Developing and disseminating information about public relations
research and effective public relations approaches has been the
charter of the Institute for Public Relations Research & Education
since the group broke away from the Public Relations Society of
America in 1989.
Based at the College of Journalism and Communications at the
University of Florida since last year, the group also has been
focusing on becoming a stronger conduit between corporate and agency
practitioners on the one hand and educators in university PR programs
on the other.
We spoke last week with the Institute's president, Jack Felton,
who joined after retiring from McCormick & Co. [MCCRK] last year as
vice president of corporate communication. (Institute, 352/392-0280)
Are you looking at ways to link university education in PR with
corporate practice?
There seems to be some need for dialogue between what educators
think the profession wants and what professionals think and know they
really need. We're one of the few organizations that can have that
dialogue in a positive way.
We are in the process of preparing a paper on what corporate PR
officers and others in the field expect a graduate of a PR sequence to
bring in the door with them when they arrive. The paper will address
expectations of ability and of course work completed.
What are some of the institute's major new initiatives?
We've had a number of awards programs and seminars we've done
throughout the years.
Among our new initiatives, we have a new newsletter, whose aim is
to keep everybody involved in research in industry about who's doing
what. It's become a nice bridge for the industry. We also have a new
home page [http://www.jou.ufl.edu/iprre/homepage.htm].
Are you continuing your seminars for top-level executives?
Yes. There has been a need for some training of top-level
management in public relations. While I think PRSA [the Public
Relations Society of America] has done a good job with their seminars,
our seminar is a little more management-oriented.
Our seminar is for people in the executive level of public
relations--the number two, heir apparent [in a department or firm].
These individuals must be recommended for the program by their
companies for the seminars, which cost $1,500.
The next seminar is scheduled for June 16-18 in Chicago. The
three-day, very intense program is run by Don Wright, [a professor at
the University of South Alabama]. It covers strategy, the latest
research techniques, organizational policies and a lot of the good
hands-on management techniques that the public relations practitioner
needs to have.
A repeat session is scheduled for Sept. 15-17, also in Chicago.
What is the Institute doing with regard to the Internet and other
technologies?
We have a study on computer usage in PR which we hope will be
finished late this month.
MCI Communications is funding the study, which is looking at
Fortune 500 companies and exploring Web activities. The study seeks
to determine what works and what doesn't work.
The study will answer such questions as: Who controls sites? Are
they controlled by the computer person or the public relations person?
What do you do when an employee unofficially sets up a Web site, and
it may not be exactly the Web site company wants?
Some companies, such as Johnson & Johnson , have written manuals
to guide employees.
Institute Plans First International Conference
Among the new initiatives planned by the Institute for Public
Relations Research & Education is its first international conference,
to be held next January at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
The program, titled "When in Rome, Do We Do As the Romans Do?--
What Research and Practice Tell Us About International PR," has among
its confirmed speakers William Holstein, world editor at Business
Week; Peter Walker, executive chairman at Pielle Public Relations,
London; and David Drobis, chairman and CEO of Ketchum Public
Relations.
The Institute's president, Jack Felton, said the meeting will be
put together with assistance from a number of organizations, including
the University of Florida's College of Business and its Center for
International Studies, the International Public Relations Association,
and the International Section of the Public Relations Society of
America.
For more information about the Jan. 28-30 event, contact the
Institute at 352/392-0280.