From Journalism to Public Relations

I switched my major and you should consider it too!
By: Andy Lizarraga

From receiving press passes to putting together press releases, many journalists, including myself, are making the switch to public relations. It’s not uncommon; the public relations major at CSULB is full of former journalism majors. 

Although there are some differences between the two professions, they both go hand in hand. One similarity is the ability to pitch stories. In journalism, you would have to pitch a story to your editor in hopes they want you to write on the subject. PR practitioners also have to pitch stories, but it’s to news outlets in hopes they cover their client’s product, service or message.
 
As a journalist, the fast-paced environment of the newsroom just wasn’t for me. Even though I would go out of my way to find people to interview, journalism isolated me. I wanted to work together and collaborate; but I often found myself alone. 

The main catalyst for officially making the switch over to PR was when I realized my strengths and weaknesses. My biggest weakness in journalism is my lack of love for hard, fast news. It just didn’t do it for me. But my biggest strength is my people skills. Ever since I could remember, I’ve had amazing people skills. As someone who is outgoing, I knew I would thrive in this element of my work. 

Personally, I am not worried about making the switch from journalism to PR. One advantage of being a journalist is knowing how to create a good story. And no matter if you are in journalism or PR, the story you tell is the most important thing.