Closing the gap between PR and academia
What happened when public relations professionals and academia came together to discuss the academic-practitioner divide and the PR industry's role in society?
Earlier this month, members of the public relations industry and academia came together in London to learn about and share their knowledge on what the industry means in today's evolving world.
The event, aptly titled Where Practice Meets Academia, was organised by Leeds Beckett University and Newcastle University, and supported by the CIPR and PRCA. It was held at the offices of Four Communications and attended by a mix of experienced PR professionals and those who have recently entered the industry, members of academia and students.
The keynote was to address, understand and acknowledge the gap between PR academia and industry practice. To kickstart the engaging event, a line-up of five fantastic speakers discussed aspects of the dynamic industry as well as the academic-practitioner divide. Several voices further relayed their experiences to an enthusiastic live audience and many others joined virtually to listen in.
Leeds Beckett University's Teela Clayton was the event's showrunner and worked with her university's team of five students. Meanwhile, Newcastle University's Ann-Marie Lacey led her team of students to make sure the day was beautifully captured on camera. Students from both teams kept social media buzzing by live tweeting moments that caught attention or key messages that struck a chord with the audience. The event was spread out over five sessions which included discussions on the future of PR, research findings and exploration of the role of PR and communications in evolving societies. It also gave young PR professionals the opportunity to network with members of CIPR, PRCA and industry experts.
Research Findings
Two of the five sessions discussed interesting research findings, while addressing the gap between academia and practice. Thomas Stoeckle of the PRCA International University Advisory Group (IUAG), which was established in April 2022, addressed the enduring gap between academia and professional practice across the global PR and communications industry. The panel laid down and shared details of the group's current research. Stoeckle shed light on how leading academics from across the world were part of the research and shared key findings which caught attention of the audience. For example: Their research revealed that measurement and data analytics should be taught in universities as part of a PR and comms degree.
Another session was chaired by Swansea University's Dr Sian Rees who discussed her project, Global Student Voice Research Spring 2023. The project is a study designed to take soundings from international PR and communications students about their views and expectations of working in the PR industry. Rees discussed the key findings and shared expectations of PR and comms students. While some expectations were realistic and solid, others managed to take the audience by surprise. Rees also invited students and soon-to-be PR practitioners to talk about issues important to them as they look ahead to careers in the industry.
Student-centric
For students in the room, the Newcastle University alumni panel gave them an interesting perspective on beginning a career in the PR industry as graduates shared their experiences. Four Newcastle University graduates spoke about how their PR degree helped them find a strong foothold in the industry and the right skills. The panel was moderated by Newcastle University's Ann-Marie Lacey and the panel members also took questions from the audience. They shared their learnings in an insightful conversation.
The right mix of practice and theory
Stephen Waddington, a seasoned PR practitioner and part-time PhD research student at Leeds Business School, spoke about his motivation to return to school after a 25-year career in PR. He pointed out that there is limited engagement between practice and theory, a point also echoed by Dr Anne Gregory who graced the event virtually with her closing remarks.
Speaking about academia and industry practice, Dr Gregory gave examples of how theory can inform practice. She also stated that the only solution to bridge this gap is by working and learning from each other. Ending the day on a strong note, Dr Gregory said that PR as a profession is more about listening than telling - a statement none could disagree.
Sanjana Jadhav is studying MA Public Relations and Strategic Communications at Leeds Beckett University.
