1. Kylie Rudder
October 5, 2015
Media Writing
Media Professional Q&A
Eric Earnhart is the public relations director on the president’s staff at Virginia Tech. He
received his bachelor’s degree in communication from Missouri Southern State University and
went back to school at age 52 to complete an interdisciplinary master’s degree in psychology and
writing from Western New Mexico University. Earnhart spent 15 years working in journalism
before making the transition to working for a public relations firm where he spent one year. After
that, he began his 14-year career working for what is now Carilion Clinic doing media relations.
Earnhart gave the following interview to Kylie Rudder for a Media Writing assignment.
[Edited for content]
Do you think it helped you to go from working in journalism to working in public
relations?
It helped me at the time. I guess this was back in 2000 because I had a very strong knowledge of
how the media worked and what the media did. That allowed me to engage with members of the
media and meet their needs in a way that satisfied them and hopefully made it more likely we
would get positive coverage. It was valuable. I am not sure it is as valuable anymore because
back then, the news media was a completely unique thing. People did not have television studios
in their houses. They didn’t have the ability to broadcast, record or publish, but now anybody
can. What the media does now is the same thing that everybody else does every day. They are
tweeting; they are on Facebook. I don’t think it is as necessary now. I think it is important to be
well-grounded in social media and how people think. I don’t think you need to be in the news
media for that. One thing that has not changed and will never change is you have to be a good
writer. If you are in public relations, you have to be able to write and to write well. You will
never regret working on your writing.
What do you do during a normal workday?
It will begin on Mondays when I meet with Kim O’Rourke, who is the president’s chief of staff.
We go over the president’s calendar. Typically, we’ll look ahead a couple of months,
specifically, for my purposes at his speaking engagements. I will use that to plan. In many cases,
it may be writing remarks for a formal presentation. It might be writing some background
information and talking points for an informal roundtable discussion. Essentially, I’m kind of a
reporter. When the president has an opportunity to speak to a group, I’m able to go in and find
out who’s going to be in the audience, what their background is and what information they’re
interested in hearing from him. That way I can provide him with some feedback. My job is to
also keep up with his evolving messages, thoughts and things that he is saying about the
university and put those into the remarks and talking points. People call me a speechwriter, but I
don’t create his words. If I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, I’m curating his thoughts
and words and taking things he is saying and thinking, as the university grows and evolves, and
incorporating those into written speeches and remarks that he would write himself if he had time.
One of my primary roles is to buy him time.

2. Kylie Rudder
October 5, 2015
Media Writing
Media Professional Q&A
What is your interest in working in the university setting?
I went back to school because I wanted to have the degree, and it was helpful for me at Carilion.
I hadn’t been in college for 30 years, but I loved it. Even though it was online and I wasn’t
actually going to a class, I found myself going to Panera Bread to study. I liked just going
somewhere. I loved the academic environment I was in with my instructors and classmates. I
loved doing the assignments; I was really engaged in the learning environment. After I
graduated, I taught a couple of psychology classes at Virginia Western, and I taught a public
speaking class at Jefferson College of Health Sciences. That just reinforced that I really enjoyed
being in that academic environment. That led me to start looking to see what would combine an
academic environment with public relations and writing. I was very excited to come here. Plus,
I’ve had a history with Virginia Tech. I was around with what went on with the university in the
80s. I was here and worked very closely with the folks at Virginia Tech on April 16. We had
students who were in two of our hospitals, and I took a lot of calls from faculty and family.
Tragedies connect people. I felt connected to the university in an additional way, having gone
through that. I have nothing but admiration and respect for how the university and Dr. Steger
responded. The fact that it was a higher education position and the fact it was at Virginia Tech,
those two things, I had to apply for this job.
What strengths do you have that help you in your career?
I definitely see myself as being pretty good at relationship building and being able to determine
and anticipate what other people and stakeholders need. It was this way in journalism, too. The
power or influence that you have is based on the value that you bring to other people. The more
that I can be valuable to other people, the more they will likely be valuable to me. In public
relations, I would look at it this way: if I’m a valuable source to somebody, they won’t be likely
to burn me on a story. The way I try to approach things is to bring as much value to people in the
community where you exist. That’s one of the reasons I like Virginia Tech. You really are
existing in a community, not just a workplace. That value transaction seems to mean that much
more; it makes the job easier to do.
What do you consider to be your greatest professional achievement?
There are so many levels. I don’t know if it’s my greatest professional achievement but a couple
years ago I participated in a 48-hour novel writing contest. The contest was to write a novel of at
least 30,000 words in 48 hours. The contest was in Roanoke. The novel had to be based in or
around Roanoke and had to include several different aspects of the region. I stayed up for 48
straight hours and did not sleep. I actually got the novel done and was the co-winner of the first
prize. I’m not sure how good the story was, but there is something about knowing you can write
30,000 words if you have to.
I also consider having this job a significant professional accomplishment. You think back on
things that affected you and your career. Honestly, I go back to April 16. I don’t know if
anything can ever come close to dealing with that because there was so much at stake for the

