For half a century there has been a divide between Public Relations practitioners and their academic counterparts. One of the effects of PR blogs has been that both sides have begun to hold a conversation. I cite this example from Walter Carl. We are also seeing PR students blogging and are bringing the knowledge they gain from the schools into the practice domain and even more powerful, we are seeing practitioners being critical (in the best sense of the word) of practice evidenced in comment and contribution which brings both research and best practice to the notice of the profession.
There is a long way to go but I see this as being one of the most valuable contributions that Social Media can make to the profession.
Right now, we need more academics commenting publicly and being engaged in the profession that sustains them. We also need practitioners to demand more of academia.
What are the benefits?
The first is that the bloggersphere is part of Continuous Professional Development, is global and open.
Second is that best practice is evident and transparent and worst practice is exposed.
These interactions also show the wide diversity of practice and will accelerate transition from 40 years of press agentry bondage.
Finally, PR practice can reach out to other areas of professional and academic excellence and research and can adopt the best available for the benefit of its members and clients.
A pretty good deal I think.....
Good points, David. I have been watching with interest reactions to Stephen (PR Blogger) Davies's post, 12 Steps to a successful PR campaign (http://www.prblogger.com/2006/06/12-steps-to-a-successful-pr-campaign), which has been sufficiently well received to top Constantin Basturea's new Popular Stories/ Cripy News site with 158 recommendations (http://newpr.crispynews.com/). Stephen is just about to graduate from the University of Sunderland and is set for a very good job; as one of his lecturers, I am very proud of what he has achieved - as I am of many of his fellow students who have made such progress over the last three years.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that Stephen has been showered with compliments for his precis of themes that are common to most undergraduate PR degrees; that he has had the intiative and confidence to do this gives a clue as to why Stephen is doing so well, but it also highlights a worrying lack of appreciation of what is being taught in UK universities.
Ten years ago, when I left newspapers, I thought I knew everything about PR because I nderstood media relations from the other side of the fence; it has taken a lot of hard work to appreciate both how little I knew, and how useful a role PR theory can play in underpinning a deeper understanding of the discipline. That Stephen's comments can illicit such a response suggests that there are quite a few people out there who are still to appreciate the benefits of employing graduates from universities that are truly engaging, in both their teaching and their research, with issues that really matter. I suspect your students at Leeds Met are among them.