Where PR programs fail their students

I stumbled on this post from Todd Defren of SHIFT Communications.

I agree with much of what he says, but am still pretty disappointed that he fears hiring PR newbies. While both of my PR programs have had a strong hold on both theory and current practice, they occasionally lack sufficient attention to business side of the industry that likely leaves Defren loathing hiring PR newbies.

Business etiquette and how recent graduates should conduct themselves in the work environment are things that are often skimmed over in PR management courses, but fail to sufficiently take hold unless they are able to actually use what they've learned in an internship or other professional experience.

While the world of PR academics is certainly not without its failings, there is one thing that academics seem to teach far better than most in the industry: research and evaluation. It is always disappointing to see superbly run campaigns whose final measurement is nothing more than counting media placements or TV time instead of trying to quantify relationships built or changes in the opinions and knowledge of key publics.

I still agree with Defren on many of his points, but when your own industry is not without its own failings, the rocks you throw should not be too heavy.