Richard:

Interesting post. You might want to direct people at Ball State to the efforts of Robert French at Auburn University. He is leading the way in helping PR students learn more about on-line communications. Another good source that students can get involved in directly is a new Web site called Forward. It is designed to help those new to PR learn about the industry and introduces them to the power of blogs.

Robert French's blog is at: http://www.auburnmedia.com/wordpress/.

Forward Blog is at: http://forward-moving.com/blog/

Best,

Fard

Although I am a UK PR student I can agree with your point regarding PR degrees being primarily focused on print.

We do have the option to cover certain radio, broadcast and new media modules throughout our study, but the main focus is predominantly on newspapers - and magazines to a certain extent.

I also agree that students should blog. There are many reasons why, such as improving their writing skills, networking, sharing ideas, learning from experienced pros, profile building and a whole host of others benefits - far too many to list here.

I guess they don't have to be PR students necessarily either. I'm sure a lot of law students would receive the same rewards too.

I'm more than certain we will begin to see education organisations introduce blogging into certain aspects of the curriculum very soon.

I like your last point on educating business students on the PR profession's role in business communication. At my university, PR students are required to study a business module, but as far as I'm aware, it doesn't happen vice versa.

Right on target again Mr. Edelman. Here are my findings as a PR student. Your vision of a superior PR education can be achieved with fine-tuning of existing programs.

With Web 2.0 savvy students within reach, professors need not be tech gurus.

1) Lack of technology integration -- while a good PR program would be foolish to squeeze out classes in research, news writing, or media relations, there is less of a compromise necessary than curriculum gatekeepers may fear.
Every communications class I have taken could be slightly adapted to include exposure to blogging, podcasting and other Web 2.0 technologies (e.g. news writing students submit their assignments to a class blog and comment on each other's; media relations students must create an enhanced online media kit to supplement a paper one; endless other possibilities). Com. students wouldn't need a separate class in new media techniques (although an elective would be in order) as long as there was continual exposure and opportunities throughout their core classes.

2) Specialization -- My introduction to PR course provided a great sample of the major specialty practices. Beyond that, it is the student's drive that will determine his or her level of specialized knowledge. Would a news-writing course be any less effective if half the stories the student wrote had to report on an industry of their choosing? This is also where having two majors is beneficial.
I have an information technology major in addition to PR and am constantly formulating ways to bridge the two fields. Even though the PR industry is advancing its technology integration, any PR major would be able to find similar opportunities for interdisciplinary learning with a second major. To jumpstart the process, communications departments should have pre-designed opportunities/ideas for double majors to pursue.

It will no doubt take time for PR education to reflect the technology advances in the industry. The first step is for tech-savvy or -phobic professors to dedicate a small amount of class time to explore opportunities for students to participate in the dialogue and interact with the technology. It may be as simple as turning over a little control of the curriculum to the students (users) -- isn't that the spirit of Web 2.0?

Eric Hansen, student
Newhouse, Syracuse University

I agree with your suggestions on improving the PR curriculum. I graduated two years ago and have realized that my PR curriculum wasn't nearly as broad as it could have been.
As a minority going into the PR field, I did realize that I had a lack of connections and contacts. However, there were jobs offered through employment resources provide by the campus career office. Unfortunately, the possibility of employment is limited when you are competing for jobs publicized on a college website attracting applicants with similar qualifications.
I've recently discovered the "blogoshpere" and I am amazed at this powerful "vehicle" of information. Not only have I been enlightened with an abundance of valuable information, I also have encountered many networking opportunities.
If blogging was included in my PR curriculum, I believe that I would have left college with contacts and a job already set up before graduation.
The benefits and possibilities gained by blogging seem endless. Through blogging, I was able to get an online internship; I am also working with an organization doing media relations.
Upon graduating my PR professor told our class to, "Always keep up with current events and new things happening in the media." With that advice I am learning new blogging terminology everyday and keeping informed via the blogoshpere.
I think that every PR undergraduate and graduate needs to be aware of blogging in order to have some type of competitive status in the world of PR today.
I hope that all colleges and universities have or will implement blogging into their PR curriculum.

