​​PR 101: A Resource for New Public Relations Professionals

The field of public relations (PR) is often misunderstood, despite the fact that it is a growing field (Fawkes, 2018). New employees enter the field of PR every year, whether as new graduates or as those making a career change, yet the intricacies of working in PR are not generally taught in the classroom (Meganck, Smith & Guidry, 2020). Most people do not have a solid understanding of what PR professionals do on a day-to-day basis, and in fact, many of those entering the field don’t either. They may think that PR is simply social media management, or even confuse it for responsibilities related to HR. This misunderstanding by incoming PR people is in accordance with the fact that few PR job postings ask for knowledge of industry-specific tools. One study showed that only 16% of job postings did, (Meganck, Smith & Guidry, 2020). What this means is that many people entering the field of PR have an interest in PR and a talent at writing, but little understanding of what it means to actually work in the field as a professional. This website will serve as a resource to those entering the field of PR, to both offer background on what PR is and what it is not, as well as to offer practical examples of technical writing, such as writing pitches, press releases, and media alerts