After Studying This Chapter, You Will Be Able To

Jobs in Public Relations

OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you will be able to

• discuss specific jobs and related duties within public relations

• explain the differences between public relations managers and public relations technicians

• name the basic areas of employment in public relations

• describe salaries and levels of job satisfaction within public relations

REAL WORLD

The Internship Interview

The purpose of this scenario is to lay the groundwork for the material that follows. As

noted in Chapter 1, the definition of public relations is widely interpreted and often

misunderstood. The same can be said for the duties and responsibilities of public relations practitioners. As done in Chapter 1, this is an opportunity to turn to your students and ask the same question: What do you think your duties will be? If the students have read the chapter, they should, at the very least, be able to speak to some of the more basic aspects of the job. However, it is also an opportunity to talk about the students’ long-term goals and some of the steps they can take to achieve them.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

I Jobs in Public Relations: An Overview

a Resource dependency theory

1 To fulfill their goals, organizations need resources from others.

2 Some of those key resources are not controlled by the organization.

3 To acquire those resources, organizations build productive relationships with
the publics that control those resources.

II Public Relations Activities and Duties

a Professor David Dozier has studied the daily duties of practitioners and divided
them into two broad categories

1 Public relations managers -- They solve problems, advise other managers, and
take responsibility for the success or failure of public relations programs.
They are often found in organizations that value employee input and operate
in a rapidly changing environment.

2 Public relations technicians -- They are not involved in decision-making.

Their role is to prepare communications for public relations plans created by others. They are often found in organizations that operate in stable and
predictable environments.

3 It is not always a matter of being a manager or a technician. Some jobs
combine elements of both.

QuickBreak 2.1 Student Misperceptions of Public Relations p. 33

According to University of Maryland Professor Shannon Bowen, there are four qualities
of the public relations profession that often surprise students in introductory courses: the
diversity of duties practitioners face, the amount of management responsibilities they
have, the amount of research that is required, and the importance of maintaining
relationships.

b A survey of government public relations practitioners in California reported that
they spent most of their time doing media relations tasks, including the writing of
news releases. Website and online media tasks ranked second, with newsletter
writing and production ranked third. (The entire list is on page 31.) Survey
respondents reported that their top two job-related challenges were a lack of time
and strained communications budgets.

c A 2008 survey of PRSA members yielded similar results, with respondents saying
they spent their most time (in order) conducting media relations, writing/editing,
marketing communications, and corporate communications. (More details on this
survey are on page 32.)

d A 2010 survey conducted by the Institute for Public Relations predicted that the
top duties for public relations managers in 2015 will be linking organizational
communication strategies to overall organizational goals, decreasing the emphasis
on simple publicity. (The entire list starts on page 32.)

e One task rarely mentioned in practitioner surveys is the recording of how they

spend their time. Agencies generally bill their services by the hour in quarter-hour increments. Practitioners working under such a system are required to keep
scrupulously detailed records of how they spend their time.

Social Media Apps: Social Media Job Duties p. 34

Survey results suggest that while social media are increasingly important in the practice
of public relations, traditional media relations skills are still the top priority among
potential employers. The top eight skills employers seek are listed, with mainstream
media relations at the top of the list. A second survey found that only 4 percent of
professionals spend more than half of their time working in social media tactics.

III Where the Jobs Are

a Corporations

1 They offer the most jobs in public relations and the greatest variety of jobs.

2 In most corporations, public relations jobs focus on specific publics:

i employee relations

ii media relations

iii government relations (also known as public affairs) iv community relations

v business-to-business relations (also known as B2B)

vi consumer relations (also known as marketing communications) vii investor relations

3 Public relations practitioners play a boundary-spanning role, meaning that
they act to preserve good relationships between an organization and its
important publics. Sometimes they must act as intersection managers,
operating at points where several publics come together simultaneously.

b Nonprofit organizations and trade associations

1 In many ways, job duties are similar to those of practitioners working within
corporations: employee relations, media relations, government relations,
community relations, and marketing communications.

2 Although nonprofit practitioners do not engage in investor relations, they do
conduct donor relations, fundraising activities, and (when appropriate)
member relations.

c Governments

1 Public relations jobs in government can be found at the national, state, and
local levels. Political parties and independent agencies also employ public
relations practitioners.

2 Government public relations jobs tend to focus upon four key publics:

i voters

ii the media
iii employees

iv special interest groups

3 The term public relations is rarely used within government because of its

connotation of persuasive communication. Congress has also placed

limitations on the use of public funds for public relations purposes.

Euphemisms such as “public information” are commonly used. No matter

what public relations is called, it ideally focuses on building relationships with important publics.

QuickBreak 2.1 The Values of Successful Employers p. 40

In Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, authors James Collins and

Jerry Porras say successful companies have something in common: a set of clear, strongly held companywide values. In examining the long-term success of 20 companies, the
authors note, “Yes, they seek profits, but they’re equally guided by a core ideology --
core values and a sense of purpose beyond just making money.” Students entering the profession should consider company values when evaluating job offers.

d Public relations agencies

1 Public relations agencies assist with the public relations activities of other
organizations.

2 Practitioners within agencies are often assigned to accounts, or individual
clients. An account supervisor manages each account, sometimes with the
help of several assistants and communications specialists.

