Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
We all have distinct memories of Samantha Jones from “Sex and the City” while growing up. She always took time to manage crisis communications while also making time for her twice-weekly brunch with the rest of the gang. Or, maybe, you remember C.J. Cregg from “West Wing,” a tough-skinned press secretary that takes on the world.
Either way, all of these depictions of public relations professionals in media include two things: glamour and high-profile clients. Today, we are debunking why media depictions of public relations professionals are not always accurate.
All Play and No Work
The most common faux-pas that we see in the media is the idea that being a public relations professional is all about the glamour and excitement of the role. Instead of long nights working in the office or sending hundreds of pitches a day, these public relations professionals are — more often than not — attending glamorous galas and events put on by their clients. They are able to take long, expensive brunches in the city in-between working on some of the highest-profile clients in the world.
While the PR field can have its moments of glamour and excitement, the idea that all of it is play and no work is laughable. Most days are focusing on last-minute demands from clients and making sure that you are having your head down while working. Long nights have become the norm at some agencies, and the idea of getting an expensive New York City lunch twice a week — complete with mimosas and designer clothing — is implausible with most entry-level publicist salaries.
The Celebrity Client
Of course, the clients are one of the most important parts of public relations. While these shows may convince you that it is normal to be laughing over dinner with your celebrity clients, who also sweep you away on foreign vacations, this is not completely accurate. While high-profile clients come around, the work that you do is often far less personal than being the equivalent of a personal assistant to a celebrity. Great public relations can be done on even the smallest of clients, and extravagant vacations are a rare luxury of the job — not an everyday occurrence.
Clients in public relations agencies usually require tens of individuals working to reach the client benchmarks. Relationships need to continue being professional so that you know how to best help them reach their wildest public relations dreams. While the idea of working with famous celebrities is tempting, it is good to know that this may not be your reality.
Constant Crisis Communications
Once again, the world of public relations in movies and television takes some creative liberty in the roles and work of public relations practitioners. Instead of working on client pitches for hours and getting excited about the one hit in your regional newspaper, these people are always achieving any public relations practitioner’s wildest coverage dreams. With one call or email, their client is on the cover of Vogue. With an everyday idea, they are getting A1 in the New York Times.
Public relations takes hard work and there are many days when you are solely focusing on finding a new and unique way to support your client. You can send hundreds of emails with no responses, think that you have a hit and have it fall through and deal with very calm issues that are not time-sensitive. There are plenty of days where it is important to be in touch with the surrounding news and that you may get your dream coverage, but it is crucial to know that this will not be your entire life in public relations.
Either way, public relations is an exciting career and a rewarding passion, even if it does not include all of the glitz and glamour. Some of the best parts of public relations come from working with smaller clients where you can get some exciting regional coverage, or you can look forward to the idea that you won’t always be dealing with life-or-death situations.
While these depictions of public relations professionals may seem annoying, at the end of the day they create more awareness about our careers and can even trick incoming college students to major in it. So, the next time that your relatives are confused that you aren’t being whisked away in a private helicopter to help your celebrity client with their crisis, you will know exactly why they are confused.