Well, after completing 8 days at the RAC, I have already learnt a number of new concepts and experiences. It is so diferent to learning the theory - putting it all into practice and watching it develop in a real workplace is a great learning experience.
On my 5th day I got to watch the Head of Advocacy speak to 3 news stations regarding a story that the RAC had produced over the weekend. When the first reporter arrived, my supervisor and I went downstairs into the foyer to greet the reporter (from WIN news - she was reporter and camera woman too!) and watched her set up. When our spokesman came downstairs they began the interview. The reporter asked questions and the spokesperson answered them so fluidly and confidently, I was so impressed! I was also impressed by his speaking skills, as he was s confident and spoke with clarity and authority. This interview was follwed by one from GWN and another from the Channel 9 News (who had more high tech equipment and a camera man in addition to the reporter). The questions that were fired at him were all similar, but he wasn't daunted one bit by being put on the spot. I throughly enjoyed watching the interviews.
Afterwards, I asked my supervisor if she needs to prep him - in what to say, how to say things, his body language etc and she informed me that with most others who speak for the company this was the case, but this particular spokesman was a natural - and I could see exactly what she meant!
It was also interesting to see how these interviews work; how different news stations conduct them, what kind of questions they ask, and how the spokesman acts. I guess it is something that comes with practice, and of course a solid understanding and belief in the topic. Successful speakers know what they are talking about and influence the audience to believe them, something whch the RAC spokesman has done very successfully! The relationship between the reporter and my supervisor was also interesting, as there was none of the animosity that I ave heard exists between journalists and PR professionals! It was all very friendly, which was very reassuring.
During the last couple of days I also finished compiling a series of Media Monitors reports for the PR team,. These reports specifically focus on the volume, reach, and ASR comparative spend of each campaign that the RAC have run this year, and their purpose is to justify how important the use of PR is to the Insurance Team (who apparently think PR is a waste of time!) Through compiling these reports, I gained a solid understanding of evaluation and effectiveness of the different campaigns.
The last couple of days has been very worthwhile and I will update after another exciting week!
amanda j
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