Largemouth Intern Explains: Why PR?
I'm one of Largemouth's fall interns, and I'm writing to tell you that PR's not a dirty word. It's actually two words, but you get my point.
Beyond my internship at Largemouth, I'm a journalism student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Largemouth is chock-full of UNC alums, so I know I'm in a good place.
I can also be found crawling around Chapel Hill with a camera in tow as a photographer for UNC's student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel.
I was drawn to public relations almost by accident, caught off-guard by an email that ordered me to pick a degree concentration at the end of my freshman year. I knew I wanted to be in UNC's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to slog it out at a newspaper (sorry, reporting), cut my hair and buff my teeth (sorry, broadcasting) or indulge my Mad Men fantasies (sorry, advertising). So PR it was.
PR seems to be a good fit for me. PR sits at the intersection of business, the media, professional writing and storytelling. What agencies like Largemouth do is move media -- they tell stories for their clients, and make sure those stories find listening ears. They create buzz, hype, momentum, or whatever you want to call that little spark that happens when a group of people gets behind a cause or a company or a product.
PR in its best form serves to build connections and bring people closer together. Some people say that PR is the business of spin, but PR, really, is the business of relationships. That's what piques my interest in the field, and that’s what makes getting up at 7 a.m. twice a week seem less like a chore and more like the start of a career.
This semester, I'll be working alongside the Largemouth team to tell clients' stories, pitch media, build relationships and help clients achieve their business goals. I'll put my writing, storytelling and media experience to work. I'll have deadlines followed by deadlines. I'll drink an unhealthy amount of coffee.
As I begin my foray in the professional realm of public relations, I'm glad to be at an agency like Largemouth. I'm excited for the opportunity, and I’m looking forward to what the semester has in store.
