Many areas within post-Katrina New Orleans have yet to resume normalcy: Less than half of the city's 480,000 residents have returned, many hospitals and public schools remain
closed, and basic public services such as trash collection and mail delivery are running with obvious imperfections. However, the city's public relations industry appears to be
back on track.
According to Jeffrey David Ory, president of the New Orleans chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the local PR industry is returning to the pre-Katrina
state of business. "People are coming back, and that's a good thing for the city," says Ory, who is also a senior communications strategist with Deveney Communications.
"After the storm, there was a large influx of free-lancers. That was understandable, since many agencies downsized and people were going on part-time work. Of the people I
talked to, it is now back to as normal as normal can be."
Ory adds public relations is particularly relevant today for New Orleans businesses and organizations. "It is great for the public relations industry today because people
would rather get their message out via PR, rather than through advertising," he says.
Ory notes the rebuilding of the city's culture and tourism industry has provided an emotional boost for the city - he reports seeing more people taking advantage of New
Orleans' attractions and events -- and it also sends a positive PR message that New Orleans is returning to business as usual (with an emphasis on "business," since the
tourism/cultural industry is the city's second largest revenue source).
While last week's Mardi Gras attracted national attention, local boosts to the culture scene have also been noted and appreciated (including the reopening of the New Orleans
Museum of Art and the resumption of the New Orleans Opera's scheduled season with a gala March 4 benefit concert starring Placido Domingo and Denyce Graves).
Furthermore, Ory observes it is difficult not to find media in town: Approximately 1,500 journalists currently have registered press credentials.
Contact: Jeffrey David Ory, 504.949.3999, [email protected].