Is journalism dying?

When I tell people that I am in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the response I often get is anything but positive.  "But journalism is dying", they insist.  Even as I reassure them that, no, journalism is far from dead, they are even more appalled when I say that I am focusing on public relations.  "But public relations? So basically... you want to lie to people for a living."  

I am here today to stress the fact that 1) Journalism is not dead and 2) public relations goes a lot deeper than 'lying to people in order to make a living'.

In today's world, we rely on public relations to get a majority of our information, whether we are aware of it or not.  Blog posts, company websites, and press releases are all integral parts of our lives and yet we fail to recognize public relations when we see it.  The best kind of American citizen is informed and aware of what is going on in the world.  How do we become better versed in the world? We read journalism stories and we pay attention to public relations.

Many people are also unaware of the importance public relations play in social media.  These days, who doesn't use social media? We are addicted to our status updates and creeping abilities.  We cannot live without knowing every minute detail about our family, friends, and celebrities we obsess over.  This is public relations in its simplest form.

We are social beings.  We use communication with others in order to determine our social status, our identity, even our happiness. Communication falls under public relations.  Through social media, we are easily able to connect with others, learn about the world, and become better citizens.

Public relations is far from dead and it is far from unimportant.  As a public relations major, I find myself using what I learn in every aspect of my life- whether it is social or professional.   I know how to present and represent myself online and offline and I have learned to interpret situations in ways unimaginable before I began taking courses through the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

I cannot stress enough the importance of Strategic Communications.  Public Relations surrounds us everywhere. We live our lives in it and we become better students and professionals by utilizing it.

Fellow PR majors, I'm sure you feel me: http://www.buzzfeed.com/larap2/10-things-only-a-public-relations-major-would-unde-aati

Talia Saville

University of Minnesota
Jour 3279
Blog Assignment