Social Media Almost As Important?

PR hiring managers in the U.S. now say it is nearly as important for prospective hires to have social media savvy as it is for them to have traditional media-relations skills. That’s what a recent iPressroom survey reported. Okay, public relations professionals need to be social media savvy -- most of us in the field have known this for years. What made me raise my eyebrows was this phrase – “…social media communications skills are nearly as important as traditional media relations skills.” Let's break this down a bit. First, this is like saying, e-mail and phone communication skills are nearly as important as traditional media relations skills. Second, what is traditional media relations skills? Last time I checked, traditional media outlets weren't doing so hot -- so why are social media skills "nearly" as important?

It will be a great day in PR history when social media isn’t considered a separate entity; just as picking up the phone and e-mailing aren’t separate communication strategies. The simple fact is that key constituents, like editors, analysts and customers, are now using social media to communicate. Common sense would then dedicate that PR professionals would need to also use social media tools to reach these target audiences. It’s all about fishing where the fish are. If public relations professionals aren't audience savvy, then social media know how is the least of their worries.