Who Needs PR?

The diverse institutions and individuals requiring professional Public Relations go beyond the more traditionally defined corporate world. Who are they? And Who are they.

College or University

A public relations expert needs to defuse those crisis situations where student bodies could be in revolt over demands, where there is a change in educational policy, where something could be wrong with the examination papers or simply when, in interaction with State and Central Governments, grants have to be sought or when a college organizes intercollegiate festivals.

Newspaper

Some of the better newspapers have Public Relations Staff quite separate from the advertising department or the marketing people.Times Of India is having lots of articles on the National Readership Survey, because they topped the list.

Non-Profit Body

From the point of view of the organisation, whether it is Rotary, UNICEF, the Red Cross, or any number of charitable and cultural and social service organizations, a Public Relations cell is an integral part of the institution. It has to interact with a number of bodies for its very existence, for the support of its causes, for mis-understandings that can crop-up as; at every stage it is public money at stake.

Individual

An aspirant to a political post needs it, so does a person standing for president-ship of a chamber of commerce. So does an actor, a producer or a gallery owner, or a non-resident who is seeking to make a mark in the Indian business circle.Shripad Nadkarni of Coke needed PR as his image was shattered when Sushmita Sen lay allegations on him of sexual harassment. He got the support from his company & Miss sen was shown thumbs down.

Who Needs PR?

The diverse institutions and individuals requiring professional Public Relations go beyond the more traditionally defined corporate world. Who are they? And Who are they.

College or University

A public relations expert needs to defuse those crisis situations where student bodies could be in revolt over demands, where there is a change in educational policy, where something could be wrong with the examination papers or simply when, in interaction with State and Central Governments, grants have to be sought or when a college organizes intercollegiate festivals.

Newspaper

Some of the better newspapers have Public Relations Staff quite separate from the advertising department or the marketing people.Times Of India is having lots of articles on the National Readership Survey, because they topped the list.

Non-Profit Body

From the point of view of the organisation, whether it is Rotary, UNICEF, the Red Cross, or any number of charitable and cultural and social service organizations, a Public Relations cell is an integral part of the institution. It has to interact with a number of bodies for its very existence, for the support of its causes, for mis-understandings that can crop-up as; at every stage it is public money at stake.

Individual

An aspirant to a political post needs it, so does a person standing for president-ship of a chamber of commerce. So does an actor, a producer or a gallery owner, or a non-resident who is seeking to make a mark in the Indian business circle.Shripad Nadkarni of Coke needed PR as his image was shattered when Sushmita Sen lay allegations on him of sexual harassment. He got the support from his company & Miss sen was shown thumbs down.

PR Tools

PRINT MEDIA
Most of the efforts chapters make in public relations are through forms of print media, primarily newspapers. These are usually the most visible outlets on college campuses, especially school newspapers, and in the local community.

PRESS RELEASE

The press release is the most common material provided to media outlets. These documents provide a brief, yet thorough, description of an upcoming activity, whether it is rush or a service project.

PHOTOGRAPHS

There are usually two types of photographs in publicity portrait shots, where people pose for the camera and smile, and candids, where the subjects are doing something.

CASES HISTORIES/ STUDIES

Case studies which show a good image of the company are shared with the media/ investors, community etc. Books on Making of Asoka, Making of Lagaan, Amitabh Bacchan- A book by Jaya Bachchan EDITORIALS No money, high credibility, however no control over message.
ADVERTORIALS Advertisement + Editorial.

Control over message, pay lesser than an advertisement. It is a strategic tool, but should not be used too often.

INTERVIEWS/FEATURES Meeting journalists.

Here there is lot of room for different interpretations. More often than not, press releases will not be printed verbatim. Even though your media contact will likely rewrite them, possibly including additional quotes or information they research on their own your press releases should be written well enough. However, there are also times that a press release will encourage a reporter to do more, such as conduct a full interview with chapter members or write a feature article on an upcoming project. While doing sponsorships one should try to brand it with the event simultaneously.

BROCHURE

A booklet published by the organization which contains the organisations background, its ethics, vision, mission, its past, present and future projects, its USP, etc.Eg: brochure given to new employees to give them a gist of the organisation.

POSTER AND CALENDAR

Any poster or calendar used to achieve a public relations objective.

WRITTEN SPEECH

The typewritten or printed text of a speech given to achieve a public relations objective.

INTERNAL NEWSLETTERS AND PUBLICATIONS

ICICI has their internal Newsletters, in which information about the company, its profits, employees etc. is given.

