10 ways TV wrongly depicts the PR industry
Pop culture turns its window into most careers into a fun house mirror, of course, but public relations gets glammed up a bit more than most others. Set down your mojito, and take a look.
When it comes to public relations, pop culture has it all wrong, and that makes for a sad state of affairs when PR professionals try to counter television’s inaccurate depiction of the industry.
Shows like “Power Girls,” “Sex and the City,” “House of Cards” and “The Newsroom” have misled viewers into thinking that public relations is solely about looking good and schmoozing your way to the top.
The reality, however, is that the characters on these shows are not the standard, nor do they accurately represent the actual job at hand.
Here are some common PR misconceptions that TV perpetuates:
1. PR is an all-girls club. Unfortunately, one of the biggest and most rampant myths about PR professionals is that they’re all women. TV shows such as “The Hills” have promoted this stereotype, which serves only to repel men from the field. This, in turn, leads to an underrepresented male demographic and perspective. PR is an excellent field for businessmen to enter and excel in, and it’s certainly not exclusive to women.
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