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Search - "journalists"
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So, as everyone knows on here by now (or, a lot of ranters), I am a fervid privacy person.
Appearantly a new surveillance law in my country is about to extend mass surveillance/hacking a lot. So here a rundown of what they are about to be allowed to do (stuff that is not okay imo and this is the reason I am so pro-privacy):
- Mass Data Gathering: The intelligence agency over here (lets call it IA from now) can pretty much record everything send through the country.
- Extra Protection: If they want to conduct surveillance on journalists/lawyers, they have to go through extra channels first at least.
- Data/survaillance sharing: The IA is allowed to share their raw/filtered data with foreign intelligence agencies without limits. Also, they're allowed to conduct surveillance based on foreign requests.
- Secret DNA database: A secret DNA database will be created which can store the DNA profiles of any person who has commited any kind of crime. These profiles are allowed to be stored for a maximum of 30 years. This database is allowed to be shared with any foreign intelligence agency.
- Hacking: Unlimited power to hack any device deemed neccesary to hack in relation to crime. From computers to smartphones and so on. Also, it's allowed to use zero-days without reporting them to the vendor (we have seen what can go wrong with that through the ShadowBrokers scandal).
- Automatic Database Collection: They are allowed to directly tap into any database they see required (banks, healthcare, messaging services and so on). Practically this can lead to backdoors being build in because if you don't cooperate, you can go to prison. (mother of god I am not using anything closed source anymore if possible).
So yeah, this is pretty much the reason why I am so privacy consious. This country is fucked.57 -
Came to work and there ware my boss and CEO waiting there next to my place.
"Hey, you remember that you mentioned yesterday that you had a break through and the thing is finally starting to do something? We have few journalist downstairs can we show them a demo in like five minutes?"
"Ok, give me five minutes and don't click here and there otherwise it blows up."
My boss came back from presentation after ten minutes that it doesn't work, after little investigation turns out to be hw issue, replaced hardware went to the conference room and it worked.
Crazy deadlines? No, just another day at work. -
Overheating The Javascript Ecosystem
Paranoid thought: You know, in the course of every day, being the corrupt piece of shit that I am, whenever I see a scandal or what looks like shenanigans-in-the-making, I ask myself
"Wisecrack, is this a fucking scam or con of some sort?"
I was recently asking myself this about javascript.
Not the language per se, but the ecosystem.
I noticed how there are a thousand CLIs for simple shit. Another four thousand for page long libraries, for simpleton level shit (because prototypes are designed after satans own aborted love-child of object models). I noticed another eight thousand guys imitating steve jobs, talking at conferences and 'change the world' high-on-huffing-my-own-shit TEDX talks like rubyists that don't realize the world has moved on, all to hawk books and inflate CVs for cushy positions at major tech firms and the herd of dicksuckers following the next fad off a cliff like lemmings. And another eight thousand 'tech journalists' pushing them off the cliff while begging for outrage and hype dollars and slowly circling like vultures above the drain that is the ad-based economy.
And I thought to myself.
"Wisecrack, who benefits from all this noisy self-indulgent horseshit? Where is all the money coming from for all these books, conferences, meetings, publications, media, bread, and circuses?"
"I don't know wisecrack. But if I were the CEO of a big company, threatened by the prospect of a universal language, or universal platform, like flash, but one I couldn't kill like flash, I would try to do the most corrupt thing I could think of."
"Whats that wisecrack?"
"I would try to 'overheat' the ecosystem by selectively hiring people from that ecosystem, pumping money into a boatload of similar products, all in the hopes of provoking the equivalent of an immune overreaction, imitators all flooding the ecosystem with the same shit in different packages, self promoting sycophants, aggrenadizing social media idiots, tools sold as tools, hyped as 'the next coming of steve jobs', overcooked shit that focuses on ceremony over functionality, ritual over productivity, documentation over innovation like some sort of amazonion infinite nesting doll hellscape of documents linking to documents linking to documents, each one a new circle of dantes inferno, where the definition of anything links to another document that says "see also xyz", and I would convince them that they had done it to themselves."
And then I would push typescript as their lord, savior, and master. "
"How do you know all this wisecrack?"
