The world of public relations provides its habitants with an ever-changing work environment. At a moments notice global news can suddenly break, which can potentially cause massive ripples across the PR spectrum. With the growth of technology and the world being, more well-connected globally than ever before, PR professionals everywhere are seeking continuous, up-to-date insights within the sector.
This desire to discover the newest trends and the latest news has led to an influx of Public Relations materials online, each wanting to fill this void. Several platforms have emerged through the sea of competitors to become leading figures in the development of an online PR presence. However, with so many mediums being made available, the choice can be overwhelming. This blog shall analyse four major PR publications and assess how they compare to one another.
When discussing websites and publications, naturally there tends to be unintentional bias in-play. To help combat this issue, a 5-point criteria system, helped to assess each platform. The five evaluating factors for the review were: accessibility, design, content, technological interactivity and originality. The main aim for each site is to provide relevant information, which is useful to PR professionals, in easily-digestible fashion. I have opted to pick four publications that personally interest me; Ragan’s PR Daily, PR Week, PRSA and The Holmes Report.
Having engaging content is key for any successful publication. Content needs to be relevant. The website needs to be easy to use and provide clear information.
PR Week’s website is quite easy to navigate due to having a helpful toolbar. Users can quickly select news from specific sectors. PR Week allow users to jump between their Asia, USA and EU websites with one click, increasing global content accessibility. Unfortunately, for all the positives, there are several issues. The PR Week website uses borders for promotional opportunities. These can be very distracting when reading the main headlines. There also remains the issue of constant ad pop-ups, the pop-ups are too frequent. However, if you can ignore the distractions, the website does provide useful information. The job search feature also helps to provide an added feature to the website. Articles on the website are given clear, engaging headlines, however, the images are bland. Ultimately although PR Week offers great information and useful additions, the website is very confusing. There are too many different things in view at one time. Despite all of this, the biggest disappointment is the sign-up requirement. Articles are not accessible without having a registered account, this can be very frustrating for new audiences.
3/10
Next up – Ragan’s PR Daily.
PR Daily offers a much friendlier viewing experience compared to PR Week. The page is not overpacked with articles, and the toolbar at the top is well utilised. PR Daily articles are freely accessible to new audiences, another bonus. Although the website also does use advertisements, they are not dominating the screen. The articles are easy to read and the search function helps to improve the experience. Ragan’s website provides its viewers with interesting content via different platforms such as Youtube. The content here is useful for those well-versed in comms and those looking for a casual read and greater insight. Personally, I am a fan of the way this website is set out. I like how they know what they are. Ragan’s does not want to do too much, they just want to deliver the latest news easily. If you are looking for your first taste in communications trade news, this could be for you.
6.5/10
PR Say is next on the list. I have to say I did enjoy saying that name out loud, it rolls off of the tongue. They claim to be the voice of Public Relations and it is easy to see why. The first notable aspect of the site is the interactive menu bar. I love this function and honestly, I am shocked that the other sites have not implemented their own versions. Whether you are here for the daily news articles, or for more in-depth training tips, PR Say is perfect for your needs. They can engage with multiple audiences and they do a good job of using technology to make sure they cover all of their bases. Although it’s a simple feature, the use of video content on the website pages helps to increase audience retention. I personally love the content on PR Say, not only are you able to find real-life PR conversations, but you are also able to further your own personal knowledge and insight. I feel that PR Say are unlucky to come in second because the website has a lot of positives. Their media content on other platforms equally matches the high standard.
8.5/10
Finally, we have the Holmes Report. I hope all the other publications are ready for a seminar on how to deliver PR and comms news. To put it bluntly, this website is as close to perfect as you are going to get. Firstly can we discuss the colour scheme? The design on this website is so aesthetically pleasing. You could know nothing about comms or PR and simply stay because of the visual effects of the website. Not only that but in terms of creativity and content, only PR Say is even in the same ballpark. The Holmes Report has a bit of everything, for everyone. The lists and ranking provide a lot of interesting conversation and the premium content definitely adds to the website’s intrigue. Each of the previously discussed websites has their own styles, but there are aspects which seem to be lacking. The Holmes Report appears to hit all of the key criteria and then some. It is hard to fault this website and the only thing stopping it from reaching a perfect score is the fact some may be turned away from the lack of video content.
9.5/10
20/20 Vision 