Rich...it was great having you visit our campus and participate in our symposium on p2p communication. I'm glad we got a chance to chat with you about our program and that you had the chance to meet some of our "best and brightest."
Unfortunately, the time constraints didn't give us the chance to provide you the "premium" view of what we're doing here at Ball State. Please allow me the opportunity to fill in some of the gaps in your take-aways:
1. Every student in public relations here is required to take five directed electives on top of general education requirements: Economics, Marketing, Management, Sociology and Anthropology. We feel it's vital that our students have an understanding of business, behavior and global cultural diversity.
2. A vast majority of our PR students carry a double major or one or two minors in other areas, such as a language, marketing, communication studies and the like.
3. Our students get deeply involved in New Media in almost every one of the core pubic relations classes like our converged news class, campaigns, and our writing and visual communications classes.
4. Research, as one of the comments earlier notes, is essential in this business and is emphasized as a critical study area.
5. Students have dozens of opportunities to study abroad and we have been offering an international component in our capstone Campaigns class with Brazil now for four years - an interaction ahead of what other universities are offering.
6. Writing is also emphasized in a huge way; 18 of the 63 hours in the major relate directly to writing.
7. Cardinal Communications is our quinessential experiential learning opportunity. It offers business world experience and is in addition to the required internship...we typically recommend three or four!
We're not as good as we'd like to be, nor as good as we will be. Engaging in this kind of dialogue is certainly part of the solution. Thanks again for visiting and we look forward to our next opportunity to tell you "the rest of the story"

One word: PRblogs.org

It was set-up for the Auburn students, but anyone can get an account there and start blogging.

I believe there are many PR practitioners in the business who were once journalists who were educated in journalism or started as a cadet reporter at their local town paper. The trend in PR education has now shifted to cover communications, journalism and business degrees. Recently I heard someone say that the modern PR graduate is not equipped with the social and political knowledge needed in every day PR and business dealings. Does the modern PR practitioner need to have journalism foundations? I’m interested in knowing your thoughts.

Eric Hansen commented that it will no doubt take time for PR education to reflect the technology advances in the industry. I don’t think Academia is to far away. Only today I was reading Tekka; a new peer reviewed online journal which discusses everything new media. The journal seems to stay away from the management speak however I believe that is where it should stay. As PR strategists we should be smart, talented and resourceful enough to keep abreast of new media technologies and use them.

On the university front, I regularly had assessment which was only completed online. In one case we were to discuss various communication theory topics on a restricted access online forum and we were marked on how many contributions we made and the strength of our discussion. In the end we had a great resource to trigger thoughts for our future writings. I think some Universities are catching on.

Disclaimer: I have recently graduated from a Bachelor of Journalism / Bachelor of Business (Public Relations) at the Queensland University of Technology therefore I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Edelman that business should a foundation of any PR course. I studied economics, statistics, politics, maths and accounting and despite not savoring every moment I continue to use these skills in my new career.

As for blogging: great for networking, great for learning and great for critical thinking and taking PR home with you after 6pm. I’m just in the process of trying to think up a name for mine!

- Luke Schepen
Sydney, Australia.

Richard,

I especially agree with your endorsement of a more substantive immersion of PR into business curriculum. At American University in Washington, D.C. where I am a master's student in public communication, I have been a proponent of a more cross-polination, whereas my PR Management course should be co-taught with a business professor, etc.

I do think academics are beggining to catch up with technology and New Media. This summer, I will be taking an Internet Advocacy course, focusing on building social communities online, and using blogs as a branding technique.

However, there is a long way to go, and I would propose a better utilization of adjunct faculty to be abkle to teach and speak to emerging technologies and trends that full-time faculty might not have used before.

I think it's worth pointing out that blogging PR students are a minority. Hence, the novelty of it all is opening up opportunities for them - myself included.

For now, blogging (for a PR student) is a benefit, but in time it will be a prerequisite. Competition for jobs among graduates is fierce and in time we'll see this competition move to the online world also.

It would be interesting to hear your take on it Richard. Would you favour a graduate applying to your firm who has knowledge of blogs and other social media?

I am not surprised that Ball State focuses its PR efforts on print while either ignoring or downplaying broadcast and the internet. After all the PR industry (with very few exceptions) has been extremly slow at embracing broadcast and the internet and fully appreciating the impact and opportunities these mediums present. Despite Mr Edelman's forward thinking, Ball State is simply reflecting the current state of the PR industry.

Though I agree a well rounded education is important for the future PR practioner, the fundementals of journalism are key. I am always surprised at how little people working in PR know about the mechanics, trends and requirements of broadcast news which at present is the most important and most effective means of conveying editorial information to a mass audience.

Mr. Edelman, thank you for focusing on PR Higher Education. And thank you to Fard and Jeremy for mentioning Auburn University.

Mr. Edelman has communicated with some of our blogging students in the past via email. I thank you for that, sir. The students always bring me those emails with glee. It is as if they received a prize. I am not kidding, either.

As for curricula, by comparison, I'll briefly share our curriculum for PR students. The first two years are spent in general liberal arts studies. Foriegn language is required. All students must take what we call trilogy sections of courses (three classes of each). These areas include journalism (primarily print), marketing/management, broadcast (writing and production), and communication theory. Add to that a selection of required PR courses - campaigns, case studies, writing, research, style & design, and more. Every student must complete an internship, as well.

One of those required courses (Style & Design) has a blogging component built in which exposes the students to wikis, RSS, podcasts and many other aspects of content management systems. They blog at PRblogs.org. The students may experience blogs/CMS in the other course, too. It depends upon who is teaching the class.

Most recently, our students (led by Erin Caldwell) started a site call Forward. The site's mission is "To provide a comprehensive, ever-evolving, online springboard for students and young professionals in PR."

Please allow me to extend an invitation to you, Mr. Edelman, to visit Auburn University anytime you wish. Perhaps the next time you are down south, in Birmingham or Atlanta for instance, we may set a time for you to come to our university. We are only 90 minutes away. It will be a pleasure for the students to meet you. I will enjoy the opportunity, too.

By the way, Nancy Prater will be presenting on Ball State's social media student recruiting site, Real Life, during HigherEd BlogCon. They are using blogs and more in their overall online marketing programs. I am chairing that section of the BlogCon and am very impressed with Nancy's work.

Links:
http://www.bsu.edu/reallife/
http://www.higheredblogcon.com/
http://www.forward-moving.com
http://www.prblogs.org/

I did a short visit on the web site of Valpo: this is definitely still Web.1.0
Searching the word "blog" I got a very short list, nothing substantial. Since I love radio I thought it was great Valpo had a radio station but unfortunately this station does not blog at all. At least I did not see anything but one mention of a "webmaster" and I find that is very often the sign of a no-blog culture. I did not check for the newspaper. Blogging does not seem to be in the picture at least the official one. Considering the abundance of young bloggers I am surprised the tide does not seem to have come into Valpo. Maybe maintaining a blog should be required if you major in communication? It would certainly be an excellent training as it is already for so many.
But the same goes for the professors, the department, etc... their communciation would be so much richer on line if they were blogging.

I have a few thoughts and a request for ideas. On lack of technology integration: Eric Hansen suggested students participate in the dialogue and interact with the technology – via more control over the curriculum. I think those of us who are “digital immigrants” (born before 1983) have much to learn from “digital natives.” I plan to task my PR students this summer to investigate and create ideas for broader use of technology in the curriculum and in practice. Thomas Graham was on our campus last Tuesday for a keynote presentation as part of our annual communication week and said “you gain control of the message when you give up control of the message.” I think more faculty might entertain this idea.

I enjoyed Luke Schepen’s comment about the importance of economics, statistics, and accounting. Our students are required to take each of these as part of the major and they often complain – yet our alumni echo Luke. I would, however, reinforce the idea that in addition to a business focus our curricula need to remain connected to the liberal arts. PR is often about telling compelling stories and I encourage my students to go beyond the required courses in literature, philosophy, anthropology, classics and humanities where they can more deeply explore the “art” of language and its connection to thought.

Finally, we are working on a course on “media strategy” which would cover planning for use of traditional print and broadcasting media but also newer/alternative channels including blogs, pod and webcasting. I welcome ideas on content and structure of such a course designed to expand our understanding of effective media use for developing and maintaining relationships with publics.

Steve Levitt, Chair Communication Dept., University of Texas at San Antonio

Mr. Edelman, I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the state of PR education day, and I greatly respect your opinion as one of our industry's leaders.

I believe academia needs to place additional emphasis on supplementing PR curricula with a range of marketing and traditional business courses to more effectively prepare PR students for the wide variety of complex issues they will encounter in the business world. Indeed, core PR skills are paramount in these programs, but students should also possess deep marketing knowledge and familiarity with accounting, finance, organizational management, and manufacturing issues so they can properly counsel internal and external clients.

I'm surprised to find out that blogging is a minority among PR students (I've been doing it for well over 5 years, and maintain 3 separate blogs now) - but I do agree with you that PR education programs need more emphasis in not only broadcast and online outreach, but also development of PR related materials (e.g. Web and publication designing skills, perhaps basics of shooting photos/videos and recording audio.) True, these can be easily outsourced, but for those who want to freelance or start in a small organization, these skills are invaluable in their cost-savings.

Another part of education I think PR program can do more on is learning how to staff and budget various campaigns. While I do know there are great variations within the industry, too often student projects involve budgets pull out of thin air with unrealistic figures.

Richard

While I agree with many of your points about what is needed to prepare PR folks, academically, I would like to boil it down a bit more - what's need first and foremost is a liberal arts education based on emmersion in various specific subjects (humanities, sciences, what have you) as well as strong, strong emphasis on developing writing skills.

My concern about "PR" majors is that too much emphasis is placed on practical skills that yes, are important, but relatively easy to learn in internships and entry-level jobs. And that this "technical skills" emphasis comes at the expense of developing, and learning how to channel, intellectual curiosity as well as the ability to analyze substantive issues and articulate a distinct POV.

Richard,

Of all of the elements that make a good public relations professional, I think more emphasis needs to be placed on critical thinking, reasoning, understanding the inter-connectedness of things. Try creating a syllabus for that! The brightest bulbs I've seen in this business are the ones who pause, examine and suggest a better route to the end goal. They see what most don't see.

I suppose you can teach this at the university level through business, law and philosophy courses, but I think it really starts (or needs to start) at a very young age.

Thanks for reading.

Dan Weidman
Edelman Alum. (1995-1998)

I find it interesting that everyone is pushing blogging, when such a high number of PR students graduate with sub standard writing skills. How can they blog if they can’t write effectively?

I fully agree that PR students need to learn about all communication mediums and technology, but we come across too many students that aren’t qualified for PR because they can’t write.

Academia is also out of touch with the real world. Many PR students don’t seem to have a clue about business and how PR really works because their professors have never worked in corporate America.

I also agree that students should blog. There are many reasons why.To improving their writing skills, networking, sharing ideas, learning from experienced pros, profile building and a whole host of others benefits . The benefits and possibilities gained by blogging seem endless. I also have encountered many networking opportunities. I think that every PR undergraduate and graduate needs to be aware of blogging in order to have some type of competitive status in the world of PR today.
I?ve been doing a lot of researches lately and put them into that site.If you are intersting:http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtmrk1.htm
Best luck to you.

Richard,

I couldn't agree more.

Having just completed a Masters in Strategic PR in Sydney, the only thing I sorely lament is that there wasn't a strong enough focus on business, how business leaders think, and how we can best combine the needs of businesses with the desires of the new public. PR courses need, as with the profession, to move away from a top-down approach and, in order to facilitate this, PR's need to understand themselves how a business works in order to communicate this.

However, with so many of us agreeing, it's good to see us all heading in the right direction.

Cameron Beresford
Sydney

I think in today's world culture, having a transparent voice is critical, and PR is the best vehicle for that.

I also think that for countries and companies innovation is crucial. We may have given up dominance in baseball, but we still kill at snowboarding. And when the rest of the world catches up there, we'll invent something else.

I think you are missing the key issues: climate change is upon us despite all the spin around it as showed (for instance) in the Seattle Times blog devoted to the environment:
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/102015.asp
There is no business on a dead planet. Of course it will take a while although we are already experiencing serious consequences. Considering the abysmal failure of the present US government (while the US is a main culprit) it becomes essential for every corporation to think in terms of sustainability. It is also true for China, India, Korea and else: if they adopt our not sustainable technologies (like polluting cars, polluting power plants) the planet (at least as we have known it) is doomed. Nobody likes Cassandra and beyond the warnings we need solutions and commitment to solutions. I am not so sure about the future of "Free Trade" (see the books by Emmanuel Todd) but we are sharing a small planet that can only sustain so much pollution and destruction. Is Edelman doing anything about it? It that any concern of yours?

As for "free trade", what do we know about the way the free trade goods are produced? Reading the labels I always wonder: child labor at 1$ per day?

Yes, we need more employee blogs in outsourcing destinations. Filipinos are the best English-speakers in Asia, and young Filipinos are early adopters of social media. As such, I often learn more about Filipino call centers and software houses from employee blogs than from corporate brochureware.

Canada played bad hockey at Turin Olympics - and Finland, who was unbeatable until the last match, managed to lose the gold to its neighbour, Sweden. Talk about pain!

More seriously, to Philippe's question on climate change. Edelman Brussels and the whole network of our European offices, together with Saatchi London, is partnering the European Commission to run the largest ever European Union information campaign on climate change for more than 380 million Europeans.

We in the Brussels office are extremely proud of this opportunity to be part of such an initiative and look forward to helping to change behaviour to avoid climate change.

First off, A-Rod simply can't hit in the clutch and the US team would have been better served with him playing for the Dominicans (who would have come to regret his decision as well) - and this is from an avid Yankees fan who sincerely hopes A-Rod gets his head straight at crunch time soon.

Second, and more importantly, I think you reiterate the point made elsewhere that domestic political-demagoguery is playing a negative role in both America's International business interests and broader foreign relations. I think you're right in as much as PR has a role to play in making international business more transparent in terms of how goals, ambitions, intentions are communicated. In the case of Dubai - and I think more importantly CNOOC - PR was not leveraged in terms of building public opinion. I like your idea of humanizing companies, encouraging the local employees of foreign multinationals to discuss their experiences openly and honestly could be a very valuable tool. It is also important (again as you note) for the CEOs and other execs - at least as they are working to build solid American public opinion - to be out front selling their message.

But on the point of the Chinese CEO, it is also important that we as Americans recognize local culture and help allay their fears about being out front, i.e. we have to help them find the right message domestically that supports their public persona overseas even as they strive to maintain a low profile at home. That's not an easy task but it is one that we are going to have to get comfortable with if we want to help our clients broaden the effectiveness and foreign receptivity of their message and offering.

Usher,

Perhaps the solution is to empower a local manager to speak out in the US That is what Microsoft has done in Europe with Mr. Courtois He is the face from MS headquarters in Paris He is at board level and has real power in the company Thanks for reading my blog

P
We are very involved in climate change issues We have worked with Swiss Re for two years on a global study on risks associated with climate change--including flood, hurricane etc. The point of the study--business has a critical interest in environmental degradation.
We also work with Rich Sandor at the Chicago Climate Exchange which does trading of carbon credits And with the Chiquita company which has gone to a sustainable method of growing bananas And with Starbucks which has insisted on buying only fair trade coffee I am a big believer and use my bully pulpit to push clients in this area

Mike
You are right We have to help places outside of India establish brand for outsourcing

T I love your optimism. Go tomato man. Now I actually know what snowboarding is!

Richard, not sure whether uve seen this article or not but thought theres no harm sharing :)

Let me know your thoughts on this.

~Sya~

Why the likes of Edelman don't get tech PR

David Richards - Monday, 20 March 2006

OPINION: The technology industry is a goldmine for public relations Companies. It's fast moving has constant new product or upgrades and above all fierce competition between brands. But do global PR Companies like Edelman really understand wha its all about.



The answer is NO. What they do know a about is charging vendors big fees, spin doctoring and delivering media reports for vendors that actually do not report whether ones PR investment is being well spent.

A classic example is big end of town PR group Edelman who represent several vendors including Samsung. They are also the same agency that got dumped by LG 18 months ago. A recent conversation with one of their senior executives clearly demonstrated that this Company has really lost it when it comes to identifying what is news and relevant Vs a subject which they believe that they can spin doctor or as they said "find an angle on". Here is an example of why Edelman clients should be questioning their investment in the Companies operations. Last week Josh Delgado a senior executive of Samsung's mobile phone division in Australia gave an industry address on the mobile phone market. He revealed that within the company's business units that generated $US57.5 billion in sales last year, Samsung's mobile division was the largest contributor to revenue growth.

He also told the audience that last year Samsung increased its sales by 20 per cent to 103 million units to become the third largest manufacturer behind Motorola and Nokia. He even revealed that in Australia. In 2005, Samsung grew sales by 33 per cent. So is this news and relevant to the marketplace. Dam right it is. So did Edelman invite the technology media to hear the good news? No. With the exception of one or two whom in there opinion will go to an event after 6.00pm. There view was that most technology journalists are not interested in stories after 6.00pm which in my opinion is a load of garbage as I have been to many industry events in the evening attended by journalists. When approached as to why no journalists were invited or why no press release had been issued after the event. They said "We are still working out an angle for journalists. If you tell what your focus is we will find an angle for you".

Hello, is the world round? The fact is that SmartHouse Magazine has been in the market for 4 years, its sister reseller trade publication 3 years and in that period we have constantly covered Samsung as a global brand in the lifestyle technology market and the mobile market. Yet I have to put up with some PR imbecile asking me whether what I write is relevant to Samsung. The fact is that Edelman is a classic churner. They take overseas product releases and churn them out the door to media organisations like mine and then claim credit for gaining PR exposure. Is this worth a big fat retainer? No, because we are going to cover a new product announcement anyway. The fact is that today the name of the game is getting news onto Google where everyday millions access the Google searh engine for information. Companies like Edelman don't get this and as a result their clients suffer.

Today my business is more about web than print as it allows me to not only reach tens of thousands of people who visit our consumer web site www.smarthouse.com.au but trade sites like www.smartofficenews.com.au and www.smarthousenews.com.au.

So do PR Companies like Edelman understand the value of brand PR the answer is No, and is that a big worry for vendors, Yes, as brand PR is worth far more than product PR. In 15 years of writing about technology and churning out roughly 3,000 words a day on various technology subjects I have never once had a PR Company come to me and say that they want to talk about a brand instead of a product. The fact is that products get old and need to be replaced. Brands hang around for a long time. What Josh Delgado of Samsung's mobile phone division spoke about goes to brand values not product PR. Consumers are loyal to brands just look at Sony. 18 months ago they were a basket case in the large screen TV market, today they are on a role with the Bravia LCD TV.

What we have today with the likes of Edelman PR is a Company that is desperately trying to churn content and hours to make money. The staff they employ may have done a PR course but most are brain dead when it comes to understanding how or what a technology media Company like mine needs to be fed. For example during the time that I ran one of the largest IT media Companies in Australia I was never once approached by a PR Company with a view to actually trying to understand how we operate or what we need. Nor have I ever had one of them approach us to organise front line work experience for their account executives who don't have media experience.

I don't need a PR hack between a Company executive and myself to ask a simple question of an industry executive. I don't need them to as Edelman put it find an angle to sell to us. The fact is that PR is critical in any marketing mix but we are not here to be a cheap form of communication. Companies like Creative Technology have been churning PR for years with little expenditure on brand advertising and look where they are today. Making big losses and desperately trying to compete up against Apple, who are very much brand and PR savvy.

Right now many Companies like Edelman are telling clients that they know how to spin the PR ball to get a result, some have even resorted to editorial inserts in an effort to dress PR up as an advertising message.