EVENT AND PRESS SUPPOR

Special events are acts of news development. The ingredients are time, place, people, activities, drama, showmanship; one special event may have many subsidiary events, such as luncheons, banquets, contests, speeches, and many others as part of the build up.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Submitting these articles does not require a media contact. This also gives an opportunity for any member to submit a letter on their chapter for printing in a local or campus newspaper.
ANALYSTS BRIEF

One tells about the company, what the company is doing. It is done to influence the stock buyers, analysts, employees and media.

CORPORATE ADVERTISING

If you believe the image of the company is good i.e. that trustworthy, reliable one, then you can use that as a PR tool. E.X.Aditya Birla Group, Om Kotak Mahindra ad.
CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS

Om Kotak doing many seminars. It contacts associations and tells them to give numbers of their members so that they can talk to them. The members are contacted through telephones and asked to attend seminar on General Insurance. In the seminar they talk on General Insurance for 20 minutes and then the next 10 minutes they talk about the company products.Pharma Companies when they do any research say for example, diabetic research, they would launch the product and before or after the launch they would call doctors for a conference to discuss about the research

INTERNET:

This one medium has helped transform the whole business of marketing and public relations. In a way, it gives any organization the ability to promote themselves without having to rely solely on other media outlets. Websites and e-mail are the two most common methods to use the Internet for PR purposes.
WEBSITE

A chapter website should not only be designed to serve as a resource for members, but it should also present a positive message to nonmembers just "browsing through. Brief descriptions of chapter history, past projects and activities, and long-standing relationships with other organizations may give an outsider a positive impression of the fraternity. Like the newsletter, information for members shouldn't just inform, it should also encourage involvement and develop enthusiasm.

E-MAIL

Today, this has become the most common method used for communication between fraternity members. It can also be used to promote a chapter to fellow students and others, but it should be used carefully.

AUDIO AND VISUAL:

This division includes any audio or audio/visual presentation or program which serves a :Public Relations objective. Audio presentation. Any sound-only program, including telephone hot lines and other recorded messages, radio programs, public service announcements and audio news releases.Audio/Visual Presentation. Any internal or external audio-visual presentation using still illustrations, with or without sound, using one or more projectors. Film Or Video. Any film or video which presents information to an organization's internal audiences.

NEWS AND PUBLICITY:

News is something that interests many people today. From the point of view of THE TIMES OF INDIA, that means the national readers of THE TIMES OF INDIA and the metropolis readers of THE BOMBAY TIMES, etc. From the point of view of THE INDIAN EXPRESS, it means all the people interested in hardcore content and no masala.Every medium has a news standard of its own, and that is the criterion the publicist goes by in attempting to address publicity to the public through that medium;

SPECIAL EVENTS:

Special events are acts or news development. The ingredients are time, place, people, activities, drama, and showmanship. One special event may have many subsidiary events, such as luncheons, banquets, contests, speeches, and many others, as part of the build-up. The special event is the coup de maitre of publicity, propaganda, and public relations

How Do I Become a Public Relations Executive?

In order to become a public relations executive, you must first attend college courses and/or training to learn exactly what the field of public relations is. The next step might be to approach the various job counseling centers at the college where one received the degree. Large firms may contact various universities looking for recruits that are eager to become a public relations executive. Another option is a job fair. Colleges often host job fairs, some of which are specific to certain industries. It would also be wise to contact professors in the public relations department who may have contacts within the industry that could place new graduates.
Another option if you want to become a public relations executive is an internship through the college or university you are attending. Public relations firms want to find fresh minds straight out of college, so they typically offer internship programs. Job internships with public relations agencies are a great way to get your foot in the door at a public relations firm, and they can often turn into full-time opportunities. If you find yourself out of college and have exhausted your efforts within the college to find a job, you might simply begin to apply directly to public relations firms. Most firms are not anxious to hire people without experience, so it might behoove you to offer your services for free to a friend or colleague in order to build a small portfolio of work.



As with all higher management positions, to become a public relations executive might require a move. There are a limited number of firms that specialize only in public relations, so since those positions are in higher demand, you might need to consider whether or not you are willing to relocate. If not, you could also approach marketing companies in your area. Marketing companies don’t typically specialize in public relations, but a segment of the company might.
Most people think that a public relations executive must simply be good with people. Actually, a public relations executive must be able to analyze various segments of the public as related to the company he or she represents, and must tailor messages specifically to those segments in a way most beneficial to the company.

The general public is a term used to refer to all publics, but a public relations executive realizes that the general public is subdivided into many different categories: media, customers, employees, etc. To become a public relations executive, one must realize that each of these publics may require a tailored message specific to their group.

