Stop boxing yourself!

Should journalism schools offer both PR and journalism classes to all its students? We had a short conversation on that subject in my public relations class this week; well I don’t think I said a word on it then. However, that got me thinking and though I have an opinion on the issue, it may be useful to get some more insightful thoughts from everyone reading this blog, so I hope you all chip in on the topic.

I got my undergraduate degree in journalism and mass communication back in my home country, Cameroon. It was a hectic and stressful 3-year period, probably the most academically challenging times I have ever faced. As JMC students, we were required to take photojournalism, research, news writing, publishing, public relations and advertising classes, and all this in 3 years. Did I mention that we were also expected to participate in quantitative research projects, and work for the campus newspaper and radio station? Does that make some of of us graduates of that program a little confused about our career goals? Maybe! Does that exemplify the adage: “jack of all trades, master of none?” Maybe! However I think like myself, many of us knew exactly what we liked the most even though we were bombarded with all that information. I for example knew from the first semester that my heart belonged in a radio station and thankfully, that remains a huge media industry in Cameroon. Our training also gave us more versatility in a failing job market. If I couldn’t find a writing job with a media organization, I had the option and qualifications to apply for a PR job or something else.

Because I am taking a PR class and not a news writing class I’ll address the following personal tips to my fellow PR students.

·         You need to know how to write news articles. If you learned how to do that but you’ve forgotten, polish your writing skills. You have to realize that PR professionals also write when working for certain organizations. I actually learned a lot about writing from the media relations experts I worked with during an internship at the UNT News Service.

·         Realize that the difference between the journalism and PR is not that great. Journalists and public relations officers both have the duty of providing the public with the necessary information for decision-making. In doing his/her job the PR person may conceal some information about an issue unlike most journalists, who always want to disclose as much information as they can. However think of it this way:  if you are capable of distinguishing between newsworthy potentially damaging information, then you can work in a newsroom.

·         If you have room for an elective course and there is a chance of you enrolling in a news writing class, grab that opportunity

The job market is bad and the benefits from acquiring extra skills by far outweigh any inconveniences it may cause. You may need to switch jobs in search of better pay or for some other reason and it just might help to have some extra skills in your bag to see you through this phase.