Postcards from the Brink: An Insider’s Perspective

Brittany Kenner

Photo by Ava Munsey

What do public relations, a Murray State student, a content creation class and a travel website have in common? Well, I was one of 7 students tasked with launching a travel website, “Postcards from the Brink.” This experiential learning project has been a real-life experience at what it’s like to be a travel influencer. Let’s break this project down, shall we?

We can start with the biggest question: What is it?

“Postcards from the Brink” is a website highlighting travel, attractions and events in Western Kentucky. The goal with this website is to both give us, as students, a sneak peek at what it will be like to work in a professional setting while also stimulating the economy in Western Kentucky by encouraging travel. 

On the Verge is described on the website as “a micro influencer blog for travel and tourism in Western Kentucky” for the Content Creation class at Murray State University. To me, On the Verge is a place for us to highlight the things that are near and dear to our hearts that we’ve found during our time here at MSU. On campus, off campus, anywhere in Western Kentucky is free game for us to explore and write about.

Wayfaring Artifacts is our multimedia home. Anything multimedia that we create will live here. We’re currently working on a video piece (about Murray, KY) and we’ve created multiple podcasts that you can find on the Wayfaring Artifacts page.

Precipice is similar to On the Verge, but meant for Dr. Hinton’s study abroad students to have a place to chronicle their time abroad. Dr. Hinton takes students all over the world for Journalism, Mass Communications courses, so it just makes sense to give them a chance to become a travel influencer, even if it is just for a short time.

Battered Luggage is a home for Dr. Hinton herself to write all there is about her traveling adventures, both local and international. 

So, what did you do?

Well, we were each given a position as if this were a real Public Relations travel site (which it is). My title is Webmaster, which sounds much fancier than it actually is. I manage the site and upload the content. We also have a social media coordinator, graphic designer, multimedia specialist, editor, traditional PR coordinator and a liaison with the Murray Convention and Visitors Bureau. We created all of the content for the site, including blogs, multimedia pieces like videos and podcasts, as well as news releases to send to local outlets to publicize the project. 

Okay, but why?

Good question. We asked the same of our professor, Dr. Marcie Hinton. “I wanted a class project that would give students the opportunity to publish material and partner with professionals in public relations, so they could gain experience and portfolio material as well as real time analytics that provide feedback on the quality of their work,” said Hinton. That partnership was extremely important in the creation of this project. 

Partnering with the CVB

We partnered with the Murray Convention and Visitors Bureau. Erin Carrico, Executive Director, and Kayla Speis, Director of Marketing and Communications, came to visit our class at the beginning of the semester. They gave us a brief overview of what they do at the CVB and how it helps the economy of our small town. They were mentors to us during this project, answering any questions we had and even letting us interview them for one of our podcasts. Dr. Hinton wanted this project to be as realistic as possible and that includes getting comfortable communicating with business associates and upper management. Partnering with the CVB gave us that experience that I believe we would have been lacking without the partnership. 

So, what did you learn?

My biggest takeaway from this semester-long project was just how much there is to do in Western Kentucky. Yes, I learned a ton about writing and creating content for public relations, some of which I’m already using in my current internship. Yes, I learned how to work in a group and also apply my knowledge from other classes to a real-life setting. However, the real lightbulb moment for me was when I realized I’ve been missing out on so much for my entire life, just because I overlooked all that there was to experience. I grew up in Western Kentucky. I thought I had done everything there was to do. I was wrong. Even those of us who live here full time can still experience the wonders of the area. From barn quits to mini golf to amazing food, there is always something new to experience.