Comment on Commentary: For Future Journalists, it's Cash Not Causes

Comments by a journalism professor about the public relations profession have sparked today's post. In a recent commentary by Connie Schultz, columnist for The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, she writes that she has spent a lot of time with journalism students whose "hand-wringing professors still believe something other than salary should be the divining rod for choosing a career."

Schultz quotes one professor who says, "we're losing so many hard-news students to public relations, advertising and marketing. They just want to make money."

Schultz writes that one journalism professor told her that "hordes of women are opting for the softer -- and more lucrative -- career in public relations. A lot of them want to be `event planners,"' she said.

Continued Schultz...

"She nodded at my raised eyebrows. 'Seriously,' she said. 'They want to plan parties.'"

First of all, women are not the only ones opting for a career in public relations and I've yet to experience a "soft" job. I'm not a seasoned professional by any means, but I've not met or read of a single public relations professional who plans parties for a living. Do we work with event planners? You bet. Do we host events on behalf of our clients as a component of our public relations campaigns? You bet. Do these events create awareness (through the media) for the causes we or our clients represent? You bet.

Journalism professors should teach their students about all aspects of public relations -- research, planning, strategy, implementation, evaluation -- and not misrepresent our profession by claiming we 'plan parties.' Even if this is an attempt to deter journalism students from "crossing over" into a public relations career, it's not accurate. And aren't both professions dependent on truth and accuracy?