‘How can you call me a spokesperson? I am a very senior person in that organisation;’ one official from a certain organisation stormed one news media organisation and attacked one of the top management officials of that organization recently.
Such observations prove that either some news media organisations or some PR practitioners don’t know the differences between a PR practitioner and an organisation’s spokesperson. But such observations can also reveal that most organisations don’t know the functions of a PR practitioner and those of an organisation’s spokesperson.
But before we go into details on the differences and similarities (if there are any) between a PR practitioners and an organisation’s spokesperson, Sunday Times of Zambia management and this writer would like to apologise to all our esteemed PR Forum’s readers for not publishing this column on October 5, 2014. It was beyond our control. We tender our heartfelt apologies to our esteemed readers for not publishing this column on the stated date.
It is against this background that we thank all our esteemed PR Forum’s readers who e-mailed or rang Sunday Times of Zambia management or this writer expressing concerns that such a column was not published on the stated date.
Notable among such readers who expressed concerns that the column was not published on the stated date were Lusaka residents such as Christopher Hamukali, Masuzyo Ndhlovu, David Silimina and others.
Mr Hamukali and Mr Ndhlovu are among our regular readers of this column whose inputs have continued to inspire and motivate the Newspaper and this writer to continue doing the best they can to ensure that such a column is sustained.
The mix up between what is a PR practitioner and what an organisation’s spokesperson are speaks volumes about our understanding about what PR is; and what it is not. It also speaks volumes about functions of PR and who is supposed to do PR work.
Such issues also invite human resources (HR) practitioners to understand each career’s functions for HR practitioners to design relevant job descriptions and appropriate qualifications, experience and skills required in a given vacant position.
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate some similarities and some differences between a PR practitioners and an organisation’s spokesperson. In the process, this article helps various news media organisations and public and private sectors’ organisations to give appropriate titles to respective officers working in PR related functions. It also aims at helping human resource management (HRM) practitioners to understand the similarities and differences between the two PR related functions.
It has been observed that most HRM practitioners have little or no knowledge on what PR is; and what its functions are in an organisation. As a result, it has been noted that most PR positions are given to anyone; thereby mixing PR practitioners from organisation’s spokespersons.
Basically, a PR practitioner is one who is trained in the fine details of PR; and is therefore technically qualified to do PR technical functions. Technical functions in PR include strategic and tactical PR practice, understanding primary and secondary organisation’s stakeholders, being conversant with what is in public interest in a given situation. Knowledge of what is news, what determinants of news are, news writing skills that are in journalistic style are also critical in PR training and practice.
Being conversant with an organisation’s vision, mission, values, goal and objectives is non-negotiable. Therefore, knowledge and ability to formulate relevant PR objectives which should be in tandem not only with overall organisation’s vision, goal, mission, values and objectives but also with the needs and interests of various PR publics is a must in a PR practitioner.
Considering that all workers in an organisation practice PR in one way or the other, a PR practitioner should inspire the respective chief executive officer (CEO), all top management officials and all workers to understand how professional PR affects achieving of an organisation’s vision, values, goal and objectives.
HRM practitioners should look for people who have been trained and are skilled in PR related functions. It is such PR practitioners who can improve on the image of an organisation despite many challenges and circumstances surrounding an organisation.
After analyzing qualifications, experience, skills and functions of a PR practitioner, it is easy now to understand what an organisation’s spokesperson is.
It is because historically we had many prophets that the word spokesperson came into being in PR. If we look at those people who were doing prophetic work, most of them were not necessarily trained in such a work. They were people who were inspired by God to tell others what would happen and why.
Such early prophets had talents in explaining things in a clear manner to make many people understand what would happen and what they should do for them to benefit from such a future event. They were fluent speakers who when they speak, they inspired many people with conviction.
It is such a historical background that most HRM practitioners and some CEOs appoint workers who are fluent and persuasive in their spoken words whenever they want to appoint an organisation’s spokesperson.
Therefore, an organisation’s spokesperson is one who is highly knowledgeable about an organisation’s operations; and who can speak on behalf of top management officials confidently about an opportunity or an issue at hand.
In this light, an organisation’s spokesperson doesn’t necessarily need to be a trained person in PR. One can just be eloquent and persuasive about an organisation’s operations in relation to an opportunity or an issue at hand.
Now the technicality between a PR practitioners and an organisation’s spokesperson is basically on training levels in PR and ability to objectively and factually communicate convincingly both orally and in writing on critical issues affecting an organisation.
Where one is technically qualified to be a PR practitioner; but one isn’t eloquent and persuasive enough in spoken word, such a person can be a PR practitioner; but not a spokesperson. This means that such a PR practitioner needs to be backed by an organisation’s spokesperson.
In such a situation, a PR practitioner researches on an opportunity or on an issue; and details an organisation’s spokesperson on the critical issues to emphasise on and or explain in a given opportunity or in an issue at hand.
From such a background, if a PR practitioner is well trained in PR; and has some experience and skills in this field; and is also eloquent and persuasive; especially in spoken word, such a PR practitioner can also be an organisation’s spokesperson. This means that such a person can also be speaking to the news media organisations and to the public in person.
However, when a PR trained, experienced and skilled practitioner speaks to the news media organisations and to the public, his or her title cannot be a spokesperson per se; but a PR practitioner as stipulated in his or her job title.
This is because generally, an organisation’s spokesperson, unless otherwise, is supposed to be subordinate to a PR practitioner because the latter is more knowledgeable, experienced and skilled in PR work than the former. So, does your organisation have a PR practitioner or a spokesperson?
The author is a PR and Governance National Trainer and Consultant.
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E-mail:sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk