FEATURES EDITOR
As part of the Public Relations Student Society of America ‘s Pathfinder series, Harold Burson, the founder and chairman of the respectable Burson-Marsteller Public Relations Firm, spoke in front of a packed room in Murphy Hall’s film theatre March 12. Dr. Petrausch of the Mass Communication Department introduced Burson, who is known within the industry as “the century’s most influential PR figure.”
“It’s a great night to be at Iona. Most people have to settle for reading about Burson in textbooks, but tonight you can share a dialogue with the most influential PR figure of the century,” Petrausch said.
The 80-year-old Burson spoke on the history of his company and public relations in general. Burson noted that public relation tactics began as early as Moses preaching the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai. Rallying up people during the American Revolution and the writing of the Declaration of Independence are all examples of early public relations.
“There is nothing new about PR principles; there is just a new identification,” Burson said. Although the practice of PR has been around since the early ages, after WWI, PR turned into a commercial practice.
Burson went into the dynamics of newspapers versus PR, which many people see as a disguised form of advertising. He pointed out that there are “spin doctors” and “hypsters” in the business that tend to exaggerate facts and mislead the public; however, the majority of PR firms do not.
Burson also went over the four basic qualities of a successful PR person, which can be true in all forms of business. He said first off that people have to smart; however, they do not always need a college degree to be successful.
“This is hard to define. They try to measure people’s intelligence through SATs and IQ tests, but essentially well-informed people have basic intelligence needed to succeed,” he said.
Next
people should be self-starters. “These are creative people who don’t have to be
told what to do next,” he said.
Finally
people must be good communicators and team players.
“People
must know how to get along within organizations,” Burson said.
He
also stated that being a good writer is key in succeeding in the business of
PR.
To end the night, Burson answered questions from students and professors in the audience. When asked on how he deals with the importance of global thinking, especially after the events of Sept. 11, he stated that as a company and as a nation we have to change judgments of what property is worth.
“We’re in a clash of civilizations and value differences. It will take decades to work out.”