As a senior at Temple University and a current intern at Maven, I’ve been thinking a lot about the transition that comes with graduating college and moving into the workforce. There’s excitement in having the opportunity to pursue my passions full-time, but I can’t deny that I’ll also be sad to leave the classroom in May. I’m eager to continue growing as a young professional in media and public relations, whether it’s inside or outside of the office and classroom.
One thing I’ve heard many times from professors is that the media landscape changes too fast to follow just one textbook. Often, our course resources were a conglomeration of media-related articles, book chapters, podcasts, and more. I plan on continuing my education in a similar style. Below are some of the resources I’ll be digging into to stay engaged and up to date with the ever-changing public relations field.
The Reading List
The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford
This novel became popular for its advice on relationship-building in the business world. In 2021, the 20th anniversary edition was released with updates to suit the digital world. The Trusted Advisor argues that being able to earn clients’ trust and confidence is the key to professional success, and it gets granular with the steps in “the trust equation.”
Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership by Barry Spector and Shelley Spector
Created out of a partnership between the PRSA Foundation and the Museum of Public Relations, this book offers a wealth of knowledge from more than 40 multicultural executives and leaders in corporate and agency communications. The candid anecdotes and perspectives included bring a more personal urgency to DEI in the workplace.
The Art of Crisis Leadership: Save Time, Money, Customers and Ultimately, Your Career by Rob Weinhold with Kevin Cowherd
Author Rob Weinhold is a recognized leader in crisis communications who has decades of experience helping executives, public figures, and government organizations navigate turbulence. His authentic stories provide common sense approaches to life’s unpredictable conflicts, teaching readers how to resiliently protect themselves and their organizations.
Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age by Gini Dietrich
Dietrich’s novel challenges the PR practice of “spinning” a message. Instead, it provides an actionable guide for professionals to communicate ethically and effectively with their audiences, all in the sharp yet genuine tone of her popular blog.
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin
This short and witty book provides a unique take on the traditional “Ps” of marketing and coins the idea of a Purple Cow, a memorable term for something remarkable. Through case studies from top companies, Godin illustrates the importance of remarkability for businesses trying to craft a message that will stick.
Podcasts in the Queue
An extension of the Digiday website, this weekly show discusses current stories impacting brands, agencies, and professionals in the digital media landscape.
This ongoing Harvard Business Review podcast started in 2018 and has over nine seasons of episodes that check in with women and encourage their progress in the workforce.
Marketing Over Coffee’s twenty-minute, weekly episodes offer bite-sized recaps of marketing news and, recorded in a coffee shop just outside of Boston, are quite literally presented over a cup of joe.
Publications for Learning the Trade
With offices in London, Glasgow, New York, and Singapore, The Drum’s array of content offers a diverse mix for globally minded professionals in the media and marketing industry.
Campaign highlights creative excellence across the media industry and presents it in a business context with objective, detailed intel on shifting trends and strategies.
Supporting local clients means knowing local information. The Philadelphia Business Journal covers a variety of sectors relating to business and life in the city we at Maven call home.
Apps and Programs that Change the Game
In partnership with local libraries, the Libby app provides free and easy access to a wide variety of eBooks and audiobooks.
Spotify recently expanded to include an audiobook library of over 375,000 titles, many of which are free for Premium plan holders.
The media landscape is always changing so a skills course on LinkedIn Learning can offer a great introduction to new topics, programs, and ideas.
What media-focused resources are you tuning into?
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