When the question comes to communicate with the press, individuals and companies often need a mediator - a person who will represent their interests, positions, statements and clarify. Representatives of people and organizations are responsible for their image, so they are obliged to handle information quickly, accurately and without errors. For such a goal, the profession of the press secretary was created - the very name of the specialty speaks of communication with the media and other information organizations.
Peculiarities
The specialty of the representative of the enterprise or official is very young - it appeared in Russia at the end of the twentieth century. At that time, there was a sharp industrial progress, and the model of the market economy was changed. In Europe, the population of many countries has actively used the services of press secretaries already in the 50s of the twentieth century, and this specialty appeared in Western countries no later than 1940. Profession has gained popularity when information technologies, mass media and marketing have begun in the world. . Intermediaries between the people, the media and the enterprise themselves are simply necessary for those organizations that are followed by their reputation and create an image. Also in services of representatives need public people, such as politicians, military or show business stars.
Position requires a person attentiveness and rapid response - Every day, he is obliged to handle a huge amount of news, view reports and read publishing. The work lies not only in the collection and processing of information - the spokesman follows the activities of the person who represents. If necessary, the employee of this profession smoothes the negative impression of the press on the actions or statements of the employer. The ability to respond rapidly to conflicts and consolidate them efficiently - the most important qualities of the company's representative.
Also, an important feature of the nature of the professional of his case is the ability to keep secrets - for the correct work of the representative, the employer trusts him all his goals and aspirations, so the spokesman should not be mercantile or chatty. The specialist is responsible for the image of his manager, protects the reputation and always remains faithful to its principles.
Due to the high level of responsibility and incredibly rapid work of correspondents, it is difficult to make a schedule of the press secretary, because a new event that requires immediate reaction may occur on any day and at any time of the day.
Job description
Sometimes the situation happens when the company or company incorrectly represents the obligations of the mediator. The company appoints a press secretaries to work, which is not a specialty, such as the organization of events or solving issues with marketing. The mediator between the media and the leader performs the function of creating a positive reputation of the employer, and also engage in public relations.
To make it easier to disassemble the functions of the professional work, throw them into three main categories:
- Protection of the head of negative statements, correction of stereotypes of the enterprise, as well as the correction of erroneous actions and subsequent negative events created by the employer;
- Creating favorable conditions for communicating with the people around the enterprise, the execution of the role of an intermediary in a triangle from the head, correspondents and society;
- Creating a significant position of the enterprise, as well as the general line of behavior of the company, which will be in access to the media.
Responsibilities
The press secretary performs many diverse tasks, while not going beyond its professional duties. An enterprise hiring a representative is imposed on the employee's shoulders of the function of different complexity - it all depends on the specifics of the company. Despite the peculiarities of the work, the main task of the press secretary is to establish communication with the media, and it remains paramount.
Communication The mediator with correspondents is to provide the press of articles and materials, writing news about the company, the preparation of the head for interviews, as well as a rapid answer to questions of magazines, newspapers, TV channels and news sites. Sometimes the press secretary may represent the interests of the company at various events when the employer does not have the ability to visit them. Professionals are engaged in constant verification of published news related to the enterprise, and transmit collected information and data on reputation to their employer. In addition, the responsibilities of intermediaries include the organization of interviews, press conferences, briefings and speeches of the company's director.
If the scale of the enterprise is small, the task of the press secretary is to lead pages on social networks or write news creating a good reputation on the Internet. Sometimes a negotiation professional acts as a photographer at different events, and also participates in the creation of advertising.
The mediator always accompanies his head at business meetings, interviews and speeches - it helps in the formation of dialogues and advises how to answer provocative questions.
Rights
The following items are registered as a press secretary in the reception agreement:
- On the instructions of the director, the employee is authorized to participate in various events, meetings and college related to the enterprise;
- In order to maintain or improve the image of the company, an employee has the right to propose ways to improve the productivity of units or firms as a whole;
- The press secretary has the right to receive detailed information and documents from all company officials;
- The specialist is authorized to speak to any media as a representative of the company.
A responsibility
The position of the press secretary is very difficult, often have to work with confidential information. In this regard, on the shoulders of the specialist there is a big responsibility - both for their own actions and for the company actions in general. The press secretary should be punished if he performed his work unfairly, reacted incorrectly or ignored important events.
Profession requires a person of a huge amount of knowledge, tolerance, excerpts and prudence, because mediation is always a big responsibility.
Knowledge and skills
The most popular skill for successful work as a press secretary is Communicability . Only a lightweight person can constantly contact with a large number of people, it will be able to answer any question to any question and prepare a high-quality, suitable text. In addition to speaking skills, the mediator must have several more qualities: punctuality, initiative and high level of responsibility.
Those people who graduated from universities in professions related to social studies, journalism, advertising and politics are becoming good experts in mediation. Practice shows that in this field of activity more success, those professionals seek two higher education in different specialties. Moreover, for the prospect of a career, the press secretaries often increase their qualifications by visiting special courses.
Education
To receive the position of the representative, you must have either a special average or higher education. The second, of course, will reveal more employment opportunities. For admission to profile universities it is necessary to pass the exam in the following subjects: social studies, history, mathematics, Russian and English . During training, it will be reasonable to focus on specialties such as journalism, library-information activities, advertising and public relations, as well as public policy and documentation. All these specializes will improve your knowledge of the profession of the press secretary.
Work by the representative of a private person requires extracts, unusual abilities and skills, a variety of skills will be only a plus in this craft. For this reason, most successful press secretaries most often have more than one special education. Often, professional work with the press has a specialty philologist, because the work implies the processing of a large number of texts.
In the sphere of representatives of companies, many employees with basic education, for example, lawyers, economists and experts on international relations are press secretaries. Also, quite often, professionals become those people who have had a career by profession a referent translator or PR manager. For applicants, imagine a small list of higher educational institutions, in which you can get a base for employment as a press secretary.
- Russian State University named after A. N. Kosygin. Specialties associated with the profession of the press secretary - a philologist, journalist, advertising and public relations.
- University of Management Technologies and Economics in St. Petersburg. Specialty "Documentation and archivalology".
- State University of Communications in Novosibirsk. Provides a educational program in the specialty "Advertising and Public Relations".
- State University named after M. V. Lomonosov in Moscow. Provides training in the directions of journalism and philology.
Place of work
Responsibilities of press secretaries is to maintain good reputation, communication with correspondents and constant monitoring of important news . The services of such professionals most often enjoy well-known people, the position of which requires frequent communication with the press and work with the public. People who hire representatives, you constantly meet in the media - these are ordinary politicians, business owners, actors, singers, writers, athletes and musicians. In addition, some categories of people who occupy managers may have several press secretaries, the most vivid example of such cooperation is the president and its representatives.
It is possible to start a career during the period of education - in many enterprises they hire students to the post of staff secretary or assistant director of the company. The more experience of the future professional, the greater the chances to take a vacancy with a decent wage after the end of the university.
The wage size of the representative also depends on several factors, such as character traits, age, ambition, education and previous jobs.
