Public Relations Practitioner

Job overview
Public relations practitioners employ various means of communication to achieve an effective two-way flow of information between an organisation and its target groups.

For organisations, especially big companies and government departments, public relations? (PR?) ?is an important management function concerned with bringing people together in understanding and it is of direct importance to top management.

What do people do in this occupation?
Public relations acts on the assumption that every organisation in a modern democracy can only survive if it is acceptable to the public and that the public's acceptance cannot survive in a communication vacuum.

A public relations policy must be based on the long-term view of an organisation's relations with different target publics.

The PR practitioner's work consists of the following:?
Consulting?
Where an organisation's internal or external relationships are affected, public relations practitioners must be able to advise directors and management on a broad spectrum of concerns.

Community involvement
A practical and effective way an organisation can demonstrate its good citizenship on suburban, governmental and national level, is by giving financial support and getting involved in the activities of the community.

Employee communication?
A climate of trust and understanding between workers and management is of utmost importance to the public relations of any organisation.

PR practitioners can initiate internal newsletters reviewing matters such as personnel administration, recruiting, training, etc.

Industry affairs?
Public relations advisors can help to improve an organisation's interests by taking part in the activities of the industry to which they belong.

Media liaison?
Most organisations have information in which the written media, radio or television would be interested.

Corporate advertising?
An organisation can use advertisements to tell the public what its attitude is towards important affairs.

Videos?
Many organisations produce videos about themselves and their activities.

Speeches?
By providing speakers for influential groups, an organisation can often accomplish direct and continued contacts with key persons in the community.

Organising special events?
This includes displays, exhibitions, seminars, lecture tours, conventions and promotions e.g. ?sponsored golf tournaments.

Crisis communication?
Any organisation can be struck by disasters such as fire, explosions, industrial strikes or plane crashes.

The way this is handled by the organisation can make or break its reputation, image and continued survival.

Crisis communication is therefore critically important.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
Public relations practitioners should be people-orientated, with leadership abilities.

They should have knowledge of human relations and a good command of oral and written communication skills as well as an understanding of the characteristics of the population groups of a country.

This should go together with a good command of at least two of the country's official languages.

Finally, PR practioners should have a wide range of interests, a lively, critical mind, sound judgement and be keen to learn.

What qualifications are needed?
A wide general education, backed up by tertiary studies in public relations and related subjects.