten in the wrong side of the car. Not only is living on base strict, they both have to be aware of the rules and expectations of the locals. When eating out off base you take off your shoes when you go inside anywhere and you never tip or it is as if you are insulting the staff, Helms said.

I feel like we have become used to many of the customs and daily practices a year later, Helms said, but converting money is still a daily challenge. When they moved to Japan the yen rate was 75 yen to one dollar, now it is 90. Yesenia said that means, For every 90 cents we spend we lose 10 cents in U.S. money. Yesenia was lucky enough to get a government job with the Marine base close by. She said most woman over there do not work or they work for a home business. She said, You have never seen more women trying to sell you Scentsy, Pampered Chef, or Mary Kay in your life. One of Yesenias vices in the states was getting manicures and pedicures but over there it is at least twice the price. There is one wife who does nails and charges American prices but she cannot take new clients, she is booked 5 days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Although she has given up glamorous nails, she and Clifford have learned to scuba dive and have visited many historical places on the island such as Shuri Castle and what the locals call the suicide cliffs. Shuri Castle was originally burnt down by Americans during the war, but the people rebuilt it in memory and honor of the emperor over the remains. And during the war the suicide cliffs were where families would jump because the government lied to them and told them Americans wanted to kill everyone on the island. Although the story is very depressing the cliffs have to be one of my favorite places in Okinawa because of how beautiful it is, said Helms. Being newly married was a big shock and moving to a new country meanwhile was difficult for Yesenia and Clifford. Yesenia said, In the end it has made us so much closer, we could not rely on our family anymore. We only had each other and we became so much closer learning this new life together and becoming adults without anyone else to tell us how to do it.

Letter and Memo

These were another assignment completed in Writing for Public Relations.
MEMO DATE: TO: FROM: RE: February 20, 2013 Gulf Coast County District Faculty and Staff Mr. I.M. Smart National School Lunch Program

The district has decided to participate in the National School Lunch Program. This federal lunch program will help low income families with lower costs or free lunches as well as give the schools opportunity for reimbursements. The lunches must meet the federal standard of a nutritionally balanced meal. Our food service staff will be trained by the Team Nutrition USDA provides. The USDA decides the food that will be served based on our location. This program has been around since 1946 and is bringing many positive opportunities for our students and school as a whole. We will keep you all updated as we begin to implement this new and exciting change our schools are making.

LETTER I.M. Smart 123 School Street Gulf Coast, FL 33333 February 20, 2013 Dr. U.R. Smarter 456 Capital Rd. Tallahassee, FL 44444 Dear Dr. Smarter: Gulf Coast County School District has decided to participate in the National School Lunch Program. We have selected this federal lunch program because of the benefits it will give our students and schools. Our students will be provided with lower cost or free lunches based on their familys income. These lunches will be nutritionally balanced based on the federal standards. Our staff will be trained on how to cook and serve these new meals by Team Nutrition USDA. This program will provide reimbursement opportunities for our schools based on how much is spent on lunches and after school snacks provided. This program has been around since 1946 and has an outstanding reputation. We would love your support and feedback on this new program. Sincerely,

I.M. Smart Gulf Coast County School District Superintendent

Speech Writing
This speech was an assignment in Writing for Public Relations. We were given partners and had to write a speech for our partner on a topic of their choice.
Yankees Speech for Krissy Barger Thank you for that introduction Mr. Scott. I am overjoyed to be speaking with you all today. Thank you everyone for deciding to come to class. (apology to red sox fans) In the movie Moneyball, Billy Beane said, "how can you not be romantic about baseball? The word romantic is referring to passion for the game. This quote makes perfect sense to me because I am very passionate about baseball. You might say after hearing how many games I have seen over the years that I have a slight obsession. There is something about baseball that excites me. Maybe it is the sound that a bat makes as it connects with the ball or the smell of the fresh cut grass. It is something that cant be described in words. How Billy Beane described it is as close as it gets. Today I am going to explain to you why my dream job would be working as a public relations representative for the New York Yankees. Choosing my dream job was not difficult; it is based on my family history, experience playing on the field, and wanting to walk into an atmosphere every day that I am comfortable with. TRANSITION: My family is what sparked my love for the Yankees.

