Making the Shift from Journalist to Public Relations
There is a tradition in developing countries to recruit communications or public relations staff among media journalists. Here are the differences with staff that struggle to make this transition from journalist to public relations.
| Media Journalist | Public Relations Staff |
| Looks for news, controversy, competing views | Promotes positive stories, one viewpoint |
| Locates for sources for and against the issue | Provides positive spokespersons or beneficiaries |
| Takes quotes from sources or spokesmen without changing them | Works with spokespersons or beneficiaries to craft their best quote |
| Looks to cover each story and move on to the next news | Works continually to showcase the story in a new and fresh light |
| Spends significant time getting information, interviews, photos | Provides information, interviews, photos |
| Sells newspapers and advertising | Sells ideas, issues, or services in the organization’s or public interest |
