Don’t be carried away by sweeping remarks: Journalist and Media Educator Dr S Ramu
A lecture on political PR leads to interesting discussion at OU’s Journalism Dept
Hyderabad: Journalism students should not be carried away by the sweeping comments made by pseudo intellectuals and arm chair analysts against the pious profession, senior journalist and media educator Dr S Ramu has observed.
“We are amidst of negative forces that talk ill about all institutions. Though they dare to write off the importance of journalism and write obituaries for it, the profession is a ray of hope for democracy and its vital role to improve the conditions is unquestionable. Work for a couple of years as a journalist to get the first hand feel of the profession. You can contribute a lot to the society as a professional Journalist,” he said while delivering a lecture on “Political PR- Challenges and Opportunities,” conducted by the Department of Communication and Journalism at Osmania University on Friday.
Dr. S. Ramu, the Director of Collaborations and Professor of Communications at MNR University, said that Journalism students shouldn’t develop cold feet with the constant attack on Journalism profession though it is grappled with professional and ethical issues. Are political strategists fueling corruption by demanding exorbitant fees from political candidates?- is another question that came up for discussion during the lecture.
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Dr Ramu, a double gold medallist and PhD on Ethics and Journalists, provided valuable insights for aspiring media professionals, emphasizing the evolving role of political PR in shaping public opinion and governance. He outlined the three major phases of political PR: before elections, during elections, and after elections. Before elections, the primary focus is on building a leader’s public image and managing campaigns. During elections, responsibilities shift to handling media relations, crisis management, and organizing events. After elections, the emphasis is on maintaining the leader’s reputation and managing governance-related PR.
As traditional journalism job market is not so encouraging, political PR presents lucrative career opportunities that require strategic thinking, crisis management, and media expertise. Professionals in this field must be proficient at handling complex political dynamics and maintaining a leader’s public image effectively.
A Political PR Officer (PRO) plays a crucial role in leader management, issue management, and man management, while also handling events, crisis, news, and media relations. Success in this field requires key skills such as ego management, analytical ability, strong communication skills, coordination, creativity, innovation, crisis management, and the ability to handle criticism with resilience, Dr Ramu observed.
Dr. T. Satish, Head of the Department, felicitated Dr Ramu to mark the ocassion.
