Public relations and lobbying: an overlooked career opportunity for PR graduates

What’s the difference between lobbying and PR?

First, let’s define lobbying: It’s the act of trying to promote an organization’s agenda to the people making the decisions, which are usually representatives or associates within the government, to produce an influence on a specific reform. This term seems to be almost always applied toward politics and public policymaking, but if it is used in corporate business settings, then it is called government relations.

Any single person who tries to change or manipulate a public policy can be considered a lobbyists, but that term is usually applied to individuals employed solely to influence government officials. These professionals are usually referred to as advocacy or public affairs professionals, but it’s still public relations.

So, what’s the big difference between lobbyists and public relations? Public relations professionals do not have to disclose their activities to the public, lobbyists on the other hand have to make it public knowledge.

Who employs lobbyists?

The largest employers of lobbyist professionals are:

1.      Special interest groups

2.      Trade associations

3.      Corporations

4.      Unions

5.      Government relations firms

6.      Public relations firms

A large majority of lobbyist professionals are employed by public relations firms, but the practice of lobbying was not discussed in my public relations curriculum. Is this because it was just overlooked, or is it PR’s dirty, little secret? Maybe the terminology is the real issue; PR professionals tend to distance themselves from the word “manipulate” and focus more on the concept of persuasion.

Personally, I don’t see what there is to be ashamed of; lobbyists work for highly respected and regulated fields such as health care, the communication industry and natural resource development.

The two forms of lobbying

Lobbying can be further broken down into two different sub-categories:

1.      Direct lobbying—the organization’s lobbyists contact the government official or decision maker directly.

2.      Indirect lobbying—the organization and the lobbyists use communication resources, often the mass media, to shape, encourage, or enlist public opinion in order for the public to influence the government’s priorities or policies.

So lobbyists utilize mass media to shape public opinion and influence policymakers? That sounds a lot like agenda setting theory to me, and this is a concept that PR professionals are very familiar with.

Why have PR scholars ignored lobbying?

Lobbying is an important career in communication and government that uses many aspects of public relations. Lobbying can have a huge impact upon an organizations reputation, but many public relations scholars ignore its importance.

It might have something to do with the lobbying’s past ethical dilemmas. In 2006, Jack Abramoff, plead guilty to fraud and conspiracy to bribe public officials. He was also a former lobbyist, and his actions were highlighted extensively by the media in the U.S. 

Unfortunately, Abramoff’s case inspired media outlets like the New York Times to conduct public opinion polls on the matter. More than half of the people polled believed the job of a lobbyist is to bribe members of congress, provide organizations unfair advantages and buy government influence.

Why should PR graduates consider lobbying as a potential career?

I believe that public relations professionals and new graduates should consider lobbying as a future career opportunity because they have the necessary skills for the job.

We do not use propaganda, but instead influence the public opinion. We do not believe in manipulation, but instead practice the art of persuasion. We do not “spin” facts but instead try to get worthy clients some public attention. We practice relations with the public, and it’s as simple as that.

We learn the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Code of Ethics at the very start of the public relations academic program, and every student must adhere to ethical values such as honesty, loyalty, transparency, fairness and integrity. We must be an advocate for our client, company, or product when communicating with the public.

Lobbyists are advocates too, but they just represent a certain side of an issue. Lobbying has an ethical standard that involves fairness, transparency and working towards the common good. Lobbying professionals must adhere to these ethical standards while working with policymakers, and the job provides the opportunity to influence political agendas.

We’re not that different from one another.  

Hunting for a feature photograph to capture a slice of life

What makes a photo worthy of being considered feature photography?

           The most important aspect of feature photography is the hunt. This drive to seek out the perfect shot of an unplanned moment has become so ingrained within photojournalism. A perfect feature photo can never be planned, but must be found when the chance presents itself. This kind of photograph can stand alone and doesn’t need any further explanation, there is no need for words. Any person can look at this photo and appreciate it for the single image being presented alone.

           Feature photography can be a difficult thing for many photographers to master. The reasoning behind it is searching for feature shots requires photojournalists to be on their toes at all times, and always ready for a shot when an opportunity present itself. Trying to capture a gripping scene in order to encapsulate a moment in time can put the photographer in uncomfortable situations; sometimes endangering the photojournalist by placing them in the midst of chaos and tragedy. 

           For obvious reasons, the best feature photography captures a dramatic or pivotal moment within time to seize a brief moment in time for future recollection. These kinds of photographs should always invoke a reaction from the viewer and cause them to experience an emotion relating to that event. This is why there is little use for words with feature photography. The single photo or sometimes a handful of photographs can tell an entire story to audience capturing the essence of the moment.                                    

