There are some – including from our profession – who’ve apparently posted online about the “death of PR.” Or, “the death of PR as we know it."
But I believe differently. Yes...PR is changing. And we have to change with it. But, really, the way I think about our profession is that it’s the re-birth of PR! We have a golden opportunity. We have the opportunity to dispel the old myths – and the old ways of practicing our craft. We have the opportunity to ease the release-tossers (throw mud against the wall, and hope it sticks) and the “shills” out of our industry, once and for all.
The way we can do this is simple: Practice public relations the way it’s supposed to be practiced. With honesty. Ethics. Candor to our clients – and our potential clients – about what works and what doesn’t. And about whether we actually have a snowball’s chance in hell to really generate positive buzz about their products or services.
We have a chance, also, to dispel old myths. I still occasionally meet people who think my job entails attending a lot of cocktail parties on fancy yachts.
We have a chance to take our profession to new levels...by approaching journalists with honesty and respect. A chance to understand that no matter how wonderful a potential client thinks his/her product is, unless a PR campaign can actually help viewers or readers improve their professional or personal lives, it probably won’t generate much publicity. We have a chance to talk about the benefits of our client’s products/services, rather than just the features.
We have the opportunity to learn more than ever before about “win/win” situations, with our clients, the media, our clients’ stakeholders and our own stakeholders. We have the opportunity to learn from online forums and webinars and experts. And we have the opportunity to learn more about the craft of effective writing, which, I believe, is still one of the core competencies required of an effective PR practitioner.
For those who are good writers, open to new forms of communication, and dedicated to constantly improving at their craft – this can be a great time to be in Public Relations!