by Miranda Yow, account coordinator-public relations, o2ideas

Recent college graduates across the country are diligently looking for their “perfect” job. There is a myriad of factors and qualifications that new young professionals search for when looking for employment. To some, salary and benefits are most important; to others, company culture ranks high on their list. But there is one factor that influences all graduates when deciding whether or not to accept a certain job: the reputation of a company.

Companies with unquestionable reputations attract top-notch employees, who, in turn, contribute to the enhancement of those reputations. For instance, Verizon Wireless consistently ranks as one of the best places to work in the United States by independent experts and organizations. In the past year alone, it has been recognized by The Wellness Councils of America; IDG’s Computerworld; Diversity Business.com, Tops for Diversity; and Training magazine’s Training Top 100. In 2006, the company hired more than 17,000 new employees, many of whom were recent graduates.

In addition to researching reputation, graduates also should ask themselves whether the company has a clear and distinct message. Specifically, is the company focused on employee training and satisfaction? If the answer is yes, it will provide an opportune position for new graduates to acquire the job skills necessary to support a successful career path right up to retirement.

Verizon Wireless takes pride in consistently having a clear and distinct message. Last February, the company broke ground on its new call center located in Huntsville, Ala. When completely staffed, this facility will house 1,300 new employees. Last March, Verizon held a “meet and greet” function in an effort to get to know the Huntsville community and anyone interested in employment at the call center. The premise of this event was that, at Verizon Wireless, you can “own your career”—reinforcing the company’s employee-focused message.

Although searching for a job fresh out of college can be a heavy burden to bear, researching the company’s reputation can lighten that load. As you search, remember to not only focus on the salary and benefits, but also pay close attention to public perceptions—because when you join a business as an employee, your reputation will be closely tied to that of your team.

by Haley Moore

1) What does leadership mean to you?

By definition, leadership is the guidance of a group of people. The key here is that group of people that a leader is selected to lead. What makes them want to follow you? Every person has different motivating factors and it's the job of an effective leader to figure out what style of leadership works best for each individual. Some people function well on their own and will approach a leader for help when needed. Others need a personal relationship to accompany professional dealings in order to establish trust. Find out what people want and deliver.

In addition, leadership is not just a title, it's behavior and attitude. For instance, a freshman can lead a group of people through hard work and determination even though someone older holds an official leadership position.

2) How is your role (PRSSA president) preparing you for the real world?

Serving as national president has given me the chance to lead in a different capacity than I'm used to. The National Committee is spread throughout the country, so leading this group requires a different approach because we can only meet in person three times a year. I feel this experience will be crucial when I'm working with colleagues from offices in other cities or countries.

I have also gained knowledge of what it takes to run an organization. Essentially, I have served in the same capacity of a CEO. This experience forces me to think about the big picture, and I will maintain that perspective about any organization I join.

3) What role does PR play in leadership in the business world?

The executive table should always include a spot for a PR person who can provide counsel to an organization about how its actions will be received by key publics. Public relations practitioners know the ramifications of unethical conduct and can provide sound reasoning for companies to stay on the right track.

Discussions about ethics will always be a part of our field. Perhaps it would help to hear from the original thinker and philosopher, Socrates.  Download Podcast1 to hear what Socrates has to say about ethics and public relations.

compiled by Megan Frazier

Get a Step Ahead

Interview Skills

Job Satisfaction

Job Skills

Skills for Students

Stay Informed

Get a Step Ahead

"Take advantage of every opportunity you are presented. For me, making myself visible in my organizations and taking command of my expertise has resulted in a direct reporting relationship to the CEO." -- Gail Winslow-Pine, APR, director, marketing and corporate communication, Catholic Medical Center, Manchester, N.H.

