Surviving the PR Sequence: Principles of Public Relations

By Nicole Zahn

​​What exactly is public relations? What do you do? Who do you work for? What made you chose the public relations path?
These are some of the questions I am asked on a regular basis by friends and family. To make it simple, I usually respond with “You’re the face of an organization to gain positive public perception for that company,” which leads to many replies of oohs and ahhs. However, public relations is much more than gaining public popularity. For students unsure of where this field can lead them, public relations can be defined, described, and demonstrated throughout the Principles of Public Relations course at Kent State University.
The Principles of Public Relations course is a foundational class required for students majoring and/or minoring in public relations. It provides a basic layout and understanding of the public relations profession.
 
One of the first topics learned in this course is what exactly a PR professional does:

• They WRITE – Writing is the majority of what a PR professional does. Whether it’s a news releases, for the media or creating social media content, they’re writing.
• They manage the media – More and more businesses today are using social media to promote their businesses and keep their image strong. Businesses need media teams to keep up with their digital image.
• They plan and research – Every effective public relations plan starts with research and is carried out by strong objectives, strategies and tactics.
• They enjoy advocacy & building relationships- PR professionals live for the thrill of engaging and representing a business toward their key publics and engaging with their audiences. They make the face of a company!

The next important topic taught in the course is the type of career paths there are in the PR field:

• Non-Profit- This could be an event planner or PR professional for organizations such as Relay for Life or the American Red Cross.
• Agency PR- Firms and individuals hire a PR agency to enhance or build their reputations through the media. They analyze the organization, find messages and translate those messages into positive media stories. If you work in an agency, you will have multiple clients that you are working with.
• Corporate PR- Connect with different key publics using press releases, social media, products and events and more. In corporate PR you have one client that you mainly work with and know like the back of your hand.

The number one topic emphasized daily throughout this course and major is to NEVER lie. One too many businesses have been involved in a communications crisis and try to cover it up by lying to make it seem as though it never happened. Big mistake. This is called SPIN. SPIN is a form of propaganda created through a bias view of a campaign to persuade public opinion. When sitting in on a panel discussion with PR professionals, the topic of SPIN never fails to come up.
                  If you are unsure about the path you want to take in public relations, do not worry! The Principles of Public Relations course is a great start to figure out if public relations is for you because it lays out the general foundations and basics of what public relations is and what a public relations professional does. Be a strong writer, have an open mind and don’t be afraid to be different because that is what this field is all about. 

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