Features

Starting a degree in PR? Read this first
Current PR students and recent graduates give their advice to this year’s new students on what really matters. Richard Bailey reports. Sibling rivalry theory of international PR
My relationship with my younger sister sheds light on the differences between public relations in the US and in Europe, argues Abigail Crim. Social web and the evolution of PR
Adam Coulter explains why social media has required public relations to evolve and what the end result of this evolution will mean for the profession. Flying high in a new age
For her dissertation, Katy Jameson explored how the interactivity of social media communication between customers and airline companies can effectively contribute to building brand equity. Why learn social media at university
Surely there’s nothing to teach a student about social media? Stephen Johnson thought not until he took a pioneering course at university. Political blogging: can it reach young people?
Young people tend to be disengaged from party politics. For her dissertation, Bethany Ansell explored whether political blogging could make a difference. Why PR matters in sport
In this World Cup summer we know that sport matters. Niall Malone, Spurs fan and former AFC Bournemouth press officer, discusses the importance of PR in sport. Life-changing event
‘I never expected that being a CIPR student rep could be such a big turning point in one’s career’, writes Katerina Aleksandrova. ‘Yet my CIPR student event has already started to open doors in the industry.’ Sixteen is old enough to vote
Sixteen and seventeen year olds can get married, have a child and join the armed forces. They may pay taxes yet they can’t elect MPs and local councillors whose decisions affect their lives. Alex Delaney, chair of the British Youth Council, argues it’s time for change. Sorry Twitter, this election will be won on the doorstep
Though the election has only just started officially, candidates have been campaigning for months. Clare Siobhan Callery follows a Conservative candidate round a rural West Yorkshire constituency and discovers that elections are fought on the doorstep, not on the internet. Lobbying sting leads to new calls for change
A Channel 4 investigation into politicians and the lobbying industry has led to renewed calls to regulate, as Jack Adlam explains. None of the above
When it comes to voting, many young people don’t bother. Emma Lister canvasses opinions on why fellow students are reluctant to place an X on the ballot paper. Nowhere web
Do online communities necessarily have less value and meaning than those in the real world, asks Laura Smith. It’s written on the tablets
Apple’s forthcoming iPad will be a game changer for publishers and for PR argues David Clare. Election 2010: a tale of three halves
Our electoral system encourages two-horse races, but as Mark Pack explains there are more than two sides to the coming election. Gordon Brown: moody monster or man for the moment?
Leadership qualities are vital in winning elections. Nichola Bottomley and Sarah Whyte ask if Gordon Brown has what it takes. Online campaigning lessons from the US
We know how important social media was in Barack Obama’s campaign. But what lesons have been learnt for UK party politics asks Jag Singh. Elections need X Factor (and text factor)
More young people vote in The X Factor than in General Elections. Surely it’s time to learn lessons from this, says Lucy Hird. Time for election 2.0?
The successful use of social media by the Obama campaign is widely admired. But have British politicians learnt the lessons, asks James Knight. Can Labour win?
With the gap in the opinion polls closing, could Gordon Brown and Labour win another five years asks Sam Nickerson. Politics in Romania, twenty years on
Twenty yeas on from the collapse of the Ceacescu regime, Romania is a democratic member of the European Union. Adi Zabava explains how the recent presidential campaign was fought in this young democracy. Brands on the run from social media storm
Does the advent of social media change our understanding of PR asks Janelle Hardacre and what does this new world mean for brands? PR and social media: the good, the bad and the ugly
Social media is now a maintream activity, and so it’s inevitably the target of public relations activity. As Laura Crimmons reports, this can be done well, but it can also bring the company much public criticism. Anti-social networking
The mobile internet means we may be constantly communicating, but are we really connecting asks Suzie Watts. How Oxfam uses social media for social good
We publish an edited version of Katie Brown’s award-winning essay on Oxfam’s use of social media to promote stakeholder engagement. PR Pros Proffer Brand-aid to Troubled Tiger
Priyanka Palit reviews the Tiger Woods story to see what lessons can be learnt from PR literature and from PR practitioners. Astroturfing: the unacceptable face of public relations
Having studied the practice of astroturfing for her Master’s dissertation, Priyanka Palit reveals the shocking truth in this summary of her reading. Single white female on diversity in PR
The issue of diversity in public relations is one is one that has plagued the PR landscape and been the subject of several academic studies. It’s also a subject that’s close to home for Clare Siobhan Callery from Yorkshire. An insider’s guide to celebrity endorsement
Head of Golley Slater Manchester, Agatha Chapman-Poole, discusses the pros and cons of celebrity endorsement – and making sure you choose your champion wisely. Chirpy celebrities
It may have started with celebrity following, but Laura Daly now thinks she’s experiencing the future of marketing and communication. Rescue me
Though presented as fairy tales, celebrity stories rarely seem to end up ‘happily ever after’, says Emma Dickinson. You say celebrity, I say culture
Just back from a 14-state tour of the United States, Laura Smith discusses the power of US celebrity culture. How Glasto got its mojo back
Would you want to sleep in a muddy field, share portaloos with strangers, and not wash for six days? Caroline Gibson explains why she and 170,000 other people chose to at this year’s Glastonbury festival. Music on the internet? It’ll never catch on
Gareth Thompson recalls the 1994 European launch of the online music pioneer. Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) and the mixed press reaction to what was to become a defining change for music distribution. Here come the PR girls
Ellis Noble loves The City, Ab Fab and Sex and the City, of course. But why, she asks, does TV always present public relations as such a glamorous activity? Get ahead, go digital
Portfolios are a well-established weapon in the PR student’s armoury. Ben Cotton asks if it’s time they went digital. Save Our Stories
Eileen Jones makes a plea for newspaper readers to join battle to save our print media Fast food nationals
How do you get a burger talked about? By creating the world’s most expensive one as Caroline Gibson describes. Going glocal
A global approach to public relations that works in all international contexts has not yet been achieved, says Chiara Valentini. Lost in translation
Pan-European PR still is a very difficult and often nearly unrealisable task. Media and journalism systems throughout the whole of Europe are simply too varied. Holger Sievert shows some practical approaches for systematisation So you want to work in international PR?