"Don´t be afraid of constructive criticism. It makes you a better PR professional." -- Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor, public relations, Texas Tech University, Lubbock

"Always bring suggestions. When you get stuck on a project in a job, don´t bring the problem to your supervisor and ask them to fix it. Think it through, then bring it to them. Use bullet points (speak briefly and directly); outline the problem; describe three options you thought of; and give your recommendation. Your goal is to see if your recommendation is on target. This demonstrates you can problem-solve, consider multiple viewpoints and also that you can take responsibility for your job (your job is yours, not your supervisor´s!)." -- Sarah Rasmussen, APR, public affairs manager, Metro Waste Authority, Des Moines, Iowa

"A PR practitioner must understand public relations' past before determining the future." -- Dr. Michael Palenchar, assistant professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

"We´re such a mobile society; it´s vital to network constantly to stay current regarding opportunities for advancement and moves." -- Lisa Hood Skinner, vice president, Ackermann PR, Knoxville, Tenn.

"For women, get and read ´Nice Girls Don´t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes that Women Make that Sabotage Their Careers´ by Lois P. Frankel. I don´t subscribe to everything in the book, but a lot of it is useful, such as when answering your phone, recording your voicemail, leaving messages or introducing yourselves, use your first and last name, not just first." -- Sarah Rasmussen, APR, public affairs manager, Metro Waste Authority, Des Moines, Iowa

"Don´t be afraid to take risks. Move to another city, state or country. Do something new. This will make you a well-rounded professional." -- Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor, public relations, Texas Tech University, Lubbock

"We should use the full range of public relations tools to communicate actions to key stakeholders. This notion is not new; however, it is more critical than ever given the scrutiny that organizations receive in the Internet age. By bringing our organizations´ actions in line with its words, public relations professionals can help make our organizations more credible and, ultimately, more effective." -- Timothy S. Brown, PhD, APR director, corporate communications, Delmarva Power/Atlantic City Electric, N.J.

"Always, always follow up with a thank you. If time is short, write an e-mail using proper grammar and complete sentences. But also send a hand-written thank you as well. It really does make an impression." -- Sarah Rasmussen, APR, public affairs manager, Metro Waste Authority, Des Moines, Iowa

"Speak up when appropriate, but truly master the art of listening." -- Kristi Brown, owner, Upside Brown Consulting, LLC, Starkville, Miss.

"Keep in touch with your peers and professional friends in other cities, industries, professional organizations, etc., at least once year - - through notes, e-mails, Christmas cards - - whatever works. I´ve worked all over the world, and several of my jobs were a direct result from calling a PRSA contact in another city, from a Rotary Club visit, from a note in a Christmas card, and even from my appearance in a local community fundraising musical. It pays to stay in certain decision makers´ top of mind - - especially if those decision makers are in positions to hire you." -- Lisa Hood Skinner, vice president, Ackermann PR, Knoxville, Tenn.

"The nature of public relations and in any job is that eventually you´re going to want to move on. You might look up one day and say I´d really like to move up and move on and all of the sudden you don´t have a network to call upon. And that network is so important." -- Kami Watson Huyse, APR, principal, My PR Pro, San Antonio, Texas

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Interview Skills

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"When interviewing (for a job or informational), ALWAYS do research - look at their Web site, read through it, google the company, call ahead or drop by to pick up literature. Don´t come 10 minutes early and read what´s in the waiting area and plan on that to get you by - it shows! And when you do research, be sure that it´s apparent in the interview (i.e., bring it up)." -- Sarah Rasmussen, APR, public affairs manager, Metro Waste Authority, Des Moines, Iowa

"Good writing will get your foot in the door with jobs." -- Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor, public relations, Texas Tech University, Lubbock

"If you have an objective or something similar on your resume, be sure it matches the position you´re applying for and the employer." -- Sarah Rasmussen, APR, public affairs manager, Metro Waste Authority, Des Moines, Iowa

"In interviews, always come with questions. Remember, the interview is a chance for them to interview you, but also for you to interview them. What´s it like to work there? What would you be doing? What´s the culture? As a potential employee, don´t you want to know these things ahead of time? The only way to get the answers is ask the questions." -- Sarah Rasmussen, APR, public affairs manager, Metro Waste Authority, Des Moines, Iowa

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Job Satisfaction

"Work hard to discover your true passion–the one thing that makes you feel alive–and do more of it." -- Kristi Brown, owner, Upside Brown Consulting, LLC, Starkville, Miss.

