Learn about some of the different positions you can fill in public relations.
In the field of public relations, there are generally two areas of focus: a public relations manager and a public relations technician. A public relations technician is considered to be responsible for the more "technical" side of public relations work. This may be anything from creating publications to staying in contact with media outlets, whereas the manager tends to be more responsible for overseeing the process as a whole. For those interested in the work of a public relations technician, there are several paths to follow, with some of them overlapping, but all of them equally important to the field of public relations.
Writing/Journalism
For the public relations technician, writing is a necessary part of the job. A company conveys vast amounts of information to the public through writing, so a public relations technician who is focused on writing will probably have a background in journalism or some closely related field. Public relations writers should be expected to produce a variety of written material, including short articles, press releases, advertising copy, and even brief speeches. The goal, of course, is to establish the best possible communications between a company or organization and the public.
Editing
While some see editing as simply a part of the writing process, editing can, in and of itself, be a separate line of work within the scope of the public relations technician. A poorly edited publication is of no use for successful public relations, and a good editor can have a significant role in whether or not a publication is effective. Additionally, companies need public relations technicians who are skilled in editing to review press releases, speeches and advertising to ensure that the material conveys exactly the right tone. Some time back, a magazine ran an online poll about a potentially offensive billboard in order to find out what readers thought about it. The options for response included a selection indicating that the billboard crossed the line and a selection indicating that "people should not be so prudent." A good PR editor would have caught the error and corrected "prudent" to "prudish," but the poll remained online that way, leaving readers to draw their own conclusions about the publication's level of professionalism.
Other Media Work
The online world has opened the door to a new range of options for a public relations technician. Traditional writing and journalism work can be re-purposed for communication in blogs or even in quick posts for social networking sites like Twitter. For those skilled in HTML, website design can function as a facet of the public relations field, because a website is now an essential element that a company can use for staying in touch with the public. Additionally, media work in areas such as photography and videography are necessary elements for public relations, especially with regard to the online environment. As the old proverb goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and in some cases a video might be worth more than that. With the advent of easy uploading for images and video hosting sites like YouTube, these areas are increasingly important for the public relations technician.
Tags: public relations, public relations technician, relations technician, public relations, field public, good editor