The fact is that media Companies need ad revenue to survive so we are a wake up to the Companies that try using media organisations as a free party political broadcast machine to get a message up without any investment in paid marketing other than PR. At the same time we like breaking news which is something that the likes of Edelman don't understand. We like new products and we like brand and retail stories but for many Companies the question is what comes first the PR or the advertising. In an interview recently, marketing strategist and author Al Ries pointed initially to the credibility factor in launching an unknown entity through advertising. "Relatively speaking PR has more credibility than advertising he said. That's why a lot of advertisers have tried to run ads that look like editorial. And the media has fought back by labelling that ad with the word 'advertisement.

He says that the problem with advertising [to launch] a brand? Is that it has no credibility. Why would you read an ad about a product you've never heard of? See most people say, 'I've never heard of it; it can't be anything.' Why would you believe what's in an ad? It's self serving; it's a one-sided message."

"He's wrong," concluded chairman of ad agency DDB Worldwide Keith Reinhard, who dismissed Ries's challenge to the ad industry. "Why would anyone set up a completely artificial choice between advertising and PR? Any experienced marketer knows that we use them together. Every brand is different, every brand has different needs and different targets, and so we utilise all the communications voices at hand. But to say that advertising is not an essential part of this is nuts."

For the records I also established Weston Communications Pty Ltd which was the third largest and most profitable PR Company in Australia. We worked on brands like Shell, BMW, Avis, Dulux and Pepsico. This Company was sold to Ogilvy & Mather and was the foundation Company for what is Ogilvy & Mather PR today.

From an economic perspective, I think it's an interesting argument to say that PR can play in expanding a foreign company's marketplace and advocating free trade.
But protection policies (policies that block free trade) are not so simple. Nations have specific goals that they are trying to achieve by employing economic tools. Yes, sometimes perceptions of the politicians matter, but not always. Protection policies such as tariffs and quotas, etc. are imposed by a government to maximize national and social gains as much as possible.
Consider WalMart. WalMart imports a lot of stuff from China, which makes it difficult for many American manufacturing companies to compete and sell to WalMart due to the demand for "everyday low prices." We're happy to have low prices but we have done so at the cost of employment in the US.
Free trade may be considered positive because of the word "free." When you say "change perceptions through PR for free trade for a better, culturally informed world," it is an idealistic statement. Not everyone benefits from free trade exchange--there are always winners and losers.

I'm very interested in your choice of words by suggesting that it's PR's job to "shine a light" on some issue. Back in journalism school, Pulitzer's call to "shine a light into the darkest corners" was presented as gospel.

So, has the traditional media shirked this responsibility and is it up to the average citizen, as well as corporations or anyone with an opinion and a voice, to keep the lights on?

And, if the light comes from PR, will it be considered somehow tainted? Or are we about to see a time when PR companies become trusted sources for information?

All these new opportunities to get our clients' messages out are dependent on the continued media exemption from FEC regulation and the preservation of the neutral internet. I hope you will have the opportunity to speak out on both of these issues that are so vital to PR blogosphere.

http://technoflak.blogspot.com/2006/03/what-is-political-blog.html

AM
I understand the precious legacy handed to those of us who participate in blogging. We have to ensure that we all push for quality and fact, while pushing back on those who would spin and obfuscate. The greatest danger is the demagogues who try to hold back the future.

Having Richard Edelman and other agency representatives interacting with academics is crucial in developing partnerships in public relations. In addition to an eight-hour foreign language requirement at Valparaiso University in the Arts and Sciences, there is an effort to bring more students into contact with other cultures. Valpo has campuses or a shared program in Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia. Students in public relations are strongly encouraged to spend a semester outside the U.S., plus a semester either in urban studies (U.S.) or in Washington D.C. These students are electonically linked to Valpo and keep up-to-date with campus developments in the PR major. The need now is to graduate doctoral candidates in public relations to meet the needs of the growing PR academic programs. There are many more teaching opportunities available than qualified PR PhDs and that is an ongoing crisis in PR education.