Who are the true reporters? In a world where technology allows people to take pictures or videos of extraordinary events and publicize them for global viewing within minutes, we are all reporters of some sort. This constant and endless cycle of news is streamed through so many mediums that it may almost seem trivial to hear the responses of Public Relations Professionals because the specifics have already been explained and debated.
I chose to write about the article “In Hudson River Landing, PR Pros Were Not First Responders” because it illustrates the epitome of 21st century communication. Everything is quick. For Janis Krums, taking a picture on his mobile phone of the crash landing of Flight 1549 and uploading it to his Twitter was like a text message conversation. Brief and immediate. Even more rapid was the response to the picture. “…the good journalist will abide by her congenital need for speed, and source any information she can unearth among user-generated content...and ask the company official to merely fill in the blanks later.”
Public Relations Professionals therefore, respond to these events after the information has been given, debated and finally altered. There is no alternative for this rush of fast communication but to adapt. Initially, a Public Relations Professional would give breaking news about a significant event or new policy pertaining to a company; now, he needs to sort out all the correct information from misconstrued details. On the other hand, this enhancement of technological gadgets as journalistic aid allows communication to build upon itself. The details of the story are slowly—though not meticulously—put together in order to write the complete and accurate story.
Public Relations Professionals however, face a dilemma. Though the influx of information is studied and researched for accuracy, their response time lags therefore, they find themselves “losing message control.” Neither the message— nor the medium in which the message is delivered—is chosen by these professionals. People, not professionals, have taken news to the next level.
Public Relations Professionals will adapt because it is in our nature as part of the information age. However, by the time these professionals adapt in one or two years, communication methods will have adapted as well. It could be said that communication professionals are falling behind. Cmmnctn hppns fst so dnt gt lft bhind!
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