A Little Ranting: A PR Professional’s Best Tool (Part 6)

I have a professor and mentor who is very established in the public relations field, and I can remember my first class with her. She related her background, and went on detailing a truthful anecdote-based explanation of the trade. Of the number of talking points, one thing she said rings true in my ears to this day: “PR does not stand for press release.” Now being I worked in military public affairs for the better part of a decade, I cackled somewhat when I heard this because it reeks of truth. The biggest misconception of PR seems to be all we do is sit around in our lush corporate offices waiting for some big company event, and then guess what? We write a press release. My friends that, I say, is balderdash.

People seem to not realize PR encompasses every facet of the media arts. For those unfamiliar with the list of media arts it is as follows: journalism (print/broadcasting), graphic design, photography, public affairs/public relations, videography, website design and even social networking. Though diehards in all of the fields listed would say I am talking crazy, let me be the first to say take it to the bank. PR professionals do their own fair share of writing, including press releases, speeches, guidance plans (emergency/media) and a multitude of others. We also use cameras. A degree in PR usually is a journalism degree. I took numerous photography classes, and also had need for photo-support for several…press releases. Graphic design is another primary use in the field. I can’t even count the amount of informational pamphlets, newsletters and event books I produced over the last decade. Though not as often, there is a need for proficiency in use of a video camera. An entity, being corporate or government likes to have records of involvement in events and functions. If there isn’t a huge budget to hire or contract the job off, guess who is going to be behind the lens? This also includes web design for those who don’t have dedicated professionals who do it full time. The newest facet adding to the field is social networking innovation. If you read other blogs out there, many report corporate and private entities are coming forward with necessity to have a presence on the web. It builds customer and public trust with easy accessibility to business information. Customers get a warm fuzzy when getting direct interaction with their favorite widget-maker. Do some searching on Google. It’s spreading faster than VD. I know, bad joke.

I have done all of these things and more, and so have many I keep a professional relationship with. Though a fair share of PR professionals work for firms and do account work only, there are just as many who are one-person media events superstars. They are unsung heroes. And it is quite all right, because it goes with the job. The biggest thing needed in so many trades are people skills. PR types need to be able to juggle and coordinate with others in both business and the community. The ability to sell yourself can go a long way with making relationships needed to make a good name for your employer.

So when you think PR professionals are a bunch of fake, stuff-shirt types who do nothing, know that plenty do work for a living. And those who do sit around making the rest of us look bad, take note. Its fast-paced tech-savvy and information-based society we live in. It doesn’t take much for it to pass you by.

[end/rant]