Studying PR in the JSchool

As a freshman, I was not completely positive that I was in the correct sequence. I knew I would do well in public relations, but I didn’t truly understand every aspect of the field. The only examples of public relations that I had were the fabulous life of Samantha Jones on “Sex and the City” and the stressful world of Press Secretary C.J. Cregg on “The West Wing.” I understood that these were extremes, and I understood that most public relations work was somewhere in the middle.

Joining the local chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America helped me clearly identify that middle area. PRSSA is a fantastic opportunity for PR students at Scripps. PRSSA brings in speakers every week from the field of public relations. These speakers are usually active members of Public Relations Society of America, and often Scripps alumni. I have heard from speakers in many different areas of public relations including government relations, public relations firms, not-for-profit public relations as well as corporate public relations. PRSSA is also fantastic for networking; not only within the group where you are directly connecting with future members of the field, but also networking with the speakers directly, all of whom are more than willing to answer questions or exchange E-mails. PRSSA offers many more opportunities—for more information visit their website: ohiou.edu/~prssa.

Another stress of freshman year unfortunately does not go away after freshman year: internships and public relations experience. There are literally dozens of public relations opportunities. Everyone wants publicity, so finding a place to gain experience only requires a bit of creativity. For summer internships, working for a huge PR firm in New York City, is not the only option; you can stay local. Not-for-profits are always looking for help and you are guaranteed a great learning opportunity. Another option for internships include PACE positions during the school year. PACE stands for Program to Aid Career Exploration, and offers jobs on campus as part of the financial aid program. Public relations positions within PACE are usually handling publicity for different offices or departments on campus. Student organizations often have a public relations position that is open to PR students as well. Sally Neidhard

My introduction to the journalism major is certainly not unique—like many freshmen, I chose a sequence at random and then spent my first year searching for the best fit. The variety of tasks associated with public relations, along with the opportunities available for work in just about any industry, finally swayed me. For those who are considering the public relations sequence, there are a number of ways to get involved. You might not be able to take the introductory PR class until sophomore year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get hands-on practical experience and a ton of practical experience—you just have to know where to look.

Sally mentioned joining the Scripps chapter of PRSSA. It’s a great place to meet people in your sequence, find mentors, learn about different career options, and start networking. There are a few opportunities to participate in public relations projects with PRSSA, but if it’s intensive PR experience you are looking to gain, there is no better way (in my opinion) than joining ImPRessions. It is a student-run public relations firm that has won national awards, and it is organized just like a “real” PR firm. Members are split into teams and work for clients that include local businesses, non-profits and even some national campaigns. Along with getting clips and meeting other PR students (though the firm welcomes ALL majors), you get the opportunity to learn about everything from writing public service announcements to developing full public relations plans. The executive board even holds a “PR for Dummies” workshop each year to teach even complete PR novices the basics.

Another, often overlooked way to find out if PR is right for you is to meet some of the faculty. A great thing about Scripps faculty is that many of them have years or even decades of real-world experience. This is certainly true with the PR faculty. Professors Bojinka Bishop and Patricia Cambridge are joined this year by Michelle Honald, who has formerly taught at the University of Oregon and has also worked in a PR firm, government PR, corporate communications and for a non-profit agency. All three of these professors have a wealth of knowledge to share, and taking the time to get to know them is one more valuable resource at your disposal. Reanna Stoinoff