The practice of public relations can be a bit tricky. Right now, it is considered a trade rather than a profession. Unlike accountants, doctors, etc. there is no certification that is required in order to professionally practice public relations. A test does exist, however nobody seems to know about it.
The test is called APR (Accredited in Public Relations). The PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) describes it as “a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice, and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective, and sound professional judgment.”
Why is Accreditation Important?
Accreditation is important because it teaches and strengthens what a public relations practitioner already knows. There is a certain set of skills needed in order to succeed in PR. Some of these skills are listed in my previous post All We Need is. Because the PRSSA recommends that practitioners should have at least 5 years of experience, it would also be a refreshing way to reinforce the foundations that were set in the past (college degree).
The problem with the APR right now is that nobody knows about it. It is kind of funny that an accreditation for public relations needs some PR. Here are some ways to raise awareness.
Promote the Test
This should be very obvious. The PRSA should create awareness by trying to announce their product. Not only should they focus on people who want to go into public relations but also to other businesses and even the general public. Let people know that something like this exists and why it is good. Potential clients can’t buy what they don’t know.
Promote PRSA
The PRSA also needs to look into promoting themselves. This almost goes hand in hand with promoting the test. They should be seen as an organization with legitimate importance. Make the general public know who they are and how they work. The more prestige the organization receives, the more their test will be given.
Make it Mandatory
This is an extreme suggestion but it is one that makes sense. Just like lawyers, PR practitioners would have to take the test and be licensed. Not only would this raise awareness for the test but it would bring the respect that public relations is due.
In addition, a license would also help monitor practices. Practitioners would be required to be honest and ethical or lose their license to practice. On a blog by David Reich he quotes the former chairman of the Global Alliance for Public Relations. Toni Muzi Falconi said “government regulations make sense when they seek to ensure acceptable degrees of quality, fairness, timeliness, soundness and transparency of communication from… organizations that have demonstrable influence on voter, consumer and citizen attitudes, opinions or behaviors. From this perspective I believe it’s fair to say that just about every form of public relations activity today bears such impact, thus requiring overall regulation.”
[...] Accreditation I talked about accreditation in my previous post “is it worth it?” While there is a test by the PRSA, it is not mandatory for people to practice public [...]
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