I attended a seminar this morning where journalists turned PR professionals were supposed to provide a little insight into how the transition has impacted their current careers.
A few thoughts:
1. I found it interesting that no one really addressed the role writing experience has played in their transitions. I stressed just last week to a group from Texas State University how important being able to write is for a PR career. I believe my time as a journalist taught me AP style, self-editing skills and how to write concisely — all of which play an important role in my PR career. Maybe this was too basic for the topic, but I expected it to be addressed.
2. It felt like an hour (of the one-hour scheduled time) passed before anyone brought up social media. I was surprised. Maybe it is just me, but as a PR professional all I think about lately in terms of my industry is social media.
3. I walked away from the seminar wishing there would have been more of a round-table approach to it. First off, probably 30 percent to 40 percent of the room were former journalists. In that kind of situation, be flexible. Open up the seminar beyond the three leaders who didn’t seem to satisfy anyone’s curiosity. I think we would have all benefited more by a candid discussion between everyone in the room.
4. At the end of the day, the key question is “Why is this important?” It’s the question for journalists and PR people. If it isn’t important, then it isn’t news.