"Because I am a piece of shit, and, this is what I would do in any executive's shoes."10 -
http://europarl.europa.eu/news/en/...
"Parliament’s position toughens the Commission’s proposed plans to make online platforms and aggregators liable for copyright infringements. This would also apply to snippets, where only a small part of a news publisher’s text is displayed. In practice, this liability requires these parties to pay right holders for copyrighted material that they make available. Parliament’s text also specifically requires that journalists themselves, and not just their publishing houses, benefit from remuneration stemming from this liability requirement.
At the same time, in an attempt to encourage start-ups and innovation, the text now exempts small and micro platforms from the directive."
So is devRant as a small platform exempted from this or would I or dfox have to pay to get people interested to read their link now? 🤔5 -
The German constitutional court (BverfG) declared many part of the law regulating the German secret agency "Bundesnachrichtendienst" (Federal Intelligence Service; BND) for unlawful and unconstitutional.
The key points:
- The freedom of press and the right for privacy are human rights, not just for Germans
- Uncontrolled and targetless, without protection for e.g. foreign journalists
- No independent control institution
- Lawmakers completely did not mention why they see a reason why human rights can be restricted, but intentionally did not respect them
- There must be specific reasons to give data to other countries' secret agencies
Sources (in German):
- https://spiegel.de/netzwelt/...
- https://golem.de/news/...
-9 -
Rant !Dev
News says FB took a huge plunge and Zuckerburg lost $15 billion in 1 day and this is the result of all the privacy breaches
I'm looking at the price charts and even from my memory, it's still higher than when I checked last time.
Am I missing something or it seems news these days and the headline journalists are just monkeys finding the quickest way to get attention and some money? And reporting things out of context... Too me it just looks like a market correction... Just like bitcoins...
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In Russia we had a creepy robot designed to be some kind of robo kiosk for our local restaurant franchise. When tv journalists came, after some “dialog” the robot looked straight into the poor woman’s eyes and said this:
“A right arm”
“No right arm”
In Russian this sounds like a treat of tearing an arm off. Everything was live on air.
I’m speechless.1 -
Holy fucking shit.
I just read an article about Barton Gellman, one of the journalists that wrote the snowden articles for the Washington Post and one of the 3 that got contacted directly by snowden.
It seams like several intelligence agencies tried/succeeded to compromise his infrastructure.
His iPad got compromised through an RCE exploit.
The turkish intelligence service tried to compromise his laptop by tricking him into installing a customized RAT.
Like fuck man, I can't imagine how it is to be targeted by pretty much every government there is.15 -
Really? Is this the Ubuntu Unity logo? Tech journalists honestly, if you want to write about new tech things write properly with proper information and relevant images. No dev will read that article if you do this kind of blunder.
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I don't mind Apple marketing themselves as these revolutionary thinkers and innovators, because I figured most people see behind the marketing but appreciate Apple for what it is. It's a big company that makes well built products, that are efficient and give good support to those products.
But I'm sick to death of tech journalists talking about how every new feature is the death of Android. They have to be kidding themselves if they think what Apple's doing is innovating. Samsung's been designing screens for the bezelless market for a LONG time, and their technology in that is incredibly advanced (it's why if you use their iPhone x you'll be looking at a screen from Samsung!)
They finally adopted wireless charging and pretended it was brand new, but I remember when they came out with the Apple watch, marketing it like they'd broken ground when Android Wear watches had been out for a year!
I don't want people to think I hate Apple, I own a few of their products. I think they're remarkably invested in user privacy; homekit imo is one of the most forward thinking implementations of smart home technology that I've seen, and the new processor in the iPhone x is a Mammoth powerhouse. So, I'm not necessarily saying anything about that, but what I am saying is that they're iñcredible at marketing, but fanboys but are not self-aware can enough to recognize when the Designed-by-Apple hype over shadows the actual objectivity or the situation. There are articles already talking about Apple's wireless charging.
TL;DR I swear to god if an apple fanboy comes at me saying the bezelless design was Apple's innovation, I'm going to snap. I appreciate what Apple does well, but unfortunately people can't appreciate a product without needing to identify with it.6 -
Is it just me, or are the media / journalists once again putting a stupidly unfair pessimistic spin on that SpaceX launch?
