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Spin Doctors
by Jessica Groach
Jessica.Groach@business-programs.com
Online MBA Options Columnist
Enron, Tyco, Martha Stewart…With today's corporate scandals, it's more important than ever to improve a company's image, and build the public's confidence. That's the job of a public relations specialist.
A company's value goes beyond the balance sheet; it lies in that company's relationships with the customers it depends on for success. This is why a public relations career is among the most important and exciting paths you can follow.
The Power of Perception
In 1929, Edward Bernays became a public relations pioneer. He was asked by the tobacco industry to find a way to convince women to start smoking, which at that time was considered unfeminine and inappropriate. Bernays organized an Easter Day Parade featuring New York debutantes defiantly smoking as they marched, and called it the "Torches of Liberty Brigade." Smoking became a symbol of women's equality.
Public relations, as Bernays' stunt demonstrates, influences perceptions. What many call "spin" is the fine art of public relations, and if done well, it's extremely powerful. While communication skills are essential to the job, you'll also dabble in marketing, art, psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and the principles of management and ethics. You find public relations jobs in any industry, because all organizations have a stake in how the media portray them.
A Competitive Choice
A study by the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators says the median annual income for public relations specialists was $66,800 in 2002. That's almost twice the average U.S. yearly salary.
You'll rarely be bored. One day you may conduct opinion research, the next you're writing a news release, producing an event, or running a press conference. Plus, you'll have a Rolodex most people will covet.
Finally, a public relations job means job security, because people will always make mistakes.
About the Author
Jessica Groach is a freelance writer and writing instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno. She has worked in television as a promotions director and producer, and has seven years experience in media, advertising and public relations. Her work has appeared in various lifestyle and business publications, including a Warner Business Book.
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