By Mwiika Malindima
I had just dropped off my dissertation at the University at 8:30am Monday September 23 and rushed into town, Cardiff city that is! After successive weeks of perfect insomnia finishing my Uni work, I thought I could make sense winding up my last few weeks in the UK with work experience at Working Word PR.
What I have done in my working life the last 7years is to write press stories and teach. I have been a lecturer in media and communication in Zambia since 2003. It is an adventure telling someone how a feature story should be written in three parts; the intro, the body and the ending – or has it changed now? The world of communications moves on so quickly. But going that for seven years I would have gone insane had I not gone on a break so I punctuated work with a few feel-good trips, hopping in and out of Zambia. This brought me bliss as it made me do something I really enjoyed – teaching media relations to people in the Public, NGO and corporate world in Zambia and Botswana. It is a lot of fun but it’s also been going 7 years. My point? I was multi-tasking and this left me burn out, as it were.
Coming to Cardiff University for an MA in PR was for me a way of self development. What? If I had not done that I would be considered antiquated today, I promise you. What else was in my coming to Cardiff? A well deserved break, I was beginning to be good at dozing first thing on my desk at work, so going to school was just in time; a time for refreshing or reinvigorating oneself.
I said earlier that I just handed in my dissertation to the University; my research was on the practice (roles and models) of PR in Zambia. It was interesting doing this research. I learnt much that I hope will be of help to others too. More to that is how I am finding those theories I learnt at school being put in practice here in my work experience at Working Word.
I’ve become an all rounder really; I attend meetings for the different sections or accounts very often and am learning a lot from watching people working. I have done some write ups for a few account directors and managers. I won’t claim to know much about PR agency work. But I think it can be busy, and multi-tasking is a must.
I have learnt that a PR agency runs on cups of tea. I have been offered so many cups I’ve lost count. I am trying to be able to offer some, you know, but I must get round that sugar bit. Tea without sugar!! Try some milk please! By the time I leave here, I will know that I will have forgotten how tea without sugar tastes. ButI won’t tell that to my Zambian friends. I may not have the answer and would need another blog to explain it fully.. The cultural consumption blend is becoming real to me!
Seriously though, I am getting the grips of what it is to run a PR agency;it’s on the run all the time. My plans for the future are to set up an agency in Zambia. Have I been encouraged this week? I must grow up; breaks do come to an end, so yes is the answer. PR in Zambia is maturing rather fast, there are a lot of Multi National, local NGO and public and private sector corporates that want PR services there. What I have seen this week is in practical terms how to reach out and work with these sectors from a PR perspective. I have seen and heard of press releases, event management, CSR, pitching and brainstorming, AVE and working days and hours were also in the buzz. It was interesting to see how work is shared and how it comes off desks in this open air friendly team comfy office space. The terms client and bottom line are almost synonymous, I thought it was just theory!
It has been a good experience being at Working Word PR, nice people yes. There is no doubting how much team work there is here, it’s just great. Should I mention 6Music or Real Radio plays in the back ground, but the keyboards jingle a lot louder? The team is a busy one, but they all smile and answer your questions.
I intend to make the most of my time here, I have definitely learnt a lot about how PR agencies operate and I hope I can remember that when I leave. It’s a great team and teams are what make PR agencies so way to go Working Word! Am off for another tea – without sugar!
This really is an enriching experience Mwiika and trully inspiring to folks like me back home. It is true that P.R in Zambia is growing and maturing at an impressive rate more and more organisations are begining to hire professional P.R, Media Relations and image building services. Traditionally journalists have delved into P.R after years of practice and I would be interested to learn from your study if this trend is going to change as we seem to be heading towards greater regulation of the practice. Would love to learn from the experience in the U.K if P.R regulatory bodies are stutory and how the generally fit into the wider political economy. This is great, onve more heartfelt congratulations!
Bruce, you are right when you note that journalists have traditionally taken up PR for years. The picture is the same the world over but not for long i think. This is also not to suggest that there will no longer be journalists taken into PR in the future. What is important for our country (Zambia), and as i am aware there are efforts towards that end on the ground, is to consolidate PR. Those who have moved from journalism into PR need Continous Professional Development (CPD). As it where, there is only a few that could be considered purely qualified in PR in Zambia and research confirms that. However and like i said the picture is the same everywhere. Here in the UK many people into PR are former journalists as well, but they are actively in CPD programmes for PR. The fact that journalists are best set to do PR still holds except that with the fast changing economic landscapes everywhere PR people must encorporate other issues for instance strategic management that is inevitable for PR today. Thats the way Zambia shuld go as well. PR should be considered one fast growing service area in Zambia’s economy but this should be with all the measure it deserves as a management function.