Hi CMNS1290, joel here,

I think that the two key points to remember stem from the reason why i chose a major to do PR, which was covered in the chapter 1 of the book. I felt that the most important thing would be the willingness to do PR, rather than the ability to do it. The second point will be the importance of PR in industries today. I feel that this may feel that it is a thankless job, but we must know how important the PR people really are if we were to regret after a couple of months into the career.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that PR seems to be very tough initially, but if we press on, we will be rewarded emotionally. I find that there is a larger link that is interconnecting PR and communications. I see the 2-step flow appearing in both of my texts that we have to read for two separate modules. When i read the definitions of what a PR person should do, i find myself wondering. These are very general terms like "sensor of social change" or "corporate conscience", even "communicator". These encompasses many things. PR literally acts as the voice of the company, and can bring either the fall or the rise of the company. However, as Ms. Nair(no idea whether she's married), mentioned, when there is a company budget meeting, the PR budget is usually the first to be cut and the least likely to pose any opposition. Is PR really that important if the company believe that they can do without PR?

One very good argument is that we can do so many things as PR, as highlighted by Clare Zawawi and Jane Johnston in chapter 1, and the general consensus of the workforce is that the personnel should undergo retraining, but in PR people you get such a good spread of jobs to do. So why cut the PR budget?

The second argument is that countless studies have shown, coupled with so many theories given in chapter 3 of the book have shown that PR is a part of the company that cannot be minimised. To do so will be to minimise your contacts, which will snowball to a lack of sales. PR even has the ability to even use acrimonious circumstances to turn the tables to their favour.

To conclude, i find that companies shoudl really look into PR more as a "arm" of the company rather than the "hair" of the company, there only to look good.

Signing off,
Joel