National Assessment of the Perceived Writing Skills of Entry-Level PR Practitioners

Abstract

This survey of members of the United States' largest public relations association confirms the existence of significant dissatisfaction with the writing performance of entry-level public relations practitioners among their public relations supervisors. Dissatisfaction occurs across all measured categories of writing for public relations and general business writing. In this large-sample descriptive study of views of active PR practitioners on this subject, public relations practitioners say the writing skills of their entry-level colleagues are bad—and they are getting worse. The study suggests a significant need for increased attention to writing training for future PR practitioners. It also provides a baseline from which to track industry opinion on the writing performance of future entry-level public relations practitioners over time.