"SpaceX rocket launches but explodes shortly into flight"
"Musk's SpaceX big rocket explodes on test flight"
"SpaceX rocket explosion: None injured or killed"
They've said time and time again, it's the first test of a massively complex rocket that's bigger than anything that's ever gone before it, and success is just defined as "getting off the launch pad" and collecting data. They did that and then some.
But instead of spreading excitement about the data, the fact it launched, that it's a world first, etc. - it's all doom and gloom, implying that the whole thing was a failure and people could have died 🙄
And people wonder why I have a low opinion of journalists.13 -
Well it's a bit long but worth reading, two crazy stories in one rant:
So there are 2 things to consider as being my first job. If entrepreneurship counts, when I was 16 my developer friend and I created a small local music magazine website. We had 2 editors and 12 writers, all music enthusiasts of more or less our age. We used a CMS to let them add the content. We used a non-profit organization mentorship and got us a mentor which already had his exit, and was close to his next one. The guy was purely a genius, he taught us all about business plans, advertising, SEO, no-pay model for the young journalists (we promised to give formal journalist certificates and salary when the site grows up)
We hired a designer, we hired a flash expert to make some advertising campaigns and started filling the site with content.
Due to our programming enthusiasm we added to the raw CMS some really cool automation: We scanned our country's radio charts each week using a cron job and the charts' RSS, made a bot to search the songs on youtube and posted the first search result as an embedded video using some reg-exps. This was one of the most fun coding times I've had. Doing these crazy stuff with none to little prior knowledge really proved me I can do anything with the power of will.
Then my partner travelled to work in an internship in the Netherlands and I was too lazy to continue it on my own and it closed, not so surprisingly for a 16 years old slacker boy.
Then the mentor offered my real first job. He had a huge forum (14GB of historical SQL) but it was dying, the CMS version was very old and he wanted me to upgrade it to the latest. It didn't seem hard at first, because there were very clear instructions in the CMS website on how to do that. However, the automation upgrade scripts didn't work well because the forum owners added some raw code (not MVC plugins but bad undocumented code) and some columns to the SQL tables. I didn't give up and decided to migrate between the versions without the scripts. I opened a new CMS and started learning by heart all of the database columns so I can make a script to migrate between the versions. The first tests ran forever because processing 14GB of data on a single home computer is not a task meant to be done. I didn't give up. I made an old forum and compared the table structures and code with my mentor's. I think I didn't exhaustively finish this solution, the task was too big on my shoulders and eventually I gave up. I still owe thanks for that mentor for teaching me how to bare with seemingly (and practically) impossible tasks, for learning not to fear from being a leader and an entrepreneur and also for paying me in time even though I didn't deliver anything 😂 -
What the fucking fuck is this bullshit?!
I feel like most journalists don't even have brains.
I wake up and I can't fucking turn my head or move my arms so I try to turn on TalkBack with my left hand since I can't fucking see what's on the damn screen of my phone. I google something along the lines of "jammed neck muscles" and as I am in so much pain that I am involuntarily crying I start to search for some way to limit the pain. "Jammed neck muscles? Try these few steps!", you open the page and they proceed to put 10 pages of non-sense in front of the actual steps - every single fucking article. DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE THE IQ OF A CENTIPEDE?!! After 12 minutes of this shit that I had to listen to I just said fuck it and somehow managed to throw myself off the bed and onto the ground - where I landed on all four and was somehow able to stand up and grab some Theraflu forte(apparently paracetamol is the best cure for jammed neck muscles and I know that there are 1000mg of it in one packet of theraflu) from my cardboard box full of meds.4 -
Don’t be evil.
“Stapleton said she was demoted and told to take medical leave, even though she wasn’t ill. Meredith Whittaker, an artificial intelligence researcher, said she was reassigned and told to stop her well-known research on AI ethics. Both women detailed their experiences in an email to coworkers in April, which was then shared with journalists at Wired and published.”
https://vox.com/policy-and-politics...3 -
I just read about the 'Learn to Code' nonsense. It seems some journalists told coal miners to learn coding for a living. Wtf.. As a person doing formal CS education after 1 year of work, i take offense for that comment. Coding jobs are dragged to the ground by these comments which imply that coding is a no skill, for everyone job. Opinions ?3
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One of the biggest IT magazines in Germany just posted an article with the caption: "What is coming up with Android O and will it fix the update drama?"
