37 Comment(s)

1. On Jan 23, 2009, Enakshi Kapur said:

   Hi Saurabh, your senior’s comment was shocking!!! Does PR only depends on SWOT?? which is so very basic. Since education is lacking in the field in India I guess that is the reason why PR in India is stuck in the elemantary ‘press agentry’ model and could not move to the ‘two way symmetrical’ model of communication. Even in the case of a doctor we trust the MD and FRCS more than a mere MBBS…don’t we?

2. On Jan 23, 2009, Vijay Kapur said:

   Wow, I must congratulate you senior on his concept of PR and his thought process. Anyway what can one expect from a person with limited knowledge in the field of Public Relations. Nothing is more practical than a good theory. Public Relations theory is the foundation of the subject which is vast, debateable and interesting as we all know.A ‘campaign plan’has to be based on proper theory and not gut feel or on ones own assumptions by talking to a handful of reluctant journalist in which the findings are mainly biased with several limitations.

   I even heard of CEO’s of mighty PR agencies who have become PR gurus by just reading a book by Barney and Gregory.Wah re dunia!!

3. On Jan 23, 2009, Gunjan W said:

   Hi Saurabh,
   I am not at all sorry to say that the senior person who tried to define PR has his own limited knowledge about PR.This half baked mentality is hampering the growth of PR at a time when we have multinational brands entering India.I am pursuing my MAPublic Relations from Uni.of Westmister,London.I have also worked for some time in the industry and that is when I decided that I should get a thorough knowledge of PR. As Vijay Kapur commented “nothing is more practical than a good theory” holds true. If you dont know the concepts how the hell are you going to run the agency? If you have not ventured outside the cubicle what deliverables are you promising your clien? Practicing PR gives you insights of current situations but having KNOWLEDGE of PR stregthens those insights. You evolve as a much richer individual who has not only a SWOT to lean on but Grunig’s experience, Tench and Yeoman’s theory,Barney’s skill and much more.

   As your senior has defined PR [for himself] I hope he has also heard of above familiar names.

   LONG LIVE INDIAN PR…thats all I pray.
   Gunjan W.

4. On Jan 23, 2009, Meenakshi Upadhyay said:

   I m surprised that
   when the world is moving at such a fast pace,there are people who refuse to move out of the “press agentry” stage.Thousands of researches have been done all over the world on Public Relations and its theory has been well read and practised by people all over the world but that is not the case in our own country! Public Relations still in India is all about press coverages.A lot of reading is lacking.There are extensive research resources sites and online libraries where Public Relations has been theorised and its abundance spoken about.But how many are doing that?

5. On Jan 24, 2009, Gunjan W said:

   I agree to what Meenakshi said. Thrz plethora of reading material on Public Relations.

6. On Jan 24, 2009, Sushil said:

   I do not agree with your senior’s idea that PR doesnot need any education. I completely agree with Meenakshi that “Public Relations still in India is all about press coverages”. Even the top brands need to educate themselves on Power of PR..that also holds true for all PR practioners. Nothing is more practical than a good theory. PR education in India is lacking and that is the reason why this industry is growing but not at a pace that it deserves specially in India.

7. On Jan 24, 2009, Vijay Kapur said:

   Hi
   I am happy to see that the trend is changing and there are people who share the belief that education is needed in PR as much as it is needed in any other field. There should be a radical change in the industry towards theory and concepts of PR without which PR practitioners will only be called ’spin doctors’ and not consultants.

8. On Jan 25, 2009, Dhanraj said:

   Saurabh,
   I understand you’ve presented a point of view. And all perspectives are valuable as they add to the conversation and makes readers think. However it’s critical the writer is able to strongly corroborate his views. Regretably in this case the article seems to be all over the place. What’s missing here is a thinking piece. It seems like you’ve thrown random thoughts purely to get a response. Now you’ve succeeded in that as I can see couple of people have coommented. But the flip side is you’ve hurt your ‘perception.’ My recommendation is next time make sure the article is worth our time and yours!

9. On Jan 25, 2009, Subhir Kotwal said:

   Saurabh,

   When I first read your blog today, I was a little surprised and not to mention disappointed and very appalled that being in PR your professor undermines the power of education. And I am pleased with the responses you have received on this forum and it is very apparent that almost everybody disagrees with your professor or for that matter your views.I agree with what Meenaksi has to say although I have very limited knowledge of PR world in India.
   Most importantly, I sincerely hope that none of the prospective students thinking of gaining education or a degree in PR stumble across this note. Being a student myself, I fully understand and appreciate the education required to be a PR professional and call upon it being classified as a full fledged profession like medicine or engineering.
   Lastly, if I were you, I would stick to Dhanraj’s recommendation.

