Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Motion

The art of smart thinking in public relations

This PR Conversations post looks at the challenges in attracting smart people to build sustainable careers in public relations, by sharing a conversation that I’ve had with Ann Pilkington, founder of PR Academy, the largest provider of professional PR qualifications in the UK.  Dr. Heather Yaxley It seems to me that there’s a perennial debate in public relations about the merits of experience versus qualifications. Indeed, research I’ve undertaken looking at the evolution of professional PR qualifications...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Axis

The dimensions of PR history: 60 x 75 x 94 x 350,000

One of the delightful developments from the International History of Public Relations Conference (IHPRC) and growing interest in the antecedents of the field is the publication of some wonderful books. In particular, two series have gone from strength to strength. The first is the collection of scholarly texts edited by Kevin Moloney: New Directions in Public Relations and Communication Research. Their popularity among the academic community is such that the excellent Gender and Public Relations...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Axis

Made by history – a book collector’s story

Martin Luther King’s call to be a “transformed nonconformist” (in the book From Strength to Love written in 1963) is history, but it is a call that remains valid in our modern world. King felt a shift had occurred from individualism to collectivism arguing: “We are not makers of history; we are made by history.” Rather than adopting a “view that is so ambiguous that it will include everything and so popular that it will...

Posted on PR Motion

Presenting the shadows of public relations

Public relations is frequently presented in a dim light; “entering the dark side” is how journalists refer to working in/with PR. And a theme of presentation, representation and re-presentation of some shadowy corners was evident at the 5th annual International History of Public Relations Conference (#IHRPC) held at Bournemouth University A dominant trend in the papers I heard seemed to be the representation of activism as public relations, alongside presentations examining social movements through a...

Posted on PR Motion

Critique or criticism – thoughts on PR academic conferences

This Summer, academics have travelled across Europe chasing the conference season. For Toni Muzi Falconi, the journey started with the Bledcom 20th anniversary symposium in Slovenia, followed by a political PR post-conference after the ICA conference in London, and then the International History of PR conference in Bournemouth (IHPRC). I caught up with Toni in Bournemouth – where we were both presenting – for his thoughts on the ‘season’. As well as IHPRC, I’m participating in the...

Posted on PR Motion

Making public relations history

“Any fool can make history, but it takes a genius to write it”, according to Oscar Wilde. Those of us assembling in Bournemouth for the third International History of Public Relations Conference can debate this view after two days of illuminating presentations on the history of our field. We should also remember another Wilde quote: “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth...