I started with a small organization in 1919. A young woman, Doris Fleischman, my wife and professional partner, was my associate. No precedents guided us. I knew that an executive and clerical staff were necessary. I recognized that the work fell into departments: thinking and translating thinking into action. The first was to be made up of executives, editors, writers, artists. The second translated ideas into action-from memos to other forms of communication. This general division still exists in the public relations departments of organizations and in independent counseling organizations.
Women in Public Relations
This is the era of equal opportunity for all, and the women's movement has made great headway, and rightly so, in helping to bring this about. But even today prejudice against women prevails in most fields except those considered women's work, such as teaching, home economics, and the like. As my wife observed in her memoirs, A Wife Is Many Women, people still think a girl baby is born with a broom in her mouth. This is still a man's world. Many men in business and other vocations-particularly in the higher echelons-consider women not equal to men in judgment, understanding, and general ability. A tycoon will listen to a woman when she discusses cooking or washing machines, but not if she talks about locomotives, steel production, or chemicals. The higher up you go, the more you meet sex antagonism. In business and finance, women today do reach high places.
Women do make good in public relations, but to gain equal status today they must be better than the men with whom they compete, except in fields already associated in the public mind with women. Women will find it easier to make headway if they seek public relations activity in department stores, textiles, dresses, retailing, areas in which goods are sold to women, and in nonprofit fields such as social welfare, nursing, education, home economics, and government. But today women practitioners can go as far as their talents and experience permit in any field-if they are a little better than the male competition. In women's fields they go further than men.
Following are opinions given by two prominent consultants on employment opportunities-now and in the future-in the field of public relations.
Jean Cardwell, of the Chicago-based Cardwell Consultants- Executive Selection and Personnel Planning, writes:
"Up to now, the two most important skills sought for in public relations have been strong writing talent and the ability to interact with senior management. To get the writing skills businesses needed, they recruited public relations professionals from the ranks of newspaper men and women. This was particularly true of corporate public relations and public relations agencies. But now there is a broadening of public relations responsibilities and greater recognition of the valuable input to chief executive officers from top public relations pros. Therefore public relations recruiting has turned to other companies, in some cases competitors, public relations agencies, government, and the investment community. This does not preclude the recruiting of newspaper personnel into public relations ranks, but we are seeing a much wider choice of fields for recruiting. This probably will continue to broaden as business realizes the ever-widening responsibilities that can be handled in their public relations organizations.
"Today public relations professionals want much more responsibility in their job assignments. We see them acting in such areas as planning, strategy, anticipation of problems, knowledge of business from a true in-depth study of it, organizational and development skills, and increasing management skills. More and more, public relations is being regarded both by management and practitioners as a management and a problem-solving function, as well as a problem-prevention function.
"The chief executive officers of major corporations now have much greater concerns about the image of their companies (and themselves) in the eyes of the public and their employees-to say nothing about how they come across to other corporate presidents, the government, and Wall Street. We are seeing a strong need at the present time for public relations people with excellent understanding of investor relations, and public relations experts who can communicate to the financial community. This is especially true with more and more companies that find themselves in the 'about-to-take-over' position or fighting the 'being-taken-over' position.
"At the start of 1977 there seemed to be strong interest in hiring high-level internal/employee-communications professionals. This lasted a very short time, and at the windup of the year there seems to be very little interest in this area. But speech-writers are very much in demand as corporate presidents, and CEO's are more willing to speak out on issues and achieve recognition and credibility. In fact, the demand for outstanding speechwriters is currently greater than the supply.
"There also is increasing interest in placing lawyers in positions as public relations and public affairs vice-presidents. Governmental and consumer affairs experts are being sought by corporations, agencies, associations, and government.
"Vice-presidents of public relations are beginning to retire, and companies express the need to fill the slot with broader professionals who can relate effectively to business, government, Wall Street, and educational institutions."
Jean Cardwell continues by answering the question: "What are public relations practitioners seeking from their employers?"
"The primary objective of the public relations pros is that they report directly to the chief executive officers of their companies-at least, that is the belief of the topmost professionals in most companies. 'Having the ear of the CEO' is a thing most public relations people today regard as of utmost importance to their companies and their own jobs. Concurrent with this is the feeling that senior management should understand and value public relations for the counsel that public relations people can give them. In both instances, traditionally public relations professionals have scored less than high points. But this is improving slowly.
"It is felt by most top pros in public relations that their function should have greater visibility within their own organizations. How sad it is to see many topflight professionals who are 'hidden' from the very people whom they can best assist, often until it is too late for them to take a really effective step in solving major problems when they arise.
"Another strong feeling among the pros is that the position of corporate public relations practitioner should not wind up as a 'dead end' function. Many believe that the vice-president of public relations can rise to senior vice-president, executive vice-president, and even president.
"At lower levels, it is felt that the public relations practitioner should be given the opportunity to learn all phases of the subject, rather than just being responsible for a single job, as for example, press relations or employee communications. They should be given the chance to learn the widest possible managerial skills and to advance to officer-ship in their companies or agencies. Everyone I deal with believes that ultimately they should be given a part in the policy-making decisions of their organizations."
