: About Me

My name is Tonja Johnson. For more than 20 years, I have been actively engaged in the field of communication as both a student and a practitioner. I've spent much of my career as an administrator and communications instructor at universities across the Southeast.

A native of Alabama, I began my college career at the University of Alabama as a New York Times Scholar. I earned both my bachelor's and master's degrees from UA in Mass Communication. I also hold a Ph.D., in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University. Additionally, I also completed the Institute for Education Management at Harvard University.

Over the course of my professional career, I have served as a post-secondary education reporter; a communication specialist; a college instructor; a graphic designer; chief copy editor; and the owner of my own Louisiana-based company, which provided professional writing, marketing and other communication-related services to ministries, non-profit organizations and small businesses.

I've been married for 17 years, and I have a nine-year-old daughter who occupies most of what I consider my "free time". I also have an insanely fun cat whose name is Matlock. In my spare time, I enjoy writing and editing, camping, reading home and garden magazines, crocheting, scrapbooking, and watching re-runs of Matlock.

My passion is ...

Writing and editing

I know too much about ...

the t.v. show Matlock

My parents always told me ...

Look for an opportunity to close your mouth

My childhood ambition ...

Replace Ted Koppel on ABC News Nightline

Why I write ...

The reasons are countless.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Books on Higher Education/Re-runs of Matlock and Bonanza/Celtic Music

My first job ...

Newspaper reporter

My inspiration ...

My seven-year-old daughter

Business > Marketing An introduction to public relations

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If you asked the average person what public relations is all about, their response would probably include something about developing press releases, working with the media, and helping companies shape and maintain their image. In today's professional world, however, public relations (or PR as it is commonly referred) involves much more than that. It is a management function that is not only an art but also a science. Scott Cutlip, Allen Center and Glen Broom (2000), the noted authors of "Effective Public Relations", which is often referred to as the "bible" of the field, suggest that the e...

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