Playing host to a student on work placement can be a very rewarding experience: watching that individual develop new skills and gain confidence in handling unfamiliar challenges. It’s generally assumed that experience in a ‘real’ work environment will pay dividends when it comes to getting a toe on the career ladder, but what does a placement really mean to a PR student. Carys Samuel tells all…

As a PR student I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told the importance of work placements and ‘real world’ experience, but it’s only now I truly understand the meaning of that advice.

Completing a placement year in London was undoubtedly the best thing I’ve ever done and it represented a real turning point in my career. All of a sudden the theories and models I’d been taught at university were brought to life, and I was given responsibility for media sell-ins and case studies. A placement year not only builds experience but, at the risk of using a cliché, it has a massive impact on personal development too. I think it’s fair to say that everyone came back to university in September with more than just new skills and media coverage!

To start my final year with an already extensive portfolio is a great confidence boost, not to mention a fantastic asset when looking for short-term placements. It also gives a head start on final year modules and provides a valuable industry background to base academic assignments on. I don’t know how I would have tackled a communications audit and competitive pitch without the knowledge of PR I gained through my placement year and subsequent short-term placements.

The PR world is addictive; fast-paced and exciting, but most importantly for me is the sense of teamwork and shared objectives. Moving to London on my own was pretty daunting, but my team at work quickly became not just colleagues but friends as well. I joined the organisation as a student and left as a PR professional with my very own Filofax of contacts!

Now in the final months of my degree, I’ve been lucky enough to join the lovely Quest PR team one day a week, giving me my ‘PR fix’ as well as some fantastic experience.  From day one I’ve felt at home, getting stuck into all kinds of tasks and becoming an expert in new and very varied subjects!

Which brings me to the end of my first ever blog post, but the beginning stage of my PR career.

Carys Samuel is a final year student at Leeds Metropolitan University reading Public Relations. Follow her on Twitter @CarysSarah.

Public Relations is taking a beating, and why is that? I’m going out on a short limb to blame social media (well, and perhaps those doing poor-quality work).

The echo chamber is amplifying and reverberating industry-wide on a global scale with anti-PR sentiment. Those who’ve had bad business experience with public relations are free to share it virally, with vitriol and unencumbered. Negative sells; look at the aisles of the U.S. Congress. The snark and divisiveness are great examples of what gets media attention.

I also blame our brothers and sisters who reside on the media side; pointedly, The New York Times Small Business Blog. It gave carte blanche to a jamoke to blog anti-PR sentiment on a global soapbox and, as a result, he incited an entire profession. (Sorry, no more links being handed out to this dude.) He’s not the only one; you can read many more examples on Spin Sucks; Gini Dietrich does a fantastic job in support of the profession, via Shonali Burke at Waxing Unlyrical where she recently covered the TechCrunch whine at a PR pro. She revisits the same topic a bit deeper March 7 here, on Spin Sucks. “Where is the Professionalism in PR?” Allison Development Group, that’s Erica’s blog, speaks forth on Where’s the Civility?

For all the value and positives PR people deliver (I promise you we do), there are louder and more publicized stories about the schlocks in the profession who lend a bad name to everyone. Then there’s how our profession is defined – I cringe when the Tinsel Town set says, “Call my publicist, and we’ll schedule lunch.”

People believe PR is strictly publicity; couldn’t be farther from the truth. Today, I saw a tweet from the ever-popular @JasonFalls who said something to effect: “I hate it when companies turn down free publicity.” I almost got into a heated conversation and decided to let the stream go by untouched.

As a result of much of the above, I spontaneously posted an article on my blog last week “What Is PR?” There were those who thought crowdsourcing this discussion was a waste of time and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) thought we’d been down this path too many times to count. Then there were those on the frontlines, the youth of this profession, who are confused about their professional livelihood. They’re in the overarching discipline of public relations and they don’t know it.

So, what’s a public relations practitioner to do? I’d like to ask each of you to:

• Be cognizant of this crisis of identity in public relations and strive to educate naysayers, clients, students, employees, and peers about the value we bring and to rectify the name calling (in particular, “flack”).
• Encourage a young person to join the profession that offers a wide array of opportunities across industries and sectors.
• Uphold the profession and wear it as a badge of honor. Do you know that we in PR boast skills that are highly employable and will keep us working beyond retirement?
• Take an opportunity to blog or do a workshop to set the record straight because we are a team that requires “global-raderie.”

