I have never been ashamed of working in PR. Never. I never have regarded PR as “publicity” (publicity has a role but it’s different from PR) nor as a necessary evil (it’s not evil). I’m proud to work in PR because it demands that I read and write well. And that I understand my clients’ businesses. It’s also imperative that I use my skills, my creativity, my experience, and my savvy to drive their goals, all while being both informational and honest with them.

Today, I’m worried about PR. Some years ago there was no such thing as a “PR major” in colleges and universities (I majored in Comparative Literature and Theory, FYI). PR was, therefore, a profession you had to seek out. Many PR pros came out of Journalism, Sociology, or Psychology (majors and Life), and plenty from other communications-based disciplines.

Nowadays young folks arrive with a degree that says they know how to “do PR.” I don’t know what that means. See, while many PR programs are surely outstanding, these young folks still have a lot to learn—lovely pieces of parchment notwithstanding.

It feels like PR became a crowded field overnight. Given that pseudo publiciste and her “we dress like hookers and throw parties for a living” TV gig (we won’t talk about it!), it’s now going to get more crowded. Collectively we have to act right now to save PR, to ensure that it remains a valuable and viable profession to which people with brains—not just legs—will be drawn.

To do this, we have to raise the bar in every area of what we do, every day. This takes time and energy. It’s hard. But damn if it’s not our most worthwhile task.

Below are some examples of bar rising. Fifteen years ago these were basic, and so maybe they should become integral again. Send me more examples of the bar being raised (or lowered!), and this will become an ongoing feature or sidebar.

Editing & Proofredding (sic)
We type an e-mail missive and don’t even bother to proof it on screen. Every single written document should be proofed; otherwise you risk someone reading it and thinking you’re an idiot. Anything longer than two (2) paragraphs should be printed and proofed before sent (internally or externally). Yes, it takes time. It’s worth it.

Active Listening & (GOSH) Taking Notes
What’s active listening? That’s when you’re actually hearing and understanding conversation. When you have a conversation—on the phone or live—take copious notes. After the confab, send them to attendees. If someone else is supposed to be taking notes—like your agency representative—demand to receive them within a reasonable timeframe.

Specificity or Spe-ci-fi-city
This is simple, not easy: Be specific. Use descriptive language—not buzzwords. Say what you mean. “Just do it.” And in all communication forms. Eliminate phrases like “follow up” and words like “soon” and “eventually” from your vocabulary forever. Do this for me! If you are using “very,” find an adjective instead that modifies or describes. Don’t bandy “strategic” around to sound smarter without understanding what you’re honestly talking about. Remember George W and “strate-gery?”

Dead Lions
Set deadlines — do not miss those deadlines. If you require additional time to complete a task, tell the person expecting it. Not ten minutes before either, and not after you missed the moment. , Also, if you are reporting on activities make sure that each “next step” has a delivery date so it’s not considered vapor. It’s 2005; don’t we hate vaporous activity reports as much as clients do?

You Pitch!
Pitching is not telemarketing, and it should never be scripted. Pitching is a telephone-based activity. E-mail can be an effective supplement to a phone call, but never to replace those “touch-y” conversations.

8 Hours a Day
There are eight hours in each working day. Not five work hours, one Web surfing hour, one “mental health” hour, and 60 minutes devoted exclusively to whining about how busy you are. (Don’t get me started on that.) If you don’t like PR enough to spend a full day at it, please consider a career change. Fast.

411 on Availability
We all would like to take the weekends off. We have, however, chosen a profession that does not necessarily stop on Friday afternoons and resume on Monday mornings. Just give your number and answer the phone. You’re not that important.

Respect, Aretha
Respect your colleagues, co-workers, and supervisors. When someone takes time to give you feedback, pay attention (don’t just “Accept Changes”—read them and pay attention to the wherefores). If you think everyone working around you (including your supervisors) is stupid, then guess who really is stupid?

Conclusive Evidence
As PR professionals we must have confidence in ourselves and the science of what we do, enough to be able to talk about results. I don’t mean promising placements. I’m talking about discussing ROI in static terms, being willing and able to tie our efforts to a company’s bottom line all the time.

I’m done. Raising our profession’s collective bar only works if we all participate. So let’s make it happen

Erin Mitchell normally doesn’t get this cranky. She’s the Group Director of RLM and is a nice lady, usually.