Relationship Managers

Almost by definition, any one involved in communication should be involved in cultivating and maintaining relationships. Such people concern themselves with disseminating information and/or examining how those messages are received. Give and take. Consequently, they spend their days working to gain a better understanding of who and what those on the receiving end of their output are. The result is these communicators are tied to others if for no other reason than to be better at what they do. As what they do is connect with others, then the greater amount of information they have about others, then the better the chances are they will be successful communicators. 


I mention this as a way of suggesting this is one more quality that public relations practitioners and journalists have in common. Both are in the business of cultivating and maintaining relationships. In essence, they are relationship managers. My guess is this shared quality is not something many have acknowledged. Still, it has existed since the beginning when public relations agents first began hounding reporters to write something about their client nearly 200 years ago. Before then, journalists worked as relationship managers though they probably never thought of themselves in that capacity. The coming of those pesky PR types only added to that aspect of their work.


So, in addition to being able to write well, having to often work under the pressure of meeting deadlines, and producing work that is highly visible to others, journalists and public relations workers also need to do well at interacting with others but ensuring those interactions, generally, are positive. The two do not operate in a vacuum. Because they need others in order to do their jobs, this calls upon them to display some level of niceness. So, to any journalists reading this, play nice. To any public relations practitioners also taking a few moments to wade through this entry, do not be put off if reporters seem to fluff off any of your overtures. Their relationship with you is just as vital as yours is to them.