Media Student Meets PR

Having decided some time during the first year of my BA (Hons) Film and Television degree that actually I wanted to go into PR when I graduated, I couldn’t help but think to myself: What have I done? Am I in the wrong degree? Am I making a huge mistake?

As I reach the completion of my two-week internship at Shooting Star, I can now safely say that the answer to that is no.

I first got into contact with Jez and the agency at the beginning of the year through the Lincoln School of Media & Film’s Mentoring Scheme. A select number of students were paired with a professional from the field the student wanted to work in order to get advice and support at first hand. To my surprise, PR was included in the list of options.

Until I started my internship I did not fully appreciate how much PR and the media were interlinked. Social media has become an essential feature in a successful PR campaign and a useful tool to promote businesses to a wide audience.

Similarly, blogging has become an easy way to personalise businesses in a way that press releases cannot. Their informality and first-person address gives the business a face for their customers to respond to, and it’s also a good way to promote company news and activities.

An increasing number of campaigns now also include writing copy, web design and digital design as part of the contract with the agency, all of which are skills that almost all media degrees cover. Many agencies amalgamate marketing and design into their portfolio of in-house skills, making them a more viable choice for clients.

I have now reached the beginning of my final year of university and I have never felt more confident about entering the world of PR when I am handed my degree this time next year.

A huge thank you to everyone at Shooting Star for this opportunity and I have come away with plenty of new skills and knowledge. SM