3. Kylie Rudder
October 5, 2015
Media Writing
Media Professional Q&A
school, the survivors and the families. I think all of us who were involved in that just really
focused ourselves on doing whatever we could to get them through the process. Everybody
involved did an amazing job. I feel very honored to have been a part of that, just from my part at
Carilion. I’m also pretty proud of going back to school and getting a master’s degree at the age
of 52. It was career-changing; it is what set me on the career path that brought me here.
I’d say you’ve been very successful.
I’ve been fortunate; I’m happy to be where I am. I’ve had some really excellent opportunities
that were dropped in my lap. To be able to be here in the president’s office and to be a part of,
not a big part, but just a part of what is going to evolve at Virginia Tech is great. In a sense, I was
able to do that at Carilion because I was there when they evolved from Carilion Health System
into what is now Carilion Clinic. I got to write the press release to announce the medical school,
and I was there when they announced it. I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to be in the
room or maybe next door when a lot of really important things have happened in the Roanoke
Valley. I hope to be in the room when some important things happen at Virginia Tech. It’s very
satisfying to be engaged with people who are visionary, positive and really trying to make a
difference. To feel that, on some level, you can help them with that is really special.
What motivates you in your job?
There is something satisfying about writing a perfect sentence; I can’t explain it but there is
something about it. It’s fun when you come up with press releases that click and actually get
traction. With this job particularly, there are so many great people. I get to look forward to an
entire career of meeting new, great people. It doesn’t get much better than that.
What advice would you give a student who aspires to have your job one day?
Write as much as you can, and read good writing. Read what you enjoy; you have to really
immerse yourself in it. Writing well is a key component, and you just have to do it. The other
thing, which is harder for me, is editing yourself. Practice and get used to going back over your
work. Every time you go over it, you will find some way to make it better. Write and rewrite is
my advice.
How have you balanced your career with your family and personal life?
How I balanced TV was to leave. When you are the only media relations contact for an
organization the size of Carilion, you are getting phone calls at all hours of the day and night.
You have to make sure you are taking time because you can’t provide value to your work
community and ignore providing value to your family. Sometimes it’s difficult because this is
what supports the family, but it’s not worth losing them. That’s another thing that is nice about
this position; I’m not dealing with news media or on call 24/7 like I was for the first 30 years of
my career. There is a little bit more time to work on family. Also, the other thing I like about this
job is it’s going to give me the opportunity to be more involved in the community because in

4. Kylie Rudder
October 5, 2015
Media Writing
Media Professional Q&A
journalism you can’t have community involvement. I didn’t have time while I was at Carilion
since I was on call 24/7. Now, I am looking forward to being a part of Virginia Tech. They
support involvement in community and giving back; I’m ready for that.
In public relations, is who you know or what you know more important?
In public relations, it is very much who you know. By that I mean it is the ability to develop
relationships and in journalism, too. Nobody is ever going to be an expert on anything. Being
able to know who to ask the questions to or who to ask who to ask because sometimes it is
knowing who can tell me where to go to find the other person who can tell me the answer. Who
you know means developing relationships and being able to maintain relationships with people.
That is the key. Honestly, you are never going to know enough information but if we know
people we can find out and get what we need.
Is the success of Virginia Tech due to its brand?
Yes and no, because the brand evolved out of what the university really was. The brand was a
reflection of what was there and then the brand attracts the kind of people that are going to
associate with that core, and then it grows. It really becomes a positive cycle, where the brand
brings in the kind of people who are going to reinforce the brand. I think that is one of the
exciting things about Virginia Tech. Look at the record number of freshmen. At a lot of other
schools, enrollment is going down. You see the result of the public relations being able to
communicate the brand. If you can’t communicate it, nobody will know about it. There has to be
some validity and truth because a working, powerful brand has to have basis in fact and truth. PR
is more than just pretty words.
Who runs President Sands’ Twitter account? You can be honest with me.
He does; I’m dead serious. One of the challenges of this job is you spend so much time writing,
so you don’t get to hang around and watch what he is doing. One of the ways that I keep up with
what is going on with him and what he is interested in is following his Twitter feed. I can’t
attend all of his speeches. One of the ways I can tell if it went well is I will watch for him to
tweet about it. That is all him; I’m not lying.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I feel really fortunate to be here. There aren’t many people, at age 54, who get to start a third
career in something this fun, cool and intellectually stimulating. I’m very happy to be here.