Robert asks whether PR students should blog and I think it’s a good question! In particular he’s after thoughts from anyone on the following:
(a) if you believe college PR students reading and blogging about PR practices is a viable and valuable endeavour,
(b) what are the key concepts/lessons that should be included in such an exercise,
(c) how will a future employer react to a student’s PR blogging efforts,
(d) what tactics by the students will best exhibit PR knowledge through their blogging efforts, and
My quick thoughts are:
(a) if you believe college PR students reading and blogging about PR practices is a viable and valuable endeavour
Not only is it a good learning exercise but the next gen PR person can’t afford *not* to be well acquainted with the media. If they’re not then they produce disasters like this.
(b) what are the key concepts/lessons that should be included in such an exercise
Well, I’m all for experiential learning so I reckon it;s about how they can engage with, influence and spread ‘the word’ (or any word) in a virtual sense. A bit like SEO101 meets activism101. Or am I being too cynical there? I guess getting people up to speed with writing well and often is probably a worthwhile goal.
(c) how will a future employer react to a student’s PR blogging efforts
Depends on whether they’ve got any nouse around them. At the moment, it might even hinder you… in 5 years, it’ll be the first question at interview.
(d) what tactics by the students will best exhibit PR knowledge through their blogging efforts
Effective use… measure it in links :D
This is definitely something that I reckon Darren Rowse would be better at answering than me!