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NCC President Tracy Schario Shares Outlook for 2006 |
In the post-Sept. 11, 2001
world, crisis communications is no longer just about responding to
external audiences, says Tracy Schario, director of media relations for
George Washington University in Washington and president of PRSA’s
National Capital Chapter.
Washington, D.C.
“You have to focus on internal employees and their families and how
outside crises affect the company,” Schario says. “Every employee wants
to know, ‘How can I come to work if the subway shuts down because of a
terrorist threat?’ ”
Another major issue: figuring out who’s a journalist and who isn’t in a
world of bloggers and independent Web sites. Besides making it tougher
to prioritize media calls, today’s environment has created a demand for
greater immediacy than ever before.
“We’ve been talking about an around-the-clock news cycle for years,”
she says. “I don’t think that label fits anymore. It’s a 60-second news
cycle. It’s, ‘What I know now, I’m going with it.’ It puts a whole new
level of pressure on you.”
On the job front, the entry- to mid-level market for PR pros continues
to be pretty hot, but the market is much tighter for senior-level
practitioners with 25-plus years of experience, Schario says. Overall,
diverse practitioners are in demand, as are PR pros with solid writing
skills. Another handy asset: an MBA.
“Five, 10 years from now, I see an MBA becoming almost a requirement,”
she says. “If you can’t speak with the CFO, you can’t speak with the
CEO.”
Excerpt from PRSA Tactics January 2006. For the entire article, please visit: http://www.prsa.org/_Publications/magazines/0106news.asp |
