Making it big in Media

Making it big in Media
By:Lauren Hale


The more I browse the wide variety of public relations related professions, the more I realize that developing skills for success in this field is like a connect the dots picture. The more skill and experience you can offer, the bigger your picture gets. I currently intern with a woman who has made a career out of public relations. Sarah Burris is the Director of New Media for the Askins for Governor campaign in Oklahoma City as well as the Managing Editor for the popular online blog, Future Majority. Since graduating from the University of Kansas as an English Major, she has spent the past seven years working in various fields of PR. Her work in politics stems from her solidified beliefs and passion for policy and social justice. Burris has worked for Rock the Vote, Emily's List, Politicorps and Skyline Publics Works. Currently she is a writer for Future Majority, which is a blog dedicated to increasing involvement of America's youth in progressive politics, something that Burris is very passionate about. She is also a partner in a Kansas based media company, Mixed Media, where she serves as a consultant for many companies and campaigns on social media and networking. Burris believes that a top public relations professional much possess excellent writing skills, impeccable organization, the ability to quickly develop influential relationships and honest relationships with media.

These relationships include but not limited to reporters, bloggers, media outlets." Burris said, " you can't forget the catch all skills: good event planning skills, ability to quickly adapt, ability to quickly learn new media skills as they are developed relating to technology."

Burris is an advocate for hard work and dedication to professions. She believes that loving what you do makes you better suited to execute anything thrown your way. When I asked her what her advice for future public relations professionals was, her straightforward and non-flowery answer matches her work ethic.

"Don't ever assume that your education will get you a job. No one cares about where you went to school, how well you did, whether you volunteered, what clubs you were in, or what your GPA is. Did you intern? Where did you intern? What did you learn? What skills did you develop? Do they set you apart from your main competition for the job? What relationships do you have that can give you a better edge over your job competition? These are the only criteria on which I base a hire - that and their ability to work really hard and have the knowledge I outlined above."