"Keep a positive, enthusiastic attitude. Public relations is an exciting field. Enjoy working in it!" -- Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor, public relations, Texas Tech University, Lubbock

"One cannot manage relationships without communicating or thinking creatively and strategically." -- Dr. Lynne Sallot, associate professor, public relations, University of Georgia, Athens

"People who are the most successful stay in one place, but do not necessarily do the same thing." -- Holly Shepherd Lollar, o2 Ideas, public relations, Birmingham, Ala.

"Find your passion and make this your specialty. You don´t have to be an expert in every aspect of your career; simply find what gives you the most enjoyment and make this your focus." -- Gail Winslow-Pine, APR, director, marketing and corporate communication, Catholic Medical Center, Manchester, N.H.

"Nothing is worth sacrificing your personal integrity." -- Kristi Brown, owner, Upside Brown, Consulting, LLC, Starkville, Miss.

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Job Skills

"It is increasingly important for public relations professionals to counsel clients about the fact that their actions are as or more important than their words. We need to bring the public interest to the forefront in discussions with those leading our organizations and challenge them to take actions that demonstrate our commitment to the public´s well-being." -- Timothy S. Brown, PhD, APR, director, corporate communications, Delmarva Power/Atlantic City Electric, N.J.

"It is necessary to understand the language of public relations in order to understand the role PR plays in society today." -- Dr. Michael Palenchar, assistant professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

"Stay organized: process paper fast–One way communicators get bogged down is being inundated with paper. Reports, fax messages, magazines, notes, invoices and more all cause clutter, making it more challenging to work efficiently. Try to touch anything made of paper one time. If you can´t use it immediately, file it, recycle it or pass it on." -- Edward M. Bury, director of public relations, CCIM Institute, Chicago

"Critical thinking skills are so important to ethics -- questioning what you´re looking at. Young practitioners tend to just go with the flow, but the idea is, when you look at things, really question where they come from." -- Kami Watson Huyse, APR, principal, My PR Pro, San Antonio, Texas

"It is extremely important to understand the role of ethics in public relations today." -- Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor, public relations, Texas Tech University, Lubbock

"Practice public relations, not just publicity. Any serious practitioner of public relations should bring a broad scope of prospective services and counsel to the table, not just media relations. Too often, public relations plans are structured around generating clips, footage and blog postings – even today. If you´re planning to enter this profession and elevate yourself, learn what it means to think strategically. Base programs on the four step process: define the opportunity or threat; conduct research; communicate; evaluate and make revisions to the plan. ´Publicists´ don´t practice public relations." -- Edward M. Bury, director of public relations, CCIM Institute, Chicago

"A PR practitioner must be able to clearly understand who their target audience is." -- Dr. Michael Palenchar, assistant professor, public relations, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

"You´re not going to write business plans or press releases right away so be prepared to work long hours and handle a lot of administrative work. Whether you´re pitching media or doing research, make sure to hone those skills as they are essential to the development of a good PR practitioner." -- Michael Delgado, account supervisor, LAagencia, Los Angeles

"Keep it short. I have found that persons who are listened to can succinctly and quickly summarize their point of view. This applies to both spoken and written forms of communication." -- Gail Winslow-Pine, APR, director, marketing and corporate communication, Catholic Medical Center, Manchester, N.H.

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Skills for Students

"Get as much ´real-world´ experience as you can while you are an undergraduate. Use every class as an opportunity to build your portfolio. Get involved in organizations and hold leadership positions. Seek out jobs and internships to help advance your career." -- Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor, public relations, Texas Tech University, Lubbock

"I teach my students how to think critically by using their research critically." -- Dr. Michael Palenchar, assistant professor, University of Tennessee. Knoxville

"Join a professional organization. This will be invaluable as you will have the opportunity to make important connections that will lead to future jobs and/or internships." -- Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor in public relations- Texas Tech University

"Students should have excellent writing and communications skills as well as critical thinking skills." -- Dr. Lynne Sallot, associate professor, public relations, University of Georgia, Athens

"Students can never get enough writing practice." -- Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor, public relations, Texas Tech University, Lubbock