10. On Jan 26, 2009, Ruchi Mahna said:

    Partially incorrect or rather, partially correct as I would like to call it..

    Saurabh,
    Going through the above comments added to my perception of the misleading description of PR/communications (broadly) given by you. However, going through your blog again.. I realize the fact that it is partially true!

    You are right when you say that creativity cannot be preached, however, basics need to be brought in or taught. True, the new age gurus prevail and they will. No re thinking practical knowledge and “venturing outside the cubicle” as mentioned by Gunjan is a necessity. But the question is can we do it only with theoretical knowledge? According to me: NO. It is a combination.. That is what we are taught. Unless someone has it in them (not the gut feel) but the spirit to be a pr person, no theory can make it happen for them. Education only enhances a human being, it would only enhance a PR person. The thirst to knowledge has no end. Be it from the e-gurus or from the penned literature. You are the one to make a choice.

11. On Jan 26, 2009, Bhavna said:

    I am a firm believer that practical experience is far more stronger than education alone, a combination of both is DEADLY but thats not the only thing which will make you an expert in your field.

    You can prepare for a client pitch but you cant actually anticipate all the questions he is going to ask! To be an expert in handling such situations you need experience. Like for eg. you cant become a perfect DRIVER by just reading a book, you have to actually get on to the road for that. In those terms I completely agree with you Saurabh.

    You have to learn from your daily mistakes as to how we should handle a situation, by reading a mere book on how to keep your temper cool or how to think positive, you cant actually do that. Trust me guys you will follow that book for one day, one week or one month and that’s it, later you will behave in the way who you are.

12. On Jan 26, 2009, Meenakshi Upadhyay said:

    I guess we may be going off track by assuming that education alone is important in any profession for that matter.It is always and will be a combination of education,immense reading in the subject,updated by rigorous research done in our field and varied experience in it.The article was not really in the favour of education and thus the debate! i m a lecturer in Public Relations and i also take up projects in Public Relations and so know by experience of both that both is necessary in our field.

13. On Jan 26, 2009, Abhilash Pushpan said:

    Saurabh,
    I kinda agree with your view but I would rather hold the educations system responsible for it. Our system focusses more on the theoretical part of everything, Medicine, architecture and most other examples that you can think of. But management is more of a practical skill than a “theoretical knowledge”. Books can only tell what tactics WERE used in a certain sitauation, but what actually happens is usually a new event and needs an experienced brain than a “reference book”. I am sure we all know of many people who are not so very educated but have made miracles happen in the PR industry.

    To conclude, I would say, Yes, its experience that scores WAY over the reference books and their theories in PR.

14. On Jan 27, 2009, Anubha said:

    Saurabh,
    i completely agree with you when you say that no books can teach us to be a good PR professional. i believe that theoritical knowledge can only help you get into a job or position, but wen it comes to surving it, its only your practicle know how that will help you sail through the situation.

15. On Jan 27, 2009, Kanika Kohli said:

    Yea I think what Saurabh said is true for almost all professions but more so for PR as it largely depends upon one’s practical experience in the field. PR insitutes can only teach you the basics-what PR is about, writing press releases, making PR plans in correct formats etc etc but no insitute can teach you how to sell stories to the media, what works with them what doesn’t, what sort of PR works for the client and what backfires, managing crisis for the client so on and so forth. Such things one can only learn on the job when one actually takes the plunge. To sum up- “You cannot learn to swim, till you don’t get your feet wet”

16. On Jan 27, 2009, Mahi said:

    a blog as we all know is the personal views or opinion of a person about any subject. And like all your previous blogs i think you have succefully managed to give your article a humorous touch in a very suttle way.

    Going to your veiws about the importance of education for PR proffessionals, if you mean that PR is not confined in the pages of some books, i think you are absoulutely correct.

    ‘its who you know, not what you know that counts in PR’ moreover the very definition of PR describes it as a delebrate, planned and sustained ‘effort’ and not any study. so i firmly believe that education can provide the basis of everything but its your knowledge that you have acquired over ages that will help you go up the ladder.

