5 real-world tips for jumping from journalism to PR
Plan to make a move to the ‘dark side’ (as some reporters so affectionately, ahem, call public relations)? You had better heed this advice. PR pros, anything to add?
With the dwindling ranks in the news media, the PR industry is seeing more and more journalists reinvent themselves in the world of PR.
The mass migration makes sense, because the skill sets are similar. Journalists know how to convey good stories, and, with a slight change in focus, those storytelling skills can be used to get the word out about a product or a company.
But PR is not journalism, and a whole new set of rules apply. The most difficult job for ex-journalists who make the switch is to shed the newsroom mentality that “the news” reigns supreme. It could be the case that you’re hired to make sure a client stays out of the news. And “news” about a client is only news if the client says so.
Here are some real-world tips that might help in the transition:
1. You’re no longer a public watchdog. You have a vested interest, not in the news, but in your client. Consider your client as your new editor/producer, and they have the final say on what news is.
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