When flacks become friends: Transitioning from journalism to PR

On March 21, I went to the PR session at the SPJ Region 8 Conference because I’ve been considering trying to get a job in nonprofit PR.  With the state of the economy, many long-time journalists are making the same transition.

Kay Colley, Donna Darovich and Kristin Sullivan lead this session.  All three have journalists.  They feel they have an advantage in PR because they understand the journalists they deal with on a daily basis.  These women fight for journalistic right instinctively.  It is important to maintain good relationships with the journalists who will be covering your organization.  Sullivan recommends never burning bridges with anyone you meet because you never know when they may be writing a story about something you are working on.

PR is all about positioning.  You must look at all the angles of the story you want covered and find the one that is the best.  You want to look for ways to set your organization apart. For instance, if your organization wins an award, when you publicize it, you would say, “We are the only organization in Texas to win this award.”  You want to make your organization look great.

Good writing is very important in PR work.  In my opinion, good writing is important to anyone to function in society. Plus, you don’t want to look like an illiterate idiot, right?  When writing press releases, use AP Style or whatever style your organization uses.  Most prefer AP style. One thing Darovich recommends highly is to always take notes and carry a recorder when going in for an interview.  She says several students have come to interview her empty-handed  Crazy kids!

–Jessi Propst, SPJ President