Not enough Public Relations (PR) practitioners are spending time on emerging digital PR skills that should now be a vital part of their future professional practice.
Moreover, Human Resources leaders and recruiters still do not understand all of the important skills that PR professionals need to work today in the wake of digital media.
Stuart Bruce, ranked as one of the top bloggers in PR, will speak about the future of digital media at a Campuskini workshop titled “Getting Publicity and Press Release Writing” this Saturday.
As a guest lecturer, he will talk about how public relations officials can use insight and data digitally to succeed in their campaigns.
Bruce, who hails from the United Kingdom and is a fellow and board member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), said that public relations officers were not keeping up with emerging skills in the digital arena.
This statement was based on the results of the State of the Profession 2017 survey conducted by CIPR.
“The Public Relations profession still has a very long way to go before the skills and competencies of its practitioners meet the needs of digital disruption,” he said.
Bruce, who is also a university lecturer, will be a guest speaker at Campuskini's workshop on Saturday.
The workshop is part of Malaysiakini’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, which runs several media relations workshops which charges only RM288 per person, and RM150 for students. The market rate for such one-day courses is about 10 times more, with an approximate cost of RM2,500.
The workshop will be conducted by veteran journalist and media coach M Krishnamoorthy.
"Leaders and PR personnel can improve their writing skills and learn the art of getting free publicity by attending workshops to improve themselves.
"Participants will get experience in writing press releases that is newsworthy, understand how to write for your target audience and deliver a sharp story angle that will interest the editors and the public," Krishnamoorthy said.
Currently an associate professor and a certified Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) trainer, he has highlighted society’s concerns for over 30 years as a journalist.
Krishnamoorthy has gone undercover as a beggar, security guard, blind man, handicapped person, salesman and as a Member of Parliament. Krishnamoorthy also freelances as a fixer and coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian TV networks and the New York Times.
Bruce is globally recognised as a pioneer in modernised public relations including digital corporate communications, online PR, digital public affairs and lobbying, and corporate social media.
“Public Relations is about reputation – the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you.
“Public Relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics,” Bruce said.
Bruce has advised and trained hundreds of PR professionals from more than 40 countries around the world.
Clients he has advised and/or trained include: Tourism Ireland; Frontex (the European border agency); Office of the President of the European Parliament; Du Pont; Office of HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein; FIFA vice-president for Asia; Bayer CropScience EMEA; Bank of England; NHS; Metropolitan Police; Human Resources Development Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Kazakhstan Media Centre; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); American University of Beirut; Office of the Prime Minister of Brunei; Skanska; Total; Maybank; and the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism.
For more information on the Campuskini workshop, please visit this page.
