Recently, as I browsed articles on Ragan.com, I came across “What PR courses should teach undergrads,” written by Ed Zitron. The piece caught my attention for a couple of reasons. Earlier this year, we received word that our book, “Strategic Public Relations: 10 Principles to Harness the Power of PR,” would be used as a textbook at Xavier University for a course taught to juniors. Secondly, we often have college students as interns and, whenever possible, try to hire them.
In his article, Zitron explained that he took a PR course at a major state university and it did not address how to work with the media. He then shared his perspective on the core elements he’d recommend applying to every curriculum, which included a heavy concentration on media relations, especially those related to the relatively new “social” variety.
While I agreed with many of Zitron’s points, I do wonder about his assertion that educators are not teaching the right theoretical information to their students. My experience is limited, but I have found that graduates of the University of Washington—especially those majoring in communications and journalism—are well prepared for their work in PR.
When Communiqué looks for entry-level PR people, our ideal candidates are ones who possess excellent critical thinking and communication skills, not necessarily ones honed at university-level PR courses. I believe a strong manager can provide training around the mechanics of research, the ideal elements and length of a pitch, how to use social media, or any of a number of specific PR elements, but it is much harder to help someone develop intellectual horsepower.
The world of PR needs people who can deal with concepts and complexity comfortably, who are quick at separating fact from fiction, who can find some success at building a strong network and media connections, and who are good problem solvers. While I agree with Zitron that it would be good for PR programs to teach some of these more granular tactical lessons, I think our major educational systems must continue to develop core competencies around critical thinking, persistence, negotiation and communication.
With those skills and some dedication, fine-tuning a successful career in public relations is certainly attainable.