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COM215. Taejin Jung, Ph.D. Week 3 : Practitioners of PR. Objective. This chapter discusses public relations practitioners - Who they are - What they do (the role they do) - Their professional aspirations CNN about the role a PR practitioner plays in politics
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COM215 Taejin Jung, Ph.D. Week 3: Practitioners of PR
Objective • This chapter discusses public relations practitioners - Who they are - What they do (the role they do) - Their professional aspirations • CNN about the role a PR practitioner plays in politics (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/podcasts/allaccess/site/2007/11/30/all.access.episode.76.cnn?iref=videosearch )
Number and Distribution • Little agreement on the job definition and inconsistent use of titles complicate attempts to count - Reed’s Worldwide Directory of Public Relations Organizations: 150,000 member belong to 215 public relations organizations • Fortune and U.S. News & World Report rate public relations among the most rapidly growing and “best job” during the 1990s. • Currently the number of people engaged in public relations work has continued to increase, but the nature of their employment arrangements has changed (outsourcing: downsizing outside vender)
Where They Work • The greatest numbers of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) members are in California, New York, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. • The single largest employer for public relations is the “federal government” • Table Public Relations Employers
The New Majority: Women • Data from colleges and universities indicate that twice as many as female students major in public relations than males. • Figure) Increasing rate of women occupation in PR (US Department of Labor data)
PR & Education • Approximately 40% had majored in journalism • Employers still value media experience • The most difficult positions to fill are those that require specialized preparation and background (e.g., computer technology, corporate finance, health care, and agriculture)
PR & Salary • Average Overall Salaries [2004 PRWeek Survey (N=2,546)] Total (Average) $63,590 Men $79,307 Women $56,820 Men (21~26) $36,571 Women (21~26) $35,100 • Surveys consistently find that salaries paid to women are below those paid to men ? Why?
Work Assignments • Writing and Editing • Media Relations and Placement • Research • Management and Administration (p. 319) • Counseling • Special Events • Speaking • Production • Training • Contact Overall, the key things are “good with people” and “writing”
Roles: Communication Technician (PR Technician) • Entry-level job • Hired to write and edit newsletters, to write news releases and feature stories, to develop website content, and to deal with media contacts. • When limited to this role, practitioners typically do not participate significantly in management decision making and strategic planning. • They could be the person of “the last to know”.
Roles: Problem-Solving Facilitator (PR manager) • When practitioners assume the role of problem-solving facilitator, they collaborate with other managers to define and solve problems. • Public relations thinking is factored into management decision making. • Problem-solving facilitators get invited to the management team because they have demonstrated their skill and value in helping other managers avoid and solve problems.
Technicians Versus Managers • The major predictor of public relations excellence was the extent to which the organization’s top public relations executive was able to enact the management role versus the technician role.
Qualities & Traits for PR Practitioners • Five qualities of those on the “fast track” by PR consultant Richard Long - Results : Goal-oriented - Conceptualizing: Quick study - Human Relations: Team player - Style: Can-do attitude - Intangibles: Charisma • One trait tops every list: Writing Both entry-level employment and long-term career success require the ability to write grammatically correct, easy-to-read, forceful, informative, and persuasive for publication and speech.
