After looking at several blogs the past few months, I have come to realize how useful blogs can be for many different outlets. While some serve as online diaries, others discuss various forms of entertainment or, as in this particular case, some inform readers of specific types of news.

After looking at a few different recommended public relations blogs, I found myself gravitating toward PRNewser and Brian Solis’ blog. Both these blogs informed readers of important pieces of news to note in the field.

Another thing I appreciated about these two blogs in particular is their use of tags. As blogs delivering news, both refer to other news sites or previous blog posts–and tag frequently for the convenience of readers.

While Brian Solis’ blog focuses on many different topics, I was particularly struck with his thoughts on social media. In one post, he talks about the importance of planning in regards to use of social media. He argues that not planning ahead will result in failure, and that social media includes a lot more than just Facebook and Twitter.

Another post I particularly enjoyed included several pie charts exploring the demographics of Facebook and Twitter users. I was not surprised to see that most users on both Facebook and Twitter are young, or that the majority of them do not have children at home; however, I was surprised by how many users on both sites have higher education. These charts were both interesting and informative, and got me thinking more about both social networking sites.

PRNewser focuses more on mainstream news, but also talks about ties between the news and social media. One article I found interesting looked into PR’s role in the recent Tunisian presidential scandal. Protests that led their president to flee the country have been organized and publicized through social media, proving to me just how interconnected PR, news and social media are.

I found the PRNewser blog to be easy to read and relevant to my major and interests. One post looks into the audio industry’s slow recovery after an incredible decline, while another explains how the Golden Globes have been sued by its former publicists. Even if the topics would not normally be of interest to me, I really appreciate how PRNewser ties PR and news together in a straightforward fashion.

Both blogs were useful to me and my special interest in news and public relations. Even though they have their differences, both effectively get the message across and left me well-informed.