PR

The main goal of a public relations department is to enhance a company’s reputation. Staff that work in public relations, or as it is commonly known, PR, are skilled publicists. They are able to present a company or individual to the world in the best light. The role of a public relations department can be seen as a reputation protector.
The business world of today is extremely competitive. Companies need to have an edge that makes them stand out from the crowd, something that makes them more appealing and interesting to both the public and the media. The public are the buyers of the product and the media are responsible for selling it.
Public relations provide a service for the company by helping to give the public and the media a better understanding of how the company works. Within a company, public relations can also come under the title of public information or customer relations. These departments assist customers if they have any problems with the company. They are usually the most helpful departments, as they exist to show the company at their best.

PR also helps the company to achieve its full potential. They provide feedback to the company from the public. This usually takes the form of research regarding what areas the public is most happy and unhappy with.
People often have the perception of public relations as a group of people who spin everything. Spin can mean to turn around a bad situation to the company’s advantage. It is true that part of the purpose of public relations is to show the company in a positive light no matter what. There are certain PR experts that a company can turn to for this particular skill.
The public often think of PR as a glamorous job. Public relations people seem to have been tarred with the image of constant partying and networking to find new contacts. The reality is usually long hours and hard work for anyone involved in public relations.
There are certain skills necessary to work in the world of PR. These include a very high level of communication skills, written and verbal. The PR person must also be very adept at multitasking and time management. He or she may also have some form of media background or training in order to understand how the media and advertising work. Organizational and planning skills are also important in public relations.

...

Truly, how much of what you believe

About the environment and global warming … About the crime rate, poverty rate, and other social indicators … About gross domestic product, national debt, average income per person, unemployment rate and other economic measurements … About healthcare reform, financial reform, the upcoming climate and energy reform, and other political measures … In spiritual matters … … how much of it is true, and how much has been manufactured to advance an agenda to boost profit or power, perhaps as deadly as hooking half the adult population into a deadly addiction?

As I said in my recent email to you, It’s even worse than the conspiracy theorists claim!

NEXT TIME: We witness the rise of American consumerism, an entire retail infrastructure, and planned obsolesence to address manufacturers’ age-old problem of overproduction … … as we continue to draw back the curtain in our look at public relations. Find out next time as we continue to chart the underlying currents of psychology, sociology, and economics that flow together as marketing. In DEEP MARKETING.

http://www.rippermarketing.com/blog/

How did he change the social standard?

His cigarette manufacturing client wanted to boost sales. And half of the market sat untapped: women. Bernays went to work:
First, he hired a psychoanalyst who told him cigarettes represented freedom from male restriction and smoking symbolized women regaining their power and independence.
He then got a group of women to march in the Easter Day Parade.
On his signal, they would bring out and light up hidden cigarettes — an absolutely shocking public act!
He told the press he gathered for this that the women were marching for the right to vote and their cigarettes were “torches of freedom.”
Note:

1. how he finds a psychological hot button, freedom from social restriction …
2. then ties it to a core American political ideology, freedom …
3. promotes it in a controversial public act that defies social standards by shifting them higher to the women’s new ideal standard of freedom …
4. and wraps it in a three-word slogan that encompasses freedom … and
5. connects it to a huge issue of the day, the then-current women’s struggle for the right to vote

Result, he creates an iron-clad argument for women to smoke. After all, who in America can argue against half the population standing up for their freedom? And he proves you could create irrational (and absolutely deadly) behavior by linking them to people’s irrational emotions and feelings. All this to change then current beliefs and social standards … for a deadly commercial product. And the industry continued to link emotions and feelings:     Smoking = freedom     Smoking = rebellion from parental authority     Smoking = being cool, hip

If you want an example other than everyone’s favorite punching bag, look at our consumer culture and status goods and the link between irrational (and financial deadly) behavior and irrational emotions and feelings:
    Owning a Lexus or Mercedes Benz = feeling rich
    Owning a Louis Vuitton or Gucci bag = feeling rich

Yet, how do most people acquire these symbols of wealth? By driving themselves away from wealth and riches by going into debt with a high-interest car loan or credit card charge.

Now, if this was done in the earliest unrefined days of public relations, imagine what people believe today with 90 years of professional tweaking and refining? Imagine what you believe today?

http://www.rippermarketing.com/blog/

father's of PR

Edward Bernays was Freud’s American nephew and founder of public relations, which influenced advertising. He was the first to take Freud’s ideas and use them to manipulate the masses: showing corporations how to make people want things they didn’t need by linking mass produced goods to their unconscious desires. From this came a new political idea on how to control the masses: by satisfying people’s inner desires, one made them happy and thus docile. It was the start of the all-consuming self, which has come to dominate our world today.

