Social media geeks pretty much have this topic dialed, nearly too much so, but I’m surprised when I talk with my peers and many are out-of-date not only on where social media is going but what tools are needed to be a participant.

I consider public relations as embracing social media to be a given. The reality is that this is not the case: PR people still are not using the widely available (and mostly free) tools out there to communicate their messages.

On the flipside, social media folks often don’t have a clue about public relations, particularly in the areas of measurement and strategic messaging. Whereas my younger peers are quick to jump onto social media bandwagons, usually with good reason, the strategic use of such media is often overlooked and not clearly considered (one exception I follow is Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour Work Week).

That aside, there are requisite tools for today’s public relations. Today’s new media means in fact that the tables are turned on traditional news media. No longer are we dependant upon news media to deliver our message; at the same time, if done right, we never really should have been in the first place.

What this means, PR pro, is that you should consider that YOU are today’s media. Not your blogger friend, nor your favorite reporters, nor your cheeky pitch to and subsequent heavily filtered feature in the L.A. Times. All of those are fine and admirable. But if you want to get your message out now, the tools are out there ready for you to use.

I’m going to cover the hardware needed to be a walking new-media machine. (I will get into the software at a later date.) This is a mandatory list of hardware for today’s PR, pretty much in this order:

• Cell phone/smartphone/iPhone/Blackberry capable of tethering high-speed Internet to a laptop, instant messaging, synched contacts and email, document editing capabilities and so on
• Laptop capable of high-speed Internet access in remote areas (optional but recommended: wireless keyboard and wireless mouse)
• Camera with a minimum of 5-6 megapixel capabilities
• Video camera that can transfer video directly into your laptop
• Optional: quality audio recording capabilities, probably a pocket-sized digital audio recorder (MP3 players can fit the bill here if needed)
• Chargers and/or back-up batteries for all of the above

Here’s why each is necessary. A cell phone is a no-brainer, but today’s devices and today’s PR needs mean that at a minimum a phone capable of receiving email in real time is necessary. If a reporter contacts you by email and needs a response by a 5 p.m. deadline, there is no excuse for you not to reply, even if it’s already mid-afternoon.

The laptop. During the Steve Fossett search, I tagged along one (very long) day assisting as a state PIO (public information officer). My laptop tethered to by Blackberry was the only working Internet connection we had all day. It was how all news releases and e-media relations were done that day.

A camera. Stories sans images can be dull and lifeless. If you need to upload your images to create a Flickr slideshow at (or during ) the event you are covering (see an example here), you need both remote Internet access and a quality camera. Basic photography tips can be found here. These tips will make the difference between the mediocre and eye-catching. I’ve been shooting semi-professionally for nearly 20 years and I still shoot 80-percent of the time using the camera’s automatic settings, but knowing the camera’s functions inside and out can be a lifesaver.

Video. Even low-quality video will fit right in with Youtube standards, but that’s not necessarily an excuse for being sub-par. The need to capture decent video in real-time or near real-time is almost a given anymore. Most news outlets have enhanced video capabilities online, and you should be thinking the same. Here are some basic video tips.

Audio. Along with quality video, quality audio is NOT often hand-in-hand with video. On-board mics on consumer-level video cameras usually suck. Like, really badly. Knowing this, there are two remedies: 1. Ensuring your video camera has an input for an external mic, or 2. Recording audio separately on a different device to later be synched with the video track. This can be done using a high-quality and fairly inexpensive digital audio recorder.

Backups. Sometimes capturing the right moment will make a huge difference in your story and how it ultimately is viewed. That said, a low-quality cell-phone video may end up with high viewership if it’s all that’s available and the story is hot enough.

In the end, not having each of these items doesn’t mean you are inherently behind the curve. But having them will put you ahead of the story and you will ultimately better control your message. More and more, that is becoming the heart of public relations.

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