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Abstract
A document analysis of 249 essays written during a 5-year period by applicants to a public relations program at a major state university in the southeast suggests that there are enduring reasons why students choose to major in public relations. Public relations is described as a major that allows for and encourages creative expression and that fits the personality of the student. Public relations is also seen as demanding management and organizational skills. Students see public relations consisting primarily of relationship building, event planning, media relations, awareness building, and fund raising. Students perceive public relations as an exciting, challenging, and rewarding profession and that there is a direct connection between majoring in public relations and being successful in the public relations business.
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Author Biography
Ronald E. Taylor (PhD, University of Illinois) teaches courses in communication theory, qualitative research, and message strategy in the School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He received the Charles H. Sandage Excellence in Teaching Award from the American Academy of Advertising in 2013.