We’ll extract this wisdom so you can understand how public relations has bled into nearly all messages you see around you, from obvious paid advertising from less obvious news reports and even Hollywood movies.
Bernays begins in a mighty way when he’s hired to promote the US effort in World War I: “Bringing democracy to the world” then at the post-war peace conference” “Make the world safe for democracy.”
His success in winning over the European masses to a political idea inspired him to apply his propaganda techniques to peace: American advertising. Since the Germans had ruined the term “propaganda,” he found another word: “public relations.” His purpose: to find a way to manage and alter the way the American masses thought and felt. Or more bluntly, to make money manipulating the unconscious.
He based this on there being a lot more going on in the individual and in groups than just information to drive behavior. His conclusion: you need to find devices that play to people’s irrational emotions. Prior to Bernays, both governments and businesses assumed you present the rational argument for supporting policies or buying products.
His early successes included: getting women to smoke when it was taboo for them. This took place at the same place women were fighting for the right to vote.

Credibility and flying BMWs: JPRR Social Media Special

"Social media are giving public relations theory a workout," writes guest editor Tom Kelleher, introducing the "brisk circuit of scholarship" he has brought together for a special edition of the Journal of Public Relations Research, Vol 22:3.

• Media Catching and the Journalist–Public Relations Practitioner Relationship: How Social Media are Changing the Practice of Media Relations, by Richard D. Waters, Natalie T. J. Tindall, and Timothy S. Morton
• Organizational Image Construction in a Fragmented Online Media Environment, by Dawn Gilpin
• A Losing Strategy: The Impact of Nondisclosure in Social Media on Relationships, by Kaye D. Sweetser
• Online Relationship Management in a Presidential Campaign: A Case Study of the Obama Campaign’s Management of Its Internet-Integrated Grassroots Effort, by Abbey Levenshus
• Diffusion of Social Media Among Public Relations Practitioners in Health Departments Across Various Community Population Sizes, by Elizabeth Avery, Ruthann Lariscy, Ellie Amador, Tayna Ickowitz, Charles Primm, and Abbey Taylor

Several of the papers set out to test the rhetoric of social media through grounded anlaysis. As Sweetser rightly points out, "the field finds itself facing more case studies of what not to do with little empirical data to support the anecdotes".
Her study begins from the view that if social media makes the relationships between organisations and publics are indeed little different that between individuals, it would be useful to examine whether the same conditions that damage interpersonal relationships also damage organization–public relationships.

"As Gallicano (2009) pointed out, the majority of public relations scholarship focuses on cultivation strategies and outcomes with regard to relationship theory. Few studies investigate concepts that damage relationships, as this study aims to do.

This leads her to two research questions:
RQ1: To what extent are relationship strategies correlated with the relational outcome of credibility?
RQ2: To what extent is there a difference in the relational outcome ofcredibility based on ethical public relations practice?
And to the hypothesis that "An organization’s failure to disclose in a social media environment will
damage perceptions of relationship strategies". 
Sweetser sets out to test this - commonly held - hypothesis with empirical research, namely an experiment conducted in August 2009, featuring a video used in BMW's ‘‘Rampenfest’ social media campaign. The car-maker created a series of 'mockumentary' videos about a town in Bavaria that was attempting to build a
ramp from which the town would launch a BMW across the Atlantic, and posted them on YouTube.
The video series was presented on what appeared to be the personal YouTube account of the director, with no mention of support or production backing from BMW. 
The researcher showerd the video to 509 students, telling one group it was created by the company, but BMW denied producing it, a second that BMW admitted it was a produced viral video from the beginning, and a control which didn't see the video.
The questions were designed to see whether non-disclosure affected the subjects' perception of BMW as an ethical organisation, and what influence it had on its credibility.
It is a complicated argument, and as always with PR research it is very hard to screen out external/ environmental factors which may heavily influence results, but Sweetser feels confident in asserting that "viewers take a viral video at face value when viewing a piece they know the company made; however, when viewers
discover that an organization lied, it challenges and erodes their opinion of the organization."

http://publicsphere.typepad.com/mediations/public_relations/

PR lessons from the "Prince of Darkness"

Everybody knows to be a little wary of the blurb on the back of books but the pitch for Peter Mandelson's memoir is still a bit rich. Did I really buy TheThird Man because "Much has been written about the man at the heart of New Labour. Now we hear the unvarnished truth from the man himself"?

Describing Mandelson's account as unvarnished is like presenting a Henry Moore sculpture as a lump of rock; you may or may not like it as a piece of art but you can't claim that no work went into its construction!

