On this Veterans Day, PRSA pays tribute to the men and women of the United States military and their families, thanking them for the noble sacrifices they have made and will continue to make in service to our country and way of life. Both as Americans and as public relations professionals, we value and appreciate the vital role the military plays in protecting the core freedoms we hold so dear — especially freedoms of speech, press, assembly and petition — and in upholding the values that guide us, which include honesty, transparency and the free flow of accurate and truthful information.

With that in mind, we take a brief respite from our regular PRSAY posts in lieu of a collection of previous commentary relating to public relations and public affairs in the military. We hope you enjoy the content, and encourage you to offer a word of thanks to each and every member of the military you come in contact with throughout the year.

Continue reading " Honoring Veterans: PRSA and the Military "

Delegates to PRSA’s 60^th Assembly, and the inaugural PRSA Leadership Assembly, turned their attention toward the Society’s strategic planning as they met prior to the start of PRSA’s 2010 International Conference, “Powering PRogress.”

Delegates were provided with a vision for PRSA’s future as part of the annual State of the Society Report, given via a joint presentation by Gary D. McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA, 2010 PRSA chair and CEO, Rosanna M. Fiske, APR, chair-elect of PRSA and William M. Murray, CAE, PRSA president and CEO.

Continue reading " Leadership Assembly Focuses on Future, Strategic Value of Public Relations "

The attention being focused on accreditation as a result of the debate about PRSA governance and the requirements for national board service has overshadowed the work being done to raise awareness of the credential and enhance its value. This already has been a particularly active year for accreditation, and it is about to get busier in the coming months.  Here’s a quick status report.

Updating the current APR Examination. The Policies and Procedures of the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) — the multi-organizational body that maintains the accreditation program — require that an analysis of the public relations profession be conducted every ten years. The 2010 practice analysis was completed earlier this year, providing perspective for the new roles, methodologies and technologies that the profession has adopted over the past decade.

Continue reading " Accreditation Moves Forward "

Last year, I had the privilege of serving as PRSA Chair. I was the first, second-generation public relations counselor to serve as Chair and, from what I’ve been told, the youngest, as well. My tenure – like those of most leaders – was filled with challenges and opportunities that required a great deal of my time and attention. Still, chairing the Society was one of the greatest personal and professional experiences of my life; I’m a stronger leader, manager, communicator, counselor and person for it.

As PRSA embarks on the process of nominating its next slate of Directors, I would urge all members to consider serving the society and the profession in this role.

Continue reading " What I Learned as PRSA Chair "

PRSA recently became aware that six of its members have formed an ad hoc committee and are circulating a petition in support of an amendment to PRSA’s Bylaws. The amendment would remove the requirement that PRSA’s national officers and Board members be Accredited in Public Relations (APR).

The committee is following a time-honored, democratic tradition of bringing forward important issues for the PRSA Assembly to debate and decide — on behalf of all Society members. Like it or not, this is the way that the egalitarian governance process functions at PRSA. It’s possible that still other proposed amendments will be brought before this year’s Assembly.

Continue reading " To Remove — or Not To Remove — the APR Requirement for Board Service "