How to Become a Media Relations Specialist

A media relations specialist works in the highest level of a company's external communications department. Whenever there is news within the company, either good or bad, the specialist speaks with journalists and tries to portray the company in the best possible way. Anyone who wants to become a media relations specialist needs a variety of communication skills and a healthy does of creativity. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications or a related field

Become a Media Relations Specialist

1. Study for your bachelor's degree in a communications-related field. Many specialists have communications, journalism or writing degrees. Try to take a few public speaking or oratory classes if your school offers them.
2. Set up an internship with a public relations (PR) firm or the PR department of a company. Recent graduates need more than just good grades to get a job, and an internship gives you some real-world experience. Remember to be professional and work hard at your internship, so that you can get a good reference from your host.
3. Talk to your internship hosts about the possibility of employment after graduation. You can also ask different members of the PR department how they started their careers. Be sure to ask whether they have contacts at other PR companies.
4. Work on your public-speaking skills. If you become a media relations specialist, you'll often have to speak to many members of the press at the same time. You need to be able to speak clearly and confidently under the pressure of rapid-fire questions from journalists.
5. Look online for entry-level public relations positions. In most cases, you'll need to start at the bottom and work your way up in order to become a media relations specialist. Many journalism-related websites also post media and public relations jobs, like the Journalism Jobs website (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Most colleges have a news department that communicates the university's news to local media groups. An internship with the news department would probably give you good experience and cut down on travel time.
• You also need to develop strong writing skills. Many media relations specialists either write or edit company press releases.
• You're the source of company information, so you need to be absolutely sure that you're able to spin negative stories in a way that reflects positively on the company.

Who Can Help:

• Earn an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix
• University of Phoenix, degree Programs to Fit Your Life.