The Third Man is an outstanding illustration of the power of selective memory and slipperiness of truth. It is also a chilling reminder of the dangers and unreliability of 'reputation management'; if nothing else it teaches us that once you have started it is very difficult to stop. I have read quite a few accounts of the rise of New Labour but I have to concede that I have no idea what happened at any of the key events in this tragicomedy. At the same time, I am fairly confident that only the self-styled "Sultan of Spin" could begin to believe this is the most objective account.

The tricky bit is that it works quite well as an (accidental) insight into many of the problems inherent in Public Relations. Mandelson succeeds in showing why 1980s Labour needed not only a new direction but a new way of communicating that direction, but at the same time eloquently illustrates the perils of image management.

Just as people often say PR is not very good at it its own PR, Mandelson is constantly the exposed as the spin doctor who couldn't spin his own reputation.      

"For the best part of two decades I had been defined by an increasingly malign media image. I was Machiavelli with a red rose. the Prince of Darkness. I had managed to come to terms with Mandelson the media caricature. I also realised that I had played a part in its creation."

Mandelson suggests he learnt "the three basic rules of spin-doctoring" whilst briefing journalists at the Havana Libre Hotel in Cuba when he was a delegate to the 1978 World Youth and Student Festival, arguing "a pro-freedom, pro-human rights agenda". Although you might think that in The Third Man world, rule one is, however clumsily, be sure to drop in a few words to make sure everyone knows you are one of the good guys, Mandelson claims they are in fact: "Don't overclaim. Be factual. And never arrive at a briefing without a story."

He may be accused of overclaiming, and of there will be quibbles about about facts, but Mandelson also showed the importance of timing - getting his story out before Blair or Brown weigh in with versions of the same script but with presumably rather fewer of the good lines going to the Third Man.

Anyway, armed with these lessons, the youthful Peter goes on to work for Neil Kinnock.

"It was the the start of my career as a spin doctor. Yet 'spinning' does not begin to capture the the difficulty bordering on impossibility I found in securing more than the most occasional word of praise for Labour."

But he does grow into the job.

"I was even enjoying my role as the spokesman - or more often the stage manager, interpreter and spinner - for Labour in the media.
 "Ultimately I saw my role as using any tool at my disposal to ensure that Labour, and Neil, were presented in the best possible light....
... if that meant cold-shouldering those who had made Labour look bad, I saw that too as part of my role."

For whatever reason, Mandelson is coy about the the rougher tools he deployed, going little further than admitting to deliberately tripping over a TV sound lead to end coverage of a particularly disastrous public meeting.

By his third return to government, Mandelson claims to have left spin doctoring far behind, and points to the relatively benign attitude of the media in his spat with George Osborne over the Corfu/ Oleg Deripaska affair: "I was breaking out of of the world of scripted soundbites I had done so much to create."

Repeatedly, Mandeon's career, and his particular telling of his own story, underlines a PR truth that he captures in a comment about the dying days of Gordon Brown's premiership: "Gordon beileved I could 'fix' anything in the press, but as I had learnt at Walworth Road, there comes a point when your product or lack of it outweighs even the most deft presentation."  

Perhaps the most telling insight into Public Relations is the ambition he shared with so many practitioners (and academics) to go beyond the discipline and use his skills to better - and worthier - effect. PR talks endlessly about getting a seat on the board, or joining the dominant coalition; Mandelson is desperate for a role in Cabinet.

"Almost as soon as I arrived at the DTI, I felt that I was able to start redefining what 'being Peter' meant. Instead of giving advice to others and enabling them to make decisions, I was taking my own and setting the agenda for the department." 

Communicators can certainly learn from The Third Man, but when the author teaches you to question the motivation behind almost every sentence, they are unlikely to learn to how to love Peter Mandelson.

Maybe he just isn't very good at his own PR. Or perhaps the flaw is in the product he is trying to promote.

http://publicsphere.typepad.com/mediations/public_relations/

Re)Thinking Media Relations

Public Relations

(Once upon a time, and like most journalists, I thought public relations was the way organisations fed stories to newspapers. For the seven or eight years I have been studying and teaching PR, I have been developing an ever-widening and deepening view of the discipline in which media relations seems to play an increasingly peripheral role. But now I am delighted to have been asked to write a book chapter on media relations and am trying to rethink its role in today's communications landscape.  

As part of this process, two blog posts have caught my attention. Today, Heather Brooke has launched a scathing attack on the way West Midlands police handled legitimate journalistic inquiries about the decision to set up CCTV cameras in predominantly Muslim areas of Birmingham:

"PR exists for control purposes, to hinder, rather than to inform, and this is a fine example.
"Public officials also often complain about the irresponsibility of the press. Yet here we see a responsible reporter who writes stories based on facts and in the public interest being frozen out of a press conference precisely because of the strength of his journalism, by a police force already accused of misleading the public with false information."

Less dramatically, but perhaps more instructively, The Guardian's Robert McCrum claims to have glimpsed the malaise that lingers at the heart of the bookseller, Waterstone's. An apparently rather clumsy response to an interview request led McCrum to conclude that Waterstone's is held back "by a sclerotic management structure". An organisation that won't let a manager chat to a reporter about a bestseller is revealed as monolithic, crippled by top-down paranoia; interestingly, a counterview swiftly emerges from a very lively comments debate - 54 intelligent contributions in three days. Some bemoan the corporate culture of Waterstone's but many others suggest that as journalists are so untrustworthy, a cautious 'no comment' is completely justified.

What importance do you think media relations should command in the wider PR mix? Looking along my bookshelf, it seems that many PR academics regard the subject as a rather dull, perhaps worth a mention in an overview of 'tactics' but hardly meriting serious study.

http://publicsphere.typepad.com/mediations/public_relations/

 

Public Relation Tools

Some of the important public relation tools are explained. The News Release consists of one or more typewritten sheets of information issued to generate publicity. News release may be for announcements of a new product, promotion of an executive, an unusual contest, establishment of student’s scholarship fund etc. The press kit supports the publicity gained at staged events such as press conference. It is a sheet of information about the event, program, schedule of activities, list of participants etc. It also contains a news story about the event for the broadcast media and print media. For print media it may include photos. The next tool is Photography – Photos of events, products in use and new equipments can be used by the PR department. Photo tells news faster. Photos should be of good quality which needs little or no explanation. The next tool is the publishing of Featured Articles. Many publications run feature articles about companies, products and services. These articles may be written by PR specialist or even by a third party. Editors like feature articles because they can publish them according to their convenience.

Employment and Job Outlook

Public relations specialists held about 275,200 jobs in 2008. They are concentrated in service-providing industries, such as advertising and related services; healthcare and social assistance; educational services; and government. Others work for communications firms, financial institutions, and government agencies.
Public relations specialists are concentrated in large cities, where press services and other communications facilities are readily available and where many businesses and trade associations have their headquarters. Many public relations consulting firms, for example, are in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. There is a trend, however, toward public relations jobs to be dispersed throughout the Nation, closer to clients.

Employment is projected to grow much faster than average; however, keen competition is expected for entry-level jobs.
Employment change. Employment of public relations specialists is expected to grow 24 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. The need for good public relations in an increasingly competitive and global business environment should spur demand for these workers, especially those with specialized knowledge or international experience. Employees who possess additional language capabilities also are in great demand.
The recent emergence of social media in the public relations is expected to increase job growth as well. Many public relations firms are expanding their use of these tools, and specialists with skills in them will be needed.
Employment in public relations firms is expected to grow as firms hire contractors to provide public relations services, rather than support more full-time staff when additional work is needed.
Among detailed industries, the largest job growth will continue to be in advertising and related services.
Job prospects. Keen competition likely will continue for entry-level public relations jobs, as the number of qualified applicants is expected to exceed the number of job openings. Many people are attracted to this profession because of the high-profile nature of the work. Opportunities should be best for college graduates who combine a degree in journalism, public relations, or another communications-related field with a public relations internship or other related work experience. Applicants who do not have the appropriate educational background or work experience will face the toughest obstacles.
Additional job opportunities should result from the need to replace public relations specialists who retire or leave the occupation for other reasons.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos086.htm



Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

A bachelor’s degree in a communications-related field combined with public relations experience is excellent preparation for a person interested in public relations work.
Education and training. Many entry-level public relations specialists have a college degree in public relations, journalism, marketing, or communications. Some firms seek college graduates who have worked in electronic or print journalism. Other employers seek applicants with demonstrated communication skills and training or experience in a field related to the firm's business—information technology, healthcare, science, engineering, sales, or finance, for example.
Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's and postsecondary programs leading to a degree in public relations, usually in a journalism or communications department. In addition, many other colleges offer courses in this field. Courses in advertising, business administration, finance, political science, psychology, sociology, and creative writing also are helpful. Specialties may be offered in public relations for business, government, and nonprofit organizations.
Internships in public relations provide students with valuable experience and training and are the best route to finding entry-level employment. Membership in local chapters of the Public Relations Student Society of America (affiliated with the Public Relations Society of America) or in student chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators provides an opportunity for students to exchange views with public relations specialists and to make professional contacts that may help them to find a full-time job after graduation.
Some organizations, particularly those with large public relations staffs, have formal training programs for new employees. In smaller organizations, new employees work under the guidance of experienced staff members. Entry-level workers often maintain files of material about company activities, skim newspapers and magazines for appropriate articles to clip, and assemble information for speeches and pamphlets. New workers also may answer calls from the press and the public, prepare invitation lists and details for press conferences, or escort visitors and clients. After gaining experience, they write news releases, speeches, and articles for publication or plan and carry out public relations programs. Public relations specialists in smaller firms usually get well-rounded experience, whereas those in larger firms become more specialized.
Other qualifications. In addition to the ability to communicate thoughts clearly and simply, public relations specialists must show creativity, initiative, and good judgment. Decision-making, problem-solving, and research skills also are important. People who choose public relations as a career should have an outgoing personality, self-confidence, an understanding of human psychology, and an enthusiasm for motivating people. They should be assertive but able to participate as part of a team and be open to new ideas.
Certification and advancement. The Universal Accreditation Board accredits public relations specialists who are members of the Public Relations Society of America and who participate in the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations process. This process includes both a readiness review and an examination, which are designed for candidates who have at least 5 years of full-time work or teaching experience in public relations and who have earned a bachelor's degree in a communications-related field. The readiness review includes a written submission by each candidate, a portfolio review, and dialogue between the candidate and a three-member panel. Candidates who successfully advance through readiness review and pass the computer-based examination earn the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation.
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) also has an accreditation program for professionals in the communications field, including public relations specialists. Those who meet all the requirements of the program earn the Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation. Candidates must have at least 5 years of experience and a bachelor's degree in a communications field and must pass written and oral examinations. They also must submit a portfolio of work samples that demonstrate involvement in a range of communications projects and a thorough understanding of communications planning.
Employers may consider professional recognition through accreditation as a sign of competence in this field, and such designations could be especially helpful in a competitive job market.
Public relations specialists who show that they can handle more demanding assignments are more likely to be promoted to supervisory jobs than those who are unable to do so. In public relations firms, an entry-level worker might be hired as a junior account executive and be promoted over the course of a career to account executive, senior account executive, account manager, and, eventually, vice president. Specialists in corporate public relations follow a similar career path, although the job titles may differ.
Some experienced public relations specialists start their own consulting firms. (For more information on public relations managers, see the Handbook statement on advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers.)

Nature of the Work (PR)

 

An organization's reputation, profitability, and its continued existence can depend on the degree to which its targeted public supports its goals and policies. Public relations specialists—also referred to as communications specialists and media specialists, among other titles—serve as advocates for clients seeking to build and maintain positive relationships with the public. Their clients include businesses, nonprofit associations, universities, hospitals, and other organizations, and build and maintain positive relationships with the public. As managers recognize the link between good public relations and the success of their organizations, they increasingly rely on public relations specialists for advice on the strategy and policy of their communications.
Public relations specialists handle organizational functions, such as media, community, consumer, industry, and governmental relations; political campaigns; interest-group representation; conflict mediation; and employee and investor relations. Public relations specialists must understand the attitudes and concerns of community, consumer, employee, and public interest groups to establish and maintain cooperative relationships between them and representatives from print and broadcast journalism.
Public relations specialists draft press releases and contact people in the media who might print or broadcast their material. Many radio or television special reports, newspaper stories, and magazine articles start at the desks of public relations specialists. Sometimes, the subject of a press release is an organization and its policies toward employees or its role in the community. For example, a press release might describe a public issue, such as health, energy, or the environment, and what an organization does to advance that issue.
Public relations specialists also arrange and conduct programs to maintain contact between organization representatives and the public. For example, public relations specialists set up speaking engagements and prepare speeches for officials. These media specialists represent employers at community projects; make film, slide, and other visual presentations for meetings and school assemblies; and plan conventions.
In government, public relations specialists may be called press secretaries. They keep the public informed about the activities of agencies and officials. For example, public affairs specialists in the U.S. Department of State alert the public of travel advisories and of U.S. positions on foreign issues. A press secretary for a member of Congress informs constituents of the representative's accomplishments.
In large organizations, the key public relations executive, who often is a vice president, may develop overall plans and policies with other executives. In addition, public relations departments employ public relations specialists to write, research, prepare materials, maintain contacts, and respond to inquiries.
People who handle publicity for an individual or who direct public relations for a small organization may deal with all aspects of the job. These public relations specialists contact people, plan and research, and prepare materials for distribution. They also may handle advertising or sales promotion work to support marketing efforts.
Work environment. Public relations specialists work in busy offices. The pressures of deadlines and tight work schedules can be stressful.
Some public relations specialists work a standard 35- to 40-hour week, but overtime is common, and work schedules can be irregular and are frequently interrupted. Occasionally, they must be at the job or on call around the clock, especially if there is an emergency or crisis. Schedules often have to be rearranged so workers can meet deadlines, deliver speeches, attend meetings and community activities, and travel.