17. On Jan 27, 2009, Bhawna said:

    Wonder what age your senior belongs to Saurabh… Stone age??
    However, i wish you were not defending him….

    anyway… bhawna

18. On Jan 27, 2009, kapadiia himanshu said:

    we have come a long way… i like the way u started it all…..a thought came to my mind while reading …… do i want arjun or eklavya, one learnt the art, the other as u say through ( blogs, websites, books) seeing and practising….both were good……..but given a situation i would go with arjun’s knowlege, experiance and dedication in my team

19. On Jan 28, 2009, Kanika Kohli said:

    Well had I been in your place Himanshu I would have definitely gone for “Eklavya” he being the better archer among the two. No wonder Dronacharya fearing that he might surpass his own student Arjun in the skill asked for his Right hand’s thumb to prevent him from practisisng archery!! The bottomline is practical experience always hold you in good stead. Had it not been true then people like Dhirubai Ambani and Laxmi Mittal, who never stepped inside a B- school wouldn’t have been counted among the richest men in the world. Education though important has a very limited role. Once you have learnt whatever there is to learn, its your acumen and ability to understand the industry which will make you stand out among your peers and would make you successful in your chosen field.

20. On Jan 28, 2009, Swati said:

    Whatever said and done…one becomes a PR practitioner and exceeds only when one practices the profession…
    its just like law…..articles and sections bear no significance unless you have in place the right applications…and right applications arise only when you start practising law in real situations!!

    Unless the HR says that go dude and get a formal degree as it is a manadatory thing to promote you I shall without a single hesitation would go ahead pursue the highest degree in Public Relations.But would that compete with someone who is an experienced professional?

    I am sure…Not

21. On Jan 28, 2009, Ruchi Mahna said:

    COMPLETELY agree with you swati, especially the last bit!

    also @ ms. meenakshi, you are right, the article doesn’t seem in favor of education or rather we are misunderstanding it, it is trying to in a light manner put light on the facts of “how pr is practiced in India” maybe.. rest, we leave for saurabh to tell us..

22. On Jan 28, 2009, Sanwli Sharma said:

    I feel its time to reach a consensus. ……..Studying PR endows you with the basic knowledge required to join the profession but PRACTICE MAKES A MAN PERFECT.

23. On Jan 28, 2009, Swati said:

    More or less everyone wants to jump to a conclusion and thats what marks a dead end to a profession like public relations…

    it is relationship building at all levels..just imagine can you learn that by reading books?
    In my belief PR is a new age profession..it changes its face everyday..there is relationship building in virtual space, you and me have a social identity…did any book teach you this?? the answer is “No!!”..as this is situational learning…

    And in conformity with wat ruchi said
    … In India we have to come out of the “education spoon feeding cocoon”

    Accept the real challenge man!!

24. On Jan 29, 2009, Anony Mouse said:

    Hillarious!!!!! After a long time I had fun reading this blog.

    I do think the post is a little bit out of it , bt the comments, wow funny….

    Saurabh u have really managed to smack the humor out of everyone’s funny bones

25. On Jan 29, 2009, Swati said:

    You found the comments funny…r u someone who has done his PHD in PR???

    Dat ur judging us this way..

    Come on…I want to know!!

26. On Jan 29, 2009, Saurabh said:

    EDUCATION & KNOWLEDGE: the two very basic words which highlights the crux of my post.

27. On Jan 29, 2009, Saurabh said:

    @Enakshi, Vijay & Meenakshi: yes indeed, my senior’s comment is indeed quite appalling, however that comment can’t and should not be related to his knowledge in the field. The comparison made in the post attempts to put a light on the power of knowledge required and used in our field vis-à-vis the education provided in the same.

    Today’s strategies by the modern thinktanks of the industries become tomorrow’s theory. A campaign plan has to be based out of concrete theory and not gut feels. Completely agreed.

    I would also like to add the competence and proficiency of PR in India which continues to showcase marvels even in the limited framework of its education system. As I said ‘We have come a long way now’. We have marched ahead ‘From being mere press agents to established image managers’.

28. On Jan 29, 2009, Saurabh said:

    @Meenakshi: ‘There are extensive research resources sites and online libraries where Public Relations has been theorised and its abundance spoken about.But how many are doing that?’

    I would request you to highlight some of these sites to enlighten the readers including myself about these sites and may be then I would come to know how can we practice PR on a specific industry….Technology per say or consumer…. Or any broad perspective evn. That would be helpful. Looking forward to the list.