"Students should be able to use research to solve business and communication problems creatively and strategically." -- Dr. Michael Palenchar, assistant professor, public relations, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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Stay Informed

"There´s nothing more important and valuable to clients than to provide fresh and creative ideas. Read as much as you can on all topics so that you can broaden your marketing horizons and stay on top of the current trends. From The Wall Street Journal to Cosmopolitan magazine, you´ll be more valuable and a better rounded professional by reading." -- Michael Delgado, account supervisor, LAagencia, Los Angeles

"You should never stop learning. When you first start working in public relations, it is such a busy job. You´ll go in early and come home late, and just be exhausted. It is such a busy job. Stay on top of your networking and stay on top of going to professional development seminars and developing your skills beyond what you´re doing in your job." -- Kami Watson Huyse, APR, principal, My PR Pro, San Antonio, Texas

"Read everything and not just industry specific. At a moment´s notice you´ll need to have knowledge and awareness of cultural, historical, global, economic and political issues." -- Gail Winslow-Pine, APR, director, marketing and corporate communication, Catholic Medical Center, Manchester, N.H.

by Chase Long

What is the definition of public relations? Well, my friends, that question has been plaguing intellectuals since the dawn of time. All of history’s greatest minds have been cursed to find there is no one definition of public relations for them to rely upon!

OK, so maybe I exaggerate, but it is annoying to those of us about to join the field. We’ve been to college, taken our courses and are soon to have degrees, but we still can’t tell our parents exactly what it is we do. To help us answer this question I’ve spoken with three individuals from very diverse backgrounds to find out what they thought about our profession. So let’s see how a seasoned professional, a soon-to-graduate PR student and a member of the public at large answer the question, “What is PR?”

The Professional

Gary McCormick, the director of public relations for Scripps Networks based in Knoxville, Tenn., was gracious enough to be our first commentator. For those of you who don’t watch the Food Network obsessively, Scripps Networks is the parent company of a host of cool TV channels, including Fine Living, HGTV and Great American Country.

So how about that first question – “What is public relations?” According to McCormick, PR is “not solely about a press release or party planning, but about facilitating effective, honest communication and interactions.” It’s about “relationships and social behavior.”

That sounds great, but what about the controversial stuff? Are we “spinners”? According to McCormick, we try to persuade people just like everyone else in the world, but we persuade by “facilitating open communication with full disclosure.” PR isn’t about hiding facts from the media. It’s about giving them all the information they need to get the story right.

Finally, what is the biggest misconception people have about our profession? McCormick says that people tend to see us mainly on the entertainment front. They think we are publicists when in reality we are the people who should be facilitating all of the communications for our clients. That means communicating with employees, stockholders, customers, the media, etc. According to McCormick, “most people are unaware of the impact and benefit that effective public relations brings to every company and the media.”

So there you have it from the keyboard of a professional. PR is about relationships and creating open communications. Now let’s see how that compares to a student perspective.

The Student

Kimberly Bechtel is a junior majoring in PR at the University of Alabama where she currently serves as the president of the local chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. I went to her for our PR student perspective, and she was happy to comment. (Way to use those media skills, Kim.)

Now, where’s our big question. Oh yes, “What is public relations?” According to Bechtel, PR is all about relaying information and truth. “My personal definition of public relations is relaying information to the public and making sure they are aware of the information that your business wants to advocate,” said Bechtel.

She went on to say it must also include handling situations that go wrong with your client. On occasion you need to give the client an outside perspective and “provide them with the information necessary to help fix the problem,” said Bechtel.

This outside perspective is interesting. You mean we care what the public thinks and don’t just push the company line?

“Good public relations practitioners practice with integrity and honesty,” said Bechtel. “If they are in a bad situation the PR practitioner needs to be truthful.”

According to Betchtel, “the PR person is there to help the public and make them aware of what is going on.” Welcome to the Anti-Spin Zone! (cough, copyright issue, cough)

So one last thing, what kind of misconceptions do people have about our industry, Kim?

