PR in Practice
"Is PR Practice a Job, a Career or a Profession?"
Aiko Castro, COM43
Before defining whether Public Relations practice is a job, a career or a profession, let us differentiate these terms first. Based on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a job is a casual or an occasional work undertaken at a specified amount of time; on the other hand, a career is an occupation undertaken for a significant period with opportunities for progress; and a profession is defined as an occupation that requires special education or training. We can simply say that PR practice could fall into the career or profession category, however, there are more factors for us to regard it as a profession. In the book titled, This is PR: The Realities of Public Relations by Newson, Van Slyke Turk & Kruckberg, there are criterions to consider whether PR practice is a profession or not. The first criterion is that practitioners have a command over a "body of knowledge." At the moment, there is none available globally; The Institute for Public Relations' Commission on Global Public Relations has efforts to record and codify a body of knowledge that can be utilized by PR practitioners around the globe. The PRSA has its own but it is normally applicable in the USA only. Another criterion of a profession is the existence of a "standard educational curriculum." Specialized education in public relations is growing rapidly around the world. Even though the USA has its own standard curriculum for PR studies, it might not all be applicable for other countries. The third criterion of a profession is "control over entry and exit" to the field. Unlike doctors, lawyers, architects and engineers, there is no specific requirement for a person to be officially called a PR practitioner. However, the PRSA requires practitioners to continue learning and update skills. Possibly in the future, these criterions will be fulfilled and regard PR practice a profession. I would like to think of public relations practice
Aiko Castro, COM43
Before defining whether Public Relations practice is a job, a career or a profession, let us differentiate these terms first. Based on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a job is a casual or an occasional work undertaken at a specified amount of time; on the other hand, a career is an occupation undertaken for a significant period with opportunities for progress; and a profession is defined as an occupation that requires special education or training. We can simply say that PR practice could fall into the career or profession category, however, there are more factors for us to regard it as a profession. In the book titled, This is PR: The Realities of Public Relations by Newson, Van Slyke Turk & Kruckberg, there are criterions to consider whether PR practice is a profession or not. The first criterion is that practitioners have a command over a "body of knowledge." At the moment, there is none available globally; The Institute for Public Relations' Commission on Global Public Relations has efforts to record and codify a body of knowledge that can be utilized by PR practitioners around the globe. The PRSA has its own but it is normally applicable in the USA only. Another criterion of a profession is the existence of a "standard educational curriculum." Specialized education in public relations is growing rapidly around the world. Even though the USA has its own standard curriculum for PR studies, it might not all be applicable for other countries. The third criterion of a profession is "control over entry and exit" to the field. Unlike doctors, lawyers, architects and engineers, there is no specific requirement for a person to be officially called a PR practitioner. However, the PRSA requires practitioners to continue learning and update skills. Possibly in the future, these criterions will be fulfilled and regard PR practice a profession. I would like to think of public relations practice