Uganda: Myth about writing in PR
There is a misconception about writing in Public Relations. People think that a Public relations is for people who cannot write. They think it involves less writing. Some simply opt for PR thinking they will not write a lot compared to journalists. A PR practitioner is actually a content generator and an editor at the same time. This is not the case with journalists. Journalist will submit their story to a sub- editor. A sub-editor also shares with the editor before the story runs.
There is dominance of press agentry task among Public Relations Practitioners in Uganda which means that there is actually more writing related tasks. Less focus is put on other management roles of PROs. Public relations officers are primarily occupied with media relations aimed at gaining publicity. That is why most Public Relations in Uganda are picked from print and broadcast media. Many journalists have now crossed to public relations. Some people judge PR practitioners' expertise by the number of media contacts they have and mileage that can be generated which is sometimes misleading.This includes periodic publicity across broadcast and print media a PR practitioner was able to generate.
Ivan N. Baliboola
The author has worked with some of the most well-known and influential East African brands, conducting marketing, Public relations, strategies, crisis management, and social media. He is a proud Award winner of the prestigious Public Relations Association of Uganda excellence Awards. He has volunteered his life to addressing environment and health related causes. He is also a blogger, professional critic, and strategist.
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