PR Reflection

Public Relations is a confusing topic when trying to separate PR with advertising. The group that presented on Tuesday (MeMe, Taylor, Abigail, and Sarah Brook) began their presentation by explaining what PR actually is. It proved to be a great way to start, because it prepared me for the rest of their presentation and helped clear up the differences between advertising and PR.

The group covered many topics very thoroughly, including the history of PR, major trends in PR, and difference/similarities in both PR and journalism, as well as PR and advertising. One of the major trends they spent a lot of time discussing was social networking. They said that it is one of the most important parts of PR, and I agree. Social networking, whether through Facebook, Twitter, or another source, is an easy and cheap way to gain a lot of publicity.

In my opinion, the most interesting part of the presentation was the information about different PR occupations and skills that are needed. I didn’t realize that writing is the most important part of PR. From reading the book chapter, I knew there were many important skills needed, but the presentation proved to me that good, quality writing is the most important thing.

The Public Relations presentation group ended by talking briefly about PR today. They said that PR focuses mainly on three categories: the economy, relationships, and social media. I hadn’t thought of it that way before, but it makes complete sense. Basically everything I see, read, or hear about that is related to PR is about one of these three topics.

The group did a good job with their presentation. I learned a lot in a short period of time, and they were able to teach not only what was in the book, but also more detailed information that they found through their own research. Although it was hard to follow what they were saying at times, simply because they sometimes spoke too quickly, the content was great and I left class knowing more than when I came in.