| Commentary |
Guest commentary
Quit kidding: Public relations
does not belong in J-school
Tim Gleason, dean of the School
of Journalism and Communication,
and the Eugene Weekly have gotten
into a published debate about the
misplacing of public relations cours
es in the J-school. I comment on it
because of my long personal experi
ence in both fields. Though I earned
a journalism degree from North
western University, I squandered
that education as a public relations
man for intercollegiate athletics,
first at Northwestern, then at the
University of Oregon.
My views on the debate may there
fore have credence. My work as a
sports information director was a be
nign version of the real travesty. My
lies added an inch or two to a player’s
height, or 10 or 15 pounds to his
weight, or withheld information
about a key player’s injury. Coaches
insisted, thinking the spin could give
them some hidden advantage. I loy
ally, and foolishly, complied.
That was petty. It’s not petty
when your government hires a pub
lic relations firm to change its im
age, as corporations and politicians
long have done. Now it hits close to
home with word that the University
will start a “journalism” program
away from the Eugene campus, at
the University’s Portland Center, fo
cusing at the start on a program in
public relations. That’s playing a
dangerous word game, as those en
trusted with developing journalists
suggest that the two antithetical dis
ciplines are synonymous.
A capable administrator and tal
ented journalist, Gleason disregards
principle to defend the indefensible
in his letter to the Eugene Weekly
(July 28). He claims teaching PR in
a journalism school is part of “a
clear statement of our commitment
to journalism.”
The hypocrisy — shared with most
journalism deans nationally — is
compounded by calling PR “commu
nication management,” then claim
ing that a public relations program in
Portland sets the stage for a “much
broader vision” of journalism.
Most journalists define their pro
fession as getting facts on matters of
public concern and presenting them
in a straightforward, honest way.
Public relations, by contrast, oper
ates in behalf of a client, using facts
selectively to paint as attractive an
image as possible.
The very name of the education
al program reflects an identity crisis.
Most schools now are listed as
School of Journalism and Commu
nications. How very sly. Just add a
word to the name and you justify
being able to lump public relations,
advertising, promotions, et al with
journalism.
Most journalism administrators
feel forced into the sham by budget
needs. Some told me putting PR into
journalism is dictated by money state
schools get from the number of stu
dents enrolled. Since PR has the rep
utation of paying better, most stu
dents enroll in public relations.
Significant journalists reinforce
my contention. The late Fred
Friendly, who was valued assistant
to Edward R. Murrow decades ago,
told me that it was a tragedy jour
nalism education and public rela
tions had to be connected at all.
During my visit with NPR’s Daniel
Schorr, he said the same thing. Re
cent Northwestern Dean Ken Bode
met with me during his short time
in the dean’s chair; my impression
was that he agreed with separating
journalism from PR, but did not
want to rock the boat in such a sen
sitive matter.
The identity problem will persist as
long as our public funding for educa
tion falls short, and journalism edu
cators choose to use naming solu
tions for larger problems. That choice
keeps journalism headed down a
slope to meaningless identity.
The University could start a correc
tive effort by choosing to teach jour
nalism, not public relations, at its
Portland Center. All schools could
help by following one of their basic
guidelines: conciseness. Drop that
unnecessary word, Communications.
George Beres is a 1955 graduate
of Northwestern’s Medill School
of Journalism.
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