Jayme Soulati is president of U.S. Soulati Media, Inc., a virtual public relations firm blending social media and marketing to effect business strategy. She blogs at Soulati-‘TUDE! and also at The SMB Collective. Follow her avidly on Twitter @Soulati or Facebook/Soulati Media.

They’re proud to be opinionated, they aren’t constrained by the politics of the newsroom or by journalistic creeds, and there are millions of them with more popping up every day – they are bloggers, and reporters are increasingly seeking them out as sources on every topic imaginable. If you’re a PR pro and you don’t have a blog, you may be missing out on interviews with print and broadcast media.

Blogging acts as a complement to a traditional media relations campaign, allowing you to reach out and connect directly with customers, peers, and journalists. When you target a journalist, you’ll be a more attractive source if she can check your blog and see that you have an established following and an engaging style.

Your clients, too, need blogs—unless they want to be left behind as their competitors are discovered through search engines and social media. Nearly anything a client is promoting can be promoted through a blog. Keep the following three tips in mind, whether you’re blogging about your own work in PR or helping a client create a blog:

1. The best blogs are tightly focused. Just like you would when writing a press release, start by finding an interesting angle. Look for a niche that isn’t too crowded. You don’t want to spend weeks on a blog only to find that you’ve got no hope of making it into the first page of Google search results for your topic, thanks to hundreds of competing blogs that are older than yours and already have an active, engaged audience.
2. Err on the side of more honesty, not less. Don’t worry about turning readers off by admitting that the author of the organic cat care blog you’re promoting is your client, who sells organic cat litter. Blog readers want to hear from experts and they’re smart enough to differentiate between content and a sales pitch. Furthermore, if you want your blog to get noticed by the media, showcasing your client’s experience in the blog’s niche can only help you.
3. Be discoverable. So you wrote a brilliant post featuring 25 case studies of companies who are succeeding in social media. What good is it to you if a journalist researching a story on that subject can’t find your blog? Learn about basic SEO, participate in the blogging community by leaving substantive comments on similar blogs, maintain a responsive Twitter account, and use resources like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to reach reporters directly.

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases, the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 7 Cheap PR Tactics for Success in Any Economy.

This Sunday Nick and I were fortunate to spend the afternoon at Elvington airfield outside York watching and driving a host of supercars on a press visit we had arranged with a number of journalists for one of our clients 6^th Gear Experience.

While chatting to one of the journalists about our other clients that might have been of interest to him he asked if I had any favourites – and which did I enjoy working on the most. I admitted that there were some of my clients that gave more scope for creativity and ‘exciting’ media relations but highlighted that they all had their own attractions.

I stand by that. At Quest we work with a range of different types of clients from lawyers to architects and charities to multinational flight control companies. Yet I enjoy each of them – even the seemingly run-of-the-mill client – for what they represent: passion and commitment to growth and success. I recalled one of the highlights of my first foray in PR was a visit to a Wakefield sewage plant to photograph a well-performing pump that handled ‘rags’ with aplomb. While sewage plants don’t feature on my must-visit list, securing coverage on the story in Wet News – a key water industry trade title – was a real personal triumph.

That sense of picking out stories from even the most unusual places is key to what we do at Quest – as is looking out for opportunities for our clients to offer expert comment. Indeed 6^th Gear themselves picked us over two other firms they had seen based on our dynamism and passion for our own jobs.

So, while not all our clients allow me to drive a Lamborghini LP640 – each of them gives us the chance to turn their stories into genuine opportunities to enhance their recognition among their target audience.

Today has been one of the busiest news days for quite some time. The ongoing situation with Shannon Matthews has jostled with the Mills McCartney divorce, the worsening global credit crunch as well as political troubles in Tibet.

The Quest team has been involved fully in the media scrum ensuring national and international coverage for one client, while fielding calls for another who’s recorded a major victory for one of his clients.

Constantly monitoring 24-hour news channels and key news sites offers us an illuminating insight into the changing perspectives of editors and the pressure to find new angles on the ‘top’ story. The BBC has featured all of the ‘top’ stories in its prime position at different points of the day – and both Sky and BBC have sought constant updates on each of the major items.

Even in an age of omni-present news reporting however it’s clear that some stories are being left by the wayside. The first arrest in the Jersey care home case, attacks on UN troops in Kosovo and three children seriously ill following a methadone overdose are some that are being given short shrift.

