WITH students trooping back to school, juggling both face-to-face and online classes, it’s a great time for the next generation of PR pros to learn what it takes to succeed in this very specialized field.
Textbooks, of course, are a great source of knowledge, but it will be also good to know that one will not find on there all the tools they need to master their craft. Professors and mentors, including icons in the field, can also share with them on-the-job experiences that will be very helpful.
Here, Arthur Solomon who was a journalist and executive at Burson-Marsteller, shares with us PR Realities You Won’t Find in Communication School Textbooks as published in Prnewsonline.com
- Reading newspapers daily is a priority. Solomon recalls that as a journalist, his morning assignment was scanning all the NYC newspapers so he would know what stories are incomplete or misleading. He never lost the habit.
As a PR executive, he continued reading newspapers first thing perhaps at breakfast or commuting. That’s because reading the news does several things for PR pros—keeping them smart, updated, and connected.
Former Amazon communicator Peter Kadushin agrees, citing reasons why reading the news daily should be part of every communicator’s routine. He gives three reasons.
First, “the PR pro gets a feel for what the media and public consider news. Second, it helps media pitchers know which stories need follow-ups. Third, you can quickly alert business executives about what issues might affect their company. In turn, they alert management, making them look good.”
That is why reading the daily news should become part of a communicator’s routine. While most newspapers now have online versions, print still retains its charm because of its layout and photos.
- Most PR pros get incomplete information. This happens, Solomon says, because they get their news from TV sound bites or headlines, which do not tell the entire story.
“Even the best broadcast TV news is a briefing service” he says. “With stories sandwiched between commercials, segments barely include the basic 5 pcs—who, what, why, where, and when.”
Moreover, “TV news, with some exceptions, is ratings-dependent. As such, TV news has an entertainment component that may detract from the storytelling.”
- PR crises linger. Crisis management is one of the tasks of PR pros. In fact, writings on crisis communications may be found in textbooks. With this, practitioners should be able to merge—and manage—best practices with actual learnings on the job, especially in the age of digital technology.
- Vet paid spokespeople—aka hired guns—when using them for promoting products, companies, causes, and events. Influencers are very influential today, and most companies and brands seek them out to promote their products and services.
That is why it is important to do your own due diligence when recommending an influencer to management. Check their backgrounds, and similarly ensure they have not endorsed competing brands, or unhealthy products. Otherwise, that information may likely resurface, and it will be double the embarrassment.
- Getting credit for work is a recurring problem. People taking credit for other’s work is a sad reality everyone has to contend with in corporate life, more so in a PR pro’s life.
With this, practitioners should find a way to let top management know of their contributions. This could be done by simply submitting a report or presentation, actively participating in meetings when appropriate, or mentioning this casually when possible. Whatever way, it is important to have a good relationship with top management.
- Aggressiveness in PR is rewarded. Whether it’s creating a campaign, pitching a story to media, averting a crisis, or dealing with day-to-day difficulties, it’s best to be assertive—balanced of course with prudence – on-the job.
- Look towards longevity. How long you should remain at an agency or company before seeking a better opportunity elsewhere is a recurring question for PR. Solomon’s advice? “When you receive praise from management for good work, remember what Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in The Prince: The promise given today was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.”
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
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