Are u fcking kidding me?! Android is not the problem in that case and no new version will fix a problem, that is related to upcoming versions of android, which are distributed by external providers, that are fcking independent from google... Wtf..6 -
"This deal is an important step towards correcting a situation which has allowed a few companies to earn huge sums of money without properly remunerating the thousands of creatives and journalists whose work they depend on.
At the same time, this deal contains numerous provisions which will guarantee that the internet remains a space for free expression. These provisions were not in themselves necessary because the directive will not be creating any new rights for rights holders. Yet we listened to the concerns raised and chose to doubly guarantee the freedom of expression. The ‘meme’, the ‘gif’, the ‘snippet’ are now more protected than ever before.
I am also glad that the text agreed today pays particular attention to sheltering start-ups. Tomorrow’s leading companies are the start-ups of today and diversity depends on a deep pool of innovative, dynamic, young companies.
This is a deal which protects people’s living, safeguards democracy by defending a diverse media landscape, entrenches freedom of expression, and encourages start-ups and technological development. It helps make the internet ready for the future, a space which benefits everyone, not only a powerful few."
- Axel Voss, 2019 -
"Averice - a serial novel"
2021 - found on the remnents of an old 'youtube' server rack.
A gaunt but handsome man walks into the view finder. Adjusts the camera. "Hi guys and girls." he smiles weakly. rubs his blonde unshaved stubble, running his hand over his mouth, inhaling as if trying to find the right words.
"How can I say this. god. ...americas fucked and rapidly going down the shitter,
college is a fucking scam,
all success in the modern day is based on fraud, bullshit, mythmaking, and "who you know."
we're on the verge of a new cold war, the merger of the fed and the treasury combine with negative oil is the legit death signal of the petrodollar, we're gonna go through a *50% haircut* in living standards and a doubling of taxes on *everything* in the next six months, the tech bubble is gonna burst taking with it half the industry jobs overnight, the credit bubble will burst even as the fucking stock market climbs higher, a quarter or more of all retail will shut down leaving empty assets turning every state property market into the equivalent of fucking detroit. MAD as a protective doctrine is dead with the spread of hypersonic weapons so enjoy living with the constant threat of being obliterated without warning, my entire generation basically has no meaningful or stable future to look forward to, and none of us have really had an actual, genuine say in anything involving society for decades."
He exhalled visibly on camera, as if exhausted by the demons of anxiety he'd poured forth, a torrent of fears, uncertainties, and revelations like the tormented ghost of christmas past
A long pull from a bottle of southern comfort.
"look. we have an out of control intelligence apparatus that are in their operation more orwellian than the real life stasi ever were, a government at both the federal and state level thats made of millionaires and billionaires who give no fucks at all except for their own power, out of control and absolutely dogshit-corrupt *local* leaders, nothing is audited, nothing is meaningfully transparented, rampant fraud, destruction of evidence, witness tampering, railroading, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, skyrocketing cost of living, skyrocketing spending, skyrocketing taxes, skyrocketing policies of total control by police, skyrocketing homelessness, fatherlessness, poverty, political corruption, drug abuse, massive politically funded thinly veiled state propaganda, collapsing and decaying infrastructure, the loss of all tradition, culture, community cohesion we might have had, and on and on and on and on.
and all I want right now is to get my dick sucked. drink a beer and blow my motherfucking brains out.
and when people start fighting in the streets over some bullshit and it turns into race riots, because the motherfuckers in the media serving wallstreet always make it about race or some stupid shit like that, I wont be in america to put up with it.
do us all a favor. when you're hanging bankers, hang some fucking journalists too. they never tell the truth. doesnt matter which side they are on
they only divide people and advocate for more of the same bullshit, expanded state powers, more federal dollars, more workers for their campaign, more privileges. they're fucking cancer. yes even your favorite journalist. they're a tumor on society.
our government has become hostile to us even being *alive* anymore. it has for me become intolerable, and in time I have grown to hate it.
there is no way to change it. no way to salvage it. I cannot see any hope for the future anymore. And if you search yourself I know many of you feel the same."
