The Gatekeeper Interview Assignment: Teaching Public Relations Students How to Write for the News Media and to Conduct Media Relations Effectively

Abstract

This study analyzes the results of two focus group discussions, and telephone and e-mail interviews with thirty-three former students who had completed “gatekeeper interviews” in public relations writing courses to judge the pedagogical value of the assignment. The gatekeeper interview requires students to go into the newsroom to interview working journalists who make decisions about using news information from public relations practitioners. The former students reported the assignment was beneficial in preparing them for real-life writing for media and media relations