by Galena Ivanova, Apeiron Communication, CIPR Diploma Graduate 2007
The Important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiousity has its own reason for existing.
Albert Einstein
Since I have taken the Diploma in PR course it happens that PR friends ask me: “Why did you need this?”
When this occurred for the first time I felt a little bit confused because I thought the reasons were obvious enough; when this question repeated again and again there was no doubt I would need solid arguments to explain that creditable initiative of mine.
But before that…
I had to realize how this question could be possible in today’s competitive world.
We Don’t Need No Education resulted to be a leitmotif for many Bulgarians, not only PRs, who follow the traditional educational stereotype “school - university degree - job”. I can explain this concept with the profit oriented societal culture that values things such as immediate success, easy earnings, shady deals, etc., which are not part of the academic plan. On the other hand, the chronic lack of trust in the official Bulgarian institutions, including educational ones, has undermined the noble stimulus for knowledge.
So, I found that both tendencies affect in a great deal the PR profession in Bulgaria and even some of my PR friends have negative attitude towards the philosophy of continuing education . Their main reasons are waste of time and money, and irrelevance of such action. Their strongest argument is the everyday practice which they rely on as the best teacher for enlightened professionalism. Of course, I don’t neglect the strengths of learning by practice although there are some questionable aspects in this concept.
Why DO PR practitioners need education?
Occupying a prestigious and well paid position in your field of work should not be an argument for rejecting further educational opportunities. Continuing education is not only a chance to become more competitive in comparison to others who have stopped growing, but more so to give better service in your field. Without substantial understanding about the principles of PR profession I don’t believe any practitioner could defend the social role of our vocation. Delivering press releases or pitching the media is still the common understanding that many PR practitioners in Sofia have about their occupation. Using manipulation or misinformation is considered to be fully acceptable price for achieving friendly media coverage although at the end of the day it will corrupt the genuine dialogue with the media and other important groups.
I believe that no PR practitioner can effectively do the job unless they understand not only what to do but why it is necessary to be done.
Techniques can be acquired or improved individually by practicing but it is very difficult for anyone to discover alone the premises that constitute the reason why PR techniques are necessary for an organization or the society as a whole.
In today’s dynamically changing world we need to have professionals who continue their learning through all their lives in order to bring the development of modern ideas into their practice. These people are the heralds of the innovation.
That is what the CIPR courses are all about. Meeting peers, discussing useful practical cases, reading professional literature are just a small piece of the experience called CIPR Diploma and I am happy that I’ve been part of it.
This course helped me to start thinking on a more strategic level about PR profession. And now I can assert all PR friends of mine that the unique raison d’être of our profession is to build bridges where communication gaps exist.
подобни статии:
- Heather Yaxley*: PR Education should help you understand why to do something, not just how to do it Interview with Heather Yaxley for CIPR Student’s Blog by Nelly Benova As...
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