I’m Clout PR’s newest recruit, joining the business after spending the early part of my career as a journalist for Seven News.
The jump from journalism to PR is not an unusual one. In fact, it’s fairly natural for those of us who’ve grown accustomed to plugging into the news cycle and constantly considering story angles. In the media world, transitioning into PR is known as ‘crossing to the dark side’.
So, what are the differences between PR and journalism?
First and foremost, the key distinction is who you’re serving.
As a journalist you’re serving the public interest. As long as your story is accurate, balanced and interesting, you’ve got a winner. PR on the other hand, still requires accuracy and honesty, however, it’s all about the client.
Working for a number of different clients means there’s a great deal of variety in my work. I can be working on a detailed handbook one hour, to managing social media posts the next. We adapt our language and style depending on the client and context.
There’s an element of strategy to what we do in PR; we’re results driven and we love anything we can measure. It’s a little bit different to seeing your story go to air and then paying no more mind to it.
When it comes to securing media coverage for clients, working as a journalist has been invaluable. I know how newsrooms work and reporters think, and I know which ones are best suited to certain types of content. I’ve also grown used to looking for the ‘hook’ in a story, which allows me to pitch ideas that have a good chance of getting off the ground.
Our varied clients mean every day is different, and it just so happens I quite like the ‘dark side’.
Lauren Reddiex
Communications Adviser