My grandpa was raised in Brooklyn and both my parents lived in New York for a good portion of their childhood. It is even where they met, fell in love, and got married. My dad got to grow up watching some of the greats like Mickey Mantle. I have had the privilege to grow up watching players like the amazing closer, Mo Rivera who is called Sandman and my all-time favorite Derek Jeter whose nickname is Captain Clutch. He earned this nickname because he

always comes through when we need him most. I have enjoyed watching games with my dad over the years and the love of the Yankees has been passed down to me. I am a triplet and they do not share the same obsession as my dad and I. On occasion my sister, Katie, even roots for our biggest rival, the Boston Red Sox, to poke fun at us. TRANSITION: I not only grew up watching games with my dad like he did with his, I played softball for 8 years. Although my sisters do not share in my passion for the Yankees, they do share my love of baseball. We enjoyed playing together all those years. We all played different positions; I played third base for 5 years and first base for 3 years. Katey played short stop and catcher. Kelsey played second base. Off the field, as sisters we always have each others back. So, playing positions that rely on each others came naturally to us. Having experience playing softball not only with friends but with family has made me a stronger person and increased my love for the game. Learning how to work as a team with different personalities is obviously a hard lesson everyone should have to learn. Being a part of a team especially in sports has taught me other things like self-discipline, hard work and the importance of being a team player. Unfortunately my playing days are over but getting the chance to expand on my experiences being part of a team make me more confident that working for the Yankees is my dream job. Not to mention it sounds like just plain fun. TRANSITION: Although nothing can replace the thrill of actually playing, to be in the vicinity

of one of the greatest teams in baseball history would be a dream come true. I was born and raised in the south but I would give up my love of the Florida sun for a chance to work for my team. Although dealing with the cold would be a challenge for this

Florida girl, the heat does not compare to the magic of Yankee stadium. The stadium is not only beautiful but represents the amazing legacy of the New York Yankees. Their legacy began in 1913 and they are now one of the greatest franchises in baseball today. They have won 27 World Series championships, 18 division titles, and 40 pennants. For those who are not baseball savvy and southern, you can say that Yankees are to major league baseball as Alabama is to college football. Yankees stadium has an extremely rich history. The old stadium, which was torn down in 2009, was called the the house that Babe Ruth built. Some of the well-known players in baseball history have been a Yankee, such as: Lou Gehrig of the 1927 murderers row line-up and Jo DiMaggio. Although the team now plays in a bigger, updated stadium, the legacies of these past players still remain. Everything the Yankees have achieved over 100 years from winning titles to having some of baseballs finest on their team has created an atmosphere that I would be proud to be a part of and work for. As my favorite player, Derek Jeter once said, My office is at Yankee Stadium. Yes, dreams do come true." Since girls are not allowed to play in the Major Leagues, the next best thing would be working for my favorite team. Although I have never had the chance to visit Yankee Stadium, I hope to sometime this year. My dad and I consider it to be our pilgrimage. One day we will travel to our Mecca. I believe that it will only help reinforce my feelings about working there one day. I do not know what more a person could not ask for in a job than to be able to stay true to their family roots, expand on personal experiences, and to be in a perfect atmosphere. All these factors and my lifelong love for baseball have influenced my decision to one day work for the Yankees. Thank you for your time and GO YANKEES!

Public Relations Blog

This blog was created as an assignment in Issues and Trends. We had to choose a topic related to Public Relations and post 3 times as a blogger.

