(With homage to James Elkins and his book ‘Why Art Cannot Be Taught’)
There is often debate about the value of a degree or other qualification in Public Relations or Corporate Communications. Practitioners can argue that the only way to learn is through experience.
So…can PR be taught?
Taught?
Elkins attempts to define teaching and learning in his book. He writes that both teaching and learning share “intentionality”: the teacher intends to give knowledge, or share an insight, or to steer a student. Similarly, a student intends to learn about the subject or skill or whatever. Elkins apreciates all the ‘right brain’ creative stuff, but was trying to find some rational and identifiable aspects that can be analysed.
The people who argue that art cant be taught – nor creativity for advertising or PR, can be thinking back to Plato’s concept of inspiration or mania. The idea that creativity is unconscious, inspired by the gods. Aristotle wrote about poetic rapture (ecstaticos). Somehow it is difficult to see how this can be captured or taught intentionally. And this is often the reason it is argued that PR cannot be taught – it has to be experienced.
The creative industries use different methods to attempt to bring this creativity or innovation to life in a work environment from ‘brain storming’ to ‘War rooms’ to unusual/quirky office spaces. (At Sport England , their offices on Southampton Row were designed around the theme of sport with spaces including bastketball hoops, fake turf and chairs with striped backs like football jersies – great fun)!
Creative hands
Oscar Wilde wrote “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught”.
So if creativity, innovation and inspiration cannot be taught. What can be taught with relevance to PR or Corporate Communications? Again, with homage to Elkins, can I suggest:
- we can learn the terminology and language and concepts of the specialism: what is Public Affairs, what is a ’sound bite’, what is a Blog?
- how to get along in the PR?Corporate Communications world: what do agencies do? How do in-house practioners work? What are the commercial aspects of setting up a consultancy?
- how do we evaluate what is successful?
- we can learn techniques: how to write a press release, how to construct a PR plan, how to manage crisis communications.
So, if we can be taught the techniques of PR is this the same as being taught PR?
Interesting stuff!
Interesting stuff indeed.
I’ve been having variants of this discussion (online and offline) many times recently. It’s also a companion to the ‘what are universities for?’ question.
I’ve been reflecting a bit on my development. I’ve evolved from being a skills trainer (news release writing, presentation skills etc) to having a much more conceptual approach (I still can’t bring myself to say ‘academic’). This probably reached its nadir when we met: over two days I couldn’t quite bring myself to discuss online tools, preferring to talk about ideas instead.
But then I’ve been trying to abandon ‘teaching’ and focus instead on ‘learning’. Discussions like this remind me why I prefer the latter.
I think the creative and, dare I say it, intuitive parts of being a really good PR can’t be taught. They exist innately, or are acquired by osmosis if you have the potential and the good fortune to work alongside good practitioners. What CAN be taught, though are basic things like paying attention to detail, ALWAYS returning calls, keeping an eye on the competition and the media market, and, most important of all, writing clear copy in proper sentences. I always feel like a grumpy old woman when I complain about the writing skills of new recruits to offices that I work in But no PR will be successful without the ability to express ideas in a clear and engaging way, and fewer and fewer of us seem to be able to.
Interesting to read this from the perspective of a journalist who moved over to PR…
I think theoretical knowledge can help with direction and shape a way of thinking. As every other learning process, studying PR gives an opportunity to explore and understand an area of work further.
It gives an understanding of public relation in the context of an organisational structure and its importance. Mixed with practice theory can help a professional adopt or develop a personal communication style.