New Year, Same PRDude, Still Public Relations

By Edward M. Bury, APR (aka The PRDude)

Leave the resolutions and predictions to the other bloggers, prognosticators and pundits.

On this first post for 2016, I’ve decided to dispense with the expected “forecast” post. You can google to find out what other public relations professionals think will be the top stories or developments for the balance of the year.

I’m going to continue to publish posts that:

• Support effective, ethical public relations practices.
• Challenge those in the media and elsewhere who equate public relations with unfortunate business decisions or propaganda.
• Seek insight from public relations leaders.
• Focus on news related to jobs and the employment market.
• Address news taking place in and around Chicago.
• Chronicle my (relatively limited, but hopefully increasing) travels to interesting places close and far.
• And of course, comment on lots of “other stuff” that sparks my interest.

Too often, commentators — in the media, public relations and certainly many other professions — get trapped in a cycle of predictability.

You know how it goes: Start the new year with thoughts on what’s ahead, end the year with “best of” reports.

We know that politics will continue to drive the 2016 news cycle because we’re in a presidential election year. We know that terrorist organizations will continue to slaughter, spread havoc and incorporate sophisticated social media tactics to spread propaganda. We know technology will continue to evolve and greatly impact our lives and the world around us.

So, I’ll dispense with trying to share projections and stick to what’s gotten me this far since the fall of 2009.

I’ll comment on what takes place now.