“One misconception about public relations that I hear sometimes is they believe that the public relations person is ‘gossiping,’” said Bechtel. “Some people think they find out the wrong information and that is what the company uses, even if it is not true.” Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is what makes a bad (and unemployed) practitioner. What’s the quote from “Moulin Rouge”? “I only speak the truth.”

Anyway, that’s enough insider perspective for one day. Let’s get dangerous and take a completely new look at the subject. (Extra points to the person who can name that TV reference in the comments.)

The Public

To give us a totally new perspective I’ve solicited some help from one of our neighbors to the north. Way north! Solika Ry is a student from Montreal, Canada, where she studies history and political science. So what does this feisty Canadian think about our profession?

According to Ry, PR is “the body that manages the external aspects of a company and improves its relations with other groups of people.” The PR community has been asserting itself as a management function since the dawn of creation (or the birth of the industry, whichever came first). Sadly we don’t get to run the entire show just yet. Anyway, tell us more.

“Public relations benefits the organization by creating awareness and enhancing the relationship they have with the community,” Ry said. It’s true we are the relationship people, but what exactly do you mean by the community?

According to Ry, “there is an obligation to be good corporate citizens; it is ideal to contribute back to the community that gave to you.” People often assume that PR professionals are supposed to encourage corporate philanthropy. While our chief duty is to relay accurate information, we cannot forget that the public expects certain actions from corporations, and as public relations professionals: what matters to the public, matters to us.

Anyway let’s get to the dirty stuff. I asked our new commentator about PR’s association with the term “spin” and got a rather surprising answer. While Ry doesn’t necessarily associate our field with that term in particular, she does worry about the practice of hiding information. “The more a company hides certain issues, it risks exposing a disastrous outcome when discovered,” she said.

This is an issue PR professionals struggle with constantly. Our profession advocates effective and open communications. We don’t support hiding the facts especially if they pertain to something the public needs to know, but stereotypes like these are a common perception people have of PR professionals. As the next generation of practitioners, we will have to address these perceptions.

Fin!

So there you have it. The mystery is solved. The answer to the eternal burning question is… everything. PR is everything. We are publicists and managers. We are purveyors of knowledge. We are the world. Oh wait, how did that get in here?

Anyway, perhaps instead of trying to squeeze our profession into a nice, tightly packed definition it is more important to know that we are many things. As our professional said, we are not limited to planning parties and handling the press. We are communicators of all things truthful and that, my friends, is enough for me.

E-mail: Gary McCormick

E-mail: Kim Bechtel

Betsy Plank Video Interview

by Craig Langley

Anthony D’Angelo, director of global marketing communications for Carrier Corporation’s Transicold Division in Syracuse, N.Y., said, “Public relations is a profession in adolescence. It has so many different aspects that it’s hard to understand if you’re not in the field.”

Marketing revolves around the concepts of selling products and generating profit. Because of these financially driven motives, many important aspects of PR can be sacrificed.

“It is possible for marketers to look at PR as a subset of their job,” D’Angelo said, “although they may not be thinking about relationships at all.”

Joseph Trahan, CEO, president and international media trainer of Trahan & Associates in Covington, La., said, “Relationship building is the business we are in. Marketers are worried about the short term.”

Jean Vincent of Vincent McCabe Inc., a research consulting company located in Skaneateles, N.Y., has a background in marketing but has overseen many public relations operations. “Public relations professionals need to understand that if there are no markets and no sales, it will not matter if the corporation has good relations with employees or activists. On the other hand, if a company’s reputation has been damaged through poor handling of its relationships, it’s not likely that the company will meet its sales goals over the long term,” Vincent said.

Vincent believes that marketers should view public relations “as one of the most economical tools in their arsenals to gain awareness and preference for the company’s products and services.
 
“Learning to separate the hard sell from two-way communications is the first and hardest thing a marketer has to do when making the switch.”

Writing is the muscle that all successful PR practitioners flex. It is how communication begins. It can make or break relationships. There are other issues that revolve around writing, as well, that can hurt a marketer.

“If you don’t know AP style, don’t count on any press releases getting printed and that’s just to start. Learning how to approach an editor and developing content of interest to that editor has nothing to do with writing promotional material,” Vincent said.

