Getting a Bad Name for PR Profession?

For long the PR professionals have been cribbing about the bad name that the unprofessional, untrained, and unscrupulous elements have been bringing to the PR practice in the country. It is high time that the PR practitioners get together and do some PR for PR profession, especially when the MNCs and big corporates venturing into the Indian territory, go looking for the PR firms.

The reputation of the PR professionals is at stake because no organised attempt has been made to put in place a proper system for regulating the education and training in PR, setting the standards for best practices in PR, and an accreditation system.

Long time back, Mr. K.S. Neelakandan of Pfizer in Mumbai and several other PR professionals had set up the India Foundation for PR Education & Training. It was the most commendable initiative that fizzled out after about 4/5 years of active work in which all-India level examination was conducted for freshers and the practising professionals went in for Associate Fellowship in PR. A large number of publications, research papers, and case studies were also published by the IFPR, which was promoted by the Public Relations Society of India.

It is time to revive it. It is time to strictly adhere to the norms of PR practice and education, and evolve strict entry norms into professional bodies with a certification/accreditation procedure.

I invite all the like-minded PR practitioners to Chandigarh for a brain-storming session to evolve the system that can strengthen the PR practice in the country.