From international corporations right down to your local school
district, from the president of the United States to the mayor of the
smallest town, people recognize the need for good relationships with
the people who support them. Many employ public relations profes-
sionals to help create and maintain the positive relationships they’d
like to have with the public.
Public relations professionals work hard to build favorable impres-
sions through the publicity and information they distribute and
through interpersonal contact with the media and the public. In spite
of careful management, however, events happen that give people nega-
tive impressions:- An airplane crashes, and passengers look skeptically at
that airline the next time they plan a trip. - The president of a major nonprofit organization admits
having paid for parties for himself and his friends using
money donated for research. Donors decide not to give
any more money to that organization. - A ride at a major amusement park collapses, and people
are injured. Parents decide to take their children some-
where else this summer.
482 MIXED MEDIA
or Michael Hancock,
having good communi-
cations skills was the
key to landing an internship
in the office of Denver mayor
Federico Peña. During college,
Hancock began sending out
résumés and requesting intern-
ships. He says it was his com-
munications skills that helped
him most. “You’re really judged
more by your ability to commu-
nicate in speaking and in writ-
ing than anything else,” he said.
Hancock, a native of
Denver, worked as an adviser
to the mayor on community
and youth issues for about
six months. He said it was a
great job to get right out of
college, even though some
of the work was tedious.Next, Hancock worked as
a strategic planner for the
National Civic League, a
national nonprofit organization,
in Denver. His job included
long-term planning, consult-
ing for local government,
leadership development and
research. The job also required
writing and designing publica-
tions. Hancock is currently the
Denver City Council President.
Hancock, who majored in
political science and minored
in communication arts in col-
lege, says his decision to
study communications was
one of the single most sig-
nificant decisions he made in
college, because he learned
many of the things that have
helped him on the job.Writing was not Hancock’s
favorite subject, but he says
he was forced to do more of it
when he went to college. “It was
a pain, but I benefited tremen-
dously from the experience,”
he said.
Students should not be afraid
to have their work critiqued,
Hancock says. “Whether it is
writing or speaking, being cri-
tiqued can help students feel
more confident and comfort-
able in the work they do.
“There are three things every
student should learn: the ability
to participate in and understand
the information superhighway,
the ability to write well and
the ability to listen,” Hancock
said. “These three things will
set you up in the world.”Portrait of a Young Journalist
Michael Hancock, Denver City Council President