By Maria Scanga, Communications Specialist
I have officially made the transition from news writing to public relations, going from being the one on the ground reporting and asking PR officials for statements, to now being on the other side, standing among PR officials writing the statements I once requested from others. In my transition, I have learned what’s different, what’s the same, and what I would advise someone who is making the same career change.
What’s the Same?
Both news writing and public relations writing require interviewing skills. During my years at the University of Pittsburgh’s student-run newspaper, The Pitt News, we spent just as much time writing news stories as we did interviewing people. Whether it was interviewing students on the new dining hall options or interviewing professors during walkouts, there was always someone we needed to talk to and get their voice out there.
Similarly, in my new communications role with Hampton Township School District — a district tucked into the suburbs of Pittsburgh — I have talked with many people about their own roles and experiences here at Hampton. While these interviews tend to be more structured and scheduled, I have applied the same skills I previously learned at The Pitt News, such as the right questions to ask, and how to follow up on what a person has said to gain the right information for the topic I’m covering.
Additionally, both news writing and public relations necessitate good communication! From organizing the interviews, communicating with editors or administrators after the interviews, writing the story and needing to clarify certain information from the interviewee, it is crucial to have good communication skills and be strategic with them.
What’s Different?
With news writing, every story is important — both positive and negative. If the new library renovations weren’t satisfactory to students, or there was a preventable incident, it was just as important to cover the story and get students’ opinions heard as it was for positive stories, like students introducing a new club, successfully hosting a big event, or having positive feedback on changes being made at the university.
With public relations, it is of top priority to showcase the good and maintain a favorable image. Even in the face of negativity, putting a positive spin on it is important. In this way, it’s also encouraged to get feedback from your interviewees on what you’ve written. They can adjust their statements or ask you to make edits to what you’ve written to fine-tune the message or story, or even adjust the tone. This was perhaps the most surprising difference, because in news writing, the quotes and stories are never sent back for editing suggestions. Whatever was said in the interview is what made it in the final story — no changes allowed.
Advice for Someone Delving into the World of PR from News Writing
I found the transition to be super simple and straightforward because the overlap between news writing and public relations is quite large! The foundational skills you develop in news writing — such as communication, editing, writing, interviewing, personal skills — are all necessary and applicable to public relations. The key is ensuring positivity and that every voice is not only heard, but in public relations, fully understood.