In my previous post and in an earlier article at Forward, I’ve praised those PR students who have used blogs and online networking to further their careers.
There’s another way. One of our students had a letter published in a national newspaper on Monday. The letter criticised the rudeness of employers who don’t reply to application letters. A risky strategy, you’d think, but one that may pay dividends. As a result of the letter, a very high profile organisation has contacted the university to offer this student an interview.
Blogging is a great way to build a network, but the media remains the quickest shortcut to celebrity (or notoriety). Blogging hasn’t killed media relations. Why should it? Television didn’t replace the radio, nor has the internet replaced TV. Students and practitioners simply have more channels to master and a more complex media mix to map out.
PR Studies 
Note that Neville Hobson today writes ‘an obituary for mass media’ (http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/04/26/an-obituary-for-mass-media/).
When I was an unemployed graduate in the early 1990s, I sent a press release to the Manchester Evening News media page about the graduate who’d work for free to gain experience. It kind of worked.
Mr. Bailey, you wouldn’t really tell a group of PR students that they should all go out and start writing letters to major papers in hopes of getting hired, would you?
It’s not only unlikely that the student whose letter is published would get hired, but it’s almost impossible to get the letter in there in the first place.
All you’re trying saying is that new media do not replace old media, and that PR students should keep in mind the importance of MSM, correct?
I acknowledged that this student’s letter was taking a risk (which may pay off). I realise also that writing a student blog involves taking risks (that can pay off).
I also feel that it’s evident in this medium (a blog) that there’s a bias in favour or social media and against ‘mainstream media’ (not a phrase I ever use as it’s dismissive and inaccurate – look what the BBC has done and is proposing to do).
So you’re right: I wasn’t making a big point. Just a small reminder that we shouldn’t be so obsessed with the future that we miss today’s opportunities.
Can I go further than ‘Students and practitioners simply have more channels to master and a more complex media mix to map out.’
If practitioners rely only on only one channel for communication, their effects will be limited. If they use more than one channel the range of affected publics will be greater. Landscaping for message delivery is thus much wider.
PR is now more complex.