He took another long pull from the bottle.
"we no longer have a voice in america and no means to air our grievances peacefully.
theres nothing in it left worth saving when it all can be taken away at a moments notice by a deaf and hostile bureucratic government. I should have voted for bernie last year. At least he would have destroyed it.
many of you will disagree with this sentiment, thinking things can still work out. because you still have your creature comforts. your apartment which you cant afford. your car with its maintenace bills and monthly payments you've fallen behind on same as half the country now out of work, but in a short few months, a year at most, you will learn what I have learned, and the reason I drink, what I knew about as early as june of 2019, that this is it. this was as good as it was ever going to get. and that the good days, the best days are behind us. that all that you hold dear could be taken. all that you worked for, was already gone, and you just havent realized it yet. I've set this to autoupload once it's done recording. I built a company just to watch the people who dont want any of us to succeed burn america down around it. Im done. Goodbye america."
The man got up from his chair, camera still recording, and left. Only the red flashing dot remained, the only witness to the silence.12 -
Journalists reading tweets sent by grand ayatollah Khamenei live on argentinian TV is kinda surreal but I guess this is where we're at now.2
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ETHICAL HACKING SERVICES/CYBER SECURITY EXPERTS HIRE BLOCKCHAIN CYBER RETRIVE
I first met Sarah at St. James Episcopal Church in Los Angeles during a Sunday service. We struck up a conversation, and over time, we became friends, sharing stories about our lives and our work. Sarah, a seasoned journalist, has always been passionate about telling the truth, unraveling complex issues, and holding those in power accountable. However, she never expected that her trust in the digital world would lead her to become a victim of a well-organized scam.It all started when Sarah received an email that appeared to be from a reputable media subscription service. The email promised access to exclusive industry insights and breaking news stories for a small monthly fee. As a journalist, she recognized the value of staying ahead of the curve with the latest information, and so, she signed up for what she believed was a legitimate service. What she didn’t realize was that the entire operation was a scam designed to prey on professionals like her.The scam website looked remarkably legitimate, with polished graphics and professional language. Sarah was asked to provide payment upfront, and she paid $11,000 for what she thought was a comprehensive subscription package. Within a few days, however, the website disappeared, and Sarah was locked out of her account. Emails went unanswered, and the phone numbers listed on the website were disconnected.Devastated and unsure of where to turn, Sarah shared her ordeal with me. She had lost a significant amount of money, and the situation felt hopeless. But that's when I suggested she contact Blockchain Cyber Retrieve, a firm specializing in recovering funds lost to online scams. Sarah took my advice and reached out to the team at Blockchain Cyber Retrieve, hoping they could help her retrieve her hard-earned money. To her relief, Blockchain Cyber Retrieve acted quickly and efficiently. After conducting a thorough investigation, they were able to trace the funds and successfully recover the full $11,000 that Sarah had lost to the scam. Sarah was incredibly grateful to get all of her money back, and she felt a renewed sense of trust in recovery services.This experience left a lasting impact on her, and she now shares her story with fellow journalists and media professionals, warning them of the dangers of falling for scams in the digital age. Sarah’s story serves as a crucial reminder for all of us to remain vigilant, especially in an age where technology has made it easier for scammers to exploit our trust. If you find yourself in such situations dont hesitate to reach out to Blockchain Cyber Retrieve via:
WhatsApp: .+ 1 52 0 564 8300
EmaiL: blockchaincyberretrieve @ post {.} c o m support@ blockchaincyberretrieve.org1 -
RECOVER SCAMMED USDT FROM ONLINE SCAMMERS HIRE ADWARE RECOVERY SPECIALIST
I first met Sarah at St. James Episcopal Church in Los Angeles during a Sunday service. We struck up a conversation, and over time, we became good friends, bonding over our personal stories and professional experiences. Sarah, an experienced journalist, had built her career on uncovering the truth, exposing corruption, and holding those in power accountable. But despite her keen eye for deception, she never imagined she would fall victim to a sophisticated online scam. WhatsApp info:+12 (72332)—8343
It all began when Sarah received an email from what appeared to be a reputable media subscription service. The offer seemed legitimate—exclusive access to industry insights and breaking news for a small monthly fee. As a journalist, staying ahead of the curve was essential, so she eagerly signed up for what she believed was a valuable resource. Website info: h t t p s:// adware recovery specialist. com
The website looked professional, with polished graphics and convincing language. Sarah was prompted to pay upfront, and she invested $11,000 in what she thought was a premium subscription package. But within days, the website vanished. Her login credentials no longer worked, her emails went unanswered, and the phone numbers listed were disconnected.
