Fall 2011
Volume 11 Edition 1
Central PRemiere Dr. Diane S. Krider chapter of Public Relations Student Society of American at Central Michigan University
I am PR: Roles of a PR Practitioner
Multi-tasking is a key skill every public relations practitioner needs to hone, even you. You will wear many different hats to provide your company or organization with the most efficient public relations possible. When wearing these different hats, you will not only be communicating with your company’s target audiences, but also to other practitioners, potential clients and potential employers. To sharpen up your skills, here are some roles you may play and how to be effective when working in these roles:
pres post
now what
photo credit: CMU IPR program website [http://www.cmich.edu/x31990.xml]
PRogrammer (\’prō-,gra-mər, -grə-\ a person who prepares programs) Who will your company call for an event? You! As a programmer you may have to coordinate special events, campaign tours and many other types of events. These events will not only tell your audiences about your company, but will also display your creative skills, organizational skills and communication skills.
how do we tell them questions. In this role remember to: Maintain a level head and calm demeanor. Also, remember time isn’t on your side. Don’t rush to say anything, but remember the longer you wait the more “out of the blue” stories may pop up in the tomorrow’s paper.
PRovider of information (\prə-‘vī-dər\ one that provides) Everyone needs a guru to fall back on In this role remember to: Make clear objectives for information. As a public relations practitioner in the beginning; you are the promoter of your you will need to be the Webster of your organiorganization’s brand and these zation, knowing the ins and “Everyone objectives will help determine outs, ups and downs and in many aspects of the event later. needs a betweens. People will referAlso, research other events of guru to fall ence you for many different the kind you want to produce; pieces of information, such back on for not every event is successful as declines in sales in previbecause it sounds good. information.” ous years, why the previous president resigned or even the number of people PRoblem Solver (\’sälv, ‘sȯlv\ to find a solucurrently employed. tion, explanation, or answer for) It isn’t a hidden mystery that controversy sometimes comes up in In this role remember to: stay in contact with, organizations, getting to the media and causing if possible, all departments to stay up to date on a whirlwind of hearsay and speculation. In these changes and transitions, in order to maintain the situations you will become the turn-to person for most up-to-date records. the answers to many questions. You will need to answer the who, what, where, when, why and CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
social deals
checking in
link to a job
prssa nc