29. On Jan 29, 2009, Saurabh said:

    @ Sushil: Fair that you are following Meenakshi given the flow of the discussion. I am indeed inclined to understand your comprehension of THEORY. Isn’t the concept of theory derived out of a tried and tested practice of any subject (completely contrary to its MSword based synonyms). I can be very wrong about it. Plz correct me if you also think so?

30. On Jan 29, 2009, Saurabh said:

    @Subhir: Sir, even I am very pleased at the mixed responses I have received for this post. I would request you to revisit the comments section and reconsider your stance on whether everyone rejects my views. My professor in this case is just a quote which symbolizes the essence of PR in a unique perspective. With due respect to everyone who has participated in the discussion, one needs to understand the subject along with the focus of the post, which sadly you sir specially have not captured.

    I agree with your stance ‘I have very limited knowledge of PR world in India’. I would be glad once the degree of PR education available would be valued for its substance. Sadly speaking at the moment its not. I would like to agree with Abhilash for this one.

31. On Jan 29, 2009, Meenakshi Upadhyay said:

    Dear Saurabh

    Firstly i would like to thank you for appreciating many of our views.I also appreciate the fact the understanding you have shown in the limitation of practice and education in our profession.

    You must read the works of some of the most spoken about researchers of PR like James Grunig,Larissa Grunig, K.Sriramesh,Scott M. Cutlip,Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,Alison Theaker,Hugh M. Culbertson, Ni Chen and many others.You can find their works on some of these sites:-questia.com,emeraldinsight.com and online.sagepub.com.Also a simple google search also yields many of the research work.These will give you a broad perspective of all the theorisation of our public relations profession.

    Do let me know if you have found this information useful and need any help in the same.

    Thanks.

32. On Jan 31, 2009, Sushil said:

    Dear Saurabh

    You started of ur article very well by saying “we have come a long way”, but by putting ur senior’s perspective in that article seemed to have got you some criticism, and thats why ur article seems to be all over the place. I never said EDUCATION alone is important, it is the combination of EDU & Practice which will take you ahead along with your performance. India lacks PR education, but still there are enough institutes which have really come up in PR education. Ask any XIC Mumbai graduate, who have really benefited by PR program, even in the west there are enough institutes like NYU PR program which is considered one of the best. There are enough PR gurus in India who can really take Indian PR to a Global level, and this can be achieved by quality edu & good exposure.

33. On Jan 31, 2009, Vijay Kapur said:

    Very interesting, has the PR industry come out of being press agents to that of being ‘image managers’ or ’strategists’ as some PR people prefer to be called? Speak to the HR or the CEO’s in most of the leading PR consultancies in India and they will ask a standard question Do you know the media? Which comes to a fundermental question is PR media relations?Education in the subject is the need of the hour. Practice makes one perfect only when ones has the proper knowledge of the theory of PR, otherwise one might be climbing up the wrong tree thinking one is right.Remember the story of the seven blind men.Relationshp building or interpersonal skiils are important but PR is not only just that as some seem to emphasize. Thanks Meenakshi for the list on the sources of journals on PR. Hopefully my friends who disagree that theory is important will read it.

34. On Feb 3, 2009, Paawan said:

    Hello Menakshi and Sushil,
    Thank you for your inputs on this particular article as well as stressing the need for quality education in the PR and Communication field in the current Indian scenario. I am interested in pursuing PR studies ( PG or Masters ) and it will be huge favour if I can get some recommendations from pro’s like you.
    Looking forward to feedbacks and suggestions from you all.
    Thanks

35. On Feb 3, 2009, Meenakshi Upadhyay said:

    Dear Paawan
    The university of mumbai, department of communication and journalism offers a two years full-time, masters in communication and journalism, with a specialisation in public relations.

36. On Feb 3, 2009, Sushil said:

    Paawaan
    There are really good PR programmes like XIC in Mumbai, IIMC in Delhi which are considered the best in the country……

    If you are already a grad u may consider the above course.

37. On Feb 5, 2009, Bina Emanvel said:

    Saurabh,

    Thanks for opening up a long-impending debate! Coming from a finance background with zero formal education in PR, I see and respect the learnings that I have picked up during my professional experience. While the foot work is necessary in our industry, education, history and theory can build the solid base for an entire career. Many communications schools across the country are adopting a case-study based learning model which is a far cry from traditional lectures. Team skills, research, problem solving, leadership skills, accountability and ownership experiences picked up in school are invaluable, life-long lessons. Cheers

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