As the world’s Public Relations practitioners celebrate first-ever World PR Day, Yusuf Adua of News Live Nigeria examines what it means to be a Public Relations Officer
Everyday has its consequential implication but 16th day of July is marked as the international day of public relations. This celebration is to honour one of the forefathers of public relations, Ivy Lee, who was born on the same day in 1877.
The significance of this celebration is not only the central idea of reveling with PR officers but also marks the inaugural festivity of the day; the World PR Day as from today presents a unified global agenda towards making the world understand and utilize PR better.
When children tell their parents that they are into PR; our survey showed that 47.3% of parents feel dejected with the prospect seeing their child as indolent, they except their wards to be a luminary in the chamber, a manager at the bank or a surgeon at the operating room. While 25.56% of guardians are indifferent of this profession, the infinitesimal number of our sample collected felt that the PR profession can yield gold mine someday.
Public relation is the professional maintenance of a favourable public image by a company or other organization or a famous person. It is the all-inportant state of the relationship between a company or other organization or a famous person and the public It is safe to say that companies justify the cost in terms of improved public relations.
Our correspondents who went round to gather the opinions of students who wrote the just concluded UTME examination told Newslive Nigeria that to get any of these would-be undergraduates was an arduosly laborious effort.
Meanwhile, every organisation working with the present administrative rhythm or anyone whose needs a Public Relations Officer. At a time when the whole business world has been reshaped by the effect of Coronavirus, the need for a dedicated communication expert to present companies in good image is at an alarming rate.
The public relations officer (PRO) also know as chief communications officer (CCO) or corporate communications officer is the head of communications, public relations in an organization. The individual is directly in charge of public affairs in a firm. Typically, the CCO of a corporation reports to and works hand in hand with the chief executive officer (CEO). This individual may hold an academic degree in communications or have undisputed knowledge and experience in the field.
The Public Relations Officer of a company is the corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the communications risks and opportunities of a business, both internally and externally. In this present world where clients and companies are working diametrically opposite to. their wishes due to toCOVID-19 prognosis, it is only a professional Public Relations Officer that can help refill that hiatus.
It is a saying that looking good is good business. The Public Relations Officer is also saddled with the responsibility of assembling all channels of communications to a wide range of stakeholders, including employees, shareholders, media, bloggers, influential members of the business community, the press, the community, and the public.
A very big kudos to diligent PR officers as they partner with others in their organization to communicate with investors, analysts, customers, and company Board members. Every forward-thinking organization is required to rely on the PRO to advise and participate in decisions that may impact the ongoing reputation of the firm.
PROs are the technical wives of the CEO as they form key advisors to the CEO. In addition to the Chief Communications Officer title, comparable titles include Vice President of Corporate Communications, Vice President of Public Affairs, or Public Information Officer in governmental organizations.
It remains to be seen if PR officers will be taken seriously as the importance of their services and roles depict. We at News Live Nigeria join hands with the rest of the world to celebrate the FIRST international day of public relations.
