By Emily Chambers
What do you think of when you think of public relations? Maybe you think public relations is a series of events used to make someone increase in popularity with the public – like Mackenzie Scott separating herself from her ex-husband Jeff Bezos by donating upward of $6 billion to charities. Some believe that public relations are steps taken by a company to repair their image in public – like Facebook and its recent privacy issues. There are even those who think public relations is only for careers in a corporate setting. But what many don’t know is that, at some point, all career fields and all people need public relations.
This past semester I interned for a Congressman in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. I loved every second of the internship because of all the opportunities made available to me. But I was amazed when I got an inside look behind the inner workings of Capitol Hill and found that even our nation’s leaders use public relations in their everyday work. Of course, I was aware of how some lawmakers were constantly trying to help their public image after they did something that reflected poorly in the eyes of the public. But I don’t think I understood the necessity of PR in a political setting, even if nothing is wrong.
One of our lawmakers’ primary jobs is to ensure that their constituents – the people who live in their Congressional district – are happy with laws made in Congress. Making people happy is no easy task because everyone has an opinion, with many opinions contradicting one another. Members of Congress will often task their communications director with creating content that either explains how they voted on a bill or why the public should care about a new federal program. The communications director will work with the legislative team to build a mini public relations campaign either advocating for or opposing pieces of legislation.
After spending four months in a Congressional office helping to create content, I realized that everyone needs some form of public relations in their lives. When I first arrived on Capitol Hill, Congress was scrambling to explain the quick removal of American troops from Afghanistan. A few weeks into my internship, my congressman had a press conference to promote new funding for his district. A few months in, the President of the United States was signing an infrastructure bill into law. All these examples are examples of public relations.
So, to sum everything up: you do not need to be in a corporate business to practice public relations. Sure, you may end up working in a corporate setting, but you can utilize your public relations skills in any field. Even now, working in RaiderComm, I can transfer skills I have learned during my four years at Texas Tech to an actual client. I am planning on going back to Washington, D.C., after graduating. Still, my public relations skills are applicable in every area, not just in areas where the public thinks “PR” is acceptable.
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