PR isn't just writing strategies.

In my first week with the PTA I’ve learnt that PR is about so much more than just creating strategies.

While we have discussed the importance of internal communications in class, I didn’t realise just how much of PR is made up by internal communications.

The PTA is the huge overarching organisation the covers TransPerth, TransWa and has its fingers in numerous pies – such as the Perth City Link (sinking the railway project). Because of this wide employee base, well run internal communications are integral to a cohesive working environment, by keeping everyone informed.

There are several means of doing this, through the intranet and internal publications. I’ve written stories for both and have noted the different writing styles required for web based publications as opposed to print publications. The PTA intranet is very casual and friendly, stories are short and sweet and written informally. On the other hand, the internal newsletter TransNews is slightly longer, slightly more formal and doesn’t refer to the PTA as “we”.

I’ve also written stories for the Perth City Link Rail Alliance internal communications (the Perth City Link Rail Alliance is a combined group of people from the PTA, GHD and John Holland working together to sink part of the railway track). Writing for this was very different to writing for the PTA, I was asked to write a 300 – 400 word story, which was then reduced to 250 after being edited by my supervisor and then again to five short sentences by her supervisor.

In such a big organisation the relationships between the various internal departments and external contractors need to be maintained and developed. I attended a meeting with the Rail Alliance where they discussed various steps of the project that required Heritage Council approval. Also in attendance was a representative of the Heritage Council, to ensure that they were aware of every step the Rail Alliance intended on taking.

Since sinking the railway track is such a huge project, there will be disruptions to public transport users at the Perth Station. I went along on a ‘signage walk’ as various members of the PTA and the Alliance determined where signage should be placed to make smooth the disruptions the public would face. It was interesting to see this side of community consultation – instead of asking community members what they thought and receiving potentially entirely negative feedback, this was a pre-emptive measure aimed at having as little disruptions as possible.

This week I’m getting in to some policy writing, some more stories and some social media research (lucky we’ve all had about a thousand classes on social media!), which I’m really looking forward to.

Hope everyone is enjoying their placements and that all is going well.

=) Tori

Bentley