Public relations, like the rest of the media world, is constantly shifting as the digital world provides more outlets for communication, but makes it tougher to break through the clutter and grab someone’s attention. In this ever-changing world, what skills do you need most of all?

NextFifteen CEO Tim Dyson gave his two-cents today on what digital PR pros need to know, in order to excel in the industry, and it has a lot to do with community building or knowing what ignites a community. Our sister site PRNewser picked up his post, and here’s what he said you should know.

They need to understand the basic online analytical tools that are available to capture what is being said on Twitter, Facebook, a Ning or Grouply site etc.  They also need to be able to interpret the results of these social media measurement tools and connect the dots between this data and other data such as traditional media measurement output.

They need to know how to manage a community so that it becomes a real community and not just their client posting to a sea of indifferent followers.

They need to be able to create content that is suited to the various platforms the Internet offers.  This is potentially the most difficult area as it requires PR people to move away for pure text-based content to visual images, audio and video as means of influencing people.  PR people need to be able to think in terms of the impact an image or a video or a  can have on someone’s perception of a brand.

They need to understand search.  This of course means SEO not just how to look something up on Google.  It therefore means knowing how to optimize text, images and video so people find them.  This is an area that is evolving.  Right now all PR people should learn the basics but equally every PR agency should have access to an expert.

Really, that’s good advice for any professional working in media who also relies on a community. And nowadays, who doesn’t rely on community?

The Society for Human Resource Management is launching a new social networking platform&#151as if LinkedIn weren’t enough for you guys&#151and Laurie Ruettimann over at Punk Rock HR spoke with SHRM‘s Chief E-Media and Publishing Officer Gary Rubin. These were some of her suggestions about the soon to be launched site:

You need to give people a reason to visit SHRM on a daily basis. Migrating content and ongoing conversations from the existing website into a new, fancy user interface isn’t going to help create a destination.

SHRM’s social network needs a face, and Lon O’Neil isn’t it. You can’t even get to his biography unless you are a member, which is problem #1. So much of the site is locked behind a wall, and SHRM would benefit from creating a community manager position that operates like a true community manager &#151 someone who is big enough to have a personality that drives traffic to the site but small enough to be a guide. I cited Jason Davis as a good example of a leader, a moderator, and a mediator when his community needs it.

I think the most important part of building a community is creating a space for important conversation and interactions that you can’t get anywhere else. Don’t try to be Facebook because even Facebook sucks at being Facebook. Focus on the purpose of the community &#151 and create a user interface that is flexible enough to adapt and grow as the community matures.

So is she right? Tell us what you think SHRM‘s new network should have and we’ll try to get a sit down with Gary Rubin ourselves to get your voices heard!

In this economy everyone is facing the real possibility of unemployment, but losing your job because of infractions on social media sites? Recruiter Joel Cheesman says this has got to stop!

First there was the Cisco Fatty controversy. Grad student Connor Reily tweeted “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.” Then Tim Levad, Channel Partner at Cisco, tweeted back, “Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.”

Now there is controversy over an Eagles employee fired for posting that he was “devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver…Dam Eagles R Retarted!!!” on his Facebook status.

Cheesman’s reaction to all these social media snafu’s: Really?! Really!? Yeah, that’s roughly how we feel too.

I don’t care if you call your boss a moron or if you say that your company is “retarted”. You’re entitled to your opinion&#151no matter how scathing it is…

When an employee is broadcasting displeasure to the world, the majority of the problem doesn’t exist with the employee. Aside from the “Hey, you know, you should really bring these things up internally,” talk, the blame rests squarely on the employer. When someone is telling everybody but the people they work for what’s wrong with their job, that’s the employer’s problem for not listening.

Want to learn how to deal with these new media dilemmas? Follow the story after the jump.

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For the last year, aside from the reports on Facebook‘s tremendous growth in users and traffic, the number one news item that has accompanied every article about the company is their lack of generated revenue. That may all be changing now.

Peter Currie, former CFO of Netscape, has signed on as temporary CFO for Facebook. Yesterday’s announcement that Gideon Yu was leaving his position as CFO of Facebook due to tense relationships with CEO Mark Zuckerberg had valley tongues waging.

Currie maybe well suited for the job. As BoomTown reports, in 1995 Currie was the hot shot of the valley, taking one of the internet’s first big start-ups public. Netscape, stared by 23-year-old tech wunderkind Marc Andreessen, had a growth that was unparalleled at the time. Much like Facebook today, it also had no revenue stream to speak of at the time.

Along with helping 24-year-old Zuckerberg monetize his site, Currie will be leading the search for a new, permanent CFO.

This should be an interesting challenge for the man who was once considered a giant in the tech industry. In general ad revenue has been down for all media outlets&#151including, to a lesser extent, social networking sites&#151Currie must now go in and start making some large capital gains for a site that has only ever produced modest returns.

The former head of AOL, Jon Miller, is joining News Corp in the new role of CEO, Digital Media reports BoomTown. In this capacity, Miller will oversee the global internet and mobile businesses as well as developing new digital strategies across all News Corp. sites.

Since 2006, Miller has been working with the venture capital firm Velocity, which he founded. This new role is an interesting turn as Miller is just emerging from his non-compete contract with Time Warner, which he has been under since he left the role of AOL CEO three years ago. Previously Miller was barred from taking a seat on Yahoo‘s board of directors by this same contract. Even now Miller can not officially take this new position heading News Corp’s digital media group as his contract is still binding for another three days. News Corp expects to officially announce Miller’s appointment on Tuesday or Wednesday. This is not the only battle Miller will have to face when it comes to News Corp. More on this after the jump.

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