Do what I say, not what I do… Public Relations education and practice

Does it matter if those educating tomorrow’s PR graduates have never worked in the profession themselves?  It could be argued as a sign of maturation of the profession if those teaching in Universities have followed an entirely academic career path.  I’m not so sure - PR graduates are already competing against those with business or other non-specialist degrees for jobs in the industry.  One benefit of a degree in PR ought to be a greater insight from those who’ve been there, not just read about it in books or undertaken academic research.  I’m not so sure that setting up academic consultancies is the answer either.  You undoubtedly gain valuable credibility and understanding in stuffing press packs, organising launches, writing speeches, responding to irate consumer media, developing internal communications campaigns and networking with influencers for real.  Sure, experience needs to be balanced with understanding of theoretical approaches that underpin good practice, but a few battle scars must help you integrate academic and practitioner perspectives to the benefit of those starting out on their careers.