Media in the New Millennium

posted by Doyle

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is considering certification for public relations professionals.

We say: it’s about time.

Many people don’t know what the qualification is for entering the PR field today, but the bar is pretty low. Get some business cards, and you’re in PR. While that level of professional probably won’t be successful, there’s a great deal of damage done to the reputation of the field each and every day by people that say they are PR practitioners, but are far from professional in their approach to the business.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — one of the hardest parts of my job is undoing the damage done by some of the PR folks who have come before me when I call a reporter for the first time.

The PRSA task force on the issue is working to accomplish the following objectives:

• Conduct a comprehensive study regarding the feasibility of professional certification for public relations.
• Identify potential areas of certification with leaders of PRSA
  professional practice areas, such as utilities, government, health care
  and others where large numbers of professionals practice PR-related
  specialties.
• Select one or two areas to be the initial focus of this inquiry and explore how PRSA might establish certification.
• Explore how PRSA might oversee certification to assure that wherever it
  may be proposed within the spectrum of activities, a credible, uniform
  and highly acceptable approach is undertaken, independently monitored
  and validated.
• Present the Task Force findings to PRSA leadership.

This is a difficult undertaking, to be sure, but our hats are off to PRSA for giving it a go. We’re looking forward to the results.

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