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Jack O'Dwyer is editor-in-chief of the J.R. O'Dwyer publications. He can be reached at at jack@ odwyerpr.com

Oct. 22, 2002
PRSA NEEDS TO REACH STUDENTS
 

The PR Student Society of America, after 34 years, only has 7,000 members, leaving a vast, untapped market out there since there are about 11 million students in two and four-year colleges.

PRSA has many materials that students could use including its large number of PR case histories (Silver Anvil winners), which make great material for term papers and other uses.

The students could use the how-to articles in Tactics, compete for PRSSA awards, and network with students/profs.

But the PRSA-linked professors, already annoyed by the move to decouple the Assembly from APR, feel threatened by the proposal to allow students from any college to directly join PRSA as "at-large student members."

They have combined with PRSSA and 21 past presidents of PRSA to knock the motion from the agenda Nov. 16. They want to put it in the deep freeze for another year. It must be put back.

Ex-Presidents, Profs, Sign Petition

A petition to table the student at-large motion was signed by the following ex-presidents: John Beardsley, Judith Bogart, Mary Cusick, Jerry Dalton, Joe Epley, Jack Felton, George Hammond, Carl Hawver, Barbara Hunter, James Little, Luis Morales, John Paluszek, Betsy Plank, John Riffel, Rosalee Roberts, Jay Rockey, Dwayne Summar, Joe Vecchione, Hal Warner, Robert Wolcott and Frank Wylie.

Among ex-presidents not signing were Kathy Lewton, Sam Waltz, and Debra Miller.

PR professors signing it included Rick Fischer, James and Larissa Grunig, Kathleen Kelly, Dan Lattimore, Bonita Neff, Robert Pritchard, Maria Russell, Melvin Sharpe, Don Stacks, Elizabeth Toth, Joe Trahan, Judy Turk, and Laurie Wilson.

The PRSA-linked professors want students to go to their colleges and not others.

Despite all the talk about "ethics" and "professionalism" that emanates from PRSA, fangs get bared as soon as a hot-button issue arises. The Marquis of Queensbury rules go out the window.

Particularly galling to the PR profs is that PRSA wants to take in those studying "journalism, integrated marketing, mass communications or a related field" as well as PR.

'PRSA has subsidized PRSSA to the tune of $950K in the past six years. In a display of ingratitude, students are blocking PRSA from cultivating new revenues.'

PR, which was supposed to encompass everything, is now but one of many players in the field, and a fading one at that.

PR almost does not exist as a separate area of practice in the business world. The fashion throughout advertising and PR is for "integrated marketing," the focusing of many types of communications to get across a desired client message. Complete control of all forms of communication is also a goal.

Companies decades ago began replacing "PR" with "corporate communications" and the changeover is nearly complete.

Almost no PRSSA members ever join PRSA. PRSA has subsidized PRSSA to the tune of $950,373 in the past six years. In a display of ingratitude, the students are blocking PRSA from cultivating new revenues.

The APR program, also pushed hard by the profs, itself lost $2 million+ in the past ten years. It's time for PRSA to get out from under the APR ideologues and the politically active professors before PRSA is destroyed financially.

Control of h.q. must also be won back from the dominant staff. Close to half the staff should be PR professionals, like it was in the 1970s. Doctors, lawyers, accountants and advertising people have numerous of their own pros on the staffs of their national associations.

Assembly delegates, instead of sitting like bumps on a log Nov. 16 while PRSA leaders batter them with six hours of presentations (including 50 minutes on the "strategic plan"), should seize control of the meeting at 8:30 a.m. and talk among themselves like an assembly is supposed to.

Roberts Rules allow this. PRSA leaders in the past have improperly blocked agenda changes. "A broad outcry of the delegates must be obeyed," a parliamentarian said. Assembly members should bring their own lawyer and their own parliamentarian to the meeting.

Let us hope that the rule of the APRs is over.

Since their takeover of PRSA in 1973, members have watched financial PR walk out the door to IR;
public affairs to legal; employee PR to human resources; media relations atrophy; speechwriting disappear, and info tech go completely to the techies when PR could have played the dominant role. NIRI now wants to take over integrated IR/PR depts. at companies. Marketing autocrats invaded PR firms and reduced PR pros to obedient servants.

If Assembly members knew the true state of PRSA's finances they would pass the at-large student motion. But, as usual, PRSA is planning to dump a mass of confusing, outdated financials on the delegates on the day of the meeting.

 
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Responses:
 

Jimmy Olsen, Cub Reporter (10/23):
If it really is true that almost no PRSSA students go on to become PRSA members, then it should just be disbanded. Students would be better served by doing volunteer PR work - at hospitals, political campaigns or even their local grocery. Materials like the case histories should be made available on the internet for a nominal fee.

Depressed PR Counselor/30+ Years PR Pro (10/23):
Jack, you are absolutely right. I have taken the opportunity to speak to a number of college classes, most without PRSSA affiliation. Not only is there a financial reward for PRSA to reach out to "all" PR students, we have the opportunity to reach, impact and grow our PR future. When speaking to a PR class at a school where there is a PRSSA affiliation, I always recommend that students join. I have been a member of PRSA for over 30 years. I have served as PRSA Chapter president, PRSA chapter board member, even PRSSA chapter president, etc. I am not an APR and I will never become an APR. At many meetings I have spoken out against APR. I also have just realized that I have been sending money to PRSA for more than 30 years. I have received recognition and thanks for being a member of other organizations at 10 years, 25 years etc. There has never been any recognition or thank you from PRSA. All of a sudden I am depressed about the state of PR in PRSA.

Wilma Mathews (10/23):
Jack, I'm with you on this. Knowledge is best when shared. To deprive any interested student from information on the profession is irresponsible.

Fed Up In NYC! (10/22):
I couldn't agree more with PR Scrooge. Let's face it, we are an industry void of proper representation.

PR Scrooge (10/22):
I am a busy PR professional. If I am going to join a professional association, it is going to be one where I can meet with potential new clients. I don't need to join PRSA or IABC or whatever to jaw-bone about what kind of job Ari Fleischer is doing. Give me a Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce or Kiwanis every time!


 

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