This post is specifically dedicated to young professionals in Public Relations who in the years to come will be the change agents for the industry

I am someone who not so long back, made the transition from a PR student to a Public Relations professional (yes PR to Public Relations ) . From attending endless sessions on “what is a press release”, “what are the 5 must-dos for a press briefing”, to more exciting prospects of real-life work experience at an internship to the final placement week, I have been through the regim of any average communication student.

While I am not the right person to speak about the improvement areas for PR academia, I feel there are gaps between what one is taught in a communication school to what the ground realities at work are. In this post, I have shared some thoughts based on my experiences as a young professional –

1. Press briefing, press release, newsletter are NOT Public Relations only Public Relations tools. While we learn what they are, it is also important to know, why do we need them in the first place? How will they help us meet the objective that we have set for the client
2. One of the faculty at our communication college used to say – “it’s a big bad corporate world out there” and nearly made us feel that we were not “prepared” to take-on the expectations of this world. I have come to believe that the world will remain as “bad” as well allow it to be. Yes, we need to be aware about the rigor that our role demands. But when it comes to client expectations, they cannot be static views and the process needs participants from both ends
3. Publicity is a component of Public Relations and not a synonym for Public Relations. We often see a cynicism creep in among the younger lot who feel, “if the client has hired us to get coverage, that’s our job, how do we do anything besides that”? I think we can address this by just constantly asking ourselves, how else I can deliver value to my client. Isn’t the entire logic of having a 3rd party counsel you, based on the fact that it offers an unbiased and often a unique insight into the situation? I think the first task for us is to have that faith, that a) it IS our job to think of such unique insights b) it may require personal initiative from our end , to drive the needle of client/media perception and that it is worth the effort
4. Myth - Since Public Relations is a more operational function, you can learn it only at work place. There is no theory, no one can teach you Public Relations. During our college days, I remember our advertising and media-planning friends nod heads intently about the GRP/TRP jargon and sneer at the “how do you deal with media” sort of classroom sessions. What I have come to realise at the workplace is that understanding the value of “reputation”, is not an inborn talent that each of us are gifted with. It is something that requires a fair amount of theoretical introspection backed by practical understanding. I certainly did not read Edward Bernays during college and did not know that crisis communication is not just about reading a case study on Tylenol and Johnson & Johnson
5. (Since there was so much heart-burn about this issue during college, let me end with my two cents about it :)) The difference between advertising and Public Relations is not so much about being paid-for and free mode of communication as much about functioning in a controlled environment (advertising) and learning to function in an environment lacking control (Public Relations). As I recollect one of my friends say, “in advertising, once scheduled, only a natural disaster can stop your press insertions from appearing next day. In Public Relations, the environment is dynamic and reactions/actions from stakeholders are difficult to predict.

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