Week 4 PR Blog

This weeks PR readings were James, M (2006) Career Faqs: Public Relations; Tymson & Lazar (2006) The New Australian and New Zealand Public Relations Manual. Both of these readings provided insights into the diverse day to day practices of Public Relations professionals; Tymson and Lazer outlining the differing hierarchies within organisations (government and corporate)and how the role of PR is shaped by its placement in each; James similarly outlines the differing responsibilities of PR practitioners but differing in approach by giving specific case studies of people working in the industry.
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that the role of communication, both internal and external, is a vital part of any organisation. Where PR is positioned within the organisation affects however, how its role is percieved. PR is often now considered a management role where the PR practitioner is accountable to the CEO in order to provide information about how the organisation is being recieved and percieved by its multiple publics. For this reason the ability to be a good communicator cannot be underestimated; messages to internal and external constituencies, and then providing feedback to the CEO and the senior management team permits an organisation to understand more fully where its strengths and weaknesses lie. Acknowledgemnt and support of the role of PR within the organisation means that its practitioners are more able to fulfill the expectations put on them.
This weeks readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that although University provides PR students with a good educational grounding and is a good starting place for those wanting a career in PR, it is actual workplace experiences that strengthen and build on that knowledge. Each PR position requires a diverse range of skills and abilities and many of these will be developed 'on the job' meaning that PR practitioners must be adaptable and open to learning new communication methods and strategies. However it is this diversity of skills and often unpredictable daily schedule that also provides PR practitioners with a stimulating and constantly evolving occupation. It also allows for individual's to decide which field of PR they believe best suits their abilities and strengths (in house executive or in a consultancy role) such is the range of possibilities.