By Cassy van Eeden

The job market is constantly changing, and if higher learning institutions don’t adapt, the repercussions are twofold: graduates are less likely to land jobs and universities will lose credit.

Recently, Media Update spoke to both PR industry leaders and journalists-turned-publicists about the ‘natural progression’ of journalists and journalism graduates gravitating towards jobs in public relations.

We asked the question: If journalists and journalism graduates end up in PR, surely they should learn about public relations at a university level?

The one does not exist without the other

No matter which end of the debate you are on; whether you think journalism students need to be equipped with PR skills or not, one thing is clear: journalists need PR professionals and the public relations industry need journalists.

“They are not working against each other, but in synergy,” says Rene Benecke, senior lecturer in the department of strategic communication at the University of Johannesburg. “Public relations works in synergy with journalists to reach the broader public in order to make society aware of pertinent issues.”

“If you look at the latest trends in brand communication, never before have the fields of strategy, journalism, PR and copywriting been so closely aligned or seen the lines between them so blurred,” notes Alex Sudheim, national head of copywriting at Vega School.

Claire Jackson-Bernado, MD of Alerting the Media and public relations lecturer at Boston Media House, says journalists should learn about all aspects of the media, including PR, so they have an understanding of how everything works together.

Change is necessary

The survival of South Africa’s journalism schools depends on their ability to adapt to the demands of the evolving media and public relations landscapes.

“It’s clear that getting a traditional job as a journalist is a challenge in the current climate, and it would be irresponsible for universities to train hordes of students for jobs that aren’t available,” comments Dr Martha Evans, senior lecturer in media studies and production at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Sudheim uses the example of Varsity College having to shut down their journalism school due to lack of demand. “This is tragic because it’s so unnecessary,” he explains. “If traditional journalism schools or courses expanded their offering to include PR, brand journalism, social media [and] blogging, there’d be a huge demand.”

What are students learning?

The current journalism curriculum differs from institution to institution. While the majority aren’t planning on introducing PR courses just yet, universities are aware of the demands of both industries.

“In our undergraduate courses we stick to teaching students about the relationship between PR and journalism,” says Evans. Rather than altering their current journalism curriculum, UCT seeks to stay abreast of how journalism is transforming in relation to the current media climate.

“Journalism courses focus more on news stories that inform the general public and avoid promoting brands in order to ensure they adhere to their field’s ethics,” says Thys de Beer, national head of brand strategy at Vega School. “Most journalism students will not have the necessary skills to join a PR agency immediately and will need additional training.”

Jackson-Bernado explains that her students are required to learn about journalism, PR, radio, marketing, advertising and media planning in order to “ensure there is an understanding of how everything can and should work together”.

Do you think journalism students need to learn about PR as a part of their courses? Let us know in the comments below.

Missed part 1 and 2? Read them here and here.