PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF P R PERSONS

TRAINING & RESEARCH

10 C’s of PR 1. CLARITY 2. COMMINTMENT 3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS 4. CREATIVITY 5. CONCISE 6. CONTINUITY 7. COMMONSENSE 8. COURTESY 9. CREDIBILTY10. COMPUTER LITERATE

ADDITIONS TO 10 C’s

a. Maintains high level of motivation b. Initiative taker c. Media acceptance d. have adequate physical resources e. Sound editorial judgment f. Should have good writing skills g. Should be able to communicate well under pressure. h. Understand his role as a communication manager.

Contd.;

i. Should have the capability to anticipate and nullify the negative effects of any situation before it develops into crisis.

j. Think in business sense. k. Innovative in Ideas & creative in

implementing strategies. l. Ability to listen j. Systematic in approach k. Prepared to do research work

Contd.;

l. Prepared to meet deadlines and assume considerable responsibilities.

m. Values TIME.

n. Can speak more than 1 language.

o. Like to work with people and as a team.

p. Presentation skills.

The true PR person is a DEMI-GOD.

Public Relations Training

Increasing role and significance of PR as a vital human activity and management function has paved the way for the public relations education and training in India and other parts of the world. That apart, the growing emphasis on the PR education too is, in good measure, responsible for widening the horizons of knowledge and training in this field.

Contd.;

The tools, techniques and strategies of PR are based on theories of behavioral sciences, for gaining public consent, goodwill, participation and support from all. Any persuasive communication to motivate people for change, modernisation, industrialisation, urbanisation, and all for all kinds of development in a democracy, uses the PR techniques.

Contd.;

The PR training activities have been undertaken in India since the 1960s.The modern PR manager who can efficiently handle human relations, communications and crises is the backbone of every successful organisation. He / she concentrates on the creative aspects such as Informing, educating, motivating, organising and persuading people. Earning public goodwill and support for the activities of the organisation, where he/she serves as a PR specialist, calls for speacialised skills.

Contd.;

Underlining the scope of PR training in India, a PR expert says, “ with the growth of PR in India during the last two decades, the government, industry, commerce and Non-profit organisations are on the look out for trained PR personnel, which, in turn has broadened the realm of education.

In India, people do have varied social, economic, political, educational, religious and cultural backgrounds, and their expectations also differ accordingly.

Contd.;

The harmonious functioning of such a pluralistic society certainly merits the proper education and training of PR professionals.

Sam Black observes, “ There is an interesting analogy between medicine and PR. A medical practitioner and PR practitioner must both first diagnose and then treat. It s common for both to be called in after the damage is done. Preventive PR is just as important as preventive medicine, and like the latter, is equally rarely employed”.

Contd.;

Effective PR is not an emergency or transitory activity, but a continuous effort towards training and educating the PR professional to achieve the specific goals of an organisation.

PR Research

PR research is known to be extremely critical at every step of PR work. It is very essence of successful PR activity. The whole purpose of fact finding and planning will go haywire unless the research and evaluation objectives are kept constantly in view.

Why PR research? Research is needed for : 1. Planning and setting of goals. 2. Initiating PR action plans-proactive & time bound. 3. Identifying & prioritising public. 4. Evaluating result of planned PR programme.

Contd.;

Simply stated, if there is no research, there cannot be any planning, PR is destined to fail and fall. So research, evaluation and planning are the foundations of PR.

To make PR more effective, essentials are; 1. Research techniques to be repeated to evaluate the

results of planned PR work. 2. Appropriate methods of evaluating results should be

decided at the planning stage. 3. Give due importance to proper ‘Feedback’ from the

audiences. It enables PR persons to evaluate effectiveness of planned efforts.

Contd.;

4.Facilitate feedback by being receptive to responses. 5.Go for ‘Planning by objectives’ and ‘research

techniques’ so that management can understand. For the purpose of PR research in particular there are

three major PR research types. 1. Basic PR Research dealing with PR process and PR

problems. 2.Applied PR Research which looks into specific,

practical PR issues. 3. Introspective PR Research which deals with issues of

PR itself like status and profile of PR and impartial self-analysis.

Contd.;

There are at least six ways to use research in practical applications.

1. To formulate plans and strategies.

2. To measure success.

3. To test the effectiveness of messages.

4.To measure extent and nature of competition.

5. To ensure media attention and coverage.

6. To influence opinion in favour based on truth and full information.

Contd.;

PR research in India is mainly carried out by; 1. PR professionals within the organisations. 2. PR consultancies on assignment basis. 3. PR professional bodies- PRSI at the apex

and regional levels. 4. Govt. media & PR units including PSEs. 5. Advertising & Marketing agencies. 6. University’s Mass Comm. deptts. & IIMC etc. 7. Mass Comm. Professionals & bodies.

THANKS