Second, podcasts require a listener time commitment. It used to be common for me to listen to shows that were over an hour, but I’ve largely dropped long shows in favor of podcasts no longer than a half-hour in length. Even so, I can only listen to a maximum of three shows a day during my commute. That limits audiences. In contrast, I can scan over a hundred blogs a day.

Third, podcasts are difficult to do well. They require investment in expensive recording equipment and time on the host’s part. And let’s face it- Not everyone can convey an engaging personality in a talk show format. It’s no fluke that many of the top “podcasts” are actually re-runs of traditional radio programs.

Podcasts may work best, at this point, as part of an online “brand.” Diggnation is one popular example, which complements and presumably drives traffic to Digg.com, where the real money is made. BusinessWeek tells the story of Keith and the Girl, which is anchored by a podcast but supplemented by forums and a popular MySpace page that have enabled a community to be built around the show.

By building community and diversifying the way they distribute information, these brands are able to reach out to more people in a variety of ways and make listeners feel like an integral part of the show, which is the best motivation I can think of for sustaining a regular audience. Podcasters who ignore these strategies may find themselves lost in the shuffle.

EDIT 4.6.07: I updated the headline to (hopefully) flow a bit better.

1. Apply for non-paying positions 

The most sought-after internships tend to be those that pay
interns a stipend or by the hour, which is certainly understandable. However,
many terrific organizations have unpaid internship opportunities where the
learning potential is (excuse the cliché) priceless. Because they are unpaid,
these opportunities can fly under the radar and are often less competitive. The
skills you make and contacts you meet are well worth what can be an insanely
busy schedule for the summer.

2. Research the organization and the field 

Before you interview, at the very least visit the Web site
of the organization you’re interviewing with. It’s extremely likely the
interviewers will ask you what you know about the organization, and this is an
ideal opportunity to impress your interviewers with your preparedness. It also
shows you take the internship opportunity seriously.

3. Dress up! 

I was always surprised at the number of potential interns
who showed up to interviews dressed very casually. It’s understandable if you
don’t own a suit, but at least dress in a business-appropriate style, even if
the organization you’re interviewing with has a very casual dress code. Again,
dressing well shows you take the opportunity seriously and behave in a
professional manner.

4. Bring a portfolio 

By the time you start applying for internships, you’ve
probably had at least a couple years of college education under your belt.  That surely includes several projects and
class assignments. (You are saving that stuff, right?) Put five-to-seven
samples of your best work in plastic sleeves and snap the sleeves into a nice,
professional-looking binder. Number the pages and include a table of contents
at the beginning so the binder is easy to navigate. Now you have several
concrete examples of good work you’ve done in the past to show your
interviewers.

5. Ask questions 

You want your interviewers to know you’re enthusiastic about
the internship opportunity at stake, and asking questions is one way to
accomplish that. It also enables you to determine if the opportunity is the
right one for you – We’ve all heard stories of interns who did little else but
fetch coffee and run errands unrelated to their future career field. Ask your
interviewers about specific tasks you’ll be asked to perform and what projects
interns have worked on in the past. If you don’t like the answers and you are
offered the internship, you can always politely decline and look for
opportunities elsewhere.

BONUS TIP: Send thank-you letters 

After you interview, go home and write up thank-you letters
addressed to each of your interviewers. If you’re still interested, re-affirm
your interest and let your interviewers know your skills would be well-suited
to the position. Send the letters within 24 hours of the interview. It seems
like most intern candidates failed to follow-up with a thank-you letter, but
it’s a crucial step – It keeps you prominent in the minds of the interviewers
and demonstrates your commitment and enthusiasm.

Good luck!

For many years, particularly in technology, PR meant media relations,
and little else. Now, many of us for the first time see there’s an
opportunity to assist our clients in doing what our profession
professes we do: "relating to the public." And forward-looking PR
people have already awakened to this reality, and are beginning to see
how what we have always been good at may in fact command a premium in
the new world. It’s a little thing called "social intelligence."

I couldn’t agree more. We should be optimistic about the current direction and the future of public relations. It’s an exciting time to be involved!

Out of considered mass media outlets,
thirty-five percent of first-time vehicle buyers consider the Internet
to be their most important informational tool, compared to 8.2 percent
for television, 4.4 percent for magazines, 3.6 percent for newspapers
and 1.1 percent for radio.

The Internet is unparalleled for allowing potential consumers to compare and contrast information on a number of potential purchases, and this is extremely important when purchasing a car, with the depth and difference of features and technologies available among various auto models.

