PR Research

Today was the first day of classes!

My first class of the day was a PR class called "Media Information Gathering and Evaluation." I think that this class will be extremely beneficial for a more in-depth understanding of the PR industry. I am also excited to be taking this class because, as you may remember from my post this past Saturday, one of my goals for this year is to learn more about the research and background work that goes into PR campaigns.

My professor also pointed out how we are lucky as future PR practitioners to have a class like this, especially in today's economy. He said, "if you would have asked me a year and a half ago if you would need to know these things, I would have said 'you will most likely hire other people to do this work for you, but you should have a good understanding so that you can make sure they are doing a good job.'" Not the case anymore; these skills can make all of the difference in today's PR landscape. My professor pointed out that, given our current economic state, having these skills and the ability to do them independently can give an important edge in the PR arena. Being able to do the background research oneself eliminates the need to contract others to do the work and can save a lot of money. Of those companies who still have a budget for PR right now, this is highly attractive.

I look forward to taking this class and feel that it may be invaluable to my future in the PR industry.