The move announced this spring to abolish the PR sequence at the University of Maryland has been quashed. The decision, met with a groundswell of industry opposition, resulted in an endorsement from Provost Gregory Geoffroy to relocate the program to the Department of Communication.
The move actually bolsters the PR program at the university.
PR majors will eventually have four - up from two - full-time professors and nearly twice the number of graduate assistants as before. Increasing the irony, monies earmarked for the growth are being funneled out of the College of Journalism where PR was housed until now. The University declined to give exact budget figures.
Even beyond the university setting, this controversy underscores the long-standing conflict between journalism and PR.
Although some in the PR profession believe a strict journalism education best prepares those going into PR, the overwhelming sentiment in this case is that the program should remain intact, sources indicated (PRN, 5/18/98). Letters against abolishing the program expressed concerns raised by those at major PR firms, such as Ketchum and Edelman.
Journalism vs. PR
Nixing the PR program became the mission of College of Journalism Dean Reese Cleghorn, who wanted to revamp the journalism curriculum. In the other camp were PR professors Jim Grunig and Lori Grunig. After Cleghorn dug in his heels, the Grunig duo, with the provost's support, approached the Department of Communication several months ago to negotiate a new home for the PR program. (The program was turned down by the College of Business and Management and the School of Public Affairs.)
Here's how the history unfolds: The Grunigs have a reputation in both academic and business circles for having elevated the profession, while Cleghorn's quest has been viewed as slap in the face by some in PR. Early in the summer, the Grunigs, flanked by student supporters, met with the provost to present their case. By that time, close to 200 messages had been fired off in support of the PR sequence, considered one of the best in the nation.
Cleghorn never gave in but the Grunigs had amassed enough support from students, agency executives and corporate communicators at deep-pocketed companies to make their case.
One of those supporters is Elliot Schreiber, senior VP of corporate communications and marketing at Nortel Networks, Toronto. "I was incensed but also not surprised, since there has always been an unholy alliance between journalism and PR," Schreiber recalls about learning of Cleghorn's decision months ago. He adds that many journalists have long regarded PR as a "bastardization" of journalism.
Schreiber's expertise is grounded in both the corporate and academic side. In 1976, he began teaching undergraduate PR studies at the University of Delaware and in four years, enrollment in the PR major grew to 400. Although he left academia for Dupont, he never relinquished his keen interest in the journalism vs. PR struggle.
End, Round One
At the University of Maryland, the debate came to a close with a Sept. 24 vote, according to Edward L. Fink. Fink heads the Department of Communication and agreed to advocate moving PR to the communication department. In addition to more faculty, students will gain access to classes such as research methods, speech writing and organizational/intercultural communications. Students will still be offered journalism courses in writing and editing.
It was a unanimous vote among the department of communition assembly to bring the PR sequence into its fold, says Fink.
PR classes will be moved to the department in July with approximately 200 PR undergraduates making the switch. A U.S. News & World Report special several years ago ranked the university's PR courses No. 1 on both the undergraduate and graduate level.
In an e-mail sent by Jim Grunig to those who advocated his fight, Grunig underscores the continued struggle PR has had in gaining recognition as a strategic and analytical, versus merely creative, discipline.
"Throughout academia, and throughout the world, PR has had to beg for a university home. This happens in journalism, communication, advertising and business. Some day, PR will have its own department, but that won't happen until the professional community supports us. We got that professional support at Maryland...[And] in addition, we are getting the resources that journalism has long denied us," he wrote. (UOM, 301/405-6500; Schreiber, 905/863-1124)