“You have to
think about the event logistically. Where will the press stand and how will we
separate them from the attendees? And we need to remember to tape down that
microphone wire. These are things they don’t teach you in class!” A PR veteran
at my former internship was always trying to pass on whatever advice and
knowledge he could to the next generation of professionals. “It’s all in the logistics,”
he would say.
I would
typically nod my head in compliant agreement without giving it much of a
thought. But when I actually stopped recently to consider it, I realized universities
don’t tend to instruct their students to think of public relations practices in
terms of logistics. We’re not taught to consider the practical scenarios that
the speaker could trip over a mic wire or that the photographers need to stand
on a platform to get the best view. And in a small office, it would be up to us
as PR practitioners to take care of those small details that can make all the
difference.
But of
course, schools cover all the vital information needed in this industry- the traditional
skills like public speaking, press release writing, media relations, even
persuasion. All are necessary for succeeding (or simply getting hired at all)
in public relations. But there are some skills, such as thinking critically
while executing a press conference, that can make or break that success.
Maybe skills
needed in on-site media management, for instance, cannot be taught in the
classroom. Perhaps the only way to gain this knowledge is from a direct, and
sometimes hectic, experience working an event. Most elements of PR, and life in
general for that matter, are best learned and perfected through practice.
I bring up
this topic not to speak critically of degree programs but to spark a discussion
among public relations students and industry professionals. Is it a university’s
responsibility to teach us to think logistically in order to create effective
PR practitioners? Or is it up to us to get the hands-on experience in order to
set ourselves above the competition?
