The APR is Overrated. There, I Said It.

At an event the other day, a respected colleague of mine handed her business card to another person at our table. "APR," he mused. "What's that?"

Most of us in the PR and Marketing business know that it stands for "Accredited in Public Relations," and it's a respected designation in the field. Many excellent practitioners have the initials behind their name, and in some circles, it truly is the difference between your job and "your dream job."

About five years ago, I took the class my local chapter offered to prepare to take the test to obtain my APR. At the time it was a personal goal, and I'd be lying if I said if obtaining it wasn't still in the back of my mind. It is. But about that same time in my life, things in my professional life turned sideways. Social media moved across the horizon, and for me, it became my North Star. There's not much in the traditional APR exam that deals with my specialty.

This is symptomatic of PRSA's struggle as an organization to wrap its head around how social media affects both the practice and the need for public relations in our society. While I appreciate the effort to modernize, organizations like Ragan's Communications "PR Daily" and HARO are stepping into the void between the vaunted "APR, PRSA Fellow crowd" and the everyday practitioner. The cost to attend the PRSA International Conference is prohibitive and free PRSA webinars are rare. I don't know about you, but after paying my dues, I am tapped out financially. The hefty fee for the APR application itself does not help, especially for people like me who'd be paying it out of my own pocket.

Last year at PRSA Assembly, the possibility of having non-APR officers was shot down. Not surprising, since the majority of those who attend have the designation themselves. But it makes me wonder, how many could pass a truly updated and modern exam?

This morning, I had a lively conversation on Twitter with several Central Iowa PR practitioners and a student from the University of Iowa. All are successful in their own right, one even has the designation himself, but all the experienced practitioners agreed that experience is a more reliable indicator of success in the PR field. As long as the APR designation remains a job requirement for PR executives, it will remain a valid qualification, but as I tweeted this morning, none of my PR plans have started with the words, "Back in 1920, when Edward Bernays taught women how to smoke..."

My point? The history of public relations not as important as its future. What's your opinion? Please leave a comment and share. Thanks for reading.

Comments

[Kristent Turley, APR]

I appreciate your post but respectfully disagree. The point with which I most vehemently disagree is that the APR is overrated. In the interest of full disclosure, I am an APR as well as the APR chair for the PRSA Tulsa chapter.

While I do agree that the test is outdated and needs to be completely overhauled to be more relevant in today's PR environment, I can tell you that the process for completing your APR is the greatest education one receives. It's not about the history of the industry or stale points of view, the test centers on application of tried and true practices. The test is about strategy and providing APR candidates with a foundation for building a business case for why public relations is important.

Beyond that, the APR exam and accompanying study process is designed to allow PR professionals who did not receive a traditional PR education. I am a journalism major and took a few elective PR courses in college. The bulk of my PR education has come on-the-job and the APR process allowed me to have the textbook education for the field in which I am now working.

I know the Universal Accreditation Board is in the process of reviewing the exam and identifying areas of improvement. It is a challenging task that will take time. Once they are complete, I'm confident the exam will be more relevant.

[Claire Celsi]

Kristent, first of all, thank you so much for your comment. I always love to see where my readers are from. I am jealous that you get to live in Tulsa, the hometown of the best convenience store on earth, QuikTrip!! :~)

You bring up an excellent point. Having the APR education is a great way to make up for not having been brought up through a traditional PR school program. But I am also an adjunct professor at Drake University, and I can tell you first hand that they, and most, universities are struggling with how they will keep up with the breakneak changes happening in our business.

I respect your point of view, though, and appreciate your comment. Thanks for all you do in your local chapter.

Claire

[Kristen Turley, APR]

QuikTrip is most definitely the best convenience store on earth. They just opened an amazing concept store here that will blow you away when they start pushing it to other markets.

Now, back to the topic at hand. PRSA, universities and businesses alike are struggling with how they can keep up with the changing PR world. However, I am of the mindset that the basic tenets of PR remain the same. We are simply using new channels to continue that conversation. Organizations that "got it" before will have an easier time managing the changing landscape. Those that didn't will continue to struggle.

Kristen

[Blake D. Lewis III, APR, Fellow PRSA]

Hi, Claire...

