The Switch from Journalism to Public Relations Isn’t What It Seems

Some quick tips and a story from a student who made the switch 
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by Max Perez

I made the switch from journalism to public relations. If you’re a public relations major or professional, it only makes sense, but if you're in journalism, it’s a cardinal sin. I spent three years at Cerritos College studying journalism and working for the school newspaper TalonMarks to sharpen my writing and reporting skills, almost exclusively focusing on sports. I loved every minute of it, but the few things you hear about sports writing is: you’ll never make much money, you’re probably gonna have to move around, and if you want stability and money you might have to move to television. Which didn’t always sit right with me. 

Then came an associate in journalism from Cerritos College, and it was time to move to  California State University, Long Beach. I love writing, but when I transfered and I saw the option for journalism with an emphasis in public relations, I thought about how perfect an opportunity this would be to continue my education, while learning about a new field. After my first semester that major just became public relations and I haven’t looked back.

Aside from just curiosity, the move does make logical sense. While journalism is a field that is shrinking and seemingly losing respect by the hour, public relations is only growing. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2013 public relations professionals were making on average $20,000 more annually than their journalistic counterparts. They also showed that from 2004 to 2013 the number of reporters decreased 17 percent while public relations specialists grew 26 percent. It really is true that every single industry (including sports) needs some aspect of PR. 

Most of the time you hear about people switching to public relations from journalism, it’s 15 to 20 years into their careers. But I would recommend for people pursuing an education in communications who may be interested in public relations down the line, to start the switch now. Reason being it isn’t even a true switch. When it comes to journalism, of course a degree would help, but it mainly comes down to your body of work. The portfolio you’ve put together often holds more importance than your degree. And just in case you don’t know, school newspapers will accept writers from all walks of life and majors. You can pursue any degree you choose, and be building your portfolio simultaneously. For example, while I was taking written communication for public relations and public relations case studies, I was also working the Cross Country beat for the Daily 49er. 
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From writing to social media, any of the aspects of journalism you love or enjoy, you can find in public relations as well. Learning about PR gives you a larger perspective of mass media and communications as a whole and can widen your outlook on how things really come to be covered. Among the countless things to be said about this subject, overall public relations can satisfy any desire in mass communications.