A bad month for 70% of CIPR members

This month has not been a good month for UK Press officers.
The butter is melting on their bread. The P45 looms.
The CIPR research shows that 70% of in-house PR people are involved in 'media relations' and nearly as many write for the press. The figures are less for agency staff who spend more time on media planning and strategy.

I guess they might be a little concerned:

• Press circulation continues to slide.
• Readership of news online is growing.
• People trust the Government more than the media in the UK which does not bode well for PR's use of the press for third party endorsement.
• On the other hand, the Internet is engendering trust.
• The TV channels are developing novel approaches to online delivery. Including the BBC and Channel 4 (which today said it was trialling mobile video news) and the broadcasters know what is coming.
• Social Media is making itself heard.
• It is gaining eyeballs too.
• Meantime the Internet is set to become the fastest growing medium for marketing over the next 12 months, according to the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
• But its not going on PR. Not even on-line PR.

Online PR needs a focus and a champion Like, for example CIPR. Is its training programme delivering the on line goods?

Let me see......

June

1
Group event
North West group event
Manchester
2
Workshop
Client handling skills
5
1-day conference
Internal Communications
London
6
Workshop
Writing for the press
7
Workshop
Creating PR strategy
Edinburgh
7 & 8
Workshop
Introduction to PR
8
Workshop
Understanding the PR Profession
9
Workshop
Selling in your stories
13
Workshop
Writing techniques for e-communications
Which I have already commented about
13
Freshly Squeezed
Web words
CIPR HQ
14
Workshop
Writing techniques for e-communications
Manchester
14
Workshop
Creating PR strategy
15
Workshop
Internal communications
Leeds
15
Workshop
Strategic leadership
16
Workshop
Leadership in action
19
Workshop
Evaluating PR
20
Workshop
How to survive the PR jungle
21
Freshly Squeezed
The picture desk
CIPR HQ
22
Freshly Squeezed
Tips for the top
CIPR HQ
22
Group event
International group event
London
26
Workshop
Event management
27
Workshop
Writing techniques for e-communications
Edinburgh
27
Freshly Squeezed
Vibrant design
CIPR HQ
28
Workshop
Managing your PR team
29
Workshop
Fundamentals of PR strategy
30
Workshop
PR writing skills

Oh... (not quite 'Management Function' stuff) ... good. Three opportunities to discover how to write for an Intranet.

The brighter light on the CIPR horizon (including Simon, Stephen, Nicky, and Richard) is this one: It is the session at the CIPR's Northern Conference 2006 PR blogging workshop session which takes place on Thursday 6 July in Leeds.

Picture: Colin Farrington CIPR's Director General