Thanks for a thoughtful piece.

The Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), the group charged with managing the Accreditation credential, administering and updating the examination, recently conducted the next regularly scheduled analysis of the practice of public relations. A pretty fancy term for determining what contemporary public relations professionals do. What was learned will be used to update the examination.

Social media is an important tool, but it's just that -- a tool. We all laugh when a boss or client seeks to solve a complex challenge with the barked commandment "Get a news release out." Social media, news conferences, web site updates, new fact sheets... the list goes on and on... are all tools. What makes a public relations professional is the ability to know the desired end state, develop a strategy and a set of tools... and then guide all involved to achieve results.

Best fortunes as you continue to advance your career

Blake

[Claire Celsi]

Blake: Thank you for reading and for your comment. By the way, I do respect people who have obtained their APR designation and still think it has a place in the profession.

I will differ with you in one supposition. Although social media technically falls into a tactic box on a traditional scale, I would argue that the SCALE itself has changed. The profession is shifting, and it's more than a tactical shift. It's a sea change.

If I can be of service to the UAB, please let me know. I'd be happy to contribute.

Claire

[Deborah Silverman]

The APR is increasingly a job requirement, both for PR practitioners and PR faculty like me. It truly opened doors for me after I earned my APR in 2000. Since then, I have noticed more and more job ads asking for the APR.

Edward Bernays was a strong proponent of licensing for PR professionals. He was concerned about a lack of standardized PR education for practitioners. The APR does set such standards, at least until the time when all PR practitioners will have graduated from colleges that have a standardized PR curriculum. We're not there yet.

I was a delegate at the 2009 PRSA Assembly when the possibility of having non-PRSA officers was shot down. The Assembly did this not only because many delegates themselves have the APR, but because their chapters felt strongly about the APR and the chapter boards instructed their Assembly delegates to vote accordingly. This was the case with my own PRSA chapter and others in the Northeast District.

I agree with you about the importance of social media, but as an educator, I firmly believe that social media are another communication tactic, along with more traditional tactics (news releases, brochures, etc.). Strategy is more important; research on key publics, measurable objectives, and evaluation/metrics for all tactics are critical to the success of a campaign. This is a point that social media experts like Brian Solis and Deirdre Breckenridge have been making in their recent books and presentations. Five years from now, Facebook and Twitter may have been replaced by something new - but the fundamentals of solid strategic PR planning will still matter.

Thanks for posting on an important topic!

[Greg Brooks]

I think this is a pretty simple hypothesis to test over time.

If the APR has increasing value and recognition in the industry where it matters -- among those paying for PR services as employers or clients -- then you'd see a steady uptake in the percentage of jobs requiring it, as well as a steadily increasing premium in what APRs could command in the workplace.

Further, you'd likely see it become the centerpiece of PRSA's value proposition to potential members AND you'd see a sustained, high-profile push by PRSA to make the APR a standard -- something that would benefit members and grow the organization.

You'd see those things because the APR would be something that's proven to grow members' income and prestige, making the APR the strongest value offering PRSA has had in... let me check... oh, that's right: forever.

If that's not the case, then maybe the APR is something else: A learning opportunity, yes. A revenue opp for PRSA, certainly. Inside baseball.

Those are all good things. But they’re not the game-changer that a lot of APRs would have you believe.

[Claire Celsi]

Greg, you articulated quite a few points that I wish I would have included. I wish PRSA would spend its time and effort tackling some of the practical issues that all PR pros have been grappling with over the years. The two I think are most important: 1.Finding a sane way to measure PR value (beyond clippings) and also using the social media news release, which is still not being widely adopted despite a great need. I see these as being essential to our survival as a cohesive professional group. I would also like to see a real effort to provide more value to our student chapters. Right now, if the local chapter relegates them to the back burner as mine does, they are screwed, and a whole slew of talented students flounder as they struggle to find work in the new economy. Thanks for your comment. Claire

[Craig A. Ruark, LEED AP]

Claire,

APR is overrated and thank you for stepping up to point this out. That said, I do believe that there is a place for the accreditation process. As several of your readers pointed out, studying for the APR exam is one of the best study courses that I have ever taken. In Jr. High and High school I studied journalism, public speaking and competed as a member of the National Forensic League. After high school graduation, I was involved with radio, television, newspaper, and magazine on both the editorial side and advertising side of the picture. I am a 25 year student and graduate from the “school of hard knocks.”

