Affairs or relationships?

In many ways, the growth of public affairs mirrors that of public relations. It was once seen as a murky activity (lobbying in one case, media relations in the other) taking place behind closed doors and amongst an old school club of contacts. Yet the industry continued to grow through various scandals (dirty tricks, cash-for-access) and public affairs advice is now widely used in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Public affairs is now a highly sought-after career choice for the brightest graduates with an interest in politics and the way we’re governed.

In this issue, we look at the question of regulation and codes of conduct; at the theatre of the set-piece political interview; at political blogging and at online smear campaigns. We look into the Welsh Assembly and peer into parliament at Westminster. We discuss the differences between public relations and public affairs.

Then we turn to transport. Will space tourism ever take off? The answer’s ‘yes’ according to Virgin Galatic boss Will Whitehorn.

In the careers section, our contributors write about how to cope with the disappointment when you realise that watching Sex and the City does not prepare you for your chosen public relations degree course; about placement opportunites;about the salaries you might earn; and about the emergence of podcasting as a mainstream communications tool.

Finally, three thank yous. First and foremost to John Hitchins of University College St Mark and St John who developed this magazine and built it up into a must-read publication over five years. We now hope to build on his efforts in this online version and through an annual print publication.

We’re grateful to the CIPR for the financial backing to take the publication forward. And to CIPR Diploma student and PR practitioner Simon Wakeman for turning our words into an effective WordPress magazine. Free and open source sound attractive when the alternative used to be expensive and proprietary - but it’s no use if you can’t make it work.

Photo: Joe Sharp

Richard Bailey (editor@behindthespin.com)
March 2008