Moving a product can do a company wonders when the financial reports come out. But, there is no dollar amount that can be put on relationship building.

By hiring marketers to take over public relations positions, organizations could be sacrificing the time and effort put into building particular relationships. The two professions should work together to maintain what has been created and to further each field. 

E-mail: Joseph Trahan
E-mail: Anthony D’Angelo
E-mail: Jean Vincent

by Miranda Yow

“There is a growth in new information technology which results in an incredible change in public relations education,” says Dr. Michael Palenchar, assistant professor of public relations, University of Tennessee. He, along with other professors, believes that new technology in PR practice is directly affecting and therefore changing PR education. “The Professional Bond,” a report from the 2006 Commission on Public Relations Education, states, “The use of communication technology is ubiquitous in contemporary PR practice, and often there’s no choice but to adopt the newest communication technology.” Additionally, “Students must monitor and most likely adopt rapidly and unpredictably changing technology,” according to the report.

Along with this new communication technology comes inevitable challenges. Dr. Lynne Sallot, associate professor, University of Georgia, agrees. “New technology is changing so rapidly it can become a challenge to keep up with,” she said. For example, a growing trend in new communication technology is blogging. A blog is an online journal that is frequently updated and intended for the public. Monitoring blog entries is an enormous task. It is nearly impossible to have complete control of messages on the blogs. Although blogging and other communication tools such as podcasting and electronic pitching can be positive means of communicating, they can also have adverse effects if they are not constantly monitored. Therefore, students must learn strategies to be able to efficiently deal with technology’s effects, according to the Commission report.

Palenchar and Sallot have provided just two examples of the emphasis placed on skills and strategies in technology that’s being taught in colleges worldwide—a key recommendation from the 2006 Commission on Public Relations Education. 

 E-mail: Dr. Lynne Sallot
 E-mail: Dr. Michael Palenchar

To continue this conversation, click on these links:

• "Diversity: A Challenge Worth Welcoming"
• "A Different Approach to Teaching PR"

by Miranda Yow

Dr. Michael Palenchar and Dr. Lynne Sallot prefer not to teach solely by the book. In fact, these public relations professors are using real-world experience as a major teaching component in their classrooms—and they are following a national trend in PR education.

Twenty years ago, PR educators, like most, used textbooks as their main teaching components. Today, textbooks in PR classes have taken a back seat. Dr. Michael Palenchar, assistant professor in public relations at the University of Tennessee, agrees. “I typically do not use textbooks when I teach; however, I use a myriad of materials based on real situations that are current in PR.” Palenchar calls this method “teaching in real time.” For this practice to be effective, he says he must be flexible with his teaching schedule. “My syllabi are usually open-ended so I can incorporate what is going on in PR today,” says Palenchar.

Dr. Lynne Sallot, associate professor in public relations at the University of Georgia, believes that service-learning is learning by doing. She incorporates this idea of service-learning into all of her classes by having her students work with real-life organizations on real-life problems. In Sallot’s PR campaigns course, her students are given a client within the university for which they will develop and implement a campaign. This fall, the chosen UGA entity was the Office of Energy Services. The class created a student initiative for energy conservation called UGA Unplugged. During the class, they developed a logo, visual identity and a Web site for the initiative.

This semester’s PR campaigns class has continued working with UGA Unplugged. They have created effective and creative ways to market their client. For example, they consistently hold energy conservation events such as light bulb exchanges, which provide opportunities for students and faculty members to trade their incandescent light bulbs for more energy-efficient compact florescent light bulbs.

“My classes have done an amazing job with this project,” says Sallot. “Service-learning provides students with an opportunity to obtain significant experience within the field while they are in school.”

E-mail: Dr. Lynne Sallot
E-mail: Dr. Michael Palenchar

To continue this conversation, click on these links:

• "Diversity: A Challenge Worth Welcoming"
• "New Communication Technology: An Unstoppable Force"

by Jennifer Mitchell

Burson-Marsteller is one of the leading public relations and public affairs firms in the world. It formed when Harold Burson merged his public relations firm with Bill Marsteller’s advertising agency in the early 1950s. Due to that merger and years of excellent business that followed, Burson has become one of the biggest names in PR. With 50 years’ experience in the field, he shares some of his thoughts here.