Shocked and devastated, Sarah confided in me about what had happened. She felt helpless, having lost a significant sum of money to an invisible predator. That’s when I suggested she reach out to ADWARE RECOVERY SPECIALIST, a firm dedicated to recovering funds lost to online scams. Desperate for a solution, she contacted them immediately. Email info: Adware recovery specialist (@) auctioneer. net
To her relief, the team at ADWARE RECOVERY SPECIALIST acted swiftly. Through a meticulous investigation, they traced the stolen funds and successfully recovered the full $11,000. Sarah was overwhelmed with gratitude—not only had she regained her hard-earned money, but she also restored her faith in recovery services. Telegram info: h t t p s:// t. me / adware recovery specialist1
Determined to help others avoid a similar fate, Sarah now shares her story with fellow journalists and media professionals, raising awareness about the growing threat of digital scams. Her experience serves as a powerful reminder that even the most vigilant among us can be deceived, and that having the right support can make all the difference.
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The Benefits of Networking for Public Relations Professionals
Networking is a fundamental aspect of public relations (PR) that can significantly enhance a professional’s career and effectiveness. In an industry where relationships are paramount, the ability to connect with others can open doors to new opportunities, insights, and collaborations. This article explores the various benefits of networking for PR professionals and provides strategies for effective networking.
Building Strong Relationships
At its core, networking is about building and nurturing relationships. For PR professionals, these relationships extend beyond journalists and media contacts to include clients, colleagues, and industry peers. Strong relationships can facilitate collaboration, provide support during challenging times, and lead to referrals and recommendations. According to a report by 5WPR, networking is the lifeblood of public relations; it is the secret sauce that can turn good PR professionals into great ones. By cultivating these connections, PR practitioners can create a robust support system that enhances their effectiveness in the field.
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Career Advancement
Many job opportunities in PR are not advertised publicly; instead, they are filled through referrals and recommendations from within professional networks. Networking can lead to mentorship opportunities and career growth that may not be accessible otherwise. By establishing connections with influential figures in the industry, PR professionals can position themselves for advancement and gain insights into job openings before they become widely known.
Industry Insights
Engaging with peers through networking events provides a platform for discussing industry trends, challenges, and best practices. These insights can be invaluable for refining PR strategies and staying ahead of the curve. Regular interactions with other professionals allow individuals to share knowledge about emerging trends and techniques that may impact their work. This collaborative learning environment fosters innovation and creativity within the field.
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Expanding Professional Networks
Attending networking events such as industry conferences, seminars, and webinars is essential for expanding professional networks. These events provide fertile ground for meeting like-minded individuals who share similar interests and goals. Engaging in conversations during these gatherings can lead to meaningful connections that may result in future collaborations or partnerships.
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Providing Value
Networking is a two-way street; it’s essential for PR professionals to offer value to their contacts as well. By sharing relevant articles, providing introductions to other contacts, or offering expertise on specific topics, individuals can strengthen connections within their networks. This reciprocal approach fosters goodwill and encourages others to return the favor when needed.
Following Up
After meeting someone at a networking event or engaging online, following up with a personalized message or email is crucial for maintaining the relationship. A simple thank-you note or an acknowledgment of a shared conversation reinforces interest in continuing the connection. This step demonstrates professionalism and commitment to nurturing relationships over time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, networking is an essential component of success for public relations professionals. The benefits of networking include building strong relationships, accessing valuable resources, advancing careers, gaining industry insights, enhancing pitching opportunities, expanding professional networks, leveraging social media effectively, providing value to contacts, following up diligently, joining professional associations, exploring global opportunities, and participating in virtual events.6