           Many photographs that are considered feature photojournalism pertain to an important event in history. These kinds of photographs usually end up being displayed in magazines or books; if they’re extremely noteworthy, such as the photo of U.S. Marines and a Navy sailor raising an American flag over Iwo Jima during WWII, end up in museums persevered for future generations to see.

      Recap: The most important aspects of feature photojournalism

1.      NEVER plan a feature photo—It destroy the purpose of capturing a moment

2.      Don’t force it—The best feature photos are a result of a trained photographer anticipating a moment and being ready to capture the results

3.      Feature photojournalist requires a great deal of patience and awareness of the surroundings

4.      Photojournalists seeking a feature photo must understand that one photograph can be enough to capture an specific moment in time

A little something about my event coverage experience

        I attended the Digital Panel hosted by Wayne State's PRSSA on Thursday, March 10th, 2016. My communication and social marketing class was attending the event instead of having the usual lecture for the night (it was a win-win for me). I figured that it would easy event coverage for the portion of the feature assignment, but I did run into some minor hiccups as the event proceeded. All of the speakers at this event are respected in PR field and each individual offered helpful tips and recommendations to the future PR professionals in the audience. 

            I wanted to capture the two women, Alexandria Fulbright and Nancy Hanus, in the picture to the right with the list of tips presented on the screen above their heads. After I took the shot, I reviewed the picture and realized that I didn't photograph the screen properly. I tried to adjusting the manual settings on my camera to capture the images on the projected screen, but I failed miserably again.            
          Instead, I accepted that I didn't know how to properly  photograph both the speaker and the presentation on the screen. I focused on photos of the audience and the PR professional speakers for the rest of the evening.

Featured below are Wayne State University's PRSSA's Digital Panel event coverage and an enterprise photo from this year's St. Patrick's Day

Alexandra Thompson, Alexandria Fulbright, Yaqob Nagi, Nancy Thomas and David Lingholm at Wayne State University's student center in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, Mar. 10, 2016. Wayne State student Yaqob Nagi, an audio-visual major, fixed a computer issue during the digital panel for Fulbright before her presentation. Photos by Aigneis Reid

Crain's Detroit Business digital content strategy manager, Nancy Hanus, answering an audience member's question at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan on Mar. 10, 2016. "Tell me something you started and followed through with", said Hanus in response to an audience member's question about what she would ask during an interview.

Alexandria Fulbright, Alexandra Thompson, and David Lingholm at the Digital Panel presentation in Wayne State University's student center in Detroit, Michigan on Mar. 10, 2016. "Audiences shape how brand engage", said Thompson in a response to a question from Wayne State professor Jane E. Fitzgibbon.

Vice President of social strategy and content marketing at Finn Partners, Alexander Thompson, at Wayne State University's student center in Detroit, Michigan on Mar. 10, 2016. Thompson flew to Detroit from New York City to present for the Digital Panel.

Local leprechaun enjoying the perfect pint at O'Connor's Public House in Rochester Hills, Michigan on Thursday, Mar. 17, 2016. O'connor's Public House was a popular spot to attend this year's St. Patrick's Day. The man pictured was not the only one dressed in the festive attire.

 

Who is Anya Reid?

          I'm a senior at Wayne State University, and I plan on having my undergraduate degree in Public Relations completed by this summer. My college experience did not begin at Wayne State; I spent a couple years part time at Oakland Community College, and then I transferred to Oakland University. Although the school was very close to my home, OU was not the right fit for me; I felt like I needed a drastic change in environment. My cousin persuaded me check out Wayne State, and I did some research into the programs they offered. Eventually I discovered the Public Relations program, and I felt like it was something I could see myself doing as a career. 
          At this current moment, I am enrolled in four classes: News Reporting, Communication and Social Marketing, Introduction to Philosophy, and Photojournalism. My twitter account https://twitter.com/AigneisReid is being used primarily for my news reporting class, but it will also be used for photojournalism and in connection with this blog. I have an instagram account https://www.instagram.com/aigneis_reid/ that I've been using for many years, but I will also utilize it for my photojournalism class as well. 
          A few facts I learned about blogging is that it needs to be used in conjunction with other social media platforms such as instagram, twitter, and many other platforms. Many journalists are bloggers, but not all bloggers are journalists; this can lead to many bloggers writing inaccuracies because they don't follow the same principles and ethical codes practiced by journalists today.