My gripe is not so much with the APR exam but rather with the exam process. I studied on-line through PRSA for six months to learn about the history and evolution of public relations. I learned about integrity, how to write an unbiased survey, research techniques, PR Plans, the flow of adaptors, and many other things that I currently use in my work.

However, after all of that studying, the flaw in the system is having to appear before a review panel where your past work and knowledge is evaluated to see if you are (and let me use this word), “worthy” of sitting for the exam. I was told that I was not qualified because upon review of my past work, I had not used the AP Stylebook, and I did not talk specifically about “early adopters”, measurable results, or identify the informal and formal methods that I have used for gathering information. I ask you, do you talk like that during casual conversation?

I feel that if you are able to study and learn what it takes to rise above the bar high enough to pass the APR exam, then you should be accredited. But being allowed to take the exam should not be predicated upon the judgment of already accredited persons as to whether they think you are good enough to join their club.

On a side note, I work for a civil engineering firm and the Director of Business Development and Public Outreach. Although I am not educated in architecture or engineering, I embarked on a six month study course to sit for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP), exam. I passed the exam on the first try (which by the way only 20% of the applicants have done, most take the test two or three times before passing), and I wear the pin with pride.

Just my thoughts,

Craig

[Arthur Yann]

Hi Claire,

Thanks for lending your voice to the APR debate.

As it relates to how you'd like to see PRSA spend its time and effort (measurement, social media release), you may have noticed that PRSA was one of the five organizations, led by AMEC, that created the Barcelona Principles. These principles build on a set of recommended metrics and approaches for evaluating public relations' influence on key business outcomes, which PRSA issued for industry comment in September 2009. You can read about that effort here: http://media.prsa.org/article_display.cfm?article_id=1392.

With regard to a social media release, we've been consulting with our external newsroom provider for well over six months to develop a workable template. Getting the technology to work with our current system has been a bit of a hurdle, but once it's functional, it will become a great example for our members and the broader industry to follow — or not — as they see fit.

Two more quick points: (1) PRSA offers an average of one free webinar per month and (2) if you look at the cost to join PRSA (which has remained level since 2002), we’re extremely competitive when compared with Arthur Page ($595 – $1,395), NIRI ($600 - $775, plus chapter) and IABC ($272-$312, including chapter). The cost to attend our conference also is about $1,000 less than Page’s, and similar to the cost to attend the NIRI and IABC conferences; even so, I'd argue that our content is broader in scope.

I hope your readers find this context helpful. BTW, I look forward to following you on Ragan's PR Daily (congrats!).

Arthur Yann is vice president, public relations, for PRSA.

[Ivi Morales]

Although I understand that accreditation is necessary to build a stronger, cohesive brand for PR professionals, I, too, agree it is overrated.

As a rising junior at the College of Communication of Boston University, I have yet to join the PRSSA chapter. Granted that being a member will provide me with a network and potential future job opportunities, I'm not convinced that I necessarily need this on my resume to find a job and be a successful PR practitioner. Not to mention, the membership costs $50 per semester.

[Ashley White]

I have to agree with you. I do not think that people should be accepted based on a test they are given. Not only do people not have the money, but some are not good test takers at all. People should be accepted based on their people skills, ability to do the job well, and other aspects. While I am going to get my Masters after I graduate with my BS, I also find that as not entirely fair in the job world. If two people were interviewed and each were exactly the same but one had a Masters, the ‘higher educated’ person would receive the job. I guess that’s why they say life isn’t fair. Still, I’m glad you were able to be brave and say the words you did.

[Jessica]

This is a good article with many points that are similar for most professions and industries that provide a certification exam. I am certified in SPHR which stands for Senior Professional Human Resource. While not required to get a position, it has certainly elevated my status among my peers and provide me additional opportunities to interview because of the letters after my name. One of the reasons I think the certification is important for myself is because my degree is not in my field which is Human Resources. I have a degree in Anthropology and Business, but I have the experience and the certification to match.

Jessica

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