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 ( videosearch ) 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 Organization Estimated % of Practitioners Corporations PR firms, advertising agency, Marketing comm. firm, and Individual practitioners Associations, foundations, and educational institutions Health care: hospitals etc. Government Charitable, religious, and social welfare organizations

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. PR TechniciansPR managers Communication Technicians Communication Facilitator Traditional core PR work Low Threat Lower-paid Not part of management inner circle Problem-Solving Facilitator Expert Prescriber PR excellence High Threat Higher-paid Part of management inner circle

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.

“Day in the Life”