Introduction to Public Relations
Instructor: Keith Forrest
Interview with a Public Relations
Professional
· Due Date: December 10
· Length: 3-5 Pages (plus a separate page that includes the questions you asked)
· Must notify instructor of person you want to interview in advance because you cannot interview the same person as another student.
· Format: Follow syllabus instructions for “Style for all papers” and “Standards for all papers.”
Planning
This paper is going to be incredibly exciting, but it is also going to require some planning. You need to get started as soon as possible. First, you have to schedule an interview with a public relations professional. This may take some time. The first person you call may say “no.” Or she or he may not be able to meet when you are available. You may have to call several potential interviewees before you get someone to agree. Second, you need to conduct some preliminary research to get ready for the interview. What can you find out about the person you are going to interview and the organization she or he works for? What do you know about that organization? This information will help you write your questions for the interview. Third, you have to actually conduct the interview. Fourth, you need to write a 3-5 page paper based on the interview.
Behind the Scenes
In keeping with the hands-on
perspective in this class, this assignment gives you the opportunity to learn
from a working professional. It’s a
chance for you to make a contact in the industry, and learn more about what
goes behind the scenes from a PR professional.
It allows you to get a first hand account of what it’s like working in
the field. You must do the interview in
person. As a result, you probably want
interview someone within a reasonable drive such as
The Real World of Media
This assignment is designed to take public relations
out of the abstract world of the classroom and introduce you to a living,
breathing member of the PR community. You cannot interview the same person as
another student. This will be done
on a first come, first served basis so as soon as you know who you want to
interview you need to let me know.
ACCC
Tell the interviewee that you are completing this
interview as part of an assignment for your Introduction to Public Relations
course at
Mini Laboratory
It will be a mini laboratory where you can see some of the concepts we have discussed during the semester come to life, and to get analysis from someone who is on the inside. You may need to read ahead in the PR chapters to formulate some of your questions, depending on when during the semester you do your interview.
Conducting The Interview
·
●
When you request the interview, make sure to explain
it is for a paper for an Introduction to Public Relations course at
·
●
Ask for 30 minutes. If you ask for more, your potential
interviewee may feel it will be too time consuming. Keep in mind once you are in there and
talking to the person, they may very well let things go beyond 30 minutes.
·
●
Be aware that it may take more than one phone call to
land an interview. You may also be asked
to send a letter first. You need to be
persistent. This is a good life
lesson. Just like the working world that
you all hope to enter when you graduate from ACCC, there are no rewards for
just trying. You need to actually
complete an interview. This may mean
changing interviewees if the one you have selected is too difficult to track
down.
·
●
The day of the interview you should show up a little
early (probably 5-10 minutes). Dress professionally (no jeans or tee shirts, no sneakers).
·
●
Please realize that each PR person has their own
distinct personality. Do not take it
personally if the person is difficult to get along with. But you should remain calm and polite
regardless.
·
●
Borrow a tape recorder to record the interview, but don’t use it as a
crutch. Take notes as you go. When you are doing the interview, use your
questions as a guide. But don’t feel you
need to ask every one of them. Your face
should not be buried in your question sheet.
You should be making eye contact with the person you are
interviewing. It should be comfortable,
like a conversation. Don’t be concerned
if the interview takes on a life its own.
It may not follow the exact path you had laid out ahead of time. But spontaneous exchanges can sometimes
provide the best material.
·
●
If you want to practice ahead of time, you are welcome
to do so with one of your group members or to make an appointment with me. Notice your surroundings. The place where you conduct the interview may
give you additional information. For
example, you are interviewing a PR director and on the wall in her office is a
picture of her with Aretha Franklin, that might be
something you want to ask her about.
· You are expected to conduct this interview in person in the professional's workplace, if possible. The interview must be done in person, unless you get approval from me. No phone or e-mail interviews will be accepted without my permission in advance.
The Report
Sample Questions to ask your interviewee:
What is a typical day like?
What skills do you recommend for PR students?
What skills do you find that you use most in this business?
What is the structure of the department/office you work in?
Tell me about a recent event or campaign you participated in.
How does marketing/promotions/advertising support your work, and vice versa?
How has your job changed in the past 5 years?
What has been the impact of the Internet and other new technologies on your work?
What advice do you have for working with the media?
How do you define public relations?
How important are ethics in public relations? Have you faced any ethical dilemmas in your job? What happened?
How important is the counseling part of your job?
What is your most important public? Why? What is your most challenging public to reach?
What types of research do you perform in your job?
How often do you use face-to-face communication? Electronic communication? Print communication? Special events?
How do you determine whether your public relations efforts are effective?
Do you ever have difficulty sinking up message, channel and audience? When? Why?
How do get your important publics to act?
Are you a member of PRSA? Did you sign the “Code of Ethics” pledge?
Use the interview to learn the following:
The individual's educational background
The individuals job history
How the individual became interested in a PR career in the first place.
The individual's function and duties
Any advise for students preparing for a career in PR
Writing the
Interview Paper
● Connect your interview to concepts in the textbook.
● You should also do additional research, and find background about your interviewee. Compare that background to what the person told you in the interview.
● Research the company that the interviewee works in. What’s unique about their industry of the media?
● Your final paper should not be a transcript
of the interview. It should be an
analysis. It will require careful
thought. It will require trip(s) to the
library. Just hopping on the Internet is
not going to be enough.
● Papers will be evaluated on content, form,
and comprehension of the material
● You should also
answer these basic questions in the process of writing your paper:
What is your interviewee’s position?
What does that job entail?
How did she or he get into the media?
What does the institution or organization they work
for do?
What concepts from the textbook and lecture notes are
particularly relevant when analyzing your interviewee and why? You must use at least 6 class concepts in
your paper.
● Evaluate the
interviewee based upon your interview, outside research and class readings and
discussions.
Where do I
get an interview?
PR
professionals work in all kinds of organizations including:
Government
Corporations
Nonprofits
Colleges
Hospitals
Casinos
PR and
Advertising Agencies
The Public
Relations Society of America has a
There is also a Public Relations Council of Atlantic City. Info is available at: http://www.prcouncilofac.org/index.htm