European PR consultancy boss Lyle Closs describes the ups and downs of managing international campaigns. Cross-cultural curriculum
Based on experience of designing and delivering international PR courses in North Carolina and London, Alan Freitag offers some principles and practical guidance. Hiring globally to act locally
When seeking to procure PR support at a global level, firms are faced with a critical choice. Dan Nicholls weighs up the options. Spaghetti complexity theory of international PR
It’s not easy and it can get messy. Managing international PR is like eating your first bowl of spaghetti, says Valentina Nobili. Social media – and me
As people are responding less to traditional media and turning to the internet instead, PR practitioners should learn about new communications channels, writes Natalie Smith. Letter from Transylvania
Nathaniel Southworth-Barlow spent his summer gaining PR work experience in Transylvania – a placement with added bite. Spam or relationships: you decide
It’s not clever and it’s not effective. So why do we keep on treating media relations as an exercise in mass marketing rather than as relationship building, asks Rachel Todd. Matchday in the life of a press officer
Placement student Claire Harrison spent a year with Arsenal FC. She describes the busy life of a press officer on matchday at the Emirates Stadium. The world is not enough
There are many launches in PR, but most of them are mere metaphors. Virgin is planning the literal launch of a commercial spaceship and Virgin Galactic’s president Will Whitehorn spoke exclusively to Katie King for Behind the Spin. Heard it on the grapevine
It’s almost 25 years since Grunig and Hunt described the two-way symmetrical model of public relations. Now Zoë Lavender thinks she may have spotted an example in practice at General Motors. Just in time. PR rides to the rescue
White van man may slow down for no one. But Carys Samuel applauds the ‘I slow down for horses’ campaign as a low-cost public relations success. Are our cities safe for cycling?
It’s tough on the streets for cyclists, but Drew Kearney would welcome a live and let live attitude. Bike to the future
Let me start by asking a simple question: What do Madonna, Jeremy Paxman and the actor who plays Ian Beale in Eastenders all have in common? Not even a guess? Well it may come as a bit of a surprise, but these celebrities have been snapped ditching their fancy cars in favour of their trusty bicycle, says Claire Pace. Brands on the run
Media fragmentation? Elusive audiences? Nicola de Liso has studied how advertisers are taking their messages to streets of London in an attempt to reach consumers. Public Affairs industry’s Clause 4 moment
Recent quarrels over APPC membership show a young industry coming of age. Nick Reach argues that the industry must work hard to repair the damage or risk tougher Government regulation. Why is this lying bastard lying to me?
The set-piece political interview is a great spectacle, argues Beth Moore. Log on for the great debate
Ellee Seymour says that political dialogue and debate is being conducted on blogs. Here’s her guide to essential political blogs. Smear 2.0
Digital mudslinging is now a prominent feature of politics, says Ollie Christophers, who reports what happens when the blogs of war are unleashed. Welsh Assembly yet to find its voice
The National Assembly for Wales has an important message to get out to the public, but despite having two languages at its disposal, it seems to have difficulty finding its voice says Matt Warlow. You say PR, and I say PA
Summer placement student Ulla Bartsch has discovered that public relations might involve getting people to buy one brand of cereal instead of another. But in public affairs, you are trying to influence public policy. She knows which she’d prefer. Confessions of a good PR consultant
Client handling skills are as much the key to success in public relations as they have always been in far older professions: medicine, law, architecture or, no doubt, even the very oldest, says Douglas Smith. You don’t vote? Get the whips out
I’ve just done a placement where there was scandal, fashion, paparazzi, whipping and a whole lot of celebrities. It wasn’t for a magazine and it wasn’t in a PR agency; it was at Westminster. Don’t stop reading, pleads Katie Matthews. Junk the ads?
Sadie Edwards wonders whether it’s fair to blame obesity on advertising.