Clearly interest in the three main stories is high – BBC News website has reported surges in traffic 15 per cent above average – but it does bring into question the role of 24-hour news and media outlets if they continue to focus on a small number of issues – and not always with very much to add.

It can be frustrating when you have a newsworthy and interesting story to tell, only for the rug to be pulled from under you as the news agenda changes. It’s why we always ensure our campaigns consist of more than a spray and pray strategy. With careful management, even as breaking news proliferates across a range of media, your message can still reach an interested audience.

Having said that, I would hope broadcast outlets are able to offer us something different, rather than simply competing with each other to get the latest scoop on the same stories.

While not totally universal, it’s clear that like most other daily newspapers fewer of us read our local and regional newspapers. However, what the article went on to say was that when big issues hit a particular region, city or town, we turn to our local journalists whom we trust to tell the story impartially and honestly. It cited the example of Mansfield’s paper following last week’s earthquake – and I should expect something similar is happening in Dewsbury following the worrying disappearance of Shannon Matthews. The report also said that more and more newspapers are turning ultra local to offer themselves as community sites – certainly the Yorkshire Evening Post has started this process though hasn’t yet built one for my part of Leeds.

The two issues are definitely connected in my eyes and also relate back to the power – and responsibility – of PR. As we all continue to live more disparate and largely unconnected lives from our neighbours and local residents preferring to travel the world and ‘social network’ with our far-flung friends and relatives, we still yearn for the over-the-fence type gossip, news and information that only comes from those people whose eyes and ears are firmly stuck to our small corner of ground and who are the ‘bedrocks’ of our communities. Local journalists provide that missing link and, when there is a story of local importance, we turn to them to trust their more focused perspective. When the national journalists swoop in with a remit from their editors to ‘outscoop’ their competitors at all costs to secure an original or new angle, they are unlikely to have the right contacts and insider information to deliver a more rounded appraisal of a situation. In circumstances like this, their cynicism and competitive nature contrasts starkly with the local media who are more objective because they will still be reporting on local issues and be entrenched in – and accountable to – the local community long after the nationals are gone.

So in an effort to offer the old-fashioned over-the-fence news in a modern format, the local newspapers should no doubt capitalise on being the community messengers and purveyors of news. Equally, for the PR industry it also highlights the importance of local knowledge and contacts. As we work across all regions of the UK we spend considerable time examining the local newspapers and business magazines before pitching a story and ensure it matches their focus. Us PR-types are often considered geographically benighted – and while I’m sure it’s true of some – the rest of us have to maintain our commitment to delivering locally-focused stories and approaches.

Let’s not underplay therefore the impact to our clients of securing positive coverage in local media – maybe those who read it are more likely to act upon it.

Laying herself open to the snakes, spiders, assorted animal appendages nd Ant and Dec’s comedy links, Lynne has perhaps – more so than most PRs are prepared to – opened her true self up to the world.

No-one that I can remember (bearing in mind I watch a LOT of them) has ever left a reality show championing its honest portrayal of their inner beauty. The vast majority become acutely aware of their myriad personality flaws and how they frequently clash with their fellow contestants. Lynne Franks, as a PR practitioner of some years knows all too well, managing a client’s messages is a powerful way of ensuring their target audiences understand their product or service and choose to buy from or engage with that company.

Revealing your most intimate self on national television would certainly go against mine – and I’m sure many other PR professional’s – advice. Once you reveal all, it’s a long and slow road back to discretion and control. When advising clients in handling media interviews and liaising with journalists I encourage a strict adherence to key messages and ‘brand identity’ while incorporating as much personality, personal interest and ‘colour’ to ensure a journalist takes on the story. Ticking off a list of the important points and taking a lead in an interview means clients receive positive coverage and their messages reach their target audiences.

Lynne’s latest incarnation is as a ‘lifestyle guru and visionary’- offering the world advice on the changes is today’s and tomorrow’s world as well as encouraging and supporting women in enterprise. Admirable aims and no doubt her raised profile will allow her a louder voice in getting out those messages. But it puzzles me that someone who is so tuned in to the workings of international media, the merry-go-round of our modern-day celebrity circus show and how to orchestrate and manage all of that would throw themselves into the lion’s den so willingly.

I look forward to being proven wrong by Lynne Franks as she succeeds in accomplishing a win-win from her rumble in the jungle. Her spats with Janice Dickinson – and the consequent negative media interest – may reveal otherwise.