As managers recognize the importance of good public relations, they increasingly rely on the advice of public relations specialists.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos086.htm#earnings

Who is Louise Braille?

Louis Braille is who created the Braille System is a way used by the blind to read and write. Braille is read by touching the arrangement of one to six dots. It has been adapted to every known language. Louis’s father was a saddle maker by the name of Simon-Rena Braille. His mother’s name was Monique Baron-Braille. He became blind at the age of three, when he accidentally poked himself in the eye with a stitching awl, one of his father’s workshop tools. The injury was not thought to be serious until it got infected.

                The infection got really bad until Louis other eye went blind because of sympathetic opathalmia, a kind of inflammation of the eye following trauma to one eye. At the age of 10, Louis earned a scholarship to the National Institute for the Blind in Paris, one of the first of his award in the world. Louis, a clever and creative student, became a talented cellist and organist in his time at the school, playing the organ for churches all over France.

                At the school, taught basic craftsman skills and simple trades. They were also taught how to read by feeling raised letters, a system devised by the school’s founder, Valintin Hauy. The disadvantage of his system was the students could not to learn write. The books were also heavy because the raised letters were made using paper pressed against cooper wire. Inspired by the wooden dice his father gave to him, Louis invented a system using only six dots system allowed the recognition of letter with a single fingertip showing all the dots at once.

                There dots consist of the different patterns in order to keep the system easy to learn. The Braille system also solved the problem of writing and gave a significant difference physically. Later, Braille also extended his system by including notation for mathematics and music.

LOVE

LOVE is one sacrifice

LOVE is crazy thing

LOVE is something ‘mengasyikkan’

LOVE mean death

But why people want to fall in LOVE?

Simple...

GOD made our body in couple...

We have TWO hands, TWO eyes, TWO ears,

But we only have one heart...

Where the one go?

Haa... that’s LOVE

GOD want us to find that heart to whom?

To the right person

To that people who LOVE us

To the honest

To them that know what is the truly LOVE.

Food for your Eyesight.

Wild Salmon, Sardines

These fishes are everywhere, since the health-craze. Not only are they super healthy, they are also have Omega 3 fatty acids. These fats protect your eyes tiny blood vessels, and allow eyesight to clear more rapidly. Not to mention, they taste really good! How’s that for sushi?

Spinach

This vegetable packs a punch of 4 eye protecting ingredients – Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Lutein and Zeaxanthin! Isn’t that a mouthful?

                Because this awesome vegetable absorbs 40% to 90% of blue light, it acts like sunblock for your eyes. Isn’t that great?

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes like carrots contain the same ‘orange-vegetable’ mineral, beta carotene. They’re also a good source of carbohydrates, like their cousins, the potato. Their unique taste maes them to easy to cook and taste good

Bell Peppers, Broccoli and Brussels sprouts

I know most of you out there aren’t fans of vegetables, but just think about it-if you’re going to get good sight in the long run, then they shouldn’t be so sad. Bell Peppers, or more commonly known as Capsicums, are loaded with Vitamin C, like Broccoli and Brussels sprouts. If you disguised them well enough they’ll taste pretty good.

He Had Such Quiet Eyes

 Bibsy Soenharjo

He had such quite eyes

She did not realise

They were two pools of lies

Layered with thinnest ice

To her, those quiet eyes

Were breathing desolate sighs

Imploring her to be nice

And to render him paradise

If only she’d been wise

And had listen to the advice

Never to compromise

With pleasure-seeking guys

She’d be free from “the hows and whys”

Now here’s a bit of advice

Be sure that nice really means nice

Then you’ll never be losing at dice

Though you may lose your heart once or twice

Leisure

William Henry Davies

What time is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

When squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in board daylight,

Streams full of stars, like stars at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

F.R.I.E.N.D

In one life,

New FRIENDS come...

Some FRIENDS leave..

I hope he will keep me in his heart,

As i keep him in mine,

Even someone comes along.

I will never forget him because...

He's the nicest thing happened to me.

I promise that because...

FRIENDSHIP is one of the hardest things to keep.

Coz somewhere in the middle,

New FRIENDS may come...