PR is a lifestyle

  

In only one and a half years of my experience in learning about PR I have
learned so much that I could probably write a book...Well maybe I'm exaggerating a little, perhaps something smaller than a book. Here are some of the tips I would like to share from my own experience.

Be an empathic listener
One of my lectures once told me to listen to what people say, not just hear. I figured this is important because empathic listening means considering people's emotions, concerns, understanding their situation by putting yourself in their shoes. This makes people feel that you care about their feelings and therefore builds trust. Further descriptions on Beyond intractability

 Know what is happening around you
You need to read, get updates on the latest news and trends or else you will fall behind. This helps you know what people are talking about or what's trending. And your assignments, reports or ideas will not be based on old news. Public relations matters suggests following other PR practitioners on Twitter as one of the ways to know what is trending in industry.

 Be active

 
Which projects have you been involved in? This might be one of your future employer's question because PR is also about being active and engaging yourself. Companies want to employ graduates that were active because they know that in doing so you have exposed yourself to certain areas and have at least acquired some skills.

  

Use social media to your advantage
On my Facebook account I have dedicated a photo album to all the projects I have been involved in. I believe that your social media content at some point becomes your digital CV, therefore besides my social life, I also use it as a tool to showcase what I can and have done.

 
Believe in yourself
IIf you believe that you can achieve something, then you most probably can. PR is a dynamic, competitive and sometimes challenging industry. Sometimes in class I hear what other people come up with and I start doubting my abilities and knowledge, but my believe in the fact that I am meant to do PR keeps me going. With that believe comes hard work and doing my best in anyway I can.

The future of the story tellers

Do we still need journalism in the age of social media?

I don't know where the future of journalism lies in this fast life of the digital age, but one thing I know is gone are the days when I would wait for journalists to report fresh new stories that I knew nothing about. Gone are the days when I waited with my dad in front of the television or radio for prime time news that haven't already broken out on Twitter, Facebook or the News24 website.
 
Social media have truly revolutionized the way we receive news, I mean with just a touch of my finger tip on my smart phone I am able to read about the latest news and trends, which is more convenient than waiting for the prime time news if you ask me. Social media have made it so easy for us to receive news and according to Internet live stats, on average, 6000 tweets are posted on Twitter per second, that makes it 350,000 tweets per minute!

Citizen journalist? I'm one of them

                                   
Obviously besides tweeting about our relationships, achievements and boring or rather exciting daily activities, we also tweet about any breaking news that we hear about or witness. This makes it hard for journalists to not only find new stories but also publish them as fresh news. Social media is where news break out because it is constantly running day and night making it way ahead of traditional news organizations.

Academia.edu highlights some of the stories such as the death of Osama Bin Laden, Muamma Gaddafi and Whitney Houston breaking on twitter just minutes after. In my opinion this shows the impact of citizen journalism, how it challenges and questions the future of journalism.

 

This can't be the end of it...

 

 Although the existence of social media raises concerns, I honestly don't think journalism is not needed because even if people share news on social media, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are always credible or factual. I think like other industries such as PR that have evolved and improved with the existence of social media, journalism can if not already, find methods that can help it develop and have an even brighter future. Overall these are my views, do share your thoughts!