Burson on Ethics

“Doing the right thing.”

To some, ethics is a complex area constantly debated in the hopes of establishing more concrete guidelines. To Burson, it’s just one more part of the business that involves daily commitment.

While some have felt pressure to make good ethical decisions, Burson doesn’t recall many challenging times. He credits this to making good business decisions.

“We have avoided situations where I felt it may not be the right thing to do [because] we decided to make good, sound business decisions through the years,” Burson said.

He added that good business decisions imply good ethical conduct, and his standards for making these decisions are as simple as his definition of ethics:

• Tell the truth to the extent that you possibly know what the truth is.
• Treat people fairly, as you would like to be treated.
• Be fully transparent if you can.
• Be honest and have integrity.
• Don’t do anything that would embarrass clients or employees.

Burson also said that his company continues to operate “on the long-term basis as opposed to the short-term opportunism.”

“Do not do anything in the short-term, no matter how opportunistic it is, that would compromise your long-term record,” he said, “because that is what you’re going to be judged on.”

Burson on the Job

“I think people in college should start thinking in terms of developing a network that they can call on 10, 15, 20 years from now.” 

When networking, you should keep in contact with people you find who share common interests, or with whom you identify or connect. Burson said that this does take time and effort to keep up with people, but it is vital to a career in PR.

Burson also said it is important to just get along with people.

“Working with other people entails a lot of give and take,” Burson said, “and some people aren’t willing to make the compromises that one has to in order to be part of a team.”

At Burson-Marsteller, he said, “we prize the individual but we celebrate the team.”

Burson expressed concern at seeing writing skills deteriorate over the years. His last words of wisdom are to “become competent writers and [have] the ability to communicate thoughts vocally.”

Link:
Harold Burson’s blog

by Miranda Yow

There is a growing commitment to diversity within the public relations profession—in both education and the practice, according to “The Professional Bond,” a report from the 2006 Commission on Public Relations Education. This commitment is the result of a change in society today. Dr. Michael Palenchar, assistant professor of PR, University of Tennessee, says, “Like society as a whole, the PR field finds itself struggling with the role of diversity.” He believes that PR education must focus on several key elements. At the core of PR scholarship should be the concepts of mutual respect, collaboration, appreciation for a wide range of perspectives and the creation of a platform for the open and transparent engagement of the marketplace of ideas.”

Palenchar explains that diversity encompasses much more than gender or ethnicity. He says, “It is about intellectual diversity, experiential diversity and workplace diversity.”

Dr. Amanda Gallagher, assistant professor at Texas Tech University, agrees that diversity plays a lead role in PR today. She says, “PR is facing issues of diversity and they are shaping how the field is developing.” A large part of the PR work force is made up of women, and, Gallagher says, “Among PR students today, 70-80 percent of them are women.” Therefore, she believes that students should be educated on this change in the work force. At Texas Tech, Gallagher teaches a course centered on women in PR, in which students learn how women can advance their careers in the PR workforce today.

Gallagher is not the only educator who believes that students should know about this change of diversity in the workforce. Dr. Lynne Sallot, associate professor, University of Georgia, believes that PR is an excellent career choice for women. As the women today grow in their careers, Sallot says, “They will have very prestigious and powerful career opportunities in management that women in other professions do not yet enjoy.” Sallot also believes that there should be more done to inform people of other diversities about PR and invite them to consider it as a career. As Palenchar observed, “I have had the pleasure to work with an eclectic range of students, peers and supervisors, and have gained from their diversity of thought and perspective, as much as their diversity of gender or ethnicity.”

E-mail: Dr. Amanda Gallagher
E-mail: Dr. Lynne Sallot    
E-mail: Dr. Michael Palenchar

To continue this conversation, click on these links:

• "A Different Approach to Teaching PR"
• "New Communication Technology: An Unstoppable Force"