Public Relations, needed or not?

By Ana Rees

Public relations specialists are sometimes labeled deceptive and unethical, but are they doing more good than they are harm? 

According to an article in Forbes magazine, there has been a decline in the necessity of public relations professionals in recent years, because many companies are beginning to manage their own public affairs through utilizing the skills of already existing employees. For example, the job responsibilities of a public relations specialist align closely with that of a marketer and/or advertiser.

Not only do we see this reduction due to the thought of unencessity, but there have also been others who have questioned the ethics of public relations specialists, and therefore, question why we would we would need people in the workplace in whom we can’t fully trust. We will address the arguments of why some people do feel this way, because if looking in from the outside, it does raise questions when you see someone working for a campaign or business they don’t actually support. Although these arguments do exist and public relations specialists have been seen as deceptive or unethical for this reason and others, they are doing much more good than they are harm, and therefore are necessary in the workplace.

The ancient beginnings of public relations

West facade of the Parthenon, Athens, 5th century BCE

When you hear the words public relations, what comes to your mind?  For many people, they know what it is in a general sense, but can’t quite find the words to define it.  I saw this firsthand when I told others that I was accepted into the public relations program.  At first, they were very excited for me, but then I would watch as a puzzled look came over their faces where they would then ask me, “now what exactly is public relations?”  

Hot Spots in Public Relations

Are public relations specialists even necessary?

• Many companies are beginning to mange their own public affairs by utilizing the skills of already existing employees rather than hiring a PR firm.  In doing this, a company can save $10k+ a month, so in some instances, it does make sense.  There has been a decline in the necessity of public relations professionals in the workplace in the last few years, because the job responsibilities of a PR specialist align closely with that of a marketer or advertiser. https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilstclair/2015/03/05/why-you-should-almost-never-pay-for-pr/#64e8e8fe1c35 

Do I really need a degree in public relations to work in the field?

• With how closely public relations is related to marketing, advertising, communications, etc. is it really even necessary to get a degree in public relations to work in the field?  Or could a degree in one of these neighboring fields be enough to get your foot in the door?  Not to mention, the future of public relations is in social media, so who is to say that someone who is extremely business smart and savvy with social media couldn't do just as good of a job as a college graduate with a public relations degree?                https://www.thebalancecareers.com/media-industry-jobs-you-can-get-without-a-degree-4023960

Greater varieties of communication platforms

• The increase in communication platforms can be seen as a way to get more information out to the public and reach more specific audiences, but when it comes to PR, it can be extremely difficult to determine which platform to use.  As the platforms increase in number, so does the research and time into making sure it is the correct medium for the correct audience. 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-problems-facing-public-relations-practice-world-dr-ajihson

Of these controversies in public relations, the one that has me feeling the most passionate, is the first one regarding the necessity of specialists in general.  I will be graduating with a public relations degree next spring, so understanding the likelihood of me getting placed in the workplace is foremost on my mind.