The CIPR is calling for opinion pieces from student members on the following topic:
What do you think the most important issue(s) is/are affecting the PR industry at the moment?
The piece can be up to 2500 words. Deadline for entries is Friday 30th March and will be judged by senior CIPR staff. Entries should be sent to the Education and Student Liaison Officer Vicky King at victoriak@cipr.co.uk. There’s a prize of £250 for the winning submission (that’s 10p per word…).
Our students can also use this as an example of opinion or feature writing for their portfolios (submission date 25 April) so there’s value in writing the piece even if you don’t win.
It’s not my job to write it for you, though I’d be happy to have a chat (or email conversation) with anyone thinking about it. To get you going, how about these for just some of the issues affecting the industry:
- Why does public relations have a poor reputation?
- Is ‘public relations’ the right name for the industry?
- What role does the UK have in the global development of PR?
- Is public relations a profession?
- Do we need a stronger professional body (ie should the PRCA merge back into the CIPR)?
- Is PR a broader discipline than marketing?
- Are you ashamed of ‘PR as publicity’?
- How is social media affecting PR practice?
- Are there too many women in PR? Too few people from minority groups?
- Can public relations ever be practised for the public good?
- Can PR help solve global warming?
- Is PR too powerful?
PR Studies 
I’m going to put some time aside to take a stab at this. Thanks Richard.
Ah, wait, I need to be a CIPR member? They wont let me join without being on a CIPR accredited course…
Or paying nearly as much as the prize for this piece…
That’s right, Richard. Didn’t I post you an application form a long time ago? Students on non-accredited courses pay £10 more for a year’s membership.
But why not write for Behind the Spin? The editor is welcoming proposals to write about life after university (ie gap year travel). Cycling across Kenya anyone?
Are you editing the next issue of behind the spin? Or would I need to submit features to somebody else?
Welcome to blogging, Katy.
You need to approach John Hitchins with ideas for Behind the Spin (contact details are inside the magazine). The two main themes for the next issue are PR for environmental causes and options after leaving university.
You’ve inspired me Richard!