Fifty shades of PR
What shade of PR do you practice? I believe that “PR is what PR does” which offers a broad perspective encompassing many shades.
In a recent PR Conversations post, Fraser Likely, said he didn’t “do” PR. Rather he advises on the management of PR functions. This is a shade of PR.
Similarly, the Melbourne [...]
Grunig PR Masterclass: Insight into diversity and excellence
This post offers a video recording of a recent lecture given by Larissa and James Grunig at New York University – courtesy of Toni Muzi Falconi, who kindly introduces the video below. In addition, Heather Yaxley provides a brief overview of the highlights of the lecture.
We extend our thanks to James, Larissa and Toni [...]
PRoust Questionnaire: Al Clarke
The PRoust Questionnaire provides a quick insight into a public relations practitioner’s interests and point of view, as well as his or her professional beliefs and values.
If you are not familiar with the original 19th-century Proust Questionnaire, please see details at the end of this post.
PRoust Questionnaire answers from Al Clarke:
1. What is your most striking [...]
Integrated reporting and strategic public relations
Guest post by Benita Steyn
In November 2011, Benita Steyn and Estelle de Beer from South Africa delivered a paper, The Strategic Role of Public Relations in the Process of Integrated Reporting at the Corporate Governance and Strategic Communication Congress in Milan, Italy.
We welcome back contributor alumna, Benita Steyn, who kindly agreed to provide [...]
Do you know where you’re going to? Public relations career advice
What was your route into public relations? In 1943, Averill Broughton (a public relations and advertising executive with his own firm) interviewed leading PR executives for his book, Careers in Public Relations: The new profession. He observed that these successful practitioners had:
“backed into the field, as it were, by accident, and sat down. Afterwards it [...]
Sex sells – faking it in public relations
Women are successful in public relations – UK data shows a 64:36 female:male gender split in an industry worth £7.5bn. In particular, young women are attracted to the occupation – dominating specialist degree courses (by 4:1 in my experience) and reflecting the largest demographic group in practice.
The secret of their success is often stated as [...]
Future leaders need more than digital PR
Everywhere you look, those starting out on a career in public relations are urged to focus on developing skills in digital PR. But as such competencies shortly will be little more than a commodity possessed by most young graduates and practitioners in the field (as well as many with years of experience), future leaders will [...]
The serious business of public relations
It is interesting that the word ‘consultant’ derives from the Latin, consultare, meaning to debate or discuss. That implies its function is to assist in two-way communications – yet, the role of management consultancy is positioned as assisting organizations to improve performance, through logical analysis and development of plans. The focus is more on management [...]
PR lessons from 2010 – the year of the mega crisis
Undoubtedly 2010 has been the year of the mega crisis, which as the Guardian’s City editor, Richard Wachman recently commented [when talking about BP's reaction to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill] provide ‘a textbook example of how not to do things and will be studied by students of PR for years to come’.
Not suprisingly, [...]
Facing up to the PR talent challenge
One of the interesting outcomes of my position on the boundary of PR academia and practice is that I’m often asked for recommendations about finding PR talent.
This frequently applies to recruiting placement students (interns) or young graduate practitioners. However, at the PR career starting point, there are many who advocate a specialist degree is not [...]