As a public relations professional, you have to be hungry for knowledge. Much like how reading the news is a daily-must, reading books from the professionals before you is also vital. Reading a public relations book can be a gateway to knowledge you would have otherwise never had access to.
We're so inundated with information that we spend most of our time filtering what's actually valuable and very little time actually reading. Both sides of the online media/hard-copy book spectrum give us various types of information about public relations, but where is the balance between the two?
Finding the balance between books and technology is something we all need to get a handle on. Social media can be a great tool to lead us to relevant ideas by professionals we most admire because it provides a means of advertisement, which was once controlled primarily by publishers. Sites like Twitter provide accessible book tips and reviews from those who are in the same boat as us.
Sarah Essary (@ComsumingPR) is an example of this. She linked her blog post “The Essentials: References for a Young PR Pro” in a tweet. Sarah then listed the four books related to the skills needed in public relations that she is constantly using and referring to in her own career. Sarah even hints at how she balances the two worlds by meshing book reviews published via social media sites.
Finding the balance between books and technology is something we all need to get a handle on. Social media can be a great tool to lead us to relevant ideas by professionals we most admire because it provides a means of advertisement, which was once controlled primarily by publishers. Sites like Twitter provide accessible book tips and reviews from those who are in the same boat as us.
Sarah Essary (@ComsumingPR) is an example of this. She linked her blog post “The Essentials: References for a Young PR Pro” in a tweet. Sarah then listed the four books related to the skills needed in public relations that she is constantly using and referring to in her own career. Sarah even hints at how she balances the two worlds by meshing book reviews published via social media sites.
Hidden in those ancient books of yore, are insights to future technologies; oddly enough. "Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media Is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR" expands on the growth of social media and changes of the profession over time, to the new tatical strategy and use. A careful library researcher has access to a plethora of knowledge not likely to be found in your run-of-the-mill textbook.
The AP Stylebook, an essential public relations tool, has even published their communications bible in radical new mediums including an iPhone app and an online version. You can literally take your AP Stylebook everywhere now-- which is what you've long been waiting for, I'm sure. To be fair though, the mobile application is really helpful when writing a press release while on the road. The AP Stylebook has even found its way to Twitter (@APStylebook) where someone will answer questions that may not be clarified in the book. This is just one of many examples in how technology is being balanced with tradition media.
Sometimes we have to put down our laptops and multitasking phones. Our generation and the PR profession have become wrapped up in a world of technological advances, applications and the growth of social media. It is fascinating how it has grown and how many have adapted to this new skill, but it’s also bittersweet. As you continue to focus on your professional development, do not neglect the wisdom captured in those ancient books of yore.
Sit down. Relax. Read.
