Writing Activities of Public Relations Practitioners: The Relationship between Experience and Writing Tasks

This study provided descriptive information on the types of writing tasks conducted by public relations practitioners. The public relations literature differentiates the roles of public relations technicians and managers according to tasks. Generally, technicians spend more time on writing tasks, whereas public relations managers spend more time on strategic planning. This study surveyed 200 public relations practitioners in New England and investigated whether the type of writing and over-all time spent writing vary with years of experience. Two important findings emerge from this study. First, the nature and quantity of writing tasks do not vary substantially with years of experience. However, the percentage of the day spent writing does decline with experience. This finding indicates that higher levels of writing efficiency come with writing experience. The second finding shows that female practitioners spend a higher percentage of their workday on writing tasks than do their male counterparts.

Duke Scholars

Author Philip Michael Napoli Sanford School of Public Policy