Specialist in public relations is a specialty that came to us from the West along with the development of market relations. Some 15 years ago, far from everyone understood what this position was, and often confused the duties of a PR manager with the functions of a press secretary. It is not surprising, because even getting a specialty as a public relations specialist at a university was not so long ago impossible.
In our country, they simply didn’t prepare such specialists anywhere, and for the time being, qualified journalists, marketers, and other related professions handled their functions. But, as they say, demand dictates supply. And today, many universities issue their graduates with
diplomas of specialists in public relations. So what is their responsibility?
As a rule, a PR manager, as this post is also called , in large companies is responsible for one of the following areas: internal corporate PR, which is based on personnel management, or public relations outside the company. Both of these areas are included in the competence of a PR specialist, but require several other approaches and working methods. Let's consider them in more detail.
Corporate
PR In short, the public relations specialist is responsible for the atmosphere that reigns within the company, whose duties lie in the plane of maintaining the impeccable reputation of the company among its employees; identify and prevent unexpected changes in the corporate environment; generating new ideas for maintaining and developing team spirit through close contacts with staff; assistance in resolving disputes between staff and management, bridging the gap between them; helping to adapt the team to the changes that occur in large companies almost continuously.
External PR
This is a slightly different field of activity in which it is the public relations specialist who is responsible for how the company is perceived by society. This requires him to perform the following tasks: introducing the company to the public as a socially responsible public institution; establishing mutual understanding of the organization with those with whom it contacts; instant response to "emergency" situations when it is necessary to "save the face of the company"; fight against rumors and black PR; control of all promotions and company events.
As in the first and in the second direction of activity, the specialist in public relations must fully possess information, whatever kind it may be and from whatever source it comes from. Information is a key tool in public relations work. One way or another, using information, a specialist in public relations manipulates collective or public opinion, creates or destroys stereotypes, and works on the image of his organization.
Among the qualities that help to succeed in the field of PR, first of all, it is necessary to highlight sociability, organizational and oratorical abilities, rich imagination and equanimity.