Social Media Start Guide for PR Beginners

First things first..
Posted on September 30, 2013 WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME, My name is Nikki Terrell. I am currently a senior at the University of West Florida. My major is in Public Relations. As I near the end of my education, I had to choose a topic to blog about related to public relations. So, I thought and thought, my passion has always revolved around sports, but my life and public relations revolve around social media. My vast experience facebooking and tweeting might help a little when it comes to PR but I really wanted to explore more into the professional side of social media and what I need to be prepared for when I begin my career. Social media has always been one of my favorite parts about PR and I believe it is one of the most important skills a practitioner needs to have a solid knowledge in. The beauty of PR is that you can end up just about anywhere in this world from government to sports, but no matter where you are social media is going to play a large factor into that job. I plan on learning more and sharing the ins and outs, and all the dos and donts a newbie needs in this field to be successful. Stay tuned to hear about all my discoveries.

START HERE..
Posted on October 7, 2013 When learning anything new or mastering a concept you have to first learn the background. As a 21 year old I remember my first interaction with social media was the horrible sounds of AOL coming to life on a dial up computer. When did you first experience social media? If you need a quick refresher, Tim McMullen posted this wonderful infographic to give us a brief history lesson and time line of social media. http://socialmediatoday.com/1670986/history-social-media With our basics now covered and leaving us all feeling ancient, how do we tackle this monster that is social media? If you know what not to do you are already 10 times better at something. So, lets go over 3 main social media donts. 1. Do not be self-absorbed. Social media is not about you. It is about who you are reaching. When it comes to where you post, when you post, and what you post, always think about who is reading it and what they are going to take away from it. And okay it is a little self-absorbed because ultimately making it about them is going to benefit you. 2. Do not be a hermit crab. Making a main post and then going back in your shell is unacceptable. Your audiences will be looking to get answers. If you do not open up dialogue and give them what they are looking for you are going to fail. Be open. Whether your social media is through a blog, Facebook,Twitter, or the other numerous options out there people want open communication. Answer questions, solve problems, and back to numero uno make it about the customer and help yourself doing so. 3. Obviously, do NOT be boring. If your social media is black and white, with no excitement, guess who is not going to get visited again? Keep your social media audience engaged. Add life. Something as simple as pictures or some kind of daily special will keep your audience wanting more.

To learn a little more about how important number one is and get a little more information on being successful in social media read this post from PR expert, Brian Solis. http://www.briansolis.com/2012/03/social-media-is-about-social-science-not-technology/

Our feet are wet so what now?

Posted on October 14, 2013 We have covered the major donts in social media so how about we cover some dos. When researching this crazy world of social media, the donts came easy to find but every expert and blogger had their own ideas of how to be successful. Some say branch out and cover as many networks as possible while other suggest finding a niche and sticking to it. Despite some of their disagreements in success, 3 basic strategies seemed to come up in every tip or trick to being a social media king/queen. 1. Have a plan. When setting up your social media, know what goals you plan to accomplish. If it is a crisis management situation, you are not going to be posting funny pictures. If you want to bring people in, create a quiz of the day or post those funny pictures to make people think of you over your competitor. 2. Be a team. Social media is not a one person job. Keep as many people involved as possible. Two heads are most definitely better than one in social media. BUT! make sure you have a plan (back to 1.) as to who is going to be in charge of making the genius posts you and your team come up with. 3. Be honest. Be real. If your remember number 3 in the donts post, being personable is ultimately what people are looking for in social media. This complex world of social media can make or break a business. People are looking for answers and people are looking for who and

what they want to bring into their homes. Giving an image and personality that people feel comfortable with is going to boost image, business, and profit for any kind of industry.

ImageSocial media is a lot like a complicated puzzle. There are a ton of pieces and a million spots for the wrong ones. But when you slow down and put it together piece by piece with a simple strategy it ends up perfect by the end. And you never have to do a puzzle you dont want to. If you want to be the person on every social media platform out there, go for it! If you want to only be on Facebook and Twitter, make it the best Facebook and Twitter anyone has ever seen.