Is PR Dying (A never ending argument)

Every couple of months, I come across a news article, blog post, or podcast arguing that PR is dying. Here is an example:

http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2009/06/the_new_rules_i.php

PR is not dying. Old business models are certainly going out of fashion. Traditional PR skills of the past may no longer be relevant. Other sectors (e.g. consulting) are entering the PR field.

The reality, however, is that as long as human beings exist (who knows how long we will be around), there will be a need for a function that facilitates dialogue with an organization's publics.

Human beings communicate and we often do a poor job at it. PR people try to help us communicate better and avoid those mistakes that can cost billions.

It is that simple. Just like there will always be a need for someone to report the news, there will always be a need for someone to facilitate dialogue.

We should not confuse the fact that some skills are no longer relevant with the idea that a whole field is no longer relevant.

When I started at US Airways PR over a decade ago, we compiled news clips by hand. I would literally clip out sections from newspapers, glue them, and present them to the CEO.

A few years later, I was doing this using Factiva and Lexis Nexis. Today, I imagine interns are using other fancier tools. They are using RSS feeds, tracking blogs, and listening to podcasts.

Technology is constantly changing and skills can become obsolete. The need to communicate will not.