US-Canada Study of PR Writing by Entry-level Practitioners Reveals Significant Supervisor Dissatisfa

Jeremy Berry, Mount Royal University
Dr. Rick Cole & Dr. Larry Hembroff, Michigan State University
This study combining survey results of the membership of North America’s two largest public relations associations confirms the existence of significant dissatisfaction among public relations supervisors in both the US and Canada with the writing performance of entry-level PR practitioners. It also demonstrates the degree to which these entry-level practitioners overestimate their writing competency.

The study also highlights a need for increased attention to writing training for future PR practitioners, and creates an opportunity for an on-going study to track writing performance of entry-level PR practitioners in North America over time.

The US study (Cole & Hembroff, 2009) and the more recent survey of Canadian practitioners provides the basis of this comparative analysis. The report describes many issues directly and indirectly related to writing in public relations. It also provides new information from both nations’ contrasting practices relating to the use of internships and writing tests to screen new PR employees.

For PDF of related poster click here.
 

Jeremy Berry, associate professor of public relations, Mount Royal University

Jeremy Berry, APR, MA, DCom (C), is an associate professor of public relations at the Faculty of Communication Studies. Jeremy had a successful career in government and political communications prior to joining MRU full-time. He has also worked as a radio and print reporter in Alberta and British Columbia. He is an accredited member of the Canadian Public Relations Society and an active volunteer in the community. You can follow him on Twitter @prwithjb.