PSUC announces creation of public relations and journalism department

             The Plattsburgh State public relations and journalism departments will be combined into a new Department of Journalism and Public Relations, Shawn Murphy, chair of the new department, said in an announcement in the Alumni Conference Room Friday.

            Murphy, previously chair of the journalism department, said that public relations, once considered the “dark side of journalism,” now plays an important role in gathering and communicating information to an audience.  

            Murphy said the program has great growth potential, especially within the public relations program.

            To help assist this growth, the public relations department is working to submit an application of Certification in Education in public relations to the Public Relations Society of America.

            “Once obtained, Plattsburgh State will be among nearly 40 universities and colleges worldwide that hold this prestigious accreditation,” Murphy said. “We expect applications to increase dramatically once the certification is secured.”

            The new dual program currently has 223 students. 112 of those students are journalism majors while 111 are public relations majors.

            Tom Naudacci, president and founder of the Albany-based public relations firm Gramercy Communications, advocated the importance of public relations in the newsroom and encouraged public relations students to understand and take control of the social media networks which are changing journalism.

            “Understanding these changes is as important as understanding the traditional,” Naudacci said.

            Naudacci said that students who grew up during the emergence of social media will have a leg-up in the job market.

            “Our business benefits from the youth,” Naudacci said. “They also can help us understand how the world has changed.”