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Why do people end being a Public Relations Specialist?

#communications #public-relations

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Cammy’s Answer

Public Relations people are in the story telling business.  You are sometimes telling the story of a company's success, or sometimes the story of a mistake an individual or company has made.  Either way, a public relations specialist interprets the message the company or individual is trying to express, and develops a story, campaign or program to communicate that message to the intended audience.  I started my career in broadcasting, and as that industry changed, I needed to find something else that I could do.  Both broadcasting and public relations require the ability to communicate stories and messages, so it was a logical transition for me.

Thank you comment icon Hey Cammy! I appreciate your response to this question. I remember I always wanted to major in communications when I was only eight. I enjoyed reading and writing fictional mini stories when I was in the eighth grade. I was always known as a creative, colorful, storyteller. I chose public relations as my major after four years of studying biology and I was so happy. Olivia, public relations specialists, managers, directors take on various roles now. It's never a dull, routined day. Cayla Matthews
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Diana’s Answer

Most stories you read in the news had a public relations professional behind them. Public Relations specialists need to have a knack for storytelling, an understanding of company priorities, and a strong grasp of the media landscape. It's their role to help uncover newsworthy things that the company is doing and share them with press outlets and particular reporters who might be interested in sharing that story more broadly. Often the most rewarding part of doing PR for companies is highlighting the impressive work of their customers.
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Trang’s Answer

Hi Olivia,

Aside from working on the content for communications/PR, one of the key important components of this work is maintaining the relationship with the media/journalists. This can be done via the agency (they take care of many client/brand accounts so the master media list covers several industries) or directly from the inhouse communications team in corporate organization.

I believe being a friend with the journalists, bonding, sharing and supporting them in their up and down moments is a great way to achieve the good relationships.

Cheers!
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Sunny’s Answer

Hi Olivia,

This is Sunny, for me is like if you want to become a Public Relations specialist I thing first you need to be like really talkative person because you have to know a lot of different stuff to talk with different person this is what the Public Relations specialist need. For me is like you have to watch so many different things around you. This is good thing when people talk with you you will have different topic to share with them. so become a Public Relation specialist is not really a easy thing. you will see different person around you and. every time when you meet a person maybe they come from different place and different jobs. If you want to talk with them well you have to know their background, jobs and personality etc. It will be somethings around that person.
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Sonja’s Answer

Hi Olivia,
Oftentimes journalism or communications students enter the PR field because they enjoy writing or communicating through multi-media platforms and PR provides a career that allows them to leverage their skills and passion. Aside from PR firms, corporations, non-profits, government agencies - even small businesses - use PR pros to tell their stories. PR helps to package the news for the media, to track issues and manage risks for organizations, and provides a narrative for an organization to help build their brand and reputation. Working at an agency allows people new to the field to "try on" different PR roles and industries, as you will typically work with multiple clients and various projects. Then, you can take that experience to an in-house experience as a PR professional.
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Lauren’s Answer

Hi Olivia! I studied Communications with a specialization in Public Relations for my undergrad at Michigan State. The field of Public Relations focuses on how organizations "build and maintain a positive relationship with the public." I was passionate about how language, word choice and framing can have an impact on our perception of a brand, individual, etc. Frames make an issue relevant to a particular audience. Frames consist of the word choice, images, metaphors, comparisons, timing and presentation style to communicate. Framing effects occur when a message frame alters someone’s opinion. A lot of how we interact with people is not just what we say, but how we say it. It’s both the approach and the word choice. Language not only expresses ideas and concepts, but actually shapes thought. Non-verbal cues and tone are also dimensions of framing when you communicate with others.

A classic example of how framing impacts opinion and choice is an experiment by Kahneman and Tversky (1984) that monitored patients’ decisions on whether or not to undergo a surgical procedure. The study revealed that people tend to more often agree to a surgery if risks are presented in terms of survival rates (as in, 94 percent survive this procedure) rather than presenting death rates (6 out of a hundred people die from this procedure). Even if both outcomes are the same, people tend to make different choices based on how a scenario is framed.

More recently, a 2004 study conducted by Stanford University political science professors asked respondents if they support or oppose allowing an extremist group to hold a rally. When posed in terms of freedom of expression, the majority supported the group’s rights. When it was framed in terms of risk for violence, the majority opposed permitting the rally.

Data shows that effective communicators can control public perception and decisions by strategically framing the messaging of an issue. This is a very desired skill for organizations and businesses. There is no such thing as "unframed" information. If this kind of thing interests you, you might want to explore Public Relations further!
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