3 Public relations agencies range in size from small shops with only a handful
of employees to divisions within advertising and marketing agencies. (See
NIB 1.1 on page 12.)

e Independent public relations consultancies

1 Independent public relations consultants are usually one-person agencies,
often specializing in certain areas of expertise.

2 Some consultants are generalists, but this means they must be adept at a
variety of skills.

3 Consulting’s greatest appeal is also its greatest burden: The consultant, alone,
bears the burden of success or failure.

f Beyond the office walls: Postmodern public relations

1 Postmodernism - Resisting conventional wisdom and seeking voices and
opinions outside the mainstream.

2 Postmodernists point out that public relations transcends the normal

workplace. Volunteers and activists also seek to build relationships with

publics important to their success. The theory and practice of public relations is not limited to the workplace.

QuickBreak 2.3 Getting That First Job or Internship p. 43

The “dos” and “don’ts” for job and internship applications are listed. The main message is that students seeking a professional career need to represent themselves in a
professional manner. Potential employers understand that students or new graduates won’t have years of professional experience. These employers understand the wisdom of hiring for attitude. First-rate résumés, cover letters, and interview skills are the keys to communicating the professional attitude that employers seek.

IV Working Conditions and Salaries

a According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, public relations technicians

work 35-40 hours per week, while public relations managers tend to work much longer hours. The BLS notes that public relations is a profession that can demand long hours and a high degree of personal commitment.

b According to a University of Georgia study, the median starting salary for 2009
graduates of U.S. journalism and mass communications programs was $30,000.

c In its 2010 annual salary survey, PRWeek noted the median salary for

practitioners with less than two years’ experience was $37,000. Men continue to
make more than their female counterparts, and corporate practitioners tend to earn
more than their counterparts. (More information on the survey is on page 44.)

QuickBreak 2.4 The People in Public Relations p. 47

A recent PRSA study found that 70 percent of respondents were female, 87 percent were
white, and 33 percent have a master’s degree. Twenty-six percent work for corporations,

20 percent for agencies, and 17 percent for nonprofit organizations or trade associations. Ten percent work for the government or the military, and 6 percent work as independent consultants. Approximately half of the respondents had an annual salary in the $50,000-
$99,999 range. Forty percent worked in organizations with fewer than 100 employees, while 21 percent worked in organizations with 5,000 or more employees.

V The Best Part of Public Relations Jobs

a A PRSA/IABC survey found that salary ranked seventh on a list of important job-
satisfaction attributes. Attributes that outranked salary included creative
opportunity, access to technology, professional development opportunities, and
recognition by colleagues.

b Recent surveys suggest that overall job satisfaction among public relations

practitioners remains high. More than 90 percent would recommend a public relations career to family and friends.

c Fortune rated public relations management as one of its Top 50 jobs.

Values Statement 2.1: Public Relations Society of America

With more than 21,000 members organized in more than 100 chapters, PRSA is the
world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. It was founded in 1948
and has its headquarters in New York. According to the PRSA website, “The Public
Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s largest community of public
relations and communications professionals. We provide training, set standards of
excellence and uphold principles of ethics for the global public relations profession. As a
leading voice in the industry, we also advocate for greater understanding and adoption of
public relations services.”

Source: PRSA website, www.prsa.org

QuickCheck Answers

Page 34

1. What specific duties consume the most time in public relations?

Several studies cited in the textbook name media relations, including the writing of news releases, as the task practitioners spend their most time completing. Marketing communications, corporate communications and community relations were also among the duties most frequently mentioned.

2. How do the job duties of a public relations manager differ from those of a public
relations technician?

Public relations managers solve problems, advise other managers, and take

responsibility for the success of failure of public relations programs. Public relations technicians are not involved in decision-making. Their role is to prepare
communications for public relations plans created by others.

3. Why do public relations practitioners record how they spend their hours?

Agencies and many organizations require practitioners to keep a record of how they
spend their hours for financial billing purposes and as a measure of personal
performance.

Page 44

1. What are the five broad areas of employment within public relations?

Corporations, nonprofit organizations and trade associations, governments, public relations agencies, and independent public relations consultancies.

2. What criticism do postmodern theorists sometimes level against descriptions of public
relations jobs?

Not all public relations activity occurs within the workplace. Volunteers and activists also engage in public relations activities and manage important relationships.

3. How does the United States Code affect public relations within the U.S. federal
government?

It prohibits the use of public funds to pay for a publicity expert unless the funds are specifically appropriated for that purpose. Its major impact has been that
government practitioners do not have the term public relations in their job titles. Instead, they are identified by a variety of titles, including public information officer, press secretary, and communications specialist.

Page 46

1. What is the average annual starting salary for entry-level jobs in public relations?

According to a University of Georgia study of 2009 graduates, the median starting salary for public relations practitioners is $30,000.

2. Do women practitioners earn as much as men practitioners?

According to the annual PR Week salary survey in 2010, the overall median salary for men with five or more years of experience was $40,000 higher than women of comparable experience. A salary gap favoring men also exists for practitioners with less than five years of experience.

3. How many hours per week do public relations managers work?

Most work more than 40 hours per week, including some evenings and weekends.

4. Is salary the most important aspect of a job in public relations?

No. According to the PRSA/IABC survey, salary follows several aspects, including creative opportunity, access to technology, professional development opportunities, and recognition by colleagues.

Chapter 2 Discussion Questions

1. Why do corporations have so many different areas of employment for public relations
practitioners?