Far Eastern University-Institute of Arts and Sciences, through the Department of Communication, collaborated with International Public Relations Association Philippines (IPRA PH) in staging CommuniTalks: Career Options in Public Relations last Aug. 30. The event introduced the country’s PR industry and various career opportunities for the university’s communication students.
As the national chapter of the leading global industry association of PR professionals, IPRA PH is comprised of some of the country's veteran practitioners. The collaboration was part of the ongoing efforts of IPRA PH to encourage Filipino youths to consider the PR path as a profession. Part of this effort is a weekly column in Business Mirror and the recent release of the book “PR Matters.”
Speakers include Noel Nieva, President and CEO, Perceptions, Inc, and the National Chair, IPRA PH; Joy Buensalido, President and CEO, Buensalido Public Relations and Communications; Kane Errol Choa, Vice President for Corporate Communication, ABS-CBN Corporation; and Richard Burgos, former Director, Science and Technology Information Institute of the Department of Science and Technology. The university’s Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Dr. Rowena Capulong Reyes, served as the moderator of the event.
Redefining PR
The symposium served as a timely avenue to correct the misconceptions about PR as media events. Traditionally, PR was equated to media events and advertising due to its deep connection with media engagements.
“PR is a set of techniques and strategies for managing an organization’s positive image and how the information can be disseminated to the public,” said Buensalido.
For PR practitioners to reach their intended audiences, they must resort to the use of media — television, radio, print and the internet. However, media is just one of many platforms of PR.
“PR it is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships among organizations and its public or stakeholders. It involves managing the flow of information between an institution and its members, customers, employees, and the media,” said Nieva.
The influence of PR on daily human communication can never be understated. It is the very center of relationships between organizations and publics. Not making it pretentious and fancy, PR shapes and frames conversations.
“When we think of communication, as a discipline, we normally gravitate toward specializations in journalism, convergent, or mass media. But for all the differences in these areas or subdisciplines of communication, they hold one thing in common. They all fall under the down bread of communication. So, communication is at the heart of it is public relations. It is knowing what, when, or how to say something,” said Dean Diego Jose Abad, Institute of Arts and Sciences.
One of the skills important for PR practitioners is the ability to write and tell stories. It is one’s ability of fitting stories to capture audiences’ interests and to evoke relevance. With the changing media landscape and media consumption, PR evolved into visual storytelling—carrying key messages while appealing to the imagination of audiences.
Encouraging FEU students
The FEU Department of Communication believes that providing undergraduate students background on the PR industry could lead to more job opportunities in the future. To achieve this goal, speakers from IPRA PH shared their work tales and professional reflections on the role of PR in reshaping the nation.
Burgos, a retired government employee, introduced guests on the importance of PR in government-led projects. In 2017, the DOST assessed that the national awareness on science and technology was only 6% despite media engagements and social media presence.
“In PR, you must have a keen eye and different perspectives toward things that both serve the client and the audiences,” said Burgos. The DOST improved the general awareness of science and technology across the country from 6% in 2017 to 35% in 2023. Through PR, the national government agency popularized inventions and research through DOSTv: Science for the People, an infotainment television show.
The prospect of PR is also evident in handling relationships, strategies, engagements, and influences in framing images of institutions, and dictating which story should be talked about. “We tap communication and particularly media to create a positive advantage,” said Buensalido.
Strategies and creative campaigns, in the case of ABS-CBN, are essential for planting ideas in the minds of its stakeholders about the company’s brands, visions, values, and products. Choa emphasized that the media giant is also doing PR within its organization, reaching out to their employees and always informing them of what is happening in the company.
“Public Relations captures the hearts and minds of people. We craft strategies and creative campaigns for our stakeholders,” said Choa. For the media mogul, this in-company practice transcended to their outside PR— building interconnected networks with its consumers, audiences, advertisers, and business partners.
The students also learned the importance of crisis and issues management in PR. By maintaining a positive image of a client, PR practitioners and professionals must come up with ways in addressing immediate crisis and issues.
As part of PR, it is the responsibility of crisis and issues management to counter accusations and replace public perceptions with positive images. However, relationships can also contribute different outcomes depending on how successful the PR team builds relationships.
“You must have good relationships with media and your stakeholders. They are the third party for every competing story. And during crises, third party people will be your spokespersons. So, build good relationships,” said Choa.
CommuniTalks put forward new perspectives about PR as an industry and as a profession. The talks encouraged the young Tamaraws to explore the field in the future. “Regardless of the path that you will choose, I hope you are developing the skills that you need— be it in communication skills, being great writers, critical thinkers, creatives, or solution makers,” said Nieva.
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