Public Relations Degree: The Digital Age

A company's image can often be more important than the products and services that it provides. Today's digital media has changed the face of PR by offering a great deal of opportunities for good will advertising, and image overhauls. Earning a public relations degree can get you started in this modernized field.

Here's the good news. Before the economy collapsed, the PR industry was already in the midst of a revolution. Digital communication began its exponential proliferation long before last year. In the process, PR gained more respect and leverage as a business driver. It clearly emerged as the discipline best equipped to drive and manage digital interaction.

So when the industry's revolution met the ongoing recession, adaptability and creative thinking increased in terms of both staffing and client service.

"Downturns in the past seemed to affect specific levels. This was an equal-opportunity downturn," says Lisa Rosenberg, partner and MD of Porter Novelli's New York office. "It affected all levels within our industry, other industries, and sectors of society.

"Thinking has shifted away from advertising being the big behemoth," she adds. "Ad planning and production cycles are at odds with real time in which information is needed and is relevant. We'll continue to see a flattening in terms of hierarchy.

Even though Internet technology and advanced communications have made it easier for companies to promote their images, there are more and more businesses using the same media to promote theirs. The competition is tough. So earning a public relations degree online is even more important so you can have a solid educational base for a revolutionary career.