Public relations according to the Princeton Review

Every so often I search the term “public relations” in Google to see what has changed. Maybe I didn’t notice it before, but this time I saw a page from the Princeton Review in the top 5. It is a page for students who are looking to decide on a career; it explains what to expect. I was stunned at what I read:

“Though the job often involves the dissemination of information, some view this cynically as ‘spin doctoring.’ There is an old saying about PR that ‘Advertisers lie about the product. Public relations people lie about the company.’ […] As one public relations person explained, ‘In addition to the standard duties, a PR person might have to shepherd an alcoholic and half-mad (but brilliant) author through a twenty-city interview tour or try to put a warm ‘n fuzzy spin on the company’s latest oil-spill.’”

This is from the “A Day in the Life” section. I counted the words: 82, which amounts to a whopping 25% of the total amount of words used to describe the profession. Twenty-five percent of the words describe how the public relations industry is about lying and spin doctoring. I think most ethical public relations practitioners would not agree with this description. Yes, our industry has issues with unethical behavior, but 25% of our job doesn’t consist of lying and spin doctoring. And aren’t we supposed to put students on the right track?

“Though some colleges offer a degree in public relations, most industry professionals agree it’s unnecessary.”

Great, act like just any fool can go for a career in public relations. And even worse, make me feel like I have a useless degree. Of course, students who have majored in English, journalism or marketing can traditionally start a career in public relations. And even students of dance therapy, screen writing or animation can enter the industry. But the latter require an internship or two to get their foot in the door; just like I would need to practice a whole lot before I could even dream to apply to Hubbard Street 2. A public relations degree can be a necessity to fully grip the skills and subtleties required for the job.

One thing they do get right: “Since public relations requires familiarity with a wide variety of topics, a broad education is the best preparation.” Yes, a broad education, including, if not concentrating on, public relations.

“Any major that teaches you how to read and write intelligently will lay good foundation for a career in public relations. Or, as one PR person put it ‘if you can write a thesis on Dante, you should be able to write a press release.’”

So as long as you can spell (or at least have spell check), you’re good for a career in public relations. Ouch! Let me make this clear: writing is not simply writing. Now I think I can write a pretty good news release, but that doesn’t mean I can write the next Lord of the Rings or come up with Nike’s “Just do it.” And I’d love to see the look on the face of a journalist who receives a thesis on Dante as a pitch.

Thank goodness I didn’t see this Web site when I applied for my undergraduate degree. I saw this one.