Internet technologies also allow vehicle companies and enthusiasts to engage in a dialog with consumers, answer questions, and most importantly, develop a connection. If a company can establish brand loyalty in a consumer and make them feel like they belong to a community, then there’s a good chance they’ve made a customer for life. Loyalty is very important among car-buyers, and the automotive companies know that. If the Internet proves effective in helping auto companies establish this loyalty, expect to see a lot more sponsored blogs and podcasts in the near future.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a huge fan of podcasting, and I still am… Kind of.

When podcasting first started, I thought it was the most incredible thing ever. Niche shows! No commercials! I choose when to listen! Completely free!

Fast forward one year. There are more podcasts than ever, so why don’t I feel the same enthusiasm as I did a year ago?

Last year I would listen to almost any podcast, even if the sound quality was bad or the on-air personalities didn’t have "radio voices." Since then, I’ve found that my tolerance for less-than-professional shows has waned, even though that was originally part of the medium’s appeal. The "raw voices" simply don’t appeal to me as they once did. Furthermore, any "new" technology is exciting at first. Now that podcasting has been essentially mainstreamed, it’s not as new and it’s not as exciting.

Now, I don’t want to sound too pessimistic. I do listen to a number of podcasts on a near-daily basis, and I still find them all extremely entertaining. Right now on my iPod I have shows about comic books, public relations, Catholicism, video games, gadgets and technology, and paranormal activity! Such an eclectic mix will never be found on commercial radio, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s podcasting’s greatest strength. Podcasts have also made strides in how they’re delivered with the increasing use of tools like BitTorrent and iTunes. In addition, a lot of those early podcasters with the "raw voices" and bad sound quality have some experience and decent equipment under their belts, making their shows very listenable.

Ultimately, I really don’t feel podcasting will only be with us for the proverbial "15 minutes." I do think the technology is maturing, however, and the improved selection of shows allows us listeners to exercise more discretion. The biggest change for me is that I’m no longer a fan of podcasting, per se, but I am a fan of podcasts.

I’ve been a huge proponent of podcasting since the very beginning (probably just over a year, now). The idea that I could take interesting, commercial-free audio shows with me in my car was extremely exciting, and I can credit podcasting with making the 35,000 miles I’ve put on my car in the past year a whole lot less boring. That’s the terrific thing about listening to audio- It’s a secondary activity. I can drive, work out at the gym (yeah, right) or walk the dog and still catch up on my podcasts. However, I couldn’t do any of these things while watching a video.

Second, because video is a visual medium, it’s best experienced on a larger screen. The reason I haven’t been watching portable video isn’t because I haven’t had a way to do it (my cell phone Sony PSP will both play video quite well). Rather, it’s because I haven’t really cared to do it. Video on a small screen leaves something to be desired, and I simply don’t have enough "hostage time" that would allow me to watch portable video in the first place.

I think the most exciting development announced by Steve Jobs at yesterday’s event was the fact that iTunes users can now download television shows for $1.99 a piece. Video over iTunes also offers another possible avenue for video podcasting (vidcasting?) and, if networks besides ABC get in on the action, perhaps a serviceable solution for "TV ala carte." If that’s the case, it would be truly revolutionary.

UPDATE: Word is NBC is also in negotiations with Apple to offer shows via iTunes. Never miss an episode of The Office again! (Maybe.)

Professional broadcasters are entering the podcast game in a big way, and the ball has only started rolling. Up until now, podcasting has, for the most part, been the domain of amateur hobbyists, who podcast about their various interests, ranging from religion to snowmobiling. The unique flavor of hobbyist podcasting has contributed to its popularity- The main reason I listen to podcasts instead of the radio is precisely because of this aspect. Rather than being forced to listen to the limited scope of topics aired on broadcast radio, I can listen to a show about a very specific topic that I’m acutely interested in.

That being said, most hobbyist podcasters simply will not be able to compete with a professional’s delivery or production values. As much as I hate to say it, if hobbyist podcasters attempt to compete with professional podcasts by tackling the same issues in the same format, they’re going to lose. To an Average Joe who is listening to podcasts for the first time, a hobbyist podcast is going to sound like "Radio Junior." However, hobbyist podcasts will continue to thrive as long as they cater to a defined niche and offer unique viewpoints.

A lot of great technology is beginning to mature before our eyes, and undoubtedly it will become "mainstreamed" very soon. I can imagine a day where press releases are exclusively issued by RSS instead of by e-mail or by fax. But when e-mail and fax machines were in their infancy, did most PR professionals think these technologies would replace postal mail as the preferred method of press release distribution?

I think it’s overearly to sound the death knell of many PR tools (such as press releases), or even the PR industry itself, in the light of this "new media" technology. The industry is evolving, and the technology becoming available will give PR practitioners additional avenues to distribute messages. What a welcome and exciting development!